Happy Birthday Colby

(Colby at just a couple days old)

(Colby's first month was a long one for him. His intestine ruptured which made him have a colostomy bag for a bit. But he fought strongly and did very well. He also get aquainted with the CPAP)
(Colby's second month saw more challenges. They put his belly back together which put him back on the resperator for a bit.)
(Maybe at month three he knew he was #1. Colby got off the CPAP and we started to have discussions with the doctors about bringing him home.)
(Month 4 brought a couple of ups and downs. We were told we would probably be bringing him home around Christmas. Then just a couple days before he was to come home we were told he would need to be transported to a new hospital to have stest done regarding his hydrocephalus. Colby spent his first Christmas in the hospital while mommy, daddy and grandpa visited him.)
(Colbys fifth month brought him back into the hospital to have a third ventricalostomy to treat his hydrocephalus.)
(At 6 months he got his shunt)
(After his shunt was placed, he really seemed to blossom. At seven months, he was sitting up in his bumbo)

(At eight months, he was a happy little boy and really starting to giggle)

(Nine months brought summer and warmer weathe to get him outside more.)(Colby's 10th month showed a lot of progress with his motor skills, babbling and interaction.)(At eleven months, Colby really figured out he had a tounge and started sticking it out a lot, sitting up and babbling ma ma ma, da da da and ba ba ba)

(And here's our big boy just a couple days ago, sitting up big and tall taking in the world around him.)

To my son,

Mom and I waited many years to meet you. You came into this world in an extraordinary way, fighting and working so hard to overcome challenges that life brought you. This must have been a sign of what an extraordinary boy you would become. Mom, myself and so many others supported you throughout it all knowing that with some help, you could overcome just about anything. And look at you now, one year old, a happy, strong little boy. Growing, babbling, laughing away, you melt the hearts of so many. You've bought such joy to our lives and completed me in ways you can never imagine. That's all because of the wonderful little boy you are.

Thank you Colby for coming into our lives.

I love you,

Daddy