Vivienne's CDH Story: One Year!

Well, we made it! Our sweet Vivienne turned the big o-n-e on March 18 - a huge milestone in her journey. We celebrated with a small party at our house. Viv played with her cousins and was completely underwhelmed by her first encounter with cake. There were no freak outs or vomiting, so all-in-all it was a success (a low bar - such is life with a baby!).

Viv continues to make progress in all of the important areas. She's able to stand unassisted for a short time, cruises with the help of furniture, and tries her best to communicate with mom and dad. The changes she has experienced over the past 365 days are nothing short of amazing. An outsider would look at her and never know how difficult her start was. The only evidence is a fading scar and a slight sensory issue with textured food. No oxygen. No feeding tube. No wires or machines. All for a baby that was originally given a 40% chance of survival. It's truly remarkable.

As we celebrated this milestone, we spent a lot of time reflecting on our journey. We remembered the devastation we felt when we received the CDH diagnosis, the anticipation we felt waiting for Viv's arrival, and the fear we felt immediately after her birth. Each day in the hospital we watched her surpass all expectations and she continues to beat the odds. We are truly blessed, and we don't take a single moment for granted.

CDH doesn't define our daughter, but it will always be a part of her story. We have enjoyed sharing the first year of that story with all of you through this blog. However, the time has come to move on, and this will be our final post. Thank you for following Vivienne on this journey. Thank you for all of the prayers, positive thoughts, and kind words. Your support has truly meant so much to us.

So what's next? Don't worry - we'll continue updating friends and family as Vivienne grows through social media and other outlets. And as for the 85 posts on this blog? Well, we will be turning them into a book for Vivienne to read and appreciate later in life. It will certainly be a baby book unlike any other!

We'd like to close with a note to our darling daughter:

Our Sweet Vivienne,

Simply put, you are an inspiration. All parents feel pride, but ours is immeasurable. We hope this blog serves as a testament to your amazing strength and that you enjoy reading these posts for years to come.

We didn't know what would happen when we found out about your CDH, but we knew that we loved you and would do anything for you. It was a hard road, but we would do it all again in a heartbeat.

You are the light of our lives, and we love you more than you will ever know.

Love Forever,

Mommy and Daddy