James was finally big enough to wear his first outfit when he was almost 3 months old.

When James was born I learned quickly to adjust my expectations. Nothing was how we thought it would be, and we had no idea what the future had in store for our family. We held onto anything positive we could find in the NICU – We had a “Foot Long” party when James was finally 12 inches long, each pound gained was huge, we were excited when he could wear clothes for the first time, extubation day, moving to an open crib, and feeding from a bottle were all amazing days, giving us such hope.

Once he was out of the hospital we tracked his development just as closely and continued to celebrate his accomplishments. His development has been fascinating to watch. He keeps chugging along at his own pace, achieving milestones on his own timeframe.

One year ago, almost to the day, James took his first real steps. Our little rock star was starting to walk!

I love looking back to see just how far James has come. It helps me to be thankful, instead of ready to pull my hair out, when he’s climbing on tables and standing in chairs, completely ignoring me as I call his name. Looking back also reminds me to never give up hope. James has proven to me over and over that there are no limits on what any of us can accomplish. Anything is possible – Make it a great day!