The opportunities we have encountered this week - and it's only Tuesday - have been amazing.
We didn't take pictures, we just went through the day as business-like as possible.
Me, keeping a wall up between my emotions and business.
I was so afraid that if I didn't, I would start crying - like a girl.
Today, my sweet, beautiful, Baby Girl - went to Big Girl Kindergarten - for her first visit - in preparation for August.
What got me is not that Addie is actually now old enough to attend school, it's the fact that she can.
All I wanted was for one medical professional to look me in the eyes and give me one tiny bit of hope for my baby and instead all I got was my husband holding me in the chapel of a hospital as I sat hysterical and begging him to tell me that Addie really would be alright.
At that moment in my life, one doctor had the power to give me the only thing I needed and he failed by muttering two simple words - "absolutely not".
That visit is one of the clearest memories from those first few weeks.
Today, when we walked through the doors of our little elementary school, I wanted more than anything to tell Addie that we were there because of all of you - your prayers - our answered prayers and our God.
I couldn't tell her that because I had business to take care of and if I took the time to tell Addie that she is a beautiful miracle from God, I would have lost my composure.
We had the opportunity to meet Addie's Special Education Teacher and Kindergarten Teacher for this coming school year.
We had the opportunity to tour the school - it has been a while since Julien walked those halls.
We had the opportunity to watch Addie go through a lunch line and sit at a big girl table and eat lunch - like every other child.
We had the opportunity to watch Addie walk down the hallway of a public school.
Addie sat with typical students for circle time and she danced to music in a kindergarten classroom in a little public school.
Most of all,
we had the opportunity to come face to face with the people we have prayed for since the day Addie was born
- these teachers are our answered prayers -
they have been placed into our path in order to love Addie, to teach Addie and to help us continue to show this world that Addie has a purpose
and
her purpose is not to prove one egotistical, self-righteous doctor wrong
it's to show this world how the power of prayer, faith, love and determination can make miracles happen.
Thank you - each one of you - for making this day possible.
