Valentine’s Day: 5 Years Later

Many of you may remember that Valentine’s Day has a special meaning for our family. It is the day that we brought our little one home 5 years ago after a 6-month hospitalization, which was the result of a premature birth at 26-weeks.

Reflecting back, I can remember the flurry of emotions that day. The excitement, the worry, the gratefulness… all of it bursting at the seams underpinned with our constant faith that brought us to this day. This was probably the single most emotional day I have had in my life to date. Even more than my wedding day or the day Emerson was actually born. What sets it apart is the spectrum of emotions that took place all in one day. Excited to finally be bringing him home, worried and scared that we might not be able to manage everything from a medical perspective, then eternally grateful for his life and how far he had come. This day was the culmination of everything we had been praying for and who knew that such a little person would require so much. From a ventilator, to a tracheostomy, to a g-tube, feeding pump, suction pump, pulse oximeter probes, syringes, gauze, and the list goes on and on…

Today, I see my little energetic, loving, 5-year-old who no longer has a tracheostomy and who is in kindergarten. I see the miracle that he is and how he has already blessed the world in so many ways. People often tell me how loving he is, how happy he is, and how much they just love him. It’s so amazing to see the impact he has on others at such a young age. I am grateful that our experience has been such a testimony for others going through similar challenges.

Since it’s the 5 year anniversary of Emerson coming home, I thought I would share some photos from that day. I hope it brightens your Valentine’s Day just as it does mine! 💜