It’s hard to believe that five years ago Kay was born. What was such a traumatic event, and a lingering traumatic few weeks, has led to a chaotic, but beautiful life with Kay over these last five years. Learning through struggles and coming up on top even during the hardest times.
The early days were filled with fear, uncertainty, and questions I didn’t even know how to ask yet. I grieved the loss of the expectations I once had, while simultaneously falling completely in love with this tiny human who was already teaching me more than I ever imagined possible. Kay didn’t arrive to make life easier—she arrived to make it deeper.
These five years have been full of appointments, therapies, new diagnoses, sleepless nights, and moments where the weight of it all felt unbearable. But they’ve also been filled with laughter that stops me in my tracks, milestones that feel like miracles, and a kind of joy that only comes when you learn to slow down and truly see the world through your child’s eyes.
Kay has shown me what resilience actually looks like. She keeps going. She adapts. She shines—on the hard days and the good ones. She doesn’t ask for permission to take up space, and she doesn’t apologize for being exactly who she is. And honestly? That has changed me forever.
Being her mom has stretched my heart in ways I didn’t know were possible. It has taught me patience, advocacy, strength, and how to celebrate progress that the world might overlook. It has taught me that “normal” was never the goal—happy, loved, supported, and seen was.
Five years in, I still don’t have all the answers. But I do know this: Kay’s life has purpose. Her voice matters. And her story—our story—is still unfolding in the most beautiful way.
Happy 5th birthday, my sweet girl. Thank you for choosing me to be your mom.