Olivia's 2nd Birthday Party!

This past weekend we invited our friends and family to join us to celebrate Olivia's 2nd birthday, even though her birthday is not for 2 more weeks. Thankfully at this age, Olivia was absolutely unaware that it was not her actual birthday. I cannot believe that it has been two whole years since I delivered Olivia on a hot August day. And I definitely cannot believe that it has already been a year since her last birthday. I can remember her first birthday quite vividly. The sting of Olivia's diagnoses still lingered in the air, the feeling was almost palpable, the feeling of sadness over the diagnosis of cerebral palsy and the challenges Olivia would face in her lifetime. I remember her first birthday as a bittersweet milestone. In the short time since her diagnosis in March, Olivia had accomplished so much and we were so proud. But the pain in the truth of her developmental delay made my heart break for my only child.

1st Birthday (Lady Bug Theme)

2nd Birthday (Rainbow Theme)
Both Pictures by Amy Camblos

Fast forward two whole years and the changes are remarkable. Absolutely remarkable. I have since moved on from the shock of the news of cerebral palsy, our life has adjusted to make sure Olivia has therapy as much as she needs it, and to make sure that my husband and I incorporate our own therapy into her daily activity. On most days, cerebral palsy is simply a fact of life, not an obstacle, not a challenge, and it is not something I dwell on constantly. There are now only a few days I will let myself feel sad for her challenges, but they are far and few between. I remind myself that it is easy to be discouraged, but the true strength is in our fight, and especially in her fight to make the delays between what she can do and what other children might be able to do as small of a margin as possible. Olivia's pure determination has enabled her to gain a lot of ground on her peers.

In just 3 short months, from May to July 2014, Olivia went from pushing a push toy on her knees, to walking with the toy, to walking on her own at 23 months, to now running at 24 months. And as I watched her run around in our backyard at her 2nd birthday party, I could not help but reflect on how far she has come. So here's to you, our sweet Olivia, on your 2nd birthday. Don't let anything stand in your way and always remember that there always comes a rainbow after every storm. So for now, we will cherish her progress with walking before we work on tackling her next goal: right hand movement. Wish us luck!

Pictures from Olivia's Rainbow Themed 2nd Birthday Party!