A Big 14th

February 14th is a lot of things...

Valentine's Day

The last day of CHD Awareness Week

The 21 month anniversary of the best day of my life

So how do I tie those things together into the perfect post?  Good question!

The 14th is always a hard day for me.  It should be a day where we are celebrating another month with Charlotte, yet here we find ourselves, 21 months after her grand entrance into this world...with empty arms.  I'm sad.  Its a day full of LOVE yet I have this giant empty space in my heart that is hard to ignore.  I've been thinking about this post for awhile and none of my ideas really felt like they were "good enough" to convey the range of emotions that I'm feeling...

Then I checked the mail yesterday and found this...

Those perfect little hands in the center of the heart belong to Charlotte's heart friend, Claire.  I mean, really...how SWEET is that?  There was a note included, and I don't think Claire's mommy would mind me sharing a little bit from it.

"Claire and my mom were doing some arts and crafts the other day.  When I went to pick Claire up, my mom showed me what they had made.  I immediately thought of Charlotte because it looked like Claire's hands were angel wings on the heart!  Here is an early Valentine's Day present from Claire to you in memory of her heart friend."

Tear.  Thank you Rebecca and Claire.

Remember my first post for CHD Awareness Week?  You know, the one where I spilled my guts about my confusion over how I "fit in"?  Well, that little Valentine says it all.  Once a heart mom, always a heart mom...and there is no way that my heart family will let me forget that!

I hope that you all have a very happy Valentine's Day filled with crazy amounts of love.  

And as for you Miss Charlotte...

While a part of my heart wants to be sad today, my mind keeps going back to how much LOVE and HAPPINESS you brought into our lives.  And that love just continues to grow.  I didn't know it was possible, but I continue to love you more and more each day even though it has been months since I have felt your weight in my arms.  After all, it was YOU who really taught me how to love with every ounce of my heart.  Happy "Valentine-Birth-aversary" baby girl.  Mommy and Daddy LOVE YOU like crazy!!

Valentine's Day 2011 (9 months old)

Her Daddy was her FAVORITE Valentine!

 All smiles!

 She thought she would try out a more exciting chair pose!  Such a silly girl.

 

**Check out Claire's blog right HERE!  She is truly a little hero and has overcome prematurity and some significant liver cysts on top of her CHD.  We think she's pretty awesome!**