Happy 5th Birthday, Padme

Our last summer birthday has arrived, and it belongs to Padme. Padme had the most dramatic entrance into the world of any of our children. God had his hand on her, and we are so blessed that she is alive and healthy and 5 years old today.


When Padme was born, she had an APGAR of 2. She didn't make a sound. She was in distress and they took her to the NICU. I got a brief look at my silent baby, and then she was gone. Hubby went with her. When he came back to see me, I was feeling very poorly. I had lots of pain, was lightheaded, and nauseated. They found out early the next day that I had a blood clot in my lungs, a pulmonary emboli, which are deadly, and later in the week that I had bled internally.

Padme was in distress, needed an oxygen tent, and all kinds of other equipment. They weren't sure what had happened to her, and they never really figured it out. We didn't get to hold her or feed her until she was 2 days old, and she just gradually got better and they discharged her when she was 6 days old. I think that God healed her. The pediatrician said we would know if there was any damage to her brain as she developed. Here is how she looked the first day. She also had an IV in her head that doesn't show up in the pictures.

Here she is at 3 1/2 weeks.

Her first Christmas

At her first birthday

She hit every developmental milestone right on time, although she was a bit of a slow talker. The doctor said it was because her siblings doted on her and never let her have a say in anything. Well, as soon as he said she should be talking more, all the kids ganged up on her saying, "Padme, say this and Padme say that," and pretty soon she was talking up a storm. And she is never quiet now. Ever.

Two years old

Three years old

Four years old

Padme is the feistiest of all our kids, combined. She is stronger willed, altho not a classical "Strong willed child". She is not of afraid of her teenage brothers and never has been. She stands right up to all of their 6 foot plus height and bosses them around. She is a go getter who loves her family, her baby brother, animals, reading books and snuggling. She has her own agenda every day, which never includes taking a nap. She has taken a nap almost every day of her life, and every day is surprised and angered when nap time arrives. I told her today that when she is 6 she can stop taking naps. Boy, was she excited to hear that!

My mom has always said that if Padme was quiet and withdrawn, we would always be wondering if she was OK: if she had any residual affects from her birth. She makes it perfectly clear that she is strong and healthy and just the way God made her. And we couldn't love her more!