Today is Audrey's 2nd birthday.  You can read all about her on her mom's blog.  And she was recently written about in a local magazine. Click on "Praying for Normal". 
Audrey was born with CDH - the same horrible defect that took our Connor.  I met her mom through my best friend.  I remembered she wanted to meet me right after she was diagnosed during her pregnancy to find out more about CDH.  I was so nervous about meeting her.  I was, after all, her worst case scenario.  In my experience, CDH babies died.  As I sat across the table from Jenn, I really had very little to tell her about this birth defect.
We were diagnosed at 34 weeks.  My water broke on May 12, I heard about CDH for the first time on May 13, Connor was born May 15 and died May 16.  And from that moment on, I was just trying to survive the death of my son.  I knew CDH took my son.  I knew they didn't really know why it happened.  I was just trying to find the strength to take my next breath. 
Then several years later, I nervously joined an online support group of non-survivor and survivor moms.  I didn't know if I could do it.  These women had their children, I didn't.  Could I handle it?  It was there that I finally learned, really learned about how horrible CDH is.  No one just walks out the hospital fixed.  As I read about these moms with CDH kids, I realized they had their own journey of grief.  Grief of not having a perfectly normal healthy child.  Grief of seeing your child endure a seemingly never ending list of medical procedures.  The grief of never really knowing what the outcome will be.
 It was a light bulb moment for me when one of the survivor moms talked about how hard her son's birthday was.  How could that be?, I thought.  Your son is living, he gets birthday parties and birthday cakes.  But each year on her son's birthday, she relived his birth.  Just as I did.  The hospital stay, the NICU, doctors telling you that your child will die.  Just because your child comes home from hospital doesn't mean that you forget.  It doesn't make those memories any less painful.
So when I met Audrey's mom - five years after we lost Connor - I was in a different place.  I'm not sure if I met Jenn in my early days if I would have had the strength to get to know them.  But I'm so glad I am now. 
When I look at Audrey, I see this amazing little girl so full of life, determination and strength.  And just recently when I read the magazine article of her birth, I was reminded what this family went through.  It is an amazingly unbelievable journey. 
And I believe in some weird way, we were supposed to meet - our babies were both born in May, both with this rare birth defect, both wonderfully shining little stars.  And it is through her, I'm finally learning about CDH and it what it might have been to live with this disease. 
Although when I look at Audrey, I just see her.  This beautiful little girl with an infectious laugh who has truly defied the odds and I can't wait to see what she does next.
So, Happy Birthday, Superstar Audrey!!!