The Booji-Boo Turns 5!

My little baby is 5 today! What a whirlwind the first 5 years have been. I remember the night she was born, 5 years ago. I was so desperate to touch her, to hold her after I woke up from the surgery (c-section delivery that I had to be put completely under for). After the trauma of not being able to even touch Amee until she was already almost 24 hours old, I was anxious to get my baby into my arms. She was perfect. So strong and healthy at a whopping 9 pounds 7 ounces. I was terrified to let her go, insistant that when I did, she remained in my sight. I was so scared that I would fall asleep only to wake and find her gone (which is pretty much what happened when Amee was born). But everything went smoothly and we took her home in less than 48 hours. I cherished every coo, every smile, every moment she was in my embrace.

I wish I had known then what I know now. I wish I knew how hard her little life was going to be. I still see the same strength in her eyes that I saw the day she was born, but there is pain there now as well. The last 4 years have been so rough on her little body. She did not get to be a "normal" toddler, or a "normal" preschooler. She will not have a "normal" childhood. 2010 brought us what we fought so hard for these last few years, a diagnosis... Fibromyalgia. Now that we know, we have been able to somewhat manage symptoms. There is no cure. There is not even an "approved" treatment for someone so young. So we manage as best as we can with a special diet and vitamins/suppliments. At least now she is not in pain everyday.

But winter in the Northwest does pose a challenge to her. She has been on a roller coaster lately. One day she's fine, the next she's miserable with pain, insomnia, exhaustion and a fever. So our big challenge this year, to move south (Arizona or California). Our gift to our sweet girl- a milder and dryer climate in hopes that it will help us manage her Fibro better. My wish for my baby girl is that 5 is an easier year for her. So far it's looking good ;).

                                                                              My sweet girl on Christmas Eve
A little fun fact for her B-day- I get asked alot "What's with the nickname Booji-Boo?" lol. So here is the explanation behind the name. If you are a super Disney nerd, like I am, then perhaps you have already figured it out :). It started with Ryan calling her Boo. Not sure why, he just kind of started one day lol. Despite being so sick, she was a vocal, loveable, happy 1 year old. She reminded me alot of Angel, the little pink alien that Stitch falls in love with on the Lilo and Stitch series. "Booji-Boo" is what Stitch called Angel (and an orange ball that was his favorite thing in the world until Angel). Although they never say exactly what it means, to us it means "My Love". So that is the story behind Booji-Boo :).

EDIT 1/24/2011: After deciding to finally look it up, turns out I was spelling it wrong lol. Stitch calls Angel Booji-Boo not "Boochi-Boo", oh well. So I corrected the spelling. It is believed to mean "Loved One" in Stitch's language (close to "My Love", which is what we thought it meant). It still works and I plan on continuing to call her my "Loved One" forever ;).