My Brighten

Brighten shares a birthday with many important people in my life. Easter just happened to be on this day. Kevin's birthday is today and Tricia, my best friend, also was born on this day. Such important things happened on this day years ago...

Brighten is my miracle baby. After 9 weeks of radiation, Kevin was supposed to be rendered sterile. After suffering from a miscarriage in February, finding out that Kevin had a brain tumor, and then finding out that I was pregnant...I was stunned. Three days after we found out that Kevin was terminal, I found out that I was pregnant. Kevin had very strong feelings about having children. He was excited but also very scared for me. He didn't know if it would be a good idea for me to be pregnant. Her pregnancy was my hardest. I spent weeks going to the hospital daily to spend time with my dying husband. I can still remember the smell of the chemicals and the nausea I had to fight off. Shaking constantly because my blood sugar was so low. ( I never gained a pound with her) Right before my ultrasound, Kevin died...not knowing if I was having a boy or a girl. We hadn't even discussed names. Survival mode kicked in and after a few pre term labor scares, selling a house, moving back to Oregon, and buying a new one, I was blessed with this beautiful baby girl. She was supposed to be Elisabeth Paige but weeks before her birth, I began to have second thoughts. I really wanted to keep the "n" ending going. So I asked God to help me name this baby. Sure enough within days a name popped into my head on the back of a car...Brighten...I told Father to confirm it for me...and mere minutes later, I saw it again. This is how Brighten got her unique name. On her birth announcement, it read, "She has brightened our lives." Even now I can barely hold back the tears at what a profound blessing she was to me and to many others.

Baby Brighten came into this world with the help of the wonderful Dr. Bair and my dear friend Stacey Wolfe. She was my birth coach...I couldn't have survived that first year without her...she truly is an angel sent to save me...I love you Stace!

Brighten is a shining star in our family. She loves all animals. The most nurturing in our family by a mile. I see lots of children in her future. She is all girl and loved to play dress up and be the ultimate drama queen. She comes across as shy until she gets to know you. She is very polite and timid, but don't let it fool you! She is not that way! Diva, Princess, The Boss, are better words to describe her. She loves accessories and usually has to have some kind of sparkle on her clothing. I see a bedazzler in her future! She is a petite thing. I highly doubt she'll get much past 5'2". Her first word was mama but her second word was DADA! She called Patrick DaDa the second day she met him....isn't that just great?! Brighten loves gifts. That is her love language. She is the first one to make cards for all of her friends and loved ones. She is extremely artistic and is highly creative. Not only does she excel in visual arts, but is a fantastic ballet dancer and gymnast. She is also learning to play the piano and loves to sing.

Her cake
Brighten is the best thing that could have happened to me 8 years ago and I am forever grateful that God sent her to me. We love her with all of our hearts!