A before ... and after

Last month I hung all of Lilly's pretty dresses up on a rack on the wall.  I love seeing them.  But lately there are two that keep drawing my eye, just because of the big difference in them.

They are the two in this first picture.  The tiny blue dress, a preemie size, was one Lilly wore when she was just a few weeks old.  The green dress was a 9 month size and she wore it last fall.  What a difference!  When Lilly was born she was 18 inches long and weighed 5 lbs. 4 oz., but dropped to 4 lbs. 8 oz. at her lowest.  When she died, she was 27 inches and weighed a few ounces over 13 pounds.  That was a huge accomplishment for her!

Here is a picture of tiny, skinny Lilly wearing the blue dress.  She is about 1 month old.  She is laying in a wicker bed that my mother-in-law made for T's dolls!

Here is Lilly in the green dress sitting propped up.  She is chunky and happy and is 15 months old.                         

I'm sure those of you that are parents look at your own children's clothing and marvel at how much your kids have grown.  I do with my other two.  But Lilly is probably more dramatic in my mind just because it was always such a fight to get her to gain weight.  (I think mostly due to the holes in her heart.)

 

(Last picture) I was happy to see on Saturday that the lily-of-the-valley plants I planted are really growing and most even have flowers on them.  (The one here does but they don't show up very well in this picture.)

 

Speaking of lily flowers, our church had out 4 nice potted Easter lilies for several weeks this month.  This past Sunday we got to bring them home and plant them!  Our pastor suggested that we might like them for our Lilly memorial garden.  My husband already planted them and we have a nice row of Easter lilies now. 

 

Growth is an amazing thing.  In children, plants, and animals!  And that's just the physical aspect.  I've said many times that Lilly grew us to be better people, and we thank God for the blessing that she was - and that her memory still is. 

 

"For as the soil makes the sprout come up
   and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness
   and praise spring up before all nations." - Isaiah 61:11