Happy birthday, Millie, my love! Four years old today. 
It’s hard to believe now that this picture is of her, that she was 1lb 7oz and that you could hold her in the palm of your hand.
Four years ago at 8.47 a.m. I was waiting, alone, in hospital and prepared for the worst.
At 8.47 a.m. today I was dropping Millie off at nursery, and for the umpteenth time wished I could go back in time and tell myself then ‘Everything’s going to be all right.‘
I often still think back to those weeks in 2005; oddly enough, it’s usually when I see Millie at her best – running around, happy and laughing, a perfectly healthy little girl.
I did try explaining something of the circumstances around her birth again this morning, but it’s hard to get across to a four-year-old the concept of them being the size of a kitten and facing odds for their survival that any betting man would walk away from.
I learnt a lot in those weeks, I can tell you – and not just about medicine!
