My lovely niece is ONE today!
So far she's learned to laugh and play,
To love her daddy and her mum
And holler till their ears are numb.

And that's a bundle for a kid
Who started out like Hannah did,
All plugged with tubes and pricked with pins
And stuck in bilirubin bins.

Oh, Hannah came a little soon.
We all expected her in June,
But she was feeling kind of stressed
By all the water in her chest.

So Hannah whimpered, "let me out!"
(She didn't know yet how to shout--)
To which her doctor said, "We will,
And let the Danish foot the bill!"

While Hannah's heart was calming down,
Some oldish folk flew into town
To dote and bring her love and toys
And hear her making baby-noise.

So Hannah met her grandmas two,
And better yet, her Grandpa Stu!
In time, she met--would you believe--
Two unc's, an aunt, and Grandpa Steve!

And everyone who came agreed
That she was quite a treat indeed,
And anyone would give an ear
To see her more than twice a year.

But Hannah moved to China! Boo!
And there was nothing else to do
But fly across the world to see
The cutest baby there could be.

So people did just that: they flew
Through thirteen hours of empty blue
To cuddle, hug, and photograph,
To see her smile and make her laugh.

So Hannah played some pattycake,
Made all the faces she could make,
And gave her audiences thrills
Because she had such super skills.

The playing left her tuckered out,
But she still hadn't learned to pout.
That came when doctors had to cut
Her back to sew her heart-hole shut.

Then Hannah woke and whimpered some,
And when that brought her Dad and Mum,
She thought, "now that was quite a thing--
I wonder who a shout would bring!"

But Hannah doesn't need to bawl
To get attention: she has all
The love a child could want, and more.
Now, that's a thing worth shouting for!

She has a family to love,
But more important, up above,
She has a God who's always there,
Who keeps her in His constant care.

And THAT's how Hannah came to be,
And THAT's who made her family,
And THAT's why she is going strong,
One loving, happy year along!