Happy Home Fairy

To Whom It May Concern:

We were told that our son, the Happy Baby, would never lift his head, sit up, crawl, or walk.

At the beginning of this year, several people encouraged us to get connected with your program so that the Happy Baby could receive free therapy services.  It sounded too good to be true!  FREE?!?

Then our wonderful coordinator, Simone, gave us a call to tell us that she had placed the Happy Baby under the care of Miss Stacey.

The first day Miss Stacey arrived at our house (which was another incredible blessing in itself!  After months of driving 40 minutes to the hospital for all of the Happy Baby’s health issues, I could not believe that she was coming to US!), the Happy Baby and I were just beyond thrilled.  Miss Stacey was so warm and encouraging.  She immediately made a connection with the Happy Baby and announced that she was going to do everything she could to see him twice a week instead of the one day we had originally agreed upon.

Most of the Happy Baby’s life we’ve had doctors tell us his limitations.  That first day we met Miss Stacey, she looked me in the eye and said confidently, “This little guy has great potential.”

I have clung to these words ever since!

Our twice-a-week sessions are the highlight of the week!  We can’t wait to see what color scrubs she is wearing that day or what new things she has brought for him to play with.  Most of all, I love how knowledgeable Stacey is about her field.  She will be working with the Happy Baby and she will say, “Julie, he is so close to sitting up. I’ll bet he’ll be sitting on his own by next week.”

Sure enough, her prediction came true – pretty much to the day!  She went on to predict his pulling up on things and even crawling.  She diligently works with the Happy Baby and gives him the tools he needs to be successful.  Her professionalism and expertise have brought great comfort to my soul as I have watched her help our son overcome so many of the things other doctors claimed would be impossible.  And I have learned so many valuable tips and techniques along the way to partner in her work with the Happy Baby on the other 5 days of the week.

Perhaps, though, one of the most amazing things about Stacey is that she is a mom herself.  As a young, hard-working single woman, she felt called to adopt a little girl from Guatemala.  Being married with 2 kids and feeling overwhelmed most of the time, I cannot express enough how much I admire this woman for making such a beautiful, selfless, sacrificial decision to give a precious little girl such a fun, incredible, love-filled life.  I so enjoy hearing stories about her daughter, their love for the beach, and their generosity and service to others.  Stacey’s strength and confidence have helped me to grow in my own strength and confidence as a mom of a child with special needs.

I seriously could not have imagined a more amazing therapist for our son.  Thank you so much for bringing Miss Stacey to our door.

Sincerely,

The Happy Baby’s mom

Our little boy has had quite the last couple of weeks!

He turned 1, we celebrated with family and friends at a party, and then today, the Happy Baby was baptized.

Most people who observe infant baptism make sure that they do it when their baby is…well, a baby.

The Happy Baby’s life has been such a journey… and to be honest, I didn’t want to have him baptized until we all felt more of a peace about his well being.

I had a vision that his baptism – his welcoming into the covenant family and body of Christ – would be feeding tube and illness free.

I also had a vision that the pastor would hold the Happy Baby up like Simba in The Lion King and they would play The Circle of Life through the sound system and it would be the most glorious moment ever.

The latter did not happen (as some thought it might be a bit irreverent ), but the first vision did.

And there was not a dry eye in the place.

The Happy Hubby spoke for a few minutes – giving a brief overview of the Happy Baby’s life.

While he was sharing, the Happy Baby started to get squirmy and decided that he no longer needed his socks.

Everyone started laughing and the Happy Hubby got distracted and forgot all the carefully planned out things he was going to say.

Then the second sock came off {more laughter} and he decided to give up and just pass the mic to me.

One of the beautiful aspects of infant baptism is that the Church promises to assist us in the job of raising our children in the faith, so I had a quick minute to offer our gratitude to the Church for the ways in which they have already done that – carrying us through one of our most trying seasons as a Happy Home.

But then the Happy Buddy started to pull my skirt up and I flubbed the rest of my little speech in an effort to keep everyone from seeing my undergarments.

Our pastors took over at that point and I began praying that the Happy Baby wouldn’t get upset when we handed him over for the baptizing.

Ever since he turned one, my content, easy-going Happy Baby has suddenly decided that no one but the Happy Hubby, my mom, or myself are allowed to hold him.Ah, well.

Today’s ceremony once again reminded me of the incredible calling that the Happy Hubby and I have as Christian parents.

May we raise our Happy Buddies so that they never know a day where they have not experienced Christ’s love.

Now, you might be thinking, we have done a lot of celebrating the Happy Baby lately – how is the Happy Buddy handling all that attention going to his baby bro?

Well, a precious little someone didn’t want to leave the stage after it was all over.

I think he was hoping to do a drum solo.

Maybe next Sunday.

Happy Baptize-ing!

Dear Happy Baby,

The day you were born and they whisked you away in respiratory distress, the Lord whispered to my spirit that you would be just fine.

Yes, as much as the doctors gave us gloomy reports and endless tests and ups and downs – in spite of these things, you prospered.

But why has this first year been such a roller coaster?

The obvious is that God has a plan for your life that is going to blow everyone’s minds – already is.

But I also think that the Lord graciously used your hospital stay, your feeding tube, your weakened immune system, your hypotonia… to teach this mama how to trust.

From Day 1 of my journey as a mommy I have allowed strongholds of fear to rule and reign in my heart, hindering me from truly enjoying the gift of my babies.

Your life has caused me to confront these fears.

Your life has shown me that I cannot control what happens to my babies.

But I can control how I choose to trust Him in the daily grind (and even in the toughest, most difficult and darkest of places) - trust that by His sovereign grace, things are going to be just fine.

When you were in my tummy, I prayed 4 things for you.

I prayed that you would be Happy.  I prayed that you would be Hospitable.  I prayed that you would have a sense of Humor.  And I prayed that you would be Healthy.

As we celebrate this day, I have been reflecting on God’s answers to all of these H’s.

I love hearing you coo and babble in your crib when you wake up.  I love how you kick your legs like a mad man when someone raises you high in the air.  I love how you give your big brother giant smiles in the car when we get him from preschool.  I love how at 3 in the morning you lean back, look at me, grin, and then burrow that sweet precious face of yours into my shoulder.  I love how I can take you anywhere and you will be so chill.  I’ll never forget that time I drove panicked to the GI doctor early one  morning because I thought your feeding tube site had become infected and we ended up waiting at the office for over 5 hours.  The whole time you never stopped smiling and it helped me remember that even with the craziness that is our life, it’s all good.

Yes, God has made you Happy, indeed.

When you were in the hospital, I could tell from the very first day, that the nurses knew you were something special.  As time passed, your hospital room became a hang out place.  Nurses who had served you previously would stop by to check in on you.  One nurse even dragged you and your swing into the hall so that everyone walking by could have a brightening.  To this day I get comments on this blog from one of the nurses that was in your delivery room!  Your physical therapist added a whole extra day of therapy for you each week just because she wants to see you more.  Church friends and family can’t wait to spend time with you – have a chance to hold you.  You make people feel warm and invited.

Yes, God has given you a Hospitable spirit.

After bath time and you’re on the changing table, you like to cover your face with a towel while I frantically repeat, “Where’s the Happy Baby?”  Then you throw the towel off and giggle like a maniac while I say, “There he is!” (Repeat 100 times.)  You get this big goofy grin when you pee in the tub.  You sometimes just laugh to yourself for no reason at all.  You think it’s hilarious to stiffen your legs when I am trying to change you out of feet-y pajamas and can’t because you won’t bend your knees.  I’ll put food on your tray, turn around to do something, and when I’ve turned back the food is gone and I joyfully think you’ve eaten it all, but then later find that you’ve stored it all next to your thighs – sneaky lil’ rascal.  While out on walks you enjoy tossing toys out of the stroller because you get a kick out of me picking them up.  You like to roll under the crib and hide.  I don’t even know why I bother putting socks on you.

Yes, I see that little sense of Humor coming through.

Some might think that this last prayer – the prayer for your Health – was not answered.  I mean, you were quite sick when you were born and today you have some serious weak constitution and we’re tracking a serious cold/bronchitis/ear infection thing about every other month.

But let’s just take a look at the facts.

We were told this day of your first birthday would never come.

We were told that our time with you would be short – that we should just take you home and make you comfortable.

We were told you would never crawl or roll over, or sit up, or lift your head.

And here we are, 12 months later, and boy, are you showing them!!!!

I am choosing to look at your health as all the things God has spared you from instead of what you’ve lacked.

You do not have a genetic disease.  Your hypotonia is improving.  Your feeding tube didn’t last as long as they expected.  Your barfs are fewer and farther between.  And this last month when you caught another bad cold, you didn’t end up with an ear infection!

Yes, that sounds like Health to me.

I am still praying these 4 H’s for you, Happy Baby.

And I’ve even added a fifth H to the list.

Handsome.

Thank you, precious boy, for being my constant reminder that God is faithful and that no matter what, because of His great faithfulness, we are all just fine.

Happy Birthday, Happy Baby.

I love you so much.

- Mommy

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

The Happy Buddy is really into fire right now.

Firehouses, firetrucks, firemen, fire…

So you can imagine how he feels about the story of Sodom and Gomorra.

Kind of a gruesome tale, but he asks me to read it to him almost every night when we break out the Bible.

The more we read that story, the more I have felt that gentle nudging of the Spirit – calling me, once again, away from myself and closer to Him.

You see, this month my milk supply has started to dry up.

I have watched in great panic as my pumping sessions have started to get longer and longer.

I have been struggling to keep up with the Happy Baby’s growing appetite.

And I have been spending ENTIRE DAYS freaking out and fretting about the next thing.

So many questions and so many voices in my head.

Do I try to start him on formula to supplement?  If so, where do I even begin on what kind of formula?  What if he hates it?  Will he ever eat solid food or just keep vomiting at the mere touch of a spoon to his lips?  Do I introduce him to cow’s milk?  What if he has a dairy allergy?  Should I go buy a goat and learn how to milk it so that he can drink that since so many people have been telling me lately how amazing goat’s milk is for you?  And what about sippy cups?  I haven’t even tried to introduce those yet…

And then the Happy Hubby reminded me that the church is taking the staff and their spouses on a 5-day retreat at the beginning of May and he reeeeally wants me to come.

My heart wants to honor my hubby first (and God knows some time away would be a blessing for both of us!), but how in the world am I going to wean the Happy Baby so quickly???

Just typing all these things makes me want to take a nap!

All these thoughts are such evidence that I still wrestle with the stronghold of fear.

When will I ever learn the powerful truth that God loves the Happy Baby more than I do??  That He will protect and preserve him no matter what I do??

And more important, that He wants me to be free of these incessant worries??

And this is where Sodom and Gomorra come in.

God sent some angels to tell Lot that the cities were going to be destroyed because of all the evil that existed there.  Then He also, in His great mercy, said that He would spare Lot and his family – that they should flee to the mountains and not look back.

The first problem here is in Lot’s response.

Instead of believing in faith that God had the very best planned for him in the mountains, Lot argued and asked if he could flee to the nearby town of Zoar instead.

Don’t we do that, friends?  We think we know what’s best for our lives so we compromise and settle for something less than the mountains.

I think that pumping (the thing that takes SO MUCH of my time, the thing that keeps me from having enough energy to make consistent meals for my family and spend good quality time with my kids, the thing that interrupts date nights and never lets me sleep longer than a few hours at a time, the thing that makes me feel responsible if the Happy Baby has bad gas or digestive issues, the thing that has limited my diet to so few things I feel I am missing some serious nutrition…) is the best thing for the Happy Baby – so even though it is literally driving me into the grave – I am stubbornly pressing on because I am afraid that anything else will compromise my boy’s health.

I have sensed the Lord calling me to the mountains – a land that is free of the wah-wah-wah sound – for awhile now, but I am scared.

Scared about actually committing to giving the Happy Baby solids because I know we’re going to have to endure some barfing and gagging for a season until he gets the hang of it.

Scared that formula or cow’s milk just won’t be good enough – won’t be good enough to keep healing and bringing strength to the Happy Baby’s hypotonia.

(The pride and glory-from-God-stealing evident in that sentence is a whole ‘nother post in itself!)

So I keep begging God to let me settle in a nearby town – get what I want by continuing to pump.

And you know what?  Just as He did for Lot, God has graciously allowed me to have my way for almost an entire year.

But the mountains… They are calling me.

Now if only I would lay down my fears and obey!

The second problem in the story of Sodom and Gomorra was when Lot and his family were fleeing the cities.

The angels gave strict orders that no one look back.

But as they ran from the burning scene, Lot’s wife looked back.

I think a part of her was sad to leave the life she knew – a life that was comfortable.

She looked back because she was afraid to look ahead.  She was afraid that what was ahead would not be as good as what was behind her.

And for this seemingly small act of unbelief, Lot’s wife was changed to a pillar of salt.

I feel like that sometimes.  When I know God is calling me to step out in faith with something and all I can do is cling to and long for the comforts of what I know.

While I definitely do not love pumping, there is a certain strange comfort to it.  When you do something long enough it almost becomes a part of you.  And so I am nervous to let go and nervous to introduce new things to the Happy Baby’s somewhat fragile digestive system.

Change is not my favorite, as you can probably tell!

Plus, climbing up mountains is hard work!  Working with the Happy Baby to get familiar with solids is going to be hard work (this photo reveals pretty clearly how he feels about food).

It’s time, though.

And God promises to give His strength for the climb.

So, friends.  I have no idea what to do or what the next step is, but I know that God’s desire for me is to live in the mountains instead of settling for Zoar.

God’s desire for me is not to be a faithless, fretting, pumping-like-a-mad-woman pile of salt.

But a trusting, non-compromising, fully surrendered mama that can scale the heights with the help of the One who has so faithfully carried us through this last almost-year.

How ’bout you?

Is God calling you to the mountains?

It’s time to gear up, friends.

Let’s climb together!

“God gives me strength for the battle.
    He makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer.
    He helps me stand on the highest places.”

Psalm 18:32-33

- Julie

If you read the title of this post you are either thinking 1 of 2 things.

1.  WHAT?!??!?!?!?!?!?!

2.  I can’t wait to read this because I dropped my baby too.

About 3 weeks ago, I was changing the Happy Baby’s diaper on his changing table.

I saw that we had run out of diapers in the little bin I keep them in, so I turned away for a second to grab a new box.

And that’s when I heard it.

The thud.

Oh my goodness I would not wish the feelings I felt in that moment on anyone.

I scooped up my precious fallen baby and the two of us cried enough tears to fill an Ikea store.

As I clung to the Happy Baby, frantically trying to make sure he could still track my fingers and respond to my voice, I felt a heaviness take residence on my chest.

How in the world could I let something like this happen??

After all he’s been through – did I really just add a major fall to the list??????

The guilt was palpable.

The Happy Hubby and I worked together to make sure our son was okay.  After everyone had cried enough, there was nothing left to do but sleep, so we laid the Happy Baby down in his crib.

As soon as the door to his room was shut, I disappeared into our bedroom, found a corner, got in the fetal position and wept.

Then I sent out a text asking for prayer from a few close friends.

I called the Happy Baby’s chiropractor (a member of our church) and tearfully asked if he would be at church in the morning and would he be willing to fix any problems.  He was so kind to me and said yes, he’d be there.

Finally, I called my pastor’s wife.

By the end of our conversation I learned 3 things.

1.  When God says fearfully and wonderfully made, He was not kidding around.

My pastor’s wife told me was that God made babies to have softer bones than adults – that they are designed as these incredibly resilient, elastic little beings.

It’s like He knew beforehand (well, obviously, since He is God) that the busyness of being a mom would occasionally allow for accidents, so he went ahead and graciously provided protection for those precious babies in advance.

I think dropping the Happy Baby was harder on me than it was on him!

2.  God is faithful.

Once again, the Lord showed me that in spite of my many, MANY parenting mistakes/failures/accidents/weaknesses, He is faithful to protect and care for my baby.

Once again, He loves my baby even more than me.

Nothing – no, nothing will hinder His good and perfect plan for my child.

Not even a 2 1/2 foot fall.

It’s stuff like this that further affirms in my spirit that God has big plans for this little boy.

After all he’s been through…yes, this is just one more way God gets the glory for what He is doing in the Happy Baby’s life.

3.  There is a secret club of moms who have dropped their babies.

This may sound like I am making light of a very serious thing (like please don’t go carelessly smashing your kids into door frames or leaving them unattended on high places), but let me just tell you.  As I spoke to my pastor’s wife and she told me about how her 4 month old had fallen from the kitchen counter in his car seat down to the tiled floor below and how he is totally fine now (although she joked ‘debatable’), I felt better.

Then 5 out of the 5 girls I texted asking for prayer wrote back with their own story.

My baby fell off a 10-foot-high bed, my baby fell off the ottoman, I literally dropped my baby to the floor – straight on her head, my baby nose dived out of the car onto the cement pavement…

And all of them – the babies were fine.

I suddenly did not feel so alone.

Some of the guilt I was carrying began to dissipate.

I wasn’t scum of the earth.

In fact, maybe dropping my baby was some kind of right-of-passage into true motherhood.

Now, this is not something mommies discuss openly.

Had I not asked my friends, I never would have known.

In fact, I am taking a huge risk sharing my own failing so blatantly here on the blog.

But I do it in hopes that maybe, just maybe you might find a little bit of hope if you dropped your baby too.

What do you think of his spiked hair?

And check out who is sitting up by himself now!

Plus, he has 2 teeth and is gnawing on absolutely everything in sight – including shoes, chair legs, and diapers (among some of his faves).

He even waves and says, “Buh-bye!” when someone leaves a room.

Still haven’t started solids yet, though… He just instantly barfs at the mere presence of non-milk substance in his mouth (which is strange because he can shove an entire shoe in there and keep it down just fine)… But I am confident that we will get there one day (and I do pray that one day is soon because I don’t know how much longer these tatas can stand being tugged by a machine).

Thank you to everyone who prays for the Happy Baby and our family.  When my heart gets tired or I am tempted to be discouraged, I think of all of you and thank God for the sweet community I have here at Happy Home Fairy.

Much love!

-Julie

“The Lord upholds all those who fall…” Psalm 145:14

Dear Happy Baby,

2012 was a crazy one for you!

For starters, you were born on April 3.

Then you spent almost 100 days in the hospital being treated for everything from a fatal genetic disease, to a disabling infectious disease, to a muscle weakness called hypotonia, to a kidney condition called VUR, to a feeding disorder, and surgery for a muscle biopsy and g-tube.

Those 3 months were some of the toughest your mama has ever faced!

It pained me to see you in your hospital crib, being cared for by everyone in the world it seemed, but me.  I had some serious competition with all those nurses!

When we finally got you home in July, things started to change.

I got to really be your mommy – change every diaper, give you a bath every night, and even pick out your outfits each day.

I got to wake with you through the night and be the first one there when you let out a whimper.

I got to give you unlimited snuggles and hugs and kisses without any wires or leads in the way.

You started to eat better and by the time Thanksgiving week arrived, we were able to have a surgery to get your feeding tube removed.

And since then, you have really started to grow.

In fact, I think you had a growth spurt right at the start of the new year!  I am finally noticing some ham hocks on those yummy thighs of yours!

But, even with all the progress you have made, I still battle this awful thing called fear.

Every cold you get, every time you throw up, every funny twitch or out-of-the-ordinary thing you do fills me with a nervousness that your health is still in jeopardy and that maybe, just maybe I had something to do with it when you were growing in my tummy.

But fear is not from God.  And, to be honest, I feel that this fear robs me of truly experiencing the joy He wants me to experience through your precious life.

So…

My New Year’s Resolutions for 2013 are for you, my boy.

This year I resolve to lay down my anxieties.

“Do not be anxious about anything…” Philippians 4:6

This year I resolve to stop ‘Googling’ things about mitochondrial damage.

“Do not fret.  It leads only to evil.” Psalm 37:8b

This year I resolve to run to Jesus whenever I feel afraid about your health or decisions I have to make regarding it.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

This year I resolve to remember that you are going to do things in your own timing and stop worrying why they haven’t happened yet.  You will eventually sit up.  Your teeth will eventually come in.  You will eat solid food.  You will run around with your big brother one day.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

This year I resolve to stop comparing you to fat babies.

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26

This year I resolve to remember that God is my strength and my peace each new morning (even the mornings where you wake up with signs of a cold).

“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” Psalm 29:10-11.

This year I resolve to stop snacking on so much granola before bed.

Okay, that one is not about you.  But I do really need to get some self-control over that.

This year I resolve to remember His truths about who you are and who He created you to be.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well…” Psalm 139:13-14

This year I resolve not to carry guilt or shame as if I had something to do with your health…  God makes no mistakes.

“I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered in shame.” Psalm 34:4-5

This year I resolve to live in the moment with you – treasuring each minute of your baby-ness!

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself…” Matthew 6:34

This year I resolve to memorize God’s Word more so that when my flesh is tempted to break all of these resolutions I will have some serious war tactics.

“The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.” Psalm 37:31

But ultimately, this year I resolve to be surrendered to God’s will.  To hold you with open hands before the throne – always, always remembering that His ways are best.

“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful…” Psalm 25:10

Happy 9 months, Happy Baby, and Happy New Year.

I have found that when you spend a lot of time focusing on what you don’t have, you end up with a lot of anxiety, fear, and discontentment.

So instead of this post being a plea for prayers of health and feeding tube-removal, I am choosing to turn what I have into enough.

To be grateful for all that God HAS done in our lives and in the life of our sweet Happy Baby.

Happy Baby, this post is for you…

I am thankful that you are finally almost ready for size 3 diapers.

I am thankful that you don’t mind wearing all of your big brother’s hand-me-downs.

I am thankful that you hardly ever pee on me when I am changing you.

I am thankful that you are like a little koala bear.  You are seriously the best snuggler ever.

I am thankful for your happy heart and insta-smile.

I am thankful that you started raising your neck so high and pushing yourself up with your arms this last week – take that hypotonia!

I am thankful that what used to take you over an hour in the hospital (drinking your bottles) now takes about 15-20 minutes (with only a little bit of a circus act).

I am thankful that we haven’t had to use your feeding tube in a super long time because you are doing so well taking everything by mouth.

I am thankful that you have been reflux-barf-free since Monday!

I am thankful that even when you barf everywhere you still have a big smile on your face.

I am thankful that you find toys so fascinating and that you love to grab at them and inspect them with great intensity.

I am so thankful for your bright eyes that tell me you are so smart – even after all you’ve been through.

I am thankful for when I try to give you solids and you purse your lips so tight that I couldn’t get in there even if I had a crow bar.

I am thankful for how you are like a little rotisserie in your crib – rolling around and around and around until you finally settle.

I am thankful for the belly laughs you give your big brother when he is acting like a goofball.

I am thankful that you have rock star grandmas who will come over at a moment’s notice to help give you a bottle or just give me some Jesus – reminding me, once again, where to fix my eyes.

I am thankful that I have enough crib sheets to accommodate the occasional poop explosion or spit up.

I am thankful for the green bouncy chair that you kick your heart out in.

I am thankful that you have recently become an expert burper – something that I could NEVER get you to do when we were in the hospital.

I am thankful that you don’t mind sitting with me and hearing me read the Psalms to you during my early morning pump session.

I am thankful for the check in our spirits that God gave your daddy and me about the surgery you were supposed to have on the 18th of October – how we felt we should hold off – get a second opinion.

I am thankful that the second opinion gave us some hope – that the tube you have now will probably last until we can get the whole thing removed.

I am thankful that you went with me on our church’s women’s retreat in October and you were a total champ – didn’t mind at all having 3,000 different ladies love on you.

I am thankful that even though your big brother has been under the weather the last few weeks, you seem to be holding strong with just a smidge of congestion.

I am thankful that you are a photo ham.

I am thankful for those sweet middle of the night feedings where it’s just you and me and the quiet stillness of a sleeping house.

I am thankful that Medela sent me a new pump for free when I told them my old one was starting to sound like it had emphysema.

I am thankful that the Lord continues to bless my milk supply so that you get just what you need.

I am thankful for if my chin is anywhere near your mouth, you will try to eat it.

I am thankful for the way you get all stiff-legged when I am trying to change your button-up feet-y pajamas – you have quite the sense of humor.

I am thankful that you never complain on the long car rides to pick up your brother from preschool.

I am thankful that you are home with us.

I am thankful that you do not have a genetic disease.

I am thankful that the Lord seems to be making you stronger and stronger every day.

I am thankful, though, for the challenges we do face with your health because they make us rely on Jesus all the more.

I am thankful that your story has already reached so many lives – and you are just 7 months old.

I am thankful for the good and perfect plan the Lord has for your life.

I am thankful that God is in control – that He loves you more than I do – and that I can rest in that precious hope each and every day.

And most of all, I am just so thankful for you.

Love,

Mommy

“Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18