Holland

I just love this written by Emily Perl Kingsley, "Welcome to Holland"!

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Trying rice cereal

We are on day 2 of TRYING rice cereal (per spoon...she already LOVES it in her bottle)...I say "trying" because I'm not really sure how well it's going!  ha  What I am sure about is that I have a little baby growing into a big girl!  She'll be five months old very soon.  I wish I could just say STOP and pause these moments...it's all happening too fast!  I am LOVING every second of being momma to this precious girl!  I thank God for blessing my life with her!

Grace Talking!

We had Grace's four month pediatrician visit today.  She got three vaccines (two shots), and she did great!  Stats: Weight 15.1 lb (50-75%tile), length 24.something in (50%tile), and head circumference 38 cm (<5%tile).  I am so proud of my growing girl!

I finally got a video of her talking saved, so here it is!

Four Months!

Wow-Grace is four months old now!  Time is flying by as we try and enjoy every second of her life!  She turned four months on July 4th, hence our picture!

What has Grace been up to these days?  Well, she is wearing mostly 6 and 9 month clothes, and size 2 diapers.  We started rice cereal Saturday, so we are adjusting to a new eating schedule.  Generally, she eats anywhere from 4-8 ounces every 4 hours from 6 am to 10 pm.  She sleeps really well at night still!  She is talking so much these days, which we LOVE!  She still enjoys swinging, playing in her bouncer, and playing on her back.  She is making so much progress with speech and physical therapy...we are so proud!  Tummy time is getting better and better.  She is very attentive when we read to her, and she also likes music and her mobile.  Her hair is getting longer and longer, so much so you can't really see her scars much anymore.  She is laughing more and more, and she loves feeling of my face and playing with my hair.  We see our pediatrician for her 4 month check up next week, so I will post her stats after that.  We do have to finish her hearing test, and we are being referred for a vision test.  Please pray that these tests will go well!  Also, please continue to pray for her progress with her therapy, and pray that her shunt will remain infection free.

We are in love with our little girl and are so thankful for the past four months! 

Here are some more pics!  I will post a video of her talking as soon as I get it on my computer.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..."  James 1:17