Adventures

It's amazing to me just how many adventures life holds.  Many you wouldn't sign up for voluntarily, but once you go through them you're better for having done it.
Thirteen years ago I started on this adventure with Steve.  I know back on that day, when we said "I DO", we did not imagined or could have even dreamed of the adventures we would have.
Some have been SO magical that we could see God's hand so clearly in it.
Others have been dark & scary, and we wonder how we will get through.
But through it all our commitment to each other has become stronger and through that our love has grown. 


Life's adventures:

Unimaginable

Today mason fell asleep holding my fingers.
The significance of this is huge.
Our Mason, who is presumed to have fetal alcohol syndrome, found comfort from my hand. Not just comfort but enough comfort to fall asleep without tears.

FAS babies don't usually attach well, is what I've heard. FAS babies don't settle well when being hugged or snuggled. Well, I'm here to tell you our baby does, and it's so wonderful. We prepared ourselves when we brought him home that he might not like our touch, he might not want a whole lot to do with us. His poor little brain has damage in places we can't see and it's a puzzle to see what will overstimulate him or cause him discomfort.

But today my momma's heart swelled at this small, little step. He's attached!! And although we can't guarantee it will be forever, we are living in the moment. This moment...filled with giggles we weren't sure we'd hear, and snuggles and superior brother love.

Happy Mother's Day!!! My best gifts fill my home with unimaginable joy, mess, laughter, tears, and stinky socks.

 

Ahhhhh paradise ;0)     

Trust the Detour

I was reading an article while waiting for Mason to go to sleep tonight about what this author learned by being a mom.  There was one that struck me  "trust the detours". In her lesson her son had been diagnosed with Diabetes and they had all learned how unhealthy they were eating, and some other family illnesses.  It got me to thinking about how many detours we've followed that had turned into blessings. 

I think too often we (meaning my family) have decided a plan and set out on that plan.  Seldom asking God first what his thought was.  Steve and I had our life planned out.  We had two children and we thought that was enough.  So much so that we made that plan permanent.  We had plans for the future and those were the plans we were going by.  Had we continued on our planned life we would have missed out on some INCREDIBLE joy!

Thankfully God threw in a detour.  We didn't notice this detour quickly, it took years. I'd love to find you the post where I talked about how it took me two years of asking my hubby weekly "so have you thought any more about adoption", but I'm too tired to search.  So the short version is I asked for two years and one night right before bed I asked and he said "actually I have. I saw a mom walking into the pool with a baby and it hit me that I could do that again....I actually want to do that again." That's all it took, God worked miracles on his heart.  And listening to this detour brought us on a great adventure.  God showed us we were going in the right direction many times. 

One of our first confirmations: I received an unexpected and very generous bonus at work.  This bonus was the EXACT amount needed to start our adoption paperwork.  Things flowed, people came out of the woodwork to help us and cheer us on.  And God worked with my impatience.  Within 8 months of starting our adoption journey, Mason was in our arms, home, and hearts!

We continue to have detours that are blessings.  Take my most recent wining post about sleep.  I have been praying for peace, to find a time to think, pray, write in my journal, write a grocery list, etc.  My prayer has been answered in the most peculiar way.  Mason needs us right now to sit by his crib while he falls asleep, and when napping usually the whole half hour he sleeps we need to stay in case he wakes just for a brief second to make sure we are there before settling again and falling back asleep.  Guess what I now have time for :o)  Not what I expected (nor really wanted) but His detour is an answered prayer. 

These are just two quick examples of detours but I'm sure if I sat long enough to think about it I could come up with a dozen more...maybe that's what I'll do during Mason's morning nap tomorrow. :o)

For now I will continue to praise God for all he has given us, the detours, windy roads, and all!

Our Dylan

This great gift had a birthday this month, and you know he'll say being 7 is great. 
It means:

• playing baseball instead of t-ball
• going to a soild belt in karate instead of a stripe
• feeling taller...I kid you not!

And although this kiddo thinks he's never heard, we hear him lound and clear!!
God has some amazing things planned for him.  I can't wait...well I can because he's perfect snuggling size right now. But this kid is ready to defend God at every turn and reminds us that all we have to do is pray!!!

We're pretty blessed!!

look at those muscles :o)

Sleep

You know this is going to be a trend for us...so I thought I'd share with you.
With our other two children sleep was routine, planned, and consistent.

Not with Mason...he doesn't want to be part of that mold. 

• He is our first child to put EVERYTHING in his mouth...seriously he has licked the car.
• He is our first child to climb on everything, we will see him swinging from the ceiling fan soon.
• He is our first child to not think food is everything, sometimes he just can't be bothered.
• He is our first child to struggle so highly with sleep

You know how they say you obsess on what you can't have...I am! The birth to three lady came the other day and we were discussing our sleep struggle and she said "I can see that you haven't been sleeping" and "you look tired".  Really, I know...sharing isn't necessary :o)

In the last week he has become fearful of his crib.  Like starts to cry when we enter his room.  After much trial and error we have found a happy medium with sitting next to his crib till he falls asleep.  Not ideal but I'm getting more blog reading time.  Plus it means less time in our bed, win, win!

How ever sleep comes we are super sensitive to make sure he is safe and LOVED!

He's worth losing sleep over, wouldn't you say?!?

toddler mommy

As a Momma to a "special needs" child I am so very thankful for all the knowledge, dedication, and experience that the doctors, aids, therapists, and evaluators have.  I am also so thankful for the special services he receives. 

But there is a part of me...I hope a very small part, that longs for him to be like a normal kid his age.  This is the progression of acceptance for this Momma.  The difference between us a other parents with children with needs is that we knew going into this particular parenting journey that there would be needs far beyond what our care alone would support.  There is that glimmering wish that there won't be as much need as they think, or that there isn't as much damage as they think. 

And our baby boy is functioning so very well.  He looks and acts very much like and almost 1 1/2 year old would.  But those tests and evaluations and doctors say he's delayed in almost every area.  And they are right, we see the frustration, the lack of words, and the unresponsiveness. 

We pray for our little man and know that he is so very worth it.  His future is in the hands of the Almighty and for this we are thankful!

Happy Easter

Mason cared nothing about eggs, but he LOVED the room to roam...

 

 

 

Happy Easter!!