9 months

It is crazy to think 9 months have gone by since we welcomed you, our beautiful baby girl, into the world. You have been out of my belly just as long as you were in. Amazing! You eat very well with your fingers and are a much bigger fan of table food than purees. I started giving you a sippy cup to try out and so far you just chew on it. You understand "no" and simple instructions and imitate others' activities. You are close to crawling and have been going from sitting to all fours and rocking for a few weeks. We had a really big scare this month when you tested positive for RSV. Luckily, I think the Synagis shot you get monthly really helped and your symptoms were mild. You had your 9 month well check with Dr. Linderman and were 16 lbs 9 oz (10-25%) and 26 3/4 inches (25%). You checked out perfectly, and she was really pleased with your development. You have such a relaxed personality and are so fun to be around. Always smiling and laughing. Your favorite person is your mama! We love you, Sweet Adeline!

 

 

Our New Normal

The first time I heard the phrase "a new normal" it was a few years ago as some MSNBC pundit was talking about the recession or recovery or some mix of the two. The phrase seemed to spread quickly and was being used by some many so quickly to describe life after the financial collapse. The other day I was having breakfast with a new friend. A person I met through church who I have quickly come to trust as wise counsel. He asked me how we were doing. He knows our story and the journey we have taken so far so he simply asked, "how are you getting used to your new normal?" My first thought were those MSNBC folks each morning pouring through overnight financial headlines, but I quickly realized this is a great way to describe our last few months. You see my friend asks this question from a very unique position. He, himself, along with his wife were thrust literally overnight into a family situation that they were unprepared for. They, too, had to struggle through tough, uncertain times in order to reach their new normal. So when he asked I quickly said, "we are good." I have to admit I catch myself sometimes answering questions like this too quickly especially from friends and family that know us well. I seem to think that if I answer quickly enough they will just move on to another topic. Oftentimes and thankfully in the end they do not. They pause and patiently ask again. But this time I have to say that the quickness of my answer did not hide the genuineness of it. We are doing well. Our daily lives have, in many cases, become mundane. To me lately so many of God's continued blessings have been cleverly disguised in the normalcy of a day. There aren't the weekly visits to the cardiologist. The daily feeding logs and texts with Safe At Home folks have been replaced with laps around the house holding both girls as they laugh at each other. Sadly, and all too often, I can't see His blessings in the moment they are bestowed. It takes a little time and reflection to understand they were there all along, filling those times with blessed normalcy. So here's to the mundane and routine. May His blessings be shown to you through them as they have to me.