Birthday Boys!

We've got two birthday boys in the house today!  Michael is six years old and Aaron is 25 months.  Michael says the best thing about Aaron is that he makes him smile.  Pretty good gift!  

Michael is an awesome big brother.  From the time we found out that Aaron was going to have challenges, I don't think he's said a single prayer of any kind where he didn't ask for heaven's blessings on his brother.  

Before Aaron was born, Michael would pray that his baby would be healthy when he came home from the hospital.  I know his Sunday teachers thought it was really cute.  It made me cry because I knew what a prayer of faith that it was.  

When Aaron was a few months old, Michael came to me and asked me if I thought Heavenly Father heard his prayers for Aaron.  Again, I teared up because yes, I am sure that God hears Michael's prayers and knows the love behind them.  

 There is a special bond between these two.  They've shared stories and nap times.  Michael has been to many, many of Aaron's appointments and therapies.  He knows when and how to turn the oxygen up and down.  And he knows how to read a pulse/ox machine!  What an amazing helper.

We're also almost through our many follow-up visits.  Aaron is growing so well that his thyroid medicine has been increased.  He's more alert and interactive since he's started on it, too.  His orthopedist is thrilled with how his feet look and he's even starting to bear weight on them, a huge step forward.  This week we have appointments with audiology and cardiology.  If all goes well, AND he continues to feel well, we'll be off to see Gramma and Grampa at the end of the month.  YEA! 

Yesterday, we had a fun photo shoot at our home.  There's a photographer up in Idaho who is making it her mission to show the world how wonderful people with special needs can be.  She came down and we had a few kids from the neighborhood as well as a couple from a facebook page over here.  It was great to be able to visit briefly with them and I can't wait to see her pictures of Aaron.  I'll post a link when they come up on her blog.  I love to see the light of Christ shining through the eyes in her pictures.

I've been playing with some different configurations for all of Aaron's equipment that we have to have with us to keep him safe.  I mean, there's the obvious ones:  ventilator, oxygen, and suction.  But there's also all the things we have to have if something goes wrong, like an ambu-bag, extra trachs, g-tube supplies, and all of that.  I got a new bag this week that will hopefully hold everything from his "go bag" and also the "normal" baby supplies, like diapers and burp cloths.

I wanted to personalize it for Aaron and found this great design put together by another T18 mommy friend.  I felt like it epitomized all I wanted to say in one word:  HOPE.  Inside the ribbon are sayings that so many have felt like represented our kids, and frankly, I think all kids, regardless of the number of chromosomes they have.

I am a miracle. I love.  I breathe. I look. I hug.  I listen.  I laugh.  I am a gift.  I am worth it.  I fight.  I kiss.  I play.  I can.  I am.  I am a person.  I am beautiful.  I am not a mistake.  I am loved.  I deserve.  I see.  I am a gift.  I hope.  I cry.  I learn.  I am real.  I celebrate.  I sleep.  I interact.  I dance. I have meaning.  I overcome.  I grow.  I have purpose.  I am precious.  I try.  I think.  I feel.  I learn.  I smile.  I am wonderfully made.  I LIVE. 

Because Aaron does live.  And he does have quality of life.  He makes everyone around him feel good about themselves.  And shouldn't that be the best way to live?

Once you choose hope, anything's possible.  

-Christopher Reeve