are you ready
for some football? no. not quite.
we’re within a month of Justin’s original due date. while everyone else would have been preparing the nursery, assembling the crib, buying cute outfits, stocking up on diapers… we’ve been driving. and trying to cram in preparations around the trips, and the occasional web development (roof over his head? yeah that’s a requirement for bringing him home).
our ‘days off’ have been a point of interest. someone joked with me “we never got ‘days off’ when we had our kids.” my bitter, internal reply was – you had 14 weeks off from being parents that we never got. of course, am i the type who would have taken that time and been super-organized, gotten all ducks into a row, and been as prepared as i possibly could be for week 40? probably not. okay, definitely not. so i can’t justify that bitterness.
today i found myself summing it up: there are people who have had an easier time than us. and as we’ve seen with other parents in the ICN, there are people who are having much greater challenges. they’ve gotten the news that we’ve prayed to never get. and i can’t even begin to imagine how i would deal with that.
not even regarding what Justin himself has been through in his short life so far. he already has his old man far outnumbered in IVs, intubations, and blood transfusions. all i have to do is make websites and (get ready to) change (lots of) diapers.
so i will take my lemons and go squeeze them into a glass. and with the help, prayers, and support of our incredibly gracious network of family and friends, the lemonade doesn’t taste that sour. and when i look at my son, and i see the innocence and wonderment in his eyes as he experiences this world for the very first time, it actually tastes pretty sweet.
You’re a great man, Mike. Really.
posted on July 16, 2009
It is every parents dream to see their children grow and acheive their professional & personal goals. But no where in my imagination did I ever think one of my children would have to overcome the challenges that you & Carrie have in the past 13 weeks. With the past almost 10 week now, being the most trying.
Many times people take healthy pregnancies & full term newborns for granted, and that’s OK, because they most likely wouldn’t be able to pass the test you & Carrie have. We are only given the challenges in life that we can survive. You both made all the right decisions, when it was your decision to make and went along with the ones that others made in your best interest.
This is why Justin is where he is today. In the best medical facility, with an outstanding staff that want to be there every day. Not because it is a job, but because they really, really want to be there.
So enjoy your lemonade, to the fullest, along with all the innocence & wonderment in Justin’s eyes. It will be the best reward ever, and it’s all yours & Carrie’s
Do you remember the road trip that never happened? I didn’t think so.
( sorry i got carried away ) Love Mom XXXOOO
posted on July 16, 2009
My favorite quote of all time: “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.” ~ Mother Teresa
You guys are doing an amazing job. Justin couldn’t be in any better hands!
posted on July 17, 2009
thanks, all. 🙂 marc, coming from you, that is quite a compliment.
mom – feel free to get carried away. i won’t edit you, but i did add a few paragraph breaks.
and it’s awesome to hear from you jennine! if anyone knows about challenges, i think you may have us beat. i’m glad to hear that life is steadily returning to normal for you. i can’t wait until we can bring Justin out to Seattle to meet his (really-) extended family!
posted on July 17, 2009
I love this post, your father’s heart. You and Carrie are treasures and I’m ever grateful our paths crossed. Been doing my own bit of lemonade drinking; it’s been a pleasure to share batches with your family.
posted on July 22, 2009