Little Lucia: One year to the next...

swingin in her pink swing from reese turnipseed

One year ago today was the day before Lucia's big day to have a g-button/feeding tube placed, stomach surgery, many tests, and many unknowns. There are still many unknowns but one thing we know is that she has learned to safely drink from a bottle and she loves it! She cries like a hungry baby when she is hungry, and burps like her mama when she is finished and it makes me so proud! We still use her g-button for about half of her formula intake but you have made GREAT strides, Little Lu! The oxygen tubes, pulse ox machine/alarm, g tube feedings and a few other devices have become our norm. BUT when she's oxygen tube free, and drinking from a bottle-that is a norm that we have gotten a sweet taste of lately and we pray those sweet strides continue to go up, up and someday- all the tubes will go AWAY!

This year, instead of surgery, we had a pretty big therapy day-although no therapies. Lucia had an evaluation from her Early Intervention Team, the team of therapists that work with Lu and help her and us so much. These evaluations are done to assess the child's development, see if goals have been met, make new goals, and also to do a state required labeling of the child's age, according to their actual development. Labeling schmabeling, but it is required...So, when it was time, I waited with a hopeful ear that she was above 1 month age, just please be past a 1 month old, for most or everything and she was! I know that doesn't sound like much but it is to us. I listened to her therapists, who are also now dear friends, as they sweetly and a bit hesitantly would say their opinion...2-3 months in this category, 2-4 months in that category, 3-5 1/2 months in another and on and on! It's not 13 months as she is, but it's not 1 month either. The only time I felt a lump in my throat was when I had to sign some papers. The first sheet was about her age appropriate assessment. Based on her "scores" she was in the severe category of the severely delayed category, the last possible column for delays. We know those labels don't matter, that they don't take many things into account, but it still hurts. It hurts because she tries so hard, it hurts because she is just a 1 year old baby and it hurts because it just does. But, it also makes it not hurt so much because she does try so hard, and because she IS just a baby! And when the tests scores are handed out what does it really matter anyway? The touch of Lu's sweet chubby feet, the grasp of her tiny fingers around yours, her beautiful big and curious blue eyes, her sweet songs and her happiness. That is what matters for Lu. We are on our time, with our own beautiful shining bird! Onward and upward, right Mario?! Indeed.

Thank you Kimmy, Courtney, Laura, my dad, Henry, and Lubird for a FABULOUS weekend in Seattle! Thank you Mom for helping in Denver so we could take this trip! Thank you Kristi Braskett for the nice birthday card, and thank you so many, for all the wishes. Thank you sweet husband for the welcome home b-day dinner feast, and thank you Lu for scoring a perfect 10 in my life, and being the best birthday gift I could ever hope for! Weeeeeeeeeeeeee happy birthday to me!!!! Life is good.