This month, we'll have Daddy writing the majority of the posts! It's Ben's birthday month and I love the idea of capturing some of his thoughts on our days and his experience as a father. So we'll be taking a picture or two with Daddy for everyday, just like we did for April with Mommy!
It's also a special month to remember just how incredibly grateful we are for the beautiful life that we've been blessed with. We've had our ups and downs this past year, but there has never been a year that magnifies so much the importance of love and patience, family and friends, and perspective. Never have I been so blessed to see what really, truly matters as much as I have this year. It's humbling and refreshing...and sometimes scary. We're lucky, we really are.
On this first day of November, we had another very humbling experience. Today was Caleb's "Long Term Care" assessment. A nurse came out to evaluate our son and decide whether he would qualify for long term assistance. It's funny, Caleb actually slept through the entire thing. I offered to wake him up but the nurse was content to just talk to Ben and I, ask us her list of questions, and then go check on him as he slept. As she asked me the yes or no questions, I realized just how lucky we truly are. There are so many things that Caleb CAN do. It's hard not to focus on the things that he struggles with, the areas where he is delayed. I mean, he has global delays, so it's really all areas...but what's amazing about our son is that he is so, so happy! He's such a social and fun guy and he's a great kid. Truly! She asked us whether he shows two or more emotions...and I laughed. The little man is all about showing emotion! Laughter, crying, shouting, frustration, excitement, awe...he's so interactive and communicative in that way. And then I think about why they ask that question. There are one year olds who don't, and we're so lucky that he does- that he really does.
Sure, he may not crawl or cruise or get himself into a sitting position- but he plays and he laughs and he is such a lover. And oh is he a flirt! ;)
So after the nurse left, Ben and I felt pretty confident that Caleb would be denied. The nurse explained that at one year, it's very difficult to qualify. There just aren't enough questions to ask to really understand whether Caleb would need that assistance. If he doesn't qualify now, we can always try again. But right now, we're just grateful that we could answer "yes" to some of those questions. We're grateful for our son and the wonderful little boy that he is!!!
We spent the rest of the night playing in the playroom together- watching Grace wander around picking up toys and moving them from one place to another. Watching her figure out some new ways to play with her new train and then run up to Mommy and then Daddy for a quick cuddle time before moving on to the next toy. We watched Caleb do some AMAZING things- like push himself completely into a crawling position multiple times and then start to lift up his hands in a crawling motion. We watched him push himself aggressively toward a toy and then reach up above himself to play with it! We watched him roll all over and then go from a sitting position to a crawl all by himself, and then back into a sit! We watched him clap and smile and play with his sister.
At one point, I looked over at Ben smiling as he watched our two children playing. He's really sick still and I know pretty much everything hurts, but nothing makes him more happy than watching his son learn a new skill and his daughter run around with such excitement and wonder. He lights up when she crawls into his lap and when Caleb smiles at him from across the room. NO one can get Caleb to smile like Ben can.
Like I said, we're a lucky family and we're so grateful. But above all of this, I'm grateful for my wonderful husband and the tremendous father that he has become. None of this beautiful life could be possible without him and his strength. I'm excited to hear about his journey this month, and I'm excited that our kids will get to read about their Daddy from when they were just little babies...and how they shaped him into this incredible father. How they made both of us better people.
 |
| Daddy trying to hold back Grace from stealing Caleb's binky...again. |
 |
| She already had one! But she was fighting with all that she had to get that second binky. |
 |
| Gracie Mae and Daddy |
 |
| Daddy with Caleb! |
No comments:
Post a Comment