What a Difference a Year Makes

A few weeks ago the weather here in Nashville finally warmed up and it was beautiful!  We decided to take advantage of the pretty weather and spend some much needed time OUTSIDE!  Chris and I decided to take the boys to the park and get ice cream... so we headed over to Fannie Mae Dees Park- maybe better known as Dragon Park- and we got frozen yogurt at Sweet Cece's afterwards. 

As we were sitting on our quilt at the park, playing with the boys, I looked up and thought about how close we were to the Children's Hospital (just a couple of blocks away) where the boys spent the first 4 and 5 months of their lives.  A year prior to this particular day, the boys were both only about 1 month old, and both recovering from heart surgery (PDA ligation- closing a hole in their hearts).  It was Eli's 2nd surgery and Isaac's 1st. 

A year ago it was really hard for me to picture us sitting in a park with the boys, playing and enjoying pretty weather.  A year ago, I was just praying and hoping my boys would live. 

As I sat there with my boys, helping Eli sit up, and making sure Isaac wasn't putting every stick and leaf in sight in his mouth... I couldn't help but look at the Children's Hospital off in the distance and be very humbled at where we are today.  What a difference a year makes! 

I am very thankful for the coming change of seasons- warmer weather, beautiful flowers.  But I'm over-the-moon thankful for the "change in seasons" in our family, too.  With each passing day, the boys are both getting healthier and stronger.  Isaac is doing so wonderfully, eating everything in sight, and learning new skills daily it seems.  He's almost fully caught up developmentally!  I think I'll have a walker to chase around any day now!  Eli is progressing so well- After 15 months, I think we are finally seeing some progress with weaning him off of oxygen.  We have the "OK" from the lung doctors, and once we get an "OK" from the cardiac doctors, we can take him off of oxygen when he's awake- he will only need it for sleeping.  And the doctors are hopeful that by the end of the summer, he will be completely off of oxygen!  OH HAPPY DAY!!!  We are expecting to get the official order from Dr. Kelly to be done with the helmet in about a week and a half, when we go back to the plastic surgery clinic.  He's finally mastered sitting up on his own, so that means we get to repeat the swallow study, to see if he can go back to talking liquids by mouth.  I could go on and on about the many areas of his health that have improved, but the point is this... for a baby who was dying this time last year... OH MY GOODNESS!  Thank you, Lord!  He's doing SO well!

When I think of Spring, I think of "new," "fresh start..."  Spring is coming, not just for the sunshine, flowers, and birds... but it's coming for our family, too!  Makes me think of this song by Steven Curtis Chapman... (You can click the link to listen to it on You Tube...)  "All we've been hoping and longing for..." (healthy children... no oxygen... less doctors visits...just to name a few...) "soon will appear!"  I see it coming!  I can breathe a little easier... sleep a little better... take my kids out in public and not be worried about all the flu germs... spend less time in doctors offices and more time just playing and loving on my boys... And it feels good!  Thank you, God, for taking care of my boys!

Steven Curtis Chapman- "Spring Is Coming"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bco4kmBHEKQ