The Joy of Today

Happy 2 weeks old Meghan! Today we celebrated with a trip to the main campus of Cleveland Clinic to have another brain Ultrasound and a follow up with Meghan's neurosurgeon (who we love, by the way). It was really strange to walk the halls now that we are on the other side of her birth and her surgery. I'm not sure I will ever feel "normal" in that hospital again, but Joe says that some day we will look back and say "see how far we've come since then?"....that's one of many reasons why I love him:)

Dr. R. said she looks great, and is happy with how she's healing. We are leaving her shunt at this faster flow setting for one more week, at which point she will adjust the flow to be a little slower and see how she does. Thank goodness for programmable shunts! It allows her to make changes to her setting via a magnet, and without having surgery every time she needs the rate adjusted.

While we were waiting to be called back for Meghan's ultrasound in the pediatric radiology department, another mom sat with her little girl in the chairs beside us. We looked at each other- a silent recognition takes place. Her daughter had special needs, and it's not really "normal" for a 2 week old to be hanging out in the radiology department at main campus. We started talking, exchanging stories and comparing lists of specialists. She shared that she had adopted her daughter at the age of 2- she has been through 4 open heart surgeries alone, numerous other procedures, and deals with developmental delays. It strikes me that this mom SIGNED UP for this- she chose this path for herself, and chose to help this little girl on her own path. It made me think about how no one ever wants their child to be ill, or to have special needs- I know I surely didn't. Regardless of Meghan's developmental progress in the coming years, we will always have kidney function to watch, vertebral issues, and the shunt to manage: constantly watching for signs of over or under-drainage, possible infection or shunt malfunction. It is a daunting task to try and wrap your mind around. But, as much as that mom chose to raise that little girl, I was CHOSEN to be Meghan's mom. Chosen to protect her, love her, and help her to live her best life possible, and therefore I must choose to focus on the the joy of today. Our life will undoubtedly be different- it already is- but it is the way it was meant to be, most likely to make us better parents, and better people. That is the ultimate goal of our creator- to make us more like Him. What better way to accomplish that purpose than through the life of a little girl.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11