Wednesday, October 10, 2012

One Blessed Year


My sweet Ruthie turns 1 tomorrow. She's precious, patient, serious, spunky, cautious, and curious. She is the most amazing blessing that we could have ever been given. Thinking back on her year, she's made me laugh and cry in happiness, sadness, and frustration. Just before Ruthie was born and a little after, I would find myself being jealous of other moms. I was mad because I wasn't normal. I didn't get to hold my baby. I didn't get to see her when she was born. I had to watch them replace her chest tubes over and over. I couldn't put any of the cute newborn clothes that I had on her. But now looking back, I'm able to see all the wonderful things I got to see that a typical mom wouldn't. I got to see her breathe on her own and celebrate her lungs expanding with no help from the machines! Putting clothes on her was SO exciting! Tears of joy when the last chest tube was removed! Going in for check ups and amazing the doctors at her recovery. Spending weeks in the NICU learning how to care for her. Spending time with Jimmy on Cincinnati road trips while our sweet one sleeps in the back. Watching first hand a miracle happening!

As for Ruthie's continued check ups, so far so good. She's cleared every test and check up with one minor hiccup at her cariology appointment. No big deal, we'll go back in a year for a check up. We've got the big 1 year Surgery check up coming in late November with the thoracic surgery master. She'll be getting a CT scan of her chest. This will let the "Yoda" (the surgery master) know if they got all the mass out when they did the surgery at her birth or if they missed some. It will also let them know how her little lung is growing and inflating properly. If you have seen Ruthie, or have spent any time with her, you wouldn't think she was sick at all. By all appearances, she is better. But we'll wait for the pictures of her insides to be for sure.

My story hasn't been, nor ever will be, typical. I've come to terms with that. I know that God's blessings sometimes come with hardships. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

One Blessed Year


My sweet Ruthie turns 1 tomorrow. She's precious, patient, serious, spunky, cautious, and curious. She is the most amazing blessing that we could have ever been given. Thinking back on her year, she's made me laugh and cry in happiness, sadness, and frustration. Just before Ruthie was born and a little after, I would find myself being jealous of other moms. I was mad because I wasn't normal. I didn't get to hold my baby. I didn't get to see her when she was born. I had to watch them replace her chest tubes over and over. I couldn't put any of the cute newborn clothes that I had on her. But now looking back, I'm able to see all the wonderful things I got to see that a typical mom wouldn't. I got to see her breathe on her own and celebrate her lungs expanding with no help from the machines! Putting clothes on her was SO exciting! Tears of joy when the last chest tube was removed! Going in for check ups and amazing the doctors at her recovery. Spending weeks in the NICU learning how to care for her. Spending time with Jimmy on Cincinnati road trips while our sweet one sleeps in the back. Watching first hand a miracle happening!

As for Ruthie's continued check ups, so far so good. She's cleared every test and check up with one minor hiccup at her cariology appointment. No big deal, we'll go back in a year for a check up. We've got the big 1 year Surgery check up coming in late November with the thoracic surgery master. She'll be getting a CT scan of her chest. This will let the "Yoda" (the surgery master) know if they got all the mass out when they did the surgery at her birth or if they missed some. It will also let them know how her little lung is growing and inflating properly. If you have seen Ruthie, or have spent any time with her, you wouldn't think she was sick at all. By all appearances, she is better. But we'll wait for the pictures of her insides to be for sure.

My story hasn't been, nor ever will be, typical. I've come to terms with that. I know that God's blessings sometimes come with hardships. I would do it again in a heartbeat.