Today Willa the wonderful is one!
One year ago today I had to be induced since I was two weeks overdue with baby girl #3 and she showed no signs of coming. One year ago today after a fairly normal labor my 9 lb 15 oz beauty with a full head of hair was born. But was not breathing. One year ago today they were rushing around her trying to help her breath on her own. And once that was established they were keeping her body cold and preparing to transport her to a different hospital. One year ago today they were worried she might be having seizures. And were handing us paperwork telling us about cool cap therapy and warning us about the potential for brain damage since our newborn baby had been without oxygen due to the cord around her neck. One year ago I was reaching out to her with my shaky un-medicated postpartum body so I could touch her little hand before they wheeled her onto an ambulance. One year ago I got to hold her for the first time with monitors and wires attached to her. And I had to see her get her nourishment thru tubes instead of from my breast. One year ago I got a short glimpse into what it means to have your child in the NICU.
But today Willa Constance is one. And she is wonderful! She is crawling up stairs, working on her standing balance, wanting to do everything her sisters do, working on learning words, eating large amounts of food, loving peek-a-boo, fussing when we take something away from her that she wants,etc, etc. In other words she is being completely normal! She is a sweet, happy, beautiful girl. And our scare at her birth and her days in the hospital made me realize how incredibly wonderful a normal healthy baby is.
We all want great things for our kids, We want them to be brilliant and in excelled classes. Or be amazing at sports. Or really musically or artistically gifted. But how often do we stop to think what an incredible blessing it is to have a "normal" healthy "average" child? A child who can walk without pain or a prosthetic. Who can see and hear the world around them. Who can be in a bad mood and refuse to do their homework even though they completely understand it. Who can be their age & enjoy their childhood and not spend large chunks of their life in & out of the hospital. Whose heart pumps their blood. Whose body fights disease. Whose eyes help them see.
So today on Willa's birthday I gratefully acknowledge what an incredible blessing she is. And I also think of all those parents who spend their days and weeks caring for a child with medical needs. Or watching others care for their child. I think of those parents who don't have the means to give their child the food, clean water or medicine they need. I think of those parents who are surrounded by violence and struggle to keep their children safe.
I send up prayers of thanksgiving and prayers of petition.
