And the news is… not much!

And that’s part of the reason (well, that and my computer’s hard disk crash) that you’ve not heard from me lately. It’s become… spookily… normal. Dr. Weinhouse checked Julia out last week, adjusted medicine dosages downward and doesn’t want to see her for a month. Her weight has sailed past nine and a half pounds and is expected to hit double digits in the next week or so – if she hasn’t hit it already.

Julia’s feedings have become uneventful (remember when I prayed for that? We’re there!). She hates taking naps during the day and it makes her a real pistol in the evening before we put her down for the night (thankfully, she’s a great overnight sleeper!). She is already doing doctoral research in creative diaper filling; finding new, innovative ways to get around the diaper and mess up her outfit.

It’s a strange thing coming to terms with the reality that you don’t have what feels like a sword dangling over your head anymore – that there’s more to the world than your child’s (now repaired) heart. Jocelyn and I are less obsessive about her feeding volumes and have moved on to talking about how we’re going to get her on a schedule so we can smooth Jocelyn’s transition back to work. And there is also a realization of the vast energy that Julia’s heart condition required of us. Fortunately, there are plenty of other things to pour that new energy into. We may even get back a few of those sleepless nights… in 2035.

Truth be told, we have joined the ranks of the rest of the new parents out there with dreams and desires for their kid’s future. Julia’s Down Syndrome is still out there and its aggregate effect on her is yet to be revealed; but our conviction has remained unshaken that despite it all, our little girl is going to have an incredible impact for good on the world. We will do our level best to give her every opportunity we can, and then let Julia define herself.

Meanwhile, with the dearth of news regarding Julia’s heart condition, I’m going to have to find some new things to write about. Stay tuned!