We Have A Dream
I suppose I’ll never understand on this side of eternity why one is given a certain burden and another gets something totally different. Fortunately, there are plenty of blessings and encouragements mixed in – if you’re watchful – to take some of the edge off. Nonetheless, no one would have convinced me or Jocelyn five […]
On the Knees of the Matriarchs
My mom died almost three years ago now, and it is with a pang of regret when I remember her and the reality that she never got the chance to meet Julia. That special kind of love that only comes from a grandma has to come (at least on my side of the family) from […]
Christmas Greetings from the Farm
It’s Christmas Eve at the farm on Willow Road, and the house is at rest after a busy day of visits, celebration meals, and a lot of calls on Skype to our loved ones as far flung as the U.K. We also had the annual stream of neighbors – some of whom you’ve been introduced […]
Finding Her Smile
Julia has made some great strides and had an adventure or two this week. It seems like she has learned to do so much in the last couple of weeks that we need to take a moment and celebrate. One of the big ones is that she has found her smile and is using it […]
Thankful
The heavy rains of the day have subsided and I’m curled up by the fireplace in a rented house up on Cass Lake for the holiday. Epic sessions of Yatzee and Mexican Dominoes are in progress among the generations. Jocelyn’s entire family has gathered here from as far away as Texas to be together for […]
A New Milestone
We celebrated Julia’s two month birthday (minus a day) with a visit to her pediatrician on Friday. She got a clean bill of health (AVSD notwithstanding) and began her immunizations. One was the same Diptheria-Tetanus-Pertussus vaccine that every other kid in America gets (please, no comments on the merits or risks of immunization – that […]
Happy Halloween & Back from PICU
The Halloween candy has been passed out and the porch light is off. It was the perfect kind of year for trick-or-treaters – just enough to take most of the candy and leave a little behind. Julia is resting comfortably on Jocelyn and we’ve decided that she likes sleeping on her belly the best (ed. […]
Visits – Docs and Family
A lot has happened over the last week, the most exciting of which is that we really feel like we got our team to do Julia’s surgery. We met last Thursday with Dr. Henry Walters, the Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. We felt utterly taken aback by his humility and […]
Thus Far…
The weather has given way to wind and rain tonight, and I’m listening to Jocelyn singing “You Are My Sunshine” to Julia up in the nursery. The house is quiet after the flurry of activity that comes with trash night and a run to Target and I’m thinking back to where I was a month […]
G’bye Grandma
After eighteen days of tireless service, we said goodbye to Grandma Nancy today. She needed to get back to Corpus Christi where her students and community await. Taking such an extended time off to be with her daughter was quite a sacrifice, considering the workload that Nancy takes on in her professional and personal life. […]