Wednesday, September 23, 2009





I was gently reminded by a friend that it is now officially fall and it is not prudent to have a picture of your child in a swimming pool under such circumstances. (what if we lived in Florida?)

I took that as a hint that it is time to update the blog. Fall has brought a time of transition for us. Both Brian and I are teaching at new schools which has been an adjustment in of itself.


Faith is doing tremendously well. However cliche it may be, she has exceeded all of our expectations. The girl who showed no understanding or connections to words six months ago is now continually adding to her repertoire of about 15 signs. She now knows words carry meaning and can follow simple directions such as, "Go give Elway a hug" (which is her favorite).

The girl who would make eye contact or acknowledge people in a room is now a social butterfly who demands the attention of anyone who steps inside our home.

The girl who we took home from the hospital who clinched her fists and whose high toned body became rigid at any source of external stimuli, recently put her hands in a tub of butter while we were cooking and rubbed it all over her body.

The girl who was not crawling at this time last year is now walking up a storm, falling down stairs, and forcing her parents to put up all of the unused baby gates (remind me every time we put one up and it chips the paint on the walls that the need for such a barrier is worth far more than the drywall.)

And the girl who did not breathe on her own for her first two years of life has not been hooked to a ventilator since June.

I have stopped diagnosing her. I've stopped marking time in terms of milestones unmet and I am simply enjoying my daughter. Perhaps it was not Faith who needed to make gains, but me. Once I finally accepted who for who she is and all that she is going to be, she proved me wrong on both accords.


Thanks for keeping up with us.

Hope your fall is as warm and cozy as ours.

Jen & CO.