The little things that make me proud

This morning Caleb was re-evaluated by a speech therapist. He started speech therapy in January when he was only really saying 5-10 words. In these past 6 months, he has gained leaps and bounds, and today he was deemed up to par for his age, and ready to be done with therapy. Wow! Needless to say, I am proud and excited that he has made such great accomplishments. It's kind of like his first "graduation"!

When he started speech therapy, I was concerned and doing everything I could to give him the best opportunity to catch up. If you know me at all, I was of course invisioning all worst case scenarios for the situation. Around the time we began, Caleb also had tubes put in his ears. We'll never know if that improved his hearing so that he was better able to understand and copy words, or if the help he received through Ken-O-Sha was what made the difference. Or maybe he just felt like delaying the talking until he was ready. Whatever it was, he is becoming a great communicator (at times a very demanding communicator!), and blossoming in his own way.

Not to belittle the help of his teachers, but I always felt that he was ok. They kept saying he was unsocial, not receptive to certain things, and unable to meet certain requirements for his age. Personally, as his mom, it was a struggle to hear that. The Caleb I see day to day is a happy, content, and somewhat reserved little boy. Doesn't personality or upbringing have anything to do with these learning milestones? I think so. But the experts don't agree. Whatever the reasoning, my little Caleb proved he is growing and developing right on track. He just knows it's ok to take things slow.... :)

"You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again."

Heartache and happiness

It's a double edged sword, those two words, right? That's what I felt yesterday for two very dear friends. One of my friends gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and the other lost her beautiful unborn baby. It's extra challenging because I not only know what it feels like to become a parent, but I'm carrying an unborn baby myself. The joy of becoming a mother and experiencing a whole new world begins when you give birth for the first time. You finally see that little being that's been wiggling around inside of you for 9 months, and your life is isntantly and forever changed.

On the flip side of the coin, (and I can not speak from experience on losing a baby)I can only imagine the hurt and sadness that comes along with never getting the chance to meet that baby. Such broad spectrums of emotion, yet they are tied in together very closely.

Isn't it hard to understand the miracles of life? I think so. I leave you with a few different quotes that bring meaning to me, and maybe to you.


"If I had my life to live over, instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle."


"I believe the moment of birth
Is when we have knowledge of death
I believe the season of birth
Is the season of sacrifice."

Big boy bed

Happy belated 4th of July everyone! We had a great time camping in Holland again this year, and the weather was perfect. It was more fun this year since Caleb was mobile and able to do more things. Me, on the other hand...I'm getting a little too pregnant for too much activity. But, it was still a great vacation and fun time with family. Caleb loves the beach too!

I decided to transition Caleb out of his crib and in to his little car bed yesterday. I've been talking about it to him for awhile, and wanted to see if he could handle it before the new baby comes. Naptime was a challenge, but I perservered and stuck to my guns. He finally fell asleep after many times of getting out. He went to bed last night without a problem and didn't even get out this morning until I went up! I'm quite surprised with how well he's doing. As always, I shed a few tears as I looked at his crib and remembered him as a tiny baby in there. It's another milestone in his life and mine. I'm excited though to use that crib again very soon. :)


"Life isn't a matter of milestones but of moments."