Accomplishments and Realizations

It has been a busy holiday week and weekend with a lot to celebrate beyond the usual Thanksgiving fare. To name a few...

1. Aside from two gifts yet to purchase, all of my Christmas shopping is D-O-N-E. I even have half of the gifts wrapped. It's still November and this is accomplishment is nothing short of a holiday miracle. To think of all the money I will save on not having to rush ship or have my online retailers wrap my gifts has me giddy!

2. Our Christmas lights are hung! I think we have hung lights maybe twice (with T's busiest work time hitting during the holiday season it just hasn't always been a priority. Now, that Emerson is really getting into the Christmas spirit and we are in a new hood that is a pretty festive one, we got a bit of the lighting bug and T did a great job with some help from Emerson. See the during and after...


3. As of Thanksgiving day, Emerson is no longer a napper, and this leaves me feeling conflicted. Selfishly, I love the time he naps. It's time that I can rest too, or catch up on some reading or just steal some time a way for a couple of hours. On the flip side, it gives us A LOT more flexibility to not have the day broken up by a nap. And, it's a bittersweet reminder that he's growing up faster than we could ever imagine.

The Blessing of Patience

I have never been a really patient person. It's something that's worsened as I have gotten older; the desire for results and immediacy often marring my attitude and view. And then Emerson came along and then challenges between T and me that forced me to slow down and embrace patience. I have had to redefine success and focus on the day at hand not the ones that may come my way. Or may not. It has felt slow--painfully slow--at times. And yet, I know I am on this journey to learn and this is one of the lessons I am to take with me.

So, after much time caring for Emerson and his dysphagia, after training myself that a plateau can be a good thing (it's better than regressing, remember), after reminding myself to walk the careful balance between hope and realistic expectations, we had movement today. Movement to the plus side of the page. Movement that will expand Emerson's diet into a greater realm of normalcy and one that tonight, let him drink from a straw.