Halfway There

Here we are on May 16, just past the halfway point of our second annual "Streak."  Not exactly sure why, but I actually just went through and re-read all of last May's posts - I must admit, I got a bit misty eyed in a number of spots.  Also remembering all of the rain we got last year and my running streak really makes me appreciate the elliptical machine we bought!  Thinking about all of those fresh emotions last year at this time and the hard choices we've made since then.  How are you, as a parent, supposed to balance your child's long-term well-being with their right to be a baby/toddler/child?  The answer, of course, is there is no answer.  I think we're very fortunate in that Noah takes all of this on with an amazing attitude.  All of his appointments and the things we make him do - for his own long-term benefit - are not fair to him as a baby.  But, these are things we have to do to give him the best shot at being able to do whatever he wants to do when he's older.  I often wonder what that might be.  What will he want to do when he's older?  I often joke that he'll be a lefty relief pitcher for the Red Sox.  His left arm is so strong, I think he'd beat me in an arm-wrestle today.  He loves throwing the ball around the house, too...he already has quite the little cannon for an arm.  I can imagine him throwing 110mph some day - if he can just learn to hold a glove on his right hand!  In all seriousness, it does bring me back to what our jobs are - and it's really no different than any parents' job - we need to work with him to put him in a position to do whatever he wants to do with his life.  Granted, we have to take an alternate path and do things differently than most, but it's the same goal.  So while we're halfway through this May's streak, we know we're nowhere near halfway there with Noah.  We have a long, long way to go.  And that's not necessarily a bad thing....I can't believe that he's almost 20 months old and that we received his diagnosis over a year ago.  He's such a wonderful, special little boy...I've said it here before, and I'll say it again - we laugh together all of the time - he's a really funny, little kid.  Everything moves so quickly, sometimes we just need to slow down a bit, not think about what he's going to do when he's older, and enjoy some things as a normal family.