Okay - so day 1 and we're off to a good start! Wore my purple tie to work today (I forgot to mention that I will also wear something purple everyday during the month - the official color of Pediatric Stroke Awareness month), did my run, Susan got a long walk in and here is the post!
I took Noah for a run this evening in the running stroller, which kind of turned out to be a bad idea. I realized halfway through the run that we might be able to catch Susan coming home a little late on the train, but I didn't have a clock on me and I had lost track of exactly what time it was. So, we went down to the train station only to learn that it would be another 15 minutes until the train came. So I told Noah we'd run a couple of laps and come back...but he wanted to see Mommy and the train right then and he totally lost it as I turned the stroller around. So, in order to calm him down, I told him we could see if our great friends who live around the corner were home with their daughter who's 6 months younger than Noah. Fortunately they were and he played (more with her toys than with her!) and had fun, only to lose it once again when I told him we were going to leave! This time I calmed him down with promises of the train and Mommy - and fortunately that worked...but, once it was time to head home, he no longer wanted to sit in the stroller and insisted on running himself! So, I only got about half the run in that I was expecting, but we'll chalk it up as a success!
It was also fun to run with Noah! He's not the speediest at this point, but man is he determined! A little different than my old running partner, Baxter the Dog! Baxter was fast, but uncontrollable and not all that determined. Kind of a funny thought - I was looking through some pictures last night as we (still) need to update Noah's picture on this blog. I came across an old picture of Baxter on the first day we got him- I was holding him in the back yard and he was just a little puppy. It made me think about all we've been through over the past 3+ years - particularly as we're getting ready to move to our new home in a little over a week. Things haven't gone exactly to plan, but when does that ever happen! I always wanted a dog, but we felt we had to give him up given all of the "stuff" we have going on....a really tough decision and I still find myself staring at the house across town where he now lives every time I drive by, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. But he's better off where he is - a wonderful family with three older kids that loves him - and we're better off, able to focus on Noah, the most important aspect of our lives.
And Noah is the greatest little kid in the world and he brings so much sheer joy and happiness to our lives, I truly cannot imagine things any other way. While Noah's stroke in utero was a total fluke - a terrible bit of luck, for lack of a better term - I consider myself fortunate above all else. We're fortunate that Noah is with us; we're fortunate that he is progressing so well - particularly cognitively...he has an amazing personality!; we're fortunate that we have the means to provide for Noah and his needs; we're fortunate that we have amazing family and friends and their support; and we're fortunate that we have each other. What more can one ask for? Of course, we likely have some challenges that many do not, but I know we lack a lot of those that so many others have. So what that we have to do some different things to help Noah grow as best he can - to the extent that everything that has happened has in someway shaped the wonderful boy he is becoming, then that's okay with me because he really is awesome.
It's been a little over 2 years since we received Noah's diagnosis and it has been quite a whirlwind. I can't believe he'll be three in 5 months! This is our 3rd "Streak" and I had forgotten how great this whole thing is for me....it really is a nice opportunity to catch my breath and reflect on what really matters to me. Life is busy, but that is becoming a more and more common excuse...it used to be the common response to the question, "How are you doing," was "Well!" or some denomination of that - perhaps with some sincere color. Today, I feel like the response is always, "Busy!" I'm guilty of that response myself. I hope I can stop that - it sucks. This Streak isn't about me, but, as I've mentioned in past years, it becomes a nice outlet....And this blog certainly takes some interesting, unintended twists!
So, here we go again...if you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me! I think we're doing pretty well, all things considered. Noah is doing great - I'm incredibly proud of him...strongest, most resilient little boy around. He's happy, healthy, growing, learning, playing, talking, walking....and now, running!
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