Hard times and good times

So, it's a new day and we have a "new" boy.  Actually, it is more like our "old" boy, if you know what I mean.  Yesterday was hard on Mommy and Nathan for sure (and Daddy too), but here we are to talk about it and to lift thanksgiving to the Lord for how he heals and restores.

I mentioned that this surgery is an important step for the life God has for him.  I had never known how integral a palate is to speech.  The roof of my mouth is utilized all the time in the formation of sounds.   With the closing of his palate and some speech therapy, Nathan will soon begin to talk like his brain wants him too.  Pointing and grunting and saying "mama" about everything will be replaced with words.

And the reason for his hearing loss was fluid piled up in his ear since birth that could not be cleared out of the middle ear because of that open palate.  With tubes in them now AND the palate closed, he should start hearing normally, rather than in muted tones for the first time in his life.

The hardness of yesterday stemmed from numerous things.  A couple of unexpected waiting rooms.  One, an hour delay before his surgery.  He was hungry and not happy about no food in his tummy and that extra hour took some extra energy from us to "distract" him from his hunger.  Then, we ended up being in the recovery room for 4 hours with him, rather than the usual 15-30 minutes.  There was no room for us to move into until 6:30 and so I held and rocked him for about 4 hours.  He was, of course, confused and irritable and clingy.  And I found that by 6 p.m. my heart and body were frail and worn down.  I cried a couple of times at the smallest of things.  Let's just say that I was more ready for bed last night than I think he was. 

But, it is a new day and the morning has already been so good.  He is hungry, hungry, hungry and Keith and I are taking turns feeding him the pureed food that he will have for a diet for a few weeks.  He's played with toys and we've read to him and cuddled with him.  He even brought me his blanket and lifted up his arms to sleep in my arms for an hour this morning.

Here's my little song I made up for Nathan last night as we were up together.  I'll share it with you too...
"I will always be your Mommy, You will always be my son,
You're forever in our family, Our Nate Johnson"

May each of you rest in the beautiful truth that you belong in God's forever family, just like Nathan does in ours!