i took wyatt for his 9 month check up this morning. i haven't really experienced this too much before, but i guess it will be the "norm" from now on. there were other young kids in the waiting room, and of course someone asked "is he crawling yet?" "no, he had open heart surgery 9 weeks ago, and his arms are a little weak....we're working on it..." and another child comes in who is 2 weeks older than wyatt and she is starting to walk already....and he's not even crawling. i do get that at church with the older folks; and they know he has Down syndrome and ask anyway. do i say, "no, he has Down syndrome and will get there when he gets there..." do i even mention that he has Ds? some folks recognize it right away, while others are surprised when i've told them. hmm....just trying to figure out the best response.....
then i ran into a mom from our local Ds group who has a son older than wyatt. i needed to see her today! just being able to talk to her about that, and other related stuff, was helpful, encouraging. thanks, God, for letting our paths cross today!
no matter what wyatt does and doesn't do YET...... he DOES have the BEST HAIR! lol!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Connected By The Precious Thread of an Extra Chromosome...
i must give ashley paradis moreno credit for this title...she posted this as part of a status on facebook tonight.....and it is so true. in a very short amount of time (9 1/2 months) i have become "connected by the precious thread of an extra chromosome" to an enormous group of people i would have never known had it not been for wyatt's diagnosis with Down syndrome. but God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that i needed these connections.....
my heart is heavy tonight, as i know many others are, over the news that carly, a precious eight year old girl (who had Down syndrome) died very unexpectedly today. no, i didn't know her or her family, but i can't even begin to imagine the depth of pain they are in tonight. it is my prayer that God is their Comfort and Peace tonight, and that they are clinging tightly to Him and His promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ....
it has been a very emotional week in our online facebook community also as chrissie is battling for her life in texas. her parents, siblings, family, friends and thousands of others have been bringing her before the Throne of Grace continuously, begging for His Will to be done, praying for her healing. praying she will wake up from the medically induced coma and that her heart will beat again on its' own.....dear God, let it be so...... her parents adopted her from serbia not long ago, knowing that she would need this extensive heart surgery.....giving her the chance to live a full and abundant life...
and there's micah, a precious 2 year old boy with Down syndrome, who we've been praying for all week as well. he was admitted to the er last saturday at the point of "septic," something you never want to hear....an infection raging through your body that they don't know know what it is nor if it can be stopped. as the physicians have battled for his life, they discovered that it is toxic shock syndrome, a staph infection that has invaded his little body. he is still in picu on life supporting machines, but is showing definite signs of improvement, for which we are so thankful and praising God! and we will continue to pray for his full and complete recovery...
i know the stress of handing your baby over for open heart surgery ..... and i'm so thankful wyatt's surgery went smoothly, and his recovery has been uneventful. i know that not all surgeries have that outcome. yes, it was stressful, but we're on the other side now. the prayer support we received was tremendouw. i know the power of prayer, and i can pray for these families and ask others to pray.
God is good, all the time. He is faithful to hear and answer prayers. He is in control, and He is on His throne.
my heart is heavy tonight, as i know many others are, over the news that carly, a precious eight year old girl (who had Down syndrome) died very unexpectedly today. no, i didn't know her or her family, but i can't even begin to imagine the depth of pain they are in tonight. it is my prayer that God is their Comfort and Peace tonight, and that they are clinging tightly to Him and His promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ....
it has been a very emotional week in our online facebook community also as chrissie is battling for her life in texas. her parents, siblings, family, friends and thousands of others have been bringing her before the Throne of Grace continuously, begging for His Will to be done, praying for her healing. praying she will wake up from the medically induced coma and that her heart will beat again on its' own.....dear God, let it be so...... her parents adopted her from serbia not long ago, knowing that she would need this extensive heart surgery.....giving her the chance to live a full and abundant life...
and there's micah, a precious 2 year old boy with Down syndrome, who we've been praying for all week as well. he was admitted to the er last saturday at the point of "septic," something you never want to hear....an infection raging through your body that they don't know know what it is nor if it can be stopped. as the physicians have battled for his life, they discovered that it is toxic shock syndrome, a staph infection that has invaded his little body. he is still in picu on life supporting machines, but is showing definite signs of improvement, for which we are so thankful and praising God! and we will continue to pray for his full and complete recovery...
i know the stress of handing your baby over for open heart surgery ..... and i'm so thankful wyatt's surgery went smoothly, and his recovery has been uneventful. i know that not all surgeries have that outcome. yes, it was stressful, but we're on the other side now. the prayer support we received was tremendouw. i know the power of prayer, and i can pray for these families and ask others to pray.
God is good, all the time. He is faithful to hear and answer prayers. He is in control, and He is on His throne.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
A Little About Ethan
today is ethan's birthday. my firstborn. there's something kind of different about your relationship with your firstborn, don't you think? especially a mother and son ..... it's hard to explain... it's kind of like i "grew up" with ethan.....changed from young woman to young mother...which brings so very many life changes!
your firstborn are the "guinea pigs" of your parenting. you try different ideas and parenting techniques with them, trying to figure out which one works. you worry about every little thing they do; every sniffle and fever.... so many trips to the doctors and late night phone calls!
ethan was our only child for 8 years. he was a busy little guy...people find that hard to believe now! he was constantly into things...we weren't sure we could handle another child with him... but then we decided we could! being our only child for so long made ethan grow up faster; he's always been like a "little adult." included in most everything we did, he was always with us.
ethan now is quiet and introspective, much like his dad! he is a faithful friend, and he loves God wholeheartedly, for which i am so thankful! he studies the Bible and apologetics, and is a great defender of the truth of Scripture. he is smart and funny, and has a beautiful smile. he is also an excellent student and has never given us any trouble.....ever......really. we are so very proud of the young man that he has become. i love to sit and talk with ethan, he never ceases to amaze me! it's so awesome to hear how God is at work in his life. i even watch his crime scene shows with him.....and there are many!
we know that God has great plans for ethan, and are excited to see him follow those plans! he has been focused on forensics, anthropology and archaeology for some time now; it is his goal to pursue a degree(s) in those fields of study. we are praying for wisdom and discernment as he continues to seek God's direction for his life.....
your firstborn are the "guinea pigs" of your parenting. you try different ideas and parenting techniques with them, trying to figure out which one works. you worry about every little thing they do; every sniffle and fever.... so many trips to the doctors and late night phone calls!
ethan was our only child for 8 years. he was a busy little guy...people find that hard to believe now! he was constantly into things...we weren't sure we could handle another child with him... but then we decided we could! being our only child for so long made ethan grow up faster; he's always been like a "little adult." included in most everything we did, he was always with us.
ethan now is quiet and introspective, much like his dad! he is a faithful friend, and he loves God wholeheartedly, for which i am so thankful! he studies the Bible and apologetics, and is a great defender of the truth of Scripture. he is smart and funny, and has a beautiful smile. he is also an excellent student and has never given us any trouble.....ever......really. we are so very proud of the young man that he has become. i love to sit and talk with ethan, he never ceases to amaze me! it's so awesome to hear how God is at work in his life. i even watch his crime scene shows with him.....and there are many!
we know that God has great plans for ethan, and are excited to see him follow those plans! he has been focused on forensics, anthropology and archaeology for some time now; it is his goal to pursue a degree(s) in those fields of study. we are praying for wisdom and discernment as he continues to seek God's direction for his life.....
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Our First Baby's Birth....
as i'm writing this, i can remember how excited and anxious we were for our first baby's arrival 17 years ago. our first baby, the baby we had waited a long time to decide to have! we had been married 4 years when we finally felt ready....as ready as you ever feel! we had chosen not to find out the sex of the baby, so we were anxious to meet our little "elise noel" or "ethan mauldin" putman. we had painted the room mint green (this was 1993), and we had applied a beautiful pastel "bears on picnic" border. a friend had helped me sew the bedding; green, and i had handsewn a quilt for the baby bed.
our first child. we would welcome this baby into the first home we had bought only the year before in lake city, florida! i had a cold, or maybe springtime allergies, and my mom had driven over from panama city to help me get the house in order because i didn't feel good. after getting the house cleaned up and laundry done, we decided to drive down to gainesville, a 45 minute drive, to do a little shopping.....a love we both share! we walked the mall, and walked and walked......we were ready for that baby to arrive! i was having small contractions, probably braxton hicks, but we called my doctor's office there in gainesville to be checked out before we got back on the interstate. we called tim, who was at work in they monitored me for a while and decided that i was probably in early labor; enough that they did not want to send me back home.
our first child. we would welcome this baby into the first home we had bought only the year before in lake city, florida! i had a cold, or maybe springtime allergies, and my mom had driven over from panama city to help me get the house in order because i didn't feel good. after getting the house cleaned up and laundry done, we decided to drive down to gainesville, a 45 minute drive, to do a little shopping.....a love we both share! we walked the mall, and walked and walked......we were ready for that baby to arrive! i was having small contractions, probably braxton hicks, but we called my doctor's office there in gainesville to be checked out before we got back on the interstate. we called tim, who was at work in they monitored me for a while and decided that i was probably in early labor; enough that they did not want to send me back home.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
We Are The Truth: Ryan's Adoption
my friend kym is adopted and she let me know that today is adoption blogger day...she will be sharing her story, and i will be sharing another story....ryan's adoption story, from my point of view.... i'm sure all the details are not exactly accurate....but i'll do my best from how i remember his story.....
one of my very best friends, susan, and her husband scott, have infertility problems. after a number of ivf attempts they were able to conceive bryce (who is one of my forrest's best friends!). they did not feel that their family was complete, and after a time attempted other ivf cycles which were unsuccessful. they had determined that the last time would be the last attempt, and of course we were all so disappointed that it was not successful. God had another plan...He was already at work and their baby to be was actually conceived about the same time as their last unsuccessful cycle.... but i'm jumping ahead of the story...
after much thought and prayer, they decided adoption was the next route they would pursue, and chose private adoption with a local attorney. shortly after putting together their "family book," which is used to introduce them to prospective moms, they received a phone call that a mom had chosen them... and the baby was due within just a couple of months; around the time that their own birth baby would have been born had that last ivf cycle been successful! wow! God is a God of details, isn't He? we were so excited! and another boy! yay!
susan and scott had travelled home to texas for Christmas and were on their way back to florida in early january when they received the phone call that their birth mom might be in labor, a little earlier than they had anticipated. susan called me with the news, anxious to get home as quickly as possible. as they continued their travelling, they received news that their baby would definitely be born before they made it home. i offered to go to the hospital to be with her until they could get there. they decided that would be a good idea. so i went....
the baby was already born, i believe by c-section, and was in nicu by the time i arrived. his birth mom was already out of recovery in her room. the attorney's assistant took me to her and introduced us, and i stayed with her. her name is heather, and she seemed grateful that i was there. her mom and sister had dropped her off at the hospital and left her alone to have the baby. that would be a very lonely feeling, wouldn't it? i was so glad that God allowed me to be there with her, to talk to her, get to know her a little, but mainly to reassure her that this precious baby that she had given birth to would have wonderful parents, a great big brother, loving and involved extended family and friends who would love him unconditionally. i assured her he would be raised to know the love of God by parents who were wholeheartedly devoted to Him. he would be raised in a Christian home, just as she had wanted. i did my best to share with her the love of God, and reassure her that she was making the right choice in choosing scott and susan to be her baby's parents. she never indicated any doubt....i'm so glad that i could tell her about them, about all of us who would love and help raise the baby she had given birth to. what a blessing i was given....
scott and susan arrived as quickly as they could, anxious to meet heather and their new baby. what an exciting yet nerve-wracking time! i think you're always fearful that the birth mom might change her mind until she actually signs those papers.... again, i never saw any doubt in heather.... scott and susan were the only ones who could see their baby besides heather. they took pictures to share with us. he was very tiny but oh so cute! precious! what a wonderful night that was.... they had discussed names all the way home from texas...(after they told bryce that he was about to become a big brother!) and had settled on the name dean....a very cute name. but not this baby's name. susan and scott came to have a big breakfast with us the next morning before returning to the hospital; bryce had spent the night with us, and as we sat around the table, scott told us that he was undecided about "dean;" he had either dreamed or thought all night about a little drinking and smoking baby....like dean martin....i was so relieved because i had the same thoughts! hilarious! and so their second choice was ryan....and that's his name...he is definitely a ryan!
they spent as much time at the hospital as they could, with ryan in nicu. because it was cold and flu season, no one else was allowed to visit except parents and grandparents....except susan snuck me in for a few minutes until they kicked me out... he was soooooo tiny and adorable....we were all in love with him! and still are! i was able to see heather once again, and gave her a Bible and a couple of other things that our friends had put together for her. it was and is our prayer that she will come to know Christ as her personal Savior...
we are so blessed to have ryan in our "family".....he is a very active little boy (ALL BOY!); so kind and loving, bright and inquisitive, affectionate and outgoing, sweet and caring...JOYFUL is a great word to describe ryan...and he's very energetic...another great attribute of ryan is that i don't think he ever meets a stranger! what a great quality! he continuously makes us laugh...that's just the way he is....and you rarely see ryan without getting a hug! we just celebrated his 6th birthday this past january, and he was surrounded by family and friends who love him!
ryan...your birth mommy loved you so very much! she knew just how precious you are, and wanted only the best for you. she did not believe that she could give you the family that she wanted you to have, thought you deserved. that's why she blessed your mommy and daddy with the precious gift of you! i'm so glad that i met her and could tell her all about what a wonderful life you would have with your mom, dad, big brother, extended family and friends. the life you have now!
heather....rest assured that ryan is a wonderful boy....so very loved....a joy to be around! he loves people and is greatly loved by so many....his parents love him and are so very thankful that you chose life for him...and chose the best life that you thought you could give him....you gave him a family.....and we are all so blessed by this precious boy....ryan
one of my very best friends, susan, and her husband scott, have infertility problems. after a number of ivf attempts they were able to conceive bryce (who is one of my forrest's best friends!). they did not feel that their family was complete, and after a time attempted other ivf cycles which were unsuccessful. they had determined that the last time would be the last attempt, and of course we were all so disappointed that it was not successful. God had another plan...He was already at work and their baby to be was actually conceived about the same time as their last unsuccessful cycle.... but i'm jumping ahead of the story...
after much thought and prayer, they decided adoption was the next route they would pursue, and chose private adoption with a local attorney. shortly after putting together their "family book," which is used to introduce them to prospective moms, they received a phone call that a mom had chosen them... and the baby was due within just a couple of months; around the time that their own birth baby would have been born had that last ivf cycle been successful! wow! God is a God of details, isn't He? we were so excited! and another boy! yay!
susan and scott had travelled home to texas for Christmas and were on their way back to florida in early january when they received the phone call that their birth mom might be in labor, a little earlier than they had anticipated. susan called me with the news, anxious to get home as quickly as possible. as they continued their travelling, they received news that their baby would definitely be born before they made it home. i offered to go to the hospital to be with her until they could get there. they decided that would be a good idea. so i went....
the baby was already born, i believe by c-section, and was in nicu by the time i arrived. his birth mom was already out of recovery in her room. the attorney's assistant took me to her and introduced us, and i stayed with her. her name is heather, and she seemed grateful that i was there. her mom and sister had dropped her off at the hospital and left her alone to have the baby. that would be a very lonely feeling, wouldn't it? i was so glad that God allowed me to be there with her, to talk to her, get to know her a little, but mainly to reassure her that this precious baby that she had given birth to would have wonderful parents, a great big brother, loving and involved extended family and friends who would love him unconditionally. i assured her he would be raised to know the love of God by parents who were wholeheartedly devoted to Him. he would be raised in a Christian home, just as she had wanted. i did my best to share with her the love of God, and reassure her that she was making the right choice in choosing scott and susan to be her baby's parents. she never indicated any doubt....i'm so glad that i could tell her about them, about all of us who would love and help raise the baby she had given birth to. what a blessing i was given....
scott and susan arrived as quickly as they could, anxious to meet heather and their new baby. what an exciting yet nerve-wracking time! i think you're always fearful that the birth mom might change her mind until she actually signs those papers.... again, i never saw any doubt in heather.... scott and susan were the only ones who could see their baby besides heather. they took pictures to share with us. he was very tiny but oh so cute! precious! what a wonderful night that was.... they had discussed names all the way home from texas...(after they told bryce that he was about to become a big brother!) and had settled on the name dean....a very cute name. but not this baby's name. susan and scott came to have a big breakfast with us the next morning before returning to the hospital; bryce had spent the night with us, and as we sat around the table, scott told us that he was undecided about "dean;" he had either dreamed or thought all night about a little drinking and smoking baby....like dean martin....i was so relieved because i had the same thoughts! hilarious! and so their second choice was ryan....and that's his name...he is definitely a ryan!
they spent as much time at the hospital as they could, with ryan in nicu. because it was cold and flu season, no one else was allowed to visit except parents and grandparents....except susan snuck me in for a few minutes until they kicked me out... he was soooooo tiny and adorable....we were all in love with him! and still are! i was able to see heather once again, and gave her a Bible and a couple of other things that our friends had put together for her. it was and is our prayer that she will come to know Christ as her personal Savior...
we are so blessed to have ryan in our "family".....he is a very active little boy (ALL BOY!); so kind and loving, bright and inquisitive, affectionate and outgoing, sweet and caring...JOYFUL is a great word to describe ryan...and he's very energetic...another great attribute of ryan is that i don't think he ever meets a stranger! what a great quality! he continuously makes us laugh...that's just the way he is....and you rarely see ryan without getting a hug! we just celebrated his 6th birthday this past january, and he was surrounded by family and friends who love him!
ryan...your birth mommy loved you so very much! she knew just how precious you are, and wanted only the best for you. she did not believe that she could give you the family that she wanted you to have, thought you deserved. that's why she blessed your mommy and daddy with the precious gift of you! i'm so glad that i met her and could tell her all about what a wonderful life you would have with your mom, dad, big brother, extended family and friends. the life you have now!
heather....rest assured that ryan is a wonderful boy....so very loved....a joy to be around! he loves people and is greatly loved by so many....his parents love him and are so very thankful that you chose life for him...and chose the best life that you thought you could give him....you gave him a family.....and we are all so blessed by this precious boy....ryan
Monday, April 12, 2010
God is in Control!
it's the monday after spring break...sure is quiet around here! wyatt's napping, getting ready for therapy later. i'm trying to figure out what to do first....probably getting off the computer would be a good start! oh well...we had a great spring break; i'm glad everyone is back home together. ethan had a terrific trip, and as much as i want to blog about him today, i'm waiting until his birthday next week. i think 11 days is too long to focus on how much he's grown up lately...
there's been lots of sadness lately. teens dying way too young from car accidents. car accidents in general. folks facing cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. folks struggling with their faith. depression. so much pain, heartache, confusion....
BUT i do know this: God is in control. He is good all the time, not just when things go my way. He loves me unconditionally; no matter what i do. i can't "earn" His love...it is freely given. Jesus paid the price for my sins so that i am forgiven....PRAISE GOD! i do not live a "works based" faith....i am forgiven and have the security of my salvation ONLY BECAUSE OF JESUS! how wonderful that we just celebrated Easter....remembering what He did for us; how much He loves us; the sacrifice He made for us....that no one else could! Because HE Lives....i CAN face tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after.....blessings to you!
there's been lots of sadness lately. teens dying way too young from car accidents. car accidents in general. folks facing cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. folks struggling with their faith. depression. so much pain, heartache, confusion....
BUT i do know this: God is in control. He is good all the time, not just when things go my way. He loves me unconditionally; no matter what i do. i can't "earn" His love...it is freely given. Jesus paid the price for my sins so that i am forgiven....PRAISE GOD! i do not live a "works based" faith....i am forgiven and have the security of my salvation ONLY BECAUSE OF JESUS! how wonderful that we just celebrated Easter....remembering what He did for us; how much He loves us; the sacrifice He made for us....that no one else could! Because HE Lives....i CAN face tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after.....blessings to you!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Sometimes Reality Hits Harder Than Other Times...
i've had a couple of sad days this week. those days when reality hits. "drive by shooting days" are how i describe them...i can't remember who/where i got that from...you know, days when life is going along and you might not have thought about down syndrome for a little while and then something happens that reminds you that your child has down syndrome; you're in holland now, and your life is forever changed. i know that wyatt has down syndrome; there are just some days when I don't focus on that because life goes on.... this week he seems to have his tongue sticking our more than usual; kind of deliberately, but it's there. everyone tells him to "put that tongue back in your mouth...." another reminder....life will be harder for him than it is for our other sons. someone else blogged about this type of stuff this week as well, things i'd been thinking about. comparisons. we all do it. i don't want to, but it just happens. "this baby's rolling over a lot; this one's about to crawl, walk, etc.;" the list goes on. not that any of it matters. we just do it. we like to brag about our kids; it's natural! even today the mailman asked how old he is, commented on how cute he is and mentioned that his son was walking at this age...he didn't mean anything by it...he was very kind. today i saw someone else i hadn't seen for a while; told her we'd been in "seclusion" during wyatt's surgery. she asked why he had the open heart surgery; i told her about the holes, that he has down syndrome....she said "i know, i've seen him...he's very cute!" i'm always surprised when someone recognizes that he has down syndrome....he just looks so much like our other sons....
and then he babbles mamamama....and lifts his arms for me to pick him up...and lights up when he sees me....and loves me without conditions.....and it's all good....
and then he babbles mamamama....and lifts his arms for me to pick him up...and lights up when he sees me....and loves me without conditions.....and it's all good....
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