Happily After

Last year Mermaid experienced hypsarrhythmia A.K.A. infantile spasms or seizures. In this season of gratitude, and as her second birthday approaches, I'm reflecting on that time in our lives. I am so grateful to be outside of that experience, looking back and knowing the conclusion. The uncertainty was crushing. Now doubt is merely the antagonist inevitably defeated by our happy ending.

We have so many "Befores," "Durings," and "Afters" in our days. "Durings" always seem so long, even when they're not. And "Befores" can be discouraging because we can never really go back to them. Even though we can never be sure what the "Afters" will bring, today I'm especially thankful for "After."


BEFORE: Happy Mermaid! So adorable. We didn't even know she had DS, let alone the shadow of seizures in her future.

DURING: The electrical brain chaos caused developmental pause and the steroid-like meds caused weight gain slowing her down even further; no smiles, no laughs, no interest and lots of sleeping.

AFTER: Mermaid began to wake up last December and here she is preparing for take-off in a helicopter aboard the U.S.S. New York. She is all toddler learning to walk, talk, sign and make-believe. She's curious and into everything. She pulls all books off the shelves and has started getting into the refrigerator. I don't even mind cleaning up. I am so thrilled that she is curious and happy.

Feeding Horses

Today is March 3rd. Today is the day that we, (me, Urban Tangerine, Angelfish, Mermaid, Sparkle and Torpedo) went to feed the horses. First we went to ask permission. Then we went to feed them. The first thing we had to do was climb over a barbed wire fence, which to me is always a little bit scary to do with Torpedo. Next we had to walk on a very short but very muddy path that took us into the pasture where the horses were. When we said we were going to feed the horses, I had thought that meant with a fence in between me and the horses. Instead we were feeding them right there with them walking around us. We fed them apples and threw carrots at them (without hitting the horses). When the horses started coming closer to us, I started running. I was so scared, I was the one holding the bag of carrots and the horses were sort of half following me.  Sparkle had already run out of the pasture for fear too and was yelling "Run for your life!" and guess what, I did! Angelfish, Urban Tangerine, Torpedo and Mermaid stayed back and they fed the horses some more. Finally though we did leave the horses but they followed us to the edge of the pasture which made me think that they might follow us all the way out. But thankfully they didn't.

Posted by Star