Thursday, June 22, 2006

Finally... a brother!!



Here are Michael and Brady when Brady was just a few days old. Michael was so excited to be a big brother - and still is to this day, eight months later. I thought the newness would wear off after Christmas. Glad I was wrong about that!

In this picture, Brady is three days old. He was already diagnosed with a heart murmur, already had problems breathing probably due to fluid in his lungs, had a HUGE cephalhematoma - a giant bump on his noggin, and was in the beginning of what would be jaundice. We didn't know what was to come - a failed hearing test (which he later passed no problem), bilateral inguinal hernias (which he had surgery for in Dec.), slow weight gain (which we are FINALLY doing better on now!), diagnoses of pulmonary and aortic stenosises (which we just had a positive report on last week) an opthamologist appointment for a lazy eye (this July) and of course the diagnosis of Williams Syndrome, which ties everything together with a neat little bow.

I suppose it's the optimistic side of me that put all the positives in parantheses after all the "difficulties". It's just the way I think. Yes, there is truly some bad stuff out there. My life hasn't exactly gone according to my "plan". I certainly didn't expect there to be a 7-year difference between my children. I certainly didn't expect to give birth to a child who has special needs. But... how sad can I get? I DO have both of my children, who make me laugh and warm my heart... I DO have Brady who may have special needs one day, but he's HERE. We have Early Intervention every week, and see the doctor for his weight checks every two weeks, and visit this new doctor here and there.... but we also go to Michael's school where everyone has fallen in love with him; my family and I revel in his new accomplishments like it's a trip to Disney World; a flurry of phone calls were made when he gained six ounces in 12 days. How can I be sad?

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