Grace Outpoured: Thirteen Months Old & Christmas Past


~Morning Playtime for a Thirteen Month Old Little Girl~

This past month has been gone in a blink, and I can hardly believe all that has transpired in just a few short weeks. We celebrated the one year birthday of our precious girl, waded through end of the year doctor appointments, threw in a foot surgery (mine, just something minor), enjoyed Christmas as a family, plodded through our first cold of the season (again mine, requiring a constant mask, a host of vitamins and Mucinex, and sleeping in another room for several days), and welcomed the New Year with much anticipation for the coming year and all God has in store for us in the days ahead.


~Christmas Eve and ready for sleep!~

Today, as we marked yet another "birthday," I was reminded of how far we have come. Noelle weighed 12lbs. / 3 oz. and had an Occupational Therapy (OT) evaluation today since her eating skills of solid foods are nowhere near even the level of her adjusted age. Her severe prematurity, continued health issues, and acid reflux still affect much of our day to day life and schedule; and the normal milestones do not come naturally for her or for us. Each skill that is obtained takes careful thought, much patience, and consistent effort.

~Our little family on Christmas Day 2012~

However, while days like today remind me of how far she still has to go, they are also a sweet indication of how far she has truly come. Her therapists are often surprised at how quickly she adapts and responds once she is given the right exercises or "tools" to achieve the next step; and on my part, I am grateful for the intervention and expertise of others who understand babies with special needs like Noelle. I have a completely new understanding and appreciation for those who work with children as well as for other mothers (and fathers) who have children with special needs of all levels, but who work to understand their child and endeavor to help them in the best ways possible.

~Each gift was a new fascination!~

Still, when all is said and done, it is one of the most enjoyable "tasks" I have ever undertaken, and my heart is so glad to be at home daily with our precious miracle and soaking up every new thing she encounters.

~Sweet gifts from friends we soon hope to meet face to face~

As a family, we especially enjoyed watching her do this while she experienced Christmas this year in a completely different way than last year, as she participated in opening gifts (well, playing with the paper anyway!) and fussing over each little thing she received.


~Enjoying her new pictures from her little friends~

The true Christmas story of Christ humbling Himself and descending to earth as a baby to become the Savior of the world has become more and more precious to me through these past two Christmas seasons, and I am thankful that He continues to drive the Gospel deeper into my heart through these moments. As we celebrated His birth with our family this Christmas, we also took special joy in both Noelle's birth and her cousin Ellie's as well. We were so glad these two could spend this special time together, even if they were not fully aware of the event or each other! Below is our attempt of getting a Christmas picture of them together, providing us some good laughs if not a good picture. We continue to thank God for each precious day with our miracle and look forward to celebrating more Christmas seasons just as special as this one.