to let you know what we've been doing, since I've not been very regular with columns in the last three months. I appreciate your patience.] |
| The Last Nine Months |
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Years ago, after Mom had her cancer surgery, she did not recover as
quickly as she had hoped. After a whole summer of radiation treatments,
she saw her doctor. "How long does it take to fully recover from this?" she asked. "Oh, maybe as long as nine months," he said. "NINE MONTHS!? I'd rather have a baby." Nine months. For some reason--probably because I've been pregnant so often--nine months represents a period of great creativity to me. If I can be used of God to create a baby in nine months; I can be used of Him to create anything in nine months. Our last nine months have been very creative. Hallie, our last creation, has been reluctant to create new weight, but otherwise she's growing well. She's very "up" for a baby with Down syndrome. She's almost able to sit, is rolling around more, and is becoming very aware of her surroundings. Max, our first creation, has created a stir within the house by getting his driver's license. The rest of us have also had some creative moments: Butch landed an internship with the local paper, the first homeschooled student to do so. LouAnn drew a great portrait of Ben Franklin, and wrote and illustrated a story. One night while lying in bed, Jake discovered a property of the multiples of 8. Andy has made more Lego creations than I care to count, while Sammy has discovered the joy of little plastic blocks. (his favorite part is "rebreaking" something so he can rebuild it). Leslie has almost conquered three-letter words with a short 'a' in them. Mike edited the new Station Duty Manual at the Weather Service Office. He also played a cello duet at a benefit, and had some solo parts in the Guam Symphony's opening concert. And I have written a book. My first book, which has kept me from keeping the website current, was finally shipped to the publisher, Barbour Books, on October 28. (Hallelujah!) Many thanks to all who have prayed for our family during this time, and who have specifically prayed for the book project. It's not totally finished, but the worst nine months are over. And now that they are, I know Mom was right. Having a baby would have been easier. |