Faith's Mom's Blog

This past year has held many challenges, many changes, and some breakthroughs as well. We have met some new people who have helped Faith make forward progress but have been discouraged as certain prayers continue to go unanswered. Through it all though, there is one truth that remains - God has been with us and He has been faithful. He has placed many people in our lives who have kept us encouraged and who continue to inspire us each and every day to "walk by faith not by sight." As I think about our past year, I can't help but feel hopeful that the New Year will be better than the last! JANUARY - Me and Faith spent the tail-end of last year and the beginning of 2013 recovering from the flu. In fact, she was at the walk-in clinic on New Year's Eve. We recovered just in time to celebrate the NDSU Bison winning their second straight national championship. This year they are once again headed to Frisco, Texas to defend their title as they take on Towson University...

It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and it can easily become a stressful time of the year instead of a joyful one. In our family, we know that Faith does best when her normal routines are kept and the fewer surprises the better. We tried our best this year to keep everything as low-key as possible and do less for Christmas than we have in the past. This included less shopping, less baking, and less activities in general. Instead of baking Happy Birthday Jesus cupcakes this year for Faith's teachers and caretakers, I found these cupcake Christmas tree ornaments and I wrote on the bottom of each one "Happy Birthday Jesus 2013" All I really wanted for Christmas anyway was to go our Christmas Eve service at church. While Faith wasn't willing at first, eventually she relented. The next day since opening Christmas gifts is outside of her normal routine, we had to actually coax her to open the gifts. Hard to believe for a 10-year-old, I k...

The weather outside is truly frightful, as I write this post, it is a frigid -22 degrees F. Rob is lamenting this fact, for a few reasons - one because he actually had to go outdoors today and two because it is a balmy 23 degrees back home in Toronto - that's a 45-degree difference! He does always say, "We need to move to Canada where it's warm!" Doing puzzles is a great indoor activity Thankfully, inside it was much more delightful, and Faith could not have picked a more perfect day to get out all of her puzzles, board games, and Christmas books. We had so much fun playing Candyland (she won, of course), reading some of her favorite Christmas stories and listening to Christmas music .  Our mailman also dropped off a Christmas package from Faith's grandparents. I told Faith we were going to hide it from Daddy to see how long it would take him to find it. But as soon as Rob walked through the door, Faith spilled the beans. "Daddy," she said, "We...

As a child who has a feeding tube, Faith doesn't really have reason to look forward to a big Thanksgiving dinner. Throw in the fact that she has not been feeling well this past week and woke up yesterday morning crying and gagging on mucous, she didn't have much of a Thanksgiving. So, for her Thanksgiving celebration, I told her that we could make a list of things she is thankful for, and she was happy doing just that. She also had me help her write little letters to her friends and family saying things like, "Thank you for coming to church" or "Thank you for letting me come visit you." It was really sweet, and she came up with about 20 people she wanted to write letters for. I think this says a lot - that she is simply thankful for the people in her life. Thankfully, she feels much better today. Faith is thankful for: Mommy and Daddy Wheel of Fortune Big hugs and kisses Having a sleepover with her grandma (we haven't actually done this yet,...

November 17 marks World Prematurity Day . One might wonder why awareness needs to be raised about premature births. Well, I can tell you firsthand that it is a really good thing when more people are aware of the risks and complications, not to mention the emotional toll, of having a baby born too early. Having a baby born prematurely is not something most expectant parents think about until it happens to them. Most moms-to-be who first learn they are pregnant automatically think they have seven or eight months to prepare for one of the biggest days of their life. Expectant parents usually have one response when asked if they are hoping for a boy or a girl - "As long as the baby's healthy." But sadly, sometimes that's not always the case - especially if the baby is born too early. I will never forget the book I was reading shortly after finding out I was pregnant with Faith - "What to Expect When You're Expecting." It was a great resource that o...