Perspective

I've had a really rough couple of days with my 3-year-old. I actually sat down on his bedroom floor yesterday and cried. And cried. And cried. Today I called my husband in utter frustration, and he came home early from work to help me navigate this new territory (and protect Judah and me from each other).

[James wants me to put a transition in this spot so the paragraphs above and below don't seem to be connected. To be perfectly honest, however. . . Did I think about throwing my kid today? Yes. Did I act on it? No. I told him to stay put, I found the phone, I called my husband, and I went back upstairs after walking outside and taking several deep breaths. Very shortly afterward (and while Judah and I were making amends as we sat and cuddled together), a friend came over with her son. Not long after that, James arrived home. S.O.S. successful. I think that's one of the keys to parenting (and not hurting your children)].

I received an e-mail a while back about a friend of a friend whose baby (less than a year old) was thrown by the baby sitter. He suffered a severe head injury and has been hospitalized for several weeks. Since her initial e-mail, I've been checking Baby Hinton Meyer's "care page" every now and then. Tonight it reads:

October 24, 2007 at 08:15 PM EDT
Hinton had another busy day. He is doing such a better job with his sleeping. Most nights he sleeps in his crib until at least 2 am and then he wants to be held, but he settles right down once we pick him up and he sleeps well in our arms. Thankfully we are able to safely hold him and nod off to with the help of pillows and things.

Hinton worked so hard again in therapy. I just can't believe how far his head control has come. He really holds it steady and it is amazing! He still gets really tired and lets it drop, but he can hold his head up for several minutes at a time. A big improvement that Hinton is making is in bringing his arms and hands together in the middle of his body. You'll remember that we are really worried about the tone (muscle tightening in Hinton's arms and hands), so bringing his hands together is a sign that the tone is improving. He is also getting better at opening his hands from the fist position and reaching for toys. He continues to improve with eating and is showing more and more interest in his food. Today Hinton took a ride on his stander and he went out of the peds rehab unit all the way down the adult rehab hall. He held his head up while doing it! He did great!

One area that Hinton needs to improve on is in ring sitting. Ring sitting is sitting on the floor with support and legs crossed. Hinton much prefers sitting in a lap or with his legs stretched out straight in front of him. We are sure that in time he will master this skill too.

I forgot to mention that Hinton's pressure wound on the back of his neck has greatly improved. He doesn't have to wear a bandage at all anymore. Yippee!

Today in conference we learned that Hinton is still on target for a Nov. 14 discharge date. We can't believe that is only 3 weeks away. The reconstruction surgery plan is still in the works. We will keep you posted on that.

We just can't thank you all enough for the prayers and support. Each prayer is felt; each message/card is read; each meal is enjoyed; each gift is appreciated; each donation is gratefully received. Each of you is supporting us in so many ways and we just can't thank you enough. We are a blessed family. Love-Melissa, Kevin and Hinton

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It breaks my heart to think about my baby girl not being able to hold her head up for more than a few minutes at a time--or having to live in a hospital for weeks at a time. Reading about what other people are struggling with often helps me gain perspective. It rarely makes it easier, but it does put my issues in perspective.

Interestingly enough, I received an e-mail just now from Rolland & Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries (I rarely receive updates from them). Their e-mail makes me SO thankful for the state of my life right now. You can read about their latest news and emergency call to prayer HERE.