A most significant day

I'll try my best to share with everyone just how significant today is.  December 26, 2010.

1)  Today Manny is 18 months old.

2)  It is 9 months from the day we first got him.  (March 26)
3)  That day he was 9 months old ... so today he's been with us half of his life.
4)  This is 6 months from the last family picture so today we've taken a new one.

5)  Today I cut his hair.  He has some very long ones ... like 5 inches long on the back on his head that knotted easily.

6)  Today is the day after the docs say he for sure wouldn't be alive.  (That diagnosis was given in May, but reversed in October since he was not regressing but progressing.)
7)  His statistics:  (Disclaimer:  his height is not very "exact" since it's hard to know where to measure him due to his feet.  So we have done this consistently the same way.  Some docs measure to different spots and get a lot different heights but this is from the way we measure.)

at 9 months (when we got him) he was 16 pounds, 25 inches.
12 months he was 19 pounds 27 inches
at 18 months he is 24 pounds 30 1/2 inches

So basically, in 9 months he has grown 8 pounds and 5 1/2 inches!

Just a few months ago, we were putting Manny before the God of Heaven, begging Him to choose LIFE for him; to let us have him.  Somewhere between the end of May and now, God said YES.

Truthfully, there are many, many hard - very hard days in our life.  Manny's condition has challenged our faith to the max.  And yet, none of us would change our decision.

If you were to ask the kids what they're most thankful for ... each of them would tell you that they are thankful Manny lives with us, that Manny is being healed and that Manny is still alive.


My dearest Manny,

You are my heart.  You bring joy in a way that I never knew possible.  You make me realize just how fragile and therefore just how precious life is.  You make me realize just how much faith it takes to live every day, how much we all need to fully rely on God.  You make my life better.

I love you with all my heart,
Mama