Friends New and Old

I absolutely love to watch Holden making friends. He is turning out to be a social little guy and he enjoys his play dates. We have made some new friends in our subdivision and have been invited to join a playgroup. I'm thrilled. It is a great opportunity for Holden to learn social skills and Mommy enjoys a chance to talk with other Moms. Last Friday our play date was at the pool and then we went to Nathan and Alaina's house for play time and lunch.

Our friend Tonya (Lily's Mom) introduced us to a special little guy named Dalton and his Mom Emily. Dalton was born with several health challenges including charge syndrome. He had open heart surgery within the first couple days of his life. He, like Holden, is a little fighter.

Dalton is currently at home, but has been in and out of the hospital since April (and as recently as this week). We were so glad to get to meet our new friends and look forward to another visit soon. We keep Dalton and his family in our prayers.

It seems like we make friends everywhere we go. I think some people see the cannula on Holden's face and are inspired to share their stories with us. Sometimes, people talk directly to Holden and tell him that he's going to be okay. One young man we met told Holden he was on oxygen for nearly 2 years and had several surgeries when he was a baby. He told Holden to keep fighting and praying. Holden smiled big, as if he understood every word he said.

Last week in Publix, a man approached us, and again, looking directly at Holden said "Hey buddy! You know you are going to be okay." He then told me a story about his grandson who was born premature, battled a variety of health problems and was home on oxygen for a year and a half. The man got tears in his eyes as he told me to keep the faith and that God would protect Holden.
I remember an email circulating about friendship. It talked about how some friends are meant to be in our lives for a lifetime and others for only minutes, but they all make an impact and have a purpose. At the time, I remember thinking the e-mail was kind of sad. But now, I get it. You don't need to know someone a lifetime for them to make an impression on your life. It sometimes feels like the people we meet were sent to give us a message or to remind us of how far we've come or what we have to look forward to.

And many of our old friends have proven why they will be in our lives for a lifetime. I am so grateful for my friends who have stood by us these during these difficult times. The ones who always seemed to know what to say. The ones who had no idea what to say, but called anyway. The ones who seemed to know the perfect time to send and e-mail or text. The ones who visited and didn't care if I hadn't showered in days. The ones who cooked us home cooked meals. And the ones who knew when to drag me out of the hospital here and there to take care of myself - especially when I went nearly a year without getting a haircut! Thank God for Old Friends!!

Holden had his 18 month check up today. His pediatrician was happy to see all the progress he has made since our last visit 3 months ago. She was a little concerned about his weight loss. He's lost around 3 lbs this summer. It is probably because we cut his daily calories back in May right before he began to crawl. (We met with a Nutritionist last week to try to determine the best calorie level for him and how much weight he should be gaining each week. She also gave us suggestions for foods we can add to Holden's diet to help him put on some weight.) The doctor confirmed that he's getting in his bottom canine teeth (last 2 until his 2 year molars), which explains why he's been so cranky this week! He did a great job during his check up and handled his 2 shots like a rock star.

Holden's doctors have all warned us that this is going to be a rough cold/flu season. It is important that we do everything we can to keep Monkey healthy, as this is a critical time for his lungs to continue to grow and heal. So we are going to enjoy our outings this Fall, preparing for a safe and secluded winter (no, not complete seclusion, but definite precautions).