Today we visited our friends who go to The Fellowship, a church down the road from our apartment. They had a BBQ and giant slide for the kids. Adam climbed up it while Charley handed Laelia to him, and I watched below in horror waiting for those crazy guys to topple the whole thing over. The giant slides were not made for disabled kids… or full grown men! She loved it though, and demanded it until they were all exhausted.

We were walking to our car afterwards and went past one of those SLOW DOWN CHILDREN CROSSING signs in the shape of a child running. Laelia asked what it was and I overheard her daddy reply, “That’s the Christian Crossing Guard.”

Laelia (in an all-knowing tone): “Oh. Yeah.”

Charley her daddy: “He’s the second one. After the first one was raptured, they made a new one out of plastic.”

Laelia: “Oh.”

Charley: “And if we all pray real hard, one day he’ll be a real boy!”

Laelia: “Ohhhhhhh.”

Mama: *Sigh*

I just feel so blessed (lucky, favored and loved) today. All my worries today have seemed to work themselves out. I have a feeling my future worries will do the same. No we don’t have a house, a wheelchair or a winning lottery ticket, but as we go through these struggles step by step, we have a new success each day.

I have amazing, wonderful friends! Some who have worked hard with Lali to get her where she is today. And others who have made the atmosphere around her positive and joyful! I can’t thank everyone enough! Just when I get discouraged I get a wonderful, caring email or comment on the blog or a message on facebook. Or in one case, a juicer! Or a bright conversation that makes my whole day! I love being around positive, encouraging people! Charley and I often talk about how blessed we are. We’re hanging on, and we’re not alone.

We have new leads on getting airline tickets to Philly for Laelia’s surgery. (Thank you once again Tracey!) We have a pretty good idea that the Family Medical Leave Act will cover at least one week of being gone, then possibly the second trip there entirely! We hear all the surgery details tomorrow morning. (I’m waking up at 4:30 to catch the nurse in her office at 7:30 Philly time.) Laelia just fed herself a pudding with a spoon and didn’t get anything on her clothes. And my husband just helped me clean the apartment! What a great weekend!

My aunt, Linda R., explained Laelia’s surgery to me better than the hospital did in June. I’ll quote her here: “Bilateral – both sides; proximal – nearer to the body; femoral – thigh (bone); reorientation – change position; osteotomies – bone cuts.” So there you go!

A ton of my online friends are at the annual AMC (Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita) Convention this week in Florida. I’m waiting by my facebook newsfeed for all the pictures and stories to come! I’m hoping we’ll be able to attend one of these! I think they should do the next one in San Diego and make everything easier on us.

We had Joshua (Laelia’s friend who’s almost two) over for the weekend. This was Laelia’s first sleepover party… and it was with a boy! Haha! I may be setting a bad precedent. But it was fun. His parents had their anniversary this weekend. Joshua’s mommy, Megan, watches Laelia during the day so they’ve known each other for a while and get along. Laelia likes to boss Joshua and Joshua likes to chase the kitties, a match made in Heaven.  Joshua also liked to push Lali around in her cart and they both liked to make tents out of a blanket over the coffee table and go exploring with my flashlight. A flashlight that they subsequently break several times. It was fun, but Charley and I both agree that two toddlers out match us. We’re spoiled with just one mild-mannered little girl who can’t reach most of our nice things. We have new respect for Megan’s talents when she’s here watching them both by herself!

Alright must get the little girl to bed. She told me she’s on a trip to a castle. Now she’s a tiger. A BIG tiger. Not a baby tiger. Rrawr. A juggling tiger. Who juggles. Now she’s in the zoo. Would you like to hear her sing? That’s what animals do at the zoo. Tigers also don’t have to eat dinner. And they get balloons. Green ones. 

I LOVE MY LITTLE GIRL! 

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 1st, 2010 at 7:25 pm and is filed under blessings, little girl. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.