Noah's Garfield

Happy I got Ice Cream

Playing on my new platform swing

Hello Garfield Nice ot Meet You!

Wow a New Toy!

Trying to feed myself with help

Noah's continuing to have a blast on our "retail therapy" trips, although I'm not sure my pocket book can handle too much more fun for us. Thank goodness the weather is getting nicer by the day and we'll have more stroller options.

I've been trying to work with Noah's self-feeding. It's hard, but he totally understands the goal, he knows it needs to get to his mouth and appreciates the help. I'm thankful he understands as much as he does, it's still going to take a lot of effort, but I think he'll master it eventually it could take a year or more, but we'll keep working on it.

I ran across a patience quote today by Rainer Mria Rilke:

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions”

I'd love to say that I can live by that philosophy. I still find myself wanting to know Noah's future, what he'll be able to learn to do. Yet to see the future would be cheating. It robs us from the experiences in which God has set forth for me to grow - to learn - to accept. I have to learn to live the questions, whether I want to or not. It's not a choice, it's mandatory. Something clearly that is non-negotiable.

A good friend recently gave me a fantastic phrase on when I was having a down day: I'm raising a child with special needs. What's your super power?

I'd like to say that somehow I have something built in that makes me up for this extraordinary challenge, yet I don't feel that I do. I feel just like the "Average Jane" - a simple person just trying to make my way like anybody else. Noah is the special one. He is the one that has the super power. The super power to be anything he wants to be. Drive and determination to succeed to the best of his abilities. I'm merely the guide and protector along his journey.

We took Noah out today to dinner again, just a quick trip to the Village Inn, since my oven is temporarily out of commission. His daddy was able to win him a Garfield Easter Bunny out of the machine, and he had a great time dining out. I'm quite blessed that Noah is so easy in public. He never fusses or puts up any kind of a fit. I see other children really getting quite worked up, and Noah has never done that. He's just a mellow little guy, super interested in everything around him.

I've attached some pictures of Noah, sometimes he just loves posing for the camera.

Love,
Stacy, Chris & Noah