As we say goodbye to 2009 and welcome 2010, we wanted to take a moment and reflect back on this past year. What a rollercoaster year it was!
Stacy and I spent the first 8 months of the year planning for the arrival of James. After we lost Jackson in 2008 to Trisomy 18, we were extremely worried that we were going to have to go through all of those emotions again. As James progressed through the pregnancy and all signs pointed to a healthy baby boy, I think most of that worry evaporated.
When James was born on August 29th by emergency C-section and rushed down to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) we were flooded with a whole mix of emotions. During the two months that James spent in the NICU, our emotions ranged from fear, to worry, to sadness, to anger. I’m sure there are more emotions that I am missing. We eventually got to the point where we said, “it is what it is. James is not normal, but he is our son. We will raise him and take care of him the best that we can.” And that’s what we’ve been trying to do these past four months.
Have we made mistakes? Of course we have. Do we continue to get up every morning and give it our best? Yes we do. Is it easy? Hell no!
The four months since James was born, and especially the past 2 months that we’ve had him home have been long, emotional, and just draining. I don’t think we could have done it without the support of our family, friends, and colleagues. The phone calls, e-mails, Facebook messages, and meals have all been appreciated. Thank you all! We know we have a long road ahead of us, but with all of your support this journey is a little bit more manageable.
So, here’s to hoping that 2010 is full of nothing but ups and ups…and not all of the ups and downs.
