2012 in Review

At the end of a day if someone asks you how your day was, it's so easy for the negative things to come to mind faster than all the positive things. It's that way for 2012 for me. What comes to mind first was that I spent about 18 weeks in a hospital or Ronald McDonald House. Those experiences were emotionally traumatic. When we drove to Hershey a couple of weeks ago to visit Christmas Candylane, I found myself trembling and almost in tears as we neared the place where we spent 4 weeks in April while Ian was in the feeding clinic. It really shocked me how sudden and strong my reaction was. I wasn't expecting it. I was thinking about the kids riding rides and all of a sudden I was struggling to keep the tears from flowing. Similarly, when I took Ian and Oliver to the Pediatrician a couple of weeks ago, we were across from the hospital where Paul took me on May 30. I shed a few tears in that waiting room as I recalled how scary it was when they kept saying they might have to take the baby (at 22w0d) to save my life. The good news is that God worked two miracles this year through these hard times. First, Ian learned to chew. I was beginning to wonder how many years I would be serving him pureed food. Second, Oliver joined our family and is doing so well. It was a hard year, but we're starting 2013 as a family of five, of which four of us are now chewing solid food. Here are some of the highlights from the past year:

1. Ian was daytime potty trained in January.

2. We found out I was pregnant and froze one blastocyst in January.

3. The Giants won the Superbowl in February.

4. Ian was promoted from the nursery to Sunday School and Wee Worship in February.

5. The kids and I went to Maryland in March as I spoke at a conference in DC.

6. I turned 40 in April.

7. The kids and I spent 4 weeks in Hershey in April for the intensive feeding program.

8. We found out baby #3 was a boy in May.

9. Ian was promoted to a twin size bed after we got back from our trip to Grand Cayman with Paul's parents in May.

10. My hospitalization and 10 weeks of bed rest began on May 30. Oliver had one transfusion in June and another in July.

11. Nadia participated in her first ballet recital and gymnastics showcase in June.

12. Nadia celebrated her fourth birthday at Friendly's in Lancaster and by seeing Jonah at Sight and Sound.

13. Nadia and Ian spent the majority of July with Paul's parents and one week in Maryland at my family reunion.

14. Oliver was born on 8-7-12!

15. Nadia performed in her first musical on August 11 (our 11th anniversary) and 12.

16. Oliver was discharged from the NICU on Septemnber 2!

17. We traded Paul's Civic for our first minivan in September.

18. In September Nadia started taking tap dance in addition to her second year of ballet and Cubbies. In October she started her third year of gymnastics.

19. Ian ate his first bite of cake, started his first gymnastics class, and was nighttime potty trained in October.

20. Oliver got off the oxygen and apnea monitor in October.

21. Nadia accepted Christ as her personal Savior in October.

22. Nadia learned to write her name in November, and by the end of December she could write 24 letters of the alphabet. Earlier in the year she learned to identify all of the uppercase and lowercase letters and say what sound the letter makes.

23. Oliver started sleeping through the night and got off the nipple shield in November.

24. Paul wrote his dissertation and applied for 18 jobs (5 that started in January and 13 in August). December 11 was his last day at PSU for 2012, and he only needs to go in a couple of times in 2013 as his defense has been scheduled for 1-18-13.  

25. Ian concluded his weekly OT sessions (that took place for 23 months) the day before he turned 3 years old.

26. Oliver's baby dedication and Ian's third birthday party were held on December 9.

27. I taught two evening classses on campus in the spring, two online classes in the summer, was on leave during the fall, and resigned from my job that I had since August 2004 in December (effective January 27, 2013).

                                                28. Other special events included a trip to Reptiland, several trips to Knoebels, Disney on Ice in Hershey, Barnum & Bailey circus in Wilkes Barre, Hershey Park's Christmas Candylane, and several productions at the Community Theatre League and Community Arts Centre in Williamsport.

29. Nadia learned to buckle her own seatbelt, do a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle, and count to 40. Ian learned how to walk up and down the steps, do a 12 piece jigsaw puzzle, drink from an open cup, do a forward tuck roll, and feed himself with a fork and spoon.

30. This year Nadia was really into princesses while Ian enjoyed pirates, cars, trains, trucks, and Larry Boy.