Two years ago today I made my first blog entry at blogspot.
TWO YEARS. Since then I have made well over 500 entries and the blog has been viewed 14,000 times.
June 9th, 2009...Could that really be that long ago? It's amazing to think that I found out I was pregnant in June and Harrison was born in November. Not in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine what the future would hold.
I took a stroll down memory lane tonight, re-reading roughly more than half of the blog. All I have to say is... damn we are strong people. I don't think until now I gave Doug and I enough credit for making it through my pregnancy and Harrison's first year. But you know what...maybe the last two years weren't picture perfect. I had a difficult pregnancy with Harrison, he was born 11 weeks to soon, he spent 52 days in the NICU, he has had 12 ear infections and countless sickness in the last year. Would I change anything? ABSOLUTELY not.
Did you ever wonder how the mothers of premature babies are chosen?
Somehow, I visualize God hovering Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a preemie."
The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter? That would be cruel."
"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair.
Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.
I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother.
You see, the child I am going to give her has a world of it's own. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."
God smiles. "This one is perfect. She has just the right amount of selfishness. "
The angel gasps, "Selfishness! Is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied.
She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says "momma" for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it.
I will permit her to see clear the things that I see - ignorance, cruelty, prejudice - and allow her to rise above them.
She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."
If we ever have a bad day, I read this poem to remind myself that God chose us. We have a love of a child that not everyone has. I am thankful for his life, rain, shine, wind and thunder.
I want to take the opportunity to thank you following along with us on life's journey. I can't stress enough this is real life. We don't need to sugar coat our lives because life is perfect just the way it is.
TWO YEARS. Since then I have made well over 500 entries and the blog has been viewed 14,000 times.
June 9th, 2009...Could that really be that long ago? It's amazing to think that I found out I was pregnant in June and Harrison was born in November. Not in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine what the future would hold.
I took a stroll down memory lane tonight, re-reading roughly more than half of the blog. All I have to say is... damn we are strong people. I don't think until now I gave Doug and I enough credit for making it through my pregnancy and Harrison's first year. But you know what...maybe the last two years weren't picture perfect. I had a difficult pregnancy with Harrison, he was born 11 weeks to soon, he spent 52 days in the NICU, he has had 12 ear infections and countless sickness in the last year. Would I change anything? ABSOLUTELY not.
How Preemie Mom's Are Chosen
Somehow, I visualize God hovering Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a preemie."
The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter? That would be cruel."
"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair.
Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.
I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother.
You see, the child I am going to give her has a world of it's own. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."
God smiles. "This one is perfect. She has just the right amount of selfishness. "
The angel gasps, "Selfishness! Is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied.
She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says "momma" for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it.
I will permit her to see clear the things that I see - ignorance, cruelty, prejudice - and allow her to rise above them.
She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."
If we ever have a bad day, I read this poem to remind myself that God chose us. We have a love of a child that not everyone has. I am thankful for his life, rain, shine, wind and thunder.
I want to take the opportunity to thank you following along with us on life's journey. I can't stress enough this is real life. We don't need to sugar coat our lives because life is perfect just the way it is.
And what post wouldn't be complete without a photo?
Night, night.
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