so many thoughts... too few words

I have so many things I SHOULD post about, but I just haven't felt much like blogging lately.

But, I will. :D 

Monday marked the year mark since we brought our precious Adalyn home from the NICU. I remember that day. WOW... do I ever. 

putting on her own clothes to go home

All packed up and ready to go!

First official nap in her own bed.

It was such an amazing day. I remember the nursing staff telling us, up to the last moments, they weren't sure she was going to be discharged that day. 

I remember calling my parents to help us get all cleaned up and checked out of the wonderful guest house I had been living in for the last 3 1/2 weeks. 

I remember when I didn't have to put an ng (nasal feeding tube) tube in for her feedings. 

I remember walking out of the NICU with her. 

It was incredible. We got to finally take her home and be parents to her the way felt was best. Give her as much love and cuddling as we could and make sure she knew, no matter what that we loved her. 

I also remember the sudden stress that came with scheduling all of her appointments.

I remember finding out she was deaf. 

I remember crying as I told my mom that her little brain wasn't letting her ears work and that she hadn't been hearing me sing to her for the last 2 months. 

I remember when she got her hearing aides... 

I remember so many wonderful therapists and doctors- and she has a whole TEAM of both.

And it all leads to this- we scheduled her surgery to get Cochlear Implants (CIs) in 2 weeks. 

There is a lot of controversy about CIs, especially in the deaf community... but Talon and I made the decision prayerfully and with all of Adalyn's limitations in mind. CIs will give her close to normal hearing. She'll need A LOT of therapy to learn how to discern and discriminate the sounds she will be hearing (she has had over a year without it) and that's not even mentioning the speech therapy. 

And... even then, she may never be able to speak to us. But, she will be able to hear us; to hear me whisper "I love you" and to hear the songs I sing. She'll be able to respond to that sound as well- we're not sure what her limitations may be. It is possible she will gain close to normal speech, but she may not. And we're prepared for that-- but we want to give her every opportunity to learn and grow and develop. And for us, CIs are a part of that process.

Every day I am grateful that we were given the opportunity to be her parents. Every day I love her more and more. And Every Day, she teaches me how to be more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

It's been a crazy whirlwind of a year, BUT, I wouldn't change a thing.