Day #4

Please, don't read this post if you're not ready to read about rainbow babies (babies born after pregnancy loss). We're all at different stages of grieving and I recognize and am sensitive to that fact. Proceed with caution if this is a touchy subject for you...

I can't really and fully put into words how thankful that I am for Cooper, for everything about Cooper. Cooper just turned 2 on Tuesday and is absolutely the joy of our lives. We've had some challenges presented our way since Cooper came into our world, including my pregnancy with him, but quite honestly, I would live every challenge a 1oo times again just to have him in our world. Cooper has hypotonia (low muscle tone) and was recently diagnosed with Dysarthria (which I'm not completely sold on but that's a different story). In essence, at 2, he is unable to walk yet and doesn't really talk well, either. He was born at 31 weeks and has always been a fighter. I don't know why God has chosen him to go through so much but God has also given Cooper a will like no other human that I've ever seen. He's a fighter. He started therapy at 6 months when he couldn't even pull his head up off the floor during tummy time to now he's doing everything but walking. It's been a long journey and he's worked so hard. He's endured physical therapy for 18 months of his life, he's worn braces that have gone up to his knees, he's been in OT twice, he's endured an MRI and CT scan, countless genetics tests, has a new SPIO (special stablilizing vest for his trunk), and the list goes on and on...and, he has a smile on his face about 98% of the time (hey, he's a 2 year old boy not a saint! lol).

Cooper makes the saying "turn your lemons into lemonade" a truth everyday. He's sweet, funny, adventurous, curious, and loving. He's my joy.