Bottom-lips and Blessings

All's quiet on the Thomas front.  In fact, things are just peachy.  I am nervous to make such a proclamation, but that's the pessimist in me.  (I prefer to call myself a negative psychic- it has a better ring to it.)  Foolish musing like luck still call some of the shots in my brain.  I hate to tempt fate, yet this good news needs to be shared.  Seems like all I post lately are setbacks, disappointments, and fears.  Well, let this news freshen this blog like a pine tree car air freshener!

First at bat is the news that my chromosomes are normal- 46 in all.  Looks like my dream career of being an X-Man has been dashed.  On the plus side, future children are now a possibility- pending Jesse's test results.  We want little man Miles to have at least one sibling.  I loved being pregnant; it has been the only time I have enjoyed my tummy.  In the final months of my pregnancy, I always had one of my hands resting on my belly; letting Miles now I was holding him safely.  Carrying around a little, swirling ball of life was an honor.  Every time Miles would swim around, my soul would soar, as did the spirits of anyone who happened to have their palms on my tummy, too.  Being pregnant and now being a mother has opened my mind to a new world of personal possibilities- I am feeling more compassionate, loving, and centered than I ever have before.  Miles has given me direction and insight.  Being a mother feels like a natural fit.  Five to ten years ago, I never would have thought that motherhood would be something I could enjoy.  At that point, I was anything but maternal.  I now see that being a mommy is not something I simply enjoy, it is truly a role that makes me thrive.  

Secondly, Miles is continuing his amazing pace of development.  Last night, while playing before bath, he smiled at the mirror.  First time ever!  He not only smiled at himself, he grabbed the mirror, pulled it closer, played with his mirror image hands, and even held a conversation with his reflected self.  Jesse and I howled with laughter at how silly Miles was acting with his new found friend.  Mirror Miles and little man Miles really enjoy each others company.  I put a mirror in his crib last night- one of the plastic/fabric sorts that you can tie to the railing.  This morning I found Miles 1 and Miles 2 hanging out, completely engaged with one another, and ignoring the fact that there was a wet diaper with my name on it.  Score one for reflections!  

Next, Miles had his first session with the occupational therapist, Robin, yesterday.  She is an absolute delight- so friendly and tender with Miles.  He, on the other hand, was not initially keen about hanging out with this strange lady who was taking up space in his nursery.  About two weeks ago, Miles started fussing with strangers.  He has latched on to his mommy and daddy.  He also responds well to his grandparents.  However, if you are not on this list, you get ten seconds of a poked out bottom lip, aka the warning signal.  The bottom lip followed by a guttural wail that is only soothed by singing John Lennon songs (a recent discovery).  Robin got the lip, but I didn't snag him immediately.  My mistake- it took 5 minutes just to calm him down since I was too embarrased to sing "Imagine" in front of her.  Truth be known, it makes me feel special when Miles cries for his mommy.  Having him recognize me is an amazing feeling.  Maybe one day when I am feeling blue, I'l just introduce Miles to strangers and wait for that bottom "I want my mommy" lip to emerge.  Then I can swoop in as the hero!  A cheap ploy that will only exist in my imagination, I promise!  Moving on- once little man calmed down, we had an amazing OT session.  Miles eventually warmed up to Robin and showed her all of his accomplishments.  Our new task is to master rolling from his back to his tummy.  We will scaffold the process by starting him on his side- let those muscle groups gain some strength.  

And speaking of strong muscles, Miles can now scoot himself to the end of his crib.  Last night, Jesse found our boy with his blanket bundled legs completely sticking out between the bars at the end of the crib.  Mind you, Miles is accomplishing this feat while fully swaddled.  And this is a professional swaddle- a blanket that is solely made for swaddling.  It has two sets of velcro tabs.  We lovingly call it the baby straight jacket.  Miles calls it his Slip 'n' Slide.  He remains totally inside of the blanket on his crib excursions.  Last night I heard him grunting on the monitor.  Silly me, I thought he was dreaming about filling his diaper.  Instead, Miles was using worm-like wiggling motions to move approximately 2 feet- all while dreaming of treadmills and race tracks.

Finally, I think our week might be rosy due to Sunday's blessing.  We met at my parents house, we Thomas three and both sets of grandparents, for a blessing for Miles' upcoming operation.  The official blessing was done my hometown minister and a seminary student.  Additionally, everybody added a few words.  My contribution was more of an offering of gratefulness.  I shared one of many images I hold for Miles.  To me, he is the Great Magnet.  As the Great Magnet, Miles has brought together our two families and a multitude of friends and support.  He holds us together in these difficult times.  He also repels much of the negativity that  can quickly surface.  Miles is a uniter, a linker, a magnet that helps us remain close and strong.  For those who follow this blog, Miles has worked his magnetic charm on you.