From Two Pounds to Thirty Years Old. WOW

Thirty years ago I got a call from a beautiful seventeen year old who had just given birth way too soon to a tiny little girl. Natalie was born at twenty-eight weeks and her prospects of living and having a healthy life were glim. Jody lovingly chose Ron and me to be her parents. Here we are on Natalie’s thirtieth birthday. She overcame the odds and is a momma with a six week old son living a life that seemed beyond the scope three decades ago. What a treasure she is to all of us.

I remember those first days of wondering if our sweet girl would even survive to be a little sister to her brothers. There was hope but the uncertainties of her situation loomed larger than the encouraging signs. She didn’t have any seizures and there was no organ failure. These were the truths we clung to in the early days. Focusing on the machines that were keeping her alive just brought fear so we consulted docs that believed in her and in us. From the beginning we were thrilled to give a tiny sister to our three boys. Before they met her for the very first time we took them to the zoo. When we got to the hospital and they saw this two pound newborn they truly believed she was a spider monkey. That brought so much joy to the situation we were facing.


Would the adoption go through? Would our Natalie survive? What disabilities or health issues would she face? Were we up to taking care of this precious gift? The answer to each of these are in the rear view mirror. Our adoption was beautiful because Natalie had a young birth mom who fought to give her the family she believed was the perfect fit. Natalie not only survived but thrived even in those early days. She was left with a mild cerebral palsy that really was a gift since it brought us so much time together working on physical therapy. Warm baths stretching her short, little legs gave me bonding moments I didn’t have with the boys. Finally, our family was up for the challenge and joy that Natalie added to our lives. When we got her home at a whopping five pounds we called the fire department to come just in case. She was on oxygen and monitors for her breathing and her heart. The two strapping firefighters told our boys to stand out at the mailbox if I had to call 911. They even took the boys outside and showed them where to stand and how to wave down the ambulance. This was frighteningly reassuring. If Natalie had gone into a life threatening episode it would be hard to concentrate on the infant cpr or other tools we had to save her if the boys were freaking out around us. Susi came and spent the first few months with us taking turns on the two hour/two ounce feeding schedule. We made it through those first exhausting months and met every milestone with the cheering it deserved.


Natalie was and is strong enough to face any challenge in life. She proves it everyday as she walks through life and believes she can. Her latest task is motherhood and she is doing her best to embrace her son just as we embraced her thirty years ago. What a gift our not as tiny as his mama was, Felix is to our family. Today we thank God for our girl and the woman she has become. Natalie and Nate are parents who will raise our grandson to be just as strong, loving and kind as his parents. Happy birthday our Natalie.

In Him,
Joyful
4-5-20