Milestones

Angie achieved another important milestone this week.  She is now sleeping in a "big girl bed".  Most children achieve this milestone around age 2 or 3, so she is not terribly late, but the fact that she is able to do this at all is AMAZING.  At age 6, Angie has never slept without walls around her.  She has never been safe that way.

When Angie was 4, we received the enormous gift of a safe bed for her.  The bed was beautiful; custom-made in a furniture store in Portland.  When I say it was a gift, I mean it.  At age 4, Angie was sleeping in a crib because she needed to be safe at night.  If she were to get out of bed, her limited vision and decreased motor abilities put her at risk for injury.  We could not imagine moving her to a bed and we didn't know what to do.  We were GIVEN the bed at the perfect time in a selfless act of giving from a group called Bella Beds.  Angie slept soundly in the bed for two years.

Recently, we started talking about transitioning Angie to a traditional bed.  Our philosophy has always been to give her as little support as we can and to challenge her when we are able.  We have been leaving the doors open on the bed for a couple of months to prepare Angie for the change.  She has not been sleeping through the night as often as we would like, but we have decided to go ahead with the transition.

I contacted my friend, Kristy from Bella Beds and she had a match for us.  I knew she would:)  She connected us with a single parent with a 5 year-old boy who desperately needed a good night's sleep.  Mom was literally sleeping with one eye open out of fear for her son's safety.  This weekend, Toby and Josh dismantled the bed and delivered and set it up in the family's home.  They were overwhelmed by the experience of providing such a simple, yet crucial gift of a good night's sleep. It was really touching, even for a couple of guys who pretend it wasn't.  The family, clearly of very limited means, wrote a heartwarming note which I think I will keep forever.  Because I know.

I know that God always delivers exactly what we need when we need it.  Even when it feels too late, His timing is perfect.  I know that my child will continue to bring me through miraculous experiences and will bring people into our lives who will make me grateful despite our challenges.  I know that we will have easy times and hard times ahead and I do not want to forget the blessings that have been bestowed on my family.  I want to remember.  Every broken, frustrating, exhausting, surprising, eye-opening minute of this wonderful adventure.

Angie is still adjusting and she is not able to sleep all night yet, but she loves her new bed, and especially loves that Josh gave it to her.  His just-under-six-foot body no longer fit his twin bed:)

 Today, Angie and I attended a yearly court hearing with the judge that has presided over her case since birth.  Angie proudly came forward to the head table and listened politely while the professionals and I gave updates on the past year.  At the end, the judge told Angie that she could have the last word and asked if there was anything she wanted to tell him.  "Yes," she said, "I love my mom".  I never get tired of hearing that.