8 simple words

I read some words today on another persons blog that spoke volumes to me.


Carrie Cariello, author of the book What Color is Monday?, was speaking about her autistic son when she wrote them.

True, Gabrielle is not autistic. But yet having a special needs child I have learned, gives you similar views even though the afflication may not be exactly the same. The world today is changing, everyday changing. Sadly it seems more for the bad than for the better. While our hearts and minds become more accepting to more different things, there are still a mass at large that judge simply on appearance... That person looks different. They don't communicate well. The don't make eye contact. They smell... the list could go on and on really.

Don't look at yourself and say you never do that because I know that is what some of you are doing.

You do it.

I do it.

Heck, even Gabrielle does it.

Yes, even with a special needs child that has physical limitations I catch myself looking at other adults and children and judging on appearance. One thing that I may do that some of you don't do is that I give it a second thought which is... would I want someone to talk or think about Gabrielle that way?

Next time you see someone that is different try not to stare, point, or whisper. Remember (especially if you have a child with you) they learn from you and watch and imitate what you do. If you point- they will point. If you giggle- they will giggle also. If you stare- they are going to stare too. We can not change the past, what has happened then is done and should be left there. However, with our current actions and thoughts we can change our future and what future people do. I am not being judgmental or lecturing you. I want you to know, if you want to know something please just ask us. I enjoy sharing Gabrielle's story because I hope one day to help some other family that may have been where I was almost 5 years ago now. I challenge you- I challenge myself to change the way you think and perceive things and people. I can tell you that I myself am one of the most judgmental people I know. I constantly worry about what someone else is thinking... having Gabrielle in my life is helping me move past those thoughts and broaden my perception of people.

Gabrielle is different.

Gabrielle has a colostomy.

Gabrielle will never use a bathroom in the typical way.

Gabrielle will always be shorter and smaller.

Gabrielle will always walk with a little gait to her step.

I did nothing intentionaly wrong when I was pregnant with her. I took my vitamins. I kept my weight down. I didn't have gestational diabetes. I received exception prenatal care from both my regular OB and my maternal fetal specialist. I could not control what happened to her when she was growing in my womb. We do not have all the answers as to what went wrong. Actually, we have very few answers. Questions will always uncontrollably linger. The biggest question being the smallest word... Why?

I will end my blog today exactly where I began, with the words that spoke to me from Carrie's blog... 8 simple words.

"She's exactly the way she's supposed to be."

And she is exactly that... So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

Gabrielle is strong willed.

Gabrielle is brilliant.

Gabrielle is exceptional.

Gabrielle is loved beyond belief.

Gabrielle is perfect.

Gabrielle's family will take on the world right by her side. We will change perceptions one mind at a time because we know personally that the person you see is exactly the way she was supposed to be. Take a minute to get to know her and she will win you over with one bat of her big brown eyes. We invite into our story, our life, our world.

As for Gabrielle's health, she has been doing really well. She also is doing well in school and gearing up for the end of a great pre-k year. We have a mardi gras parade coming up at daycare, Gabrielle
& Avery's birthdays, and lots of other exciting things!

As always we thank you for taking time to follow and pray for our family and especially for Gabrielle. I'm going to steal another one of my favorite quotes from another one of my favorite blogs:
To God be the Glory!

Good Bye 2014, Hello 2015

What a great year 2014 was for our family. We have gotten to just relax and enjoy having Gabrielle. She only had the one small procedure in August for the cystogram to check the function of her bladder and the results were exactly what we wanted to hear. I remember being told back in May 2013 by another OEIS parent that it seemed like everything led up to that one big bladder closure surgery and then after that you didn't know what to do with yourself. From the moment that we found out Gabrielle was going to be born with OEIS, Bart and I have felt constant worry and what-ifs. The last (almost) 5 years have been a roller coaster with ups and downs and thankfully we were prepared for most of them. This year has been so different, I still constantly worry... almost more. 2014 has been such a relaxed year just like that mom told me it would be, like you hurry up and there are procedures after procedures and then... nothing. Trust me I am by no means complaining but it is an awkward feeling for me. I try to not to be an overprotective mom or a hovering mom. I want Gabrielle to be curious and ambitious and not to let her uniqueness hold her back. I know most of you look at her and think how does she handle everything she has been through but truly she is an incredibly lucky child. She has had it much easier than so many of the other children with the same condition. I think that is why I worry all the time. I am in a holding pattern waiting for the other shoe to drop... thankfully it has not! She is currently fighting another bladder infection. They are very typical in children with her condition. The doctors explained to us in the weeks after she was born years ago that since her bladder was on the outside of her body it now naturally would always have bacteria on it, there is no way of getting rid of it. Since the bladder has been closed surgically last year it is now the perfect dark warm moist breeding ground for that bacteria to overgrow from time to time. The bacteria that Gabrielle always test positive for is E-Coli. A few days after that her stool also became watery so we are now having her stool cultured to make sure that she also doesn't an overgrowth of E-Coli in her intestines also. Hopefully we will hear back from those test results tomorrow. So far the only abnormality they saw was blood in the stool but that is normal for people with colostomies. All in all other than the bladder infection and a runny nose she seems to be doing  great.

Gabrielle started taking baton lessons this year at daycare. She seems to like the classes and they also got to participate in the Gonzales Christmas parade. She had a blast! We spent Thanksgiving in Ruston with my family and had a wonderful time seeing that side of the family. Christmas was insane... I swear Toys R Us backed up a truck and unloaded in my house. She and Avery have had a blast playing with all their new toys. There have been a few scuffles over the toys but they end quickly. We have had family in our house since Christmas... grandmothers from both sides of the family spoiling the girls rotten. We also had family over for Christmas dinner. Yesterday we took the girls bowling and for ice cream for their New Year celebration. I think they both had a great time... Gabby got 1 strike and 1 spare and she even won one of the games we bowled. As always thank you for following our story and I am so thankful that for now the story is boring and just plain everyday life. I have never felt so blessed as I have this year... just getting to enjoy watching my special little girl be just that... a little girl.