as 2010 becomes 2011...

i'm thinking back over this past year.

and, um, yeah.

wow.

it began with an ironic twist. having told asher that i refused to bring in the new year in the hospital with him, i ended up bringing in the new year in the hospital... by myself. haha and thus began a(nother) gut-wrenchingly, heartbreakingly, freaxiating, spellbinding, awe-inspiring, breathtaking year.

in january, we finally tasted freedom. asher's vagus nerve had healed and had been eating on his own, sufficient to sustain him, for a couple months. he had even been taking his meds by mouth. and one day, in the middle of the month...

asher walked into the living room and said,

"mommy, i not need my tube anymore. you take it out now."

he sat so bravely as i pulled it out and covered up the site. he smiled and showed off the bandage to blithe and bram. and then he went to bed. and in the morning,

the hole had closed. and all that remains of that (looooooooong) period of asher's life, the only reminder of that struggle,

is a scar on his stomach. and the memories. and the feelings of relief and pride at having overcome such a huge struggle.

strong work, littlest man. {{hugs}}

and then came the spring.

the fontan. the chylothorax. the bradycardia. the fainting spells. the pacemaker. the infection. the fat-free diet. the uber high-fat diet. UTI. (i was going to link to everything here, but it's too many posts, so i'm just going to tell you to read the posts from march, april and may. click on the months here, if you're interested.)

ok, so the UTI and FTT and "butter and whipped cream diet" was at the end of may. and since then...

asher has been out of hospital.

asher started school!!!!!

asher learned to write his name.

asher has lived the life of a perfectly normal, stable, beautiful boy.

aka, tasmanian devil.

with a battery pack.

and so, as this year comes to an end and a new year begins, i hope and pray that our new-found normalcy and stability continues. but, if it doesn't, i know that we will continue to trust and rely on God to give us what we need to get through the challenges we face, whether they are health issues, financial issues, or other unforeseen issues that can arise in day-to-day living. and i hope and pray that you will also know a year of peace, joy, laughter, love, and beauty.

even if it's a wonky kind of beautiful.

happy new year, everyone!! thank-you so much for your love, support and prayers over the last year. let's all try to be safe and joyful this year, shall we?? :)