Dear Graden...

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!" --Anne Frank

Dear Graden,

Today, we went to the doctor. You were so tough! Mommy was her normal worried, stressed-out self, Daddy was calm and collected (at least on the outside), and your big brother, Landen, was attentive and patient with you, as always, as you showed him around "your doctor's office." 

Your doctor reminded you today that your brain is special, to which you calmly replied, "I know." Your blunt replies to comments such as these always make Mommy and Daddy smile. Today, your doctor smiled, too. She was proud of you and happy to tell us some good news.

It turns out the nurse made it sound a little worse than it was. Sure, I was mad -- for a minute -- until I realized that this was okay; we all prepared for the worst and were relieved to hear news that wasn't as bad.

Your Chiari Malformation is measuring just beyond the normal length, which is not as bad as we heard last week. Because of this minimal measurement and your lack of symptoms typically caused by this malformation, you do not need, in her opinion, surgery. 

This is when Mommy and Daddy looked at each other. We weren't sure whether to scream with joy or cry. Instead, we smiled at you and continued to listen to the doctor.

So now we wait. We watch. We learn. And, we visit Riley Children's Hospital to talk with a Pediatric Neurosurgeon. This visit is a precaution -- more for information for Mommy and Daddy. As you grow, your malformation may grow; we just don't know. It is for answers to questions such as that one that make us want to visit Riley.

The even better news is that you continue to grow, to learn, and to create joy and laughter in so many of our hearts. Your balance, your vision, your knowledge, and your strength continue to develop and shine each day. Your doctor reminds us that you continue to impress her. With your brain defects, especially the malformation, this is something we are  so thankful for! You, my sweet Grado, are my inspiration...

I love you more each day... more than I ever knew was possible to love another. I am so blessed. So thankful. So... relieved. Sure, I worry. I worry every day for you, but you constantly remind me what you have already been through. You prove to me - every day - that this roller coaster ride is worth every single minute I have with you.

I love you, Grado.

Mommy