If I was less computer-stupid, I would figure out a way to have that David Bowie song playing when you pull up this blog post. Instead you'll have to settle for a mental soundtrack. Yes, there are big changes happening in the world of Kinnaird. And no, I'm not pregnant. (Geez, can't a girl in her 30's have news other than that?!) But first, a Caleb update. Caleb had his first check-up in 4 months, after what we considered a really great summer for him. For once, I was headed to the hospital with high hopes for a good report. And I got one. Caleb is doing well! We have continued to periodically check his oxygen saturations at home and his numbers have been good (in the high 70's and low 80's) every single time since his last check-up in April. We haven't had a single scare or concern since his last doctor visit. PLUS he's finally starting to catch up developmentally... yay! At 17 months, Caleb took his first steps and at 19 months now, he's really starting to move. He's talking too and watching him grow into a full-on toddler is lots of fun. Today he actually said "thank you" when I gave him his juice. (Well, he said "deek-oo", but whatever.) These little milestones are fun for every parent, but for me, every new thing Caleb does makes me want to throw a party. There was certainly a time when I couldn't imagine him walking and talking and yet here we are. And since this last doctor's appointment, I've daydreamed about Caleb reaching milestones I've never even thought about... kindergarden, driver's license, college... these are brand new thoughts for me and I really do expect him to get there. Of course I say "expect him to get there" with the disclaimer that I hold Caleb with open hands to God and have no freaking clue where he'll "get to". But I do have stronger hope for Caleb than I've ever had, and I think it's actually realistic. Last week, the cardiologist was really pleased with Caleb's continued growth and development, and with how stable Caleb's cardiac health appears to be. So much so that we don't have to go back for 6 whole months and they fully expect his next open-heart surgery to be able to be put off until he's about 3 years old. That is wonderful news! The older he is, the better, for so many reasons. We left the doctor's office and worshipped God in the car on the way home. We also went through a Dunkin Donuts drive-through and let Caleb eat donut holes in the car. It looked like a bag of powdered sugar had exploded in our back seat, but we didn't care. We were singing worship songs at the top of our lungs and praising God for how good He is.
So Caleb's doing very well and meanwhile God is taking our family down a new path that will continue to require complete dependence on Him. I'm starting to think that's the way He likes it. After being at home full-time with my boys for almost 4 years, I've just started a new part-time job with a ministry called Cradles that works with teen parents. I'm the program coordinator and it's a great fit for me. The program provides high-quality and low-cost childcare to teens who are parents, so they can finish school. We also have a daily parenting and life skills class they come to for the last hour of school each day, for school credit. And of course the main focus of what we do is building relationships where we can love them, support them, and share Jesus with them. Daniel and I feel 100% sure that God is calling us as a family to minister to other young families and we are so excited to open our life up to them and see what He does. We know we have a lot to offer other families in crisis and can't wait to share the love and joy and hope that we have found in Jesus. Because you sure can't find it anywhere else.
We would love your prayers as we make this transition. So far, Jonah is thriving in the Cradles pre-school class (the kids can come with me when I'm there because we have a childcare facility), but Caleb is struggling. He only goes to Cradles 8 hours a week, between Daniel and Grandma Amy watching him the other times I work. But he's not happy about it so far. Pray for him and for us as we adjust to a new schedule and much more demands on me. We know that God wouldn't call us to do something that He won't provide for, but transitions are always stressful. Thanks for praying and supporting us in every season of our life.
Hope you've had a great summer too. And I hope you yourself know the hope and joy that we have found in Jesus.
