A year ago I was afraid. My first grandchild was critically ill, whisked off to neonatal intensive care immediately after his birth. My daughter and son-in-law were hurt and stunned by this unexpected turn of events.
Today, Benjamin is the picture of health: round, robust, wiggly, happy, smiling, curious, and loud. Dana and Shawn are the proud and loving parents of this lovely one-year-old, whose birthday we celebrate today. They have been through so much this year with Benjamin's open heart surgery, hernia surgery, seizures, blood sugar monitoring, visits to every type of pediatric specialist I can think of. Yesterday's appointment with the audiologist for sedated hearing tests uncovered mild hearing loss in Benjamin's right ear and moderate hearing loss in his left ear. He will be getting hearing aids.
However, the medical issues cannot tell the whole story of Benjamin. Yes, he has some special hurdles because of his Down Syndrome. But Benjamin is so much more than that. He is a sweet and stubborn little boy. He loves to play on his playmat, grabbing and shaking the hanging toys. In his bumbo seat, which supports him so he can sit, he delights in shaking and tossing beaded necklaces or curlique ribbons (obviously, these are closely monitored activities). He is strong and persistent, pulling up the suction cup toy on his highchair tray and throwing it down. He loves music, pausing all activity whenever we squeeze the Glow Worm. He smiles a lot. He has this funny little fake cough that he uses as a little laugh. He is always experimenting with sound: bubbles, snorts, squeals, "blah blahs," and shouts of joy. He has mastered the mad, whining cry that tells us he is at the end of his rope. He loves to roll over. He is an expert at taking off his socks.
Because of Benjamin, today we rejoice.
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