A long drawn out post... but a needed one

With Addison being in the hospital for so long now, it seems like sometimes life is just so hard! It's so easy to get down and frustrated with life. And many times I think we all forget how lucky we really are. I was thinking last night that this whole experience has made me appreciate the simple things in life. When Addison comes home, I will be so grateful for the simple things I can do with her; to hold her whenever I want, to change her diaper, to look at her and watch her cute facial expressions all day long... I'm so excited for that day to finally come. I look at mothers with their babies in the grocery store and think, "They don't know how lucky they are to be able to take their baby out in public." How would it be to not have to haul around an oxygen tank for your baby? But then I got thinking about things that I take for granted that other mothers have to worry about. Like a mom I know who has to monitor and write down everything her children eat. How lucky we are that we don't have to do that! Or babies at Primary Childrens who have severe heart problems that might not make it through the night. I overheard one of the mothers of a baby in the NICU telling a nurse that she has two autistic children and that her baby in the NICU will probably have autism, as well. What a challenge that would be, and yet she keeps having kids even though she knows the risk is high. How brave and selfless she is! I know for myself it is so easy to get wallowed up in my own problems, but then I look around and realize someone always has it worse, and you really don't have to look far. I'm grateful for my daughter being alive, even if she may be very sick. She's so lucky to be able to see, hear, taste, smell and feel. We're so lucky that there is the technology available to treat her so that she can have a fair chance at life. In one way or many, we are ALL so lucky!!