Spirit

This past weekend the Little Man attended a birthday party for a child in his preschool class. The father of this little boy attends every school function, runs games at class parties, and knows every childs name in the Little Man's room; which is why I was so proud when he came and spoke these words to me:

"The Little Man is so great, every time I see him he has a grin from ear to ear and his spirit is contagious!"

It's true that I may have a boy that makes me pull my hair out at times but he saves that for me, to the outside world - he is amazing!

Right now our family is preparing for this years Walk America to benefit the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes funds research for premature birth, something that I would not wish upon anyone.

The Little Man was born two months premature. He weighed in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces and by some miracle, was able to come home at only nine days old. Walk America falls each year just before the Little Man's due date and brings with it a mixture of sadness and joy. It is a time of reflection for me, to see how far the Little Man has come. At 2 months old he had a CT scan to look for seizures, at 3 months he was tested for cancer, 6 months he had his first ambulance ride, and he had surgery for sleep apnea the day before his third birthday. Now at 5 years old he is delayed in his fine and gross motor skills due to his prematurity, he is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he suffers from anxiety, and he has sensory integration dysfunction.

Each day is a struggle for him, yet you would never know. The Little Man is brave beyond his years...and he has a spirit that is contagious.