Lily had an appointment with her pediatrician today. It was just a check up. Our doctor likes to keep track of Lily since she is so complex. I sat in the doctor’s office and braced myself for the inevitable. You see, doctor’s appointments become like a laundry list of what is wrong with my baby. I was waiting there and Lily threw up. I tried to clean it as best as I could and then couldn’t help but start to cry. Life has been so overwhelming. Of course, that’s when the doctor walked in. We talked about Lily’s recent hospital stays and our future plans with her. It was a normal appointment. But at the end, she turned around and told me that Lily looked incredibly well. She said she couldn’t believe how spirited and spunky and feisty she is for a child who just feels crummy all the time. She even laughed that Lily scolded her for not doing exactly what she wanted in the moment. She also told me that she was so happy with how much Lily is vocalizing and when I explained her language skills and the words and sentences she’s saying, the doctor told me Lily was advanced for her age in speaking. Advanced! All I ever hear about Lily is how behind she is in every milestone. What a balm to my spirit to hear the word advanced.

After our appointment, I walked out feeling a little bit lighter. We drove to Costco for some essentials and I got Lily in the shopping cart. That’s when I really got to see her spirit shine. She laughed and clapped and smiled at the passersby. She was overjoyed to see all of the people and they were equally overjoyed to see her. Lily commanded those aisles and loved every minute. That is the spirit that I see every day, even when she is sick, and I am so glad that that is the spirit that our pediatrician got to see today.