Leo Clement

So for the past couple weeks my feed has been filled with the "back to school" and "end of summer" and "beginning of parental freedom from their annoying offspring" photos. It's ok, I totally get it. Another year, another back to school pic, another notch in the door jamb, and another chapter of growth and development with junior. Look at him go! Or not, as the case may be for many children. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease control and Prevention) one in six children has one...a developmental disability. A stamp of "not normal" across their foreheads. A number. A check mark in a box. My kid is one of them. I heard a brief segment on NPR that enticingly started out with the title of developmental delays on the rise, a 17% increase over the last twelve years. And though I turned up the volume the segment only talked about how it's probably only due to poverty, and it's only the upper classes that actually pursue diagnosis...

It's just a quick post today, on the day, you know, the day that started this whole blog. The day we lost something, something like our innocence; our naivety of expectation I suppose, but gained something infinitely more precious and real in return.  The day we all thought was the end but that really was the beginning. The beginning of our life with Leo. The little lion turns four today. Four years of pain, growth, changes, miracles, and more importantly, four years of joy. It's been rough, it's been glorious, it's been awful and grand. And I wouldn't trade one second of it for a gazillion dollars. It's hard to put into words what this little lion man's birth and presence in our lives means, but it can be basically boiled down to... extreme joy. We love you so much it hurts buddy. Happy FOUR years!!! So guess what we got him for his birthday??? ~~~~~ Yup. A house. All his. And ours. Wait till you hear the whole ...