Otto Craig is Two

I blinked and my baby turned two. the year between one and two has been nothing short of amazing and a blessing. yes, we had our struggles but it has been a true gift to have a year free of surgeries, and a bombardment of appointments. this year we have been given six months between cardiac appointments and have been given a year between nephrology appointments as well as neurodevelopment. Ottos kidney issues have seemed to have resolved themselves which gives us a little more freedom for medications.

put bluntly if otto didn’t still have food aversions and a g-tube i would probably forget about his heart condition 90% of the time. compared to last year where we had surgery knocking on our door any time within three month windows… this has been pure bliss.

otto also went from scooting to crawling/dragging to walking to running. his favorite thing to do is play “CHASE!” and “RUN FAST” which also blows my mind considering 6 months ago he was still basically scooting. once he started walking his vocabulary took off and he is talking in full sentences and sometimes it hits me that i went through a full day having conversations with my son. it makes me laugh because i don’t know when that happened. like, when was the first day that we had a conversation? it’s funny how these things just sneak their way in.

he has been absolutely loving daycare and I credit them so much with his knowledge and language skills. he has made so much progress with feeding (credit to eating around a table every day with friends) that we are going to be going from feeding therapy once a week to once a month.

God is good.

Yes we have our bad days and there are days where Otto is a traditional toddler with tantrums and tears but for the most part he is such a joyous and happy boy. He is active and wild and curious. He is sweet and has such a tender heart. there are moments where i just look at him and want to soak it up, the way he says milk and no way, the smell of little boy sweat from running around on his tractor, when he wants to play puppies and “help” do chores… or his love of mickey and flags. I just love everything about this age. as time goes on my heart mourns for how fast this time flies. I keep thinking that “oh when he’s two again” but am jolted when I remember we can’t go back. only forward. and while I mourn the infancy and past, each age and day has been sweeter and sweeter.

I am so grateful for the gift of this past year. It proves that we are on God’s time, not ours, not doctors. We can be given whatever diagnosis and outcome and that can happen but it’s on God’s time. God knew we needed this year. A year of peace and calm seas. I don’t know what the future holds, none of us do, but i’m grateful that I have these sweet moments to cling to when the skies are not as calm.

Thank you to this amazing community of friends and family. We have had such a beautiful year of LIFE with you. Cheers to Otto being TWO!

ottos first birthday

ottos outfit is from Tweed Baby