Andrew One Year

The day before Halloween. These past few weeks have been so good. It seems that 12 months was the magic age for Andrew.. he has turned a corner and is sleeping through most of the night, is **so** close to standing on his own, can weight shift, crawl, eat more solid foods, and is smiling responsively all the time. I am so grateful for these things. He was at a point, for months and months, that was unsustainable for us. Waking up with him 2-5x a night, every night, was just too much. It was so hard to play and smile with him and get no response. So hard to wonder if he was thinking anything at all, processing anything at all. Andrew's diagnosis of Williams Syndrome has been such a comfort. It is wonderful to know that he will continue to progress. He brings us immeasurable peace. I cannot express enough the joy I have knowing that one day Andrew will be made whole, and we will stand together as a family forever. I have realized over the short time I've spent with him that he is the strongest person I know. We are lucky to have such an example in our family.

I could not imagine a better brother, play mate, and best friend for Andrew than Liam. Liam is my first baby, the song in my heart. He is wise beyond his four years, and is a  great teacher for us. My heart bursts every time I hear “Mom, can I kiss baby Andrew?” Today he was holding his brother’s hands, helping him stand. The bond these two little men will share is stronger than any I have ever known. I poignantly remember a conversation I had with Liam the week before we received Andrews diagnosis. He said “Mom, if anyone tries to hurt baby Andrew, I will just punch them in the face!” Of course I agreed. Even in their wee years, my boys are living up to their names. Liam means Protector, and any close to us know that Liam could not fit this description more closely. Andrew means Strong Man, and as I mentioned earlier, I know no one stronger than this pure, fierce little spirit. I am so proud of these two.