Gratitude

There's a lot going on tomorrow . . .

1. 1) We have an annual reunion with the Medich side of the family (the origins of the "Donna" in "Maia Donna") in the afternoon.
2. 2) We're going to our first concert (or show of any kind, for that matter) since Maia's birth. We're going to see Youssou N'Dour, a Senegalese singer, at Hill Auditorium. We're both really looking forward to it. We'll see Nana and Papa Hecker, and they'll be spending the evening with Maia.
3. Tio Lu is arriving in the States (in New York City, at first) for his summer vacation! We'll see you in Michigan soon!
   

It's less than a month away from the end of our first year with Maia, and I spent a bit of time yesterday reflecting on what we've written here over the last year. I think that Brian and I have been able to capture a lot of what we've been thinking and feeling, but there are a few things that we've left out. (I'm thinking about this in part because this blog is intended to be a book, as our pregnancy blog is now.)

One of those things is the main topic of this entry: we need to take a moment to thank Nana Dawn and Papa Stan for the innumerable things that they've done for us over the last eleven months. Maia has been here with us for about 48 weeks now, and, at the rate of one or two visits per week, they've probably seen her about 80 times. Even throughout a busy football season, intense planning for a big high school reunion (Papa Stan), and 50+ hours per week of work (Nana Dawn), they've spent time with Maia almost one hundred times over the past year. And all of this includes a commute of over an hour to get here and another hour plus of driving to return home.

Nana and Papa have come to recognize when Maia's tired, hungry, bored, or anxious. They know her bedtime and nap time routines, her favorite toys, and her favorite meals. Both of them change her diapers, feed her bottles, change her clothes, take her for walks around the neighborhood, and run errands with her around town.

It's been so important to me to have this support, these extra sets of eyes and ears watching Maia's development and seeing her grow. Nana and Papa have been able to tell me about changes that they've seen over the last week that I haven't been able to sense, simply because I see Maia every day and the changes are so incremental. Much of my understanding of the pace of her physical, verbal, and emotional development has grown out of these conversations with Nana and Papa about their perspective.

This entry has focused on the investment of time, because that is paramount, but there are so many other ways in which we've been helped and supported over this year. I'll never be able to adequately express my thanks, but I suspect that Maia will. It's the little things: feeling comforted by a hug, returning a smile, offering a big sloppy baby kiss. These things aren't given freely by our sometimes-introverted little daughter--they are treasures. They are expressions of "thank you," and they are the payoff after a monumental investment of time and effort.