A Miracle to Remember

Noah,

I have to tell you about a miracle that occurred in our home this month.  I want to remember it forever.

I know I've already told you that you've been a fussy baby. Well, I haven't told you just how fussy.  There are days when you cry non-stop, and I am so exhausted by the time your dad gets home from work that I just hand you over and cry myself.  It's been very difficult, but I've tried not to dwell on it because I don't want you or your birthparents or anyone else to think that I'm not grateful for you.  I am SO grateful for you, and I love you so much.  No amount of crying would change that.

But one day a couple of weeks ago was a particularly bad day.  You weren't just fussing or crying--you were full on screaming for hours.  I bounced you and rocked you and fed you and tried to distract you, but you would not be soothed.  At this point, I convinced myself that something must be really wrong.  I decided you must have an ear infection or something.  I called my friend who is a nurse, and when she heard you hollering in the background, she said to take you to the doctor right away.

At the appointment, the doctor checked everything--your ears, your stomach, your throat, your skin--but you looked 100% healthy.  You are gaining weight like a champ (you'd gained a pound in two weeks, which is a lot for a little baby), and your development is right on track.  The doctor said you just have colic, and it might take another six weeks to grow out of it.

I left the appointment feeling relieved that you were okay but also discouraged that I didn't know how to help you feel better.  In tears, I called your dad and asked him to give you a priesthood blessing when he got home from work.  He gladly agreed, and he said he would give me a blessing as well.

That night, I held you and gave you a bottle while your dad laid his hands on your head and gave you a  blessing.  He blessed you that you would feel better and that your colic would end soon.  He told you how much we love you.  Maybe it was my imagination, but I swear I felt your little body relax in my arms as soon as your dad finished his prayer.  The amazing thing is, you slept soundly until morning.  You hadn't slept that many hours straight in weeks.

After you had fallen asleep, your dad gave me a blessing and, among other things, blessed me that I would continue to be able to recognize and respond to your needs.  He said that Heavenly Father would guide me in my efforts to soothe you and mother you.  I went to bed feeling so much more peace.

Believe it or not, you woke up the next morning a different baby.  You were cooing and smiling.  You didn't fuss for more than five minutes all day.  I had never in the entirety of your 4.5 months of life seen you so content.  It was truly a miracle, and I kept saying little prayers all day thanking Heavenly Father for showing me that He is aware of our family.

I called your Grandma Nielson to tell her the good news (everyone in our families had been worrying about you and praying for you), and she said that she had been in the temple the day before, and she put your name and our names on the prayer roll.  So on the same day that your dad gave you a blessing, your grandma was thinking about you in the temple!  No wonder Heavenly Father worked a miracle on your behalf! :)

I wish I could say that everything in the weeks since has been perfect, but that wouldn't be totally true.  We've had some more tough days, but overall, I would say that you have been much happier since your blessing.  I usually don't get dramatic and immediate answers to prayers, but I truly feel like I witnessed a miracle this time.  It would be easy to say it was just a coincidence, but I know in my heart that it wasn't.  I don't know why God intervenes and alters some situations and not others...I don't know why some prayers are answered so immediately and some are not...all I know is that I am grateful for this little miracle this one time, and I never want to forget it.

Love you, my happy little man.
Mom