15 months

Dear Norah,

15 months old already! Lately you have given us so much hope for vision in your small eye. While patching you last week, I showed you a picture of yourself in a new frame (therefore, unfamiliar to you), which patched. You light up with a big smile when you see a picture of yourself and kiss it. I held up the frame in front of you and you smiled really big and then kissed the picture. I was so excited! I then took you outside and set you down. "Norah, where's a leaf? Go get a leaf." You walked confidently to the plant next to our front door, picked a leaf, and brought it back to me. I sat there on our front porch, crying tears of joy, while you happily played with that leaf. You seem to know when to stop more often when something is in your way, rather than run right into it. And yesterday, I asked you where my nose was while you were patched and you pointed right to it. For so long, we've been unsure about vision in your right eye. Even just a few months ago, you would often run into things while patched and I really didn't think you could see out of your right eye well, if at all. After telling one of your doctors, he told me I could just stop patching if I wanted to. He said it's probably not doing any good if you can't see and it's just torturing you. It was so disheartening to hear. Your dad and I decided we wouldn't give up - not until we heard you verbally say you can't see out of your right eye. But now, just a few months later, you are showing us you actually can see. We believe it is a miracle. Such a blessing for you! We are so grateful and happy with your progress.

At 15 months old, you can say around seven words: all done, oh yeah, hi, eye (those two are new), mama, dada (you are such a daddy's girl), cheese, and "Jees" for Jesus when you see a picture of him (though you don't use these words regularly, other than dada every time you see him), you understand so much and follow directions well, you are super tough (Josh plays rough with you), you are incredibly sweet (you will come up to me and lay your head on my leg or hug me several times throughout the day without being prompted, which I love), you love books, you like to dance (so cute), and you have a very happy disposition (you often wake up smiling). Teething is still rough for you right now - you wake up a lot in the night in pain. Patching is still not fun as well. But for the most part, 15 months is a good place to be. We adore you and really can't imagine our family without you. We love you.

Love, Mom