Marko-Polo

(Nov. 23)
Fifteen months ago today a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy came into my life. I remember waiting at my sister's house with Sam, anxious to hear the news of the newest arrival in our family. Finally, in the evening, the news came that he was here. Sam and I jumped in the car and headed to the hospital. I remember how nervous I was to meet him! This was my first experience meeting a newborn in my family (I was on my mission when Sam was born) and I wanted to make a good impression on this new little guy. The first time I held him, he stole my heart. Sweet little Mark Emmitt Clay came into my life and into my heart.
 A post about my Marko-Polo has to include what he has taught me, which includes talking about some things that are still hard to talk about over a year later. A few days after Mark came home from the hospital he started having seizures and ended up at Primary Children's Hospital. The fear that entered my heart that Sunday afternoon when my Mom woke me up to tell me that he had been taken to the hospital was paralyzing. Somehow I managed to keep it together enough to drive into the hospital with my parents. Waiting there and not knowing what was going on was so hard. I've never prayed so much in my life as I did in those hours, and days that followed. We learned that Mark had bleeding in the ventricles in his brain, which was causing him to have seizures. It took a few days for the doctors to get the seizures under control, and all-in-all Mark ended up staying at the hospital for 13 days. This was a crazy time in our lives. Early on we didn't know what was going to happen, or if Mark would make it. That is really hard to say. It was really scary. For what seemed like forever, we weren't even allowed to touch him, let alone hold him. Mark is strong, and between his strong willpower to live and the expert medical attention, he made it through.
 Just a couple of months later we found out that as a result of Mark's bleeding that he would need to get a shunt (a device that drains excess fluid from his brain to his abdomen) because the swelling wasn't going down on it's own. Still, Mark was so strong! The doctor told my sister that the head scan and the happy, smiling baby in front of him didn't exactly add up because that much pressure should have been making him pretty miserable. Mark had his surgery, and came out of it just as happy. Since then he has continued to be our happy boy. Unless you happen to run your hand over his head and feel the bump, you would never know that Mark had gone through all of this.
I mention all of this because of what it taught me: faith, the power of prayer, trust, and love. All of these things were increased in my life as a result of "Miracle Mark" and his teaching experience for all of us. I love Mark more than words can express. I loved his beach-bum blonde curls (until they got cut off), his deep blue eyes, his Chunky-Monkey days, his Mater-tooth smile, his sweet laugh, his love for clapping, his speed crawling, his humming when he reads, his willingness to share his food, his mischievous looks, and his hugs. Mark gives excellent hugs, and they are completely his own style. When Mark wants to give you love he'll place his head on your shoulder, face out, and pat your arm a couple of times. He'll lift his head up, look at you, then do it again, and repeat until he feels that there has been enough hugging. I live for those hugs! He says "Nan Nan" on occasion, and gets the biggest smile on his face when he sees me. I am thankful for the opportunity to be his Nanny, and to continually learn from him. I love my Marko-Polo!

Our First Meeting

You got the camera out again. Great.

Like my guns?

The Look

Smilin for the ladies

Birthday party!

What are those things flying over our heads?

This is the mischievous look