I can't begin to explain how grateful we are for this wonderful gift! Up until a couple of days ago, I was still bathing Elle in her baby bath tub. It was a task that should be fun for her and instead, it was a rushed event and one in which her safety was always on my mind. Elle will be 2 in a couple of weeks and is clearly to big for her current tub. The process of bathing her went like this...Put her baby tub into the kitchen sink, fill it water and bubbles, have a cup near by to rinse her hair, line the counter top with a thick towel and then layer on top of that her bath towel. Go get Elle and slip her into the bath. Wash her hair one handed while holding her shoulder with my other hand to ensure she didn't fall over and hit her head on the granite counter edge around the sink. Keep in mind that Elle is unable to sit unassisted. As a result, most of the time is spent lifting Elle up from the position she would slip down into. Then after draining the tub, I would have to lift a wet, slippery and squirmy baby out of the tub and onto the counter top that she is to long for, limbs hanging over the edges, dry her the best I could and whisk her off to her crib where we could safely finish drying her. It doesn't really sound to bad, but if you have ever had to lay a wet 2 year old that squirms all over the place on a surface that is smaller than them...you might be able to understand.
I knew Elle needed a new bath chair, but which one and the enormous expense had me delayed along with the reality that our daughter was now in need of another piece of "medical equipment". Not always the easiest the to face.
Enter Mrs. Jenna! Elle's Occupational therapist. A few weeks ago she asked me if Elle was still in need of a new bathing chair. "Yes", I replied. "I just don't even know where to start with them". Jenna proceeded to tell me that she knew of one that was possibly available and she thought of Elle. She went on to tell me about a wonderful family that was generously donating their son's medical equipment. I was puzzled at first as to why and then my heart sank and tears filled my eyes. Their precious son had recently passed away.
Fast Forward to this week...Elle and I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Shannon this week. It was her wish to meet us, the family that would be receiving her dear Mack's bath chair. She was a beautiful individual. Along with the chair, she brought a photo of Mack for us to see. He was adorable! Big blue eyes and an angelic face! She shared with us how she loved to sing "Row Row Row your Boat" with him while he was taking a bath. She even told Elle that Mack would watch over her while she was taking a bath to be sure she was safe :-) I was amazed at the strength that she displayed and my heart was warmed in listening her speak of her dear Mack! She even brought along a note with Mack's website and only asked for us to take the time to read it. I promised we would and it was the first thing we did when we got home!! We used Mack's chair last night for the first time and mommy helped Elle blow bubbles and kisses up to Mack in heaven :-) We are so grateful to have received this gift and will always be thankful to this family for donating it to us.
2 comments:
That is soooo sweet. You are such a gracious recipient also--the Mom was probably thrilled to find that she was giving the chair to someone so grateful.
Emmett still doesn't have a bath chair and your description of Elle's bathtime is very similar to Emmett's, except we do it in the big tub and he's not too squirmy--just dead weight. My question about bath chairs is how on earth do you keep them warm the whole time. Are you just dumping water over them to get them wet and rinse them? Did she enjoy it? It looks like a really cool chair.
Hi Lori! That's awesome! What a special gift that you will always cherish, and the donor will know it is truly appreciated. Elle is as cute as ever!
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