Normal????

I remember saying that I couldn't wait until my life was "normal." People laughed at me and said my life would never be normal again. I guess what I was trying to say was that I longed for the days when there would be some sort of a normal routine and I did not wake up every day wondering what new document I would need or if I would get a call. My life always felt like it was on hold in so many aspects. But here it is 3 1/2 months after returning and I think in some aspects my life is normal :) About a month ago I began attending a new church that I really like. I do feel like this is where we are supposed to go. It is closer to home, they have a great children's program, a senior citizen's program, it is a very strong evangelical church and I am really blessed by the Sunday School class I am attending.
Work has settled into a normal routine and the effects of being gone for 2 months have all disappeared.
Natalie loves her new day care and I am also so pleased by the care she gets there. It has been great to leave work and in 5 minutes I am there to pick her up and we have the best times in the car together. At one point I was some what concerned about her attaching to too many people and being overly friendly. So we have worked on this and she has made great gains. The other day, the day care worker told me (after I picked up Natalie and she was having a rough day) that Natalie was in the bathroom and kept saying, I want my mommy. Today I went to work and she told me she wanted me to stay home with her and she was crying. This has never happened before. There have been other things that have happened that have reinforced the attachment. She continues to be a loving child and I do honestly feel that she feels very safe and secure here. I see some "normal" 4 year old behavior coming out and yet I see her respond to love and boundaries. Tonight I measured her height and weighed her. I haven't done this for several weeks, so I was surprised to see that she has now grown almost 2 inches in less than 4 months and has gained about 1 1/2 pounds. It is amazing to me how much this child eats. She has a good appetite. Someone asked me today what her favorite food was. I think yogurt still holds the number one spot, but sadly bananas have been replaced by chips as the second favorite.
We are preparing this week for my mom to have heart surgery. She is having a valve that is leaking severely repaired. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
So in so many ways my life has taken on a "normalcy" yet as my wise friends said, my life will never be normal again. And I am all the more blessed because it will never be normal again!