My Silly Goose

On November 12, 2009 Nathaniel James Claycomb came into our world. As a mommy and daddy we had no idea what we were in for with this special little delivery. Before we were even discharged from the hospital, our sweet child was already laughing. His eyes were filled with joy and his smile was overflowing with love. He was a very cuddly little bundle and loved being held as tight as possible.

Over the past year we have grown to fall in love with our little "silly goose". Nathaniel, "Bubba", is proving to be a practical joker, a comedian and a person who can find joy in any situation.

In January he was given the diagnosis of Torticollis and Plagiocephaly. The "tort" caused his head to be tilted to one side drastically due to tightened tendons and muscles in his neck. Extensive physical therapy was needed to stretch out his muscles and massage his effected area in an attempt to help strengthen the other side and help his head move to a more natural position. The Plagiocephaly (flattened head) was caused by the Torticollis as well as his positioning in my belly. He had more of a football shape versus the normal oval shape. For this diagnosis he required a helmet for 4 months.

Many children who would go through these trials would typically whine or complain about the constant rush of doctors and professionals touching and handling them but not our sweet Nathaniel. Instead of becoming sad or allowing the discomfort effect his personality he continued on as a happy child bringing laughter to everyone who came in contact with him. When we would go to the helmet doctor for an adjustment Nathaniel would play with the other children while laughing and in turn cause them to laugh, his little giggle was so contagious that they couldn't help but carry on. It was heart warming to see him touch out to these other kiddos who were not dealing with their situation as easily.

Time has passed, his therapy has ended, he no longer requires the use of the helmet and his joy goes on. The other day we went to visit Great Grandpa in his nursing home. When we arrived the residents were out eating their dinner so we pulled up a chair to Great's table and talked while he ate. After a couple minuets I noticed that there was a little friend next to us who didn't fit the "normal" nursing home patient type. Instead of being older and sick, this guy was my age and had Down syndrome. Most likely he was in the home as an orphan or the child of parents who could no longer take care of him. I made eye contact with him and he made sure I knew that he had music playing. I commented on how nice his music was for eating and he agreed. At that moment I saw a part of my son's heart that I had never been exposed to before. Nathaniel went from sitting on my lap to climbing down and walking (with a little bit of assistance) over to "Jimmy". He held his hand out and began to smile and "talk" to this new friend. My heart just smiled as I watched the interaction between the two who seemed to have so little in common yet who shared the ability to smile. The nurses stopped what they were doing and were in shock! Jimmy is known for his mood swings, anger and outbursts but laughter is NOT something he is recognized for and yet there he sat laughing with my precious Bubba. After a couple minuets it was time for us to leave so I shook Jimmy's hand and thanked him for being such a great person. He smiled and said, "Bye Bye Baby!" As a person who doesn't talk much the nurses just dropped their mouths. They couldn't believe that such a little person could make such a difference with this normally moody person. I walked away with the biggest smile on my face and gave kisses to my sweet boy who saw something in a person that most people would write off as unimportant. The special education teacher in me wanted to hug him and jump for joy that he was able to look past the outer differences and find the inner gifts that this person held.

I don't know what the future holds for Nathaniel but I do know one thing. He has been filled with a joy that only Christ can understand. He has a gift that many people only dream of having. He is a precious child who can make the grumpiest person break form and smile. I feel so blessed to have him call me " Maaaaaaa". I know that my life will be better because he is part of it and I can't wait to see what God has in store for this little pod of laughter and joy.