Date Night

November 18, 2009 by Victoria Bill and I had a first -- and this is a big one -- we got a babysitter and went on a date without Gwendolyn!

This is only the second time in Gwendolyn's entire life that we have left her with someone. The first time was when she was just four-months-old and stayed with Gramma while Bill and I went to a restaurant for Valentine's Day. But that was before her SMA diagnosis. That was before we had to start saving her life on a semi-regular basis. That was before terminal illness became the framework of our life with Gwendolyn. After Gwendolyn was diagnosed with SMA, Bill and I decided that we were not going to do anything we may regret or were not fully comfortable with -- in the heartache of SMA there is simply no room to add the burden of guilt about our choices. So, that meant changing our entire lives -- changing work, changing ambition, changing priorities, changing the way we connect as a couple. We have missed fun nights out on the town, but our little girl is more important.

But, Gwendolyn has been so stable lately and sleeps really well at night and so when we received the invitation from our dear friends, the Paskins, to join them for a "Friends-giving" dinner at their house, we knew that we were ready. We are enormously thankful to our friend (who is a pediatric nurse) for being the ultimate overqualified babysitter. Having her with Gwendolyn made us extra comfortable that IF there was an emergency, Gwendolyn would be in good hands.

And -- drum roll - it all went perfectly. Gwendolyn slept the entire time we were gone. We left feeling relaxed and good about our decision. We had a wonderful time chatting with friends, meeting new people, and sharing a Thanksgiving dinner with people we are so thankful for. Look out Santa Barbara, Bill and Victoria are letting loose

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