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Sunday, July 22, 2012

Potty Training Day 5

Potty Training Day 5 - Two steps forward, one step back. Connor woke up dry but has now had a few accidents this morning. Praying for a more successful afternoon. =)

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Potty Training Day 4

Potty Training Day 4 - looks like we are starting to get somewhere. ;)

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Thankful

I have the best husband ever! I have been feeling sick most of the day today and despite this being a seriously busy week for us with therapy, a couple extra medical appointments, and his school final that he needs to study for....he hasn't complained once. He got home from work, fed the kids lunch, put Addison down for a nap, and is sending me up for a nap while he takes on Connor's therapy session. Feeling very thankful right now. I love you, Paul!!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Philippians 4:6-7

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Most of us have heard, read, or studied this popular and well known verse, but I have to admit, today is the first day I have ever truly felt this peace we all hear about and want to feel. In my mind, I really tried to find some sort of explanation of what I was feeling, but like the verse says, it transcends ALL understanding and I am okay with that....I'm okay with feeling speechless. ;) God is sooo soooo good!!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

"...the halls are full of angels."

Upon finding out about Connor's diagnosis last November, my first thought was "how could life ever be the same?" I was sad, fearful, worried, and feeling highly inadequate to deal with such news and circumstances. Looking back, I see now that I had already been "dealing" with it. I stopped worrying about how I was going to be able to do it because I had already DONE it. I don't know why God blessed me with a child with special needs but what I do know is that my relationship with Him was and continues to be strengthened because of the life my family lives. I think sometimes it takes extreme situations in life to call us into God's Will. There are so many things I would love to ask God, specifically "Why?" but for now, I just have faith that it will all be okay. =) I pray that in this I can touch others and show them that God is with them through the ENTIRE journey.
"When life is extreme, it seems God goes to extremes to touch parents with the "supernatural" faith of their children. There's comfort knowing that even when you don't see them, the halls are full of angels." -Faith-Shaped Kids

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Therapy Update

ABA therapy went realllllllly well today! We are all seeing some great progress with Connor and his therapist is happy with the work we are putting in. Paul and I were a little thrown off though by the therapist as he was leaving our house. We are confident we heard him say "Love you" before walking out the door. Hahahaha! I feel slightly embarrassed for him. It's like ending a phone conversation with someone you barely know and accidentally telling them you love them. I know, I've been there. lol.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Praise & Worship

Did I really just catch my 13 month old with her arms in the air, praising God in front of the tv while watching Hillsong Kids?!? She is taking after her big brother for sure! ♥

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

An Eating Milestone

I can't believe it...Connor has finally BIT into his food. Let me give you a brief overview of what we/ he struggles with daily:

What most people don't realize is that Connor has trouble eating in ways we would not even understand. He started eating baby food around 4-5 months old and I tried very hard to transition him into regular solids as recommended and with Paul gone a lot on TDY and various training, I didn't rush it but didn't give up either. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why he preferred pureed foods over solids. It wasn't until he was over a year, nearly 18 months old that he was even interested in trying anything new and even then, he was extremely picky. Picky to the point that he ate the same thing daily. Guidance from other parents and doctors allowed me to relax since I was told that "Toddlers can be picky eaters, they will eat if they are hungry and stop when they are done. Don't worry." I relaxed for a while but still found that new foods were a battle and even after he would realize that maybe they weren't all that bad, he still had trouble with physically eating them. I had to cut EVERYTHING into small pieces as he would still not bite into anything. Even then, when cutting food into small bite sized pieces, he would over stuff his mouth making it difficult to chew and swallow. He even has occasional moments when he pockets food in his cheeks and hours later, it is still there so we have to remember to check his mouth before letting him down from the table. Again, I believed this was nothing more than, "Wow, he really does like this food and just can't get enough of it!" He never choked or really even gagged so I figured it was a natural step in the eating process. Over time, I learned that this is not true. Of course, it all went back to his sensory issues I learned about late last year. Since then, we have tried to do the best we can to read up and learn about how we can help him in this battle and two Speech and OT therapists later, we still haven't received the proper guidance in what to do. I have learned that finding a good therapist is like finding a pair of well fitting jeans. If you are a woman, you can imagine my struggles. Ha! As Connor's parents, we have done our best to just work with him in the best way we know how. We have worked him up to eating at least one bite of everything we eat and if he doesn't like it, he can have HIS meal. He surprises us and himself sometimes so we celebrate another new milestone and add a new meal to his short list of tolerable foods. Long story short (not really lol) he hit another AMAZING milestone this week. He has bit into 2 of his favorite foods that he previously would not do at all and ate another food that he used to not be able to tolerate the texture of! Like any other day, we asked him to take a bite, and for once, it clicked. He took a bite, we celebrated, and from there, he kept doing it. He loved seeing the excitement on our faces as we clapped and gave him lots of verbal praise. I find it so amazing that throughout all of this, God has been with us giving the guidance that even the professionals haven't. I know people think I am crazy but I just know that without a doubt, this kid WILL one day live a normal life and be healed. I get that we all have personality quirks that we and others have to live with....he will too, but I believe with my whole heart, he will blend in while still being exceptional. ;)

Sunday, July 1, 2012

2 Cor 4:7

..."Kids can be such mysteries to their parents. What has been entrusted to your care? What little human puzzle are you trying to figure out? Maybe God is investing gifts in the soul of your child that you are only beginning to understand. The signs are already there in many cases. We have this treasure of God's light and glory in "jars of clay" (2 Cor 4:7) of our children. We just need to develop spiritual eyes that can see such things, hone the spiritual sensitivity to encourage such things, and savor the wonder to realize how awesomely creative God's ways are in the heart of a child. Look closely at your children. We have this glorious treasure in precious small jars of clay. Their unique bent, emerging before your very eyes, could be the key to a promising future that could change the world." -Faith-Shaped Kids. LOVE THIS BOOK!!