Monday, October 25, 2010
Autumn
18 months
- He said and signed "ada" (all done) last week (emphatically!) for the first time in months. While he hasn't done it again since, it is a reminder to us that he CAN do it. So we keep working with him, hoping that soon he will start signing and speaking more consistently.
- He is handing me picture cards to show me what he wants. He even went to get a picture card the other week to bring it to his speech therapist so she would turn on one of her toys. Also, most of the time, if I show him two cards, he will chose the one that he wants and give it to me. These are huge cognitive milestones. Our speech therapist was telling me that most kids she works with take months to figure this out. So, she thinks it shows that while his muscles in his mouth are so weak and uncoordinated that he finds it difficult to talk, he seems to understand what it means to communicate and is learning to do it when provided with the necessary tools. The most exciting part of this new development is that he LOVES to hand us picture cards. He is SO PROUD of himself. Whenever he gives us a card to show us what he wants, he gets a huge smile on his face and laughs. It is such a joy to watch my son be so happy that he can communicate to me what he wants.
- In the past two weeks, he has squatted down three times to pick up a toy and then stood back up without falling over. Considering how often he falls over and how much he struggles with balance, this is AMAZING! We are continuing to work with him, but are so excited as we see improvement in this area.
- He is now drinking thickened liquid (apple sauce and pureed Gerber 2nd fruits) from an open cup with minimal spilling. He is permitting us to hold the cup for him and support his jaw, which is a big step for him, especially since for a long time he did not want our hands anywhere near his face. He has even started putting one of his hands up to help me hold the cup, and sometimes he pulls my hand back under his jaw to indicate that he wants more. His swallowing is slowly improving, so hopefully soon we'll be able to introduce juice!
- He has started clapping! This is very important because bringing hands to midline is something Wesley has always struggled with. We think this might be one of the reasons he is not interested in sign language. He still claps to one side, holding one hand out and reaching over with his other hand to pat it. But, now that he has figured it out we can start working on moving it to the middle.
- Since he's started clapping, I have seen him sign "more" for two different therapists. He still won't sign for us, but I'm happy to see him starting to understand and try it for them.
- At speech therapy last week, he said "in" multiple times when working on a puzzle with his therapist. It was a transportation puzzle, and she would repeat the same phrase over and over again: "bus goes...", "car goes...", "truck goes...". After a while, Wesley figured it out and would say "in" for her when she paused. He also said "aaay" (yay) with us each time we cheered for him as he put the puzzle pieces in.
- Wesley's chewing is improving. His feeding therapist this morning informed that she is very happy with the way he is chewing and moving his tongue around while eating crackers. I think this is the first time I have ever heard a feeding therapist/speech therapist tell me that Wesley is doing anything well in the area of feeding. Wesley is still having a difficult time with textures and is refusing to even try most non-cracker, non-pureed foods. But, we love our new feeding therapist and are praying that the Lord will give her much wisdom as she seeks to help him improve in this area.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Momentary Afflictions
Wesley's diagnosis can at times be a heavy weight on my heart. When I think of what it will mean for him to live his entire life with a disability, it is difficult not to grieve.
But, God's word offers a different perspective on Wesley's life. In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, it says "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal".
When I look at Wesley's life in light of these verses, I am filled with hope. In light of all eternity, his time here on earth is so short, and his disability is only a light and momentary affliction. If he trusts in Jesus as His Savior, he will be able to look back over his life here on earth and say that God used this trial in his life to prepare him for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
To paraphrase John Piper, "God cares about Wesley's body - big time. He simply didn’t come to fix all that in this age. He cares 10 million times more about Wesley’s soul and about his everlasting life and about the resurrection from the dead on the last day, when Wesley’s body will rise and be made new and He will wipe away every tear from Wesley’s eyes and death will be no more. Neither will there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more for the former things will have passed away. Oh, God cares about crying; He cares about tears; He cares about Wesley’s chromosomal abnormality. He cares about these things."
Lord, I pray that you will save my precious son Wesley, and that one day his tears will be wiped away as he sees you and worships you face to face.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Concentrating
Monday, October 11, 2010
God Exists
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Glasses
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
17 months
- Due to sheer determination and an "I will not give up no matter how many times I fall down and no matter how much it hurts" attitude, Wesley started walking at 15 months. As evidenced by the black eye in the photos above, he still has balance issues and run-ins with inanimate objects. But, he is improving each day.
- He has started saying "dada" and "all done" (ada) and signing "all done".
- He comes when we say "Come to mama/dada" and obeys (most of the time) when we say "no"
- He has started giving us things when we say "Give it to mama/dada".
- He kisses us back when we kiss him.
- He lifts his arms up to show that he wants us to pick him up.
- He is learning how to use his pincer grasp.
- He is eating crackers and veggie straws & drinking out of a sippy cup all by himself.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Milestones
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created Wesley's inmost being;
you knit him together in my womb.
14 I praise you because Wesley is fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 Wesley's frame was not hidden from you
when he was made in the secret place.
When he was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw Wesley's unformed body.
All the days ordained for him
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
This Psalm has been such a comfort to my soul and a precious promise for me to cling to throughout the months since Wesley was born. God knit Wesley together, and he is fearfully and WONDERFULLY made! Wesley's frame is not hidden from the Lord, and all of his days were ordained before even one of them came to pass.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Psalm 13:6
"But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me." Psalm 13:6Lord, please help me to trust in your steadfast love. Even when my circumstances seem to say that you have forgotten me, or that you are not dealing with me according to your love, please turn my eyes back to your Word and help me to believe the promises that I find there. Your steadfast love toward me and toward our family never ceases. You give me new mercy and new grace each morning to walk through the day that you have set out for me. Great is Your faithfulness!
O Lord, may my heart always rejoice in your salvation. Fill me with the joy that comes from knowing that you have provided for my greatest need in sending your Son to pay the penalty for my sins. Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" Since you gave up your Son to provide for my greatest need, how can I not trust in your steadfast love toward me? How can I not trust that you are working all of these things for my eternal good? How can I not believe that you will give me everything that I need as I seek to both care for Wesley and also try to effectively care for Zach, manage my household, and love & serve my husband? Lord, thank you for the promise that your grace is sufficient for me! May I cling to this promise every moment of every day.
Lord, you truly have dealt bountifully with me. Thank you for your abundant grace and mercy and love that you pour out on me each day. Thank you for the two wonderful boys and the wonderful husband that you have given to me. Thank you for the wonderful church that you have placed us in and for all care that we have received from friends at our church since Wesley has been born. Thank you most of all for saving me from my sin and for making me your child. You have blessed me beyond measure. Thank you Lord!
Friday, March 12, 2010
God's Perfect Plan - Part 2
My prayer at the beginning of 2009 was that if someone were to ask me what I was most thankful for, I would be able to answer “the gospel”. While I would not have chosen for the Lord to answer my prayers in this way, I am grateful that he has graciously used this trial to fill my heart with thankfulness to him for giving his life for me and for saving me from my sin. He has filled me with a joy in the gospel that I did not have before Wesley was born. And I know that as I continue to walk down the road that he has laid before me, only he will be able to sustain me and give me the strength to go on. This gives me great joy, for I know that as I lean on him for strength and cling to his promises, my love for my Savior will only grow deeper with each passing year. So, while I would never choose for Wesley to have a chromosomal abnormality, I also know that this is the way that the Lord has chosen to sanctify our family, to work in us for our good, and to give himself great glory.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
God's Perfect Plan - Part 1
The Beginning
My desire for this blog is to share how the Lord is at work in our family, and more specifically how the Lord is using the birth of Wesley to conform us to His image and to bring great glory to Himself.