Aiden walks!!

Hello Friends. I am so sorry that I am having a hard time keeping up with you all. My class is taking longer than I expected and I am working hard to organize some help for our family. This all having been said I do have a couple of updates for you.

First and foremost, Aiden is walking. He's not just using his gait trainer with great agility. He's not cruising around the living room. He is actually walking; on his own! Seriously, he stands up (still using a chair, couch,etc. to get up) and he goes. Sundays are probably his favorite days. In church we have a wide carpeted area with lots of room to walk. Thus his love for Sunday. Aiden just goes and goes. This past Sunday I had to grab him several times as he headed down the center aisle. A friend teased, saying that maybe Aiden was heading up to give his testimony. I believe that in truth Aiden is a testimony of God's faithfulness.

We took Aiden to MCV on Monday for a second MRI. I have not yet gotten any results and our expectation is that nothing will be different from the first done in April. However, since we are considering adult stem cell therapy it is imperative that we make sure Aiden's problems come from brain damage, not genetic difficulties. (We have also been to the geneticist to have a more in depth gene test done.) Aiden did very well with the actual test process. He had to be anesthetized (that makes me terribly nervous), but they did not have to intebate him to insure an airway.

I brought home a CD of the MRI scans. It is rather amazing to look at the inside of my child's brain. Through my class I have looked at brain research and the areas of the brain. This information has definitely come in handy in the last week. In looking at the MRI I was able to identify several of the internal parts of the brain. It was really neat (for lack of a better word). This having been said, I really don't know what I am looking at, nor do I know what I am looking for in terms of Aiden's brain damage or functioning. We will have to wait for the doctor to let us know what the results are. (Just so you know, I don't wait well!!)

There is still no speech from my little man. I am struggling with being very negative and frustrated about this. It is not just that Aiden is not speaking, it is that he seems unaware of the process of language. He does not seem to understand that either sign, pictures or vocalizations equal a response. I have certainly cried many tears wondering if my little guy will ever really get it. But this week speech therapy was different. Usually I put Aiden down and he immediately heads out the door. This week he took his therapist's hand, walked into the therapy room and found the toys. What a difference a day (or a week) makes.

For me, speech seems to be the next big step; the next developmental milestone that we need to pass. To long for the sound of your child saying, "I love you", and not knowing if that will ever happen can be heart breaking. I realize that there are others, parents of children who are much more involved than Aiden, who will never hear those words; for them my heart hurts. I have learned, however, that in the grand scheme of things, those words are not the most important. Instead it is the state of the heart of the child and the love of the parent that really matter.

I do question when I will get to the point when the love I have will override the worldly expectations in my heart. It is ultimately unfair to Aiden and the rest of my family for me to focus on my own desires for him. I am learning to focus on the blessings.....Dave who supports me with both Aaron and Addison and with Aiden.....Aaron and Addison who (mostly) bring great laughter, fun and joy......Aiden who's smile lights up the sky and who teaches me about hard work. Please continue to pray for this work in my heart.

Thank you all so much for the prayer support that you provide. Your prayers are being answered!!! Aiden is walking!! I am learning!! We are growing as a family in our understanding of each other and the Lord!

Blessings to you all,
~Christa

A walk in someone else's shoes

I had the priviledge and honor of sitting to eat with some rather amazing ladies last night. I met with a moms' group that gets together in Richmond monthly to chat, eat and maybe drink a margarita (or 2)!! What do we talk about? Well, all of us have children with disabilities.

Some children are extremely involved; some children are not. Some have of the kids have disabilities that you've heard of; some are so rare that only a handful of people worldwide are effected. But all of these children have something in commom; they all have moms who love them and are dedicated to providing the highest quality of life possible for them.

Sitting with these ladies last night reminded me that we all wear different shoes. Some are comfortable and easy to slip on like old tennis shoes; the kind that you're comfortable wearing when your best friend comes over. Some are black and shiny; the kind you put on when you want to make a good impression. Some are tight and really squeeze your toes, but you wear them because they're what people expect (and you wouldn't want to disappoint anyone). And there are the ever present work boots; the ones that seem to get the most wear, but are the least stylish; definitely not fashionable, but servicable.

Last night I met ladies who have been wearing their work boots for years. They have seen their kids through orthotics, walkers, feeding clinics, physical therapy, speech therapy, surguries, genetic testing, MRIs, etc. (There are procedures that I can't pronounce much less spell, and the list seems to go on forever!!) Some moms are new to the wearing of the boots; they are working them in so the fit is liveable. But, no matter where they are on the road to providing for their children, there is a camaraderie that can only exist because of the journey itself. (my work boots :)
So, what kind of shoes am I wearing? I ask myself that all of the time; what am I willing to show people around me today. Am I willing to be transparent enough to wear my work boots all of the time? Honestly, there have been times when I would rather wear my black patents because I would like to be someone else; change the road that the Lord has placed me on. But I have found that although they are beautiful on the outside, they are not the best fit; not all that comfortable. I have delegated them to date night. (You can imagine just how seldomly I wear them!!!) On those days when I can manage to spend the day in my 'jammies I wear my comfy shoes (and if you really know me you realize that I wear them with my comfy pants). These days also are few and far between. I have boxed up my toe squeezers. They're on the top shelf of the closet and may even end up in the give away pile. (I don't have time to live up to someone else's expectations of me.)

That only leaves the work boots. So I don them every morning before I head out. They are actually not too bad to look at. (They are pictured above! :) They usually fit pretty well. Its ok if they get muddy they can be wiped off. They're waterproof and have steel toes so they provide some protection. I am actually learning to enjoy wearing them. I may even be able to pull them off as a fashion statement one day. But whether or not that happens, I will walk in my work boots on this road well travelled by other moms. And just like they have paved this road for me, I will do my best to do the same for others.

Thanks for reading. I would like to ask that those of you who pray continue to do so for Shannon and her family. They have had a terrible season; sickness around every corner. RSV is in their home again. Pray that Makayla does not contract it again. Blessings to you all,

Christa

I have not fallen off the face of the earth!!

This is just a note to let you all know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth. Actually, I have started a graduate class on line in order to maintain my Virginia teaching licence. That having been said, you can imagine that with our therapies, home schooling and laundry (the never ending chore), I am finding it hard to make time to blog. I will set aside time this week to fill you all in on what's happening with us.

Hope that all of you are well. I continue to pray for you as we brave 2009 and the challenges that seem to be on the horizon. Know that we appreciate your prayers and I will do my best to keep you all better informed of Aiden's (and my) progress.

Blessings to you all,
Christa