Obtaining Mercy

Let the Home Schooling Begin!

May 9, 2010 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Florida Weather, Isaac Update, Prayer Request, What's Happening

It's been a busy week for us here in HOT, sunny Florida. Summer has arrived right on schedule and we are already seeing temperatures in the mid-90s – which is as it should be! It is Florida, after all.

This is the first week, since I was down with my back, that I have tried to integrate caring for Isaac and actually doing a little house work too. That's why I haven't been here blogging – just too busy! It seems that everything takes me twice as long as it did before.

On Tuesday, while Doug and Isaac went to therapy, my Dad took Mama and I to the dentist. Now doesn't that sound like a fun outing??? I was glad to be with good company, but would have rather gone shopping or something! :)

The rest of the week I spent trying to keep Isaac in dry ribbons! He is a chewing maniac these days. It's so funny after almost 3 years of putting nothing in his mouth, he has constantly got something he's trying to chew on.

We have been working on his relearning some things this past week. We're starting with the word "gentle". He is really giving his therapists a difficult time, and has started swatting at them when they stretch or move something in a way that he doesn't like. He doesn't have much control, and so the swatting can really hurt. Even when he's playing with me, now, he whacks and doesn't realize how hard it is. So, we are working on "gentle".

I am also working with him on retrieving his own toys when he loses track of them. His default behavior is to whine – repeatedly – quietly – yet with every breath – until I come and "fix" whatever is wrong. Whether he wants a different video, or to listen to the radio, or if he needs dry pants, he just does his "nagging" as I call it.

So, I am trying to prompt him, when I know he's just misplaced his toys, to find them for himself. Usually they are up under his arm, and he has a hard time finding them, because he can't see them. I help him to reach over with his opposite hand to find them. I am also helping him to sit up and reach down the bed for them, when he's just tossed them beyond his reach. He is always so delighted when he gets them.

We are also teaching him the word "drink". I am using his lemon swabs to give him tastes of different juices. He gets a little of the liquid without my pouring it into his mouth, which could cause him to aspirate. Some days he wants several "drinks" and other days he's not interested; but since it's getting so hot, I thought it was a good things to work on. He drools so much when he chews on toys, and I don't want him to get dehydrated in this weather.

So, I guess I sorta-kind started Isaac's home school lessons again, didn't I? I really didn't realize it, until I started telling you all about them. These are the sorts of things we worked on before, although in greater number each week. We will add things each week, as he understands more and more.

Today, he enjoyed baked sweet potato with me for lunch. He chewed and swallowed every bite. Doug said none of it ended up on his bib! (He used to taste things, but then let them slide out of his mouth instead of swallowing.) Sweet potato used to be his favorite baby food, too! We're on the right track, I'd say! 🙂

I am looking forward to my fresh, new week. I am especially praying for my sweet friend, Mrs. C, who is recovering from surgery. I'm also praying for a friend's son, who seems to be straying from the Lord. You know it is never too late to ask for God to draw the prodigal back home. He is a loving, gracious and forgiving God – as I can personally testify!

May you see God's Hand in your life this week, as He moves to accomplish His will in you!

Alesha

Thank You

April 29, 2010 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Uncategorized

I just wanted to say "thank you" for rejoicing with me! I pray that Isaac's life continues to be an encouragement and a blessing – regardless of what the Lord may have in store for us next. 🙂 All of your comments brought me SO MUCH joy! 🙂

(I really miss the ability to reply to comments – like we could in xanga – and know that you will see my reply. So I just decided to put it up as a quick post to everyone instead.)

How Great Is Our God!

April 28, 2010 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, How Great is Our God, Isaac Update, What's Happening

I've been mulling on a new post all week. Do you do that too? You have something you want to share, but you're not quite sure how to go about it, so you just think on it for awhile? That's what I've been doing.

I told you Isaac is making some transitions since his surgery. It has been really odd, and we are still sort of processing and learning as we go along.

Let me start by saying that I began blogging in February of 2007. As I have been working to move those old posts over to my new server, I realized that I began blogging in order to keep a grasp on reality and my sanity. Truly, there was so much going on with Isaac, and it was so overwhelming, that if I had not stepped out of my self, in order to tell his story, I think I might have "lost it" a little.

When thinking over this blog post, I realized that most of you don't know what Isaac was like before I started blogging. You didn't experience much of Isaac's life before the seizures took over. So, when I tell you the new things that are happening you aren't going to understand some of it. I will try to explain as I go along.

When Isaac had his shunt revision in December of 2006, they were unable to remove part of the shunt, the catheter. It had been embedded in his brain since shortly after his birth, over 6 years earlier. The skull had literally grown and calcified around it, and to remove it would have caused entirely too much trauma and blood loss.

The decision was made to place the new catheter right beside the old one.

Isaac began to decline immediately following this surgery. You know all about that if you have read my blog for any length of time.

However, before that surgery, he was doing well:

He had learned to chew – it took an entire school year.
He played with ribbons and strings, chewing on them mostly.
He loved to look at books and would try to help turn the pages.
He used words with meaning to express himself.
He made minimal eye contact.
He turned his head to see things on his left side.
He was learning to use communication devices.
He picked up toys to feel them and look for tags or labels (so he could chew them).
He noticed people who spoke to him and responded to them.
He expressed excitement about going places and seeing people.
He pitched fits when he didn't get his way.
He jumped at loud noises.
He had very sensitive palms and feet, and needed "brushing" to calm his sensory issues.
He could stand and sit, on command.
He was taking steps, with a therapist's help.

Can I just say…We almost have this same child again!!!

With the exception of the last item (because he has lost so much strength in the last 3 years and 4 months) he is doing all of the things in that list!

His skills have been returning gradually since the last surgery, and we have just watched in amazement! It's as if each morning, we are waking up to a new child.

While these things are astonishing, can I tell you something even more astounding???

We are only seeing a couple of seizures a day!!!

And beyond that — he is doing things he's never done before:

He is picking up toys that make noise and shaking them, smiling when they make noise.
He is making choices by grabbing the toy or movie that he wants.
He is pulling our hand to his mouth when we are offering him a bite of food.

It is utterly amazing.

We don't know what God is doing, but we are cautiously thrilled by the things we are experiencing. I say "cautiously" because we know the human brain is an magnificent puzzle; and quite possibly, as quickly as these things appear, they can disappear.

However, we are thanking God each day that we are experiencing these little miracles; and I just wanted to share them with you – my friendly readers – who have so faithfully walked the difficult path with us the last 3 years.

It is proof that although prayers may not be answered the way that we desire, we should not stop praying.

God's answer will come when the time is right in His will, and then we will stand back in amazement, as we see what the mighty hand of God can do.

To God be all the glory!

Alesha

Something Pretty

April 22, 2010June 23, 2015 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Uncategorized

Finally, I have some new jewelry up at my Etsy shop!

Here's a peek:

(each word above links to a new item) 🙂

Turtle Wranglin’

April 21, 2010June 23, 2015 by ObtainingMercy, posted in What's Happening

We live across the road from a lake. We are assuming that's where the turtles came from. Yesterday, Doug found more turtles in our yard, and decided to take them back to the lake.

They were happy to depart the wheelbarrow and be on their way. Doug heard the little one "plop" into the water before the second one had cleared the wheelbarrow.

The funny part? Just a couple of hours earlier, my dad had taken two turtles from his yard too, and returned them to the lake!!! So, I'm thinking we had a whole family of turtles who had wandered into our yard.

I'll let you know if we have any more turtle drama over here in our neck of the woods, er, I mean, in our neighborhood! 🙂