Speech therapy began today. I completely forgot about it until I heard the door bell ring... it can get difficult keeping up with all of B's appointments! My middle son goes to speech therapy in school, so I was able to figure out the structure of these therapy appointments. What I didn't know was how the speech therapist was going to get Braylon to even start communicating. There is only one word he says and that's "DADA", little daddy's boy!?! Besides that I usually have to guess what Braylon wants.
Communication comes in all forms: different languages, body language, sign language, even "eye language". The speech therapist started with basic forms of communication. She wanted him to reach for a toy if he wanted it, instead of grabbing the toy out of her hand. She tried to do it many times, failed many times. Examples were shown to B, but time and time again he yanked the toys from her hands and put them in his mouth. We discussed his basic understanding of simple commands, like "come here", "no".... things he doesn't respond to. The conversation continued between me and the therapist, but none occurred with Braylon.
Frustration is easy to set in and hard to get rid of. I felt myself becoming frustrated, because I want B to be able to point or wave hi and bye. But HE doesn't. Life would be so much easier if instead of biting me, he could gesture for milk. If I could hear mama and know he needed me. Who actually lives in the land of IF.... no one I think, because there will always be more "IFs" to come. This journey would be very long, lonely and disappointing, if I didn't know any better. Although I don't hear the word "Mama", I see it in B's smile when we play. Braylon's way of communicating is lacking, but when I hear a high pitched scream, I know he's talking to his brothers. I'm not sure if he just doesn't understand the word "no" or ignores it, but I think that of my older boys sometimes too! Thursday we will meet again with the speech therapist and maybe more will come from the session. I'm not sure what to expect, but I do know that we will be there for that session and we will be OUR best. All you can do is all you can do and all you can do is enough.
My plans for this blog is to continue writing as long as I need to and as long as others are inspired. My dream for this blog is that Braylon one day will read it and understand how strong he is and communicate in his own words to you that we are all strong in the Lord! God bless!
p.s. Lesson learned.... none of our communication levels are up to par. I need to work on communicating more instead of expecting others to know what I want!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Who's vision is it?
About a week ago we had Braylon's six month evaluation with the physical therapist. To begin we went over the goals we set for Braylon back in January. The goals were to be accomplished by June. Now as I look back at setting those goals, they seemed very realistic... especially considering he had no independence at the time. One goal was that he would be able to sit up for at least 2 minutes and play with a toy, another said he would be able to commando crawl. Braylon has since surpassed all of those goals and completely blew us away. As the p/t was reading the goals both of us looked at each other in amazement, because we had completely forgot how far he had come.
In a six month time period Braylon went from only rolling in one direction and depending on us for EVERYTHING to crawling, holding his bottle, playing on the floor with his brothers and sitting up in the bath. And all of this with limited to no use of his left side. Again, I must say he is a miracle working and I am so privileged to see it.
Speaking with someone about how far Braylon has come they mentioned I was trying to hold him back (said in a joking matter). My reaction to the comment was that my vision for B must not be big enough. That really struck me. My vision can never be big enough for what God has planned. When asked to set new goals for B for him to do by December, I didn't know what to say. Obviously he exceeded our expectations last time. Should I set really high goals, like he's running with his brothers in the yard or more simple ones, like he's able to walk with his walker??? Again I must trust that God's vision is much larger than mine, so let's put it out there. Braylon will be playing in the yard with his brothers for Christmas, he will be able to say some words to communicate, he will begin using his left hand.
Disappointment usually comes when we don't get what we want, when we want it. But I understand we are working on God's time and the good book says, "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Habakkuk 2:2-3
So I am asking you to read and run. My vision has been stated and I am patiently waiting for God to "knock my socks off" again with what he's doing in Braylon. It's easy to forget how far He has brought us, but I continue to be thankful and keep faith in His word... for his word will not tarry and will surely come true!
In a six month time period Braylon went from only rolling in one direction and depending on us for EVERYTHING to crawling, holding his bottle, playing on the floor with his brothers and sitting up in the bath. And all of this with limited to no use of his left side. Again, I must say he is a miracle working and I am so privileged to see it.
Speaking with someone about how far Braylon has come they mentioned I was trying to hold him back (said in a joking matter). My reaction to the comment was that my vision for B must not be big enough. That really struck me. My vision can never be big enough for what God has planned. When asked to set new goals for B for him to do by December, I didn't know what to say. Obviously he exceeded our expectations last time. Should I set really high goals, like he's running with his brothers in the yard or more simple ones, like he's able to walk with his walker??? Again I must trust that God's vision is much larger than mine, so let's put it out there. Braylon will be playing in the yard with his brothers for Christmas, he will be able to say some words to communicate, he will begin using his left hand.
Disappointment usually comes when we don't get what we want, when we want it. But I understand we are working on God's time and the good book says, "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Habakkuk 2:2-3
So I am asking you to read and run. My vision has been stated and I am patiently waiting for God to "knock my socks off" again with what he's doing in Braylon. It's easy to forget how far He has brought us, but I continue to be thankful and keep faith in His word... for his word will not tarry and will surely come true!
Friday, July 3, 2009
With a smile and a point.
This past weekend my husband and I traveled to a wedding .... a chance to celebrate a union and an opportunity for some "us" time. The event was beautiful and although we weren't actual family members of the bride or groom, everyone made us feel at home. Over our four day vacation we met some wonderful individuals who made us laugh, feel loved and inspired us to do more as a family. One young man by the name of Justin really impressed my husband and I. His spirit that followed him was one of joy and appreciation and I have a feeling it was taught to him by the same family that showed us so much joy.
Justin is a 26 year old man living with cerebral palsy. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking "living" isn't the right word.... he is thriving! I sat back and watched Justin laugh at someones jokes, dance down the soul train line and announce the bride with bells tied around his wrists. For the exact same reason I was at the wedding, he was to and I'm sure he enjoyed it just as much as me. Speaking with his mother, I wondered what happened to Justin. Was it a stroke like Braylon? Similar... he had a series of seizures at birth causing the cerebral palsy. Although Justin can not speak, he absolutely understands everything and in some cases may have a better understanding of the world than most. I learned thru our conversation that as a young boy Justin played football, using his 3-point stand to tackle and block at the line. Now, at the age of 26, Justin has his driver's permit. He is so excited, but I'm posititve his mother is suffering the same anxiety I will when the time comes for my boys to drive.
For an hour and a half we talked about our very special boys and the way we help mold them. It was inspiring and uplifting. My heart was encouraged and my mind set at ease knowing that my son too can accomplish his goals. The very best part of that whole conversation was when Justin looked at me with a smile on his face and pointed to his head, as if to say "I can do anything I set my mind to." A simple gesture that I took with me, not only for my son Braylon, but for myself as well.... I can do anything I set my mind to.
Justin is a 26 year old man living with cerebral palsy. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking "living" isn't the right word.... he is thriving! I sat back and watched Justin laugh at someones jokes, dance down the soul train line and announce the bride with bells tied around his wrists. For the exact same reason I was at the wedding, he was to and I'm sure he enjoyed it just as much as me. Speaking with his mother, I wondered what happened to Justin. Was it a stroke like Braylon? Similar... he had a series of seizures at birth causing the cerebral palsy. Although Justin can not speak, he absolutely understands everything and in some cases may have a better understanding of the world than most. I learned thru our conversation that as a young boy Justin played football, using his 3-point stand to tackle and block at the line. Now, at the age of 26, Justin has his driver's permit. He is so excited, but I'm posititve his mother is suffering the same anxiety I will when the time comes for my boys to drive.
For an hour and a half we talked about our very special boys and the way we help mold them. It was inspiring and uplifting. My heart was encouraged and my mind set at ease knowing that my son too can accomplish his goals. The very best part of that whole conversation was when Justin looked at me with a smile on his face and pointed to his head, as if to say "I can do anything I set my mind to." A simple gesture that I took with me, not only for my son Braylon, but for myself as well.... I can do anything I set my mind to.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Opportunity
Oh VBS!!! Really, thank God for VBS!! If you can't tell my older boys went to VBS last week and as much as they enjoyed it, I think I enjoyed it twice as much....and yes for my own personal peace. Since VBS was in the evening I was able to shop, clean and even surprise my husband a little.
After a long day with six kids at the house, I was getting the boys ready to go to VBS and with 5 minutes left before we had to leave, I decided to surprise the hubby by going to the office. See one day a week my husband has an opportunity meeting and I miss it usually because it is so hard to take 3 kids to the office AND keep them QUIET. So with 5 minutes to get dressed, I threw on whatever did not need ironed and an extra squirt of perfume. It was time for Braylon and I to go support daddy and the business.
As expected my husband was very pleased to see us there. Braylon was ecstatic to be in the midst of all of the people... I swear he was showing off! So as the meeting began B did a wonderful job at being quiet, eating snacks. But as the meeting progressed he began to get "ants in his pants". Every time the room burst into applaud, B clapped to. Only B can only clap with one hand, slapping his right hand against his belly is B's way of clapping. And every time someone in the crowd would amen or cosign, Braylon would bounce up and down in his stroller. He was truly enjoying being in the environment of happy people cheering for one another. Who knows maybe B will be the best team player ever one day! Time came for my husband to present and as he walked up front B clapped along with everyone else. What caught me by surprise wasn't the ease my husband had speaking, it wasn't the amount everyone laughed at his jokes. It WAS that at every opportunity of silence, Braylon yelled "DADA, DADA!".... his first words. Joy filled my heart as I heard those words, even though they weren't "mama". Speaking can be very difficult for stroke victims, but I know for B it will be something else to brag about.
Braylon and I went to the office that evening to share in a business opportunity meeting, never expecting it to be Braylon's opportunity to tell his daddy he loves him and is proud of him in the simple, but endearing words of "DADA". What I learned... when an opportunity presents itself, take advantage even if that opportunity wasn't meant for you.
After a long day with six kids at the house, I was getting the boys ready to go to VBS and with 5 minutes left before we had to leave, I decided to surprise the hubby by going to the office. See one day a week my husband has an opportunity meeting and I miss it usually because it is so hard to take 3 kids to the office AND keep them QUIET. So with 5 minutes to get dressed, I threw on whatever did not need ironed and an extra squirt of perfume. It was time for Braylon and I to go support daddy and the business.
As expected my husband was very pleased to see us there. Braylon was ecstatic to be in the midst of all of the people... I swear he was showing off! So as the meeting began B did a wonderful job at being quiet, eating snacks. But as the meeting progressed he began to get "ants in his pants". Every time the room burst into applaud, B clapped to. Only B can only clap with one hand, slapping his right hand against his belly is B's way of clapping. And every time someone in the crowd would amen or cosign, Braylon would bounce up and down in his stroller. He was truly enjoying being in the environment of happy people cheering for one another. Who knows maybe B will be the best team player ever one day! Time came for my husband to present and as he walked up front B clapped along with everyone else. What caught me by surprise wasn't the ease my husband had speaking, it wasn't the amount everyone laughed at his jokes. It WAS that at every opportunity of silence, Braylon yelled "DADA, DADA!".... his first words. Joy filled my heart as I heard those words, even though they weren't "mama". Speaking can be very difficult for stroke victims, but I know for B it will be something else to brag about.
Braylon and I went to the office that evening to share in a business opportunity meeting, never expecting it to be Braylon's opportunity to tell his daddy he loves him and is proud of him in the simple, but endearing words of "DADA". What I learned... when an opportunity presents itself, take advantage even if that opportunity wasn't meant for you.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
NO WALKING!!
By now those of you who know me have heard me say, "Braylon is crawling!" Although crawling is a natural progression for babies, there was a time when we didn't think B would crawl...we thought he'd just walk first. Not until now did I realize the importance of him crawling. Yes, I know it is necessary for him to learn his balance and all but I had NO idea crawling helped with brain development.
Today at Dr. Erb's, the chiropractor, Dr. Kim was playing with B and thrilled with his improvements. She couldn't believe how fast he is getting around. After adjusting our family, Dr. Kim expressed how important it is for us to keep Braylon crawling... "No walking!" she reiterated. I wondered why it is so important that he doesn't walk. Well little did I know that crawling builds and strengthens the low-level brain areas, which is the foundation of the brain. And we all know it is very important to have a strong foundation... He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ~ Luke 6:48.
Outside of Braylon's stroke issues, he was also diagnosed with Strabismus.. a wandering eye. We took him to an optometrist months ago and she gave us patches to use over his "strong eye" and told us he would probably need surgery. Aaahhh! What else Lord? But like I said that was months ago and I only used the patches once because I hated pulling the patch off B's eye. We have been seeing Dr. Erb for a few months now and Braylon's eye no longer wanders. I am so thankful that through chiropractic adjustments strabismus is not an issue. Today I also discovered that Braylon crawling all over the place is helping with his eye movement as well. Funny when you open your mind to alternative healings, you realize how powerful God is. Without surgery, medicine or any other "normal" methods Braylon is getting better because of God's healing power within Braylon!
This may be a little off the subject, but I need to write it down anyways. We all have dreams that God put within us. We may look around and see other people having success at OUR dream and wonder why not me. The same principal applies here.... we must crawl first. My dreams are not on hold, but they haven't come fully into fruition. I may still be crawling, building my strong foundation. I accept that, because one of these days I'm going to walk and when I do my foundation will be built strong upon the Lord. Although crawling can seem like a slow process, shortly after you learn to walk you run. So take this message and remember "No walking!" God will let you know when it's time to run!!
Check out this article on why crawling is important.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
My boys,
This weekend was so much fun! I really enjoyed spending time at the lake. Watching ALL of you laughing and smiling was such a blessing... truly. You will always have my love...
This weekend was so much fun! I really enjoyed spending time at the lake. Watching ALL of you laughing and smiling was such a blessing... truly. You will always have my love...
My family spent time at the lake recently. I must admit it was worth packing up the 2 coolers, 4 beach bags, diaper bag, stroller & 3 kids. We all had a great time.
My thoughts bounced from watching the big brothers and being amazed at Braylon's swagger. He crawled all over the blanket taking in the wind, squinting at the sun. Sitting on the beach B played in the sand.....well, rocks :) and laughed at the waves splashing his face. He was "the man" enjoying the day with people he loves. He is not a victim in any way.... He knows he has it going on. And I love watching!!!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Colin Johnson
On the Today Show this morning a young man named Colin Johnson was a special guest. Kids have been invited to the Today Show for all different reasons: cooking, playing music, reading at age 2, but Colin was special for me. He was born 8 weeks pre-mature and suffered from brain hemorrhage. The outlook was not good at all. Eleven years later Colin is on a national news program playing the guitar.... and doing very well! His father was asked how he became talented in music. His response was to say his brain developed his special talents.
I believe in God and His plan, so for sure something awesome will come out of Braylon's brain damage. What??? I'm just waiting to see. Just like Colin, B is developing a strength we can never imagine and an attitude most of us wish for. Braylon may never play the guitar like Colin or even play football like Daddy, but he will find his passion that God has put into him. If that passion is developed from a damaged brain or healthy body, I don't know. He will however be great... just like the rest of my family.
Check out Colin's story and be impressed!
Today Show:11-year-old rocker performs
I believe in God and His plan, so for sure something awesome will come out of Braylon's brain damage. What??? I'm just waiting to see. Just like Colin, B is developing a strength we can never imagine and an attitude most of us wish for. Braylon may never play the guitar like Colin or even play football like Daddy, but he will find his passion that God has put into him. If that passion is developed from a damaged brain or healthy body, I don't know. He will however be great... just like the rest of my family.
Check out Colin's story and be impressed!
Today Show:11-year-old rocker performs
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