Hopeful
Things have been busy this past month, hence the slowdown in blogging. I traveled to Tuscaloosa for orientation, then started my online classes last week. We've been gone a lot doing random little weekend trips, and the rest of our summer is going to be a big mix of traveling + school.
But amidst the craziness of our schedules, we have continued working with Israel towards our goals for him and his delays. That involves therapy, doctor appointments, referrals for specialists, and our daily exercise activities.
We are in a place where it seems like there hasn't been any improvement in a long time, yet we are hopeful for change and for Israel to move forward. I think Israel being in school has been a great thing for him, and we have talked with his teachers and support team at the EI center to set goals for him there. One of our therapists said we can work towards having Israel in a walker by August and we are so excited that it could be a reality for him!
I'll be honest with you.... having hope is hard some days. Sometimes it is really discouraging to be in the same place, working on the same things, and taking steps backwards sometimes. It is hard to see kids who are younger than Israel doing things that I wish he could do. It is hard not comparing him. It is hard to hear the complaints of other mothers about their kids getting into trouble because of their mobility, self-feeding, or speech when I just ache for him to do any of those things at all. The other night we were watching "Parental Guidance", a great new movie out on Redbox right now, and there was a part (spoiler alert) where the boy who is in speech therapy finally does a stutter-free performance. The parents were crying and celebrating, and I was sitting there on my couch crying too. I can't wait until Israel walks, talks, eats by himself, reads himself a book, etc. I want so badly for him to do things by himself and to be mobile. I want our hard work, co-pays, hours of dedication to show fruit.
But we are hopeful. We have to be! We also trust God's sovereignty and are so thankful that Israel is seriously precious and such a joy to parent. He may not be moving forward in physical milestones but he is constantly amazing us with his silly personality. We couldn't have been given a more precious gift than our Israel Biruk. We know God is doing much during this season and we are choosing to trust Him in it, even if it is hard and not natural for us. We have to remind ourselves that while we seek answers from physicians and professionals, we must first seek the Lord and trust Him.
But amidst the craziness of our schedules, we have continued working with Israel towards our goals for him and his delays. That involves therapy, doctor appointments, referrals for specialists, and our daily exercise activities.
We are in a place where it seems like there hasn't been any improvement in a long time, yet we are hopeful for change and for Israel to move forward. I think Israel being in school has been a great thing for him, and we have talked with his teachers and support team at the EI center to set goals for him there. One of our therapists said we can work towards having Israel in a walker by August and we are so excited that it could be a reality for him!
I'll be honest with you.... having hope is hard some days. Sometimes it is really discouraging to be in the same place, working on the same things, and taking steps backwards sometimes. It is hard to see kids who are younger than Israel doing things that I wish he could do. It is hard not comparing him. It is hard to hear the complaints of other mothers about their kids getting into trouble because of their mobility, self-feeding, or speech when I just ache for him to do any of those things at all. The other night we were watching "Parental Guidance", a great new movie out on Redbox right now, and there was a part (spoiler alert) where the boy who is in speech therapy finally does a stutter-free performance. The parents were crying and celebrating, and I was sitting there on my couch crying too. I can't wait until Israel walks, talks, eats by himself, reads himself a book, etc. I want so badly for him to do things by himself and to be mobile. I want our hard work, co-pays, hours of dedication to show fruit.
But we are hopeful. We have to be! We also trust God's sovereignty and are so thankful that Israel is seriously precious and such a joy to parent. He may not be moving forward in physical milestones but he is constantly amazing us with his silly personality. We couldn't have been given a more precious gift than our Israel Biruk. We know God is doing much during this season and we are choosing to trust Him in it, even if it is hard and not natural for us. We have to remind ourselves that while we seek answers from physicians and professionals, we must first seek the Lord and trust Him.
You're not alone Rebekah. We have friends at church who's son was born with issues causing serious developmental delays. The young mom has expressed how hard it is to see others' 2 year olds talking and walking yet not her son. But with continued therapy and patience he has just very recently started walking on his own. They even had is good arm in a cast to force him to use his not working arm. They had times of "no change" too. He is full of laughs and joy like your Israel and in time you will see this joy of mobility too. Blessings on you and yours, Jasmine
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