Merry Christmas

I ran into Ms. Sue (Travis' PT who we love so much)yesterday at Staples and she told me I left everybody hanging because I never reported on the intensive therapy. She is right. I have been so busy between the kids, work and everything else that I just have not been able to write anything. But, now as I'm waiting for Emily to go to sleep (she refuses to go to bed before 11:00pm), I'll try to recap everything.

The therapy went very well. Travis absolutely loved the experience and looked forward to going every morning. His days were spent getting a massage first thing that helped limber up his muscles. Then he would have OT time where he got to do stuff to really work his core muscles, like spinning a gyroscope while sitting on a balance ball, or "flying." Then it was suit time, where he wore the therasuit and did activities like obstacle courses, walking on the treadmill, stairs and pedaling a bike. After the suit was his favorite--the cage. They put this little weight-lifter looking belt on him, and hooked up 8 bungy cords to the sides of this big metal "cage" looking thing. He got to jump and jump and jump. I think he was remembering back to the days when he could fit in the jumparoo that he loved so much. The cage was awesome for him though, because it really helped to strengthen his legs and was also very good sensory input for his nervous system.

At the end of the three weeks, there was a marked improvement in the quality of his walking. He also learned how to pedal a bike. He's working on pedaling his tricycle, but it sits more in a recumbant position, so it's a little harder---but he's getting there. He can also do a small curb, or step nearly unassisted. I was so very proud of him because he was able to walk all the way from the car to his school, by himself, on the first day of school this year.

He still has a problem focusing on where he is going and is easily distracted by things around him, but he is doing very well. We are working on all of that, too, through the sensory integration. His therapist, Ms. Lauren, has really helped us with some tricks and activities to help him focus better. He's learned how to draw lines and trace letters with her, and can even make a T by himself. She has done a fantastic job.

He has had a great first semester at school, as well. I really like his teacher, another Ms. Lauren. She's been so interested in learning about him and things that might help him succeed. Travis loves Ms. Lauren, too and is always talking about her. When I say "it's time to go to school" in the morning he literally runs to the door. It makes me so happy to see him enjoying it so much. We're coming up on a huge challenge, however. He'll be turning 5 in June and will have to go to kindergarten. I'm still perplexed as to what to do. I am dead-set against the public school we are zoned for, so I'm researching other options like private schools and homeschooling. Please pray that the Lord will show us the way, and what will be the best for Travis next year.

We are still battling the oral-motor problems and Travis is still drinking Pediasure for his food. I stopped taking him to Beckman in August because we were going to be gone for 3 weeks with the intensive, and I wanted to concentrate on the sensory therapy for a while. I'm now searching for a new therapist who might have some different ideas of how to tackle the problem. I think we are going to try one of the therapists at UCP (where Travis goes to school) so we will see how that develops.


Emily turned 2 on November 3 and ushered in the "terrible two's" phase. Don't get me wrong, she is beatiful and sweet and I love her with all of my heart...but she has her moments. Not going to bed on time is one of them. I shudder to think that I'm going to have to give up "nap time." I've considered "nap time" such a gift...the chance for just one hour of quietness. I've tried to preserve it with everything I can. I still manage to get Travis to take a nap probably 3 or 4 days a week, and they both take their naps at the same time so it is my mid-day recharge to finish out the afternoon. But, if it means a few extra hours in the evening, it might be worth the trade.

Emily is a very sweet little girl, though. Lately, she loves to come up to you, out of the blue, and give you a really big hug and say, I love you, mommy. Those moments make it all worthwhile. She's so verbal now, too. You can totally have a conversation with her, and she is hillarious. A few weeks ago she grabbed a coupon from the table and announces "50 dollars." I said, "What are you going to do with $50?" She says "Buying things." I said "Where are you going to buy things?" She says, "The mall." No lie, my 2-year-old daughter is already dreaming of going on a shopping spree at the mall. We are in trouble!

Travis and Emily are both kind of hyped on Santa. Travis a little more so than Emily. Travis has memorized all the stories, and learned all the songs and (thanks to GiGi) is convinced Santa will be dropping down through the air conditioning vent return on Christmas Eve (since we don't have a chimney). I read about a neat idea where you give Santa a magic key to get in your house if you don't have a chimney, so I asked Travis if he would like to do that. He said no, he wanted him to come through that thing in the ceiling. Thanks, mom.

Emily wants a present, but she doesn't want to be anywhere near Santa when he brings it. She's such a scardy-cat. I think halloween traumatized her. We would see all the displays in the stores (which some are very scary, mind you) and she would say "ooo, spooky." Now, she still talks about seing the ghosts and we are trying to explain the ghosts are gone. She hasn't caught on to Santa like Travis, but she does say she wants Santa to bring her a present and she wants it to be some babies (she's really into baby dolls right now).

I am proud that they both know the Christmas story, and that it is not just about Santa. I got them a Little People nativity set, and they play with it all the time. I hear Emily all the time having the Mary and the Baby talking to each other and she'll say "I love you mommy, I love you baby Jesus." It is very precious. We went over to MiMi's house on Thanksgiving, and she has a life-size nativity of Joseph, Mary and Jesus in her yard. Emily loved it and wanted to play with it. She kneeled down next to the manger and says, "Wake up baby, Jesus, wake up!" Travis wanted to know all about the star on top of the tree, so I explained about the Angel and the star leading the wisemen and the shepherds to Jesus. He really liked that story and whenever we flip on the lights on the tree, he says the angel is telling everyone where to find Baby Jesus. I look forward to teaching them more and more about our Lord and the precious things he has done for us.

Sean's birthday is Tuesday. We will be going to Kobe's with his family. Mmmm, I can taste the white sauce now! I hope the kids enjoy it. You never know about our monkeys. We'll see what happens.

In case I do not have another chance before, Merry Christmas! We look forward to 2010 and all the wonderful things that we'll be experiencing and doing.

Take care,

Christy

Pediasure Fairy

We were leaving yesterday afternoon to run to the grocery store, and noticed a big box on our front step. Sean got out and discovered someone had left us six 6-packs of Pediasure! The only clue was a note that said "Thought You Could Use These, Much Love."

I have no idea who left them for us, but I want that person to know we were surprised and thrilled when we discovered the treasure! We are still blown-away by the kindness. I only wish I knew who it was so I could thank them officially. Perhaps if they read this blog, they will see this message and know how greatly we appreciated their gesture. May God bless you for being so kind!

Travis wanted to know what Daddy found at the door, and I told him the Pediasure Fairy came and left him some pediasure. He seemed happy with that answer and maybe even a litte excited---like we had just discovered another Santa Claus.

Thanks again, Pediasure Fairy, wherever you are!

Waiting with Anticipation

You know that feeling you get when it's a few days before Christmas and the tree is up, the presents are wrapped and every thing is in place? You're so excited you cannot wait for the day to come. Well, that's kind of where we are right now. Our long-awaited "miracle" therapy is almost here and we are about two weeks from going.

I say "miracle" therapy because we are truly waiting for and expecting a miracle. God has made it abundantly clear that this therapy program is what he has willed for Travis. It has been humbling, and awesome, to watch his plan unfold and already I get goosebumps thinking about what He will do next. I am going to recap things, forgive me if you have already heard the story. It's just so awesome that I want to tell it again.

This thing all started Christmas 2008. Mom, dad and Mandy had seen this story on Good Morning America that they were really excited about it and called me right away. They happened to see a story about a little girl in Miami who had cerebral palsy and could not walk independently. She could use furniture to kind of "creep" around the room, but that was the extent. The focus of the story was about her mom having to leave for Iraq and while her mom was gone, her grandmother took her to this intensive therapy clinic and they taught her how to walk. When her mom returned (a year later) from Iraq, the little girl literally ran to her in the airport. It was amazing, and still gives me chills. I watched the story on the internet that afternoon and cried when I saw it. My heart leaped, that maybe we could figure out a way to give Travis an opportunity like this.

From there the search began. I acutally called the clinic that was featured in Miami and learned more about their program. The cost was expensive (too say the least) not to mention it was a 4-week program, in Miami and we would have to either stay in a hotel or somewhere like the Ronald McDonald House. While trying to figure out how it would work for us to go, we started researching "intensive therapy" a little more and lo and behold we found a clinic in Winter Park who did the same program and was about $4,000 less expensive. I guess God loves Google, because that was how we stumbled onto Innovative Children's Therapy's website and began to learn more about this new therapy. Considering there are only 90 clinics in the US that offer this intesnive suit therapy, and 120 worldwide, it's another God-thing that there happens to be one about 20 minutes from our house!

We consulted with everyone we could think of...doctors, therapists, etc. and kept getting good reports. Travis' Physical Therapist (Ms. Sue) had some kids who had attended the program, as did his Speech Therapist (Ms. Yvonne). All reported amazing results. Our neurologist (Dr. Kojic) had not had any of her patients actually go to the therapy, but was intrigued by it and is very encouraging at how she thinks Travis will preform and is excited for him to attend. Based on all we had heard, I made an appointment, and dad and I took Travis one morning for an evaluation (this was back in January). They assessed him and told us they thought Travis would be an ideal candidate for the therapy and we could see him attain goals like increasing balance, better walking patterns, even pedaling a bicycle! We discussed attending the program, and looked at it from every angle. I knew I wanted Travis to have this opportunity for his future independence, but I also knew it was very expensive. We already pay so much in medical and therapy bills, that I was not sure at all where the money was going to come from. We prayed, and prayed and prayed some more as to what to do. God put it on our hearts that yes, this was a chance we were going to have to take, so on faith I signed Travis up and believed God would help us find the money. Mom and dad believed whole-heartedly with us that this was what we needed to do, and they gave us the money for the deposit that was due at the time of the registration.

Soon after we filled out the paperwork and paid the initial deposit, our first blessing came. A generous donation, totally unexpected and out-of-the-blue, from an organization that Sean's Aunt and Uncle are a part of. Right away we knew, God was beginning to honor His promise. Next, I started getting a few new projects and jobs come in...totally unsolicited...and I knew again, God was making it happen. Sean received a nice bonus check from a job that closed out over a year ago, and we had kind of forgotten about, and we added that to the fund. Sean's mom and sister offered to organize a garage sale to help raise money and the Lord blessed their efforts by raising $2,000!! When have you ever heard of a garage sale making that much money?! Totally from God!! On top of all that, so many of our family and friends sent us money. I will admit, at first, I did not want to take the donations people were sending us because I totally feel this is our responsibility and I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for us. But, then I started to understand that these love gifts were from people who wanted to help Travis and give him the independence he deserves, and again I was humbled at their generosity and love. So, they charged my credit card this week for the remainder of the balance and I am proud to say that God delivered because we have enough money in our "therapy fund" to pay the bill. Praise God!

If all that's not enough to know God is behind all of this, how about a couple other "woven" together stories? Back in February, Sean and I attended a special needs fair that provided community resources and seminars for families of children with special needs. We all know how I feel about the public school system's attempt to meet the needs of special needs kids, so of course I attended a breakout session that discussed homeschooling. It was a great discussion, and I learned a lot. In the seminar, there was another mom there who was sharing about her daughter and she sounded so much like me. We introduced ourselves and began comparing notes and she shared that her daughter had been to Innovative Children's Therapy and they had seen some real success with it. We exchanged e-mails and phone numbers and I left thinking, I've seen her somewhere before. In correspondence after our meeting we discovered that she and her daughter were actually at the Innovative Children's Therapy the day I took Travis for his evaluation. We watched them finish their session as we were waiting for our appointment. What a small world!!!

The next exciting piece of the puzzle actually stemmed from some issues we have been having lately with Travis' behavior. For the last few months he's seemed to be more distracted than normal, and hard to get his attention. He also started showing some frustration in trying new things and transitioning between activities. We were at our speech therapy session a few weeks ago with Yvonne and she decided to put him on the swing and see what happened. Travis immediately became infatuated with the sound the chains made when he shook them, and it was hard to get his attention on what we were doing. Yvonne started asking more questions, and mentioned that he may have some sensory processing issues. I've always known Travis has had "sensory" problems. He sometimes gags at the touch of things like playdough, and texture issues are the main hold-back when it comes to his eating, but I never thought they were to the point where they were effecting him in other ways. Yvonne suggested we look into sensory therapy and see if he might could benefit.

I started researching, and the more I read the more I discovered it sounded a lot like Travis. I called a clinic here in Lake Mary that specializes in sensory processing disorder and got him in for an eval a few weeks ago. They determined that yes, he does have sensory issues and that they can help him learn to regulate his nervous system and the way he processes input from his senses. He started last Wed. with his first session, and we've already seen some changes as far as calmness and focus. In addition to helping increase attention and focus, one of the goals of this new therapy is to help desensitize his oral-motor issues so he can handle a wider variety of textures. Maybe this is the missing link we have been searching for over the last three years trying to help him learn how to eat food. God, how I pray, this may be the answer. It's pretty complicated, but if you'd like to learn more about it, here's a link to some great videos that kind of explain it better:http://www.cpdiscovery.com/index.asp?category=Sensory_Integration_Therapy

I am hopeful the next time I post an entry on this blog that Travis is walking completely independently WITHOUT the need for someone to hold his hand or follow him around in case he falls. I'm also expecting he'll be jumping, running, riding his tricycle, feeding himself and dressing himself like a "normal" kid. I pray God will bless him with independence and for the first time in his life give him the ability to play, move and grow "hands-free." How exciting that will be. If you want to see the kind of stuff he'll be doing at the intensive therapy, watch these videos: http://www.cpdiscovery.com/intensive-therapy-program-for-children-with-cp-part-1.html and
http://www.cpdiscovery.com/children-with-cp-benefit-from-therasuit-method.html

As you'll see in the video, this is going to be hard-work for Travis. He's going to be asked to do a lot, and he's going to be tired and sore. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for his attention, his stamina and his interest level that he will be willing and wanting to participate. I also want to pray for the therapists that will be working with him (Arianna, Dayna nad Trevor)that they will appreciate Travis for the miracle he is, have the wisdom to help him and offer loving encouragement.

I'm sorry that this post focused so much on the upcoming therapy, but it is really the main thing going on with us right now. I do not want to take away from Emily at all! She is unbelievable, prancing around here like she owns the place (and, really she does). She's talking all the time now and some of the things she says are absolutely hillarious. Lately she's taken to calling me "mom" (instead of mama) and Travis "Trav." The other night at dinner I said, Emily would you like something to drink? She says, yes mom. I said, what would you like? She says, Cup of milk, please. I said, a cup of milk? She says, yes, mom. Seriously, like she's 35 or something. It cracks me up. She's always very polite, though, and always says thank you when we give her something. She's so used to hearing me say "sweetie" or "baby" that she says it all the time too. She'll say, "Want some, baby" if she wants a bite or a sip of what you've got and she'll say "I'm sorry, baby" if she gets a boo-boo or gets in trouble. I promise, I will devote one of these entries to her one of these days.

The other exciting thing that happened around here was Travis' 4th birthday. We had an awesome party...I hired a Kindermusik instructor to come and she spent an HOUR singing, playing the guitar, dancing, and telling stories. The kids LOVED it and Travis had the best time. I think Emily enjoyed herself. She stayed in the kitchen hovered over the little snack tray for most of the party, but did manage to join the action when "Itsy Bitsy Spider" was being sung. I'll try to put some pictures up so you can see.

If you've made it all the way through to the end, here, congratulations! I'm almost done. The only thing I have left is a Bible verse that Sean picked out for us. I think it sums us up right now...

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" Isaiah 30:18.

Hallelujah! We have waited for a long time, and I think God is about to bless us with his graciousness. Thank you, God, for your compassion and love!

His humble servant,

Christy

Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a great Easter holiday. We had a lot of fun. Sean was able to take some time off during Travis' Spring Break and we had a little "stay-cation." We didn't do much, but we kind of enjoyed that. Our biggest outing was a trip to SeaWorld. The kids had a blast. Travis is still talking about it.
His favorite was the shark encounter (which he calls the 'shopping counter'). Emily enjoyed everything, but hated having to get back in the stroller every time we came out of one of the attractions. She loves to walk and run. We got the Fun Pass so we can go back whenever we want. We hope to find the time to go a lot, though it seems our calendar always fills up before we know what happened.

Our Easter started with some egg-dying on Good Friday. Okay, so 16 months and 3-1/2 is still a little too young around our house. Bless their hearts, they really tried. Travis thought it was cool how the eggs plopped into the cups and Emily just really enjoyed making a mess. Saturday we got to go to my Grandparent's house and spend some time with them. My Grandaddy will be 80-years-old this year, and I feel so blessed that my children are getting to know them. Memaw took a fall not too long ago, but seemed to be doing well. We had such a good time visiting. The kids were a little shy at first, but warmed up toward the end. I hope to be able to take them a lot this summer. On Sunday, we went to Jennifer's house to celebrate Easter and Liam's 1st birthday. It was very nice. There were lots of kids there to enjoy an easter egg hunt. Emily really had a great time looking for all the eggs, while Travis preferred to swing and explore Jennifer's nice back yard.

We are looking forward to the big Garage Sale this weekend at Jennifer's house. MiMi Ann has organized this garage sale to help raise some money for Travis' intensive therapy session this summer. We've been collecting items for a month now, and she's starting moving it all over to Jennifer's house to sort and price. There is a TON of stuff and thank you to everyone who donated stuff. If you aren't busy on Saturday morning, we would love for you to stop by and say hello. We plan to get started around 8 am and close whenever people stop coming by. The address is 556 Thames Circle, Longwood, 32750.

In addition to the garage sale, Jennifer has a friend who is hosting a Silpada party (sterling silver jewelry) and donating half of the profits for Travis' therapy. The link to the catalog is: http://mysilpada.com/sites/ingrid/private/content/catalog.jsf

Travis is doing so well with his walking, that I cannot wait to see what the therapy is going to do for him. I think we are going to see some amazing results. I am hopeful that it will carry over into other areas, as well. The therapy will focus on core strength (better trunk control) which is related to so many things, including oral-motor stuff. This may give him the stability to feel comfortable enough to start eating. How I pray for that one!

This message tonight is short and sweet. As always, we appreciate your love and support of our family. There is no way we would be where we are without it. Thank you for your friendship, prayers and kindness.

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" -- Ecclesiastes 4:10

Christy

All is Well...sort of

Travis is on his second-round of antibiotics for a stubborn ear infection. By now, everyone knows my grief about having a child in school for the first time who seems to catch every cold, virus and bacteria that's floating around. A week-and-a-half ago it was the same story. This time he had an ear infection (first time). We started antibiotics and he was better by the next day. He finished up the meds on Wednesday and sure enough, this morning he woke up coughing and with a slight fever. I just couldn't believe he had already caught something new, so I took him to the doc this afternoon and found out the ear infection was still there. We started a new antibiotic today, so hopefully that will do the trick. Other than that, things are going well.

I know everyone says this, but my kids are truly amazing. Travis is into spelling and reading now. He constantly asks me to spell words for him. He asks me so much that I started asking him to spell them back, and do you know he can? He has a long list of words that he can spell now, it's incredible. I did an experiment last week and wrote some words on the chalkboard and did you know he can read them, too? I was shocked. I'm making him a little book using the words he knows so he will be able to read it all by himself. I just have to come up with a storyline stringing together train, bug and cow. Hmmm...

Emily is amazing as well. Last weekend I was giving her a bath, and I told her it was time to get out and I started to count. I said, "One," and she says "two, three, four, five." Again, I was dumbfounded. I didn't know 16-month-olds could count to five! She's talking a lot now, and it is so much fun to listen to her. I guess she's heard me call her sweetie so much, she's started saying it. Every morning when I get her out of the crib she greets me with a "Hi, sweetie." I took a short video of her saying it.

It's really hard to get her to sit still, so this was the best I could do. She's even tried singing along to the theme song on Go, Diego, Go and it is priceless. She's into climbing now and I find her everywhere. One day I was doing something in the kitchen, and came around the corner to find her sitting in my chair at the computer. So, if you get a random e-mail from me that doesn't make sense, it was probably from her.

We did have some bad news recently. Precious, my mom's dog, had to be put down. Precious entered the family the same year I graduated high school, so that was about 15 years ago. (Wow). She certainly earned her right as part of the family, and cooperated well losing some of the spotlight when the kids came along. She was very nice to the kids and they really liked her. Precious was one of the first words Emily started saying and she would always want to see the woof-woof at GiGi's house. It was a very sad day, and continues to be sad. But, she lived a long, good life and was well-loved and taken care of. I'm sure she's in doggie-heaven with our old dog Buddy and Memaw and Grandaddy's Magic having a great time.

You may remember in my last post, I announced we were going to be taking Travis to the intensive therapy program this summer. We are all registered and set to go the first three weeks of August. I'm really exited about it. Everyday Travis gets better at his walking (and everything else) and I cannot wait to see the amazing results from the therapy. We are going to be having a garage sale on Sat., April 18 at Sean's sister Jennifer's house in Longwood. Sean's mother is organizing it and has already started selling things (she has a real gift for garage sales). The money we raise at the garage sale is going to go towards the therapy costs. So, if anyone is interested in donating items, please call or e-mail me. Also, if you live in town here, maybe you'd like to stop by. I made a flyer for it, and hopefully after I post this update I can figure out a way to get it on this blog. It has all the info on it, and we would love to see you there.

Open publication - Free publishing

Other than that, it's business as usual around here. We're hoping to use a little of our tax refund to take the kids out to Sea World during Travis' spring break in a few weeks. We think they will really enjoy it. Maybe the weather is finally stabilizing and we'll have a really nice, warm day to go. Our only concern is the stroller situation. Neither one of the kids want to ride in a stroller anymore, but it is too much walking for them. I'm sure we'll figure something out.

You know I always like to close my blog posts with a Bible verse that has inspired me. This time, it is a Bible passage, and I found it in our Preschool Sunday School lesson, of all places. I was preparing for teaching our 2-year-olds class Sunday (thought it looks like Sean will have to go alone again this week as I'll be home with Travis) and I read a story I don't know if I've really taken the time to read before. It is about 10 lepers that asked Jesus for healing. The first time I read it, I didn't think much about it because I was trying to decide what kind of activity we could do with the kids to illustrate it. But, the more I thought about it, the more this is a really great story that I need to spend some more time reading. It struck me as very poignant in light of our upcoming therapy. Here's the passage, from Luke 17:11-19 (NIV):

11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

So often, I have found myself like the 9 lepers that went straight on to the priest. God does an amazing miracle in our life, and I get so excited I forget to stop and thank him. And, for the first time, I realized that Jesus notices. He didn't beg for thanks, though as our King he has every right to demand it. Instead, he let's us exercise our free will. I cannot even imagine the lepers' excitement when they were healed. It would be similar to someone with terminal cancer being told the disease was gone. They were able to live their lives again. Who wouldn't be ready to get on with it? Yet, their excitement overshadowed the fact that Jesus had healed them. It was almost like they kind of took it for granted. Wow, does that sound like me.

I beg and plead and ask Jesus for healing, and then when I get it I rarely spend the time at his feet thanking him. I'm usually in the pack that is running off to the priest. God gave me this story for a reason. I'm expecting some big things to come from this therapy session this summer, and I've spent a lot of time praying about it. I've asked him to prepare Travis, and prepare the therapists for what is going to happen. I haven't spent much time asking him to prepare my heart. I know giving us this story to teach to our class is his way of reminding me that I need to do that. I know he is telling me, you are going to see miraculous things, but please don't forget where the miracles come from. My prayer will be amended now. I will ask him to prepare me to know that I have witnessed a miracle and to not forget who was the one who performed it. May my lips always be full of praise for my Lord!

With His Love,

Christy

Finally an update!

Welcome to the new blog about Travis and Emily! It has taken me months to find the time to get the new site together. Not because it is elaborate or took a long time to set-up, but because these days it's hard to find a minute to spare. Between the kids, work and everything else down-time is a rarity. I'm sure everyone can relate. But, we have some very exciting things on the horizon and I thought I would take a minute to share.

The kids are great. Travis is amazing. He started "talking" in August or September 2008 and hasn't stopped. The kid who only had a few beginning sounds on his birthday last June is now talking in complete sentences, reciting tounge twisters and even telling jokes. Every time he opens his mouth I am amazed at what God has done. It is so wonderful to now know what he's thinking, what he needs and what makes him happy. He has been doing very well at his school, UCP in Lake Mary. Being at school has given him new found independence and confidence, especially in walking and mobility. He is doing better every day and balance and strength continue to increase. He even pedalled a tricycle for the first time a few weeks ago. The bad thing, since starting school, he has been sick just about every other week. I think because for the first three years of his life I kept him in such a germ-free bubble and never exposed him to stuff that now he's paying the price. He was thrown rather abruptly into a sea of kids who have been in daycares and preschools for a long time and he's managed to catch everything they have to offer. I pray he is building up his immune system and maybe in the Spring when the cold and flu bugs are gone, he'll be more healthy.

Emily is something else. She started walking at about 10 months and hasn't stopped. She is very inspired by Travis and wants to be in the middle of whatever it is he is doing. She keeps up with him pretty good, though she's not so good at Hungry, Hungry Hippos...she tends to eat the marbles herself rather than letting the hippos do it, so she's not allowed to play that one. I took her this week for her 15-month check-up and she passed with flying colors and stole the hearts of everyone in the doctor's office. Her big blue eyes, long eyelashes and cute curly hair continue to get lots of compliments and smiles. She is very friendly and loves to talk. I'm surprised at how many words she already has and can put together. She is like Travis in so many ways, especially when it comes to reading books. She can keep herself entertained for a long time, sitting in the Elmo chair looking at books. She's also an excellent dancer. Whenever she hears music she starts bopping to the beat. I think I might enroll her in a dance class for her birthday.

Sean and I are doing well, too. We consider ourselves very lucky to be employed and working. Since Sean's job is tied so closely to construction, we have been nervous with the state of the economy. But, we have great confidence that the Lord will provide and so far Sean has managed to escape the layoffs and demotions that are falling around him. God has blessed me with some new clients which I am very excited about, both financially and professionally. I burn the midnight oil, usually clocking-in when the kids go to bed, but it is worth it to be able to bring home a second income while still having the blessing of staying home with the kids.

Over Christmas, we saw a story on Good Morning America about a new type of therapy program that is giving kids with CP some amazing results. It was a clinic in Miami that uses intense therapy and something called a Therasuit to help retrain the brain. The child that was highlighted in the story was very similar to Travis. She was a right-hemi (meaning it was her right side that was weak) and she had problems with balance, walking, etc. After the therapy she was able to walk, run and many other things. I started researching it and even called the therapy place in Miami. After a little more research we discovered there was a clinic right here in Winter Park that was doing the same type of therapy. So, we called them and went for a screening. After observing Travis the therapists feel that he would be an excellent candidate for their program and said we could look to reach goals like normalizing gait (walking) patterns, increasing balance, running, jumping even riding a bicycle! The program is 3-weeks long and is Monday through Friday from 8:30-12:30. It is one-on-one with a Physical Therapist and Occupational Therapist and time in the Therasuit. We are very excited about what is to come from it and are praying that by the end of the session Travis will be as independent as any other 4-year-old (which is how old he will be when we go). We are signed up to attend in August. I have felt an urge to begin praying for the therapy now, in great anticipation and expectation. I think that is part of the reason why I have resurrected this blog. I feel God is calling me to enlist upon our prayer partners and ask for your prayers as well. I am going to try to start updating this page more frequently and giving some concrete things we would ask you to remember in your prayers. I think we will all be blessed by the result.

We've already seen God work in this area and we know this new therapy is where he wants Travis to be. Since we saw the story on TV we have been praying about it and asking God for direction. The program is not cheap, and we did not want to let finances be the thing keeping us from what could potentially be a real breakthrough for Travis and change his life. So, what else do we do but pray about it. God confirmed that this is what he wants Travis to do right now because he blessed us with some money to put towards the expenses. Check this story out. Sean and I had been praying for weeks about the therapy and asking God to help provide a way to finance it if it was His will. Last month, out of the blue, we got a call from Sean's Aunt Romilda and Uncle Bruce (Len's sister and her husband). They have been affiliated with a group where they live in South Florida that organizes an annual Arts & Crafts festival to raise money for scholarships. The scholarships are usually given to high school seniors going to college, but for the past several years there were no applicants and no money was distributed. In January the group had a meeting and discussed the fact that they had this "extra money" they needed to give away to close their books and wanted to know if anyone knew someone to give it to. A few people spoke up with some names and Bruce said God put it on his heart to talk about Travis. He told the group the story and they wrote him a check to send to us. When they called to give us the good news, we were blown away! I deposited the money in our "therapy account" last week and we plan to put it towards the therapy session in August. I'm still working on my thank you note because I want it to express not only our gratitude but how the Lord has worked "behind the scenes" to make it happen.

I have probably written too much, and I consider you a dear friend if you have read this entry all the way till the end. We all know I enjoy writing, and sometimes I have a tendency to not know when to stop. I will be updating this blog frequently, and I believe this website has an option for you to follow it when there are new posts. I will not bog you down with e-mails announcing a new post, except when something important is going on.

I will continue to include Bible Verses I have found especially insightful at the end of my posts. This one is one that God led me to a few months ago that really hit me hard:

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Since Travis was born I have been praying for a complete healing--a full restoration for him. I know that God has the power to do that and I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't. In frustration, I turned to the Bible and found this passage and it all became clear. God puts disabilities, weaknesses, hardships, trials, etc. in our lives to remind us of his power and to rely on his strength. If he "healed" us we would be under the false impression that we can do it on our own. Those weaknesses are the things that bring us closer to Him because they force us to rely on Him. Such a simple concept, yet so hard to swallow. It does give me renewed faith, though, to know God has chosen my son and our family to display his power. It makes me think back to what the doctors told us on that first day in the hospital when we found out Travis was coming way too early. They gave us a list of things that would happen--none of it good. They basically told us the result would be a life that was not worth saving. But, God spoke to us and told us not to listen to men. Rely on his power and we would be fine. I am proud to say we obeyed and the result has been nothing short of miraculous. Sure, we have some problems and issues that at times get the best of us, but the little life that was "not worth saving" has turned into be a bright, determined, funny, happy, polite, loving child that defies odds and dumbfounds doctors every day.

That verse holds a two-fold meaning for me, too. Not only does it confirm for me that God has "healed" Travis, but it points out to me my own spiritual "special needs." I am far from perfect and would classify myself as handicapped at times. Yet, God loves me enough and believes in me enough to extend His power through His son Jesus, and heal me instantly. My therapy has been intensive and strenuous, and it is far from over, but I am thankful that God as my therapist will continue to mold me into the person He wants me to be.