Back in the saddle

Yes... I am still alive for those of you who might still be hanging around wondering. When I paused to take a peek at the blog, I realized how long it had actually been. UGH! So, here I am... ready to get back in to the routine of updating. I love having people read the blog, but it's also kind of my journal of parenting and where the kids are at, too. So, I really do need to stay on track - lol!

We've just been doing life over the past couple weeks. The kids have been busy with school and doing well. I'm thinking about making an appointment to visit with Matthew's teachers, just to see how he's adjusting to the school routine. In some ways, I can see that school is good for him. In other ways... well, I can see some of the negative behaviors he's picking up from other kids. I don't have a sense of how he is interacting with his peers so that's one of the things I really want to find out about. Although Matthew's speech has come a long way, I do worry that his difficulty with language may affect the ability to develop friendships. There are a few more weeks of swim class which Matthew really enjoys. He gets to work 1:1 with a volunteer. Last week, they started practicing "diving" for rings in shallow water.

Maia is doing well. She's walking (albeit a bit unsteady yet) around the upstairs of our house on her own. She's been busy with appointments, therapy, school. If you think of it, please say a prayer for our girl tomorrow (Tuesday). She is having an EEG in the morning. When she was hospitalized, the two EEGs that were performed showed abnormal brain activity called "peaks and waves." These can affect the ability to speak. So, the epileptologist (seizure specialist) wants to see if these are still present and the reason that Maia has not regained any speech or verbalization yet. If there are still peaks and waves on the EEG, they may recommend medication to depress them and see if it improves her communication. Problem is that the medication would likely be Valium or something similar. I am not thrilled about this idea, but I guess if it helped Miss Maia to communicate again, then it would be worth it.

Last weekend, we attended a workshop in the cities called Beyond Consequences. It is for parents, caregivers, professionals who live with/care for traumatized kids. Mark and I both found it helpful. The presenter is an adotive mother of 2 children from Russia and social worker. One of the concepts is that brains do not develop normally in kids who come from backgrounds of abuse, neglect, and trauma. They live in a constant state of stress and fear - choosing to either act out or shut down. Much of the philosophy depends on us as parents changing our perceptions and approach. I am being challenged for sure!

I am guessing that every parent feels this way at one time or another, but parenting is such a humbling experience. As with so much in my life, it reinforces my need for God and my dependence on Him for wisdom, patience, and understanding. Somehow, he saw Mark and I as worthy to parent Matthew and Maia so I have to trust that He will equip us with what we need to do so.

I'll get a couple of cute pics of the kids posted soon and try to share more of what's happening here. Happy Monday!!