Steps

Last evening the boys were playing outside and NB did something totally new!
He has recently started playing with the little basketball goal we have out there, although it is too tall for him. So I was picking him up and holding him just within arm's reach of the goal, telling him to "put it in", "put the ball in" so he would do it, and I would cheer (and repeatprocess several times). Last evening as we were doing this, NB was jabbering as I held him, waiting for him to put the ball in the basket. It seemed very deliberate so I said "ball" very clearly and he watched my mouth and I said it a couple more times and he said "ba-ba" !!!! I praised him and he put it in and I ran in the house to tell PJ (who was taking it easy at the time). We both came back out and I got NB back in the game again and said "ball" every time and he said "baa" at least two more times. And once, after he picked the ball back up, and as he lifted his arms to be raised up again he said "baa", which is pretty much requesting, something he has never done before! So he was labelling and requesting!

PJ also told me later that NB signed "more" when he was giving the boys some chicken for supper (I was at the store). He was giving PJ5 a piece and NB was watching him, then he looked down at his hands and put them together in the sign for "more". PJ said "do you want more?" and got another piece for him. But he told me "it was almost like he(NB) was talking to himself, because he didn't look at me but down at his hands."

I haven't said much here about PJ5, but he is making a lot of progress at school. His progress tends to fluctuate, and he is on a big upswing right now. Our IEP meeting went well and was very encouraging. I'll probably share more about it later.

The last straw

well...it feels like it anyway

I woke up with a sore throat and general achiness. I didn't take NB to MDO because a half-hour before I should take him he had a low fever(99.2) . He was fever-free yesterday and when he woke up this morning, so that was a bummer--and the fever was gone about an hour later! After this I had a high fever and couldn't find any ibuprofen in the house, except Children's. So after laying down a while we all went to the store for some essential items, namely medicine and juice and Sprite. The fresh air revived me a little, but by the time we checked out I was achy again and my purse strap felt like a knife buried in my shoulder. Back home with some lunch for the boys now. PJ5 will be going to school soon, then I will put NB in his crib and lay myself down too.

(I do have a babysitter for my meeting tomorrow, thanks for the offers; and it's too important to cancel. I just hope my head is clear.)

My main concern is that my husband NOT get this cold right before his test...That would be the last straw!

Pardon my doom and gloom. It's hard to be cheerful and upbeat when you feel like......well....you know...

This week

There are so many things going on this week, that are matters of prayer for me. So for the 4 or 5 people that read my blog, perhaps you would keep these things in your prayers...

This week PJ is taking his long, hard, 8-hour test on Friday. That means he will be studying pretty much every day this week, so we won't see much of him at home (pray for me too!). He needs speed for doing all the calculations in the limited time; and mental and physical stamina to last all day (this is sometimes a problem for him); and good recall of what he has studied. (Just FYI we are still going to have some time together on our date night since he shouldn't really cram the night before)

Wednesday morning I am going to PJ5's IEP meeting. (Also, I have yet to find someone to watch the boys during that time.) I am a little apprehensive about this, because I don't know all the people who are on the IEP team, and I have been hearing several horror stories of meetings where the parents have to really fight to get what they want on the plan. This is probably just me imagining the worst-case scenario. I like his teacher and have talked to one other person whom I feel is on the same page for what we want for PJ5, but I know next to nothing about the 4 other people who will be there.

To top things off NB is fighting a bad cold.

I am also going to be praying a lot on Tuesday for Stellan who will be having a very risky surgery in Boston for his heart problems. He is only 5 months old which is what makes the surgery so risky.

It seems like there's something else, but my mind can't think of anything.
I also had a review meeting today for NB's current program, which will end when he turns 3 years old, in only 5 months! At that point he will transition out of the state's early intervention program and into school! We spent some time talking about that, including some of our options, and will have an official transition meeting in May. The meeting today went well, but I am still a little keyed (stressed) from that. I also really wanted to go to Texas this week and see my aunt who has been in the Philippines for the last year and will soon return, but I couldn't figure out how to fit that in with everything else that's going on!

Just for fun

I decided to try this, but I'm not sure. I didn't feel like some of the answers fit me just right so it was hard to pick. :)

The result was:
You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

Take the Quiz here!

Explanation

Alright, my last post was a little abrupt and out of the blue, perhaps. I was in a hurry. I found that article and was (not for the first time) disgusted with the words of Rick Warren. I like his 5 basic "purposes", though I don't agree with everything he says in that book. But some of his teachings just are not Biblical. This disturbs me because so many, both in the church and outside of it, see him as a spokesperson for Christianity and the church.

We cannot be wishy-washy. God is truth and His Word is Truth. We must stand up for that truth and not back down. Even if it offends. Yes, we are to speak the truth in love, but often people focus on the "in love" part and never get to the truth. If we do not stand for the truth, then the world and its secular culture will walk over us. They are quite willing to oblige. The world is all for materialism, self-satisfaction, and perversion of truth; even though it may disguise itself as helping and loving. As Christ-followers we are for truth, sacrifice, and holiness; and our wisdom is foolishness to the world.

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the sill of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in a little while, 'He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.' But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." Hebrews 10: 35-39

I'm glad I got that off my chest.

Please don't put men on a pedestal

(or women, for that matter)

America achieved its independence and freedom in the 18th century in large
part because colonial pastors stood up for biblical principles, preached them,
lived them and refused to back down from them – even in the face of death.

The American War of Independence has been accurately called a "pulpit
revolution" for this reason. It was inspired by great men of God who recognized
evil and called it by its right name.
What a difference two centuries,
combined with affluence and the corporatization of the 501(c)3 church culture
has made.

A good example of this was on display on CNN's "Larry King Live" this
week, as "America's Pastor" Rick Warren did a soft shoe act on his role in the
same-sex marriage battle over Proposition 8 in California.

"You know, Larry, there was a story within a story that never got told," he
said. "In the first place, I am not an anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist. I
never have been, never will be. During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never
once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never – never once even
gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going. The week before the – the
vote, somebody in my church said, Pastor Rick, what – what do you think about
this? And I sent a note to my own members that said, I actually believe that
marriage is – really should be defined, that that definition should be – say
between a man and a woman.

"And then all of a sudden out of it, they made me, you know, something that
I really wasn't," Warren continued. "And I actually – there were a number of
things that were put out. I wrote to all my gay friends – the leaders that I
knew – and actually apologized to them. That never got out. There were some
things said that – you know, everybody should have 10 percent grace when they
say public statements. And I was asked a question that made it sound like I
equated gay marriage with pedophilia or incest, which I absolutely do not
believe. And I actually announced that. All of the criticism came from people
that didn't know me. Not a single criticism came from any gay leader who knows
me and knows that for years, we've been working together on AIDS issues and all
these other things."

What are we to make of such mealy-mouthed, wishy-washy, namby-pamby hokum?
It's a great illustration of America's most prominent church leader
equivocating and backtracking and saying almost nothing coherent so that he will
offend no one.

Let me lay it on the line: This is not the way Yeshua talked or behaved. It
is not the example of the one whom Rick Warren claims to emulate and worship.
There is nothing prophetic or biblical or courageous or principled about this
kind of Christian witness.

April 2

is World Autism Awareness Day. I looked it up and found out there are only a few diseases that the U.N. has marked with a World Awareness Day.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/ is one of the best sites for basic information. But there are many sites out there if you search "autism". This is because autism has become so prevalent. Prevalence is also the reason the U.N. established the WAAD.

Today 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism. I have two of them. It is more common among boys than girls. I have been asked if it is known why the statistics are rising so much. Everyone has theories, but there's no pat answer and I belive it is probably a combination of different things. Some say the numbers are higher because the symptoms are recognized better today. Some say the number really is rising due to factors that are yet unknown (because the cause of autism is unknown). Some say it is over-diagnosed; that doctors apply the label to other problems. This might be true, but all the more reason to educate people (raise awareness) on what autism really is. I am not going to list here the criteria of diagnosing autism, but will tell you something of what autism is.

Autism is a developmental disorder; i.e. it affects the normal development of children, slowing their development. That is why early intervention is important: the first years of a child's life they are more malleable, and there are building blocks that need to be put in place for further development. It most often affects their communication skills and social skills.

It is a neurological disorder in that it affects the neurological pathways in the brain. There is evidence that some of the neurons in the brain are not making the right "connection" or at least not all the time.

It is also becoming apparent that there is a biological/medical factor, though this is not always accepted by "experts". Children with autism often have food intolerances and/or don't digest certain foods correctly. If those foods can be removed from their diet, it helps to alleviate even the behavioral symptoms of autism. Children with autism often benefit from vitamin/mineral supplements because 1) their bodies are not properly breaking down the foods and 2) they often do not eat some foods because they are so sensitive to taste and texture that it is like torture to eat those foods (which means they may be missing pieces of an essential diet).

Autism is one of the "invisible disabilities" in that it is not apparent to onlookers that there is a disorder, in contrast with disabilities that are more easily seen. To others it may seem that the child is just a problem-child that needs a good spanking, but the issues are deeper and more complex.

Children with autism are just as lovable as typical children, they just require a little more patience. They have a lot of potential if you are willing to look for it. They require a little more protection because they are unaware of dangerous situations that another child might more easily recognize. You will usually need to tell them something more than once, because they don't have their "listening ears on" (literally). And if you give them a command (this is the really young ones) you will need to physically show them what you want them to do in response to your request because they simply don't know what is expected. And you may have to show them several times before they understand.

As you can imagine, my world is very different. Different than others and different than what I thought it would be. But I still love my boys, and I know they love me. I still pray for their healing, but I also pray that God will use my circumstances to change me to be more like Him. I just keep trusting Him more, and leaning on myself less. Because I know he is in control, I can keep my sanity. Without Him I would not have hope and I don't know how others survive without Him.