A wonderful life lesson.
We just moved to Oregon.
Pictures... soon to come. Love.
if anyone is reading this.. and wants me to post more, I will.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
And we're back!
I have been neglecting this blog. Guess life got in the way. Happy to report, extatic to report: that my baby boy SPEAKS! It's pretty awesome, redefines awesome, actually. Looking over this old blog and especially the video, WOW! I need some time to collect my thoughts on the matter. Life has changed for us quite a lot. I'll update more later, for all of you three people following this blog.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
babies babies babies
We are babysitting our friends' baby Cooper while his parents go out for an anniversary date.
Liam enjoys playing with the baby. He sat down on the floor with Cooper and pointed to his feet and said "feet' then to his knees and said "knees". He went on like this and said "shoulders, belly, ears, eyes, nose, head," If I didn't hear him or couldn't understand him he came over to me and whispered it in my ear. Made me melt.
Liam is hands down, the sweetest little boy in the whole world. He is so gentle, not only with babies, but with everyone, he is so loving, and gives hugs and kisses to almost everyone he meets.
Liam also signed to me.. asking MOM, BABY?
"Oh you want mommy to have a baby?" "YESH!" Liam exclaimed. "Maybe in a few more years, Liam."
Having kids is being introduced to love, a new amazing kind of love, for the first time.
So many of my friends are having babies now, first babies. I have been thinking so much of how much their lives will change, in all the bad ways, and not thinking much of how their lives will change, in all the good ways. Now I am being reminded. All the sleepless nights, not being able to just take a shower, having to get a babysitter to go out with your spouse, suffering through embarassing public fits...(just to name a few of the downsides) it is all worth it, times a million.
Liam enjoys playing with the baby. He sat down on the floor with Cooper and pointed to his feet and said "feet' then to his knees and said "knees". He went on like this and said "shoulders, belly, ears, eyes, nose, head," If I didn't hear him or couldn't understand him he came over to me and whispered it in my ear. Made me melt.
Liam is hands down, the sweetest little boy in the whole world. He is so gentle, not only with babies, but with everyone, he is so loving, and gives hugs and kisses to almost everyone he meets.
Liam also signed to me.. asking MOM, BABY?
"Oh you want mommy to have a baby?" "YESH!" Liam exclaimed. "Maybe in a few more years, Liam."
Having kids is being introduced to love, a new amazing kind of love, for the first time.
So many of my friends are having babies now, first babies. I have been thinking so much of how much their lives will change, in all the bad ways, and not thinking much of how their lives will change, in all the good ways. Now I am being reminded. All the sleepless nights, not being able to just take a shower, having to get a babysitter to go out with your spouse, suffering through embarassing public fits...(just to name a few of the downsides) it is all worth it, times a million.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Some little things I want to remember..
This week as we were driving over to my friend Rachel's house to visit her new baby, Soren, Liam looked out over the edge of the Black River, through the trees on the street we live. He brought my attention to the setting sun. And signed SUN, GO HOME.
"Yes, Liam, the sun is going home." I said. Goodnight Sun, we said, me in my way, and Liam in his.
We got to Rachel and Soren's house. And oh yeah, Bert's house too. Well, we arrived at the family house and Liam just wanted to hold the baby first thing. And Rachel let him, just being Rachel, that's how she is. She's a good mom already I can see. Liam held the baby, and kissed his forehead. After a bit, Soren wanted Mom but Liam didn't want to give him up. He just wanted to hold that baby forever I think.
A while later we went outside. Liam begged to hold the baby again, so again he did. This time Soren didn't cry so Liam held him a good while. Liam gave Soren two soft kisses on his forehead. And one slobbery kiss on the forehead. Soren liked it though. I asked Liam, "What is this baby's name?" "Soren" he spoke. Rachel and I smiled.
Later on, in the house. Rachel commented to me. She said something like, 'It's amazing how creative he is with language. It is amazing how he uses the words he has to send his message, like how he said the sun is going home, instead of the sun is setting' We don't know the sign for setting, and he has never spoken the word 'setting'.
I agree with her. I want to remember everything he says. He is amazing.
"Yes, Liam, the sun is going home." I said. Goodnight Sun, we said, me in my way, and Liam in his.
We got to Rachel and Soren's house. And oh yeah, Bert's house too. Well, we arrived at the family house and Liam just wanted to hold the baby first thing. And Rachel let him, just being Rachel, that's how she is. She's a good mom already I can see. Liam held the baby, and kissed his forehead. After a bit, Soren wanted Mom but Liam didn't want to give him up. He just wanted to hold that baby forever I think.
A while later we went outside. Liam begged to hold the baby again, so again he did. This time Soren didn't cry so Liam held him a good while. Liam gave Soren two soft kisses on his forehead. And one slobbery kiss on the forehead. Soren liked it though. I asked Liam, "What is this baby's name?" "Soren" he spoke. Rachel and I smiled.
Later on, in the house. Rachel commented to me. She said something like, 'It's amazing how creative he is with language. It is amazing how he uses the words he has to send his message, like how he said the sun is going home, instead of the sun is setting' We don't know the sign for setting, and he has never spoken the word 'setting'.
I agree with her. I want to remember everything he says. He is amazing.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
First Video
I want to start making videos like this on a regular basis... to track Liam's progress. This video shows Liam's current skills. He was really tired so it underestimates him a little bit.. but actually this is SUCH an improvement, probably about 3 times better than what he could have done last Friday before we started the ProEFA and ProEPA.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Great news !!!
We just started Liam on ProEfa (2 daily) and ProEpa (1 daily). And OH. MY. GOD. IN. HEAVEN.
He is already showing huge gains of improvement. It is as if some enormous burden he was facing has been partially lifted. Some huge storm cloud is starting to move away..
Just in one afternoon he has said NEW words: quesadillas, helmet, present, money, rich.
More later !
He is already showing huge gains of improvement. It is as if some enormous burden he was facing has been partially lifted. Some huge storm cloud is starting to move away..
Just in one afternoon he has said NEW words: quesadillas, helmet, present, money, rich.
More later !
Monday, July 16, 2007
Lorenzo's Oil
I was watching the movie, Lorenzo's oil this weekend, for the first time. Wow. What an amazing (true!) story. Very inspiring, and at the same time, it really got me wondering what is the cause of apraxia of speech ? What is the cause for Liam ?
Internet research tells me there can be many different causes of apraxia, genetics, brain injury, cerebral palsy, genetic syndrome.. but what is the common thread? Scientists don't know. Some think that it may be a very specific and small injury to a specific part of the brain. This injury could be caused by many different things and accounts for the varying degree of severity, and the presence of other issues (being that a person could incur this specific apraxia brain injury as well as other brain injury in other places causing other problems.) Other theories are that due to some problem with myelin in the brain the impulses are not able to travel.
The movie Lorenzo's Oil was very interesting to me because the treatment they were able to develop was made of Essential Fatty Acids. Essential Fatty Acids can also be helpful for children with apraxia, though it isn't known why. It is very much a parent to parent word of mouth kind of thing, nothing like, a doctor giving a script for it. And the book The Late Talker discusses how EFAs can help apraxic kids. But it is all very mysterious.
Lorenzo suffers from Adrenoleukodystrophy a rare disorder involving the breakdown of myelin in the brain. Before Lorenzo's parents learned all they could, pressured the medical community and came up with their own (somewhat succesful!) therapy, little to nothing was known and being done about this disease. It was just too rare. The interesting thing too, is that apraxia is a symptom of adrenoleukodystrophy.
I wonder if one day there will be a definitive answer on the cause of apraxia. I wonder too... if I am doing all I can for Liam.
Internet research tells me there can be many different causes of apraxia, genetics, brain injury, cerebral palsy, genetic syndrome.. but what is the common thread? Scientists don't know. Some think that it may be a very specific and small injury to a specific part of the brain. This injury could be caused by many different things and accounts for the varying degree of severity, and the presence of other issues (being that a person could incur this specific apraxia brain injury as well as other brain injury in other places causing other problems.) Other theories are that due to some problem with myelin in the brain the impulses are not able to travel.
The movie Lorenzo's Oil was very interesting to me because the treatment they were able to develop was made of Essential Fatty Acids. Essential Fatty Acids can also be helpful for children with apraxia, though it isn't known why. It is very much a parent to parent word of mouth kind of thing, nothing like, a doctor giving a script for it. And the book The Late Talker discusses how EFAs can help apraxic kids. But it is all very mysterious.
Lorenzo suffers from Adrenoleukodystrophy a rare disorder involving the breakdown of myelin in the brain. Before Lorenzo's parents learned all they could, pressured the medical community and came up with their own (somewhat succesful!) therapy, little to nothing was known and being done about this disease. It was just too rare. The interesting thing too, is that apraxia is a symptom of adrenoleukodystrophy.
I wonder if one day there will be a definitive answer on the cause of apraxia. I wonder too... if I am doing all I can for Liam.
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