Time got away from me this week. It's been almost two weeks since my last post. I am thinking about closing out my blog soon. However, have not decided yet. I have enjoyed this blog. It's been a place to write down my feelings and document Morgans happenings. It's also been a way to inform those of you I don't see often on how our lives are going. But, I have found that the few free moments that I have, when I could blog, I spend in prayer over Morgan and in research for anything here on earth to help her. God is guiding us on what is best for her. He has healed her, and as her brain is restoring, God is guiding us to all that can help her. I see how much the ABA therapy helps. She responds so well to someone working with her one on one. She catches on quick. However, her behaviors kick in and it takes consistency and intensive work to keep her on track. Something I can't do on my own with another child, a husband, a job and well, just life. In other words, I see her potential but it's a full time job to work with her to help her make progress. I know God will give us the answers as to what is best for our little girl. I do not lean on my own understanding but am seeking Him in all I do and I know He will direct our path. Thank you all for your prayers.

This week in therapy, Morgan worked on feeding hersel using a fork, stacking blocks, recognizing pictures, and playing appropriately with toys. She did not resist much and sat and participated. We are also teaching consequences for bad behavior, like the hitting. She does not like to pick up her toys, so this is her consequence. I see Morgans potential for learning when she works hard with the therapist, one on one. I just wish she had more one one one in the school. It really takes consistency to channel the behaviors and promote learning. We are working on it at home, but it is hard. Our nurse has been awesome, as always, and is coming to the therapy sessions so she can learn how to help Morgan when she is with her. So thankful for her. She is such a blessing! We are focusing on the positive even though it has been a hard week. Morgans behavior was difficult over the weekend. Praising God through it all and rejoicing in All things ( even when I don't feel like it).

Progress!

Morgan had her second behavioral therapy session yesterday. The therapist is already seeing great progress in Morgan! Morgan sat for about 10 minutes and did table work with assisance. She did not get upset, cry, or throw a tantrum once this time. She also demonstrated much less of the injurious behavior. She was actually havin fun. She would give high fives and try to clap. We have been workin with her at home, and they have also been working at the school. Yesterday, they reported that Morgan had a great day! She participated with speech and only had to wear her helmet for about 20 minutes. All the hard work is paying off! We are excited about her learning. However, her learning how to open doors has been a challenge. Now she can open the door knobs even if they have the safety latches. She can also open the outside door, if not locked and head to the great outdoors! So, we have new challenges, but are grateful she is learning how the world works. Thank you, Lord for your blessings!

Steps in right direction

Good happenings this week: Morgan is having less of the "jerking". Praise God! The nurse reported maybe seeing it just one time over the weekend. So thankful and what I had been praying for. I was gone over the weekend and everyone seemed to do ok. Having our nurse there was a huge help but Billy did a great job too. We have been working on implementing the behavior techniques learned in therapy. We have Morgan sit at the table and assist her with a puzzle, then reward her with her favorite snack or water spray. Also, the special ed director, whom I met with last week, said they would be having a behavioral therapist attend Morgans class weekly. These are all steps in the right direction!

More therapy

Morgan had a good therapy session yesterday. She worked at the table on activities and sat for two minutes the first time. She got rewarded with her favorite snack: bananas! Then after the initial sitting period, she didn't like it so much and put up a fight. The therapist is so energetic and patient! Morgan was a little more upset this week because her platform swing in her room broke. She was swinging on it and the bolt came off. She was scared more than anything. However, she sure wanted her swing to be able to get away from us. She went in her room and started throwing her toys. Well this gave the therapist something to work on with her: picking up! And Morgan could do it with help. She picked up all the toys and put them on the shelf. She is learning consequences for her behavior. It was really neat to see her already responding to the therapy. It will be a challenge to keep implementing this consistently at home, but will be so worth it.

Behavioral therapy

We started Morgans ABA therapy last week. I really like the therapist! She is fun, energetic, and very informative. Morgan liked her right away. She is teaching us how to best manage her behaviors. We also will be reinforcing and rewarding the positive behaviors. I am praying this works. We have had some real challenging behaviors lately. I observed her in the classroom after the ARD meeting on Monday, and it was hard to watch the temper tantrums. However, her daily report yesterday was that they started implementing some of the strategies already and she had a much better day! I give God the glory. He has carried us through this. I humanly could not get through it or know what to do without the Lords strength. I pray for all her teachers and everyone involved in her care. They are all doing their best and doing a great job with her. Also this week. I found a wonderful attendent to help us out on weekends. She will be a back up for our nurse. God has always provided. So thankful.

Having fun at camp last weekend!!

Camp at Jill's House

Morgan had a busy weekend. She went to camp again, the Jill's house camp that she went to last June. She had a good time again, but a little more struggle the first day because of the rain. The bus was late to pick them up and she was stuck to wait inside the building while it was raining. Her frustration mounted an she banged her head, causing a nose bleed. However, the rest of the weekend was ok because she was able to go outside with her own child care specialist who was with her the whole time. They went on walks, played chase, and went on the swing. There was also some painting involved. While she was a camp, we all went to Horseshoe Bay for some lake activities. It was fun, but we all agreed, we weren't complete because Morgan wasn't with us. We are praying for her behavior to get under control where we can take her places without the major melt downs. She has been banging her head a lot at school. She is adjusting to the new place, new schedule, and new teachers. The behavioral therapist will start with us next week. She will come to our home on Mondays for a two hour session. I spoke with the therapist on the phone last week. She was very encouraging. She said we were already on the right track with a lot of what we have been doing with Morgan. We will be working on finding rewards that motivate her to do good behavior and then making consequences for the bad behavior. I am looking forward to our session next week.

Fun at Four Winds Horse Farm! A couple of weeks ago, Morgan was invited by our neighbors to come ride in the horse carts. She loved it! They have a horse specialist that helps with special needs children. So blessed to have such wonderful neighbors!

School Days

Morgan had a good first week back to school. It was an adjustment the first couple of days. However, by the end of the week, Morgan had smiley faces and a "great day" report. We had to get the times worked out for meeting the bus in the mornings. Today went a lot smoother. Morgan has been doing great riding the bus. The driver said "she's doing awesome!" So proud of her. We had a good weekend, but am worn out from chasing Morgan. We went to my parents, and right now, she tends to be a little more hyper and gets in trouble more when not at home. However, she does understand, but is just in the "testing phase". She did do great in the car which is huge progress! So I am very thankful for that. And still very thankful for the good nights sleep every night. I do not take this for granted at all because I remember the many sleepless nights. So I am very thankful she sleeps through the night now, even when we are out of town.

Back to school again!

Morgan and Will started back to school yesterday. Morgan attended her new school at Bertram Elementary. I took her yesterday morning, but she rode the bus today. She did well. Everyone at the school was looking forward to her coming and greeted us. They were all very excited to have her. I was able to meet with the director of special needs and discuss goals for Morgan this year. She was very encouraging and positive. She kept saying how wonderful Morgan did over the summer and how far she has come since surgery. So thankful for all the wonderful staff past and present that have cared for Morgan. They are all instrumental in her learning and development. God is so good!

Going out and about, little at a time

So part of Morgans therapy will be taking her out places to help socialization. We had made the mistake of just telling ourselves we couldn't take her out places right now, that it was too difficult. It was just easier to stay at home. Therefore, our family always split up. Usually Will going with Billy and me staying with Morgan. However, it was revealed to me, that it is time to get her out, so that she can learn how to act in public. How will she learn if we never take her? But the outings can be very short at first. However, on Monday, I prayed about it and then went for it. I took her to the lake for five hours! We weren't actually in the lake, but at a nice cabin with a pool and a swingset. Only one big meltdown for a few minutes, and the rest of the day was great. Ask me if I would have even attempted going for one hour a few months ago! Also, this past weekend we went to Elgin to see Billy's parents. It was a two hour drive. She did great in the car both ways!! This is a huge step. Car rides use to be a big problem. So thankful and praising God for all His goodness as He shows us how to enjoy each other as a family!

Encouraging and working toward goals!

On Friday, I met with Morgans summer school teacher to discuss Morgans strengths, interests, and goals for the new year. She was very positive and encouraging. She focused on what Morgan is able to do, her strengths, and then set goals to reach the next level. It was so good to see her strengths on paper. I definitely must focus on this and how far she has come since the surgery. It's hard to believe it's only been a year and a half since her surgery, because she has come so far and done so much since then. So I continue to focus on this. I have connected with another mom with a child similar to Morgan. We were matched through Texas Parent to Parent, an organization that provides information and guidance for families with special needs children. It is run by volunteers who themselves have special needs children. Great organization! Through visiting with this mom, I have been able to discuss how to find dependable attendant care. Basically, the attendant would be able to assist with whatever I needed, and I would be the manager. The agency would just be there for the financial aspect. So thankful for all the resources out there. Morgan qualified for this through her MDCP, which is the medically dependent children's program.

Happy at home

Last week, Morgan got to stay at home with Billy's parents and some with her nurse while Billy and I went on vacation. It was a good set up because Morgan does better with being in her home, in familiar territory. Everyone reported she did good, slept good at night, and behaved well. She was glad to see us when we got back. She finished up her last week of summer school last week. She did so good riding the bus to and from our house last week. For the next three weeks, until school starts, we will just have our nurse during the time that I am at work. Our nursing hours got reduced because she isn't having seizures anymore. Therefore, I won't have extra help on weekends or evenings. However, when school starts, our nurse can just do evenings again since Morgan will be at school during the day. This really helps me in the evenings, before Billy gets home so I can help Will with his homework. We are looking at getting an attendant or home health caregiver to assist us. Eventhough she may not qualify for as much nursing care, she will still qualify for assistance with daily activities. However, finding the right person is the hard part. God has provided every step of the way. I continue to give it all over to Him and have peace about it.

Daddy and Me

A good week!

Morgan had a good week last week, at school and at home. The teacher said Morgan sat for 10 minutes to work on learning activities! This is huge coming from a girl that has always been on the move. They have been working on recognizing her name. The teacher says that Morgan chooses her name by looking at it and that she gets it right EVERY time! The OT said she had such a great session this week. They worked on signing "more". The OT helped her do it in order to keep going on the swing. Morgan would push some and then the OT would stop it. Morgan got the hang of it quickly and signed by herself 7 times in a row. At home, we have been working on helping her be more independent. She can feed herself finger foods, so we started putting it on a plastic plate and have her sit and do it by herself. She is getting better about it. Also, the other morning, she did something so cute, that just shows she is really expressing herself and has a cute personality. In the mornings she comes to the gate at the kitchen and wants something to eat. My husband Billy tries to give her kisses, but you can tell this really annoys her cause she keeps looking at me for food, trying to ignore him. He keeps doing it for fun, and sometimes she will just give him a quick kiss to get rid of him. Well, this one morning, she had enough. She took him by the hand and we thought she was leading him to the door to take her outside. However, she led him to the middle of the living room, and let go of his hand, to leave him there, then she walked back to the gate at the kithen. So hilarious that she was leading him away so he wouldn't bother her anymore. We all got a big laugh out of that. Thank You, Lord for laughter.

Learning!

Yesterday, Morgan learned something new! She figured out how to turn the door knob and open the door. This is exciting because she has watched us do it and figured it out. She did it because she really wanted to get in the bedroom where her brother was hiding. We were so proud of her and closed the door several more times to watch her do it again. It was really neat to see how proud Will was of her. It is the little things that are such big things to us. It just shows that her brain is healing and she is developing and learning now. My specific prayer has been: "thank you Lord that her brain is restored and repaired". God is so good! To Him all the glory!

Goals to work on

Morgan is on her two week break from summer school. However, we have things to work on over the break. We are working on Morgan trying to be more independent. It starts with basic, simple tasks. I didn't realize how much I always do for her, when I should try and get her to help. We lowered down her swing and now she can help push with her legs. We make her do at least two or three pushes by herself and then her reward is for us to push her high. Also we have her feed herself finger foods and put it in a bowl to have her reach in and get it. This we also do at dinner time to keep her occupied and give her something to so so she won't hit. These are some tips we learned from a student studying special education and behavior analysis who came to observe Morgan. It is nice to have some pointers and some goals to work on until school starts and until we get our ABA therapist. Morgans teacher this summer has been so encouraging. She said "I really see her potential". We are so thankful for all our blessings. God is so good.

Weekend fun

Summer school fun!

Morgan had been enjoying summer school. She has been getting good reports. She got "great day" and "compliant" and "playing well with others". She also has been enjoying the bus rides. They say she sits so well. She has this week and then she gets a two week break. We had a busy weekend, and Morgan got to tag along. I have decided that she will go with us ( if our nurse isn't available) rather than me just stayig home with her. We took her to Wills baseball tournament. It was tiring to keep up with her, but so worth it. And looking back on the day, she really did better than she has before. She wasn't as agitated and was actually pretty happy as long as we kept her moving. It was so nice to be able to go and do something as a family. God is good!!

Busy summer

Morgan started summer school last week. She goes three days a week from 8-12. She then rides the bus out to our house where the nurse meets her and stays with her until I get home from work. There are only 2-3 kids in the summer program and two teachers, so it's a good ratio! Thy are working on signing with her and rewarding for good behavior. I heard back from ABA services, and they will start in September. I know the summer will go fast. I am just so ready to get started. Something new Morgan started last week: she goes and gets her shoe and hands it to you when you ask her to! She understands what you say and follows the command! She also is highly motivated by the fact that she gets to go outside afterwards!

Had a blast at camp! Everyone loved her and said they would love to have her back! She made friends, swam in pool, played on swing set, and ran and ran. She played hard and slept good at night!

Morgans first camp

This weekend, Morgan will be going to a camp for special needs children, in Buda, a town just outside of Austin. My wonderful sister in law found it for us. They keep the kids for two nights and have a variety of actives for them to do. Each child has a volunteer, so it is one on one. However, Morgan gets to have two helpers because she is one active little girl! There will be nurses there and child care specialists. And all staff and volunteers must be Christians! So thank you for your prayers for our strength to leave Morgan for two nights and for Morgan, that she will not be scared being away from her home and family. We will not be far, but are planning to have a fun trip to San Antonio on Saturday to spend some special time with Will. We are so thankful for the awesome people who have organized such a special camp for our child. What a blessing. We pray she will have a great time and we pray for all those involved with her care this weekend.

What's for supper?

Outdoor fun

So even though we had lots of wonderful rain this week, we were able to spend lots of time outdoors. Morgan was happy to run up and down her ramp, go from swing to swing, and run around the yard. Thankfully, she has been pretty happy at home. Our prayer is that she will also be happy when we take her places, like church or traveling in the car. This is is the last week of school, but Morgan will start summer school the second week of June. She will go three days a week, half days, for six weeks of the summer. She will get to do her summer school in Burnet. Also, she should be getting her behavioral therapy hopefully some time this summer. They said there is only one person ahead of her on the list. Also, we continue to be very thankful for our nurse. Morgan just qualified for six more months of nursing care. We found out last week, that because she is no longer having seizures, she could lose nursing care. However, she could qualify for attendant/aid care, just not skilled nursing. There are no worries here, for The Lord has always provided!

Fun outdoors

Better behavior!

Lots of prayers and lots of discipline have really helped our girl! Great is the peace of thy children. The joy of The Lord is her strength. Per the teachers: she has been calmer at school, not needing her sensory weights or helmet. Praise God! At home and at school, we have all been very consistent with the discipline. She gets time outs for all inappropriate behavior, such as climbing on furniture, hitting, or throwing her cup. She understands "no" and will even stop what she's doing when told, although still trying to test at times. She is really communicating what she wants. She has led me to her bed when she is tired and led us in the house when she is hungry. We rejoice in every little improvement!!

Snuggles for Mother's Day

I had a Mother's Day I will always remember. It was special because Morgan snuggled and rocked with me! I pulled her to me in the rocking chair and instead of trying to move about and get away, she sat with me and actually snuggled! She then fell asleep in my arms for about 20 minutes. It was great to get to hold her. And how special that she did this on Mother's Day! Then yesterday, we had a very good visit with the lady from ABA services who came to assess Morgan to determine just how much of the therapy she needs. The lady was very positive and encouraging. She said she could see the potential in Morgan and that she was trying to communicate. It's just frustrating for her now because she knows what she wants but can't always have it. The lady told us that they would work on whatever daily activities we needed to help Morgan be more independent and make our lives easier. They will also be going up to the school to work with her. The lady also told us that Morgan most likely would be a good candidate for a talker communication device that she can use to help say what she wants. I was very encouraged by all the lady had to say. She kept saying how Morgan was just going to keep on progressing, now that the seizures aren't holding her back! We continue to thank The Lord for all He has provided. He has taken care of Morgan every step of the way!

Peacefulness

Yes peacefulness is what we are praying for Morgan. We are praying that she is filled with joy, peace, and a calm spirit. Actually her moods have been a little better at home. We have seen less tantrums from making transitions. We just have to get her to stop hitting and banging her head. We are going to try the ankle weights again to give her some sensory input. We are getting closer to getting the ABA services. A lady is coming out next week for one final assessment to determine how much of the services she needs. I am praying she will get as much as possible. Thank you all for your continued prayers for Morgan. We really feel the strength The Lord gives us on a daily basis. He not only is healing Morgan but is healing us as well. We are able to look forward with joy and are healed of all the sadness we once had. God is so good! With Him, nothing is impossible!

Changes ahead

Yesterday Morgan and I went to tour the new school she will be going to next year. She will have to go to Bertram school as they don't have her class in Burnet anymore. She will be riding the bus to get there. She will have new teachers and new classmates. It will be an adjustment at first but it will be good for her. We will miss her teacher in Burnet she has had since she was 3. So changes are ahead for her. We are also believing for behavior changes!! We thank The Lord daily for improvements in behavior. I am so thankful for each time she comes in the house without a tantrum. It might not be every time but that's what we pray for. I am thankful for the times she swings and entertains herself happily. I am thankful for the times she and Will play so good together. The Lord is truly blessing us.

Time to process

One thing we are learning with Morgan is that she just needs some time to process. She understands what you say but she just needs a warning and time to process it before making her do something. We have seen many a tantrum when we make her go inside after playing outside. So now we tell her a few minutes beforehand that we are going inside and we tell her what we will be doing, eating, getting a snack, etc. This has really helped. My mom was even able to get her inside the other day without a tantrum, yay Mom!! We are all learning as we go and it is exciting. Areas of prayer we need are:that Morgan will get along with others and not hit other people. This has become a problem and it makes it hard to take her places. However, I am grateful we were able to take her for a gathering at my uncles the other day and she did fairly well. It helped that we were outside the whole time. But we were able to stay a lot longer than I thought we would be albe to. We are thankful for all the Lord's blessings.

Happy Girl!

Training

This week we have been focusing on redirecting and training of good behavior (of course we do that every week). It just seems like this past week, there has been lots of negative behavior. Morgan is understanding and she can be trained. She is just testing us. Last week, she was kicking at the side of the bed when we would zip her in. Well, with discipline, she has stopped doing this. She is trainable. It just takes lots of patience. She is still hitting. I think her game of tag has turned into this. She and Will play tag and sometimes they get a little rough. She hits him to tag and then runs. But life isn't always about playing tag and Morgan needs to understand that. Last week, we took her to one of Will's baseball games and she was fussy at first, but then she relaxed and actually watched the game and seem to enjoy it. Also the last couple of days, she has had a little cold and hasn't felt real good. So that's our news for the week!

Moving forward

We had the ARD meeting yesterday at school and all documentation is done regarding Morgans evaluation. She can now be put on the waiting list for ABA behavioral therapy. I am hoping we will get the services by this summer. A therapist will come out to the house once a week for two hours at a time and teach us and Morgan how to deal with her behavior. Her latest thing has been hitting. She does this when she wants something and doesn't get it right away. She is trying to communicate and gets frustrated when you don't oblige right away. Also, they have seen worse behaviors at school because they try to get her to sit and do schoolwork, which she doesn't want to do. I really think she has such a sensory issue and has to move around all the time, seeking that input. So we discussed using the compression vest again. Also, allowing her to go to the motor lab periodically during the day , to get out of the classroom and be able to bounce or jump. Praying all this will help to calm her so she can sit in class and learn. Also praying for the teachers for giving them patience and wisdom to help our little girl be the best she can be!

Adjusting

So this week, Morgan has been adjusting to being off the meds. I think she has been having headaches, or some discomfort as she has been holding the right side of her head. She hasn't been more fussy though. The new problem at school this week has been that she plops herself down on the floor when she doesn't want to go somewhere. Little Miss Opinionated! She is understanding more of what you say, so we have been telling her before we do something and give her time to process it before we make her do it. It had helped with the temper tantrums. Yes I have seen less of those lately at home, although school may be a different story. At school, she has to sit and do work, which just isn't as fun as being at home and playing outside! Also, this week, we are getting closer to getting ABA services. Most documentation is done and we have an ARD meeting next week. Thanks again for all the prayers for our precious little girl!

Off all meds!!

Today she is officially off all seizure meds!! And doing great!! Praise The Lord!!! What a relief it is to get completely off all that medicine, with all those side effects. She had been on various seizure meds for more than half her life. She did really well coming off of them this time too. When we have weined off certain ones before, she has gone through withdrawals, but not this time!! This week, she has appeared to have less melt downs. She has been happier. On Sunday, we were in the house all day(following church) because it rained. Morgan did not get upset even once about not getting to go outside. She entertained herself happily in her room by swinging herself on her swing. She and Will also played chase a few times. Not one time did she have to go to timeout! That is a huge step because she is usually happiest being outside. We are so thankful for the little improvements we are seeing, especially with her behavior, as it makes it easier on everyone when she is happy and calm. We continue to count our blessings and are ao thankful for how God is healing her.

Laughter

Last night Morgan came to me requesting to be tickled and would giggle and laugh! She would come sit down with me on the chair and then grab my hands to put on her stomach to tickle. She would laugh and then run off and come back. This went on for about 30 minutes. It was great! So awesome to see her happy, interactive, and communicating. And so awesome to hear the laughter! The laughter that was taken from her and that we prayed to come back! Thank you, Lord. Yesterday, we went to get Morgan registered to get ABA therapy( Applied Behavioral Analysis). A trained behavioral therapist would come out to our house and help teach us to work with Morgan and help her communicate and behave more appropriately. This would be so helpful for us! We just have to get all the testing and documents in place and then hopefully have services in a few months. So looking back over the past week, it was a pretty good week. Yes, there were some melt downs, but there were some enjoyable moments too. So thankful for the fun times and the laughter!

Happenings this past week

Good happenings: Morgan got some good reports at school, having great days as quoted by the teacher. She is sitting better during circle time and attending better to task. She is playing and interacting with the kids at school. She plays tag and will come and tag you then run away to be chased. She and Will played for a long time the other day, and Morgan was having so much fun, that she was giggling and laughing. She continues to communicate by grabbing our hands and taking us to what she wants. She is understanding more of what we are saying. We tell her to set her cup down and she will, without throwing it. She responds to no, even though she will test you a lot first. We focus on these improvements. However, there are still daily struggles that need prayer. Bad happenings: temper. Her temper flares when ever she doesn't get what she wants or when she falls down and hurts herself. She doesn't know how to control it. She gets so upset, she bangs her head, screams, and throws herself on the floor. These are getting hard to control so definitely asking for prayer on this one. It is also difficult to travel with her. She doesn't like the car and she doesn't like being out of her comfort zone: her house. She has everything she wants and needs at our house and she is comfortable there. I pray and believe this is just a phase and a season of life we are going through. I so hope to get our lives back and be able to go and do things with her. But for now, I am just thankful for the fun times we have with her at home and focus on the improvements so far.

One year ago today

It has been one year today since her surgery. March 4 2013, we made the drive to Austin for her first surgery to insert the grid. I was thumbing through emails today and came across the prayer list. Wow, how amazing. Every minute of her surgery was covered in prayer by someone. How awesome!! It is so amazing to look back on how far she has come in one year! In about 3 weeks, she will be completely off all seizure meds! She is a happy little girl(with a temper) but feels good and loves to play chase. She is understanding more of what we say everyday. Yesterday, we went to a doctor of rehab to discuss our options for more intensive therapy. She has so much potential now and I really want to capitalize on that and get her as much help as possible. He referred us to get ABA behavioral therapy. I was already on track to get that done through the school, but having an order from him does speed things up. It was not a wasted trip, as I so enjoyed the fellowship time with my wonderful nurse who went with me. God is so good!

"She had an awesome day!"

Morgans teacher said this yesterday. For her to use the word "awesome" to describe a day at school for Morgan lately is really amazing. She said Morgan sat at circle time without resistance and did not get aggravated or irritable. So this is wonderful news for which I am grateful. Also, this past week, when I picked her up from school one day, she skipped a little and smiled and then ran toward me with her arms outstretched. This melted my heart. On Monday, we have an appointment with the rehab doctor who Dr. Clark referred Morgan to. We are praying he can help us get more therapy for Morgan to help us with her behavior.

New Diet, so worth it

I have found my posts getting fewer and farther between. It has definitely been an adjustment lately with Morgans new diet. Yes, she has been on a special diet for several years, but this is different. She is so limited in what she can eat and I find myself at the grocery store almost everyday. Also, it is hard to find a lot of it at our local grocery store. However, she is so worth it of course. In just two weeks of being on the diet, the teachers have used the words "more focused and calm". This is not for every day, but at least there were some days when she was. The doctor explained to me about the importance of avoiding these foods for awhile to allow her to heal, then we can gradually start working foods back in. We also found out from another of her blood tests that she is deficient in B12 and low in several of the B vitamins. So this could explain some of the behavior issues as these help the body to deal with stress. It all helps to see the "why" behind a lot of it and that we have a plan to help her. I can do this in this season of my life. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can do this for her. Thankfully she is sleeping at night now so at least I get sleep at night. And, thank The Lord for our nurse who helps me, she truly is amazing!

Going off all seizure meds!

Morgan had an appointment with Dr. Clark yesterday. Again, he said she looked so amazing. He said we can reduce her meds slowly again until she is completely off! He said she is doing great. The EEG did show some "activity" but it was in the right temporal lobe which is the part that is disconnected! "So therefore it should not affect her" Dr. Clark said. We KNOW it will NOT affect her. Thank you for joining with us in prayer. Also, he is referring Morgan to another specialist, a director of rehab that can help us get more intense therapy for her. Thank you for your continued prayers for strength and wisdom as we deal with behavior issues. However, it is a good sign she is developing and progressing as she knows what she wants. We pray she is able to communicate in a positive way and channel these behaviors appropriately. And yes, we believe she will communicate by talking!

Praying this will help

Two of Morgans tests came in. She does not have celiac so praise The Lord! However, she does have ALOT of food sensitivities. We tested 100 foods and there only about 20 that she does not have a sensitivity to. There were a couple of foods that I give her just about every day that she was severely sensitive to. We also did a fatty acid panel and found deficiencies but in one specifically, EPA, that was very low and most likely causing inflammatory responses. To help with this, we will be supplementing with a fish oil. With these findings, it makes sense that she is so hyperactive with emotional and behavior issues. One issue we are dealing with again is her climbing on the couch and hanging over the back of it, upside down. It scares me to death especially since we have concrete floors. She used to do this but then hadn't done it in awhile until recently. I really think she has a headache, or a pressure feeling, that she is trying to relieve. I pray that by leveling all this out, she will feel better and have better behavior.

Waiting on results

So now our next step is to wait for lab work results. We had lots of Morgans blood drawn last week and sent it off for testing. We are seeing a naturalist/homeopathic specialist who is helping guide us in what tests Morgan needs and what would hopefully help her. This is the same specialist that helped my mom with her migraines. We are checking all Morgans micronutrients, her fatty acids, Celiac markers, and food sensitivity. These tests will hopefully show us what Morgan needs from a nutrition standpoint in order to help her immune system. It should also help guide us in what kind of diet would be best for her. We want to help her in any way we can, and if it can't hurt, then it's worth a try. I will keep you posted when we know results. I am looking forward to useful information. I have prayed for guidance in the right direction and feel we are on the right track. God is placing these wonderful people in our lives for a reason.

It's the little things

It's the little things, that mean so much. The little things, that are so easily taken for granted. This morning, when racing around to get ready for work, we noticed Morgan had gone in her room. We went to see what she was doing. She was on her platform swing, swinging by herself! We had lowered it down several weeks ago so she can get on it by herself, sit on it, and push it with her feet. It was so cute and so great to see her entertaining herself with something appropriate rather than getting into stuff she's not supposed to or climbing on the furniture. Also, it was a great weekend. The weather was nice and we were able to be outside for several hours on Sunday. We could just sit and watch the kids run around. Morgan explored, ran up and down the sand hill, went from swing to swing, and jumped on the trampoline. A year ago, she had to be in a stroller or wagon when outside because she couldn't take more than a couple of steps without falling down. Also this week, Morgan and Will have been playing hide an seek really good together and Morgan has come to me wanting to rock! So thankful for how far she has come.

More advocates on our side

On Monday, I took Morgan to the pediatrician she had seen as a baby. He is actually the one that initially referred Morgan to a neurologist when she was 18 months old. For various reasons, she has not seen this pediatrician in about three years. I felt The Lord was leading us back to him. He referred Morgan to a pediatric developmental specialist who can evaluate her more specifically and recommend what she needs. I am thinking Morgan needs more therapy and have not pushed for it before because we were just so concerned with the seizures before. Now she is showing potential for learning and I want her to get all that she can to have the best quality of life. This pediatrician is so compassionate and so I am so glad I have one more advocate to help us out. When I went to pick Morgan up early at school on Monday, they were outside. I was expecting to find Morgan in the wagon with one of the teachers. However, it was so awesome to see that she was on the playscape with all the other children! She didn't want to leave so I let her slide one more time. It was just so amazing to see her being right up there with the other children, having fun. When a year ago, she was sitting on the ground in her own world. Praise The Lord for all He has done in Morgans life so far!

Swinging fun with Brother Will

Good day at school!

Morgan's teacher said today that this was the best day she has had in a month! She said Morgan was very calm. She said Morgan made very good eye contact and she looked at another child and smiled! Morgan responded to "no" when told to not climb. The teacher was very impressed with her today because Morgan was so calm and eventhough she still explored, she was not destructive. So proud of you, Morgan! And brother Will had a great day too! Thank you, Lord for this day you have made. We are so thankful for each day, and give You thanks for such a wonderful day!

Flipping with Pops!

Reflecting on 2013

So much has happened this past year, in the life of our little girl. Here is just a very brief summary of the year to show the rough start and challenges that we endured, but that were so worth it. January: EMS calls and ambulance ride with overnight stay in hospital for clustering seizures February: another hospital stay for clustering seizures; doctor appointment and life changing decision by Morgans doctors to perform brain surgery; received test results that brain disease diagnosis was negative! March: brain surgery(lobectomy and resection) with two week stay in hospital; after the surgery, she went from inability to sit or stand, with left sided weakness, to walking independently in just three weeks! April: last seen seizure on April 11; three night hospital stay for UTI and the flu May: hospital stay for unexplainable and uncontrollable behavior issues June-Novemeber: no hospital stays, just enjoying life and staying very active! December: 24 hour EEG in hospital for confirmation of no seizures! So very thankful for the miracle of healing that occurred this last year and praying for more in this next year to come. So very thankful for our dear family and friends who were there for us in so many ways as we made it through the trials of this past year. We have seen the power of prayer this past year!