The Liebster Award

I have recently connected with another blogger who is the mom of a sweet boy with special needs named Silas. You can check out her blog at A Boy Named Silas. She is truly an amazing mom, and I just ordered her book which is an account of the time they spent in the NICU with Silas. She just nominated me for The Liebster Award - Special Needs Edition. Thanks, Alana Terry! I was very surprised, humbled and honored all at the same time.

The Liebster award comes with certain rules, one of which is sharing 11 facts about myself:

1. I took piano lessons for eight years

2. I would love to have two Doberman Pinschers someday

3. I work for a health insurance company

4. I have only colored my hair once in my life

5. I’ve never had a massage (by a professional)

6. My all-time favorite movie is still Footloose

7. I’ve had a pacemaker since the age of 25

8. Along with my journalism degree, I also have minors in speech communications and animal and range sciences

9. I can drive a 5-speed and prefer driving a stick to an automatic

10. I successfully gave up drinking caffeine

11. I was born on an Indian reservation in Wolf Point, Montana. We lived in Luster at the time where my dad worked as a ranch-hand.

I was asked 11 questions by the blogger who nominated me for the award and here are those questions and answer: 

1. Think of the day your child received her diagnosis. What is the first word that comes to mind?

         

       BROKENHEARTED

2. Who is your favorite doctor, specialist, or therapist for your child and why? 

Faith has had so many wonderful people working with her, so this is a hard question. I would have to say though it would be her pediatrician, Dr. Ocejo who oversaw Faith’s care in the NICU. He and Faith have a very strong bond and when she is sick, she looks forward going to the doctor because she knows she is going to see him. They spend the first 10 minutes of the appointment talking and laughing with each other (no matter how bad she feels, she always has a smile for him). He always takes extra time with us and even if our appointment is at 4:30 and he is supposed to be done at 5 o’clock, he stays afterwards just to make sure all of our questions are answered.

3. What symptom of your child's disability breaks your heart the most?

There are a few of them that are pretty heartbreaking but the one that tops the list is her inability to go to the bathroom on her own and still being in diapers. There are times at school that she accidentally wets through her pants, and she has to leave in the middle of what she is doing and get changed. It’s not lost on the other kids what is going on and I think she is very embarrassed when this happens. Her inability to read is also very heartbreaking.

4. What symptom of your child's disability is actually somewhat endearing? 

When she tries to get a teddy graham out of the bowl all by herself and ends up dumping teddy grahams everywhere. At least she’s trying!

5. What is something your child is REALLY good at? 

She has really good memorization skills. When we read her a story, she wants to have it read to her over and over again until she has it memorized. Then, we’ll ask her to recite it and she’ll tell the whole story word for word on her own (without even looking at the pictures.) The first book she memorized was an Amelia Bedelia book.

6. In three words, describe how you have changed after becoming a special-needs parent. 

Having more faith.

7. How has having a special-needs child impacted your spiritual life? 

I am working on a blog post on this exact question. Being a special-needs parent is making me aware of the Christ-like qualities that God wants to instill in me – many of these qualities centering around being a servant. My prayer life has certainly increased as well as I have prayed for Faith more than anyone I have ever prayed for in my life.

8. Would you take away your child's disability if you could? Why or why not? 

Yes, I would take it away in an instant. I want her to be completely well and whole and I know God wants that for her too. I believe that sickness and disease come from the enemy and one of the benefits of being a Christian is to have healing from sickness and disease. (Psalm 103).

9. What is the most disrespectful thing anyone has ever said to you or your child? 

Thankfully, we have not had anyone (that I know of) say anything disrespectful to or about Faith. What bothers me is when people, especially other kids, blatantly stare at her. This is unnerving to me, even though I know they are probably just curious.

10. "One thing I wish more people realized about my child is ..." 

that she just wants what every other child wants – to feel loved, appreciated, secure, confident, protected and supported.

11. If you were to articulate all the wishes you have for your child, what would they be?

My wish for my child is that no matter what her struggles or challenges she faces on a day-to-day basis is that she knows in her heart how much she is loved, accepted and cherished by her family, friends, caretakers and most of all by Jesus. 

And now 11 questions I would like to ask 11 other nominees who have a special needs child: 

1. What has been your best resource as a special-needs parent?

2. How did your extended family react to the news of your child’s diagnosis?

3. Is there anything you wished you knew now that you didn’t know in the early stages of your child’s diagnosis?

4. What prayers do you feel God has answered for your child?

5. How do you REALLY feel about being a special-needs parent?

6. What or who has been your biggest source of support/encouragement?

7. What do you do for fun?

8. How has being a special-needs parent affected your marriage (or other significant relationships?)

9. What hopes do you have for your child’s future?

10. What is something you wish your child can do that he/she can’t do?

11. What is something good that has come out of having a child with special needs?

Rules of the Liebster Award: The Liebster Award is designed specifically for small blogs (less than 200 followers) and is a fun way to get to know other bloggers. First you post 11 random facts about yourself. Then you answer then 11 questions your nominator asked you. Then you nominate 11 other people and ask them 11 new questions. In your response, you make sure to personally thank (and link) the person who nominated you. Also, be sure to insert the pink Liebster Award image somewhere in your post!

I would like to nominate the 11 following blogs/bloggers for the Liebster Award. If you participate in the Liebster Award, please leave a link in my comments section for this post. I would love to know more about you! 

Ava's Blog

Especially Ben

Family Living with Cerebral Palsy

Listen to My Words with Your Heart

Just Writing

Mother of a Toddler and Triplets

One Day at a Time

Praying 4 Raygen

Makenzies Miracle

Caleigh's Corner

Beauty for Ashes