Faith's Mom's Blog

When I heard that both Toy Story movies were going to be showing at a theater near us, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Faith to make her movie theater debut. The reason we have not attempted to take her to a movie is because she is very sensitive to loudness and sudden noises cause her to startle.  When she startles, she is not able to contain herself and her muscles tighten, she jumps, and her arms curl up toward her chest. Sometimes when she startles too much she gets upset and starts to cry. I figured, though, that since she has seen Toy Story 1 and 2  endless amounts of times at home, there wouldn't be any surprises to cause her to startle since she would know what was coming next. Faith with some of her toys, including Woody and Buzz. (Photo taken in 2008) We got to the movie theater fairly early thinking it would be a good idea for Faith to get used to her surroundings. When we got into the right show room, there was music playing over the speakers and im

The weather people have been threatening us for days and now as I write this post, there is white stuff swirling and twirling down from the sky. I guess maybe we North Dakotans should have known that we were going to have an early winter, beings our summer was actually more like fall. But still...it is truly sad to see the green leaves falling off of the trees without even having a chance to turn color first. It is also truly sad that parents have had to dig out their kids' winter attire, including mittens and boots. I know it can be difficult getting kids all bundled up to go out in the 20-degree weather, as we are having now. But for parents of kids in wheelchairs, it is not just difficult, it is a chore unto itself. Faith's new chair, while she sits in it so well, is truly a pain when it comes to her winter garb. She has these side lateral things that help her stay in an upright position. You can pop the laterals out which is great for getting her coat on but since she is

I remember very well the day in April of 2004 when we got the news that Faith had health issues that could lead to cerebral palsy. It was one of the most heartbreaking days of my life. I wondered how this smiley, happy little girl who would lie on her back and move her arms and legs around could possibly end up with CP ? Faith as a baby.  When we returned home to Watford City after seeing Faith's pediatrician in Bismarck, there was one day where I opened up my Bible to Hebrews 11. For some reason, though, I skipped over to Chapter 12 and started reading it aloud to Faith. I couldn't believe my eyes when I came across verses 12 and 13. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Hebrews 12:12-13 I was so excited, I said, "Faith did you hear that?" and I read it again. I really truly believed that the Lord had given me that verse at that particular time for a reason

I was very proud of Faith yesterday. She was so patient as she was fitted for her new SMO's. SMO stands for Supra-Malleolar Orthosis and are actually a type of AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthosis). These types of orthotics are designed to help the child maintain a vertical heel and support the arches of the foot. They are necessary for her foot because with her hypertonia her feet get pulled at a different angle than what is normal for the foot. It's sort of like trying to re-train the muscles to go in the right direction. It took about an hour and a half for her to get fitted. The hardest part was keeping Faith relaxed so that her physical therapist (PT) could get the best fit for her foot. When Faith gets excited, her legs shoot up and out and her tone is so strong that it's hard to keep everything in place. This is exactly what happened every time someone came into the room to say hi to her. Her PT started off by finding a plastic piece as close to the shape of Faith's foot

Faith makes friends with a cute little goat.  Saturday was an absolutely amazing day. Our friend (and respite care provider) Michelle had told us about a miniature horse ranch that was having a fundraiser for the abused and neglected minis they take in. After having a wonderful time at China Star restaurant where we are friends with a lot of the staff, Michelle, Faith and I headed out into the country.  The weather was perfect - around 85 degrees with just enough of a breeze to make being outside a little more tolerable. As we drove down the gravel road into the driveway of the ranch we came upon a covered wagon and a team of horses pulling it along. We had to pull over to make way. There were people in the wagon waving to us passersby. It was quite a sight - not one that you see every day! Faith attempts to rope a pretend steer! As we made our way into where all of the festivities were taking place, I noticed a corral over in the northwest corner offering pony rides. There was a litt

Faith and Kimberly at Kimberly's college graduation reception Last night when I came home Faith was so excited to show me the Mr. Pumpkin Head she and Michelle had made. There it was on our bookshelf, right next to two Mr. Potato Heads. By the looks of it, Michelle and Faith had a blast. Once again, I found myself being very thankful for such wonderful respite care providers. I think respite care providers are a must for anyone with special needs children. I have to admit, I felt a little guilty handing off my daughter to someone else while I went and did, well, nothing. But that was the point. When we found Michelle, we were at the top of our stress level. We both needed a break. The difference between us and couples with non-special needs kids is they could just hire a babysitter or have friends and family look after their children. We on the other hand, need someone who has had special training to look after our special needs daughter. Rob and I applied to have a certai

You know how kids come up with all sorts of excuses to not go to bed. They need a drink of water, they need to go to the bathroom, they need to make sure there's nothing under their bed or in their closet. My daughter is no different. I share a room with Faith. We are finally getting her to sleep in her own bed at night. It is an ongoing process. I am proud of her that she can fall asleep all on her own. She used to need to be cuddled, rocked and sang to. Now I put her in her bed, and she falls asleep, after about 30 minutes, that is. No matter how tired she seems, it always seems to take a while before she finally drifts off to sleep.  Faith cuddles in bed with her doll, baby Allie.  Last night, it seemed especially hard for her to fall asleep. Here is how are night went: 10:00 p.m. - I put Faith in her bed while she yells, "I want to stay awake. I don't want to go to bed." 10:05 p.m. - "Mommy, could you help me out." "What's the matter?"