A Little Walking & Driving

Darin got this cute short video of Tessa giving her Kidwalk a try over Spring Break.

cutie patootie :)

We finally had some time to get some videos of Tessa using her power chair inside!  These will have to be provided to Medicaid to prove her functional use of the chair in her natural environment.  They are a little dark, but hopefully you can make out most of it.

Video 1: Tessa maneuvers the chair into the kitchen to get her juice from me

 

Video 2: Tessa drives toward Darin in the living room to pick out a toy

Video 3:  Tessa had been driving up to Darin to get a snack,
but this time she decides to start heading down the hall to her bedroom.

~Whitney

Weekend Bliss :)

We had a fun, relaxing weekend!  It was sad to see Spring Break come to an end, but we got lots of organizing done at the house with plenty of time left to snuggle and just enjoy each other! 

~ my most favorite parts of our weekend :)

~Whitney

True Beauty, Even Accessorized

Glasses? Really?  As if we needed one more 'accessory' to add to the list.  I remember a year ago when Tessa's ophthalmologist braced me for the need for glasses when he detected some astigmatism in both of her eyes.  It was March 2012, a few months before she was to get her second CI.  If looks could kill... ;)  Her doctor laughed and reminded me again that he just wanted to put it in my head to begin processing...but that it would be 'awhile' before we ventured down that road.  I'm not sure a year was 'awhile' long enough for me.  At that time, I couldn't even imagine juggling 2 CIs...let alone glasses.  We have added more misc 'accessories' in the last year to where the list just makes us laugh, but I am a bit sensitive when it comes to Tessa's beautiful little face.  I love her eyes, and her nose, her lips, her ears...all of her flawless, innocent features.  

I could stare at her all day.

I see God's gift of true beauty when I look at her.  

In my mind, glasses would be the ultimate obstruction.  

The goal over the next three months before her next check up will be to see how much she'll wear them....see if she keeps them on...if she does, then that will prove to us that they help.  And that she needs them.  And if not, we'll re-evaluate and go from there.  Well, it didn't help that any time I tried to put her new glasses on her this week, she promptly began screaming and crying.  I was selfishly okay with that, cause hey, if she won't let us put them on or keep them on, then at least we could say we tried ;)  

I hadn't been able to get a good picture of Tessa with her glasses on either...tears and a splotchy red face did not make for a good photo-shoot.  But last night, I caught her in a moment sitting with her daddy.  

Yes, beautiful!

That's the thing about God's beauty...it can't be compromised...it can't be obstructed.

Remarkable Beauty!

I am so thankful that God's beauty is not really up for interpretation by our feeble minds.  The clouds of sin and shame hinder us from processing something so pure and innocent.  So many times, things we view as an obstacle or the ultimate obstruction, God sees as an added layer of beauty.  We are powerless to alter what He says is so...and I am incredibly grateful for that.  The pursuit of seeing each other in the same way the Lord sees us, is unnatural, but something we should consistently strive for.

Last night we had vision and physical therapy at the house.  And wouldn't you know, Ms Deb, Tessa's vision therapist, told her she was going to put her glasses on so they could read a book, and Tessa complies as if there is no other option!  Seriously, that same little toot that made me feel like I was the mother of all torture, complies after the simplest of instruction...of course she does, welcome to Tessa's realm of little-stink-pot! ;)

The therapy session was precious.  The Lord conducted His own therapy session in my heart. The things of this life are harsh.  Obstacles are inevitable, but God's gift to us is redemption.  The ability to find the beauty that He intended.  He is our way through or around any given obstruction in our lives.  As we persevere through them, with our eyes focused above, we gain a perspective of God's beauty...unalterable, stunning beauty. 

 ~Whitney

Persevering-Full Speed Ahead

The reason this video is so great is because Tessa is simply amazing!  Her new power chair didn't come with the right technology that would allow us to reverse her toggle (we are waiting on that to be corrected by the vendor).  After a year of practicing in the loaner power chair from the study, we determined that Tessa was most successful by having the chair move forward when she pulled the toggle back and the chair move backward when she toggled forward.  Tessa has more difficulty maintaining the positioning of her hand in a forward motion, so her movement in the chair was much more fluid when we reversed the toggle to where pulling back on it made the chair go forward.

It has been a little frustrating for her in her new chair because every time she reaches up to pull the toggle back, she goes backwards...and that is not at all what she expects to happen.  We weren't sure how much we'd put her in the chair before they were able to come back out and update the technology, but we've been doing pretty good with a hand-over-hand approach.  As long as Tessa keeps her hand on my hand, on the toggle, then I help her drive.  The only independence she has had in her new chair has been going backwards and in circles, because the concept is different than what she's been used to.

Well, last night she showed us!  Our little whipper-snapper found the ability to maintain her hand on the toggle in a forward motion and went full speed ahead!  I could barely get my phone out fast enough to start getting video after she took off.  She was also on the second to highest speed...so I was having to jog next to her to keep her on video!

It is always amazing to me, that even though Tessa's expressive language is somewhat limited, there is no doubt that she is so in tune to everything around her!  She picked up on what she needed to do in her new chair after just a few days of practicing.  We didn't want to force her to learn a new way to drive her chair, because we knew it could be adjusted to the way that she was used to, we would just have to be patient until they got the right stuff ordered.  This is why I had decided to just help her with hand-over-hand, in the meantime.  I absolutely love it that my little girl knows how to persevere!  The design of her new power chair is not what she expected.  She has experienced many moments of frustration when she was unable to get the chair to do what she wanted it to do.  She has been patiently allowing her mommy to help her drive.  She persevered through the disappointment, frustration and moments of dependency and they all led up to a moment full of so much joy ~ success, accomplishment and independence!

The most delightful lessons I learn in my life are the ones the Lord teaches me through my daughter.  It is the most blessed way to be pointed back to Him and to gain a better understanding of what He calls on us for, as His children.

~Whitney

This and That

Tessa had a 3 month follow up with her eye doctor on Wednesday.  I thought we would just be chatting about how things were going with the 2-hour-a-day patching schedule and to see if her right eye had strengthened at all....

but we didn't end up leaving until after we ordered these... 

Both of Tessa's eyes are measuring about 2.75 of astigmatism, so we will now journey down this road.  I'm obviously not thrilled about adding another thing to our list of 'things' for Tessa, but if it helps...I will turn my frown up-side-down!

This picture made my day...she knows she is something special in her new big chair!

We loved getting to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa!

And since we have all our years to come to get settled in the new house...for now, we play!

and we play hard!

These two little ducks are so fun!

Saturday morning fun!

I'm back at work today...but I got this by text earlier...it looks like they are still enjoying themselves ;)

~Whitney

New Wheels!!!

Well, we moved all weekend and on Monday afternoon Tessa's new power chair was delivered!

There's lots to post about, but for now I'll have to keep it short and sweet.  

We are exhausted, but so humbled by God's many blessings in our lives.

I am amazed at how the Lord loves us and provides for us so specifically.  It could not have been a better 'ending' to an exhausting move than to have Tessa's new wheels delivered to our new accessible home! 

The first thing that popped in my head when I saw it was 'the purple beast'!  Tessa's new chair is magnificently huge :)  And once again, there was instant recognition of this new gift of freedom and independence for her.  

Tessa's new chair has the elevated seat option, and when fully elevated, she is almost at eye level!  It is amazing and we are so excited to have a home she can explore and take off in!  I helped her drive it to her bathroom and was able to go all the way in, up to her sink and then completely turn it around to get out of the bathroom.  Amazing, simply amazing.

Lots more pictures and videos to come!

~Whitney

Preschool Fun!

Tessa was the only preschooler at school today...a very rare occurrence.  But we were able to make the very best of our intimate time together with the amazing UCO staff!

The UCO preschool for the deaf has exceeded our expectations this year!  We could not have asked for a better group of wonderful families and amazing women, gifted to do exactly what they do!

I can't even imagine Tessa today without this experience in her life.  She has made so much progress and become such a little girl, every Friday morning at school.  There couldn't have been a better transitional program than this for us!

~Whitney

Closing Day Tomorrow!

I can't hardly believe it, but we can actually say, "We are closing on our new house tomorrow!"

Things are always changing in our world...including things scheduled on our calendar...but we are so excited that closing got moved up a bit and will be happening in the morning!  I think tomorrow this 'transaction' will finally become a reality!

The reality did begin to set in a bit last night as my little buddy helped me put boxes together!  Yes, I said we are closing tomorrow, and yes we are moving this weekend, and NO I have not packed a single thing...but you know what, I did get some boxes taped together with the help of my little-strong-man...so that's progress to me!

We've only been in this rent house since June, and we never really ever got completely unpacked...I would like to think it is going to be a bit easier to move out of this house than it was to pack up and move out of the house we had been in for 6+ years.  Besides, nothing like the keys to your new home to light a fire of motivation under ya! ;)

I'm thinking the first thing on the agenda tomorrow evening might be to all head over to the house with Tessa's power chair and just let her explore the new place without any obstacles of any kind!  I've been learning some sign language to help show and talk through things with her and my prayer is that she will really sense a new level a freedom!  

There have been moments where it has been a little challenging to explain to Parker why we bought a house when we were supposed to build one in the new neighborhood behind our rent house...I've told him that sometimes plans change and the Lord provides something better than we could have imagined.  He asked me the other night, "so then why are they still building houses in the new neighborhood if we don't need one"...I told him that they will be building for other people that might move in, and his response "well that is really nice of them!" ;)  

I know, with Tessa just being the age that she is, it would probably be hard to explain to her exactly what is going on anyway, but I have discovered that it is challenging for me to go through such big changes with her, wondering what she is thinking and how she is feeling.  Don't get me wrong, Tessa is magnificent at showing us how she feels ;)...but sometimes I wish she could really tell me.  I am confident that the kids look to Darin and me to gauge our level of joy and comfort...and then they draw from that.  And we know that the Lord is our comforter and protector and I always pray that our kiddos see our trust in that, and that it helps develop their trust in that as well.

Let the moving packing begin!!

~Whitney

Giggles are Back!

We are two weeks in to weaning Tessa off the Baclofen and last night was glorious realizing we are getting our sweet giggly Tessa back!!

It has been a long couple of months without these:

Last night was the best night we've had with Tessa in a while.  She was so happy when I got home and it lasted all evening long.  She patiently waited for her dinner, she loved sitting by Parker watching and helping him play the Wii, and she giggled off and on all evening long!

These two make my day and always remind me of what's important!

~Whitney

So I Don't Forget...

Not sure where this came from, but saw it today and it's so good:

"the condition for a great miracle is impossibility"



~Whitney