On Our Toes

These are the pictures of all the grandkids at Grandad Jim’s 70th Birthday Party.

Happy Birthday to the best father-in-law ever!


Sorry for the lack of updates! The past few weeks have been off the chain!

First off, Oliver’s pneumonia and ear infections look to be on the mend. He still has congestion, but the doctor was happy with the progress as of Friday.

He continues to jabber and sing songs. He is a happy boy and is keeping us on our toes!

Now for some other news…

Friday was Oliver’s last day at First Presbyterian Preschool.  I had wanted to switch him to five days, instead of MWF. When I began talking to the staff about this it became apparent that even bigger changes were probably necessary.

The staff at First Pres is WONDERFUL, but Oliver has multi-faceted issues that have been hard for them to handle. His impulsivity, hyperactivity, seizures, language delays and difficulty navigating the outdoor play equipment created the perfect storm. Safety concerns abounded every day, despite them adding another teacher (!) in the class. As you can imagine, they are not equipped to deal with children with significant special needs. When I had signed Oliver up last spring, I had hoped he’d have less special needs as opposed to more. (Sigh).

After a long discussion with the director (who I adore!), it seemed like it was time to switch to a more specialized program for Oliver. I am grateful to have met the staff at First Pres., and the effort they made for Oliver will be a treasured gift to this mama’s heart forever. They’ve been so good to us, and that makes it even harder to say goodbye.

Oliver starts his new school on Monday. The Child Development Center is designed for children with special needs, although typically developing children also attend the school. He’ll be able to get his services (physical therapy and speech therapy) there throughout the day. He’ll also benefit from teachers with education focused on children with a range of special needs. I believe the five days will be as good for him as it will be for me.


Friday, as I drove off from First Pres in my mini-van, I couldn’t stop the tears. I had so wanted normal, Christian preschool to work for Oliver. It is always where I had imagined him for the years leading up to Kindergarten.

If you are a mom with a child with special needs you know this grief. The little tiny deaths that break your heart in a new place. This is one of the hardest parts for me. I am told it gets easier, but a year and half in I am still struggling.




Today Andrew and I spent the entire afternoon removing everything from Oliver’s bedroom. The only things left are some books and the mattress on the floor. The closet doors are even gone (because Oliver has broken them once before).

Why did we do this you ask? Well, Oliver has demolished his tent. You remember that ding-dang specialized expensive therapeutic tent we waited FOREVER for?

Despite Gran Anne’s best efforts (11 hours of sewing, yes I said 11 hours!) he has gradually torn it to pieces. He was previously only “safe” in his room if he was in the tent. (This is due to him trying to put anything and everything in his mouth and his incredible climbing ability, among other things.) Today, we had to rethink everything. We figure the less he can get into the better. So it is the sparest child’s room I have ever seen. Empty as can be.

I wish I could pretty this up for y’all, but I always want this blog to be real. Here is the truth: this is a terribly hard season for me, and for us as a family. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that I feel worn down more than I ever have in my entire life. I suppose I thought a break would come after the stress of the surgeries. That was an incorrect assumption.

The seizures continue and the behavior issues are beyond exhausting. Would you please pray that Oliver would be helped by the different therapeutic options we are considering. And would you pray for patience and spiritual growth for us?

I’ll end with a little letter…

Dear O-Team,

Without you we’d collapse. Thanks for caring for us through this grueling journey. I hope we get to help carry you through your grueling journey. Let us know when to lift because it would be our honor to carry you part of the way as you have carried us.