Isaac's incredible progress...

I have been stunned by the progress we have seen in Isaac these last few months. I know for certain that God has been working in miraculous ways in Isaac. When he first came, Isaac had some movement of his limbs but it was sporadic and not very purposeful..he had a lot of reflexive movement that he was not in control of. He has always been able to move his head side to side, but that was the most we saw that was purposeful  movement.
 Things have changed for Isaac. I am still in almost disbelief because I know how badly I wanted to see these changes in him...I don't want it to be my own perceptions and not actual changes in Isaac. But, enough time has gone by now and I can with confidence tell you that Isaac is doing some amazing things! He can turn his own mobile on! That involves lifting his right arm up and hitting a rather small button. It takes him a long time to do this but it is clear that he is purposefully moving his arm to make the mobile work!!!! This is amazing...absolutely amazing.
Also, he is showing us that he can make choices based on what he wants and what he doesn't want. He has a toy that has 6 different large switches on it. Some play music, some activate lights and some make balls pop in the center. He loves the music...not so much the balls popping. There is one particular sound that it is clear he doesn't like. When given the choice to press that switch...he doesn't. But, when the switch is near him for the music he likes, he presses it over and over again.
I can barely share this with you without getting overwhelmed with emotion. This precious little boy who evokes so much pity by the world of those who don't understand disability--this precious little boy is so much more than his disability. This little boy waits to hear his parents voices...he tracks our sounds and movements with his eyes...he repeats sounds that we make. He is fully bonded to his family and is thriving in ways no one could have imagined...because he has his forever family...he is home.

We had a great day at Sever's Corn maze in September. Isaac loved the petting zoo, hayride and the giant corn pit. Corn was falling out of his sweatshirt pockets for days!

 

There are times when I find myself looking at other toddlers who are 19 months old...heck, even a three month old can do more than our sweet Isaac. And it stings...it is hard to think of how much our little one has endured...and how hard he has to work for even the slightest of movement. When I get pulled into the sadness, I have learned to quickly put those blinders back on that force me to look up and not around. And then I see God's face reflected...God's tender light shining upon Isaac's face. And then I simply wonder how I could have been so blessed as to have Isaac as my son here on earth.