Thankful Thursday

1. I'm thankful that I got to hold Baby Isaac yesterday and that I get to meet Baby Lydia tomorrow.  I'm so proud of my friends who've delivered their little ones and have embraced motherhood with such beauty and grace!

2. Along with the speech therapy Marcus receives from school, we've been sending him to another clinic privately because they are certified in the PROMPT technique, which has proven to be very effective for kids with Marcus' condition.  But the past few months, it was not uncommon for me to cry during the whole commute home.  Marcus was going through a period of defiance and intense frustration during the sessions because his speech pathologist was expecting so much from him.  I felt embarrassed by Marcus' tantrums and frustrated that perhaps it was a waste of time and money for us.  However, we've come to a good groove with things the past few weeks and his therapist is ecstatic that Marcus has been more cooperative and really vocalizing more during the sessions.  I think it just took some time for Marcus to realize that he really CAN meet her expectations.  A definite blessing!

3. I'm thankful that Mike got to have lunch with a brother from church yesterday and left tremendously encouraged.  Their conversation also greatly encouraged me and made me even more thankful for all the undeserved love our family receives from our church body.

4. I'm thankful for a recent email I received from new friends we made at Faith Bible Church of South County.  They were able to really give us solid counsel in regards to how to approach Marcus' upcoming IEP as advocates for Marcus, and yet as Gospel-believers.  We're so glad we can look to them for advice in this area because they are so much wiser and godlier than us and they've walked the path of special education so much longer than we have.  Thank you, Anne & Ephraim!

5. I'm thankful that we are exploring options for a new walker for Marcus.  He's not quite ready to upgrade yet (mostly because of fear on his part), but it's neat to see where he's headed.



6. I'm thankful that Marcus used a fork to eat his breakfast this morning with minimal assistance and no frustration!  Woohoo!

Sure takes a lot of concentration



I will make this huge piece of egg fit into my mouth!



This deserves a high-five



Yep, I'm feeling pretty good about myself



7. I'm thankful for the chance to take outings and do what we do best:

Cuddling





Kissing



Being silly





Acting cool



Picking boogies



Admiring



Devouring treats



And not wasting a single lick