I know I am not alone in that spring is one of my favorite times of year. Not only is it a prelude to the glorious heat of summer (which I adore!), but to me it also represents the promise of new life and growth, and with that, hope for the future. Last winter, when Finn was just a few months old and before we had gotten his diagnosis, Jens (Finn’s daddy) gave our aged apple tree a much needed – but rather extreme – pruning. In fact, very few branches were spared at all. In my opinion, the final product was reminiscent of the tree in Shel Silverstein’s beloved story The Giving Tree. Anyway, the discarded tangle of branches lay on the ground in the yard for several months, through the coldest time of the year, occasionally covered by snow and frequently drenched in rain. During the spring, I decided to recycle a few of the branches and use them as stakes to hold up some of my burgeoning plants. I stuck one in the ground near the spot from which I was hoping to see a dahlia eventually poke up its head. I soon forgot about it. We became occupied with everything else in life, including all that we were dealing with in regards to Finn. But time didn’t stand still and neither did life. On a warm and sunny day at the beginning of last summer, I was amazed to discover that one of the “stakes” was actually growing! Tiny, green, apple-tree leaves had appeared, cautiously growing and unfurling. I was moved in witnessing this small miracle and “promise” of life. It was especially powerful to me throughout last summer, as the intensity of what we were going through with Finn was so strong. This year, the “stake” has started growing again. Somehow life lay dormant all through the winter days once again. The leaves are not plentiful nor very large at all, and I know this “branch” will never grow into a huge tree, but somehow I am still encouraged and inspired by the fact that it is alive at all. In general, all the nascent greenery and slightly warmer air surrounding us these spring days, is such a boost for my spirit and soul. It reminds me of the power of hope and the power of life. And of Finn.
With all that said, I am filled with hope and optimism for Finn these days too. We are encouraged on many fronts. We have had several doctors’ appointments with his pediatrician and ophthalmologist over the past couple of months. His eyes have been called “remarkable” and “amazing,” by the doctors. In fact, the doctors no longer see the nystagmus nor the strabismus! This is huge! They still see pseudo strabismus, which is more like an optical illusion with the shape of the face and the doctors have suggested that over time even that may diminish. There are no guarantees ever, but we are hoping that the nystagmus and strabismus are gone for good. These improvements with his eyes are very good signs that his brain is “healing.”
In terms of motor development, Finn has completely given up commando crawling for good ole’ hands-and-knees crawling. He also does an occasional bear crawl, where he has his knees off the ground and moves forward just on his feet and hands. He is still pulling himself up on everything and enjoys cruising along furniture. He especially likes to let go and hold onto things with just one hand! He is very proud of this move and so are we. The big news is that he seems to be very interested in standing independently these days. This is a big precursor to being able to walk. In the past month, several times he has stood independently for up to four seconds! He still battles the ataxia and low muscle tone so this is no easy feat. It is hard work for him and he has his legs wide apart and isn’t always standing straight up, but nevertheless he is going for it. He obviously wants to do this and keeps trying. Motivation is an enormous part of success.
Finn started a swim class recently that he goes to with his daddy, Jens. He loves it! He has also enjoyed playing in the pool in the backyard on the two opportunities we have had so far to get it out. He was even attempting to blow bubbles in the water. It was very cute! He is still very much in love with all vehicles, but has a special affinity for trains and bicycles right now.
In terms of language, we are now working with a speech therapist who comes to our home once a week. Finn enjoys playing with her and is always such a character when she comes to visit. Last time, he was “kissing” his animals, unprompted. He now says “bye bye” and has added an approximation of “up” to his repertoire. While Finn’s progress is slow, the speech therapist has been very encouraging as well. She always phrases things in terms of saying he’s just not there “yet.” I like that emphasis on “yet.” It is very much in alignment with the hope that I hold onto for Finn’s future.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! And happy spring to all of you! Oh, and we have some pictures up of Finn’s latest adventures. Enjoy!
