Check out my new toy!

I finally took down the tree because I couldn't stand it any longer, but I did buy Gavin these rope lights to make up for it! He loves looking at them! I hung them on his toy bar. When I plug them in he gets wide eyed and just stares at them, then he gets quite excited about it!

His physical therapist thought that it was a great idea. Today she was really impressed by Gavin! He has been much more active and vocal lately and she got to see this today. She kept smiling and even stayed longer than normal, because he was doing so well. Usually he tires out half way through the session. She kept saying that she thought that he was trying to do certain things, but I didn't see what she saw. She said that babies first explore toys with their mouths. Gavin has been doing this for awhile. Next babies start to explore by shaking or banging a toy. She has said before that she saw Gavin do this, but I thought that she was just giving him the benefit of the doubt. Today she said that he was doing this again. I am still not so sure of this, but maybe she knows what to look for and I don't? Between things she said about Gavin's recent developments and what a friend at church said to me Sunday, I'm beginning to analyze how I view Gavin's future development.

Our friend at church came up to me Sunday and said that she was thinking about how "Isn't it wonderful that doctors aren't in control of Gavin's life and it's God Who is?!" This is SO true! Thanks for this reminder friend! :) There have been several occasions that doctors have written Gavin right off, yet he is still here with us and is making small strides! There were a couple of times that doctors came to us to say that they didn't think Gavin would pull through enough to even live another day...or ever get off the ventilator...or ever get out of the hospital...or ever develop any further.......yet he did ALL of these things! His neurologist said that it's very unlikely that Gavin's brain will ever recover from the stroke he had, yet Gavin IS doing more than he used to do! Thankfully God is the One in control!

I have had a difficult time looking down the road and seeing progress in the future with Gavin. I don't know if this is due to all of the poor prognoses we have been given or if it's because I don't want to get my hopes up and have them shot down if he doesn't develop any further. It could also be due to the fact that I am with Gavin every day and the steps forward are very few and far between. In any case, I need to remember that Gavin HAS made improvements! He IS alive and with us! And, that God IS in control and all powerful and has a plan for Gavin and all of us! Looking back on the last 2+ years, and seeing all that we have gotten through, I should never put limits on our Awesome God, no matter what doctors tell us and what we happen to see! God is in control and only He knows the future! I am going to try to just sit back and enjoy the triumphs Gavin has made and eagerly await what God has in store for all of us, knowing that He alone is in control and will get us through each chapter!

I've added a couple of new families to my blog list, on the side bar. Both have children born with Down syndrome and have been through a lot of the same trials that Gavin has. I have been blessed by reading their blogs and although I am sad that there are others having to go through similiar trials, it is a comfort to 'know' them! Check out these precious children (Jaxson and Zoey) and please add them to your prayer list!


"O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!" Psalm 68:35