I am sincerely apologetic to those who are looking for updates on Mitchell's blog. We don't have a home computer, so I really struggle to find time to post updates. Mitchell is doing well health wise. His last scan (Feb. 13th) was stable, which we expected. The May MRI will be much scarier. Physically he is great; his eyesight is stable/strong, and his muscle strength is still pretty good too.
What we've really struggled with the past six months is Mitchell's behavior. It started with hitting our baby, Eden, and our older son, Jackson. It was mostly occasional and we thought it was just fatigue/moodiness. It has escalated to a very difficult point. He cries A LOT, hits, bites, and tries to run away, which is a problem at school/church/public. We've met with his school administrators/teachers, and are starting an in-home program here in town to help him work through this. He wakes up at all hours, which is both difficult for his and our energy/ability to control himself/ourselves. It's a big, exhaustive, learning process! I have been more of a "strict" parent with high expectations in the past, and have definitely learned to relax A LOT and let things go. As a good friend counseled me, "You can't parent out of fear of what others think about you or Mitchell." That has been hard for me, but I feel like I've achieved a lot of progress there. Mitchell is special and normal parenting techniques do not work with him.
He is still his sweet Mitchell self a lot of the time too. I think what hurts most is to watch his frustration. I know he is still just a normal little wild boy inside a restricted body. He wants so badly to move freely and interact with people. He's very aware that people--children especially--see him differently. I struggle with my mama bear instincts, wanting to protect him, and with his need to learn and overcome his challenges. We're going through a rough spot, but I know we'll get through it. I have faith that we will continue to be lead and God will give Mitchell all he needs.
Mitch is taking a break now, but really loved his gymnastics!
Feb. MRI
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