School is in...

Sam has been in school for over a week now. I will tell you that the first day I dropped him off, I felt so sick. I was doubting the decision that we had made. I called Jeff and asked if I could go back and pick him up. He reassured me that we should at least give it a try. It was a decision that we had made and had felt that it was the best way to help him. So, I left him there for the first day and he seemed happy when I picked him up. Since he cannot tell me how it was, I was curious to see if he would cry the second day when I dropped him off. So, on the second day, he just walked right in and waved bye to me. It kind of hurt my feelings. :) He absolutely loves school. He is improving too. His teachers are all so nice and they reassure me everyday about how well that he is doing. She even said, "I know you are worried. But, please know that he never cries and he smiles the whole day. He loves it." I am so impressed with the whole program. What a great thing to offer for families with kids who have developmental delays. And it's free. After paying Susanna's tuition every month, I appreciate that! There is one teacher and three assistants in the classroom with 6 kids. What a great ratio. He also has 3 therapists that work with him throughout the week. We are so grateful for the way God has guided us and calmed out hearts about this decision.

Sam had a check up this past week with the pediatrician. He made the growth chart for the first time. Woohoo! We are so excited to report that he is in the 3rd percentile for his weight. The doctor was amazed that he was doing so well. He said that this was the healthiest that Sam has ever looked. This pediatrician is a Christian and is a constant encouragement to us. I have come in there many times very down and discouraged, and he always reminds me that God chose us to be Sam's parents and He will see us through. I knew this but am beginning to see this.

Thank you Lord, for helping our Sam. We are confident that you have your hand on him and that you have a very special plan for him.

Where's Sam?

This is where you will usually find Sam. He eats all of his meals and about 4-5 other times too. His favorite thing is cereal. I don't know why he won't grow. His appetite is a bottomless pit!

My Big Boy...

I dropped Sam off at school today for the first time. And, well. it wasn't easy. I have been pretty nauseous all morning just thinking about him and wondering if it was the right decision. He, of course, was fine. He just walked right in and went to play with a new friend. The teacher was very nice and went out of her way to make sure everything went smoothly. Is parenting always like this? I don't think I realized how many decisions you have to make for your children. I'm terrible at making decisions anyway. It's so easy for me to question and analyze everything and wonder if I am leading or guiding my children as they should be lead. Yet, God in his amazing love, gives me assurance when I feel very unassured, that He is Sam's father. He loves him even more than we do. I find comfort in that today. Sorry... I don't ever mean for this to sound preachy. I'm just reminding myself of His promises concerning our children.


I have many more updates on Sam and will post them later. Gotta go pick up my baby!

Good Bye and Hello!

Today marked the last day of our physical therapy, yesterday was the last day of speech therapy, and Friday is the end of special therapy. He will be moving on to a new program in January since he is turning 3 this week. I thought that I would be glad for therapy to come to an end. It will be an end to driving to Marshville back and forth and quick cleaning my house before the therapist gets here and I thoroughly embarrass my self. But it has been incredibly sad. These therapists have blessed us so much by their love for Sam and dedication to see him improve. This program has been such a huge help for us when we were so unsure of how to help Sam. I cannot thank them enough. I felt so silly trying to find them gift cards in small amounts. How can you repay someone who loves your child and cheers them on to new levels? Today, as we were leaving his therapy session, I just started to cry having to leave them. Don't worry, they all have seen me cry many times. I guess that is another reason why it is hard. They know and understand the difficulties Sam has faced and the ones he will face. They have heard my worries and my hopes for Sam. Thank you God for bringing each of them into our lives! My mission is to get the word out about this wonderful program so that it can help other families as much as it has helped us.

Sam has finished up all evaluations and has been placed in a class starting in January. He will be going to "school" Monday through Friday and will be receiving his therapy there. He will be eating breakfast and lunch there. I was able to go and visit last week and was very impressed. This is a tough decision to make but we feel that this is the best for our Sam. I have heard so many great things about this program and wonderful testimonies on how much it has helped different children. So, we are going to give it a try. But we are sure that Sam will love this especially since the room is like a huge playroom with an art center, a music center, cars, and balls,etc... The teachers were very nice and seemed to love what they do. But. it's still going to be incredibly hard to send him.