it's been a busy week.
one of those wondrous weeks when before you know it thursday rolls around. oh how i LOVE thursday. i used to love it for grey's anatomy (but now that greys has lost it's zing), i love thursday just because i love it.
speaking of "zing", my 3.5 year old foster has plenty. he's zing-ier than anyone else. we literally run laps downstairs chasing each other with swords, or box heads, or pretending to be lions. he has a vivid imagination, and although when he's tired he has been known to fall apart a bit, i've never once seen him discouraged. he is ever the optimist and often helps me to see the brighter side of each situation. like the other day when i spilled an entire glass of newly poured ice tea (all over me, foster and the floor), he simply said "it's ok mom, look, i'll help!" or when i smacked my head on an open kitchen cabinet door yesterday, he ran right over and said, "Jesus can heal it mom! i can pray to ask him."
in the past few weeks, we found out alot about our zinging foster. we found out that his large and lovely deep brown eyes (with eyelashes longer than maybelline could ever manufacture) weren't working as all as we thought. his left eye isn't keeping up with his right eye. after several pediatric optometry visits, we discovered that he has a slightly sever eye tracking problem. not sure what "slightly sever" means, but it's not slight and i'm afraid to admit if it's sever. so i'm sticking with "slightly sever."
in fact, he's been having so much trouble seeing that the doctor said his brain has shut down vision to that eye for the most part. all this, and we didn't even know. correction, I didn't know. i'm his mom! i'm supposed to know. supposed to watch out for him and stand guard against anything that i can prevent. needless to say, i'm feel guilty that i didn't know.
he immediately needed glasses, and according to foster, he needed blue glasses. on our first day home with glasses, he was struggling with the strong prescription, until we sat down to read his book, "biscuit," and he instantly exclaimed, "MOM! I CAN SEE THE PAGES!" it was an awesome moment.
he puts his glasses on as soon as he wakes up, and they stay on through every high jump, chuck-norris-inspired round kick, and cookie eating moment of the day. he loves to fold them carefully, slide them into his sleek blue case and snap the lid closed with gusto. he even slept in them one afternoon because i forgot to take them off. he LOVES them. they look so stinkin cute, i can hardly stand it! and quite studious i might add :)
at his optometrists appt on monday, we learned that although the glasses help, the tracking problem isn't correcting quickly enough, so one of my worst fears was confirmed. the eye patch. he needs to wear a one over his strong eye for 3 hours a day in order to strengthen his weaker left eye and convince his brain to return function.
day one. wednesday.
we talked about it, and i explained his left eye needed to get stronger and the patch would help. i told him how brave he is and how mommy was going to help him get through it. we talked about how Jesus can help to heal his eye so he can see better.
one of those wondrous weeks when before you know it thursday rolls around. oh how i LOVE thursday. i used to love it for grey's anatomy (but now that greys has lost it's zing), i love thursday just because i love it.
speaking of "zing", my 3.5 year old foster has plenty. he's zing-ier than anyone else. we literally run laps downstairs chasing each other with swords, or box heads, or pretending to be lions. he has a vivid imagination, and although when he's tired he has been known to fall apart a bit, i've never once seen him discouraged. he is ever the optimist and often helps me to see the brighter side of each situation. like the other day when i spilled an entire glass of newly poured ice tea (all over me, foster and the floor), he simply said "it's ok mom, look, i'll help!" or when i smacked my head on an open kitchen cabinet door yesterday, he ran right over and said, "Jesus can heal it mom! i can pray to ask him."
in the past few weeks, we found out alot about our zinging foster. we found out that his large and lovely deep brown eyes (with eyelashes longer than maybelline could ever manufacture) weren't working as all as we thought. his left eye isn't keeping up with his right eye. after several pediatric optometry visits, we discovered that he has a slightly sever eye tracking problem. not sure what "slightly sever" means, but it's not slight and i'm afraid to admit if it's sever. so i'm sticking with "slightly sever."
in fact, he's been having so much trouble seeing that the doctor said his brain has shut down vision to that eye for the most part. all this, and we didn't even know. correction, I didn't know. i'm his mom! i'm supposed to know. supposed to watch out for him and stand guard against anything that i can prevent. needless to say, i'm feel guilty that i didn't know.
he immediately needed glasses, and according to foster, he needed blue glasses. on our first day home with glasses, he was struggling with the strong prescription, until we sat down to read his book, "biscuit," and he instantly exclaimed, "MOM! I CAN SEE THE PAGES!" it was an awesome moment.
he puts his glasses on as soon as he wakes up, and they stay on through every high jump, chuck-norris-inspired round kick, and cookie eating moment of the day. he loves to fold them carefully, slide them into his sleek blue case and snap the lid closed with gusto. he even slept in them one afternoon because i forgot to take them off. he LOVES them. they look so stinkin cute, i can hardly stand it! and quite studious i might add :)
at his optometrists appt on monday, we learned that although the glasses help, the tracking problem isn't correcting quickly enough, so one of my worst fears was confirmed. the eye patch. he needs to wear a one over his strong eye for 3 hours a day in order to strengthen his weaker left eye and convince his brain to return function.
day one. wednesday.
we talked about it, and i explained his left eye needed to get stronger and the patch would help. i told him how brave he is and how mommy was going to help him get through it. we talked about how Jesus can help to heal his eye so he can see better.
we laughed that they look like egg shaped bandaids. we put the patch on.
he immediately noticed that he couldn't see at all. his sweet little left eye fought to figure out what was going on, and he immediately started to panic. he was so distressed. more so than i have ever seen him.
"but i can't see mom! i can't see! i don't like it, i don't like it!"
he literally sobbed for an hour as i held him. i sobbed too. we sat and sobbed together until i couldn't take it any longer. when i took it off, it was soaked with tears. we were both traumatized.
so yesterday was day 2. thursday, my favorite day.
i was determined to help him make it closer to 3 hours. we put the patch on right before dinner after daddy came home. we cried. alot. his depth perception is so compromised that he needed help to fork his chicken fingers. it was the chocolate pudding that helped with the sobbing. we tried to play curious george games on the computer, but that was a bad idea. he was so frustrated, but still trying to be positive.
"but i can't see mom! i can't see! i don't like it, i don't like it!"
he literally sobbed for an hour as i held him. i sobbed too. we sat and sobbed together until i couldn't take it any longer. when i took it off, it was soaked with tears. we were both traumatized.
so yesterday was day 2. thursday, my favorite day.
i was determined to help him make it closer to 3 hours. we put the patch on right before dinner after daddy came home. we cried. alot. his depth perception is so compromised that he needed help to fork his chicken fingers. it was the chocolate pudding that helped with the sobbing. we tried to play curious george games on the computer, but that was a bad idea. he was so frustrated, but still trying to be positive.
he politely said, "mom, i can't see it right now. let's try again later."
this kid has serious perseverance. we made it two hours.
today. friday. day 3.
i was determined to get the patch out of the way early so he could have the rest of the day patch free. i talked to him about putting the patch on before we ate breakfast. his zingful demeanor disappeared. he darted for the other side of the room and screamed "BUT I CAN'T SEE WITH THE PATCH!!!"
my heart fell out.
today. friday. day 3.
i was determined to get the patch out of the way early so he could have the rest of the day patch free. i talked to him about putting the patch on before we ate breakfast. his zingful demeanor disappeared. he darted for the other side of the room and screamed "BUT I CAN'T SEE WITH THE PATCH!!!"
my heart fell out.
he found a corner and sunk down to the ground. rowie ran over to see what was wrong, and then foster said something i've never heard him say.
"no rowan. i just want to be alone. leave me alone."
my sweet zingy boy. the patch had broken his spirit. he has never wanted to be alone, not for one moment in all of his 3.5 years. until today.
we hugged. we talked. we managed to put the patch on. we sobbed together as we ate our waffles and chocolate milkshakes.
then we made a lemonade stand at the kitchen sink, where they currently reside. making "lemonade."
this is what is so amazing about his zing. it rejuvenates. at this very moment, he's stirring and mixing and sipping his newly created mixture with a silly straw. he's chatting and pouring and sharing the measuring spoons with rowan.
his fantastic zing. even in the face of struggling to see out of an eye which his brain has turned off, he can still find his zing.
now that is something special. being full of zing even in the face of adversity.
this kid is my hero!
my sweet zingy boy. the patch had broken his spirit. he has never wanted to be alone, not for one moment in all of his 3.5 years. until today.
we hugged. we talked. we managed to put the patch on. we sobbed together as we ate our waffles and chocolate milkshakes.
then we made a lemonade stand at the kitchen sink, where they currently reside. making "lemonade."
this is what is so amazing about his zing. it rejuvenates. at this very moment, he's stirring and mixing and sipping his newly created mixture with a silly straw. he's chatting and pouring and sharing the measuring spoons with rowan.
his fantastic zing. even in the face of struggling to see out of an eye which his brain has turned off, he can still find his zing.
now that is something special. being full of zing even in the face of adversity.
this kid is my hero!
(oh, and only 35 min to go until the patch comes off...hooya!)
(ps. stephen and lauren took these adorable pics of mr. foster and his glasses)
Thank you for entering my giveaway. Your blog is so cute. I'm headed to check out your etsy store now!!!!
ReplyDeleteawwww ang this is so sad! you're such an amazing and encouraging mom though. praying that jesus does heal foster's eye and helps it adjust quickly!
ReplyDeleteaw ang I feel so bad for the poor little guy. Maybe you could put like a sticker or something on the patch...or maybe make a game out of it, like tell him to pretend he is a pirate and it is his eye patch like pirate's have...He has such a fun imaginative personality maybe he would like to play make believe and pretend he is like some sort of one eyed superhero...
ReplyDeletei'm not sure if its the hormones but this totally had me all teary eyed....
ReplyDeleteyou are doing such a good job with your boys and i think it should be commended :)
First of all, Foster looks absolutely adorable in his glasses! Sooo cute. Second, you are an incredible mom and while Foster may not remember much of his eye-patch-wearing time, the impession you are making on his sweet little heart will last for eternity. I will be praying for you both.
ReplyDelete