I know I have mentioned music in a previous blog post, but I cannot refrain from revisiting the concept. Music truly touches a place in my soul and speaks for me when I cannot find my own words. Driving home in the car today, I heard the song by Trace Adkins, "You're Gonna Miss This", a song that easily sends me into one of my driving, crying, make-up running fits that I seem to have more and more frequently.
But other than the obvious reasons that this song makes most anyone sob after only a few verses, for some reason it actually makes me think of the advice my parents, and in particular my Father, used to give me when I was growing up. Maybe it's Trace Adkins' slow, southern voice or how I can literally hear my Dad saying something exactly like this. "Daddy shakes his head and says baby just slow down, because you're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back". I can actually see my Dad waving his arms in a "slowing down motion" and shaking his head as if I had all the time in the world.
I am in fact certain that both my parents, on numerous occasions, have told me to enjoy high school or college, or just life in general, and I still remember my Mom telling me that college is what you make of it (i.e. don't sit in your dorm room, instead get out there and meet new people and do new things). Unfortunately, at the time the advice was given by my wonderful parents, I was busy being a know-it-all teenager (who me?!). And while I didn't sit in my dorm room and ignore the outside world, I do wish I had absorbed more of my parents advice and really took the time to appreciate the moments and blessings I was given with my friends and family. But, teenagers don't work that way. Thankfully the advice they stated each time I left the house of "wear your seat belt, don't drink and drive and look out for deer" still resonates in my head today and I often find myself saying some of the same things to my husband as he walks out the door.
It is hard not to think about what hardships Olivia will come by as she grows older, but I am certain that many parents struggle with this concern for one reason or another. I find myself wondering if she will have trouble with speech, with walking, with running, with homework, with bullies, with teachers, with sports, or with life in general? Seeing her go through this constraint therapy has made me extremely excited about her progress and her future, but I fear that I will not have the words for when she stumbles, for when she hurts, for when she needs a lift in spirits. I can only hope that my words will stick with her as my parents' words have stuck with me through all these years.
So far my words have been of encouragement, constant encouragement. Olivia will likely grow up to be in theater because she will be so used to the continuous applause that we provide at her each and every victory. So far this week she has started to eat with her right hand, and also drink her sippy cup with her right hand. I have also noticed an increase in new sounds and just noises in general since the constraint was added to her dominant arm.
The damage is on the left side of her brain, which is where speech is held. It is hard to tell how much of a speech delay (if much at all) Olivia will have based on the brain scan, so the fact that she has increased her speech is an amazing accomplishment. It looks like she is currently on about a three month delay for everything, including words, as her first word came at 9 months exactly. Overall she has been slightly fussy, but I think she may have another tooth coming in at the same time (lucky us, therapy and a tooth at the same time!). But for the most part she has been a great sport about using her right hand, but she definitely lets everyone know if she does not feel like doing it.
I know that I have a little bit of time before my advice giving skills will be called upon from my curious little daughter. When those days do come, I will definitely rely upon the advice provided by my own amazing parents and maybe update it to include the changing times we live in. But for now, I am going to stick with my words of encouragement and hope that my cheers will be enough to help motivate her through this tough, tough journey.
But other than the obvious reasons that this song makes most anyone sob after only a few verses, for some reason it actually makes me think of the advice my parents, and in particular my Father, used to give me when I was growing up. Maybe it's Trace Adkins' slow, southern voice or how I can literally hear my Dad saying something exactly like this. "Daddy shakes his head and says baby just slow down, because you're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back". I can actually see my Dad waving his arms in a "slowing down motion" and shaking his head as if I had all the time in the world.
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| Me and Dad, July 1982 (New Born) |
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| I have no idea what year this is, but I love Mom and Dad's HAIR! |
It is hard not to think about what hardships Olivia will come by as she grows older, but I am certain that many parents struggle with this concern for one reason or another. I find myself wondering if she will have trouble with speech, with walking, with running, with homework, with bullies, with teachers, with sports, or with life in general? Seeing her go through this constraint therapy has made me extremely excited about her progress and her future, but I fear that I will not have the words for when she stumbles, for when she hurts, for when she needs a lift in spirits. I can only hope that my words will stick with her as my parents' words have stuck with me through all these years.
So far my words have been of encouragement, constant encouragement. Olivia will likely grow up to be in theater because she will be so used to the continuous applause that we provide at her each and every victory. So far this week she has started to eat with her right hand, and also drink her sippy cup with her right hand. I have also noticed an increase in new sounds and just noises in general since the constraint was added to her dominant arm.
The damage is on the left side of her brain, which is where speech is held. It is hard to tell how much of a speech delay (if much at all) Olivia will have based on the brain scan, so the fact that she has increased her speech is an amazing accomplishment. It looks like she is currently on about a three month delay for everything, including words, as her first word came at 9 months exactly. Overall she has been slightly fussy, but I think she may have another tooth coming in at the same time (lucky us, therapy and a tooth at the same time!). But for the most part she has been a great sport about using her right hand, but she definitely lets everyone know if she does not feel like doing it.
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