This picture was taken the last ten minutes of class on Friday afternoon. Parker played so hard the weekend couldn't wait ten more minutes. 

Shift, Lift, Step. Walking across the room.

First week of school... Huge CHECK mark for complete! Dancing in place and a big air fist bump for Team Shumway! Tuesday was Parker's first day back at school at Conductive Learning Center(CLC). CLC is the same program we attended in December, but this series will be four weeks instead of three. For Parker this week was a great jump start to waking up those neurons and diving into  the familiarity she has come to know and love in the music, and activities at CLC. The theme for this session is, "my very busy body." A line from one of the songs we sing says, "I have a very busy body, a very busy body, that goes everywhere with me...." Parker couldn't be more ready and thrilled with the theme choice. She loves finding her nose, using her hands to play peek-a-boo, and mom kissing and tickling her toes. Her modivation for calculated body  movement and drive to explore the world around her is like a drug to me that keeps me coming back for more pushing me  to do all  I can in her behalf. On top of that,  her joyful countenance and infectious smile sure makes ugly and stressful days, or anything for that matter, worth it. We are still implementing use of the potty from last session and seeing success there about once a day or every other day. She is a potty girl, She is so proud when she knows she's got the job done. Haha. The CLC director mentioned Wednesday that she could tell Parker has been playing hard since last session and she is making fantastic progress. She even went far enough to jokingly say with all of Parker's now obvious jibber jabber that she didn't have last session,  she is a regular trouble maker with all the talking and verbalizing during class. This is a happy time of life with Parker. The Lord has blessed us to have found a  routine that works for us  and embrace the  new normal we call ours. We are fortunate and blessed for the sweet association and support we feel from family and friends.

-The Vrouw 

The If/Then statement
 IF you would have told me a month and a half ago Parker would be able to pull her legs up underneath herself into the full crawling stance you may have gotten an odd laugh/cry combo out of me. I imagine my reaction would have made you feel uncomfortable and and pretty unsure what to do. haha. I think my reaction would take at least 30 seconds. A laugh would come out of me because I'm pretty sure One, I wouldn't have hardly believed you or known how to react to that kind of news. And Two, crawling is such a hard skill taking so much trunk control and strength which is one of Parker's greatest weaknesses. I have had times where I've wondered if light at the end of the crawling tunnel truly existed, or if since we have worked so hard already at crawling we now get the option to just skip crawling and go straight to walking because most days that almost seems like an easier skill for us to gain. I have known Parker will eventually crawl, but I never would have thought it would be here this soon.
 Having said that, the crying portion of my reaction... Everything Parker is learning to do is a miracle and blessing. I feel so blessed and grateful when the Lord lets me witness it. Sometimes its such a spiritual experience I sometimes feel like I can't believe I am here. I can't help but think of the feeling a parent has for a child when they want something so painfully bad for them, whether its an experience, skill, characteristic, or materialistic thing? Well that parental yearning is overwhelmingly complete when those little moments happen in my living room right before my eyes. The miracles I pray for every day I see happening when Parker pulls her legs completely underneath herself into the full crawling stance. The moment freezes me and I think, "this is REALLY happening right now." Its then a silent prayer of the heart in those times.  
It's crazy to think we are praying to be able to crawl! Four months ago we were praying to just track and then grab a toy. I can't believe this our experience. I sometimes feel selfish because I know there are those who are less fortunate and unable to have the experiences or opportunities to learn, and acquire skills in this life like Parker, or myself for that matter. It reminds me that beyond myself, there are those in heaven and on earth who are rooting in my family's behalf. It reminds me that there is a God, and He is aware of me, and the needs of me, and my children. It reminds me that I am enough to be the wife, and mother Heavenly Father wants me to be. Reminds us on a hard day to keep going. And so hey, sometime a little reminder never hurt anybody! #youareenough

-The Vrouw

11/26/2015 

Since learning about ACC has become part of our every day, I wanted to share  a reliable source of educational info about our Parker Ann and ACC. 

http://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/agenesis-of-corpus-callosum/ 
-The Vrouw

Beyond perfect! 

11/24/2015
So things the last month and a half have been kind of crazy around our house. As our Thanksgiving letter said, it was really the first we publicly said Parker has Agenesis of Corpus Callosum (ACC). I had gone back and forth over the last month and a half over whether or not to share our story. It became an internal struggle that I didn't know the answer to, insecurities of my own I didn't know how to handle,  so eventually when it came time to write our Thanksgiving letter, something I was dreading, I told Clay to write it.
After the family letter was written, I couldn't help but agree more with Clay in the decision to share with friends and family. The overwhelming amount of love, support, fasting and prayers in our family's  behalf,  I selfishly now can't imagine being without.
As a parent I find it a fine balance between allowing your children to grow and develop at their own pace, versus encouraging your children, and sometimes pushing their comfort zone beyond what they would choose on their own. I was finding myself in this place with Parker. 6,7,8,9 months old she wasn't sitting up. I knew some children take longer to develop these large motor skills so I couldn't bring myself to push her more. I try to enjoy the moment my children are babies, I fear it goes too fast in the first place. So not trying to force the next stage,  in the back of my mind, insecurities and worry about Parker's wellbeing began to creep into occasional thought.
10 1/2 months old, I  found myself with Parker in front of a  nutritionist telling me we needed to change Parkers diet. Later that evening when telling Clay of the events of the day with the nutritionist, I couldn't bring myself to agree and say her diet needed to be changed. I could feel something was going on, but diet wasn't it.
11 months old we were with my pediatrician for a wellness visit. Not meeting milestones like sitting up, rolling over, crawling, and ability to swallow progressive baby foods were all things on my mind. Growth for Parker in height was good, I had seen it in the change in her clothes, but weight, I hadn't realized, she had not gained a full pound in three months. Talking about lack of weight gain  was that overwhelming moment people talk about,  the feeling that I needed to  pursue the concerns I had for Parker. Immediately. I needed to get aggressive to seek out further help for Parker. My pediatrician suggested we run the gamut on blood testing, urine sample,  and meet with a GI specialist. A stomach renching Failure to Thrive was what I saw on the doctor notes... A long week later, the blood tests came back normal and the appointment for GI was set. September 24, 2015 we had our first and introductory visit to Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia  (CHOP) as we met with the GI specialist. He recommended a referral to the CHOP  neurology department just to make sure nothing was wrong, introduce Pedisure, and consider a swallow study with their feeding team thinking there might be a protein or something that her body is unable to absorb.
From September 24th to October 5th was the scheduled time between our initial appointment with neurology. I had the prompting one day to call and see if there had been any neuro appointment cancellations before the 5th. A great blessing and great surprise, there had literally been a cancellation made the phone call before me! We were now booked to meet with neurology October 1st.  This time of waiting and the unknown, I found to be the hardest. It was eating Clay and I alive.
Clay unable to get away from school, It was once again me and the kids heading to the appointment. Our dear neurologist confirmed my concerns with lack of milestone accomplishment, lack of weight gain, swallowing difficulty, and added hypertonia/hypotonia. I was expecting it would be a referral back with some kind of GI issue and that we would be sent out the door with a clear bill of health from the neurologist. Instead of a clear bill of health, we were sent out the door with a clearly needed brain MRI.
 Upon leaving our neurologist told us scheduling for an MRI was usually at least one to two weeks out. I made the phone call to the radiology department while we were making the now routine 35 minute drive home. Sure enough, the call just before me had called to cancel, so of course they could get me in the next morning at 8:00am. #Blessings!
Thankfully Clay was able to take off from school for the morning of the MRI. We had Vander to his friend Mali's house before 7am so he could spend the day with friends instead at the hospital. By the time we found the hospital building and were able to find the under ground parking my nerves were shot and my anxiety was through the roof..and the party hadn't even started yet! Parker did have to under go sedation for the procedure. We were told the actual MRI imagining took about 45-50 minutes, but including checking in, and sedation we would be in for a 5 hour experience. It was something I don't to ever do again. After the MRI was completed and they let us back into the room, laying there Parker was the most beautiful little sleeping beauty I ever saw. There was a peacefulness about Parker, about the whole room. I felt our spirits talking, Parker told me she was just fine while I couldn't be with her when she was away for the MRI. I stressed that. It helped me breathe, and come to a little perspective in life. This life is the Plan of Happiness.  No matter our earthly circumstance, old, young, we chose for it, no matter what was going on with Parker, She chose for it, and as her parents we chose to do all we could to best help her make her best experience.
That day was a hard day. As we were pulling into the drive way at home, the phone rang. We were just getting home from the 5 hour day at the hospital. It was our Neurologist calling with the results of Parker's MRI. We turned off the car and sat in the driveway as we listened to the doctor tell us what she saw of Parker's brain. I don't really want to revisit the drowning rush of emotions I had. Clay handled it better than I did. Looking back, we were in such shell shock when she asked if we had any questions we were speechless. After we hung up the phone, Clay took Vander inside and I got Parker out of her carseat, cuddled her there in the car, and cried. 
Our family is forever different, forever blessed. It changes the things in life we value, celebrate and define as important. It changes us as parents, and Vander as a sibling. Compassion comes to mind. I feel like since learning of ACC, it just helps me better learn and understand who Parker Ann really is. It gives me a glimpse of how Heaven must feel about the sweet baby I kiss good night every night. 
So there we were, MRI results in hand, and it was October 2. We weren't even suppose to have our first neurology appointment until October 5th, little alone some kind direction and diagnosis. We recognized so many blessings through out that 3ish weeks. 
We continue to see so many blessings in our lives as we begin this new journey. We have wonderful doctors, resources, and opportunities here in Philadelphia. Parker has PT, and OT 3-4 times a week. Appointments with medical specialists have slowed to only one here or there, not 3-4 a week. In that first month since diagnosis me and the kids attended over 22 appointments in 30 days. When I realized that, it was a moment for the first time that let me say, "...okay, here is your free get out of jail card for today...its alright that today is hard. Its okay to be real to myself that I am not handling it as well as I think I should. Or I understand and its okay that my 2 year old just had a major melt down in the store, we can cry it out together. He has been drug through the ringer and maybe doesn't entirely understand the changes, and what is going on with his sister or his parents..." 
I realize days and things can be hard,but there are those moments and days that are sweet, and well worth fighting for. When its difficult and  feel like I am losing to inadequacies and insecurities, The Lord wants me to remember, "I AM enough. Together my family is enough. Parker is enough". The Savior makes it so I can be enough. I have been called as a wife and mother, and I am enough to endure and happily bare up and fill that sacred mantle. 
The best thing we can do for Parker at this point is work to build neuro plasticity and create new brain paths for the body's motor function. This is done through lots of various physical and occupational therapies.We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Parker will be attending a 3 week, Monday through Friday, 3 hours a day physical therapy "boot camp" in Michigan. We are optimistic about little miss Parker's future. She is a fighter, and she works so hard to meet her therapy goals. We love her and are so grateful and blessed to have her part of our family!  

In the waiting area at the Neurologist office

Morning of the big MRI

Saying see ya after the MRI

Waiting for sleeping beauty to wake up after the MRI

Watching dad and brother run around at the park. 

Halloween Girls

Eagles cheerleader for Halloween

"Meemo was here."

Rough housing with Dad

Cuddle time is always oh so sweet!

Dozer loves watching over his girl.

 

11/24/2015 
Yesterday little missy was fitted for bilateral MAFOs (molded ankle-foot orthosis).  These leg braces will be worn once a day for one to two hours. Their 2 fold design is to maintain leg support when she practices standing,  then  allow her ankle and foot to stretch into a 90 degree angle. For now we see the braces as a preventative measure where we are able to manipulate her ankle and foot into a 90 degree angle and don't see any other correctional needs at this time. We are so grateful for the knowledgeable team of professionals  who provide us with the resources we need to best meet Parker's needs. 

-The Vrouw

Happy Birthday Parker

8/28/2015 
There is just something about siblings. 

4/06/2015 KIDS HAPPY FOR MALL EASTER BUNNY PICTURES...MOM SAYS YES PLEASE!

12/03/2013 Beauty and the Beast 
Clay surprised me with dinner, babysitter, and tickets to the Philadelphia Broadway play. We loved it!!! 

-the Vrouw

Picked Daddy up from school today to have a surprise pick-nick at the Franklin Institute park. Couldn't have been a nicer fall afternoon. 

-The Vrouw

Tickle monster, smiles, and lots of walking.