Sunday, April 08, 2007

Sleep Walking

Happy Easter everyone. I'm sitting here with Mickey on the TV, the boys sitting at the kitchen table eating their breakfast and the contents of their Easter baskets strewn around the floor. They don't eat much candy (even when offered) so they each only have one chocolate bunny (small). The rest are little stuffed bunnies, a stuffed Peep bunny, Lightening McQueen PJs, a Mickey t-shirt, a polka-dotted plastic duck, Care Bears, die-cast Cars cars and glow-in-the-dark Silly Putty. Our Easter bunny knows how to pack a fun basket. And with the huge outlet mall within walking distance, he doesn't spend a lot, either! Yeah frugal bunny!

So about this title. Last night, I put the boys to bed and was in my office (also upstairs) reading all your blogs. Hubby was out on his walk and then doing some late night grocery shopping. After about an hour and a half, I heard The Boy kind of crying. I turned and saw him heading down stairs (to find me). I ran out and called to him. He kept going and I had to follow him halfway down the stairs. When I finally got him to see me, I had to repeat about 12 times that I was up here and he should come up. He finally came up. But I have to tell you, he was totally freaked out. I mean, anxious and scared. Like hand-wringing, face screwed up and whimpering (not full on crying). I kept asking over and over what was wrong (incorrectly assuming he was awake). During his upset time, he said, "I was scared of the animals upstairs!" We were upstairs. So I asked, "You mean your stuffed animals?" (he has tons of them in his room). No answer. I think he finally started waking up at this point. I kept holding him and saying, "Look at me. Can you see me? I'm here and you're awake. I'm real and you're safe, ok?" Things like that. He started crying for real once he was fully awake. He still couldn't tell me what was wrong. So he sat on my lap on the floor of my office while I just held him and repeated reassurances over and over. Finally, when he was calmer (and this was about 20 mins after it all started), he told me that he had that feeling where he has dots in his eyes. I don't get this feeling. I'm not sure what it means but he's told me about the dots in his eyes before. There seems to be some kind of dots that appear in his vision - he can see them. I don't know if they're points of light or actual dots - are they dark or are they colored? I don't know. All I know is, when he sees them, it makes him very uncomfortable. I have no idea if this is related to the backward binocular shrunken vision he gets. I wish I understood it like the binocular thing. I like being able to say, oh yah, that happened to me when I was a kid and it goes away. But he told me he thinks he had that feeling he gets with the dots. I still don't know what happened to him. But man, he was so upset it just totally creeped me out. But I put on my totally secure mommy act and calmed him down.

So after calming down a bit, The Boy was ready to get back into bed. He asked me to come into his room and pray to God about it. Oh yah, I was already all over that!. I went in and called God - asking him to come to us right there. I told him that The Boy was scared and I didn't totally understand it but I knew God did. Every night at bed time, I bind any bad dreams in Jesus' name and command them to leave our house. I do the same with "any spirit that isn't God." So I prayed both of those bindings again. And then I asked the Holy Spirit to come and fill our house so completely that there would be no room for anything else that might bother or scare The Boy. While I was praying all of this, I had my left hand on The Boy's head and was rubbing his forehead. And my right hand was on his tummy. While I was praying all of this, it was like a totally relaxing peace just came over The Boy. He relaxed and the rigidity left him. He started smiling. He closed his eyes and was asleep before I even finished.

I love that God will come when you ask him for help. I love that God loves The Boy so much that he'll come and help him with something that might seem so trivial given the world's problems. I love my God that wants to give us all good things and gave my beautiful boy such peace so quickly.

Thank you God.

10 comments:

Kendra said...

Scary night, but good God. He is so very sweet to answer when we call out in desperation -thanks for sharing!
kendra

Allie said...

That's really lovely to hear. Thank you for making me feel happy!

Jane said...

What a beautiful post you have given us here. It resonated with me in many ways. I've been going through a difficult emotional time and I find that I want to hold my kids more and really connect with them and make everything feel better. I have to keep reminding myself that God is there for us. To help us and give us what we need. When our children are feeling hurt and scared, it's so nice to know that we can pray and feel that healing for them.

Stacy said...

You're a good mom, Lynette. :)

Jane said...

Lynette,

I just wanted to come by again to thank you for your always positive words and prayer. I so appreciate it :)

Jane

Trish Ryan said...

Wow - yay God. He comes through, yet again :) Texas is a better place with you in it, my friend.

j said...

That sounds a bit like he had a night terror. I used to get them when I was little and they were completely terrifying. They're different from night mares in that they happen during the 4th stage of sleep (instead of REM) and are nearly impossible to wake people from (my mom used to take a warm wet washcloth and wipe my forehead and cheeks soothingly in hopes that I'd wake up - no such luck).

Poor kid, hopefully God keeps the bad dreams away.

LEstes65 said...

To Jenkneebee - I was thinking it seemed a bit like night terrors. I have no experience with them so wasn't sure. I've heard people scream and can freak out. So I had rather dismissed that as a possibility since he never screams or thrashes, etc. This is good to know. It really is hard to get him to wake up and connect. Thanks for the info!

Sandy D. said...

Hello - I was reading Stacy's blog (which I discovered through her AAIO post, happily), and saw your blog title in her sidebar. Thought I would say hi after reading a bit here, since my 10 y.o. son also has Tourette's - we've known about it for about six years now.

Interestingly enough, I know of three other kids in my son's school of about 400 kids with TS. All very different.

I'm just happy it is recognized and accepted as it is now. I like reading history, and have read some horrendous things about TS in the past - even 30 years ago (see my blog for a review of "Front of the Class", by Brad Cohen).

anyway, regards, I'm looking forward to checking in now and again.

Monica said...

Aren't you glad you believe in God and have Him to calm your child when you cannot!!? In so many situations I would be at a loss if I didn't have God to turn to and it sounds like you had one of those nice.