Today is my son’s third day of school. He is a fifth grader. I get so scared sending him anywhere alone. But I have to trust. I have to trust in good and kind and grace. I have to trust that people will know the yellow haired boys name is Cooper because he won’t be able to say it under pressure. I have to trust that they will ask him if he wants a drink of water because he won’t think to ask. I have to trust that they will…
I want to say the hugest, most heartfelt thank you to each and everyone of you who has supported me and my family on this journey. I know that so many of you have fallen in love with Cooper and our story. Sawyer, Harbor and Wynnie too. And of course Jamie. 8 years ago I sat on my couch in Duluth, MN and I created a blog. I named it Finding Cooper’s Voice. And I truly had no intention of anyone every reading it. I poured my heart out to…
One of the things I adore the most about my son Cooper is the way he gets excited over things. Things that most people may not think are all that big of a deal. Like a cow in a field. Or when it rains. The wind in his hair. A tractor. When we drive by Target. A train t-shirt. People who look like Santa. Halloween decorations tucked away in a closet. Photos of mom and dad as awkward teenagers. And when his brother gets a haircut. Of course Cooper needed…
I often get asked when did I realize you were Autistic, and you are almost always with me when it happens. This is how the question is normally worded – “When did you notice something wrong?” I am usually more polite than this, because asking questions leads to understanding. I want to encourage others’ understanding, but I need you to know the uncensored answer to this recurring question. To be honest, I didn’t notice anything “wrong”. I was too busy snuggling you and thinking your happy flapping was adorable. I…
Tomorrow is the day! Finally! The big reveal of my book cover. I am so excited for you all to see it. Cooper and I will go live right here (time TBD) to reveal it. He is going to be so excited. He adores photos of our family. So much so that he carries them, sleeps with them, and loves them until they are worn thin. The photo we chose for the cover is one of his absolute favorites. This photo came in a close close second and was almost…
I don’t want to be the mom who says no all the time. Or don’t do that. Or get down. Stop throwing. Why are you wet? Is that marker? What’s in your mouth? But with this kid, this exasperating, adorable, super smart kid, it comes down to keeping him alive. That’s my standard right now. He climbs everything. Slides. Counters. He gets to the highest point and gets a twinkle in his eye and says…’mama, I jump!’ And my heart goes into my throat and I’m suddenly talking him off…
2 more days until my book cover is revealed! This photo was a strong contender and is one of my absolute favorites of the boys. We won this photo shoot actually. A friend nominated us and the amazing Kacie Ko donated her time and took our family photos. We had just moved from our ‘forever’ home to a new city three hours away so Cooper could receive therapy. It was a very lonely time for Jamie and me. We didn’t want to move. But helping Cooper was our top priority.…
3 days until our book cover is revealed! Forever Boy will be released on April 5, 2022 but is available for presale now if you want to grab a copy! Forever Boy This photo was a strong contender for the cover. It’s one of my favorites of our family. When you have a child diagnosed with autism, it’s imperative to know that every person in your family will be impacted. Each of us has learned, been challenged, been blessed. We’ve grown. We’ve changed. This photo shows a family rallying around…
Four more days until the cover of my book, Forever Boy, is revealed! It is available on Amazon now though for preorder! This photo is one of the runner ups for the cover. It’s one of my favorite pictures of my boy and me. Someone asked me what the book is about and how it will differ from my blog. When you have a child diagnosed with something, anything, your world changes in an instant. It gets smaller for one. Suddenly, you feel like you are the only person on…
The countdown is officially on for the reveal of my book cover! Forever Boy is available for presale but the cover is still a secret until Monday. 5 days to go! Cooper and I will reveal on Monday, live, right here! I’m going to share a few of the options that we considered for the cover. This is one of my most favorite pictures of Cooper. And the story behind the photo is fantastic. Cooper carried an 8×10 photo of our family everywhere he went. Even to our family photo…
