Posts Tagged ‘family’
But, We Kept Trying
We are a beach family. My husband and I met at the beach. For years we have visited different beaches and resorts to enjoy the sun, sand and water. That is…until our little Braxton turned two. Although we didn’t get an official diagnosis until he was 3, I knew from the time he was born that he was different. This diagnosis, autism, robbed our family of the one thing we all loved to do together. The sand felt like glass. The sound of the waves might as well have been…
Read MoreAutism Touches Every Part of Everything
I am not sure when the moment hit because I was so deep into autism, I did not even realize the epiphany I had. When Jayden was diagnosed just before age three I had so much hope, and do not get me wrong I am still filled with tons of hope for Jayden’s future. I just had some unrealistic expectations of life like ‘The Good Doctor type of autism’ instead of the autism that has a potty timer going off every thirty to forty-five minutes, depending on the day. Somewhere…
Read MoreI’m not Always Grateful
I sat there bouncing my baby on my knee. I was surrounded by people. I watched the group of children singing Jesus Loves Me. So casually. Standing in a line. The youngest was 4. The oldest was 8. A boy. Cooper’s age. I watched him specifically. He was wearing a tie. He was standing so still. Holding the microphone. Then he sang his name. Four words. ‘My name is Ben.’ He sounded like an angel. I realized in that moment I wasn’t breathing. I had stopped bouncing my baby. I…
Read MoreIt’s the Isolation that Got Us
My son is starting to communicate. It’s almost unbelievable to me. If you would have told me a year ago that my son would even attempt to say words I wouldn’t have believed you. If you would have told me two years ago that he would be potty trained I also would have probably laughed at you. Not because he isn’t smart and amazing. But because it just seemed so impossible at the time. But I was wrong. He is blowing us away lately. He has started dressing himself. He…
Read MoreThat Day was the Beginning of Me
My oldest son was diagnosed with ADHD at 4 years old, which I jokingly (well sort of) say he got from his mother. We are both high strung, multi-tasking, over analyzing, high functioning anxiety stricken people. He was challenging as teachers put it but I totally got him. It was not a challenge in that I felt like I was looking in the mirror at myself and I could totally relate. My youngest son began having issues very early on but not in the typical autistic way. And it was…
Read MoreSometimes I Forget
Sometimes I forget that my daughter has autism. This may sound strange because of all the private therapies we do, the targeted activities at home to encourage her development, her specialized preschool, and more. It is as if our whole world revolves around autism, and yet the autism fades because all we see is our daughter. Sometimes I Forget She is Behind Ruby has been doing so well with her school and therapies. Just in the last 9 months she has made tremendous growth. She went from saying 1-2 word…
Read MoreI was the Gloom and Doom Mom
Yesterday, I celebrated my eighth Mother’s Day. I’m not sure how that is possible but I did the math and it is indeed right. I have three boys. Each delightfully amazing in their own way. Cooper is 8. He is the happiest boy you will ever meet. He has taught me more about life than anyone or anything else. He is my shadow. I am his person and he is mine. I have Sawyer who is 6. He is incredible and pushes me to my limits daily. He is smart,…
Read MoreThis World Needed You
This year, we stand on the edge of the end of your 5th year, right on the precipice of you turning 6. It has been over 3 years since I last heard your voice elicit words spoken from your heart as you yelled goodbye to your beloved garbage trucks as they turned out of our neighborhood out of sight. Now, you rarely glance up to watch the garbage trucks when they come by. Most days, I really cannot believe we are here…I thought we would have heard those words again…
Read MoreCousins Really do make the Best Friends
My husband and I are parents to an amazing, energetic, mischievous, almost three year old boy, Logan. We started to notice speech regression around 20 months, and I brought it up to his pediatrician at our next routine visit. I remember her saying that speech regression is related to autism, but she didn’t really see any other “red flags” that alarmed her. She referred us to Early Steps to see if he would qualify for speech therapy, and then we would see if he started to make any progress and…
Read MoreMy Son will Grow up to be….
There are moments we experience, which follow us, entering our thoughts when we least expect, and weaving together with other pieces of our journey to shape us, give us pause, make us think…evolve…and create purpose as we move forward. When I was pregnant with Leo, I went for a 3D ultrasound session at 27 weeks, hoping to get a sneak peek of the sweet baby I would soon be holding in my arms. Everything about that day remains vivid and clearly outlined in my memory. Watching my boy on the…
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