Posts Tagged ‘severe autism’
Sawyer’s Sixth Birthday Celebration
Birthdays are a huge deal in our world. Especially when you son turns six years old! I tried to put a spell on him to keep him little forever but I guess I failed. He is growing up. Somedays it feels like it’s happening overnight. The day started very, very early. 4:30 AM to be exact. Cooper decided it was time to start the day. So, I used that time to blow up balloons and decorate Sawyer’s door. View this post on Instagram Mother of the year at…
Read MoreWill You Talk Then?
I don’t often talk about God or heaven or religion on this blog. I don’t because the few times I have…people yell at me. Or it makes people feel uncomfortable. And I don’t want to do that. People can believe whatever they want to believe. So, I made the decision to not openly talk about religion. But I will tell you, that I went through a period where I was angry at God. I didn’t understand why my son was picked to have autism. It didn’t feel fair to him.…
Read MoreBeauty in the Breakdown
As Moms, all of our children have had a public “temper tantrum”. It’s awful. You can see it coming most times and try to brace yourself for impact. Tantrums stink point blank. You’re sweating, your kid is flailing, people are staring and you just want to RUN. A meltdown is a bit different. A meltdown occurs when a body has endured too much stress. It looks like a tantrum but can not be contained like a tantrum. Meltdowns can get ugly, real ugly. Meltdowns not only break down your child…
Read MoreMy Son is Sitting
I snapped this picture after school today. Cooper sitting. A rare sight in our home. Some days we never see it. Not for weeks or even months. We’d joke that he was either awake and running or sleeping and not moving. There was no in between. Not ever. Wait, that’s not true. When he’s really sick. With a fever. Which thankfully has only happened a few times. Then, he sits. And we get really, really worried. Instead my boy runs, rolls, falls, and paces. We joke that he is going…
Read MoreAutism is Never Easy
I would like to share something with you. Something that I am embarrassed to admit, but I think that it needs to be said. Perhaps it shows my ignorance, my vulnerability, or my true colors of who I am. When I would drop my son Brayden off at the WEAP, ABA preschool center, I would walk him into the classroom and stop and observe all of the children surrounding me. They all had autism. None of them were flapping, obviously stimming, and some had vocabulary well beyond their age. They…
Read More6 Things I’m Letting Go of this Year
Our past year has been a pretty good one but as a parent of a child with additional needs, it is sometimes all consuming trying to create the perfect world for your child. We need to… Make sure all different ways of learning are being explored when our child has trouble following a regular curriculum. Make sure we are doing all the right therapy that will give them the best chance to progress. Help them make regular friendships that they are unable to do on their own. Scaffold each part…
Read MoreSleep in my Room Brother
A month or so before Harbor was born, Cooper and Sawyer both slept in our room. We had just moved to a new house a few months before. Both boys could sense the baby was coming. And they seemed to be trying to soak up as much mama snuggle time as they could. Of course I would like to say they both started out the night in their own rooms and beds. At least that was the intention every day as Jamie and I chugged coffee after a crowded night…
Read MoreI’m Not Lonely Anymore Mama
The decision to have a third baby was huge for us…as it is for any family. A third baby is a lot. Plus, our boys were 7 and 5. Did we really want to start over? Midnight feedings, lugging a car seat around, and nursing. Our living room wasn’t filled with baby gear. We had no bottles or diaper bags. And, to address the elephant in the room…one of our boys has autism. He needs so much more all the time. More patience. More therapy. More one-on-one time. More everything.…
Read MoreA Boy and his Baby Brother
Oh how far he’s come. 14 weeks ago he refused to acknowledge our new addition. He had never touched a baby. Never held one. Honestly, never acknowledged one. We’ve worked in it every single day. We started slow. Eased into it. A wave. A smile. A quick touch. A hug. A kiss. And we built up to this. Today, he’s holding him, hugging him and kissing him. With a 20 second count of course. This kid is amazing. I have so much hope for their relationship. https://www.facebook.com/findingcoopersvoice/videos/344747129459436/ Interested in writing…
Read MoreDreams Change
“When he is older he will be grand”, “he’ll grow out of it”, “ah you would never know looking at him”. Just some comments that are frequently said to me about my little boy. The reality is people just don’t get it. When you become a parent, you dream of doing so much with your little baby as they grow. Trips to the cinema, out for ice cream together, trips to the beach, or just out for a walk holding hands. I dreamed of all of these things too. I…
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