3 and a half

March 19, 2013-interview with Lew

What is your favorite?

-color: blue

-candy: sucker

-food: grapes

-song: The color song (preschool)

-animal: reindeer

-book: an animal book

-show: Wonder Pets

-thing to do: play games and toys

What do you like most about school?   Playing games

Who is your best friend?   Grace

What do you want to be when you grow up?  A princess

Well, who will be your prince?  My Dad

What are you most looking forward to this summer? Playing in the sun

What are you afraid of?  A ghost

What does God mean to you?  He gives me some life to play

What's your favorite Bible story? When you become Real (Velveteen Rabbit)

What are you thankful for? For being helpful and being a big girl

B & W

16 months

*size 3 diapers
*size 18 months tops, sleepers, 12-18 month pants
*told mommy "bless you" after she sneezed although no one else would have heard that
*responded to daddy with "love you too" but it sounded more like "yuv goo goo"
*takes Lew her Dalmatian dog when he finds it laying around
*loves to dance and play ring around the rosie (but is too excited to fall down at the right time)
*started this new wrinkle-up-the-nose-and-cheesy-grin thing
*thinks "no" means "continue"

15 months



mommy dropping leaves is hilarious



holding still for one second



maybe a good family picture, next year?



*31 inches, 21 lbs 11 oz (25-50%) 
*been walking good for about a month
*loves bringing animal puzzle pieces to mommy and making their sound
*lots of gibberish but some words we do understand: duck, moo, ruff, all done, all gone, Hi Mama, iangle (triangle), apple, dere da dis (there it is), uh-woe, Yi-yen (lion), peek-boo
*folds his hands when we pray, signs more, insists on serving himself with a spoon, crawling up and down stairs (with supervision)
*didn't believe us when we told him those "apples" were pumpkins at Halloween
*loves running around with his sister & giggling

#1

3!

*38 3/4 inches (80th), 37 lbs 8 oz (92nd)
*loves music, singing & dancing (especially with her tutu on)
*loves animals (especially dogs) and playing with her stuffed animals
*loves her "shows" which include but are not limited to: Praise Baby DVDs, Curious George, Wonder Pets, Clifford, & Dora
*wears size 5T tops and 4T bottoms
*size 7-7.5 wide shoes
*meets criteria for a high functioning Autism spectrum disorder
*finished up early intervention program and is now in preschool 5 days a week for a few hours each day-LOVES IT and is doing great!  She is receiving PT, OT for sensory & gross motor challenges
*still calls a frisbee a "risbee" and sunscreen "sunscream" called a gnat a "Matt" and just today while watching an orchestra,called the conductor a "king doctor"
*very interested in letters, phonics and rhyming -loves books!
*a pure blessing and joy!

love these guys

1 year

*eating like a champ

*sleeping much better

*taking up to 15 steps here and there

*loves crawling up steps

*25th percentile for weight, 50th for height and head circumference

*enjoys pinching, hitting and biting

*loves giving kisses (still doesn't close his mouth)

*says "ma ma" "da da" "hi ma ma" "nana" for banana "uh oh" "ca" car "buh" book

*loves to be chased & frightened

a little behind

10 & 11 months:

*size 2 diapers

*12 month clothes/18 month sleepers

*pulling to stand and cruising

*starting to eat a little more finger food but still gagging and spitting up at times

*still on Prevacid and Thick-it with bottles/sippy cup

*falls asleep chewing on his blankie

*says ma-ma, da da, ca-ca, na-na, "hi" and said "hi kitty"or "I key" to Fred the cat

*5 teeth 

*claps hands, waves bye-bye

*into EVERYTHING 

*still cries a lot-has a short fuse

*intense and demanding knows what he wants and wants it NOW :-)

*loves to be with others

*loves animals like his sister

*sweet and silly

daddy love

snot feeling well

The past 2 weeks have been a germ fest around here. First, hand, foot & mouth virus and then strep throat (which was probably acquired at the Dr.'s office when we went for the first yucky bug). Thankfully, that wonderful pink medicine has been started and both kiddos will be back to their healthy, snot-free selves again for the holiday weekend. I was so proud of Lew this week. She and her brother were in the living room playing when I saw her do something she's never done before. She reached for her brother's nose and gently wiped away one of his nose streams with her index finger. I immediately thought "ewww" and then "how kind" and before I could grab a tissue, she wiped that finger on the carpet. And then wiped it again. I love my kids!

I'm 2 and a half




Like the tutu my Aunt Stacey made?

 







I feel like am a princess!



9 months

STATS:  Weight  19lbs 2oz (25th)

               Height  27 3/4 inches (50th)

               Head    18 inches (60th)

*size 3 shoe

*12 month tops

*9 month/12 month bottoms

*size 2 diapers

*first top tooth came in

*can get into sitting position from tummy

*started crawling

*lots of ma-mas, ga-gas & ra-ras



positive perspective

*Found this online, not sure who the author is.

Here are ten things every child with autism wishes you knew:

1. I am first and foremost a child. I have autism. I am not primarily “autistic.” My autism is only one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)? Those may be things that I see first when I meet you, but they are not necessarily what you are all about.
As an adult, you have some control over how you define yourself. If you want to single out a single characteristic, you can make that known. As a child, I am still unfolding. Neither you nor I yet know what I may be capable of. Defining me by one characteristic runs the danger of setting up an expectation that may be too low. And if I get a sense that you don’t think I “can do it,” my natural response will be: Why try?
2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. Sensory integration may be the most difficult aspect of autism to understand, but it is arguably the most critical. It means that the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you but I am really just trying to defend myself. Here is why a “simple” trip to the grocery store may be hell for me:
My hearing may be hyper-acute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today’s special. Musak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough, a coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can’t filter all the input and I’m in overload!
My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn’t quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn’t showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they’re mopping up pickles on aisle 3 with ammonia….I can’t sort it all out. I am dangerously nauseated.
Because I am visually oriented (see more on this below), this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is not only too bright, it buzzes and hums. The room seems to pulsate and it hurts my eyes. The pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing -- the space seems to be constantly changing. There’s glare from windows, too many items for me to be able to focus (I may compensate with "tunnel vision"), moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion. All this affects my vestibular and proprioceptive senses, and now I can’t even tell where my body is in space.
3. Please remember to distinguish between won’t (I choose not to) and can’t (I am not able to).
Receptive and expressive language and vocabulary can be major challenges for me. It isn’t that I don’t listen to instructions. It’s that I can’t understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: “*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*………” Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: “Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It’s time to go to lunch.” This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it is much easier for me to comply.
4. I am a concrete thinker. This means I interpret language very literally. It’s very confusing for me when you say, “Hold your horses, cowboy!” when what you really mean is “Please stop running.” Don’t tell me something is a “piece of cake” when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is “this will be easy for you to do.” When you say “It’s pouring cats and dogs,” I see pets coming out of a pitcher. Please just tell me “It’s raining very hard.”
Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres, inference, metaphors, allusions and sarcasm are lost on me.
5. Please be patient with my limited vocabulary. It’s hard for me to tell you what I need when I don’t know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation or other signs that something is wrong.
Or, there’s a flip side to this: I may sound like a “little professor” or movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, TV, the speech of other people. It is called “echolalia.” I don’t necessarily understand the context or the terminology I’m using. I just know that it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.
6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Please show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of consistent repetition helps me learn.
A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day-timer, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transition between activities, helps me manage my time and meet your expectations. Here’s a great website for learning more about visual schedules: www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/sped/autism/structure/str11.htm .
I won’t lose the need for a visual schedule as I get older, but my “level of representation” may change. Before I can read, I need a visual schedule with photographs or simple drawings. As I get older, a combination of words and pictures may work, and later still, just words.
7. Please focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do. Like any other human, I can’t learn in an environment where I’m constantly made to feel that I’m not good enough and that I need “fixing.” Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however “constructive,” becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you will find them. There is more than one “right” way to do most things.
8. Please help me with social interactions. It may look like I don’t want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it’s just that I simply do not know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, it may be that I’m delighted to be included.
I do best in structured play activities that have a clear beginning and end. I don’t know how to “read” facial expressions, body language or the emotions of others, so I appreciate ongoing coaching in proper social responses. For example, if I laugh when Emily falls off the slide, it’s not that I think it’s funny. It’s that I don’t know the proper response. Teach me to say “Are you OK?”
9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. Meltdowns, blow-ups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented. Keep a log noting times, settings, people, activities. A pattern may emerge.
Try to remember that all behavior is a form of communication. It tells you, when my words cannot, how I perceive something that is happening in my environment.
Parents, keep in mind as well: persistent behavior may have an underlying medical cause. Food allergies and sensitivities, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems can all have profound effects on behavior.
10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts like, “If he would just……” and “Why can’t she…..” You did not fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you and you wouldn’t like being constantly reminded of it. I did not choose to have autism. But remember that it is happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you – I am worth it.
And finally, three words: Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. It may be true that I’m not good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates or pass judgment on other people? Also true that I probably won’t be the next Michael Jordan. But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh. They had autism too.The answer to Alzheimer’s, the enigma of extraterrestrial life -- what future achievements from today’s children with autism, children like me, lie ahead?
All that I might become won’t happen without you as my foundation. Think through some of those societal ‘rules’ and if they don’t make sense for me, let them go. Be my advocate, be my friend, and we’ll see just how far I can go.

Thankful

what I'm most thankful for in this moment:
1)a successful hysterectomy on Monday
2)my right ovary
3)percocet and ibuprofen
4)a wonderful husband
5)awesome parents (both sets)
6)2 terrific kids

7)family/friends that watch our babies on the days I work

8)new beginnings

9)my place of employment

10) the hope that I have in Him

this is what handsome looks like

8 months

This 8th month was pretty interesting. I had an EEG because of possible seizure activity.

It was fun!
and normal (YAY!)

I was diagnosed at Children's hospital with Sandifer's syndrome and dysphagia. Feel free to google. Mommy is tired and doesn't really want to explain it. Just know that with some different measures and time, everything should get better.

I was dedicated at church

I am babbling things like "da da da" and "la la la" I'm also rolling around and getting up on my knees. My 2nd tooth came in!

Yeah, I'm pretty handsome. Thanks for checking in. If you're in the area, stop by sometime for a nibble on these ears.

7 months

*first tooth came in

*wearing 12 month sleepers (long torso) and 9 month tops and bottoms

*loves to be held

*sitting up (but still toppling over after a minute or so)

*abhors tummy time

*started Nexium-having some feeding issues

*loves to give mommy slobbery kisses

*will give high fives (sort of)

Charles Spurgeon

"Believe that the deepest afflictions are always neighbors to the highest joys. The greatest possible privileges lie close to the darkest trials. The more bitter your sorrow, the louder your song at the end."

winter swing time

6 month pics part 2

6 month pics part 1

Like!

"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances." Martha Washington

6 months

*first go at solids-not a fan! (or maybe it's the pink bib)


*He's had rice, bananas, prunes, and sweet potatoes so far and seems to like what he doesn't thrust out of his mouth with his tongue

*Can't wait for those teeth to erupt!

*sitting up a few seconds here and there before toppling over

*one thing we noticed this month is that he gets upset when Papaw spins his sister around-we like to think he's being protective of her.

I love his hazel eyes!

6 month stats:

Height: 26 1/4 inches (50th)

Weight: 16 lbs 8 oz (45th)

Head: 17 1/4 inches (50th)

Sissy's 6 month stats:

Height: 25 3/4 inches (50th)

Weight: 19 lbs 6 oz (95th)

Head: 17 3/4 inches (97th)

Daddy's 6 month stats:

Height: 26 1/2 inches

Weight: 19 lbs 8 oz

Mommy's 6 month stats:

Height: 26 1/2 inches

Weight: 14 lbs 8 oz

*stay tuned for mommy's attempt at 6 month photo shoot