I Love You Because...

Norovirus 2013... always look on the bright side of life.

Our family picked up an unexpected house guest from church this week. Norovirus, we call her Noro. Seriously, you'd think if you homeschool you'd be spared from these crazy unwanted visitors and outbreaks but us mormons are super generous and love to give everything we have to others (and 3 hours or church tends to be a breeding ground for germs). For all the terrible, awful that Noro' has brought to our house, she does have a few redeeming qualities. First is the added benefit of washing every single cloth item in your entire house, I mean really, I have always wanted to run my washer continuously for 4 days straight, just to see if it could handle it and I am proud to report my washer rocked it. Second, is that your food budget will goes down. I mean, yeah there is the wasting the food you ate because it comes back up but once you're past that stage and no one in the house eats anything for 36 hours you realized that you may have a couple extra bucks in your pocket. Yeah, there's the starving yourself and your children part but in this economy every penny counts, right? But wait, there's more! Even after everyone gets better there's an added bonus, your taste is screwed up so no one will want to eat anything. Everything tastes like chalk and you won't be hungry for real for at least a week. Which bring up the third happy thought with Noro....  The Weight Loss, in my first 18 hours of sickness I lost 8 pounds. Yeah I could try a fad diet or go workout or even do a body cleanse but both puking and pooping is sooooo much more effective. I mean, good-bye baby weight! I think by the time we're all full recovered a permanent 10 pounds will be gone for good. I understand that you may be weak and therefore may never again exercise in your life, which may cause long term weight gain and I know the loss of weight may not be good for the kids but what better time to teach them what swimsuit ready means? So, if you're up for the possitives and super fun of Noro at your house I'm sure she'd love visit you as well, come on over I could teach my kids how to share.

When life hand you lemons, right? 

Sincerly sick and pathetic,
Joanna

Our Thankful List 2012

Missing the Gummy Grins

My little happy Cameron has been sick for the last 12 days now.... at first nothing serious.  Runny nose, a little clingy and snuggly. Then Friday a little fever. I kept waiting for a little tooth to appear. Then a higher fever... then medicine wouldn't keep it down. Monday night he was so lathargic and had such a high fever I ended up taking him to the ER.  He just sat there, pale and starring off into space. After lost of tests for RSV, Strep, Flu, Etc. They think it's just a really ugly virus and they sent us home. He's doing better in spurts with medicine but, I want my giggling, learning to clap and crawl, happy baby back! 

New Hardware

He's growing up too fast for me.... just sayin'

JJ

Sunday Morning Beauty Routine.

Getting Ready for Church w/ Face Masks...

 

***on a side note, Ethan ROCKS! Ms. Margaret and Ms. Mary ROCK! We LOVE OUR OT's!! Can you believe this is the little boy who hated to even get wet? He hated texture and getting his hands sticky and walking in bare feet! The kid that had to have everything the exact same tempurature and all the clothing had to have tags cut off and be the same material.  He wouldn't eat things that were wet or slimy and he'd actually throw up if he touched something gross. THE SAME KID? AND NOW HE HAS A FACE MASK ON!?!  Ethan is our hard worker and he can overcome anything! This picture is proof. Seriously, Occupational Therapy for Autistic Kids Works WONDERS!!! 

Snip-Snip

Husbandface's thoughts on today....
T minus 3.5 hours and counting 'til I go under the knife... Don't think Valium and some local anesthetic will be enough, but that's what I'm up against. The family Jewels will just Doug's Jewels by this evening. Sigh

My thoughts on today....
He's the best Husband and Father Ever!

Doug, right after he found out we were pregnant with Ethan. 
Pawtucket, RI- May 2002
(no more positive pregnancy moments like this anymore)

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need a good laugh? Doug on his way home from his 'procedure' this afternoon. 

http://youtu.be/6ntvQ8IVs90  

A Sick Day

What does a sick day look like at your house? Here, I can't get through it without my iPad, medicine, tissues and water.... Now if only I could get my Mom here to take care of me I'd be fine. :)

Announcing March Madness 2012.

We're pregnant! Baby #4 will be joining our family in late March... hopefully this time will end up better then last time. Everyone here is so excited- the kids are already fighting who get's to have the baby in thier room and whining about how long it will take for him/her to come home. Doug is picking baby names already and I'm anxious to be done with the first trimester. It's so wierd because while we've wanted a baby for over a year- we actually stopped trying when we moved because I was too stressed about it all and well, our lives were just crazy. I guess it's just a testiment to the fact that it's all about God's timing and not mine. Frustrating but I might as well learn that lesson sooner rather than later, right? Things around the house are crazy- the kids started school (pictures coming soon, promise) and I thought I'd finally be able to finish unpacking, getting the house set up and a schedule in order. Ha! That has turned into an absolute joke. Right when school started so did my extreme exhaustion and just three days later the neausea hit- with a vengence. I basically spent the last week in bed or in the bathroom and everything seems to have imploded. I did finally go to the hospital for iv treatment and to stop the dehydration and that seems to have given me a much needed boost. Hopefully this weekend will be a little more productive! One of the top things on my list? Find my camera hookup to my computer! I have over 1000 summer pictures begging to be downloaded. 

Happy Friday! 
J  

A few thoughts on denial and special needs parents.

I think after all Husbandface and I have been through with Ethan we've realized one major thing.... EARLY INTERVENTION HAS HELPED!! We've seen so many kids over the years who have not gotten help (ie; speech, occupational therapy, etc.) and it's heartbreaking to see the difference in development and growth. We see parents of teens/adults who are clearly struggling in some way and yet they're unwilling to admit that they need help for their child. We have friends who have kids that are struggling just like ours yet they refuse to admit that there is something they could do. I think that in this regard we lucked out. We had a great ENT who told us to call Babies Can't Wait (our local toddler intervention program). Then we had an amazing Speech therapist who recognized that our Sunshine just was not progressing like he should be. Then we had a wonderful coordinator who sat us down and flat out told us TO GO GET HELP! "The best thing you can do for him is to give him the tools to succeed.", she said. She wanted him to get a formal diagnosis and she was adamant that we do it as quickly as possible.

We struggled coming to grips with that one... The waiting lists, finding the right doctors and the expense! That was the kicker for us. Maybe we're just being paranoid parents. Maybe this is just a phase. Maybe he's not talking late because he's an only child. Boy's are slower in developing then girls. What if we take him in and the doctors think we're crazy and over protective. We were young, we were first time parents, we were not making a ton of money and we were house poor at the time. Finding $2,000 for anything seemed impossible. In the end we decided to just face our fears and find out how to help our son. It was a hard decision. It did tear us up inside and both Husbandface and I dealt with is very differently. That being said? IT WAS NOT ONLY THE BEST $2,000 WE HAD EVER SPENT IT WAS THE BEST DECISION WE HAVE EVER MADE.

Getting a concrete answer was priceless. We knew exactly what our son was dealing with. We knew how to help him. We had a game plan. We found the right experts. We didn't feel like we were lost in an unknown forest anymore. We came out of the woods, we found a trail and we found a support system. We dealt with it differently and there were times when the diagnosis created tension on our marriage. We taught each other a lot. Yes, it was hard but the idea of spending years and years not knowing anything for sure sounds sooo much worse. 

In the end I guess what I'm saying is this.... if you are a parent that has concerns? GET THE HELP YOUR CHILD DESERVES!!! The more time you put it off the harder it becomes on not only you but your child. GET A DIAGNOSIS! IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!! So many parents call me and ask what signs I saw, or what they should do, or ask what the next step is.... GET HELP! STOP TRYING TO DO IT ALONE! We have amazing teachers, we have great therapists, we have supportive family members and we have a wonderful life!! Because of the diagnosis we were able to get a customized education plan for him, we were able to get Medicaid,  we were able to get the Katie Beckett Deeming Waiver, we were able to get better insurance coverage, and we're able to take care of our son in ways that we never thought we'd be able to. We have goals for our son, we  see him progressing on his own levels of success and we know that he will live an amazing, profound life. NO PART OF THE DIAGNOSIS IS A LIFE SENTENCE OR A LABEL. At the end of it you will still have your child and you will be a better parent and you and your child will be happier. I promise. 

GO GET HELP! 

 

Snuggle Bear

Owen has been sick this week. Not sure if it's allergies or something bigger. Either way, I'm loving the extra 'hold me' time.