I Love You Because...

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)

----------------------

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. 

It's not curable but livable.

Yesterday Husbandface and I were crazy enough to pull the kids out of school and take the entire family in for dentist appointments. It was like bringing the circus into the offices! We took over their usually calm waiting room and pushed our way through to the exam rooms.... it was crazy! My biggest fear was Ethan having a hard time with it like last time but really? He did an amazing job! It reminded me just how far he's come in the last 3 years. He used to have to be sat on to brush his teeth! He used to hate having water on his face, it was a nightmare! But now? He brushes them daily, reminds me that it needs to be done, he is flossing regularly (as long as he has his special toothpicks) and he is learning how to take control of himself. I'm not a fan of even hearing how people have 'cured autism' in their kids, in fact it irritates me to no end. In my opinion, this is not a disorder that is curable but it is something that people can live with, it is something that can be managed and people can be successful and happy and still have autism. We have kept up a pretty intense schedule of therapy for over that last 3 years... It's working. It's teaching Ethan the tools he needs to manage his Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder. It's giving him the control of his Autism and not letting the Autism control him. I love that! I'm proud of him and I can't wait to see all the amazing things he will surprise us with over the years. I'm sure that there are still boulders in our path but I'm confident that with our support Ethan will be able to conquer those too. 

In fact, I bet one of those boulders will be there next month when he has to get five cavities filled! Because while he did do an amazing job with this check up, let's face it, fillings are a completely different beast! Wish us luck!

Not a fan of January

As if my January couldn't get worse. Everyone in our family has been sick this week! The last 36 hours I have been soooo sick, then yesterday Doug was home taking care of all of us sickies and HE got sick! It was the most violent, knock-out virus I've ever had and I was more then useless. Did you know that having both adults out of commission will reek havoc on your house? Yeah, we've learned that this week. Thankfully today we're all at least semi-functioning and trying to get our energy back up. I swear I can't wait until February 1st! This month has been one thing after another and I'm just wanting it to be over already and get back to my regular life!  

Sad

I've been unusually quiet on here the last few weeks and you know that is usually a bad thing. This time is was a combination of good... and bad. The wave of emotions that I have felt over the last two weeks is insane. I've gotten very little time on the computer and what little time I do have gets used up actually working over HERE. So.. what's January been like? For me practically everything that has happened has been eclipsed by a miscarriage. The first few days of January we found out we were pregnant with baby #4 and just two weeks later I miscarried. I've been tired and hormonal and thankfully my family has been pretty patient. Right now I'm feeling betrayed by my body and sad about losing something so important. I know that in the big scheme of things I will be okay and so will my family and I will most likely still have another baby but right now? in this moment? I'm still sad. 

 

 

A Little Bug.

I think a little bug has been going around our house this week. Nothing major, just a few tiny fevers and tired bodies. It hit Owen Saturday and Ethan yesterday, I was thankful for the down time until it became my turn today. Wowzers! The big kids are on fall break and chasing all three of them around with just a little fever and a very tired body made me feel like I was hit by a bulldozer... every twenty seconds. Everything felt like a major feat just to get done and by 2 o'clock my patience was checked out for the day. I'm hoping it passes as quickly as it passed for the kids and tomorrow I'm back on schedule working on spooky crafts, making yummy fall treats and spending some precious time with my little bugs.

Flatlined...

If blogs had a pulse this one would be dead. Over the last 7 days I've been more than silent. First I was just overwhelmed because Doug was out of town all last week and so I had to do everything... all the time. Which led to exhaustion. I got sooo tired by Thursday and Friday I could barely function, which of course lead to me getting VERY sick. THE WORST SINUS INFECTION I've had in my ENTIRE life add that on top to whatever bug is apparently going around. Friday night it hit with a vengence. I don't remember much of Saturday except I slept a lot and was thankful Doug had gotten home late Friday night. He was wonderful. Taking care of the kids and then getting the house ready for our big Easter celebration. Sunday morning I took some major drugs and was able to clean up just enough for the festivities. We had a couple families over for an Easter Brunch and Egg Hunt. It was great, the food was wonderful (If I do say so myself! I'm glad I was prepared and made everything throughout the week instead of last minute!) and the friends were awesome. The kids were all adorable and had a blast. Seriously Doug made it all happen and did the leg work for it so major props to him for being my go-to guy. I love you, babe. Then Sunday afternoon We went to our wonderful neighbors for a birthday party/BBQ so Sunday, thankfully, was a much needed, relaxing, fun family day. Sunday night was another story.... Lorali started getting sick, I was sick again and no amount of medicine made it better. I got zero sleep and probably woke up the entire house multiple times throughout the night because I literally felt like I was gonna die! My head was about to explode and I was miserable. Monday morning, Lorali and Owen both woke up with a bug. Totally different then mine but still sick. Sore throats caughing, sick mucus... I won't get into all the nasties but, Monday and Tuesday were miserable. Thankfully Doug put on his super hero coat again on Tuesday and worked from home to help me out with the two sick kids so I could rest and recover a little more. It paid off too! Today I'm feeling great, Lorali is back to school and hapy as can be, Owen is still a little ornery but you can tell he's on the mend... oh wait. I guess it only paid off for us. Because Doug is now in bed. He is sick, Sick, SICK!