My First Cake

Nate turned FIVE!!!!

Inspiration

Daniel has to go get genetic testing done in Salt Lake, we are still waiting for an appointment, but while we wait I try and resist the urge to research what it could be. It is hard, but I know I won't find anything. In the mean time I'm learning about genetic diseases in my DNA class at school, and now I have a heightened awareness about children with disabilities. I was standing in line at Albertsons and saw a little paper saying donate to children with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, before this experience I would have thought, hmm that's nice and no I really don't think a dollar will make a difference. Now I think if that was my child won't I want someone to give? It's only a dollar. I gave a dollar and it felt really good. Daniel has opened my eyes to so many things, he has made me a better person, and I have grown so much from him and the influence he has in our home. It is now my goal to be able to feel like I deserve him, because I'm never sure if I'm good enough to be his mother. I struggle with patience and sometimes it is hard to wait while he walks slowly and complains about not wanting to keep going. He is my inspiration to become a better person and a better mom.

The New Year

This Year we have BIG plans and lots of stuff we will be doing. Lets start with Beau He will be Graduating from college with a degree in Computer/Electrical Engineering! I thought this day would never come! We have been stuck in cold Idaho for almost 3 years and everyone in our family is ready to move somewhere warmer. We don't care where he works but we would like to get back into the USAF as an Officer (I will make a great officer wife ;))I will be graduating with an associates degree, and plan on transfering to another university where we move to. I am also ready to begin "real life" again and no longer be a "starving student"! I lost 40lbs this last year and plan on another 30 this year. It will have taken me 8 years to loose that baby weight from my first child. Daniel has begun, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Language Therapy he will finish the 3rd grade and move on to the 4th! Emma will master her amazing reading skills and graduate from kindergarden and become a 1st grader! Nathan will finish preschool and begin kindergarden! We are all cold and ready for summer! here's to a Big Year full of great things!

Little Miss Muffet

Emma was Little Miss Muffet in her class nursery ryme operetta. It was super cute, plus I made her dress and apron.

PDD-NOS or A-Typical Autism

I'm doing this to get it out and face it head on. Daniel has been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified. Which is an Autism Spectrum Disorder.He also has a processing disorder, which means everything going in takes longer to be processed and put into categories, and it is harder for him to retrieve information, if he can at all. He now will begin therapy for language, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and Developmental therapy. the dev. therapy is to help him learn social cues and ways to cope with certain situations. We are still waiting for test results dealing with what doctors call Ataxia. Which addresses the balance and coordination problems. We are glad to know what exactly is going on inside of him, and I feel as though I can now use some strategies to help all of us, deal with this. We always knew Daniel was special and there was something different going on with him but I never new what it was. I am glad I finally found a doctor who would listen and not give me excuses for his odd behavior. It will be a long road but I know we will make it. I don't know what his future holds but now I feel as though we can give him the best chance of reaching his goals and creating a learning environment at school for him to learn, the way he learns best, not the way they expect you to learn. I feel like we have answers as to why he can't swim, why he still has training wheels, why he doesn't ask to play at other peoples houses, why he can't tie his shoes, has to have certain things just so, why he can't stand the smell of cheerios or gold fish. Why he needs a certain blanket, shoes, elastic waisted pants. Why he obsesses over Super Heroes, and the color Red. Why he doesn't play with cars, trucks or planes. Why he sits in the same spot in the car, at the table and on the couch everyday. Why he can't stop talking about certain things for days at a time. Why he eats the same thing for breakfast everyday. Why when he was younger he would eat things that were not food. The list goes on and on. I feel better now getting it all out there, and not holding it all inside. I wish as a mother I would have tried a little harder to get a referral, but I did the best I could. If you're still reading thank you for your support!

Froggy Flip Flops: Fabric Flowers

Froggy Flip Flops: Fabric Flowers