A Major Breakthrough

I am so excited to say that Nolan has written his name independently 3 different times now! Yeah!! This is a HUGE accomplishment after over 2 years of practice...laborious practice. I have yet to see him in action because he saves it for school and once he gets home I have a very difficult time getting him to practice schoolwork. I'm sure it's because he works extremely hard all day at school. This is an answered prayer because I have been very worried about his writing skills. This is a huge step forward for him to become a writer. I am so proud of him and I am looking forward to all of his achievements, little and big!

My Proudest Moment

My proudest moment yet as a mom was the day Brendan got baptized. He had been asking to be baptized for almost a year and I wanted to make sure he was ready. After many tearful heartfelt conversations with him about what it means to be a Christian, I decided he was probably ready. His first try he got "hot feet", not cold feet. The pastor introduced him and he went to step down in the water and it was too hot. (He's very sensitive to temperatures.) So two weeks later we made sure the water was just right and he was baptized. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I was 10, and Brendan has taught me that you can't put an age limit on when a person is ready. I am so proud of him for making the most important decision he will EVER make in his life, and my prayer for him is that he will grow up to be a Godly man who lives his life in accordance with God's will.

Siblings

I am just truly amazed at each one of my children. God planned and placed them each so perfectly and carefully in this world. Each of my children compliment and give so much to each other. I can not imagine one without the others. Sure there's a lot of bickering and a little competition amongst them. But I look at them, and I am so thankful they have each other. One day Brendan said to me, "Mom, when I get older Nolan can live with me because he has autism. And I'll live next door to you so your backyard can be my backyard." I have told him many times that friends will come and go but he will ALWAYS have his brother and sister. Just tonight Brendan was upset and in tears because he felt he had failed to help Nolan at a church function. What a lot to rest on a little 7 year old's shoulders. But I was so proud that he cares that deeply for him. I always feel sad when I see grown siblings who aren't close at all. I know it's complicated, but I am going to try my best to instill in my children the importance of having a close relationship with each other. It's my job as their mother. And I pray that they always have each other...through thick and thin.

New Milestone

Of course after my previous post, Nolan had to prove me wrong. On Thanksgiving he put his own shoes on, and has done it everyday since. Also, we took the risk and took him to Home Depot.:) To his delight, we purchased a new ceiling fan for our bedroom. He made one small comment about the vacuums and spent the rest of the time obsessing over their selection of automatic musical snow globes. He hounded my husband about installing the ceiling fan all day. When it was finally up, every time I 'd walk upstairs the fan would be going. I'd turn it off because IT'S TOO COLD. And then it'd be on again. I wonder who the little elf is in our house who keeps turning the fan on???

You Know You Have a Child With Autism....

....when you have to drive a certain way home to see the car up on jacks for the umpteenth time!

....when every light in the house has to be on because this is part of his routine and how things should be in his mind.

....when you constantly hear doors opening and closing upstairs in your house, aahhhhhh!

....when your Kindergartner isn't even close to writing his own name or putting his own shoes on.

....when you avoid Home Depot because all of his favorite things are there..vacuums, ceiling fans, dryers, brooms...and he wants to tell everyone about them...and he has a really loud voice.:)

....when you have to pretend to sweep him up in a dustpan just like on "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" which is currently one of the only movies he'll watch....and he's been watching it for about 3 months now.:)

....when he pushes his freckly face right up in yours to tell you something because he has little concept of personal space.:)

....when he wears the same hat 24 hours a day for 2 months straight....excluding bathtime but including bedtime. We had to "wean" him off of the hat.:)

....when he has to watch "Different Strokes" every morning because for some reason he can relate to Arnold.:)

....when you walk on eggshells around him because you never know how he's going to react to or handle certain situations and changes.

....when he says whatever is on his mind...whenever he feels like it....honestly and sincerely whether it's appropriate or not.

....when at home he CONSTANTLY needs to be by your side or know where you are in the house...which is why he is snuggling up next to me right now while I write this post.

....when something really upsets him and he has a huge meltdown....and you don't find out what upset him until a few months later because he can't communicate his feelings like a typical child can.

....when you cry over the littlest accomplishments because you know how hard he has worked to get them.

....and finally, when you feel so proud of him you can actually feel your heart swell.

She Already Has Style

After having two boys, it still amazes me how Alaina really enjoys dressing up. She's not quite 3 and she has really been into shoes, dresses, purses, and jewelry for a long time now. Where do they get this from? And how do I keep this from escalating into the teenage years! I have a 14 year old niece and she is already high-maintenance. I mentally tell myself, "My daughter will not be getting these things when she is this age." I was a pretty low-maintenance teenager and still consider myself pretty low-key when it comes to fashion. I just recently purchased mascara for the first time in several years after deciding to live on "The Wild Side." Just two days ago, before we left for school Alaina had changed her shoes 4 different times. Yes, she does have 4+ pairs of shoes, a couple of which were found at a garage sale. Last Sunday at church she was admiring another little girl's red fir coat. And her favorite colors happen to be pink and red! If I am wearing my red shoes and using my red purse, she has to wear her red shoes and use her red purse. It is so sweet how she already wants to be like me. However, she won't be looking to me for fashion sense! I love having a daughter and watching her grow. She's got such a personality and she's has a nice sweetness mixed with sassiness about her! I wonder what shoes she'll choose today?

Walk Now for Autism

On October 18th, 29 of my friends and family gathered to do the Walk Now for Autism event in honor of my son Nolan and brother Will. Thanks to everyone, we raised over $800! I was so touched looking around at everyone who came out to walk with us and support us. Over 10,000 people showed up for the event, and I couldn't help but think of the families that couldn't physically come due to their child being severely affected by autism. It just felt so good doing something positive. Putting my efforts into something that will hopefully make a difference in my son and brother's lives replaced all of the frustrations we've been feeling. I am so incredibly proud of the both of them for living with this disorder everyday and overcoming challenges that we couldn't even imagine. Thank you to all of my family and friends who have been so supportive!