I don't want to forget....

We've had this tricycle for several years now. Keith's parents bought it for EK. I've tried many times to show EK how to do it, but it hasn't quite clicked. I didn't even think to try with AC yet. It's been on our back patio for a while now and with the BEAUTIFUL weather we've been having, we've been spending a lot of time in the backyard. AC asked me to show her how to pedal the bike. She caught on quickly to the concept, but is still practicing her skills. ;) I think it's pretty cute!!

April is almost over, so I thought I'd write one more post on autism in general. (I'll continue to share stories of our journey with EK.) The following list was not applicable for EK because she did everything listed below on time (except for losing speech). If any of these are true of your child, it's best to talk with your pediatrician about them. These aren't things that should be overlooked. does not babble or coo by 12 months does not gesture (point, wave) by 12 months does not say single words by 16 months does not say 2 word phrases by him/herself by 24 months has any loss of any language or social skill at any age In addition to the list above, there are other "red flags" to look for. We started seeing some of these in EK at about 2 1/2 years of age. I wish they had been there sooner so we could've started therapy earlier. Just because your child (or a child you know) exhibits some of these traits, it does not mean they have autism. If you have ...

I know I've said this before, but AC really seems older than 2. I guess maybe because she started talking early and, most of the time, is such an obedient child. Seriously, she follows directions well and is usually willing to help me with anything I ask of her. Like yesterday, she was awake when EK was "working". I asked her to hold the cereal (the reinforcers). While I'm trying to get EK to do a task, AC says" Come on sister! Put the coin in the bank and then you'll get a piece of cereal." :) She really is a sweet, sweet girl who is testing her boundaries right now. Typical 2 year old behavior right? So, every once in a while, she'll do something that reminds me of her age and it usually shocks me. Sunday afternoon she was doing lots of coloring pages, "making decorations" as AC likes to call it. She found some markers and asked to use them. I told her she had to stay at the table to color. I left the room for a few minutes (I know, I kno...

I love AC's hair!! She has the prettiest curls, much curlier than mine ever was. It's so easy to do...usually I just spray her hair with water (to tame the frizz) and scrunch up the curls. I admit that I'm a little lazy. Lately, I'm trying to remind myself to pull some of her hair back with a bow or a rubberband. Today I had extra time and wanted to try pigtails. I really didn't think it'd work b/c her hair seems really short, but I was wrong. :) It gives her a whole new look!! What do you think?

Today is one of those days where EK's autism is SO real...no way to deny it. I've been wrestling with where we go from here for EK's sake. My main goal right now is to get EK talking. She lost all of her speech back in October (now 6 months ago!) and I desperately want it back! There have been a couple episodes this past week where she's screamed for more than 10 minutes and I have no idea why. Tonight was one of those times. I just wish I knew what caused it....hunger??(she had eaten dinner and a snack so I don't think that was the reason), tired?? (tried to put her to bed and that didn't work), the fact that we skipped a bath tonight?? (perhaps) It's so frustrating for her to not get what she wants and it's very frustrating for me b/c I'd give her what she wants, if I only knew. So, what do I do to help? There are many things out there to try and we have done some of them. But how many things do we try? I know not everything is going to work for ...

I mentioned in a post (about a week ago) that we recently quit doing ABA therapy. ABA is a behavior therapy where they reward/reinforce good behavior and fade out inappropriate behavior. It's supposed to be really good with autistic kids b/c it's repetative and there's an immediate reinforcer when something is done correctly. We did this therapy in-home 3 afternoons a week (a total of 6 hours) for a year and didn't see much improvement. I mean, it didn't hurt her to work on tasks for 2 hours, but we just didn't see the improvements with ABA that we've seen from her teachers at preschool. I've been working with EK every afternoon in the playroom, doing things like: shape sorter, puzzles, coins in a bank, stringing beads, stacking blocks, reading books, sorting objects, etc. I don't mind doing it, but it's gotten difficult on the days AC decides she doesn't need a nap. EK doesn't work as hard when AC is in there and I can't focus all my...

So, I'm in new territory as a mother. EK has never been scared of the dark. The girl can walk through the house in the middle of the night and not stumble over anything. She falls asleep pretty quickly and is out for the night. Last week, AC started crying when I'd put her to bed. At first, I just thought she was trying to stay up later. But then she said, "I'm scared." and "It's scary in my room." What?? Where did this come from? There was one night where it was well past 10pm before I knew she was asleep. I got a nightlight for her room, hoping that would calm her fears. (Whatever a 2 year old knows to be afraid of!) It helped some, but she still doesn't like going to bed. I pray with her each night and tell her that she has no reason to be scared and that God will keep her safe. Do other 2 year olds go through this? Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated! I'm not sure how to get past this issue!

AC makes me laugh all the time, even when I'm supposed to be disciplining her. I try to keep a straight face, but sometimes I have to walk away for a minute to regain my composure. :) **A couple weeks ago, she had gotten into something she shouldn't have. I was telling her how sad it made me. Her reply? "Don't spank my hiney. That would make ME sad!" AC: I want something mama. Let's go to the kitchen. Me: What do you want? AC: I don't know. Tell me. (Not sure where this came from but it's cute. I'm trying to teach her to say, "give me choices".) **When she's eating something she really likes, she'll say "Yum-yum. This is so tasty! It's my favorite food." **We usually pray before nap and bedtime. A month or so, I realized that she could learn to pray herself. For a couple weeks, I'd give her ideas of what to say. Now she prays on her own. This is what she usually prays. Dear God, Thank you for this day. Help me to...

These pictures are from April 2008. EK was 2 years, 3 months old and AC was 7 months old. Crazy how big they are now!!! I forgot how much of a chunk AC was! ;) And I miss how EK would look directly at the camera and smile! Glad I have these pics to look back and remember... Happy Friday!

I try to write what is going on every month b/c it all starts to blur together. I thought I had a good memory, but there are just too many details to keep up with. Today a substitute, that filled in a couple weeks ago, was back. She couldn't get over how much EK has improved since the last time she was in the class. Granted, Ms. Sharla was out last time and this time the sub was filling in for a different teacher, but I think she has improved in a couple areas. *EK has started babbling over the past couple weeks. There are no real words still, but we hear: ba, ma, da, and ah regularly. I'm waiting for her first real word to come! She is getting better about the PEC cards. We have a card for all her snacks and activities. In order for her to watch TV, she has to hand me the TV card. I then model for her "I want TV". She does great with PECS at snacktime at school too. *She's having GREAT days at preschool. She hardly fusses at all anymore and really follows the rou...

Hallelujah!! He is risen! The fact that Jesus rose again on Easter morning is the main reason we celebrate. Keith preached an excellent sermon this morning (4 times!). He's been preaching through the book of John for almost 2 1/2 years. Today he preached on John 20:1-18 which tells about Christ's resurrection. I am so thankful that Christ defeated death and the grave. What hope that gives us as believers! I love Easter! I have fond memories of pretty dresses, easter baskets, and decorating easter eggs. One of my favorite Easter memories is going to a sunrise service with my dad one Easter. My mom stayed home with my siblings. I'm not sure why I got to go, but I can still picture the scene...out in the country, sitting outside in my pastor's yard. It was so neat to see the sunrise while worshipping. Easter is also special because Keith and I had our first date 8 years ago. (Not exactly today since Easter changes each year) It's amazing to see how the Lord has worked ...

April is considered Autism Awareness Month to many. 2 years ago, I didn't know much about autism. A year ago, we were right in the middle of learning EVERYTHING we could. I know it's been a learning experience for us, my family, and close friends. Each child with autism is so different- it's a wide spectrum from mild to severe. Some are verbal, others are not. Some have lots of sensory issues, others have ways of coping with their sensory issues. Some autistic kids are obsessed with one item/habit: lining up objects, shutting/opening doors constantly, only playing with one toy (sometimes the incorrect way: like spinning the wheels on a car). I mentioned a couple months ago that I read a lot of books on autism. I'm still researching and reading what others are doing/have done, though not as intensely. My mom is always on the look-out for books/information as well. :) Here's a list of some of the books I've read. As a disclaimer, I don't necessarily agree with...