the things that my small children are saying and doing right now, the things the Lord is teaching me today, the trials and triumphs we are experiencing daily, especially having a daughter with autism.
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This is one of AC's favorite games right now. The other day, I found her here...under the sink in the guest bathroom. What a good hiding spot! :)
Most of you who are reading this know what our family is going through right now. It was 3 months ago today that we took EK to a developmental pediatrician. We left there with a diagnosis of autism. Even though we knew it was coming, it was tough to swallow. We've done so much research, reading books, searching on the internet, and talking with those who've been down the same road. There is so much information out there. We're trying to be proactive and do all we can to help her live a normal life and I'm praying like I've never prayed before. She's still our sweet 3 year old daugher, our firstborn. Her diagnosis doesn't change our love for her. I'm not even sure it changes our dreams for her. We know that God is able to completely heal her, but regardless of the outcome, we know that our God has a plan for her that will bring Him glory. I'm so thankful to be the mama to EK and AC. They are such sweet blessings, even on the hard days. :)
It's hard to believe this is our 10th Autism Awareness Day. Ironically, I also sat in EK's annual ARD this morning. To be honest, life is so busy right now that I haven't had time to think much about this day approaching. Maybe that's good. When I have too much time to think about how autism has changed our family's life, I sometimes get discouraged. When EK was first diagnosed in February 2009, we thought that if we got her in the right therapies, she'd start Kindergarten in a mainstream classroom. That was our goal and early on, it seemed doable. We changed her diet (which by the way, I don't regret at all. I truly believe it's helped her to be the happy child she is.), we did occupational therapy, speech therapy, ABA therapy, vitamins/supplements, school preschool program for kids with autism and many other things. Fast forward a few years and we saw no real improvements. In fact, she stopped talking a few months before her 4th birthday. Those begin...
I have always loved Christmas! I love how we celebrated as a family growing up and have carried some of those traditions/memories into my family. I love the music, the lights, the decorations, the anticipation to Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. When we were expecting EK, I remember talking about how we might celebrate Christmas. We both agreed we wanted to keep it simple and focus on the birth of Jesus. EK's regression in the fall of 2008 caused me to really simplify things. Many things were upsetting to her. Our activities and traditions have changed a little over the years as the kids have grown. When EK and AC were small, we read stories about Jesus's birth and Christmas, played with our Fisher Price Nativity set and listened to Christmas music. I've tried to add a new thing or two each year, while some things are EVERY year. The kids ALWAYS get a pair of Christmas pajamas, we drive around looking at Christmas lights with hot chocolate/coffee, we make Christmas cookies, t...
So cute! What child doesn't love a cozy little hiding place?
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