So...I know that it's the last day of January but I thought I'd better take the month to think about my resolutions rather than just say what they are and watch myself blow them. So here's are my resolutions....
1. Lose 10 more pounds. A year ago, I lost 20 and then fell off the wagon. I knew this wasn't going to start while we were in Florida so I went ahead and took the whole month to prepare. In fact, Brad and I start a new contest, along with Brad's mom tomorrow to see who can go the most distance on our exercise machines during the month of February. I'm excited for the challenge and know that this will also motivate me to eat better. So, Brad and I have been eating like there may be no food in the house tomorrow so we can get it out of our systems and be ready to be on the fast track to healthy!
2. My only other resolution is to spend less time on Facebook (hold your gasps!) as well as less time checking email. I have become an addict to this since Gabby was little as it was quite often, my only form of adult interaction while Brad was away at work. It's so mindless and always just seemed like a good break. I mean, come on...I could be smoking pot, right? Just kidding! So, my goal for this year is to spend less time on email and FB and more time reading, spending time with the kids, blogging or even cleaning my own house. I've learned that I can rest my body and mind in so many better ways than the internet. I think they are great ways to get in touch with those you haven't seen in a long time but I need to not let it dominate my time so much!
So there they are...short, fairly simple, when you think about it. Now, DOING it will be a battle but I'm ready to try it. I need a life change. Gabby will be 6 next month and her foundation is here and she needs to get it here. I can't give that to her if I'm checking the latest posts!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
What a week
It's been quite a week here. Last week, Carson had a cold but seemed to get over it in a few short days. Let's just say the day his congestion went away, he started waking up during the night again which was a pretty clear sign that he had an ear infection....AGAIN! So, on Tuesday morning, I called the peds. office to book our appointment. Got in there at 10:30 a.m. and waited for over a half hour to see the doc. Once he came in, I got the traditional, "Good call, Mom." from him. At that point, I wanted to just say, "Why do I have to come in and pay you $72 so you can tell me what I already know? My insurance isn't even going to cover half of this visit. I had two visits with you in December and here we are again AND YOU WANT ME TO COME BACK IN 3 WEEKS FOR A FOLLOW UP?!" So, we got our pink slip to drop off at Wal-Mart for his prescription, which I also had to pay $38 for and that was much better than the $68 I thought I was going to have to pay. We started the Augmentin that day and last night is the first night in over a week that I have slept from the time I went to bed until almost 8:00 this morning. Much thanks to Brad for that! While the infection is finally showing signs of healing, he has got a wretched case of diahrea from the meds.
To continue this saga, I woke up Friday morning to Gabby saying, "Mom, Benny (our dog) has thrown up all over the downstairs!" Well, PRAISE THE LORD! I can't think of any other way I'd like to start my day! After spending 20 minutes cleaning up dog vomit, it was time to make breakfast, to which I withdrew from having, but fed the kids and got on with the rest of my day. It's Sunday and Benny is still vomiting anywhere from 1-8 hours after eating. Otherwise, he acts completely normal so we've got our eye on him and he's fasting. We're hoping it gets better soon or we'll be headed to the vet. Tonight at the dinner table, Gabby says, "Mom, if Benny dies, can we get a puppy?"
Gabby, unfortunately for your dad, your mother will never be without a house dog so yes, we can get a puppy! However, I don't think Benny's going to bow out of the game that easily and none of us want him to anyway. He's became a part of our family 8 years ago on the 27th.
I'm ready for a new week! Bring it on, Monday!
To continue this saga, I woke up Friday morning to Gabby saying, "Mom, Benny (our dog) has thrown up all over the downstairs!" Well, PRAISE THE LORD! I can't think of any other way I'd like to start my day! After spending 20 minutes cleaning up dog vomit, it was time to make breakfast, to which I withdrew from having, but fed the kids and got on with the rest of my day. It's Sunday and Benny is still vomiting anywhere from 1-8 hours after eating. Otherwise, he acts completely normal so we've got our eye on him and he's fasting. We're hoping it gets better soon or we'll be headed to the vet. Tonight at the dinner table, Gabby says, "Mom, if Benny dies, can we get a puppy?"
Gabby, unfortunately for your dad, your mother will never be without a house dog so yes, we can get a puppy! However, I don't think Benny's going to bow out of the game that easily and none of us want him to anyway. He's became a part of our family 8 years ago on the 27th.
I'm ready for a new week! Bring it on, Monday!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Fort Myers, Florida Firsts
On January 3, Brad, myself and the kids loaded up in the car at 6:45a.m. to make the drive to Noblesville so we could pick up Brad's dad and he could take us to the airport. We were headed to Florida! Before we left, I knew we were going to have some firsts, I just had no idea HOW MANY!
We got to the airport just fine. This was our FIRST time in the new Indianapolis Airport which I must say is very nice. Brad had checked us in online before we left the house so getting our bags checked was a breeze, thanks to Brad. We flew right through security check-in. They have a special line for families and this made our experience much more pleasant! We had a direct flight so it was nice knowing we'd only have to take off and land once that day. The flight went great, the kids slept most of the time (thanks to a little Benadryl, yes I drug my kids when we fly). This helped them to be rested up as we didn't leave Indy until 12:50 and since we had to get them up at 6:30, it was high time for a nap. They were rested and ready to go by the time we landed in Fort Myers.
Once we landed, we got our luggage and all was great. We made it to the rental car counter, got our keys and made the trek to our car. Once we arrived, we realized that we had lost Carson's stuffed dinosaur "Diney" and he was pretty upset. We retraced our steps but with no success. We also called lost and found all week but nothing ever showed up. Thankfully, Carson adjusted which was an answer to prayer because I really didn't know how he was going to handle it. The bad part was that Brad actually had won this dinosaur in a crane game awhile back so it's not like we could run to the nearest Wal-Mart and find its clone!
I must say, when we were getting off the plane, the warm, tropical air did NOT hit me. For the FIRST time in my life, it was cold in Florida! We're talking 50 degrees cold! I had been warned about this and packed accordingly for the kids but lived in denial by thinking that 50's and 60's in Florida would certainly feel warmer than that to me. I mean, come on, we just left the teens! But, it didn't! So we got in our car and headed to the house. Have I mentioned this was my FIRST time in Ft. Myers. All my life, I've either gone to St. Pete or Orlando so it was a nice change of scenery. Mom had rented a beautiful 7,000 sq. ft. house with family friends of ours. We had our own pool (that we never even uncovered) and hot tub and a view of the water as we were on a chanel! The house was amazing. Plenty of room for everyone to go which made it nice for Carson when he got overwhelmed.
When we arrived at the house, Doug was there to greet us and had the heat turned on! Another FIRST! No a/c needed this trip! We waited on the rest of the group which included, Mom, Jen and Brian, Nancy and Heidi Thwaits. Once we were all there, we took off for dinner (which turned out to be terrible) and to get groceries! This was the FIRST time I've ever gone grocery shopping with ten people. It was chaotic to say the least but fun!
So, to shorten the rest of the story, a list of some more "Florida Firsts"
1. Took the kids to see the ocean. This was a cold but a blast!
2. Saw dolphins playing in the Gulf.
3. Never, once got to lay in the sun! Too cold.
4. Saw my breath when I exhaled outside. Yes, it was that cold! It dipped into the 20's one night.
5. Went shelling with the kids.
I'm sure there are many more but those come to mind right now. Overall, it was a great time and a wonderfully relaxing trip! While I wished the weather would have been nicer, I am grateful for the chance to have just gotten away for a little while and put my toes in the cold sand for a few hours.
Thank you, mom and dad for giving us the opportunity! It was great. Dad, missed you greatly. Wish you would have come! MAYBE next time!
We got to the airport just fine. This was our FIRST time in the new Indianapolis Airport which I must say is very nice. Brad had checked us in online before we left the house so getting our bags checked was a breeze, thanks to Brad. We flew right through security check-in. They have a special line for families and this made our experience much more pleasant! We had a direct flight so it was nice knowing we'd only have to take off and land once that day. The flight went great, the kids slept most of the time (thanks to a little Benadryl, yes I drug my kids when we fly). This helped them to be rested up as we didn't leave Indy until 12:50 and since we had to get them up at 6:30, it was high time for a nap. They were rested and ready to go by the time we landed in Fort Myers.
Once we landed, we got our luggage and all was great. We made it to the rental car counter, got our keys and made the trek to our car. Once we arrived, we realized that we had lost Carson's stuffed dinosaur "Diney" and he was pretty upset. We retraced our steps but with no success. We also called lost and found all week but nothing ever showed up. Thankfully, Carson adjusted which was an answer to prayer because I really didn't know how he was going to handle it. The bad part was that Brad actually had won this dinosaur in a crane game awhile back so it's not like we could run to the nearest Wal-Mart and find its clone!
I must say, when we were getting off the plane, the warm, tropical air did NOT hit me. For the FIRST time in my life, it was cold in Florida! We're talking 50 degrees cold! I had been warned about this and packed accordingly for the kids but lived in denial by thinking that 50's and 60's in Florida would certainly feel warmer than that to me. I mean, come on, we just left the teens! But, it didn't! So we got in our car and headed to the house. Have I mentioned this was my FIRST time in Ft. Myers. All my life, I've either gone to St. Pete or Orlando so it was a nice change of scenery. Mom had rented a beautiful 7,000 sq. ft. house with family friends of ours. We had our own pool (that we never even uncovered) and hot tub and a view of the water as we were on a chanel! The house was amazing. Plenty of room for everyone to go which made it nice for Carson when he got overwhelmed.
When we arrived at the house, Doug was there to greet us and had the heat turned on! Another FIRST! No a/c needed this trip! We waited on the rest of the group which included, Mom, Jen and Brian, Nancy and Heidi Thwaits. Once we were all there, we took off for dinner (which turned out to be terrible) and to get groceries! This was the FIRST time I've ever gone grocery shopping with ten people. It was chaotic to say the least but fun!
So, to shorten the rest of the story, a list of some more "Florida Firsts"
1. Took the kids to see the ocean. This was a cold but a blast!
2. Saw dolphins playing in the Gulf.
3. Never, once got to lay in the sun! Too cold.
4. Saw my breath when I exhaled outside. Yes, it was that cold! It dipped into the 20's one night.
5. Went shelling with the kids.
I'm sure there are many more but those come to mind right now. Overall, it was a great time and a wonderfully relaxing trip! While I wished the weather would have been nicer, I am grateful for the chance to have just gotten away for a little while and put my toes in the cold sand for a few hours.
Thank you, mom and dad for giving us the opportunity! It was great. Dad, missed you greatly. Wish you would have come! MAYBE next time!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Another 2 weeks
Wow! Seems like the month of January is flying me by. Maybe that will mean that spring will come fast for me! ha! Lots of "blogging thoughts" have been lingering in my mind with no time to actually blog them so since I had a cup of coffee way too late tonight and the house is quiet, it leaves me alone, with my thoughts.
January 12 always brings back thoughts of Jason. Jason was a guy that my sister dated when she was in high school. Eight years ago yesterday marked his death. He was driving and slid on a patch of ice, died instantly. Every year on this date, I remember feeling so saddened by his untimely death and how I took off work after just starting a new job to go up for the viewing and funeral. My sister was a mess. I remember going up and trying to be her support. It wasn't until I got back home to Noblesville that I actually mourned his death myself. He had been around our house for nearly 2 years. He loved working with animals and would go and help dad in the barns quite often. He was so comfortable at our house that if he got tired, he'd just lay down on the floor and go to sleep. With them being so young, I never really thought that Jen and Jason would get married but he became sort of like a brother to me. He always brought laughter into the house.
It wasn't long after Jason died that my rabbit, which I had gotten in college died (at a young age for a rabbit, I might add). Under normal circumstances, I would have been saddened to lose Baylor but with the previous events, I was devastated. He lived in the apartment with me and was cage trained. Baylor was my first "pet" after moving out of mom and dad's. This then led me to get Benny who is our mini-daschund and oh my what a life he has led and pet he has turned out to be! He deserves a whole post all to himself. Benny was my therapy during those tough days and he will always have a special place in my heart!
January 13 is also a special day to me, but in a good way. It's my grandpa's birthday! Today he turned 84 years old and I have very much enjoyed knowing him more and taking the time to sit and listen to stories he has to tell. I also love watching him sit and watch Gabby and Carson. He loves both of them but I think Carson has a piece of his heart that no one else will ever get! Happy Birthday, Grandpa! You are an amazing individual and I am so blessed to be your flesh and blood! I love you!
January 12 always brings back thoughts of Jason. Jason was a guy that my sister dated when she was in high school. Eight years ago yesterday marked his death. He was driving and slid on a patch of ice, died instantly. Every year on this date, I remember feeling so saddened by his untimely death and how I took off work after just starting a new job to go up for the viewing and funeral. My sister was a mess. I remember going up and trying to be her support. It wasn't until I got back home to Noblesville that I actually mourned his death myself. He had been around our house for nearly 2 years. He loved working with animals and would go and help dad in the barns quite often. He was so comfortable at our house that if he got tired, he'd just lay down on the floor and go to sleep. With them being so young, I never really thought that Jen and Jason would get married but he became sort of like a brother to me. He always brought laughter into the house.
It wasn't long after Jason died that my rabbit, which I had gotten in college died (at a young age for a rabbit, I might add). Under normal circumstances, I would have been saddened to lose Baylor but with the previous events, I was devastated. He lived in the apartment with me and was cage trained. Baylor was my first "pet" after moving out of mom and dad's. This then led me to get Benny who is our mini-daschund and oh my what a life he has led and pet he has turned out to be! He deserves a whole post all to himself. Benny was my therapy during those tough days and he will always have a special place in my heart!
January 13 is also a special day to me, but in a good way. It's my grandpa's birthday! Today he turned 84 years old and I have very much enjoyed knowing him more and taking the time to sit and listen to stories he has to tell. I also love watching him sit and watch Gabby and Carson. He loves both of them but I think Carson has a piece of his heart that no one else will ever get! Happy Birthday, Grandpa! You are an amazing individual and I am so blessed to be your flesh and blood! I love you!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Hello 2010!
Wow! Is it really the year 2010? This past week has moved me to think a lot about the past decade and how much my life has changed and how much I, as a person have changed. The year 2000 was my senior year of college. I remember the frenzy that occured because everyone just KNEW that it was going to be the end of the world. If the world didn't end, then of course, all of our clocks and computers were going to crash and never work again! For whatever reason, I never got too worked up about it and looking back, I laugh at all the panamonia it caused! If you are a believer in our God, you know that no person knows when our Savior will return for us so why would anyone try to predict it?!
I graduated spring of 2001 and took a job at a brand new Kindercare daycare/preschool. I loved the kids remember being shocked because I never thought I would work with kids but strongly felt led that was where God was putting me. After about 4 months of not being able to tolerate the unprofessional management, I left Kindercare and started working for The Center for Mental Health in Anderson as a case manager on the child team. This gave me the freedom to create my own schedule and be creative in how I worked with the kids on my case load. It also opened my eyes up to some very sad situations that some kids are raised in. That job toughened me and took away a lot of my sensitivities which turned out to be both good and bad.
2002 was a fabulous year! I married the love of my life and love him more today than the day I married him! We bought our first house in Noblesville and were on top of the world. We lived as DINKS (Double Income, No Kids) and very much enjoyed life and each others company. 2003 was another great year as we continued to live life and learn the ropes of being in the "real world." I remember Brad going through many job changes, some by choice to better himself or for better pay and some that were not by choice and came as total shock. I remember hurting for him as I could see how much it was hurting his pride to not have a job while I was working. Thank God we did not yet have kids!
In March of 2004, our lives forever changed! Our beautiful little Gabriana Nicole came into the world on the 13th! She stole our hearts and wrapped her daddy right around her finger! He's still there and I think he will forever stay! Parenthood has been one of the best things that has ever happened to us and I love how it challenges me. Yes, frustrations and anger arise but it always gets made up with giggles and complete joy. During the fall of '04, I had a strong desire to live a little closer to my side of the family. While I had no desire to live in Shipshewana, I wanted to convenience of being able to go and see them without such a long drive so Brad and I made the move to Ft. Wayne. Brad had found a job with GE (now Medical Protective) and commuted for 3 months before we decided that it was time to take the plunge and rent and apartment so we could have more family time. It was a struggle and I remember days when my cupboards were almost bare, except for formula and baby food but we survived!
The summer of '05 brought some majorly hot weather and a strong desire to get out of the apartment life so why not rent a cute little farmhouse in the country with NO AIR CONDITIONING! The day we moved in it was 90 plus degrees. I remember our family leaving after everything was in the house and Brad stripping down to his boxers and I down to my shorts and sports bra and just looking at each other like, "What did we just do?" We have many "warm" but fond memories of the farm house. The first morning we woke up there we had 5 deer grazing in our backyard. We also had bunnies, racoon, and I remember looking out my kitchen window to a big, fat groundhog staring up at me! I also remember taking Gabby out the back to pick red raspberries and eating them right off the bush! Yum! That summer was a doozy! I found out in May I was pregnant, later that month, Benny slipped a disc in his back. We were prepared to put him down but my parent's came to the rescue and helped us fund a back surgery for him. Benny came home 8 days later and I gave him physical therapy 3 times per day. He started walking again in September! August 11, we took Gabby to a Wizards baseball game for his company summer picnic. We had great seats and Gabby had talked all day about how we were going to the baseball game that night. As the second batter stepped up to the plate and hit the ball, it fouled, came up in the stands and hit Gabby right in the head before bouncing off her and spinning higher into the stands. After several hours in the ER, we found out she had a heirline skull fracture. God worked his magic and blessed us with a fully recovered little girl. We were so grateful that she turned out o.k. It could have been so much worse! And....to wrap up that summer, our water softener went out at the farmhouse we were renting. The landlord didn't think he should have to replace it and at that point, we felt it was time to start searching for a house of our own. On August 31, we took posession of our new house which is where we currently live.
In February of '07, Carson joined our family. It was now complete. I have always seen myself with a boy and a girl! He arrived and filled our hearts with contentment and happiness and continues to every day! Two weeks after Carson was born, my grandmother passed away. I was two days away from taking Carson to meet her. I remember feeling a lot of anger toward her for slipping off to Heaven before I got there to see her! What a blur that time of my life is. To have been post partum and then dealt with that loss was almost too much. If it had not been for the grace of our Father and the support of family, I don't know what I would have done.
Hard to believe but 2008 is not bringing back any thing significant right now.
2009 was a challenging but good year for us. After noticing some things in Carson that we did not feel were quite "right" we had him evaluated and found there were some delays that we then began services for. Gabby also started kindergarten and seemed to change from a preschooler to a little girl overnight. Our conversations get more and more intellectual (for a 5 year old) every day it seems. I cherish these times and look forward to many more meaningful talks. Brad's insurance business is flourishing and he absolutely loves his job! It's so great to see him in a profession he loves and watch him work so hard at it. The victories are sweet and the losses are learning experiences but we move on and he strives harder to get the next account! The losses are becoming fewer and further between and it's great to watch him grow! I love that he can make his own schedule which allows for him to attend programs and events for Gabby or be home if I need to go to the doctor or any other appointments where kids are not always appropriate. He is a wonderful father and husband and I don't know how I got so lucky to have him joined me in this journey we call life! I enjoy growing with him and know we have a fabulous future ahead of us.
So that, in a nutshell is just a glimpse of the last decade through my eyes. It's been a long post. Hope I didn't lose ya! Thanks for reading!
I graduated spring of 2001 and took a job at a brand new Kindercare daycare/preschool. I loved the kids remember being shocked because I never thought I would work with kids but strongly felt led that was where God was putting me. After about 4 months of not being able to tolerate the unprofessional management, I left Kindercare and started working for The Center for Mental Health in Anderson as a case manager on the child team. This gave me the freedom to create my own schedule and be creative in how I worked with the kids on my case load. It also opened my eyes up to some very sad situations that some kids are raised in. That job toughened me and took away a lot of my sensitivities which turned out to be both good and bad.
2002 was a fabulous year! I married the love of my life and love him more today than the day I married him! We bought our first house in Noblesville and were on top of the world. We lived as DINKS (Double Income, No Kids) and very much enjoyed life and each others company. 2003 was another great year as we continued to live life and learn the ropes of being in the "real world." I remember Brad going through many job changes, some by choice to better himself or for better pay and some that were not by choice and came as total shock. I remember hurting for him as I could see how much it was hurting his pride to not have a job while I was working. Thank God we did not yet have kids!
In March of 2004, our lives forever changed! Our beautiful little Gabriana Nicole came into the world on the 13th! She stole our hearts and wrapped her daddy right around her finger! He's still there and I think he will forever stay! Parenthood has been one of the best things that has ever happened to us and I love how it challenges me. Yes, frustrations and anger arise but it always gets made up with giggles and complete joy. During the fall of '04, I had a strong desire to live a little closer to my side of the family. While I had no desire to live in Shipshewana, I wanted to convenience of being able to go and see them without such a long drive so Brad and I made the move to Ft. Wayne. Brad had found a job with GE (now Medical Protective) and commuted for 3 months before we decided that it was time to take the plunge and rent and apartment so we could have more family time. It was a struggle and I remember days when my cupboards were almost bare, except for formula and baby food but we survived!
The summer of '05 brought some majorly hot weather and a strong desire to get out of the apartment life so why not rent a cute little farmhouse in the country with NO AIR CONDITIONING! The day we moved in it was 90 plus degrees. I remember our family leaving after everything was in the house and Brad stripping down to his boxers and I down to my shorts and sports bra and just looking at each other like, "What did we just do?" We have many "warm" but fond memories of the farm house. The first morning we woke up there we had 5 deer grazing in our backyard. We also had bunnies, racoon, and I remember looking out my kitchen window to a big, fat groundhog staring up at me! I also remember taking Gabby out the back to pick red raspberries and eating them right off the bush! Yum! That summer was a doozy! I found out in May I was pregnant, later that month, Benny slipped a disc in his back. We were prepared to put him down but my parent's came to the rescue and helped us fund a back surgery for him. Benny came home 8 days later and I gave him physical therapy 3 times per day. He started walking again in September! August 11, we took Gabby to a Wizards baseball game for his company summer picnic. We had great seats and Gabby had talked all day about how we were going to the baseball game that night. As the second batter stepped up to the plate and hit the ball, it fouled, came up in the stands and hit Gabby right in the head before bouncing off her and spinning higher into the stands. After several hours in the ER, we found out she had a heirline skull fracture. God worked his magic and blessed us with a fully recovered little girl. We were so grateful that she turned out o.k. It could have been so much worse! And....to wrap up that summer, our water softener went out at the farmhouse we were renting. The landlord didn't think he should have to replace it and at that point, we felt it was time to start searching for a house of our own. On August 31, we took posession of our new house which is where we currently live.
In February of '07, Carson joined our family. It was now complete. I have always seen myself with a boy and a girl! He arrived and filled our hearts with contentment and happiness and continues to every day! Two weeks after Carson was born, my grandmother passed away. I was two days away from taking Carson to meet her. I remember feeling a lot of anger toward her for slipping off to Heaven before I got there to see her! What a blur that time of my life is. To have been post partum and then dealt with that loss was almost too much. If it had not been for the grace of our Father and the support of family, I don't know what I would have done.
Hard to believe but 2008 is not bringing back any thing significant right now.
2009 was a challenging but good year for us. After noticing some things in Carson that we did not feel were quite "right" we had him evaluated and found there were some delays that we then began services for. Gabby also started kindergarten and seemed to change from a preschooler to a little girl overnight. Our conversations get more and more intellectual (for a 5 year old) every day it seems. I cherish these times and look forward to many more meaningful talks. Brad's insurance business is flourishing and he absolutely loves his job! It's so great to see him in a profession he loves and watch him work so hard at it. The victories are sweet and the losses are learning experiences but we move on and he strives harder to get the next account! The losses are becoming fewer and further between and it's great to watch him grow! I love that he can make his own schedule which allows for him to attend programs and events for Gabby or be home if I need to go to the doctor or any other appointments where kids are not always appropriate. He is a wonderful father and husband and I don't know how I got so lucky to have him joined me in this journey we call life! I enjoy growing with him and know we have a fabulous future ahead of us.
So that, in a nutshell is just a glimpse of the last decade through my eyes. It's been a long post. Hope I didn't lose ya! Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Carson Update
Since I'm on a roll with the blogging tonight and don't know when I'll next get back to it, thought I'd better give an update on my little boy! For the most part, Carson is doing great. He has mastered the goals of strengthening his fine motor skills and is adapting to change better than he was back in June. We still have a little ways to go but I feel that it will be an ongoing thing with him and will be something we work on each and every day until he's old enough to cope with these things without assistance.
His communication skills have come so far and yet we still have a long way to go! He is now going out to the kitchen when he is hungry and will open the refrigerator and get what he wants out. This sometimes works to my advantage...and sometimes not! He is also climbing up on the cabinets to get things out of the cupboards. My biggest fear is him falling, of course, if I am not aware that he is up there.
In February, Carson will turn 3 and our services with First Steps will end. This will mark a milestone for us and we will look back at our experience as a time where he made many accomplishments. It will be hard to let the therapists go as we have grown to love them and their insight as to what might be going on with Carson but I trust that the next professionals we move on to will do the same for us. I am currently working with the schools to have him evaluated and see if he will qualify for speech services (which I am confident he will). If he does, he will get half hour per week of services which I do not feel is going to be enough for him, nor does his speech therapist so I am seeking out other arrangements in addition to what the school can offer. While his communication is improving, it would be nice if we could all fully understand what he is trying to tell us all the time!
He is an outgoing kid and happy as long as his schedule is not messed with too much. Christmas was somewhat of a challenge as he became overwhelmed in larger groups of people and wanted to retreat to rooms where he could be by himself. He was easily calmed though and was happy to remain in a room by himself if he could watch a movie and come out when he was comfortable. Let's just say we made it work for him and us!
His communication skills have come so far and yet we still have a long way to go! He is now going out to the kitchen when he is hungry and will open the refrigerator and get what he wants out. This sometimes works to my advantage...and sometimes not! He is also climbing up on the cabinets to get things out of the cupboards. My biggest fear is him falling, of course, if I am not aware that he is up there.
In February, Carson will turn 3 and our services with First Steps will end. This will mark a milestone for us and we will look back at our experience as a time where he made many accomplishments. It will be hard to let the therapists go as we have grown to love them and their insight as to what might be going on with Carson but I trust that the next professionals we move on to will do the same for us. I am currently working with the schools to have him evaluated and see if he will qualify for speech services (which I am confident he will). If he does, he will get half hour per week of services which I do not feel is going to be enough for him, nor does his speech therapist so I am seeking out other arrangements in addition to what the school can offer. While his communication is improving, it would be nice if we could all fully understand what he is trying to tell us all the time!
He is an outgoing kid and happy as long as his schedule is not messed with too much. Christmas was somewhat of a challenge as he became overwhelmed in larger groups of people and wanted to retreat to rooms where he could be by himself. He was easily calmed though and was happy to remain in a room by himself if he could watch a movie and come out when he was comfortable. Let's just say we made it work for him and us!
Been Awhile
Wow! It's been awhile since I last blogged and I can see the old blog is experiencing some neglect with the fall background still in place. Thought it might be time for an update....
We had a wonderful Christmas. We still have one more (Lambright side) but for the most part, it's done and it all left us with many great memories. One of those memories being all the driving that our family did this year. Usually, Brad's side comes up to our house for Christmas but it just so worked out this year that we went to them which seemed like a fine idea until, Gabby was insistent on waking up at home on Christmas morning and then we had horrible driving weather on 2 out of 3 of our trips south. On Saturday, the 20th, we left for Muncie. It took us two hours to get there which isn't too much more than the normal time, due to a double police escort of a double wide. Coming back, it took us 4 hours because of weather and road conditions. We ended up being completely stopped on I-69 for over 30 minutes because a tanker T-Boned a camero. It made me grateful that we were safe but wondering how the driver of the camero was. We ended up getting off of 69 and bringing back roads most of the way home.
The following Thursday we left for Noblesville and we greeted again, on 69 to a glare of ice just south of here. Slowing down and taking our time, we got to Christmas but it took us 3 hours. I commend Brad for keeping his calm and using his wisdom and good driving skills to get us there safely. I could go on about more long trips but let me just say, we added up all the hours we spent together in the car just headed to family Christmas gatherings and it totaled over 21 hours! Our kids did great considering the circumstances and we found ourselves grateful for a dvd player.
Overall, we were just grateful to be safe and sound and with the ones we love! We are so blessed!
We had a wonderful Christmas. We still have one more (Lambright side) but for the most part, it's done and it all left us with many great memories. One of those memories being all the driving that our family did this year. Usually, Brad's side comes up to our house for Christmas but it just so worked out this year that we went to them which seemed like a fine idea until, Gabby was insistent on waking up at home on Christmas morning and then we had horrible driving weather on 2 out of 3 of our trips south. On Saturday, the 20th, we left for Muncie. It took us two hours to get there which isn't too much more than the normal time, due to a double police escort of a double wide. Coming back, it took us 4 hours because of weather and road conditions. We ended up being completely stopped on I-69 for over 30 minutes because a tanker T-Boned a camero. It made me grateful that we were safe but wondering how the driver of the camero was. We ended up getting off of 69 and bringing back roads most of the way home.
The following Thursday we left for Noblesville and we greeted again, on 69 to a glare of ice just south of here. Slowing down and taking our time, we got to Christmas but it took us 3 hours. I commend Brad for keeping his calm and using his wisdom and good driving skills to get us there safely. I could go on about more long trips but let me just say, we added up all the hours we spent together in the car just headed to family Christmas gatherings and it totaled over 21 hours! Our kids did great considering the circumstances and we found ourselves grateful for a dvd player.
Overall, we were just grateful to be safe and sound and with the ones we love! We are so blessed!
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