2012 has been a wonderful year in many ways and a challenging year in many ways. I am excited to see what 2013 brings and am hopeful it is a little more wonderful and a little less stressful than 2012.
2012 was fun. We took several trips to the beach, including the Outer Banks, NC, in June. We also went to Port Aransas once or twice. We had quite a few visits from Gma and Gpa and Grandjan. The kids had a fun pool party birthday bash. We dressed up as the Flintstone Family for Halloween, with Fred, Wilma, Pebbles, and Bam Bam. I made the costumes and have to say I impressed myself. We have been to the zoo and Sea World, as well as a theater production of "Guess How Much I Love You" and several music shows, including Miss Staci. Along with Granna, we had Gma, Gpa, and Uncle Josh for Thanksgiving and Grandjan and Grandpa for Christmas, so we were lucky to have family for the holidays.
Annabelle - 2012 was a wonderful year for her. She started going to school two mornings a week beginning in September at St. Paul Lutheran Church. The logistics worked well for us and they are so kind and flexible. Annabelle took a while to adjust, but now she loves her teacher, Ms. Wurchen, and her teacher loves her. Annabelle seems to be very bright - she knows all of her letters and the sounds they make and various words which start with each letter. Thanks to the Little People zoo animals, we have Yak and Quail down. She can count to ten (most of the time). She sings songs and has a sweet voice. Her school had a "Christmas Program" and Annabelle participated. It was very impressive, as the church is very large and the school goes up to 8th grade, so there were a lot of people. She went to the front of the church with her class and stood while they 3 and 4 years olds sang. Most of the 2 year olds just sat quietly, even though she knows the words. She did great! We were all in our "Sunday best" and I felt like a grown up in a real family, possibly for the first time in my life. Annabelle is an amazing eater and requested black-eyed peas and collard greens for New Years day. She enjoys "muscle smoothies" with Jeremy almost every morning. Annabelle loves cooking in her kitchen and makes pizza, tacos, soups, and all sorts of other treats. She likes to do art activities and thankfully her school sends her home with many fun projects that have been completed. She has an amazing imagination and I do not know where some of the things she says and does come from. It is really fun to watch! Annabelle still loves to read books and snuggle with her lovey. She has been healthy for the most part, with a couple little colds thanks to her new school. Annabelle is sleeping well and still takes a nap for two hours. She is usually in bed by 7:30 and up by 7.
Jack - 2012 has been a growing year. We started the year off with OT and ST and eventually added and autism diagnosis and ABA. We got things going into full swing in May and since then have been fortunate to make a significant amount of progress. Jack is now able to play appropriately with toys, such as cars, train, pretend food in the kitchen, books, puzzles, and the list goes on. He is able to attend and pay attention to things (when he wants) and make eye contact. We were up to about 25 words, but it seems like they are not there as much, so we are going to work on them some more. Jack is communicating so much more than he was before. He does not necessarily have the words, but he looks and points and "talks" in a way that makes it very clear what he wants. He is able to imitate, which is amazing and something I would not have known was such an amazing skill a year ago. Jack loves to jump and jump - on the floor, in his crib, on the bed, or on the trampoline. A few months ago, he climbed out of his crib, so we put the mattress on the floor. Luckily, that has solved the problem for now. He is no longer challenged when it comes to elevation changes and he will climb on everything. I love it! Jack is having "playdates" with Samaya and so far, he is doing better than she is. He is also going to the park and doing well. I am excited to see the new things he will learn. Jack will sometimes take a while to fall asleep for his nap. In general, he naps for 2-3 hours every day, although once a week or so, he will skip his nap. He sleeps well at night and is usually in bed by 7:30 and then up around 6:30. He has been healthy for the most part with just a couple little colds or allergies. He takes a bunch of supplements and vitamins, which we are hoping will help with some of the autism stuff. He is also on a GFCFSF diet. It all seems to be working well. The past couple of months, Jack has been on a steady incline of progress and I am hopeful it will contine.
Jeremy - 2012 has been a shrinking year. Jeremy is "paleo" and eats what the cavemen ate - meat, nuts, fruits, and berries. As a result, he is in the best shape of his life. He feels good and looks good, which is all that matters! He is going to cross fit a few times a week and really seems to enjoy it - a great way to deal with stress. Jeremy is doing great at work and continues to get raises (which we all like). He has not been able to go fishing as much as he would like, but he did get to go off shore over the summer and had a fun time. Hopefullee he will have more fishing in 2013.
Becca - 2012 has been the most stressful, frustrating, and probably depressing year of my life. Nothing can describe the feelings that go along with having my child diagnosed with autism. But, as a result, I have grown and become strong in ways I would never have imagined. We have an amazing home based ABA program for Jack and he is making tons of progress. We are in a law suit with ECI which will help Jack, help our pocket books, and help other children whose parents do not know any better. I have met some mothers who are warriors and give me home and inspiration and motivation. I am in school, taking classes to get my BCBA. I have learned what and who true friends are and what values are important to me. I could go on and on, but I do not want to. I want to appreciate the challenges I faced in 2012 and use them to help me be a better person for myself, my child, my family, and my world in 2013.
