Where to go from here..

I am tossing ideas in my head about this blog. I've always written to you Jayden, and tried to chronicle the big events in your life, and even the not so big events just to have a record of things, dates, and whatnot, and so that maybe one day you will read this and have no doubts about how much you are loved. The fact that you have been diagnosed with ASD is such a strange irony..all my life I worked with kids who had special needs, and different abilities, and now here I sit on the other side of the table....I'm now the parent of a child who is getting services that I once provided for other children. It is so strange, I try not to go into professional mode because I don't want to be your "programmer" or therapist. I am your momma, and that is all I want to be. I am doing my best to let the support team do their job and not trying to do it for  you and so far I think I am doing well! Be proud of your momma it's a hard thing for me to do :P

I want to blog about your journey with Autism...but I don't know if I want to do it here. Should I start another blog devoted just to those issues related to Autism and how you are affected, and leave this blog just to talk about the things I have been...but I think no matter which way I do it, there will be a crossover. This is a part of you, so trying to separate the stories and the development might become redundant...

What do your fans think, Jayden? Should I start another blog, or just integrate everything into this one? I guess either way when you are old enough to read this blog, you will read them both..so I guess I should just leave it...but I would like input from the readers. Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this little dilemma I'm having. If you can, leave it here on the blog, rather than on the facebook post that will be generated :)

Momma loves you baby boy, stop growing up so fast already would you!? <3

Wow!

Gosh I have really not been a very good blogger have I?? I guess that is because I've been so busy with you, my busy little man! You are three years old now and boy has our world changed! You go to school now :) You are enrolled at Child's Play, it's a Montessori preschool and you just love it there! You have learned so much on your own, and being in school has given you a huge world of learning opportunities that you have embraced to the fullest. Recently, you were diagnosed with Autism. They called it "High Academic/Low Social" because you are just so darn smart! You can read, you are learning to write, your skills are up around a first grade level and it is incredible to see you doing all these wonderful things. Sometimes you need a little extra patience, and some help to know how to use the right words when you need something, and you are learning how much fun it is to play with other kids. You have a best buddy next door, Jordin, the two of you get up to all kinds of trouble together and love every minute. Last night you had your first real soccer game. You are on the Yellow Canadiana Cabinets...what a mouthful huh?? You loved it, running all over the field while momma or mimi chased you to bring you back to your field. We are totally gonna have a work out every week that you play! It's all worth it to see you laughing with your team mates having a blast. It has been a very exciting phase in your life, and there are so many more to come. Watching you grow has been, and will always be the most exiting moments of my life. Every new skill, new milestone, something new every single day! Right now you are supposed to be having a nap, but you are playing in your room while I watch you on the monitor..reading Busy Bugz book of opposites like a pro... momma loves you baby boy, don't you ever forget it. I may not write here very often, but that just means I'm spending every minute I can, with you, enjoying you, and loving you with allllll my heart! <3

Missing you baby boy!

For the first time in the year and a half that you came into my life, I've had to leave you for an extended period.. Your Auntie Sher bear needed help, and she lives far away..so for the last week and a half I've been out in Florida helping her out while she recovers from surgery. Mummy has her hands full, you went and decided to get sick on her while I was away and you've been giving her a rough time. I miss you and mummy so much little man! I see you on Skype every day and I look forward to you blowing kisses to me and singing rolie polie with me and your insane giggles as I kiss the camera.. As hard as it has been for all of us, I think the time with you and mummy on your own will have been worth it in the end, the two of you needed some time with momma out of the picture. You are doing so much now...learning new words every day, counting to three, you can show me a green block and tell me it's green...so many changes so quickly and I know that when I come home in a few days you will be so different already.. 4 more sleeps till I get to hug and kiss your face and tell you in person how much I've missed you and how much I love you. You've had a hell of a month...Croup, then momma going away, croup comes back and pink eye comes with it, then a virus and some random fever and a trip with mummy to the hospital..I feel so bad that I'm not there to comfort you through this all but I know you are in good hands. My arms feel empty without you Jayden...I look back on my life before you were here and I can not imagine what I did with my time...how did I fill all the hours that are now entirely devoted to you? I don't want to remember, because without you and mummy in my world, there is nothing else that matters. Momma will be home soon baby, get those kisses ready for me!! See you soon!
Momma loves you! As long as I'm living my baby you'll be!!!

More pics from the UK

Here are a few more pics of you in England. When momma figures out how to do videos I will get some of those on!

Greetings from the UK!

So yet again I'm a bit late in updating, but here I am anyway, better late than never! This will be a small update about some rather large things in your life right now! First off, we are, as the title says...IN ENGLAND! At 13 months, you became a world traveler! We are here visiting with mummy's family. Your Nana, and 5 uncles! Your favourite of course is Tyler, the 11 year old because he gives you loads of attention and you like to play with him. You were a little scared of the older ones at first because you aren't around men very often, but now after a month the fear is gone. You run around amongst them trying to keep their attention. Your greeting for them when you see them is a loud "AHH" and of course they yell back, and then you have conversations like this with them endlessly. Something major happened in the first week of being here...you lost your fear and you started walking! That's right, my baby can walk!!! Now after a few weeks of practise you are pretty much running, and as fun as it is to watch you, it makes me long for that tiny baby that was here just a year ago...but so much is coming, you are learning and changing and growing every day. I can't wait to meet the person you are becoming. You have so much personality for someone so little, and such a fiery little temper you've got! You are learning to control it a little bit tho..I can visibly see you suck it up here and there when things aren't going as you have planned..but you certainly do let us know if you are not pleased. Communication skills have become interesting..you have mastered the signs for more, all done, milk, eat and dog! And you say (along with a lot of other babbled sounds and consonants) mum, gog (dog), bum bum (when it's time for a change), ta, and something to the tune of all done when you finish a bottle..sort of sounds like ah dah! hehe. My baby boy,  is becoming a little person before my eyes...things will only get more interesting from here wont they? Momma loves you little man, keep on being you!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Here is a picture of you sporting some England duds! Look how cute you are!   
Here is one of you at the park in your Favourite swing
And here is a video to show off your new walking skills. You were feeling alittle sick that day so you had some medicine that made you hyper and want to show off your new skills! Watch me run!

Happy Birthday!!

So I am a few days late with this post, and a few months late with an update, but life gets in the way :) You Turned ONE a few days ago, and I still can not believe that it has been a whole year since you joined our family and made us complete! For your birthday, we had a party over at Grandma and Grandpa's house. All your friends came and it was a fun, crazy messy time for all! You were a little under the weather, but you still had an awesome time at your party. The weather was gorgeous and all the kiddos got to spend some time playing outside, you crawled around in the grass for a little bit and enjoyed watching the bigger kids run around. After you opened your wonderful gifts, we sat you down with your first piece of birthday cake...blue icing and chocolate make a horrid shade of green when mixed together, we discovered lol. Here is a picture of you with your cake Click for Picture All in all, your party was a big success, and I am very happy that everything went so well. On the monday, your actual birthday, we had a quieter day, lots of cuddles and time outside, and went to a play group that we have been going to on mondays. I was laying down with you for a nap and I looked at the clock, and it was 12:12pm...and I got a little emotional remembering that exactly 365 days ago I had you on my chest just like we were laying down for your nap, and you were a tiny little squeaky baby..then I looked at you and it hit me how much you have really grown, and changed and turned into a real little person. I had a little cry and cuddled you up and you actually let me snuggle without a fight...it was like you knew I needed that right then. :) You are sensitive to what is going on around you. Your life has been pretty full these days. We (you) graduated from Babies First, the group your mommmas have been going to since you were a bun in the oven, and have moved on to a new group called Steps and Stages. We miss our Friday group a lot, but it's a new journey for all of us and I am sure we will adjust. We still try to get to the centre where the first group was for drop in play group at least once a week, sometimes twice, and we go to another play group with your friend Ryan and his mommy and sister on Monday mornings. On Thursdays you and I go to the library where they have a Mother Goose group. You love the songs and the rhymes, and playing with all the other little ones. You are starting to recognise some of the songs and actions, and I can see you anticipating what will come next :) Let's go over some first year milestones... Crawling - You started pulling yourself with your arms along the floor at about 6.5 months, you were a bit of a slow starter and didn't crawl on your hands and knees till about a month later..then it was game over and you were everywhere and never sat still again lol. You've been an awesome eater, never refusing anything new and to date there hasn't been anything you haven't liked since we started you on oatmeal at 5.5 months. By 9 months you were pulling yourself up on furniture and cruising on anything you could get your hands on. You are still doing a lot of that, and are quite the pro. You let go and stand without holding on for minutes at a time, and you can walk beside someone holding onto one hand. That is a favourite game of yours, just walking around for ages and exploring wherever you are. You aren't quite walking yet, I guess you haven't found your confidence yet to really let go, but I know you can do it, just gotta wait till you realise it ;) You talk all the time, random sounds are always coming out of you. Your consistent words are mum mum, momma, BUM, and dada...where the dada comes from I'm not quite sure. Oh, and you like to imitate "Oh dear" it was your first phrase. You are one big copy cat, clicking your tongue, smacking your lips, giving high fives and fake coughing at us for fun. You are also quite the peekaboo pro! We are working on signing, you seem to understand the sign for more, and stop, and will sign milk back to me when I ask if you want some. We are still waiting for you to sign more back to us when we are working on that during meals. Your weight on Tuesday at your check up was 24.5 lbs, and you are 31.5 inches tall..big boy you are!! You had to have three needles at that appointment, and you were less than happy about that...but it wasn't so much the shots that upset you, it was having to be held still that got you quite upset. Momma bailed and made mummy hold on to you for those. Your nurse, Sara, is wonderful and you seem to be forgiving with her cuz she is so sweet...we are very sad because she will be leaving us, she is having a baby of her own and so for the next year you will have to see our doctor, I'm not happy about that because he is a bit of a jerk and I didn't want you to have to be treated by him at all unless absolutely necessary..but it looks like we are stuck with him for a while..at least you got your first year with a great nurse, and only have to see the doc for another 2 sets of needles before she will be back. Next Friday we will be taking you to an eye specialist to see if that lazy eye of yours is a problem. It shows a little in pictures and when you are tired...I think it's ok, but mummy is worried about it so better safe than sorry, we will have you looked at. Teeth - You have 7 teeth, and are working on the eighth. This tooth has been coming for a few weeks now giving you a bit of trouble, it seems to come out a little then go back in. You are a big drooly mess on the days it breaks through. I hope it come properly soon for you so you can be more comfortable. With the teething, and the tail end of a cold, and a reaction to your vaccinations, you've had a rough few days and I can't wait for you to feel better! We hope to go to a friend's farm tomorrow night so I really hope you are up to it, you will get to see your first fire works! And meet some of momma's old friends :) I think this has been a long enough update for now...I will write again soon and share some more. But for now, my love, sleep well, feel better and wake up in the morning ready to party!! Momma loves you baby, and you are always my baby, no matter how big you get!!

9 months!

On Thursday we had our 9 month check up with Sara...you weighed in at a whopping 21.7 pounds, and are 71cm tall! You are such a big boy, and you've now jumped above the 50th percentile. It's been a long week for you, you have had a terrible cold, and spiked a high fever on Monday night bringing on our first trip to the emergency room. Luckily your fever dropped soon after we gave you some Advil and Tylenol, but it kept creeping up and staying at a low fever for a few days. When we went to see Sara, she was a little worried about you having a fever for so long but she checked you over and couldn't find any reason for it. So to be safe, she gave you some antibiotics just in case there is an infection brewing that we just can't see yet. Momma is a little scared of the meds cuz she's allergic, so mummy is giving them to you and we are keeping a close eye on you to make sure you didn't inherit my allergy...

Aside from being sick, you've been doing wonderfully! You are now easily pulling yourself up and cruising the furniture, and even letting go and standing on your own for several seconds at a time. Where did the time go?? You are great at making messes, and pulling out every single toy, then of course wanting to play with the remote control or our cell phones instead.

Yesterday you met your cousin Caleb for the first time, but you were a little tired and cranky at the time and he's 9 and thinks babies are boring...so maybe next time you see him the two of you will hit it off a little better. Next week you're gonna meet a special friend..his name is Lucas. He was just born a couple weeks ago, and we hope that the two of you will become good friends. One day when you're old enough, we might explain to you that he is special because his mommies got help from the same man as we did to help make him..I think one day it will be important for you to know about your roots and having someone else in the world that is in a similar situation as you are, might just help with that.

Right now you are sitting in your high chair beside me, eating a waffle! It's your first one and you are loving it! You love absolutely everything really...we have started giving you Homo milk now that you're 9 months, and are weaning you off of formula. Momma is still nursing as often as you like, but I have a feeling within a few months, you're not going to be breastfeeding anymore. That will be a bittersweet milestone..now that you have teeth you have been biting momma every so often, and that won't be missed. But the quiet times and cuddles when you let them happen will be missed...hopefully you will start to like cuddles aside from nursing snuggles again soon.

I guess that's all I have for an update right now, I'll try to post some pictures soon!

Momma loves you!!