Today is the day

Today is the day we found out what we have suspected for over a year. Jonah received an autism diagnosis. While it comes with mixed feelings, we are glad we can now move in a forward direction. Jonah was evaluated last November and received a misdiagnosis. We were told at that time that he was "going at his own pace". We accepted the news and went along, knowing that something was still being missed. The new doctor was able to correctly diagnosis. Today was reassuring to know we are doing a lot of what needs to be done at home. We will work on beefing up his IEP at school in the next couple of weeks and start private occupational and speech therapies next week.

Beautiful You

Ian,

As I drove you to the bus stop today, a song came on the radio that made me think of you.

"You were made to fill a purpose that only you can do,
So there could never be a more beautiful you. "

We are one week away from your sixth surgery and it has me reflecting on how far we've come in your cleft journey.

You were such a sweet and easy baby. Your eyes had such love and that wide smile was just perfect. Your first surgery wasn't easy in many ways, but it was more difficult because we knew we'd never get back that smile we'd loved for your first six months.

 

As a toddler, you loved being around people. You were our little social butterfly. Your sweet smile warmed our hearts.

As you've grown older, your outgoing personality has really started to show. Like your daddy, you love to entertain others and make people laugh. We love seeing you smile and laugh and come up with your silly jokes.

Some people were inquisitive about your cleft and it began to make you self conscious. Although we've always loved your beautiful smile, you sometimes felt out of place. I want you to always remember that our Father made you perfectly in His image. I can see Him in you every day in your laugh, your love for your little brother, and your beautiful spirit. You will continue to do wonderful things, my son, and I cannot wait to see you grow into a young man. I know He has big plans for you and that beautiful smile.


I love you, beautiful you. 

Happy birthday, little J!

Our sweet baby is two! It's hard to believe how fast this little guy is growing.

He is such a sweetheart, like his big brother, but his interests could not be more different. Jonah is all about cars and trains and trucks. Anything with wheels really.

Jonah is also a big fan of fruit, puzzles, his pets, and books. He loves snuggling with Mama in the mornings with his chocolate milk warm and watching Curious George and Mickey. He would play outside everyday if the weather allowed. Luckily, his Mama loves the outdoors too, so we enjoy walks in the mornings and play time on the play set.

Thank you, Jonah, for making our family feel complete. We love you, birthday boy!

Defying the odds

Ian has been in speech therapy since turning two years old. He has flourished with the right therapists and worked very hard to make great strides. As some of you who follow the blog may know, Ian has had 5 total surgeries, one of which was specifically to improve the hyper nasality in his speech. The procedure, a pharyngeal flap, was probably the most difficult for Ian. He refused to eat while in the hospital, which kept us there a bit longer than we would have liked. However, once home and recovered, he continued to work hard on producing the correct sounds. Once in pre-k, his therapist, who is provided by the school system, constantly told us how impressed she was with his ability to compensate. With his cleft, his upper gum line is not very straight. He is missing two teeth, which have an impact on speech. Ian taught himself different ways to produce the proper sounds. His therapist felt he no longer needed therapy each week, but would do just fine with one session a month. Once in kindergarten, he continued to do well in speech with one session a month. At his evaluation in October, his speech therapist felt Ian no longer needed speech. We were so surprised and excited to hear this good news!

Before he was born, we were told Ian would need speech throughout his childhood. How exciting it was to hear that his hard work had paid off!

Happy birthday, Ian

Our sweet Ian turned 6 in October.

He is such a smart, independent, and sweet little boy who always wants to do what is right. He loves playing sports like soccer and baseball, and can be very competitive when it comes to a good game of Yahtzee or checkers. He takes after his daddy and enjoys playing video games. He enjoys reading all kinds of books and has taken up chapter books this year. His favorite series are Stink and Captain Underpants. He loves to make us laugh with his silly jokes.

We love you to the moon and back, sweet boy! Thank you for being a shining star in our lives.

The K Word

No more evening walks down the street to get blackberries, no more hunting frogs after dinner, no more lazy days at the pool. It's time for school to start for Ian. And not just school, but the K word: kindergarten!

I must say this mama has been dreading this moment. I know he is more than ready, but I cannot say the same for me. Although I am sad to see him start this new chapter in his life, I am so blessed that he is super excited! He doesn't even want me to walk him in. Tear!

Ian, I want you to know that Mama loves you to the moon and back. I will be thinking about you all day tomorrow and cannot wait to hear about how much you love kindergarten!

Drumroll...

I know I left everyone hanging to see Jonah's sweet, new smile. Here's our little guy about 13 months after surgery: