Welcome, My Lovelies!

Well hello there, Lovelies. Happy St. Patricks Day! Welcome to my new adventure. I've decided to share my experiences with all of you. My world is almost never boring-- at least in my eyes-- it's filled with ups and downs; and lots of random and funny moments in between. I hope you enjoy.

As parents, we are used to celebrating milestones, both big and small. "She's giving me hugs and kisses!",  "He's chewing his food for the very first time!",  "Wow! She's running!",  "Oh my goodness! He's playing WITH that other child!". I'm sure you recognize these statements, and more. You've said at least one of them. All very brag-worthy accomplishments. Now imagine saying all of these things; and your child is 3. Does that make them any less valid, or brag-worthy? Not at all.

I am a Stay at Home Mom of two beautiful children. My youngest, my son 1.5 years old. My oldest, my daughter is 3 years old. She has autism. What is autism? According to Merriam Webster (.com): "Autism (Noun)--  a developmental disorder that appears by age three and that is variable in expression but is recognized and diagnosed by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate with others, and by stereotyped behavior patterns especially as exhibited by a preoccupation with repetitive activities of restricted focus rather than with flexible and imaginative ones."  If you ask me, however, I would tell you that it means that my daughter has a different perspective of the world around her than I do. She sees things differently. Feels things differently. So on and so forth.

I spend a lot of my time trying to incorporate myself into her world, to somehow incorporate my world into hers. She marches to her own drummer, that's one thing that is always apparent.  She's the silliest, most playful happy little lady I have ever set my eyes on-- though I may be biased-- she loves to run around, spin in circles until I am dizzy, and laugh. There's another part to her world, though. It can become hostile. Fast. One minute she can be playing happily, giggling and singing; when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, her world comes crashing down around her! She's non-verbal, so these are the instances where I have to think on my feet to try to figure out what it is that has her crumbling to little pieces. Questions pop into my mind: "When did I last change her? Could it be a soiled diaper?", "Did she lose a toy?", "Is she hungry?". The list can go on for a while. I always feel a little triumphant when I'm able to figure it out.

There are only two things I know for certain. One: She is the picture perfect example of a daddy's girl. Two: She loves her little brother more than I ever think she needs to say. And he loves her just as fiercely. So far, my son is a typically developing toddler-- When did this happen?!-- and he's catching up quickly. They have their own language, which constantly keeps Mommy guessing. Shockingly, I think this is what it's intended for. I also think they purposefully decide that they're going to team up to see who can make me pull out my hair the fastest. There's been no definitive winner-- Yet-- but it seems to be a pretty fun process. For them.

So there's a little about us in a nutshell. I suppose in a way, this is a very therapeutic process for  me. I know my brain is already swimming with so many things to tell you! But all of this for a different day. I hope you enjoy the randomness that is our world as I embark on opening up and sharing it. And if, just IF I can maybe let just one person out there know that they are not alone, and I can help somehow; then that is just the perfect icing on top of the Magnets & Applesauce.