Great Grandma

I wanted to post a few pictures of Braedon and Reilly with their Great-Grandma Dominguez. There is also a great picture of Braedon with his Uncle Daniel, who he absolutely loves and adores.

Braedon had his best speech therapy appointment today. His eye contact was so wonderful and he did a lot of speaking with her. She made several comments on how well she feels he is doing and the progress he is making. Today we are going to check out a special preschool for children with disabilities. Keep your fingers crossed it is a good place.

Thanksgiving fun...

What is Autism?

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders. Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than perdiatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.

Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines.

If a child is diagnosed with autism, early intervention is critical to gain maximum benefit from existing therapies. Currently, there are no effective means to prevent autism, no fully effective treatments, and no cure. Research indicates, however, that early intervention in an appropriate educational setting for at least two years during the preschool years can result in significant improvements for many young children.

Braedon was diagnosed with mild autism, which is very encouraging. He is involved in a few different programs through DDI Vantage, which is an early intervention program. He might even start in a special preschool the start of the year if things work out well. The point to all of this is early intervention and help from everyone he knows is key and can help him along.

What a week...

This week I thought I'd mention two examples of how you can help with autism. The first involves my mom on her plane ride down here. There was a young woman with three children and one was only about two. As everyone got on the plane the little child had a complete come apart. He lost all control and cried and cried. My mom heard a few people remark (as I know we all have done) that they wish the mother could control the child and the child would be quiet. My mom then made the remark, "Perhaps the child is autistic". When she said this it seemed to change the mood and feeling on the plane. It changed to one of understanding and tolerance instead of anger and irritation. The second story involves Dean and Braedon at Costco. While waiting to check out a woman behind Dean asked if Braedon was autistic. Dean told her yes and asked how she knew. She responded that she has a friend with an autisic child and she recognized some of the same behaviors. She then got down on eye level and talked with Braedon for a moment.
My point with these two stories is that understanding a situation often helps when you are in it. Take time to learn a little about autism. Maybe you could be of some help to a mom that needs it. Sometimes if someone where to ask if I needed help it might be the greatest thing to me, especially when I start taking Braedon and Reilly places. Braedon demands constant attention and when he is out of his home, like most autistic children, he can become overwhelmed very easily and loose control.

Okay, enough on my soap box for this week. We had a very busy week. Dean went to Modesto, California for his Grandfather's funeral. He said it was a very nice funeral and I was glad he could go. Braedon had another successful speech therapy appointment. In fact, she remarked on how well he did with his eye contact this week. He also did very well with his NeoNatal Follow-up Program appointment. All of the doctors said he seems to be doing very well and the help we are getting him is working. That was the best news of the week.

Reilly is growing and developing quite the personality. He likes to be held....ALL OF THE TIME! It is going to be a fun struggle with him and his crib. We are determined to win! We refuse to have all four of us sleeping in the same bed.

A busy Saturday...

Each week I am going to put a little information on autism. Most of the people that read my blog interact with Braedon. If not, you might know someone who has a child with autism and information is king!

One reason that children with autism need consistency is that they have trouble using the same skills with different people, places, or situations. This inability to use the same skills in different areas is called "poor generalization". Rather than blame anyone or resolve to never go out, realize that poor generalization is a characteristic of autism which can be minimized if everyone responds to your child the same way.

Today Braedon helped his Grandpa Efren install a new vanity in his bathroom. We only lost one screwdriver (Braedon shoved it in one of the holes in the wall). Luckily it was an old screwdriver and one of Dean's. Braedon is always very helpful when it comes to these types of things.

Braedon is always willing to help out with something. We picked up leaves today and he wasn't very interested in sitting in the leaves or playing with them. He had to have his own rake and was very helpful in putting the leaves in the bags. I also caught him trying to take out some chemicals from the service truck. The look on his face tells me he knows better.

I wanted to be sure and include a few pictures of Reilly. He doesn't really do much right now except eat, sleep, and poop so he doesn't get a ton of pictures. Today he did want to look outside, so I sat and held him up to the window to watch the leaves in the trees. He had the biggest eyes ever with this.

How the weekend went...

Our weekend went just fine until Braedon smacked into a drawer in the kitchen and gave himself quite the little whopper. You can kind of see it, but mommy thought it looked much worse in person. He runs his little heart out and doesn't remember to always look where he is going first. He cried and cried and both mommy and daddy showered him with lots of love and attention.

Reilly decided it was time to lift his head up and enjoy the world. I cannot believe how strong he is for being 4 weeks old. He enjoys looking around and seeing what is going on. He especially seems to like when someone talks to him while he eats...he is a social eater. He loves to be held and loves to be comforted. I have read that until the baby is four months old, there is no reason to just let them cry and cry. Pick the baby up and show him love! Some like to tell me I'm spoiling him and I simply laugh it off. Babies can't be spoiled, they can only be loved.

I have yet to understand why Braedon does the things he does, but he seems to enjoy it. He has learned if he puts plastic bowls on his head or looks through plastic lids he can change the way he sees things. With this bowl he put it on his head and walked around the house. Surprisingly he doesn't hurt himself when he does this.

A day in the life...

Today Braedon helped his Grandpa get the humidifier up and running in the house. He loves to help with the tools. We had a humidifer installed to help with Reilly's lungs...and mine.

The fierce ninja!

Braedon did really great this Halloween. We went to Kim's office to do some "trick or treating". Once Braedon discovered he could get suckers everything else went out the window. He spent the rest of the day trying to get as many suckers as possible. By the end of the day he was covered in sugar and loving every minute. He continues to be such a big help with Reilly. The only problem is when Dean gets home from work...there is some jealousy issues we are tring to work through. Braedon had his first speech therapy appointment on the 31st and did a great job. He is such a smart and wonderful little boy.

Handsome Reilly!

Reilly is now four weeks old and doing so well. His lungs have healed so nicely and he is really able to use them well, especially when he is getting a bath or wanting to eat. He sleeps great! He gets up just once, around 2:00am, and then goes right back to sleep. I hope this continues, as does Dean.


I just really like this picture. Braedon had just awoke from his nap and saw Dean was holding the baby and felt he needed to get in on the action.