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Okay folks, this is just a quick little diddy. I've had some emails around the Autism Walk this year. I have been working with the Pingree Center and haven't had much time to get involved with this.

It is May 2nd at Utah Valley University. We are going down there and would love anyone else that would like to come and walk and make a nice day of it. If you want to know more about Autism, this is a GREAT way to start. You can go to www.walknowforautism.org/utah for more info. It is a lot of fun to go to one of these events.

I really hope that we can start to get more involved with this going forward. Right now I am working with little Reilly. We are taking him to an ENT to have his ears tested. If all is okay there, we're going to have him tested for autism, so I am pretty busy with Braedon and Reilly. We'll wait and see if both boys are autistic or if Reilly is just developing really slowly.

Please come on the 2nd if you are in town. ;-)

Lesson #2

I woke up Thursday sick and throwing up. I, too, had the terrible bug that plagued my young sons the past few days. I decided I would talk myself out of it. My sister and her son were coming over to see us and I didn't want to be sick.

My nephew, Ethan, is a few months older then Braedon and loves his cousin. When we first arrived at my parents, Ethan was there. Braedon, upon seeing his Nanny, ran to her and gave her a kiss. When he saw Ethan, he smiled, waved, and said Hi. Ethan got all excited and looked at his Nanny and said, "He can talk!" Braedon never speaks around Ethan. They just play in silence, so this was a very big deal to Ethan. Later, when his mom arrived he ran up to her and said, "Mommy, Braedon can talk." He than grabbed Braedon and told him to say hi to his Mommy. It was really exciting to Ethan that Braedon could say Hi.

Anyhoo, Ethan and his mom were on their way down when we told them I was sick and to turn around. Ethan cried and cried because he had to go home.

I started to feel a little better by the afternoon and helped my mom around the house. The boys were still having diarreha diapers and not eating much. We put our best foot forward and decided that on Friday we would drive the 620 miles back to Utah.

Things seemed okay that evening and I thought we'd turned the corner. Around 2:16am I awoke to Braedon coughing and throwing up on my chest. Fun! I was so tired by this point that I just took my shirt off and threw it on the floor and fell asleep. About an hour later he threw up again on his sheet. This time I threw a towel over it and we both fell asleep. Please don't judge me, you weren't there! You don't understand! He threw up a third time and we ended up in a corner of the bed trying to sleep a few more hours.

Around 7:00am we got up and started to pack the truck for the trip. I was determined to go home. At 8:15am the drive began. The truck was loaded, no one had thrown up for hours, snacks were packed, and my mom and I were off.

Things were going smoothly until just outside Boise. We stopped to change diapers and get some walking done. After changing the boys they both decided a nice big diarreha diaper was in order. Back to the changing table I went. Let me say that this point that Reilly has a strange and very real fear of public bathrooms. He screams and cries in them. I don't know why. We finally got everyone clean and headed down the road.

Not 20 minutes later we heard the sound of Reilly throwing up on himself. A nice curdled milk smell and chunky throw up was all over the back. I stopped along the interstate and got out to change him while my mom tried to clean things in the truck. We were off again, with that now familiar smell of vomit. Only 6 more hours of driving.

The one bright spot was our stop at Baja Fresh in Boise. We found a lovely section of grass under a tree and my mom layed down with Reilly. After a few minutes it was time to head out, but not before Braedon had a nice big diarreha diaper to be changed.

What seemed like forever was only 12 hours of driving. At 8:30pm we pulled into my driveway in Salt Lake. I had never been so happy to be home. Braedon ran inside and looked at his things like he'd been gone forever.

We unpacked and went to sleep. Reilly did throw up all over his crib, but I didn't get up. Dean did. Lesson #2 Thank goodness for Daddy.

Lesson #1

I wanted to write a little about my trip to visit my parents in Kennewick, Washington. To start I feel I need to give a little background into what it is like to take a "vacation" with me. I try... I really do. I am organized. I plan things out. I try to be patient and enjoy each moment. However, NOTHING ever goes like it does in my head. It's a curse that my entire family shares, from my parents down to my sisters and my brother. It only gets worse when we all travel together. It's like watching a Vacation movie with the Griswolds.

Dean and I packed the boys up early Saturday morning and headed north. The drive went very smooth and only required a few stops. Of course, about 45 miles from my parents everyone looses control and cries. I promised the boys we wouldn't get back in the truck for at least a day.

Saturday was a lot of fun. My sister, Rebecca and her son Aiden were in town from Portland along with my nephew, Ethan. Aiden's dad, Karl and Ethan's mom and dad (my sister Mindy and her husband Terry) would all come over later in the evening. We played and sat around and had some good laughs while watching the boys.

Then came Sunday...Easter Sunday. My mom was playing the piano in a special number for Church, so we were all trying to get ready and out the door. We ran out to the truck, jumped in, started it up, looked behind and pulled out to Church. That's when I heard a loud "CRUNCH". Yep, I had run OVER the neighbors car. In my defense, the idiot had parked it in the dumbest spot possible and it ended up in my blindspot. That doesn't work as a "good"reason for running over a car, so I kept quiet. We explained what happened and left for Church, only 10 minutes late. The rest of Sunday went just fine.

My sister that lives in Portland is moving. She also had some weird neck "issue" that caused an extreme headache. I thought I'd be nice and offer to drive over to Portland (3 1/2 hours) and help her clean up her old house and get things moved. It seemed like a nice gesture. I've been taught to offer service when possible. You'd think it would be fine.

My mom, two boys, and I left for Portland on Monday morning. (by the way, Dean had to fly back to Salt Lake Sunday because he had to go to work on Monday. So, he is at home...ALONE!) The drive to Portland is a beautiful drive. You drive along the Columbia River and in the Columbia Gorge. Very green and beautiful. We got to Portland and thought it would work if my mom stayed with the boys and I went with my sister to clean. After cleaning for awhile, we headed back to save my mom.

We got ready for bed and that is when the fun really got started. A few minutes after lying down for the night, I heard a strange sound. It was the sound of Reilly throwing up all over himself and his cousin's crib. AWESOME!! We cleaned up the crib, threw the baby in the tub, and hoped for a better night. It was not to be. Reilly threw up 4 more times throughout the night. The next day was a combination of nightmare and hell. Reilly was sick and we were still cleaning and watching children. After what seemed like a week, we left Portland in the afternoon of Tuesday. Oh wait, I remembered something else I did. I lost the only set of keys we had to the vehicle that would transport us home. We looked everywhere. It was a terrible feeling knowing I had trapped us in Oregon. Finally, after a very sincere prayer by my mom they were found.

Incase my sister is reading this post (which I doubt), I am glad we went over to help her.

Just as we got out of Portland and headed home, Reilly threw up on himself. We pulled over and I jumped out and changed him in a nice meadow. It was cold and he was not happy. The car now had a lovely aroma of vomit. With 3 hours of driving ahead, I was so excited. Luckily, there was no more throwing up during the trip. There was crying and some really terrible weather. Finally we got home!!! Easy sailing ahead... Or so I thought in my now crazy head.

My dad started a bath to put the kids in before putting them to bed. It was a tad bit hot, so my dad held a naked Reilly while I adjusted the temperature. Just as I turned and said it was okay, a strange yellow brownish stream of diarreha started to squirt out. My dad swung Reilly around, spraying the bathroom counter and I did something strange. I cupped my hands togther and started to catch the poop. WHY WOULD I DO THIS?!?!!? Then the smell hit me and I did everything I could not to throw up on my dad. My mom tossed me a towel and I dropped everything on the floor and went to clean-up. The boys had baths and went to sleep. My parents and I cleaned up and tried to forget we had just sprayed the bathroom in poop.

Things were fine until early Wednesday morning when Braedon turned in bed and threw up on himself and on me. Oh good, I get to do it again. Let's just say today has been spent cleaning up throw up from my parents carpet, bed, and kitchen as well as diarreha from a bed, carpet, and children. We did laundry non-stop today. I still have a sick Braedon but am hopeful things will be okay tomorrow. Will I get sick? Will my mom get sick? Lesson #1: Moms don't get sick.

Autism spectrum disorders can usually be reliably diagnosed by age 3, although new research is pushing back the age of diagnosis to as early as 6 months. Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child or their child's failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones. Some parents describe a child that seemed different from birth, while others describe a child who was developing normally and then lost skills. Pediatricians may initially dismiss signs of autism, thinking a child will “catch up,” and may advise parents to “wait and see.” New research shows that when parents suspect something is wrong with their child, they are usually correct. If you have concerns about your child's development, don't wait: speak to your pediatrician about getting your child screened for autism. If your child is diagnosed with autism, early intervention is critical to gain maximum benefit from existing therapies. Although parents may have concerns about labeling a toddler as “autistic,” the earlier the diagnosis is made, the earlier interventions can begin. 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 with autism spectrum disorders. As soon as autism is diagnosed, early intervention instruction should begin. Effective programs focus on developing communication, social, and cognitive skills.

There you have my information for the day. Early intervention is so key. Anyone that I speak with that suspects their child might be autistic hears that from me. We've tried to work really hard to give Braedon as much early help as possible. We have seen a lot of progress from him, but it is a slow road ahead.

Facts about autism

* 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism
* 1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum
* 67 children are diagnosed per day
* A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
* More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
* Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
* Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per year, a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade
* Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
* Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
* There is no medical detection or cure for autism

When I first learned Braedon was autistic it was very difficult. I spent many a time crying and struggling to understand what I could do to help him succeed. I have since been able to come to "terms" with this and to be okay with it. I see it more as an opportunity now, versus a handicap.

My main struggle these days is how slow development is. I sometimes look around at friends with children the same age as Braedon (almost 3 1/2) and get frustrated. It's like living life in very slow motion. When you think of a child who is almost 4, you might think of talking, going to the movies, visiting the zoo, maybe even a trip to disneyland. When you think of a child who is almost 4 with autism, you think about going to the grocery store without an outburst, thinking that a trip to the zoo would be fun but you can't stay long because it will be too overwhelming, and when you think of a trip to disneyland you laugh because it just wouldn't work right now. I think that is my biggest struggle right now. I am certain that at a distant time, Braedon will enjoy all of those things. It's just the waiting part I seem to be impatient with.

I am going to try and share some information and thoughts around autism this month. It is Autism Awareness month. We'll see how it goes...