Recapping - and Happy New Year!

So the day after my last post Zach came down with a nasty stomach bug! YUK!!!! Fortunately it was true to the theory in that it only lasted about 24 hours. And thankfully this go-round it all occurred during the daylight hours! That's the worse having to clean sheet and hair and all that when it happens at night! Anyhoo - Matt and I both managed to escape it this time, and everything was fine for Christmas Day! We did miss his Special Ed class party and his playgroup party this year, but what can you do. I was just thankful that Christmas wasn't ruined!

So Christmas.... it was the best yet for us! Zach kinda "got it" and was excited about presents. On Christmas morning he was hesitant to come downstairs. I think it was because he truly thought (and was maybe scared) that Santa was downstairs. Autistic children take things VERY literally. So the night before at a Christmas Eve party he'd heard 100 times about "Santa coming tonight" and "what is Santa bringing to your house" etc. I think he was scared to see Santa downstairs, in his house. Kinda funny.... anyway, the gifts were all huge successes! He got a full scale drum kit, an accordion, a music triangle, bath tub drums and flutes, and then a 3 piece horn set from the grandparents. We really fed into his love for music this year, and it was a smart thing to do because he was so happy! So happy in fact that he didn't care about continuing to open gifts - he just wanted to play with each new musical toy he got!!! Love it!


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Two days after Christmas we took a little mini-vacation to Nashville. It was fine and Zach did great in a hotel room with us. He really is pretty go-with-the-flow, of which we know that we are blessed. Many Autistic kids can't deviate from routine very well. Zach's always been pretty flexible.

Now that we've been back a few days we've had some major regression with Zach's potty efforts. He's having multiple accidents each day - and he's been well past that for months now. I really think it's because he's had no therapy or school at all for 11 days. He was even asking for school last night. I know that he's confused. And now I know that he's in need of the structure/discipline that therapy and school give to him. It happened over Thanksgiving week too. And now we have another week to go.... but at least he does have therapy this week. That will help. I'm going to bring out more games and flash cards and such - hopefully that will get him through the doldrums of days at the house. It's crazy how trained he apparently is to go-go-go, as we do each day of the normal weeks. Now that it's lazy days around here, he's regressing. He's happy, don't get me wrong, just regressing in the potty area. Strange.

Otherwise all is well. We are looking forward to a new year! I know in my heart 2007 will only continue to bring good things and forward movement for our family. With a new baby in June and another year of therapy and school for Zach, I see myself with a big smile on 12/31 of 2007 updating this blog with all the great things that happened in 2007. So I guess you could say that striving for positive forward progress and having a can-do attitude are my New Year's Resolutions! Happy New Year everyone!

An Exciting Few Days

Christmas is in the air!!! I can't believe it's only 5 days away! One of Zach's new phrases is "I can't believe it" - well me neither buddy! Today was his Christmas Party in his "typical" classroom. They had a performance that I got wind of, so with camcorder in tow I saw the cutest little show ever! The parents were in the auditorium and the kids (3 classes at a time) came in and went up on the stage and got onto the bleachers. They sang 4 Christmas songs. Zach was saying "hi mommy" very, very loudly, but once the singing started he did GREAT!!! I was so proud, and relieved that he stayed put and did what he was supposed to! And he did well! Music is definitely his "thing" by far! Their little hand movements and ringing bells and such were just too cute! I ate up every second, can you tell? :-)

And a few days ago we told everyone that I AM PREGNANT!!! Yep, due June 23rd. We'll find out the gender around the 1st week of February, and we are really, really thinking PINK!!!! A girl would be a huge mental relief from the whole Autism worry (boys are 4 times more likely than girls), but truly deep down I really would love a second boy. So either way will be great - healthy is really all that matters. A healthy, neurotypical child would be such a breath of fresh air around here. And Zach is going to be a good big brother too!!! When we ask him if he wants a baby brother or sister, he tells us no to both, "just Zachy"!!!! Sometimes he says one or the other, and the other night he said "baby brother." Then when Matt asked him what baby brothers name will be, he said "Baby Jesus"!!!!! Oh my!!!

Wonderful

To all you Democrats out there... President Bush aint all that bad :-)

This is GREAT news!!!! A final step and now finally Autism is recognized and will be getting money for research!

Autism Speaks and Cure Autism Now Applaud Signing of Combating Autism Act
Landmark Legislation Authorizes Nearly $1 Billion in Autism Funding.
Leadership of Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks today applauded President Bush's signing of the landmark Combating Autism Act of 2006 (S. 843). The bill authorizes nearly $1 billion over the next five years to combat autism through research, screening, early detection and early intervention.

Hip - Hip - Hooray!!!

***UPDATE***
On December 7th, it was passed by the Senate as well!!! Now that it has been passed by the House and Senate, the bill will be sent to the President to sign into law. I'm not sure when that takes place, but I will definitely keep you posted. Good stuff!

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I've been told that I've sounded a bit down lately on this blog, so I'm turning the tides with this great press release today!!!! It's so awesome to be moving forward...

Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks Applaud Approval of the Combating Autism Act by United States House of Representatives.
Landmark Legislation Authorizing Nearly $1 Billion in Autism Funding Now Moves Back to the Senate for Prompt Action


(NEW YORK, NY – December 6, 2006) –Leadership of Autism Speaks and Cure Autism Now, nonprofit organizations dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and raising money to fund autism research, today applauded the passage in the United States House of Representatives of the Combating Autism Act (S. 843). The bill authorizes nearly 1 billion dollars over the next five years to combat autism through research, screening, early detection and early intervention. The new legislation will increase federal spending on autism by at least 50 percent. It includes provisions relating to the diagnosis and treatment of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and expands and intensifies biomedical research on autism, including an essential focus on possible environmental causes. Autism is now diagnosed in 1 in 166 children according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“This bill is a federal declaration of war on the epidemic of autism,” said Jon Shestack, co-founder of Cure Autism Now. “It creates a congressionally mandated roadmap for a federal assault on autism, including requirements for strategic planning, budget transparency, Congressional oversight, and a substantial role for parents of children with autism in the federal decision-making process.”

“By passing this landmark single-disease legislation, the House has recognized the daily plight of the thousands of families struggling every day with autism, and has once and for all acknowledged autism as a national healthcare crisis,” said Bob Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks and chairman and CEO of NBC Universal. “We now must get the bill to the President's desk as soon as possible.”

The Senate bill was sponsored by Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT). The House version was brought to the House floor by Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. A companion bill was originally introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswomen Mary Bono (R-CA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO). The bill has the support of all major autism advocacy groups.

The bill was originally passed in the Senate in August 2006. The House version differs slightly from the Senate version, directing funds for research to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, rather than directly to the National Institutes of Health. Senate passage of the revised bill is expected swiftly.

ABOUT AUTISM
Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges. Autism Spectrum Disorders are diagnosed in one in 166 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.

ABOUT AUTISM SPEAKS AND CURE AUTISM NOW Autism Speaks and Cure Autism Now are dedicated to increasing awareness of the growing autism epidemic and to raising money to fund scientists who are searching for a cure. Cure Autism Now was founded in 1995 by Jonathan Shestack and Portia Iversen, parents of a child with autism. Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Bob Wright is Vice Chairman and Executive Officer, General Electric, and Chairman and CEO, NBC Universal. Autism Speaks and Cure Autism Now (CAN) recently announced plans to combine operations, bringing together the two leading organizations dedicated to accelerating and funding biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments and cure for Autism Spectrum Disorders; to increasing awareness of the nation's fastest-growing developmental disorder; and to advocating for the needs of affected families. Together the organizations have awarded autism research grants valued at more than 50 million dollars. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/. To learn more about Cure Autism Now, please visit http://www.cureautismnow.org/.

A Beautiful Song

I have always found that there is an appropriate song for every occasion, circumstance, occurrence, and emotion thus far in my life that just kind of gets me - right- there. And now, low and behold.... I found this song back in October of 2005, and had written the lyrics down in my journal. I just came across it again and wanted to share it. It's quite amazing!

It was a mid December evening,
In a room of heavy breathing,
When I looked into my little baby's eyes.
And like the ships that sail the ocean,
He had captured my emotions,
Wrapped them up just like a gift
At Christmastime.
I thanked the Lord above that he was mine,
Prayed to God that everything was fine.

After months we saw him changing.
Nathaniel's speech was rearranging.
So we took him back to see what they could find.
And after ironing out the creases,
They came up with missing pieces,
And they told us that Autism's on the rise.
I looked into my little baby's eyes,
And promised him to find the reasons why. *Tears pooling up here...*

Now I lay him down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my son could speak. *And it got me here - full-on sobs*
And make him strong where he is weak,
This I ask of You...
And just like him there's many more
That need our help to win this war.
Cause who knows what might lay in store,
To help them make it through.

The doctor says there's so much more to do,
To put the pieces back together.
But it's up to me and you.

So now we lay them down to sleep,
And pray the Lord they all could speak.
Make them strong where they are weak,
This we ask of You...
Cause now we know there's so many more,
That need our help to win this war.
And who knows what might lay in store,
To help them make it through.
Yes, who knows what might lay in store,
The missing piece is me and you...

This is a song by Mark Leland - gotta give him props. Just amazing!

And I also wanted to add another emotional tid-bit.... There is a website that posts postcards that people send in. The premise is that you are to write down your "secret", whatever that may be, and then mail it to this guy who posts some of them on his site. He also has a few books published of nothing but these people's postcards. I'll be honest, I mailed one in over a year ago about our secret - which was Zachary's Autism and our fear of sharing it with everyone that we knew for fear that they would judge our son differently. It didn't get posted, yet anyway. But this Sunday (when he updates the site each week with new postcards) the very first one on the page was the first one I've ever seen about Autism. And it got me. It has a picture of what I assume is an Autistic boy. And the writing on it says: "The Autistic boy that I work with is teaching me more than I'm teaching him." Yep, that one got me too! The fact is that while it has been a very tough road emotionally with Zachary and the nasty "A" word, it has also been rewarding. We get to experience every single little step with our son. Nothing goes unnoticed. I've learned more life lessons than I could ever get into words, but one of the main ones, is that we really have to slow down in life. Zachary has taught us how special he is, if we just give him a chance to show us. We can't rush things with him, and that's really a blessing. We get to see everything - every new word, every new awareness, every new like and dislike, etc with him. These aren't things that we just realize one day, like with parents of Neurotypical children, they are things that are so big for him that we see them the second they happen. And for that reason, he has taught us to slow down and notice. To stop and smell the roses, if you will. What a blessing! Anyway, I was proud that an Autism postcard was published by this site, and if you want to check it out yourself just go to www.postsecret.blogspot.com. But warning, there are many crude postcards on there too....

Okay, enough emotion for one day :-)