I just get so mad

This morning there was yet another story about autism on the Today Show.  This is not what makes me mad.  I think it is great. Today's show was about the Board of Pediatrics requiring autism screenings at 18 mo and 24 mo.  This is awesome.  

What angers me is that Drew had ALL of the symptoms listed, and I even questioned some of them and it was always brushed off.  Kids all develop at their own pace.  Boys are often slower than girls.  Let's just give it a couple months.  etc.  

If only he would have born 2 years later then this would have been caught sooner.  Of course as my mom reminded me, that if he would have been born 2 years earlier, then this may have been caught much later and he may not have gotten help.  I am thankful that Drew's autism was still caught at 2 1/2 and he is already in therapy and is already making improvements.   

I am not mad that Drew has autism.  I love him just the same, maybe even more.  His autism is mild and he is a really loving boy.  I just get angry that doctors aren't as educated on autism.  I also get mad at those people that say "I'm so sorry to hear that he has autism"  WHY-I wouldn't trade him in for anything.

I really can't complain.  Drew has only been in therapy for 1 month and he has made INCREDIBLE improvements.  When he was evaluated a couple months ago he wasn't putting any words together and now he randomly talks in sentences.  And today he even asked for "more" without being prompted......it's the little things that make me so happy. 

Lemons

 

Life has really been giving me lemons lately.

Most recently, this weekend, I realized my camera is missing. The more I think about it, I know right where it is.....or isn't.

Last weekend, my car was broken into. The window smashed out, right in my own driveway. The guy stole my Tom Tom GPS, my purse, and now I realize, my camera. I know, you are supposed to bring your Tom Tom with you and not leave it in the car, but I would just turn it off and put it face down when I was home. When I went places I would hide it in the console compartment. My purse...well I know, stupid for leaving it in the car. I had my hands full when I went in the house and it didn't have anything too valuable so I didn't think much of it. It was kinda under the seat so I figured I would just get it later. Funny thing is I had pulled out my wallet that has all my credit cards in it a couple of days before, so I could fit in a diaper and wipes case. Hehe. So the guy got from my purse, which was BRAND NEW by the way, UGH, a diaper and some wipes, my lipsticks, my drivers license, my checkbook, and a little cash. This weekend I realized my camera was missing, and the last time I remember having it was last Saturday afternoon, in the car. I remember looking at the pictures that I had taken that day at the tractor hayride with my mommy's group. Such CUTE pictures of Drew painting a pumpkin, riding on the hayride, and a GREAT family picture of us on the paddle boat. Why is it the priceless things that are missing that hurt the most!

The Tuesday before this happened, I saw a guy walking around in my backyard. Didn't think too much of it.  A little bit later I saw a police officer walking around in the backyard. So I went outside to see what was going on. He said that a little earlier a guy had broken in two houses down. From my backyard I could see the police officers dusting for fingerprints in my neighbor's bathroom window. FREAKING OUT HERE. I had seen the guy. He broke in to that house and the house behind me that morning, and everyone that saw him had the same description as me. The police officer made a comment about how I should call if I see people in my yard..... Yah, If I called them everytime someone was in my yard, they wouldn't have come, they would have thought I was just being crazy again.

As if I wasn't freaked out enough, the next Sunday when my car was broken into, this same guy was spotted at about the same time this happened. One of my neighbors saw him behind his house, so we are pretty certain that it was the same guy. I have always felt slightly uncomfortable in my neighborhood, but now after 4 years of living here, I am freaked out.

As if this wasn't enough..... A couple months ago, my neighbors car hit my house. That's right, it hit my house, right into Drew's room. Their car slipped out of park and rolled right back out of their driveway and into my little boy's room. I can't tell you how many hours Drew spent in front of that window, whether he was playing right there or looking out waving to the neighbors. That day, when we got home, Drew was asleep and instead of laying him in his bed, I laid him on the couch. This was the first time I ever did this. Not long after, we hear CRASH, glass breaking, house shaking. SERIOUSLY, who prepares for this sort of thing! So I spent over 2 months with a hole in my house while it was fixed, which took WAY to long. It is just now finally fixed and we are trying to get our lives back in order.

And by the way, we moved Drew to another room.....can't chance that again. Now just to move me to a new house.

Yes, Honey, that is an Egg

It's never a good thing to wake up hearing Drew say "egg." It always means he has one in his hand. Here we go again...

"Yes, Honey that is an egg"

"Eggs"

OH MY! All the eggs are on the floor beside him, including one smashed into the carpet. What a way to start the day.

 

An Alligator!!

Drew has started watching Signing Time DVD's and is learning SO much!  I had tried to teach him the basic signs awhile back, ones like: more, eat, drink, ball.  I had such a  hard time getting him to look at me that I gave up.  His therapist told me to do it with him hand over hand and my neighbor suggested the Signing Time DVD's (which she let me borrow-YEA!).  

He is spontaneously signing a few words, of course nothing functional.  Helicopter for one....  Bat for another.... What is so cute is that he knows the sign for signing and if he doesn't know the sign he just does that sign. 

Today Drew caught a glimpse of his shadow and started doing the sign for alligator and watching his shadow and was screaming ALLIGATOR, ALLIGATOR!  Silly boy.