Dear Brycen: The Joys & Challenges--
I feel so bad for neglecting you over the last few months, but life has just taken over. I promise that I think about you frequently and it crosses my mind each week that I should be blogging about something Brycen has either achieved or been battling, but I feel so much better about things that it isn't at the top of my list anymore to use the blog as therapy for myself...which was the main reason I started you in the first place back in June 2009.
Three and a half years have gone by. We've had our ups and downs, lots of tears and laughs. You helped me through probably the roughest patch I have experienced in my life and for that I am eternally grateful. You were there when I needed you, whether it was daily, weekly, or even multiple times a day! You provided an outlet for me to "talk" things out about what our family was experiencing and you gave me the chance to keep family & friends across the country updated on Brycen and his joys and challenges.
I need your help to determine what direction we need to go with our relationship. When I first started blogging with you those years ago, it was devastating. I wasn't sure things would ever get easier. Thankfully they have! It's true that time really does heal wounds. The dream I once had for my son from the moment he was put in my arms right out of my tummy...it did not vanish. It just took a roller coaster ride...up, down, to the left, right, faster, slower. Yes, life is different than what I imagined when we first found out we were pregnant with Brycen, and even when we found out we were pregnant with Aubree. But that doesn't mean life isn't just as precious and special! If anything, it's more meaningful. I have learned more over these years than I imagine I could have with two typical-developing children.
So, I need to decide where we go from here. We're most definitely not breaking up, but we have reached a milestone in our relationship. A good one of course! So let's see where this takes us and the path that will lie before us.
With much thanks and looking forward to the future,
Melissa
P.S. Our little boy is amazing and accomplishing things we never even dared to dream about 3 years ago!
Autism and Our Family
"Autism"----It's one word that can change the life of a child and family in so many ways. Autism Spectrum Disorders are being diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 68 children currently. If you do not already know someone that has been diagnosed, the statistics say it won't be long before you do.
Our son developed typically until around the time he turned 2 years old. We heard words...we saw him play with other kids...we watched as he played with his toys appropriately...we made eye contact with him...overall we understood his wants and needs. In a matter of a few months, that was all taken away from him. He began lining up toys, lost all of his words and signs except for one word "ball", ignored other kids, could not sleep through the night, lost eye contact and the ability to follow directions, and he had no way of letting us know what he wanted or how he felt. It was heartbreaking to see something happening to our child that we couldn't stop!
Brycen began receiving home therapy 1-2 times per month for about 6 months before we realized it wasn't just developmental delays. We knew it was Autism...we just didn't want to say it outloud to anyone. He was officially diagnosed with Autism (classic form and regressive), as well as Mental Retardation in August 2009 by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
We continue to learn as we make our way through this journey with Brycen and we will continue to share this journey with you on this blog! The blog has been a great therapy for us to be able to vent our frustrations and struggles with accepting that we have a child with special needs, while sharing how blessed we are to have a child teach us what life truly means. It has also been a great way to inform others of his progress and changes over the last couple of years.
Thank you for your support of Brycen and our family! We hope you are able to learn something through this blog no matter if you are a parent of a child with special needs or a neurotypical child, a teacher or therapist, a family member, or just someone that is interested in the journey that a family goes on as they learn their child is battling a life-long disorder.
