It's 2019

I haven't updated this in quite awhile. Honestly, 2018 was a really bad year for the most part. We had CPS called on us. On the other hand, we became unexpectedly pregnant, and welcomed the 3rd, and last, new family member in November. Opal is now 11 weeks old.

Happy March 2018!

It's been awhile since I updated. The kids are doing pretty fantastic most of the time. They are thriving in dance class with Miss Mistie. They love being outside.

The biggest update we have at the moment is this:
Galen and Flint's Autism Adventures book is officially published!

Short update

I haven't had a whole lot to post lately. Day to day, week to week, month to month things stay pretty consistent and you can follow along on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/galensautismadventure/ if you'd like the more consistent updates.
This actual update brought to you by Flint's diagnosis of Autism and disruptive disorder, with possible ADHD when older, coming yesterday, September 28, 2017.
So, now, we have 2 kids on completely different parts of the spectrum. Not shocked. Just so excited someone else saw it! Now we're starting the fun process of getting her into therapy as well.

2 Year Anniversary!

2 years ago, Galen was diagnosed with Autism and developmental delays. This scares so many people, but we already knew and were just waiting on a diagnosis for almost a year.
It's been almost 6 months since I last updated. I've been keeping his Facebook page more up to date (for anyone interested https://www.facebook.com/galensautismadventure/).
Tinkergarten ended and we didn't join it again this semester (too expensive!). We put Galen and Flint in swimming right before Thanksgiving. We quit swimming in March. The kids had both learned to safely wait for us to get in and how to get out on their own. This is very important, even if Galen usually hates water. But they stalled and weren't learning anything else for a few weeks, and swimming lessons aren't cheap, so we quit. I put Galen in gymnastics the last week of March. He loved the first class, but hated the next 2, so we quit that. Once we left and I told him he didn't have to do it anymore, he was so happy and talkative. He may be non-verbal, but he can definitely tell us what he likes and dislikes most of the time now.
We now have 5 1/2 week old kitties that are teaching the kids all about birthing and growing up (and death, since 2 didn't survive). The stray cat gave birth. She's such a mean cat that she won't be staying here, but the kitties are freaking adorable! We got their half-brother (~7 months old) neutered this week and he went blind. Apparently this is a common enough side effect, but incredibly rare at the same time. So, now we're going to learn how to take care of a kitty that can't see.
We've been having lots of sleeping issues lately. I took Galen off melatonin because he was no longer sleeping soundly (nightmares, moving constantly) and would wake up, unable to sleep again on it. Since then, sleep hasn't been on a schedule at all really. Some nights he's up til 4am-7am and then sleeping most of the day. But, he sleeps soundly and doesn't wake up once he does fall asleep!
We switched Galen's therapy to Open Door Pediatric Therapy. We pay out of pocket ($288/month) to see them. Galen has 30mins/once a week Occupational Therapy. Previously he was having 1 1/2hours/twice a week of Physical Therapy, Occupational and Speech Therapy focused on feeding for free (Medicaid covered it). We officially started there on January 31st.
We started a routine with the new them. We start with squeezing his arms and legs in the morning for deep pressure. Massaging his cheeks for mouth moving food issues. A squeezing of the middle of the hands (some reflex designed to help food issues). Squeezing his fingers around one of mine for the grasp reflex and rubbing down fingers. Laying on his back, moving his hips back and forth by holding his legs. A couple hours later, we do brushing up and down his legs, arms, stomach, and back, followed by jumping on the couch a few times. He takes brushing better if not right after squeezing. We're adding "grounding" as of last week, pushing down his shoulders, rubbing down his sides, then pushing down his hips, and rubbing down his legs.
These are all getting results, especially the grasping reflex, but we only started them about 7 weeks ago, so he still resists often.
We are still in dance with Miss Mistie and Miss Ariel (Galen's new aide this semester). He is loving it so much! Always trying so hard now. Doing so many new things. Flint comes home and shows the moves off, but doesn't want to participate yet.

In this video, from yesterday, you can see Galen trying to do the bend at the knees ballet move all on his own.

We are attending so many homeschooling events. The kids learned about pollution and how to clean it up and how it affects fish (in a story where the fish died) for our Earth Day co-op. We also painted Earth in a ziplock and made slime. Today we did art from a 1 point perspective. Galen wasn't into it, but Flint chose colors and helped me draw with the ruler before running off to play.
Galen is eating nuggets almost daily now! Such a huge improvement!
I'm going to end here because pizza is ready.

Since my last post, not a whole lot has changed

Galen did cut his leg and had to have stitches last week. It went amazingly well. And he's mostly healed now but that did cut last week's dance and tinkergarten out. So I'm really excited about being able to go this week with him.
Today we had a WIC appointment and the lady that was seeing us said she wouldn't have thought Galen was Autistic if we hadn't told her he was.
He's doing amazingly well and is such a happy child.

Special Needs Mommy

I'm a Special Needs Mommy. What does this mean to most people? Nothing. No one can truly understand what being a special needs Mommy is, unless they are a Special Needs Mommy (or Daddy) themselves.
We were told by so many specialists to do this and that to help Galen. We've done everything they've ever asked us to do, even when it went against my gut feelings.
So, what I'm going to say, may surprise most of you.
Don't follow what you're told to do, unless it feels right to you.
We followed everything we were told to do. What did this do to Galen? He still doesn't talk, but he does know how to communicate semi-efficiently now. You might think this is due to his therapists. But you'd be wrong. He's been in therapy since June 2015. He's learned to communicate through me and daddy working hard to get him where he is now. It's even harder when Daddy is also a "special needs" person. I can see things that he can't see and vice versa.
Galen has grown so much in the past couple of months. Ever since I decided to fully homeschool him over the summer. He still attended the Preschool Program we'd been recommended by countless therapists for 4 days and it went so badly, that I knew I was right all along, and utterly refused to take him back.
That was August 2016. He'd only attended for a grand total of 5 1/2 weeks. And in that time, he developed horrible habits, like pulling hair, hitting, kicking, etc, when he's upset, rather than trying to communicate with us. The teachers let him get away and didn't think it was necessary to contact his parents anytime he got sick or injured. This is insanity. It would be terrible with "normal" children. Just imagine if you have a child who can't talk and doesn't respond to his or her name getting away or vomiting and not being able to tell you. Both of these things happened with that program. My gut had always said not to take him and I ignored it.
Lesson learned.
Galen now looks me in the eyes a lot of the time, and while he's still doing the inappropriate behaviors, he's listening to me better about not doing it. He loves learning and is being involved in absolutely everything these days. We never used to take him out and about because it scared him and he hated it (and would have meltdowns and we couldn't understand what was going wrong). Now we take him everywhere with us and he's so happy. I keep telling him that I didn't take him places because he hated it so much, and was so afraid, and now that he isn't, he goes everywhere with us. He smiles so widely.
Galen is one of the happiest children I have ever met, most of the time, that is. But he was very solemn and depressed when I was making him do things that I thought were wrong (and clearly he agreed but couldn't tell me). We still make him go to therapy, even though he puts up a fight, and it is helping. It's just not helping with his speech.

I love hearing the success stories of special needs children, but I know it's not likely to occur with Galen. I will never give up hope though. Even if he never speaks "normally", as long as he's healthy and happy, that's all that matters.
But, it's incredibly difficult. Incredibly frustrating. Incredibly depressing some days. And there's not many people out there that really understand.
So, when you find a support group, grab ahold of it, and stay with them. We recently started attending actual homeschooling events, instead of just kinda being "part of the group" but in the shadows. Now, Galen's in a group called Tinkergarten and is 4 weeks into it, and actually starting to participate! And he's 2 weeks into a dance class with a teacher willing to work with him, and is not melting down the whole class! This is a huge improvement. All thanks to Mommy and Daddy doing what's right. And Flint's always along for the ride, giving Galen snuggles and kisses and trying to get him to participate more.

#Tinkergarten

Dance Class

The most important advice I can ever relay to you: You know your child best. Don't let other people (even specialists) bully you into something you don't feel is right for your child. Remember not to take everything for granted.

Kinda short, kinda long

I have so much to update, but I don't really have the words for all I need to say. So, I'm going to write something shortish to give an overview.
Galen returned to the Preschool Program and less than a week later, we were full-time homeschoolers. I always wanted to do homeschooling and that's what we're doing. It's taken a lot of time and effort to get accustomed to having both kids when I go out. Mazzu's in college again, so the kids both go everywhere with me. The first couple of weeks, we didn't actually go out that much, but I've been getting better at it.
I signed the kids up for a Tinkergarten trial class and I've never been happier! I joined the class and the kids are doing so awesomely. Flint's interested in joining in on the stuff and Galen's interested, but watching from afar, as of last week.
I finally found a teacher willing to teach Galen dance! I signed Flint up as well. They start on Weds. I'm totally excited to see what happens!
Galen's ABA therapy is starting this week. Technically it was supposed to start Friday, but he threw up, so it got pushed to this Friday as the start instead. Not sure how that will go, but his therapist seems nice, and she said nothing about the current state of toys everywhere, which was a huge worry of mine.
I do have an issue that I'd love opinions on. Galen's therapists have been working with him since June 2015. He's finally pretty ok with being with them most of the time. But, I have a huge feeling that they actually think Galen's dumb.Now, I think switching therapist's would be a bad idea due to how long transitions are with Galen. But I also think that since they're against my homeschooling him, and now they've said something again that makes me think they think he isn't intelligent. I know so much better!
He told me last week he didn't want a hair cut. I told him we had to brush his hair or cut it. Did he want short hair like Mommy or long hair like Daddy? He put the brush to his hair letting me brush it again.
Today he chose "C" on one of the ABCmouse.com games that asked to pick the letter "C", so clearly he knows some stuff he hasn't been able to communicate efficiently (as I've always said and stood behind).
Anyway, I got sidetracked. A few months ago, I said something to Galen, and the therapists told me I needed to tone down my speech to him (essentially talk down to him, which I won't do). A few days ago, one of the therapists said that Galen couldn't possibly have said "How are you?" to Daddy (because he's currently only babbling 90% of the time). Clearly, Mazzu and I both heard him say it, so, duh, he said it. But they don't believe me.
The problem is if we change therapists now that he's finally making great progress (due mostly in part to my full-time homeschooling him, in my opinion), he'll regress. And I don't want that, especially with all the new transitions he's about to embark in (like dance class and constantly going places with the homeschooling groups).
Flint's birthday party was a success. Can't believe she's already 2! Galen played in the splash pad for something like 2 hours. Considering his hatred of water, that was so freaking awesome! He's been sneaking into the bathroom to play with his pool with bubbles in it that we got when he was willing to get in water with his therapists. He's mostly just touching it, but it's awesome. Hopefully he's starting to get better with water, but I'm not forcing it on him. It needs to be his choice. I have to keep telling Flint because she doesn't understand why Galen won't play in the water with her (especially when she's splashing it!).
Next month, we're venturing to a Pumpkin Patch. It's about an hour each way from us, so, I'm hoping it goes well. I have faith.