Life with Little Abbie

Autism:  It will frustrate the hell out of you and yet will make you cry with joy when the light comes on!!!

Abbie has made so much progress, I will be the first to tell you EARLY INTERVENTION is the KEY.  In the last year, Abbie has made so much progress and I know if we had not done the all therapy, the preschooling, hiring the most wonderful nanny's Abbie would not be where she is today.

But she has such a long road!

My heart breaks sometimes on a daily basis, because of the items that I feel we miss with her!   But then I my hear will bust with joy on those same days when she does something amazing.

I do think that typical developing children's parents take for granted what it means for their child to grow and progress at a normal rate.  I will never ever take that for granted again.

Abbie is what you call 'nonverbal" right now.  This is so very hard on Me, because I just want to her to talk to me so very badly.  You miss the "mommy what is that", "mommy look what I did in school today", "Mommy I Love You".   Will she say these thing, maybe one day but I missed it when children first start to talk around 15-18months and really talking at 2.  You see Abbie is now 4!

So when she said "MOMMA" with her brows squished together.  I know she wants me and not that she is just mumbling momma momma.  Its progress!  She is now saying "Dadda" when she sees Andy which is amazing.

The eye contact is the hardest part.  I want so badly for Abbie to look at me and communicate with me!  Her eye contact is improving daily but still not like typical children.  Should I compare Abbie to typical children "NO" but it is still so very hard.

And feeding wow that is just a monster into itself.

I guess the hardest part in all of this, is when Andy (Daddy) started getting sick in October.  It was a blessing that Abbie didn't really understand what was going on, but she did understand Daddy was not home.  She would walk around looking for Daddy.  Then it was like she just decided Daddy wasn't home and we go see Daddy I am not going to worry about it.  She didn't know how bad Daddy was sick and that I guess is a blessing from God.  But now that Daddy is at the apartment she loves being with Daddy and cuddles with Daddy which is a BIG BIG Deal.  Since Abbie doesn't always want to cuddle.

I guess that is it for today!