Making Progress

Things are going great. Evangeline is really responding to all of the extra work we are doing. She didn't remember to give me a high five today, but she started waving BYE BYE!!! This is ENORMOUS. I have been working on this since she was 6 or 7 months old and she has never done it before. It was one of the biggest red flags. We were having dinner with family and as always I asked her to wave bye bye and she did, for about a full five minutes. This may not seem amazing for a typical child (like 2 of my other kids) but this is huge for my Baby. She was also having a magnificent time playing with her Uncle Jeff and he was saying one.. two.. and she was trying to say three back. I am trying to not cry in front of people, but when she waved and said three, I kept filling up.


Busy week ahead of us. Connor is having really bad knee pain again. We haven't had this is quite along time. So I need to make him an appointment. Back to the dentist for me again today. On Wednesday I am going to a day long conference at CHOP, Next Steps is the name, I am excited and my Mom is going with me. Hoping to hear from the Speech and Language Pathologist today. Lots of other therapy this week. So excited to continue working with my princess.

Over the Shock

Things are looking up. I am enjoying spending so much time with my Princess. I taught her how to high 5 yesterday. I hope she remembers today. Therapy was long but good on Friday, we are really going to work on meeting her sensory needs. I bought a full length mirror for the family room and put all the boys pictures at eye level. She LOVED both. Really responded to it, I think she even pointed and said Dyl.

Yesterday I was so touched by a friend of mine. We have been friends for a while. She is someone I enjoy being around, she has great values and a terrific dry sense of humor. She also has 4 kids. 3 boys & a girl just like me, but her girl came first. This friend of mine, read a book about Autism, she sent me recommendations. She has pinned things for me on pinterest, she has posted uplifting quotes on facebook. They may not all be for me, but it felt like they were. The situation we are currently in has showed me who real friends are, what real friends do. She isn't the only one, although she is the biggest pleasant surprise. I have 2 other people in my life who have really stepped up, I already knew they would but the love I have for them grows deeper everyday. I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends and family members.

So far this is what I have done. After tearfully leaving the doctors office, I managed to catch my breath long enough to call Evangeline's case worker, Monica. I left her a message with the terrible news. When she called me back she set up an appointment to come see us Monday. CHOP recommended I have Evangeline's hearing rechecked. The next morning I called to make the appointment and the had an opening that afternoon. So after my meeting at Colin's school on strategies to help him make friends, we were off to CHOP, the hearing test went well (kind of hoping it didn't and that's what the problem was). That evening I had the Mother/Son event with Connor. Then off to the beach for the Polar Bear plunge. My plan was to keep the new info about our lives a secret so we could enjoy the weekend with our friends. I did spill the beans and I am glad I did, it is good to have a great support system. An older gentleman walked up to Evangeline on Saturday and put an autism pin on her, I looked at Ed, thinking could that man tell? We came home from the shore and I worked from 12 to 9:00, just wanted to be home with my baby.

Monday arrived, Monica came. As of right now Evangeline will see her SI therapist (who she loves and sees 1 time a week since November) she will start seeing her 2 x's a week. 1 day of OT and waiting to hear about 2 days with a speech and language pathologist. I made an appointment for both Colin & Evangeline to see CHOP's genetic doctor in AUGUST. I signed up as a Team Captain for the Autism Speaks Philadelphia Event. I finished Jenny McCarthy's book Louder Than Words. I have read about 100 blogs about Gluten Free diets. I have read at least 100 websites about Autism.

Today is a good day. I am optimistic. I will try to stop thinking about her future, those are the thoughts that bring on the most tears. I will take this day by day and give everything I have to getting my Angel to talk to me.

I love you Ma Belle Evangeline.

This is my very first time writing on here. Today I am just putting a few things down, because of course I started this when I had 10 minutes free. 


On February 16, 2012, my perfect 18 month old daughter Evangeline was diagnosed with Autism. In the last week I have gone through so many emotions and need a place to put my thoughts. 


1st thing which I will elaborate on later. Why did I feel like she was a different person leaving the doctors office. She was exactly the same. I was changed forever. How do I get through each day without treating her different, so far I am having trouble dealing with this. I am all over her, noticing things I have never seen before.


2nd, why do I feel so guilty that this is much more dramatic then when Colin was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome at 6 years old. I can only think it is because I knew he had Aspergers and needed the label to get him help. I DIDN'T KNOW THIS, nor did I want to hear the words.


That's it for now, have to go to the dentist.