My thoughts on the new CDC statistic...

I've been debating back and forth about this post...

1) I know it will stir up controversy and feelings from people on both ends of the many debates it encompasses.

2) I'm not a medical professional...I just know what I know from my own personal experience...

After a lengthy debate with myself, and finally realizing how ANNOYED I am (thanks, pregnancy hormones!) I decided I'd just put it out there. Haters can hate, people can agree, disagree...I don't care...here is my two cents...

The CDC released a new study today that they now find that 1 out of every 68 kids is Autistic. I found this new study via my Facebook newsfeed from a page I follow.  I clicked to read the article (because obviously, it applies to my life and I'm interested in hearing new developments) and then, I couldn't help myself, I read a few of the comments posted by other fellow page followers that had done the same...the rage started to bubble...

HELLO CONSPIRACY THEORISTS! So nice to see you're still out and about stirring up the pot...

I read several comments from people saying that its all a big pharmaceutical conspiracy to make money and that more kids are being diagnosed so that pharmaceutical companies can sell more drugs...

I also read comments about how doctors were diagnosis happy and that more kids are being diagnosed because doctors and parents don't want to accept that all kids are different and that we're placing too many standards on our children...

and of course...my FAVORITE people...the anti-vacc/chemicals in vaccines group spoke up. I'm sure you all know their arguments, but in a nut shell, they believe (in spite of MANY, MANY studies proving the opposite) that vaccines cause Autism.

I feel very strongly that I need to address these theories and impart a little bit of what I know and have learned over the last 11 months as we've struggled to find a diagnosis for my daughter and to find out what was causing her delays.

As far as the pharmaceutical conspiracy is concerned: IF you know anything about Autism, you would know that the treatments available depend largely upon Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Modified ABA/ABA therapy depending on the individual child's delays, and some parents have found success with dietary changes such as switching to gluten and dairy free diets.  SOME kids with Autism also struggle with ADHD (some but not all) and doctors, after exhausting all other options, will prescribe meds for ADHD (they don't work for all kids and can sometimes make the Autism symptoms worse, which is why they are very careful about the when, what and how of prescriptions.) The only other prescription medicine that you may find an Autistic kid taking is a prescription sleep aid, and these are generally a last resort after herbs, supplements, diet changes, and additions of aids such as weighted blankets don't help the problem.  As far as it being a conspiracy created by pharmaceutical companies is concerned, after reading this, I hope you would see that they clearly won't be making much money off of a kid with Autism. Autism is caused by problems in the brain. Giving meds that can change the brain chemistry is tricky and risky business and I can reassure you that parents and doctors alike don't throw caution to the wind and try every prescription drug they can. They haven't found ANY prescription drugs that will alleviate or eliminate Autism symptoms. There is no magic pill. It takes a dedicated therapy team, hard working parents, and a hard working child to overcome any of the symptoms they may be dealing with.

Next, I'd like to speak to the people who feel we're putting too many expectations on our children. Doctors have come up with a list of projected skills that, in general, kids should be able to perform by certain ages. Most doctors won't go "diagnosis happy" over a small delay in one area and will chalk it up to the child just being a little slower in that area. Autism is not just one delay, its several. The most common delay with Autism, is speech, so, of course, if doctors see a huge speech delay they become concerned, its their job to be concerned, you pay them to be concerned... there are also delays in areas you may not even think about- does your child point at objects that interest them? Does your child follow simple instructions? Does you child point at a picture in a book after you point to it?... Bottom line: These lists of developmental milestones are a crucial part of being sure that your child is safe. Whether you choose to be concerned or not by the delays is up to you,but if a doctor is mentioning that you should be concerned, it doesn't hurt anything to examine things a bit further. The earlier they catch severe delays and start interventions, the better the outcome will be for your child. Most kids will grow out of delays, and some delays are so severe that they will require years of therapy, but don't get all huffy with doctors who are just doing their jobs and are pointing it out in order to offer you help if you want it. These developmental milestones are recognized worldwide by doctors. How lucky are we here in the United States to have quick access to a medical professional who can either alleviate our concerns or confirm them and give us the help we need?  Yes, every child is different,but if I had listened to people that said that I was overreacting when Faith wasn't talking AT ALL by the time she was a year old (no mamma, no dadda, not even yes or no), we wouldn't have made the progress we've made so far. It took 10 months to get a diagnosis. 10 MONTHS! 10 Months, 5 doctors, tons of tests,and a team of therapists to come up with the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Believe me, if doctors were diagnosis happy when it comes to Autism, if they were giving out the diagnosis just to shut up overly concerned parents, it wouldn't take 10 months to get the diagnosis...

Finally, the anti-vacc/chemicals in vaccines group...this will probably be my most controversial statement...so, as Samuel L.Jackson says in Jurassic Park: Hold on to your butts...

VACCINES DON'T FREAKING CAUSE AUTISM! ENOUGH ALREADY!  I could take time to dig up all the studies that disprove the studies you use to make your claims, I could take time to find all the failed studies that have tried to prove it, but I won't bother...I will just tell you what I know from my experience.

My daughter was 10 months old when her regression started...She didn't have any of the "evil vaccines" that scientists have tried to link as the cause of Autism yet...In fact, she didn't get them until 2 months AFTER her symptoms started to appear.  If vaccines caused her Autism, she must have magically had them without me knowing...

I will also say this: My mom got behind on my vaccines (she couldn't find my card to prove which ones I needed and had and so she was turned away until she could find it) and at 6 years old, I ended up sick with the Mumps.  I will tell you- these childhood diseases are not just a mild inconvenience like the Chicken Pox (which now has a vaccine...), they are BAD JUJU! I almost died. My mom almost lost her baby and there was nothing she could do but watch as her baby girl suffered for a month and a half.  I remember the first week or so after my diagnosis...I remember the horrible headaches, being unable to eat, and being so weak that I couldn't even walk to the bathroom to relieve myself, my mom had to hold me up on the toilet...after that everything is a blank. I don't remember a whole month of my life at the age of 6. My mom has filled in the blanks, and it isn't pretty... my entire school had to go be tested for the Mumps, my parents were given the choice to admit me to the hospital or let me die at home, they were looking at caskets and pricing grave plots...you think these diseases are no big deal, but they really are!

The generation born after herd immunity started to take effect is lucky enough to have never seen a huge outbreak of these disease. We haven't seen hospital wards filled with sick and dying children. We haven't seen parents having to bury their babies and we haven't seen kids that are deformed or become mentally deficient because of these diseases (yes, Measles, Mumps and Rubella come with fevers that are high enough that they can cause brain damage to the point that your child can become retarded mentally...).

The biggest problem is that you think that your choice not to vaccinate over the fear of something like Autism only affects YOUR child, YOUR family, but it doesn't.  Herd immunity only works to protect kids from these diseases when 85% of the population is vaccinated...we are now below 50% vaccination rates...this puts not only YOUR kids at risk, but kids that haven't received their full course of vaccinations, and infants, little babies, that are still too small to receive the vaccine.

I'm sure many of you who feel this way already know all of this and I'm talking to brick walls at this point, but WHATEVER...I needed to say it...and I need to say this: You are a menace to public health- to MY KIDS' health (because neither of them are old enough to have received a full course of vaccinations.

I 100% DO NOT EVEN GIVE ONE MILLISECOND OF MERIT TO THE THOUGHT THAT VACCINES MADE MY DAUGHTER AUTISTIC...I AM AN AUTISM MOM...I AM LIVING THIS AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT WAS NOT THE VACCINES!!!! AGAIN, SHE WASN'T EVEN OLD ENOUGH FOR THEM WHEN WE STARTED TO NOTICE HER REGRESSIONS!

Now...having said all of that, I'd like to share a very interesting study that was just released this week. A study that has some pretty amazing evidence that demonstrates that Autism is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and something that occurs during the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy. You can read the study HERE.

While this is just another theory, from what I've noticed and know about my daughter, much of their science really seems to make sense.

In a nutshell, the study suggests, after studying brain tissue samples of kids with Autism that died young, that kids with Autism actually have MORE brain cells...unfortunately, these brain cells aren't programmed to do anything.

Studies have already proven that Autistic kids have larger brains than normal, and now it makes sense why- they have more brain cells. Scientists that worked on this study suggest that somewhere during the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy something happens environmentally in the womb to a baby that is already predispositioned genetically for Autism that causes the "pruning" process the brain goes through to not happen correctly. Extra brain cells aren't eliminated, and some brain cells never become the type of cells they were meant to be, creating breaks in the channels that cause proper brain function and therefore leading to the symptoms of Autism.

Because some kids improve and some don't, they are now looking into WHY some brains can recover from this to some degree and others can't.

Then there is THIS study that links traumatic birth to Autism....

Either would make sense to me. Faith's birth was LONG and traumatic. She was born with respiratory issues... there are so many factors that could be the cause and that is why we need to have faith in continued research.  The first study I talked about, I feel could be a huge stride! If they could try to find a link between things that happened to pregnant mothers during the 2nd or 3rd trimester that could have changed the womb environment, it can give us hope that we can prevent the environmental change from happening and lower the occurrence of Autism.

In the end, I know conspiracy theorists are always going to be there. People are always going to have their opinions, and that is okay (okay, its okay when I'm not surging with pregnancy hormones and easily annoyed...) All I can say is this: ASK! Ask an Autism mom or dad. Many of us work to keep up with current research and therapies and we can tell you what we know. We will very happily explain what we know and what we don't know. It is encouraging to us when people want to know because it allows us to be better advocates for our kids...and don't be afraid to RESEARCH to answer questions that can't be answered by an Autism parent off their cuff. Don't be afraid to read studies that challenge your point of view. I am open to reading any and all current research regarding Autism. I still haven't read things that change my mind about certain topics (as I'm sure you couldn't have already surmised from the rant above), but if someone can give me evidence as compelling as the evidence found in some of the studies cited above, I would be willing to look at it. Keep an open mind...but PLEASE, PLEASE don't just go spouting conspiracy theories without asking...it is very frustrating for  those of us in the Autism community because it leaves us having to clean up huge messes because of what someone heard from their cousin's brother's sister's aunt's best friend...

We still don't have the answers. Autism is a complex disease with as many different symptoms, treatments, and possible causes as there are children that suffer from it. We may NEVER have all the answers, but if you are concerned about your child, don't be afraid to ask questions.

Lastly, why do I think the CDC is finding higher prevalence of Autism? I think its because we are getting closer to understanding it better. I think that early detection is getting much better and this is increasing the numbers. The increase in numbers shouldn't be discouraging, as far as I'm concerned, I take it as a good sign. I take it as a sign that kids are being diagnosed earlier and are being given a bigger, better chance to have the therapies they need earlier which has been proven to cause better outcomes. I have several friends with kids ages 4-6 that are JUST now going through the diagnosis process. They are frustrated by slow therapy and kids that they struggle to parent as they are learning how their brains work and in some ways, I think of how lucky I am that we caught it early...that I didn't listen to friends and family who thought I was being overly cautious over what initially appeared to be only a severe speech delay... after testing, therapy, and time with specialists we found the other delays she struggled with, and we've been able to get her help.

Yes, its HARD. Nobody wants to hear the word Autism linked with their child's name...but all I can say is, its better to be safe than sorry. I would go through the process we've been through over and over again if it meant finding better and more therapies to help Faith in her struggles.

Autism is NOT a dirty word.

1 in 68 is just a statistic taken from a cross section of just under 6000 kids...

Trust your gut. You're the parent. Don't buy into the conspiracy theories unless you have done your research. Ask questions. Be proactive! You never know whose child you may help by trying to understand instead of just buying into the hype.

Hugs and Loves until next time, darlings!

Baby Steps/Update/Joy In the Journey

I know, its been a few weeks.

There are good reasons its been a few weeks... so let's update.

Almost 2 weeks ago, we got a very unexpected call from the director of the Cache Humane Society.  He heard that we had been contemplating and looking for a dog to use as an emotional support/service dog for Faith. Because she responds so well to animals, we knew it would be a good thing for her, but weren't having much luck finding a dog that fit into the price range we could afford. We knew we could handle the month to month upkeep, but even the shelter here wanted $150 for a dog, and when you couple that with the necessities of a dog that will be mostly indoors (a kennel, toys, food, veterinary care, etc.) it just wasn't working out.

The director of the shelter decided that he wanted to do a service for us and give us the right dog for a price we could afford. He suggested we come by the shelter to meet a dog that had been in the shelter for a while, but seemed like she would fit our needs, a Jack Russell Terrier named Ripzy. We decided it wouldn't hurt anything to go down and meet this dog they were suggesting and possibly meet other dogs that could interest us.

We met Ripzy and I was very impressed. She was very sweet and very kind with the girls. She was so kind that even Phillie, who had been terrified of dogs since our last experience at the shelter when she was knocked over by a very enthusiastic 1 year old hound cross, was IN LOVE! We didn't have time to meet any other dogs because Jeff needed to go back to work,but I was already sold because of how stellar this dog was with the kids. Jeff needed a bit of convincing. My husband, the avid outdoorsman he is, really wanted a dog that he could take hunting and that had a bit more energy. The director of the shelter offered to put her on hold for us for 24 hours so we could think about it...and after a day of debate back and forth (literally, we spent all day talking about it...the joy of instant messaging and cell phones with texting), we decided we would do it. We knew that we weren't going to get another chance to pick how much we paid for a dog, let alone a great dog that was already housetrained (supposedly, we had a few accidents, but I think we're almost over that battle after going back to strict crate training for a few days) and was so gentle with the kids.

We made a deal with the shelter and paid for the cost of her microchip and then went to get the rest of the stuff she needed. We definitely have been blessed.  I did have a few days last week where I wondered if we should take her back. She started developing some nervous ticks around the girls, I think she just wasn't sure about what she was reading off of them, and coupling that with her refusal to eat and some accidents in the house when we'd had a good first few days, I was wondering if she was a good fit for us, but we weren't a good fit for her.

After bouncing pros and cons back and forth with my awesome husband (seriously, he is the greatest. He just knows how to get me to think through things differently and give me the perspectives I need to make a decision I can feel good about), we decided that, for better or worse, Ripzy, now called Pixie since its easier for Phillie to say, is a part of our family now.

As suspected, Faith has already made some HUGE strides because of Pixie's presence. She is already babbling more, she sits and babbles at Pixie, petting her and trying to get her attention to play. She brings toys and food to share with Pixie (something she would NEVER do with another kid or even an adult), and last night was the cutest thing ever (of course, as soon as I brought my phone out to record it she stopped)- she actually had a book out and was  trying to show Pixie different pictures, babbling about everything she was pointing at in the book.

I'm hoping to eventually train Pixie to help calm Faith during her meltdowns (which shouldn't be hard since she innately has already started going to Faith to investigate why she is crying and tries to snuggle up close to her), and I'm hoping that as Faith sees us get Pixie to do tricks using hand symbols and word commands that she will give them a whirl too...since we've also had a few heart in my throat episodes where Faith has gotten out of the house (toddler door knob guards have been purchased and are working), I'm also hoping to train Pixie to alert us when Faith is leaving the house unattended. We will see how it goes. I grew up raising, breeding, and training dogs...we will see if I am a little over confident in my training skills.

For now, we are perfectly happy to see Faith making progress and that Pixie's mere presence is causing some huge shifts for us. To anyone on the outside looking in, they would still see an almost 3 year old who is still non verbal, but to us, who live with her every day, we see the shift from barely making any noise at all to wanting to babble at her new furry friend and are VERY encouraged.

In this picture, Faith has meticulously placed her favorite stuffed dog next to our napping Pixie...she likes to sleep a lot...but she is also getting over kennel cough (its like bronchitis for dogs, she picked it up in the shelter and, while she has been treated for it, we have to wait for it to run the rest of its course), so I chalk most of it off to her not feeling well. She does play, you just have to catch her in the mood. Jeff is probably the best at getting her to play and actually had a very amusing play session with her the other night. I couldn't help but laugh as he got her to play tug of war with her rope toy. He was getting such a kick out of it...I think he has been converted and has even said what a great dog she is and that we would likely never find another one like her.

I have tried on multiple occasions to get pictures of her and the girls together. Phillie likes to walk right up to her grab Pixie's face, and put her nose to Pixies and give her kisses calling her "baby" and babbling her version of baby talk at her...its ADORABLE...but of course, as soon as the camera comes out, it stops. Faith likes to stand next to her and gently pat her when she is feeling overwhelmed and she is CONSTANTLY trying to snuggle up next to her on the couch...we have had a "nipping" incident last night. Faith did something that hurt Pixie(we didn't see...) but before tears that came with her holding a nipped hand, we heard a painful yelp from the dog, so we couldn't really be mad at Pixie for defending herself.  We just took her to her kennel and said "no biting" and Jeff took Faith upstairs because she was FURIOUS that we'd decided to put Pixie away... I was worried that Faith would be afraid of her after it, but this morning, she was even more eager to be sure that she gave Pixie loves and patted her VERY gently, as if to say she was sorry. I would imagine it is likely the first and LAST time a little nip would ever happen. She didn't break the skin, so I know Pixie was trying to be as gentle as possible. It was just her way to say "Ouch, you're hurting me. Stop!"

Beyond adding a dog to the mix, I spent some time last week in the hospital.

Wednesday night last week, out of nowhere, everything started spinning and it wouldn't stop. We tested my blood sugar to be sure it wasn't that my sugars were too low or too high, but they were normal, I drank water to do a kick count and also in case it was dehydration...Jeff was so sweet and kept vigil over me. After about an hour of waiting for it to go away, he eventually suggested that maybe I was  just overly tired from a very full day and practically carried me up the stairs for bed...I seriously couldn't walk in a straight line. When my eyes were open, everything was spinning and when they were closed, it felt like I was physically still spinning. I started getting very nauseous from all the non-existent spinning and the only way to help was keeping my eyes closed. I went to sleep, praying it would be better in the morning, but had no such luck.

After some discussion, Jeff called his mom to come watch the girls and took me to the ER.  After lots of tests, an MRI, and monitoring the baby to be sure she was okay and what was affecting me wasn't hurting her, we were given the diagnosis of unexplained Vertigo. I had/have no signs of infection, so they couldn't chalk it off to an ear infection or sinus infection, the MRI showed that none of the pregnancy related issues that could cause it were causing it...

Of course, because I am pregnant, they couldn't REALLY treat it because the medicine they needed to give to get the spinning to stop right away is Category C... After a day in the hospital, they sent me home with Meclazine, a motion sickness pill to try to help with the nausea and some of the dizziness, and orders to rest until it goes away.

So far, I've had several "spinning" spells, since I came home. All I can do is lay down, take a Meclazine and wait...which has been interesting with two toddlers to say the least...especially when one of those toddlers is Autistic and is having a VERY bad day where she is just overwhelmed by any and all sensory input (like the day before yesterday...)

Fortunately, the day after that VERY BAD day, we had a session with our Occupational Therapist, and she gave me some strategies to help Faith feel more grounded and less like she needs to control her environment by checking out and avoiding any engagement in activities that I'd tried to divert her attention from her melt downs.

The OT said that Faith was just likely very overwhelmed from a poor night of sleep and that she was seeking to feel grounded and was trying to accomplish this by ignoring everything around her and doing activities that allowed her to focus on one thing at a time...this meant that touching her, trying to get her to eat, trying to get her to go take a nap, everything we normally do was just too much. She suggested getting Faith to do "animal walks" getting her to crawl on all fours, wiggle on the floor like a worm, or crawl on her hands with her feet on the ground...she said it may seem counter intuitive at first since she doesn't want to be touched or engaged, but if you can, hand over hand, start the activity, she will sense that it's what her body needs and start to become active in it. She demonstrated, and I was amazed by how FAST Faith started to do the activity and how eagerly she kept going even after our OT had stopped doing it with her. The OT says the ultimate goal is for Faith to engage in these activities long enough that she gets a sensation similar to the one that we would get after a good long workout. She also showed me some pressure/holding techniques that would help her feel grounded as well... even the OT marvelled at how much Faith seemed to "need" the pressure/holding, and she was even having a decent day that day...

She is going to bring us a weighted blanket so we can try it before we buy one, in hopes that it will help curb her sleep problems and that we will have fewer "bad" days in the future.


In other news...in spite of our "bad days", I still have cuteness like the picture below going on in my house, so, I can't complain too much...even when I feel like poop and have to spend hours on the couch waiting for the world to stop spinning...

It may be a crazy life...it may not be easy (but what worth having is easy?) but I am blessed to be living it. It makes me a better person, it makes me closer to my Father in Heaven as I turn to Him for comfort and counsel, and it brings me closer to my husband as we work as a team to make it all happen. At the end of the day, all I can do is have courage enough to try again tomorrow and have faith that it will continue to get better. And with God on my side, the support of my awesome husband, and angels who hear about our random needs and deliver (like the Cache Humane Society, thanks again guys!) I know it will.

I often tell my friends that are struggling that if my experiences of late have taught me anything, its that our mantra in life should be "baby steps are still steps."  Progression is still progression. We keep moving forward and if we do all that we can do, God will make up for the rest that we can't and we will eventually reach our destination...and there will be MANY destinations in this earthly life...each destination is a jumping off point for a new journey. You can be dragged kicking and screaming from one blessing to the next or you can choose to have faith in the baby steps and find joy in the journey...I don't always choose joy...but I am working on making my choice joy every day. Eventually, I will get it right.

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!

Meal Plan and Update

Yes... we're alive.

I wish I had more time to blog this week, but between unpacking the new house, trying to keep 2 toddlers happy, making time for therapy, and my husband being out of town, I have been more than a little exhausted  busy....

I do have a meal plan for you all, but haven't had time to find links for you. Many of the recipes I'm using are either ones that I've made so many times that I just instinctively remember how to make it, so I haven't had to go trolling on Pinterest for new ideas like I normally do. I will post the list and you can find recipes for yourselves this time and I promise that the next one will be complete with where to find the recipe, deal?  DEAL!

1. Teriyaki Chicken (you can type this into the search query at the top of the screen (I think that is where it is) and find my recipe for this. Its one of my husband's favorite things, so I make it often.)

2. Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Cheese and Tater Tot Casserole (Pinterest, my friends, look for it there. Its soooooo worth it.)

3. Breakfast for Dinner (make whatever your family likes best. My husband makes really good breakfast potatoes, so we had this before he left. We had his hashed brown potatoes, sausage and eggs.)

4. Tacos

5. Baked Chicken Nuggets (Six Sister's Stuff)

6. Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta (Pinterest)

7. Countryside Pasta Toss (Pinterest)

8. French Bread Pizza (Pinterest)

9. Alice Springs Chicken (food.com)

10. P.F. Changs Crispy Honey Chicken (food.com)

11. Honey Glazed Grilled Chicken (Six Sister's Stuff)

12. Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Subs (Pinterest)

13. Ham Tailgating Sandwiches (Pinterest)

14. Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken (Pinterest)

Again, forgive that there are no links this go round...but at least I told you where I found the recipes!:)

Faith is adjusting well to the move. She likes having her own room. She has,however, figured out doorknobs since we've moved here. I have to make sure that the doors are dead bolted so she doesn't get outside, and, since my husband is out of town and I have no car to go purchase toddler knob guards, I had my sweet father in law come over and switch her doorknob around so that I can lock her in her room at bedtime and naptime...I hate doing it, but when I don't she just keeps coming out of her room expecting to play and do whatever she wants and, sadly, she desperately needs her nap...  don't judge! I tormented over whether or not to lock her in all night last night, but safety is the real issue. If, when she wakes up in the middle of the night, she decided to leave her room and go for a little walk, she could get herself into some seriously dangerous situations if I'm not watching. I'd rather lock her in than wake up in the morning and find her hurt or worse. I know that things will be better once we get the knob guards. She will be all together safer because it will be one less step to get to her if she is in danger, and I won't have to feel guilty about locking her in. Its one of the many times that I wish she understood simple commands and I could tell her to stay in her room and she would get it like any other almost 3 year old. I plan on asking her therapists about whether or not I'm doing the right thing or if there is a better way to teach her not to leave her room.\

Phillie hated having her own room at first, but she has started adjusting.  She has had issues jumping on her bed and bouncing herself off the mattress onto the floor since we put her in her own room, but I think my bed jumping monkey is starting to catch on that its not such a good idea.

It seems as if splitting them up  was a good thing. They are both sleeping better at naptime and are waking up fewer times in the middle of the night. Faith still has sensory issues waking up, but we are finding that since she is waking up on her own instead of having Phillie wake her up, the tears and screaming are much shorter lived and she is able to adjust to being awake much faster... my theory is that before, when Phillie would wake her, sensory input came all at once. Now, she sleeps the amount she needs and is able to wake up more gradually, giving her more time to adjust.

Well, I will leave you there with our update.  I will post a video of the new house once we're all unpacked. Don't expect anything glamorous...we're still living our "college chic" life because we can't really afford new decorations or to refinish the furniture we have...,my house won't be making a Pinterest pin anytime soon, or the cover of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine... Maybe someday I will have time to get crafty and won't have toddlers to destroy my work...LOL

Hugs and loves until next time, darlings...

P.S. Not sure if I posted this here yet or not...baby#3 is another princess....Jeff's first response after we left the ultra sound? " We're DEFINITELY getting a dog now...a BOY dog...I need something to keep me from being outnumbered."  The gummy bear is pink...we're working on a name....sadly, we have agreed on all of our boy names from day 1 of our marriage, but girl names are just not something we agree on quickly or easily...We have a short list but so far, neither of us is in love with the same name at the same time...