Happenings....

Here is our life lately in pictures (although if you follow me on instagram, then you might just want to ignore this post.)

Yahtzee night with our friends Jessica and Elliot. I love grown up time when our kids are asleep.  

I've been working out at the gym a lot.  It sucks and my butt is still huge. Go figure.

Visiting Nat once a week in Sugarhouse.  Oh how I love riding bikes and feeding ducks.  It is the highlight of my week.  Thank goodness for a twin sister :)

I bought a big plastic bin and filled it with painting and craft supplies.  I was so sick of cars and trains that I went a little crazy at the store.   Hooray for paints!

Travis' boss decided to buy us a nice dinner out on the town.  This was hands down the most expensive dinner I have ever had.  Really delicious though. I'm still dreaming about the ravioli. Mmmmm.

Eating dinner.  Cute Husband.

I couldn't wait for dinner to be over so we could go see the Hunger Games (which was really good).  I love date nights. sigh.

Hanging out with Bryant ALL DAY LONG. ha.  

He's so cute I just can't stand it.  Look at that face.  

In other news, we started Bryant's new therapy.  We had his evaluation with his new therapist last week and it was pretty intense.  The therapist recorded Travis and me playing with Bryant separately for a long time, and then we were evaluated on how we could change our communication with him.  Very nerve racking for a perfectionist guilt prone person like me, but it turned out to be pretty interesting.  For instance (interesting fact), a lot of kids on the autism spectrum ask questions over and over again that they already know the answer to. We learn as parents of these awesome special kids that the best way to get a response is to ask a lot of questions, instead of just describing things around us.  It is a little bit of a catch 22, because these kids learn how to speak well, but end up asking questions over and over and OVER. They find it comforting. Bryant does this a lot.  Good to know :)  

Overall, the things I'm working on this week with Bryant are: Describing exactly what I am thinking all the time, instead of asking questions.  Keeping calm when he freaks out and trying to slow down my speech.  Giving Bryant a "role" in our play so he is more interested in a give and take social play, and letting him calm down by himself more so he can learn how to self soothe in anxious situations.  The last one is really hard for me because he cries so loud when people come over that sometimes it is really difficult to take more of a back seat role.  Hopefully I can help him overcome some anxiety.  

Anyway, probably way too much information, but hey this is my life :)

Ps.  I know this song has been EVERYWHERE lately, but I can't stop listening to it.  It's awesome.

Family pictures...

Here are a few favorites from my family pictures :) 

 Uploading pictures to blogger makes me swear. Piece of crap.

            

Spring clothes wish list.....

 

Dear jcrew, Zara, Nordstrom, and Madewell: Oh how I love your clothes.  I wish I could buy ALL of these.

Our life lately in pictures...

I went to my very first parent teacher conference today.  Bryant's preschool teacher is awesome. He is starting to play with other kids at school and PARTICIPATE in singing time.  Great news for us around here.  His teacher has been focusing on emotions lately, so she makes really exaggerated faces to represent different emotions that people feel.  He finds that incredibly funny.  :) 

I'm off to make dinner and watch footloose (yes I liked it. I'm a sucker for cheesy dance movies).

Ps. Below is a video of Bryant freaking out over pizza.  Why are tantrums so funny sometimes?
 3 yr olds are so irrational :)

Bryant update (i.e. becca's sad rant)....

So having a kid with Aspergers is kinda sucky sometimes. haha.  Bryant is awesome don't get me wrong, but I feel this overwhelming guilt every time I put on a show for him or write on my blog (yes I'm feeling guilt right now).  I just want to curl up in my bed and watch Downton Abbey or let him play by himself more often, but I can't because I have to teach him how to interact with others.  Sometimes I feel like nothing is helping though, for example, one of those pesty pest control guys stopped by our house this afternoon and even though he didn't even come in our house, Bryant completely freaked out until he left.  Why???? ( I know why it's just something I say in my head a lot ha). It is constant pressure to help him grow and develop normally. 

I think it has changed my outlook on life a little.  I get nervous when people tell me they are having a baby boy, just because Autism is so much more common in boys (I realize that is super cynical).  I'm terrified of having another kid because it would be devastating to have that baby hit 2 yrs old and have autism, especially when we have already been through this once.

Anywho, we are starting a new RDI therapy with him (along with the 2 preschools he is in).  I hope it helps. Want to help me out and pray for Bryant? It's starting to become this obsession that is super stressing me out.  sigh. It has been interesting to get to know other mom's in my same situation.  It IS comforting to know that they think about these things all day long like I do.  

I know this sounds like a super depressing blog post about my super depressing life, but I swear it's not.  I think Bryant is the most loving, special kid ever and I love him so much.  I just wish he would show other people how cute and sweet he is, instead of staring at them like they have 3 heads. haha.  

All right, that's enough of a rant for today.  Off to make dinner.  peace.....

My Favorite Things....

Travis helping Bryant write his name on Valentines. So adorable.

Hi people.  In honor of Valentines day I did a guest post on my friend's blog about my favorite things.  If you want to read it go  HERE

Fair warning, I was totally drugged on cold medicine so there are a few mistakes that make me sound like a complete crazy person.  Guess I should have read through that one more time before sending it. ha.  

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Here are a few pics from Instagram that I'm in love with (and since it IS valentines day...)

Ps.  I can't stop taking pictures of myself. It's really narcissistic and weird.  I have about 20 pics on my phone that look like this.  Stop it Becca. Stop it.  Short hair is apparently tripping me out.  

Love love love,

Becca