The Roussels

InstaOVERLOAD!!

2012-01-23T18:53:00.002-07:00

Our lives lately according to Instagram and our phones...

[WARNING: this will probably be the longest post you've ever seen]

[We've been trying very hard to make nursery work,

i usually end up with him half the time]

[Dont you love the forced pictures?]

[Gettin some lovin from his Grandma BonBon]

[Two of his favorite things, popcorn and Grandad]

[We've been spending a lot of time playing these days,

especially hanging out in his Toy Story tent]

[He was the happiest kid alive on his birthday,

we celebrated by doing all things Recker loves]

[Making a Birthday Wish over his gluten free spinatos pizza]

[Loving having Uncle Blake home from his mission]

[Finally a castle to rule from]

[Riding hard on his new motorcycle]

[We've been playing with these guys and loving it]

[They finally opened up a Canes here in AZ! Ive

been waiting for YEARS, since i moved back from

Louisiana to eat this again, i LOVE IT!

[we decided last minute to go Mexico with blake, chloe, and my

mom for New Years]

[fish market[

[mexico]

[the always lovely chloe and blake]

[Mexico]

[Recker's new obsession...the trampoline my parents got for christmas]

[with this GFCF diet we've always got this stuff on hand,

and it makes for some amazing breakfasts]

[he is really getting sick of all of our phones in his face all the time]

[Target, our home away from home

never without coke and popcorn]

[Zoo with friends...Im such a sucker for recker,

AKA he's spoiled and wanted a camel ride]

[we've been working on modesty, but he is all about

showing off his goods]

[Represent! Go Bulldogs!]

[Aunt Kaitlyn LOOOOVES to spoil him]]

[First time eating Gelato...he ate two cones and cried when he

was finished he looooves this stuff]

ps its GFCF

[Recker has moved on from his Buzz Lightyear book and

unfortunately is OBSESSED with this book and

wants to bring it everywhere.]

[Zupas & Last Chance, i'd say it was a productive day]

fall is finally here!!

2011-11-14T23:08:00.002-07:00

I can not tell you how excited i am for this cold weather! November is my favorite month, with it comes some of my favorite things...comfy clothes, sweaters, cuddling up on a couch with tea and a book, soups, warm fires and of course Thanksgiving, the best holiday there ever was!!

2011-11-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Blake finally came home!!!! We've been missing him like crazy and counting down the days (literally) for him to get home, especially considering he has never met Recker. It was amazing to see him and it has been soooooo great to have him home, for good!

(Blakes first place he wanted to go was LoLo's -

fried chicken & waffles Recker loved that Red Drank)

We also attended the Autism Speaks Walk for Autism last sunday, we had a TON of people show up to support TEAM RECKER! First and foremost i want to thank everyone who came down and supported Recker, Jeremy and I. We have the most amazing family and friends, and things like this really show you who your true ones are, so thank you guys and we love you so much! The walk itself was short, (well we opted for the short route, hey we had kids in tow) but we stayed for hours getting free information and talking to so many support groups and therapy centers. I can't leave out the amazing donations that SPROUTS had, we took home hundreds of dollars of GFCF food (which isn't saying too much considering how expensive it is to begin with) but it was incredible! Recker is set up with enough snacks to last him the rest of the year.

And then of course there was halloween....

Recker was a Lumberjack and pretty freaking cute one if i do say so myself!

We only trick or treated at grandparents houses this year...maybe we

will go around the neighborhood next year.

...Not fair for the "NORMAL" kids?!!! Are you KIDDING ME?!!...

2011-08-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

So i've had quite an eventful couple weeks, starting with recker missing many therapies because of being sooooo sick. After about two weeks of sick bebe he is finally feeling better, just in time for me to get pink eye last week. So i went to the doctor, and as im sitting there in the waiting room the lady next to me asked me if i went to Yale (because i had my Yale School of Medicine shirt on) i told her, no and that my son has Autism and that Recker is apart of their Autism Research Program, then i proceeded to tell her what i do for work and how much i love it.

This is the shortened version of our conversation...

Ignorant Woman: "Oh my nephew is autism (yes she said it like that, should have been my first clue) and they try to stick in in with the normal kids but i just don't think it makes any sense, its not doing ANYONE any good having him with NORMAL kids, he should be in a school with other kids like how he is. Where i lived in Michigan we had separate schools--- " (i cut her off)

Me: "Well yeah we usually do try and integrate them with the "typical" classes at least through specials or if they can handle it, a lot of kids with disabilities or ASD are fully included in the classrooms either by themselves or with an aide, which is awesome and i think what most parent's and teachers goal is. Also there are sooo many LAWS ensuring that children with disablities get the same opportunities of education that "typical" kids do. They are guaranteed the right to be in a classroom that will challenge them and help them learn and grow whether it be a fully inclusion or not.

Ignorant Woman: "Yeah well my son has a autism kid in his class with him and he has an aide with him all the time, and he wears this heavy vest thing. I just honestly dont think its fair for all the 'NORMAL' kids in the class. The autism kid is so distracting with his aide, vest and he makes all kinds of noises and flaps his hands and stuff. Its just NOT FAIR FOR THE NORMAL KIDS to have to deal with that while they are trying to learn. Its just doing anyone any good having those kids in normal classes with normal---" (the doctor came out and called her name)

After she went back into the back room, i left the doctors office without being seen because i was soooo upset. I was sick to my stomach, furious, sad, confused and honestly i didnt want to see that lady again, i was afraid i was going to LOSE it on her! I can not believe that there are people who think like this, and who would actually SAY those things to a MOTHER of a child who has ASD and to someone who works in a special education classroom. I was and still am just sick. I am pretty sensitive but i pride myself when it comes to being tough about things like this, but honestly, im afraid. As a parent of a child with ASD i will be dealing with this for the rest of our lives, how am i going to deal with people this ignorant and horrible? What am i going to do when its MY child that is being disruptive and all the parents doing think its fair that Recker is distracting their kids in class. I have another year to toughen up before he hits preschool. I just honestly can not believe that people actually say some of the things they say, why do they think its ok to say whatever they think to whoever they want? I am just blown away! It reminds me of my mom when she was going through chemo, all the things people would come up to her and say about HER HAIR. We talk about it at work all the time how some people just seriously have nooo FILTERS, and how we are just surprised and mostly disgusted at people thinking they can just say whatever they want.

Well on a lighter BETTER note!....Several of Reck's therapist suggested we try a GFCF (gluten free-caesin free, aka dairy free) diet and we've started part of it. We took Recker off of dairy a few weeks ago and honestly i can NOT even begin to tell you how much it has affected and HELPED him!! Here are just a few examples:

-The other day i walked into his room where he was being SUPER quiet (usually means he's gotten ahold of my something that he's not supposed to have. I walked in there and he was SITTING (let me tell you how just him sitting is amazing, he usually squats or bounces around, never can sit still AT ALL!) he was sitting there STACKING BLOCKS!!!!!! His therapists have worked on his fine motor by stacking blocks and he couldnt even stack 2 blocks, one on top of another. I walked into his room, he is sitting there stacking 3 blocks and i added a couple more and he stacked those. Not only was he stacking, he was doing it in a specific way, making sure it was the colored letter side facing the right way. Jeremy and i just stood there in absolute SHOCK as tears ran down our faces.

-His eye contact has improved tremendously! He is interacting with us sooo much more, in a more intentional way.

-He is showing us what he wants! He will bring us a movie he wants to watch, if he wants to play with the ball he will bring it to us and hand it to me, he brings me books. He will bring me his empty cup, shake it showing me its empty and then hand it to me to refill for him. He has started grabbing our hands and pulling us into his room or the kitchen, trying to communicate that there is something he wants. HE SEEKS US OUT!

-The best improvement yet is his speech, he babbles and jabbers SOOOO soooo SOooOOoOOo much more! He has started to say "BALL", and yesterday jeremy was eating cookies and recker wanted one so like we do with everything, he said "COOKIE" to recker before he gave him one, and Recker REPEATED IT! he said cookie...HE SAID COOKIE!!! He said it sooooo many times yesterday i was in tears, i heard his voice! that probably sounds weird considering he jabbers all the time, but to hear him say a word again (he hasnt spoken a word since he was 11 months old when he would say "mommommom" and "dadadada") it actually was sooo clear and it sounded like a real word. I mean when he says "ball" and "byebye" its not actually the whole thing, he makes the "B" sound and tries, but the word COOKIE was clear as day.

These examples may seem small and simple to you but to my husband and i, we are just THRILLED and overwhelmed at how much just taking dairy out of recker's diet has helped, Recker has had us in happy tears for the past week or two! We couldn't be happier! I want to try the full GFCF diet and see if it helps more. I am worried though, it seems like such a difficult diet to stick by. But if it will help Recker, Jeremy and i will try anything!

PS....Blakes been on his mission for two years and gets home in less than a month! I was pregnant with Recker when he left, so he has NEVER met him! I cant wait, September 29th they finally get to meet....

Yale

2011-08-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

{on the airplane...he did sooo good on the 5 hour flights}

We flew to New Haven, Connecticut on Sunday morning the 24th and came home Wednesday night the 27th...We had a very busy couple of days, it was a very long, short trip if that makes sense to you. So our schedule went like this:

Day 1: Monday starts at 9:00 am

1. Consent- with Alexandra Dowd & Grace Chen (research assistants).....15 mins

{basically we just went over paperwork and signed a ton of parental consent forms, saying that we dont mind that they use recker's results in national studies and the videos of his testing and observations for the purpose of teaching and learning more about ASD.}

2. Eye Tracking Session #1- with research assistants...10-20 mins

{the eye tracking session is conducted in a small dark room. they strap in a car seat to a computer chair and put Recker in front of a TV screen. There are cameras that are eye level to him zoomed in on his eye. They show him a video that they made where there are two different things moving on the screen, it tracks where his eyes are looking and moving. We could sit at the back of the room with the assistants and on THEIR screens it showed 3 different things: The first screen showed a close up of his eye so you could see it moving and dilating in and out. the second screen showed his face and his reactions to what he was seeing, it took EVERYTHING in me to keep from bursting out laughing he looked like he was thinking "what the heck am i watching?!". The third screen showed what Recker was watching, the video, and there was a little red dot that moved showing where he was looking on the screen. It was very detailed and intense, it pretty much showed us what Recker sees when he watches movies or TV, and how he sees it.}

3. Developmental Assessment- With Justin Roberry M.D. ......45 mins

{Recker's motor, language and non verbal problem solving skills were assessed with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Basically they gave him tasks to copy/imitate like for example: gave him two shoe boxes and a pile of spoons and blocks, they wanted him to separate them into the boxes, spoons in one box, blocks in the other. Some other examples were: puzzles, hiding toys under washcloths to see if he was watching where it was and if he could find it, stacking cups from small to large, stacking blocks, using a hair brush correctly etc....We went into this little square room that had a tiny table like nursery size and a chair for him to sit in. He sat almost the entire time in that chair, and for anyone that knows recker, this is HUUUGE, we cant get him to sit still for 2 minutes straight, so 45 minutes was seriously a miracle. I kept telling them, "He usually isn't this good, i swear!" He just kept suprising us left and right, he was able to pick up pennies off of a flat table surface and put them into a small piggy bank slot. That may not sound like a big deal, but we were absolutely FLOORED. Anyways there were cameras at all angles in this room so they could record the entire session, and my mom, jeremy, and a couple other doctors and assistants were sitting on the other side of the two way mirror watching.}

4. Social Communicative Play Assessment- With Amanda Mossman Steiner, Ph.D. ......45mins-1hr

{The doctors assessed his social communication and play skills with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale-Generic (ADOS-G). During this session, i sat behind the mirror and Jeremy went into the room with Recker. The doctor just pretty much played with Recker, she wanted to see how he socialized with her and Jeremy. She played with a ton of toys, books and bubbles which he LOVES! }

5. Puppet Show- With Research Assistants...5 mins

{It is exactly what it says, just a puppet show. It was about two bunnies and a frog, one bunny was mean to the frog and the other was nice. After it was over they asked him to choose which bunny he wanted to play with....he chose both hahaha}

So after the puppet show we were done for the day at the Yale Medical Center and were free to walk around New Haven. I cant begin to explain how gorgeous and green New Haven is!! We walked down through the Campus and it was STUNNING! The old brick and vines and moss growing on the building, we were in love!

We walked downtown to the Broadway District to do a little shopping. We ate downtown at the Educated Burgher it was sooooooooo good!! WE stopped into the Yale bookstore and bought some merch....

(check out that piggy bank haha we love it!)

We took a cab to the mall later that night and did more shopping..., i swear even when we're out of town we still shop at the same places haha. We went to JCrew, Urban Outfitters, Target, Gap, and H&M, F21, its just so much more fun when you're out of town!!

Day 2: Tuesday Starts at 8:30 am

1. Eye Tracking Session #2....Research Assistants.....10-20 mins

{same as the day before}

2. Parent Child Interaction....with just Recker and I....10 mins

{Reck and i just played with toys and books in the little square room (we did almost everything in that room) while they observed how we played}

3. Motor Imitation- With Research Assistant...10 mins

{During this session, they just would demonstrate a specific action or sound and ask recker to try to imitate it so they could see where his imitation skills were.}

4. Listening Preference Task- with Research Assistants....10 mins

{ in this experiment they played a variety of recorded sounds and they assessed Recker's preference for one sound over another.}

5. Parent Interview- with Karyn Bailey, MSW .....1 hour

{I met with Karyn (social worker) and she and i did something called the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales assessment. She talked to me and asked me questions about recker's everyday skills like listening, eating and dressing. We also talked about goals that i have for recker and him going to school NEXT YEAR! (AHH I CANT BELIEVE IT!) She just answered soooo many questions that i had and put to ease many worries. I absolutely loved her and she was just sooo positive and made everything feel like it was actually going to be fine.}

6. Speech-Language Assessment- with Liz Schoen, M.S., CCC-SLP .....45 mins

{ I was in the interview with Karyn Bailey like i said above, when this assessment was going on, Jeremy attended it with him. He met with Liz the speech path and she evaluated him during a semi-structured play session with the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS). They wanted to see how he communicates all around and especially how he asks for things he wants.}

7. Play Tasks- with Research Assistants.....10 mins

{This is just pretty basic, they wanted to see how he played with a variety of common objects}

8. Eye Tracking Session #3- with Research Assistants....10 mins

{just like the other ones, except recker kept falling asleep during this one, we were at one point physically opening his eyes and trying to keep him awake, he was just completely dead tired.}

9. Meeting with Clinicians- with Amanda Mossman Steiner, Ph.D., Judah Koller, Ph.D., Karyn Bailey, MSW, Liz Schoen, M.S.....45mins-1hr

{So we finally got to meet with all the doctors (well most of them) and they answered any and all questions that we had. They also gave us a quick overview of what they thought and how they thought Recker did through out all of the assessments and experiments. They mostly just put a lot of emphasis on how important it is for us to find an expierenced SLP. They also told us that we HAVE to work on his imitation skills, without them he will not be able to learn or advance further than he is. We will be recieving an extensive report within a month or two that will be much more in depth and helpful.

10. Genetic Screening- James McGrath, M.D., Ph.D., Erin Loring, M.S.......30 mins

{I cant explain how lucky we were to have them offer this to us, it normall costs between $2,000-$3,000 and they did it for free for us! They took blood from recker for a genetic test and a fragil x test. They also drew Jeremy and I's blood for research purposes. We should hear back about the results in a week or two.}

We had such a blast on our trip, we cut out the New York trip this year because of the Blood work that recker was going to be getting done, it makes him sick sometimes. And also because of the record breaking heat in New York this year! Ive done New York in the summer and as fun as it is, its pretty miserable walking around in the hot mugginess all day. We are going to be going back again in a year and a half, it will be spring time and we'll stay longer and take a trip down to NYC next time.

4th of july mexico!

2011-07-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

MExiCo Day one

2011-07-02T20:39:00.002-07:00

Summer So Far...

2011-07-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

So this is a little past due, but here is a billion pictures of our Summer so far! We are going to mexico again in the morning until next week, and then im going again for a LADIES ONLY trip the weekend of the 15th, im sooo excited!!

MEXICO was a BLAST!

(Recker and Jeremy playing in the sand)

(recker LOOOVES the beach, ocean and the pool!)

(he looves playing with aunt kaitlyn and in her dresses)

(recker also had a few mean muggin and too cool moments..

like with his little lady Olive at her 1st birthday party,

and in the photo above...its impossible to catch him in a good picture)

(some terrible hair days, which eventually led to his haircut)

we've been snacking A LOT this summer....

(nutella on EVERYTHING)

(Mangos on the beach)

(some of our favorite drinks...no recker did not drink this)

(recker lives for playing outside!)

(hes has been running around bon bon's house with

his buzz and woody always in hand)

(he's started this biting thing, NOT SO FUN)

(lots and lots of trips to the store, especially target...

he freaking dupms that popcorn out EVERY time

you'd think i'd learn and stop buying it for him right?)

ANYWAYS...Photo/Recker Overload!

Ive LOVED being off of work, dont get me wrong i love my job (well...)

and the people i work with especially, it is just sooo nice to

be able to spend all day everyday with this little guy!

Ive decided to go to work part time in the fall so i can be

there with recker for all of his therapies during the week.

(which are going well by the way, he currently has spech therapy,

occupational therapy, and DSI therapy EVERY WEEK)

We will be adding 25 more hours of therapy a week soon!

We are getting all ready for YALE!

We leave the 24th and are at YALE until the 26th.

After that we are going to take a train to NY and spend the rest of the week there!!!

We are so excited, to say the last!

Recker got into YALE!!! Go BULLDOGS!!

2011-06-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Yale Wants Recker!!! Well the Yale autism child study center to be specific. I spoke with them last week about them wanting to do a research study on Recker. I can not tell you how much we have been praying for this over the past week. They will do an intense 2 day study, and will write up a average 50 page reccomendation and review for us. It will include what we should do, intervention and therapy wise, for him for the next couple years. Then between the ages of 3-4 we come back and do it again, then again from the ages of 8-9. It is so hard for a lot of people to get into this program/study and usually have to pay close to $5000 because insurances wont cover it. BUUUUUT because Recker is so young and we caught it soooooo early, we will actually be compensated from YALE (not $5000, not even close...but its better than having to PAY THEM) each time we go. Anyways we will be going in either July or September...Jeremy and i need to figure out our schedules and get everything planned. Thank you to everyone who has kept us in your prayers and thoughts. We have been blessed with such supportive and loving family, who has gone above and beyond to always be there for us. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

"The Yale Child Study Center's Developmental Disabilities Clinic provides a range of services for children with pervasive developmental disorders. This clinic builds on a long tradition of research and service at Yale for children and adolescents with autism and related disorders and their families. Comprehensive evaluations are provided by a multidisciplinary team of highly experienced clinicians. These evaluations take place at the Child Study Center over a two-day period, and focus on issues of diagnosis and educational programming/intervention. Each evaluation has three components: psychological testing, speech-language testing, and a psychiatric assessment. The assessment team works together to provide a report which is typically provided ten to twelve weeks after the assessment. A significant portion of the report is devoted to recommendations for intervention and educational planning. Depending on the needs in a specific case, referrals to other professionals, e.g., pediatric neurologists or geneticists, can be provided."

"in addition to our long-standing clinical program for children with developmental disorders such as Autism and Asperger syndrome, the Yale Child Study Center is one of the foremost research centers for autism spectrum disorders in the world. Several of our active protocols involve an assessment of your child's cognitive functioning and social communication characteristics. The assessment, an oral feedback, and written report are provided to research participants. The assessment is tailored to the research protocol but may be able to start you on your way while you still pursue a more tailored evaluation for your child through clinic."

WELL WHO WOULDNT WANT THAT CUTE FACE?!

"I'm Just Different, NOT Less...."

2011-06-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

There is a book that my developmental pediatrician suggested that i read, it is called "10 things that every child with autism wishes you knew," by Ellen Notbohm....I let my mom borrow it while we were in mexico and she said she found it sooo helpful anyways here are the summarized main points in this book. If anyone wants a copy of this book, ask me and i can either lend you mine or get a copy for you so that you can understand Recker and what he has and why he acts the way he does or does some of the things he does!

1. I am first and foremost a child. I have autism. I am not primarily “autistic.” My autism is only one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)? Those may be things that I see first when I meet you, but they are not necessarily what you are all about. As an adult, you have some control over how you define yourself. If you want to single out a single characteristic, you can make that known. As a child, I am still unfolding. Neither you nor I yet know what I may be capable of. Defining me by one characteristic runs the danger of setting up an expectation that may be too low. And if I get a sense that you don’t think I “can do it,” my natural response will be: Why try?

2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. Sensory integration may be the most difficult aspect of autism to understand, but it is arguably the most critical. It his means that the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you but I am really just trying to defend myself. Here is why a “simple” trip to the grocery store may be hell for me:

My hearing may be hyper-acute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today’s special. Musak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough, a coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can’t filter all the input and I’m in overload!

My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn’t quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn’t showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they’re mopping up pickles on aisle 3 with ammonia....I can’t sort it all out. I am dangerously nauseated.

Because I am visually oriented (see more on this below), this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is not only too bright, it buzzes and hums. The room seems to pulsate and it hurts my eyes. The pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing -- the space seems to be constantly changing. There’s glare from windows, too many items for me to be able to focus (I may compensate with “tunnel vision”), moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion. All this affects my vestibular and proprioceptive senses, and now I can’t even tell where my body is in space.

3. Please remember to distinguish between won’t (I choose not to) and can’t (I am not able to). Receptive and expressive language and vocabulary can be major challenges for me. It isn’t that I don’t listen to instructions. It’s that I can’t understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: “*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*.........” Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: “Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It’s time to go to lunch.” This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it is much easier for me to comply.

4. I am a concrete thinker. This means I interpret language very literally. It’s very confusing for me when you say, “Hold your horses, cowboy!” when what you really mean is “Please stop running.” Don’t tell me something is a “piece of cake” when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is “this will be easy for you to do.” When you say “Jamie really burned up the track,” I see a kid playing with matches. Please just tell me “Jamie ran very fast.”
Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres, inference, metaphors, allusions and sarcasm are lost on me.

5. Please be patient with my limited vocabulary. It’s hard for me to tell you what I need when I don’t know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation or other signs that something is wrong. Or, there’s a flip side to this: I may sound like a “little professor” or movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, TV, the speech of other people. It is called “echolalia.” I don’t necessarily understand the context or the terminology I’m using. I just know that it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.

6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Please show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of consistent repetition helps me learn. A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day-timer, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transition between activities, helps me manage my time and meet your expectations. I won’t lose the need for a visual schedule as I get older, but my “level of representation” may change. Before I can read, I need a visual schedule with photographs or simple drawings. As I get older, a combination of words and pictures may work, and later still, just words.

7. Please focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do. Like any other human, I can’t learn in an environment where I’m constantly made to feel that I’m not good enough and that I need “fixing.” Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however “constructive,” becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you will find them. There is more than one “right” way to do most things.

8. Please help me with social interactions. It may look like I don’t want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it’s just that I simply do not know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, it may be that I’m delighted to be included. I do best in structured play activities that have a clear beginning and end. I don’t know how to “read” facial expressions, body language or the emotions of others, so I appreciate ongoing coaching in proper social responses. For example, if I laugh when Emily falls off the slide, it’s not that I think it’s funny. It’s that I don’t know the proper response. Teach me to say “Are you OK?”

9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. Meltdowns, blow-ups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented. Keep a log noting times, settings, people, activities. A pattern may emerge. Try to remember that all behavior is a form of communication. It tells you, when my words cannot, how I perceive something that is happening in my environment.

{Parents, keep in mind as well: persistent behavior may have an underlying medical cause. Food allergies and sensitivities, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems can all have profound effects on behavior.}

10. Love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts like, “If he would just......” and “Why can’t she.....” You did not fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you and you wouldn’t like being constantly reminded of it. I did not choose to have autism. But remember that it is happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you – I am worth it.

And finally, three words: Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. It may be true that I’m not good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates or pass judgment on other people? Also true that I probably won’t be the next Michael Jordan. But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh.

^^They had autism too. ^^

The answer to Alzheimer’s, the enigma of extraterrestrial life -- what future achievements from today’s children with autism, children like me, lie ahead?

All that I might become won’t happen without you as my foundation. Be my advocate, be my friend, and we’ll see just how far I can go.

2011-06-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

i just want to say thank you to those friends and family who have reached out and showed support and love. i know my post about recker's diagnosis wasnt really informative, i just wanted to record that day, my thoughts, my feelings and what happened. looking back, i do NOT feel the same as i did that day. i know a lot of people have heard of ASD (autism spectrum disorder) but probably arent really sure what it is. i dont want anyone to feel uncomfortable around us, if you have questions PLEASE PLEASE just ask me, i wont be offended or get upset and cry or anything. I would just rather you ask than feel awkward and unsure. i thought i'd share some information that recker's developmental pediatrician recommended that i read after first and foremost (after reading "WELCOME TO HOLLAND") and it is is called the "FIRST 100 DAYS KIT" ill be posting a LOT of information from this frequently, mostly for myself and family so they can have access to this packet (first 100 days)....

How is Autism Diagnosed?
Presently, there is not a medical test for autism; a diagnosis is based on observed behavior and educational and psychological testing.

As the symptoms of autism vary, so do the routes to obtaining a diagnosis. You may have raised questions with your pediatrician yourself. Some children are identified as having developmental delays before obtaining a diagnosis of autism and may already receive some Early Intervention or Special Education services.

Unfortunately, parents’ concerns are sometimes not taken seriously by their doctor and a diagnosis is delayed. If concerns about a child’s development are raised, their doctor should refer the child to Early Intervention and a specialist for a developmental evaluation. Hearing and lead exposure screenings should be performed and an autism-specific screening tool, such as the Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT) should be used.

The MCHAT, is a list of simple questions about your child. The answers determine whether he or she should be referred to a specialist, usually a Developmental Pediatrician, a Neurologist, a Psychiatrist or a Psychologist, for further evaluation. There are other screening tools available, some geared towards older children or specific Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Your child may have been diagnosed by one of the professionals mentioned above. In some cases, a team of specialists may have evaluated your child and provided recommendations for treatment. The team may have included an Audiologist, to rule out hearing loss, a Speech & Language Therapist, to determine language skills and needs, and an Occupational Therapist to evaluate physical and motor skills.

What is Autism?
Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD).

The other pervasive developmental disorders are PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified), Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett Syn- drome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Many parents and professionals refer to this group as Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Autism affects the way your child perceives the world and makes communication and social interaction difficult. He may also have repetitive behaviors or intense interests. Symptoms, and their severity, are different for each of the affected areas (Communication, Social Interaction, and Repetitive Behaviors). Your child may not have the same symptoms and may seem very different from another child with the same diagnosis.

The symptoms of autism typically last throughout a person’s lifetime. A mildly affected person might seem merely quirky and lead a typical life. A severely affected person might be unable to speak or care for himself. Early intervention can make extraordinary differences in your child’s development. How your child is functioning now may be very different from how he or she will function later on in life. The information following – about the social symptoms, communication disorders and repetitive behaviors associated with autism – is taken from the National Institute of Mental Health Website.

Social Symptoms
From the start, developing infants are social beings. Early in life, they gaze at people, turn toward voices, grasp a finger, and even smile.

By contrast, most children with autism seem to have tremendous difficulty learning to engage in the give-and-take of everyday human interactions. Even in the first year of life, many do not interact and avoid eye contact in a normal way. They may seem indifferent to other people, and prefer being alone. They may resist attention or passively accept hugs and cuddling. Later, they may fail to seek comfort or respond to parents’ displays of anger or affection in a typical way. Research has suggested that although children with autism are attached to their parents, their expression of this attachment is unusual and difficult to “read”. To parents, it may seem as if their child is not connected at all. Parents who looked forward to the joys of cuddling, teaching and playing with their child may feel crushed by this lack of the expected and typical attachment behavior.

Children with autism also are slower in learning to interpret what others are thinking and feeling. Subtle social cures such as a smile, a wave, or a grimace-may have little meaning to a child with autism. To a child who misses these cues, “Come here” may always mean the same thing, whether the speaker is smiling and extending her arms for a hug or frowning and planting her fists on her hips. Without the ability to interpret gestures and facial expressions, the social world may seem bewildering. To compound the problem, people with autism have difficulty seeing things from another person’s perspective. Most five year olds understand that other people have different thoughts, feelings, and goals than they have. A child with autism may lack such understanding. This inability leaves them unable to predict or understand other people’s actions. Although not universal, it is common for people with autism to have difficulty regulating their emotions. This can take the form of “immature”behavior such as crying in class or verbal outbursts that seem inappropriate to those around them. Sometimes they may be disruptive and physically aggressive, making social relationships even more difficult. They have a tendency to “lose control”, particularly when they’re in a strange or overwhelming environment, or when angry or frustrated. At times, they may break things, attack others or hurt themselves. In their frustration, some bang their heads, pull their hair or bite or pinch their arms.

Communication Difficulties
By the first birthday, a typical toddler says a word or two, turns and looks when he hears his name, points when he wants a toy, and when offered something distasteful, makes it clear that the
answer is “no”. Some people with autism remain mute throughout their lives; although the majority develops spoken language and all eventually learn to communicate in some way. Some infants who later show signs of autism “coo” and babble during the first few months of life, but they stop. Others may be delayed, developing language as late as age five to nine.

Some children may learn to use communication systems such as pictures of sign language. Children with autism who do speak often use language in unusual ways. They seem unable to combine words into meaningful sentences. Some speak only single words, while others repeat the same phrase over and over. They may repeat or “parrot” what they hear, a condition called echolalia. Although many children with autism go through a stage where they repeat what they hear, it normally passes by the time they are three.
Some children with autism who are only mildly affected may exhibit slight delays in language, or even seem to have precocious language and unusually large vocabularies, but have great difficulty in sustaining a conversation.

The “give and take” of normal conversations may be hard, although they may often carry on a monologue on a favorite subject, giving others little opportunity to comment. Another common difficulty is the inability to understand body language, tone of voice, or “phrases of speech.” For example, someone with autism might interpret a sarcastic expression such as “Oh, that’s just great” as meaning it really IS great.While it can be challenging for others to understand what children with autism are less able to say, their body language may also be difficult to understand. Facial expressions, movements, and gestures may not match what they are saying. Also their tone of voice may fail to reflect their feelings. They may use a high-pitched, sing-song, or flat, robot-like voice. Some children with relatively good language skills speak like little adults, failing to pick up on the “kid-speak” that is common in their peers.
Without meaningful gestures or the language to ask for things, people with autism are less able to let others know what they need. As a result, they may simply scream or grab what they want. Until they are taught better ways to express their needs, children with autism do whatever they can to get through to others. As they grow up, they can become increasingly aware of their difficulties in understanding others and in being understood. As a result, they are at greater risk of becoming anxious or depressed.

Repetitive Behaviors
Although autism usually appear physically normal, odd repetitive motions may set them apart from other children. These behaviors might be extreme and highly apparent or more subtle. Some children and older individuals repeatedly flap their arms or walk on their toes. Some suddenly freeze in a position. As children, individuals with autism might spend hours lining up their cars and trains in a certain way, rather than using them for pretend play. If someone moves one of the toys, the children may be tremendously upset. Many children with autism need, and demand, absolute consistency in their environment. A slight change in routines, such as mealtimes, dressing, taking a bath, and going to school at a certain time or by the same route, can be extremely stressful.

Repetitive behavior sometimes takes the form of a persistent, intense preoccupation. These strong interests may be unusual because of their content (e.g. Being interested in fans or toilets) or because of the intensity of the interest (e.g. knowing much more detailed information about Thomas the Tank Engine than peers). For example, a child with autism might be obsessed with learning all about vacuum cleaners, train schedules, or lighthouses. Often older children with autism have a great interest in numbers/ letters, symbols, dates or science topics.

{I know this is a lot of information, but its mostly for myself and family that want to know more and want to have access to the "FIRST 100 DAYS KIT"}

(this is Recker curled in aunt Kaitlyn's dress...ill have to put a video of him being rolled in the blankets like he LOVES!)

Sensory Processing

2011-06-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

I found out that AMC reserves a theatre for "Sensory Friendly" movies for kids with disabilities. I cant tell you how amazing it was to sit in a theatre where all the kids were the same and if Recker started to do his squeals because he is excited or having a "tantrum", no one "SHHHH'ed" us or looked at us like we need to "get our child under control", because the fact is as loud as recker can be/was, there was always someone louder. We were able to enjoy watching a movie in the theatre without Jeremy or I telling him to sit down and be quiet (or worry we were bothering everyone in the theatre). He was able to walk around (like the other kids were) because honestly he can not sit still and attend to one thing for very long. But just the fact that we didnt have to "control him" we were all able to relax and feel comfortable, was more than we could have asked for. The sensory part of the movie was the fact that they had the lights dimmed and also had the volume down a little bit so it wasn't overwhelmingly loud for the kids. Recker's has a few different sensory issues that his doctor has written a prescription of Therapy for, that he will be starting really soon. But for those of you who dont know anything or much about sensory here is a little info on it....

Sensory Processing Issues in Autism
Children with ASD (autism spectrum disorders) often have trouble effectively processing information that comes into the brain through the senses (sight, hearing, touch, etc.), and this can interfere with the ability to understand and interpret what is in the environment around them.

There are five commonly known senses:
Hearing Sight Touch Smell Taste

And also two lesser-known senses –

Proprioception - the sense that tells the body’s joints and muscle groups how to react, move smoothly, and tells the body ‘where it is in space’.

Vestibular – the sense of balance involved with the inner ear that stabilizes visual fields when the head moves and maintains equilibrium.

Difficulty in processing information as it comes into the brain affects the ability to form appropriate motor responses. Processing information correctly involves: Registration – The information actually reaches the brain through the sensory channel (problems in registration might include blindness, hearing loss, etc.)

Modulation – The brain is able to filter through the various incoming messages for what is meaningful and what is not, and chooses the information to focus on Integration – The brain is able to organize the incoming information, analyze it accurately, choose a reaction, and follow through on the action
These deficits may show themselves differently in each child. However, we most often see them expressed in over- or under-sensitivity to sensory input from one or more of the senses, and this can cause confusion, anxiety and fearfulness.

We can also see these deficits appear in other areas such as:

Visual-perceptual skills: depth perception (may miss obstacles or over/underestimate distance), directionality to determine where things are (left/right, up/down, etc.), visual memory (retaining an accurate picture of an environment to remember information), sequential memory (what comes first), form constancy (if an object is half-covered, the whole object is still there), and over-focusing on details or unimportant input and missing the relevant cues (looking at a car’s design without realizing the danger of being hit).

Auditory processing: understanding of language (discriminating between similar words, organizing spoken words to determine meaning), selecting what to listen to (i.e. if your name is called) and filtering out background noise (i.e. the air conditioner hum), experiencing a delay in one ear but not both (makes for garbled input), hearing sounds as too loud or too soft (may hear sounds others can’t).

Taste/smell: may be a very ‘picky eater’ which can interfere with proper nutrition, can gag or vomit easily.

Touch: may not be able to discriminate objects by touch alone (i.e. find something in their pocket), may be injured without experiencing pain (high pain threshold), may appear clumsy (drops things), have poor body awareness (trip over things), have trouble planning a series of motor movements (climbing a ladder), be highly sensitive to light touch (tags on clothes, hair cuts) or dislike sticky substances (like glue).

Proprioception: may use too much or not enough force when pushing, pulling, lifting or holding (i.e. hug too hard, knock people and things over without meaning to), may fall down a lot, have trouble with small fine motor skills (managing coins, writing, zippers), may appear stiff or have an unusual gait, may have trouble knowing where their body ends and objects begin (running a hand over a wall to determine body placement, may confuse mother’s body as part of their own).

Vestibular: may lose balance if head is tilted, have trouble recovering from movement (i. e. car sickness, dizziness after swinging) or may not get dizzy at all, may crave excessive movement (rocking, swinging) or, conversely, may dislike any movement (head position, climbing), may lose balance easily (fall out of chairs), develop poor postural control (cannot maintain positions like sitting for very long).

Emotional regulation: may have intense emotional reactions to sensory stimuli and have difficulty calming down (i.e. the fire bell can result in behavioral breakdowns through the rest of the day), and the rate of recovery from reactions to stimuli may be slow (may need extended or regularly scheduled break times to maintain control).

Consider a trip to a large retail store (walmart, target, costco, etc...). Most people can block out the ambient noise, smells, and visual stimuli. But for someone with sensory issues, this is a serious challenge. He has to sort through a plethora of voices and beeps and rattles which may wreak havoc on his nerves. He is also bombarded with images, products, unfamiliar faces, and bright lighting. The brain of a person with autism is not wired to determine which sensory stimuli should be ignored. Waiting in line may also be a painful experience, because it seems to serve no purpose. The child may feel restrained and uncomfortable. The frustration may be magnified by an inability to communicate or release these feelings. They don't not know what to expect and he does not know what is expected of him.

(its bright, its loud, there are thousands of different products, there are people everywhere...its completely a sensory overload for some children with ASD)

"D-Day" (diagnosis day)

2011-05-23T21:51:00.001-07:00

i barely slept last night. i lay in bed wide awake. sick. worrying. praying. praying that i'd be able to get through today. praying that everything would be ok. i just had this feeling, ive had it once before, in louisiana. i just knew. i got recker all dressed and we headed to phoenix. when we got there, we got into see Dr. Robbin Blitz (she used to be at St.Joe's, now she's at phoenix childrens) at around 9:30am, she came in with her intern. She asked me to sit next to her by the computer while her intern observed/played with recker. they layed out gymnastic type mats for him to play on, gave him toys and books. I sat there as Dr. Blitz went over his extensive bloodwork that he had done last week. she said there were some very concerning irregularities. i thought, well ok so? she explained that she was concerned that he has something called mitochondrial disease/disorder. she said we need to see the neurologist and that possible he may need a muscle biopsy. then she sat there, went over all of her observations, the 5 tests that recker took, 2 evaluation packets done by me, my mom, and the doctors. she was telling me everything that i didnt want to hear. i sat there. i was listening. i just didnt understand. this wasnt how his appointment was supposed to go. i just kept telling myself, hold it together i think you may be misunderstanding her. but then she said it. AUTISM. she showed me where he rated on the spectrum. that was hard to see. he is moderate on the scale from mild to severe, he's right in the middle. i was just told my baby was autistic. i held it together. i kept telling myself to stay strong. i think i was still in shock. they both looked at me with a puzzled look, like maybe i wasnt getting it. because i didnt react at all. i just sat there staring at the wall. she got up to get me a tissue, which i thought was weird at first. THEN IT HIT ME. he will never serve a mission. he will never get married. he will never have a family of his own. his life will never be what we thought it would. i finally cried & she sat there with me and went over this whole huge packet she made for me that had information about ASD. by the time i left her office it was after 12:30. i cried all the way to the car. i sat in the car for about 30 minutes sobbing. trying to comprehend how our lives have just changed completely. everything that we had dreamed for him, is gone. i cant explain how it feels to be told something like this about your child. i feel broken. i know that so many people function and live normal lives with children who have Autism, i know about all the resources and who to go to and where to get help. and i know everyone will be so kind and offer advice or suggestions, and i appreciate it, but not now. i couldnt imagine you could feel this way. that mourning feeling. that feeling of absolute LOSS. i know it will go away but for now, that is all i can feel...NUMB & ROBBED.

"Welcome to Holland"

by emily perl kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Tests, Evaluations and Such...

2011-05-05T00:10:00.001-07:00

So usually i am not too personal about things on here but i figured this is the easiest way to let family and friends know what is going on with Recker, instead of having to talk about it over and over and over again. Anyways at Recker's 14 month checkup, there were a few things with recker that raised some red flags for the doctors. Without going into much detail, the doctor did the M-CHAT test and recker failed it, so Dr. Guthrie & Dr. Levitt BOTH recommended us to see a Developmental Pediatrician. The wait for an appointment to see a Developmental Pediatrician is months, so while we waited we went through the process of meeting with DDD/AzEIP to get an additional evaluation. They qualified him for speech, OT (occupational therapy-fine motor) and DSI. We finally had our first meeting with Dr. Robin Blitz at Phoenix Children's Hospital who is one of the best Dev. Ped. in the state. She was incredible and made me completely comfortable and was reassuring during the entire process. He has officially been accepted into the Autism Clinic at Phoenix Children's Hospital. We have a long way to go to diagnose (he has NOT been diagnosed with autism) or to HOPEFULLY rule out autism. Our appointment was on Monday and i was there from 7:30 am to almost 2pm it was a very long day. They have some concerns with his previous SEIZURE history and we will be doing a 72 hour sleep study coming up here soon, a genetic test and several other tests and observations they need to do before our next appointment which is on June 1. It has all been very overwhelming but i feel sooo blessed to have experience in this area because of what i do for work, so i feel like im prepared and i know the avenues i need to take, and luckily i have family and friends who have helped me so much when i have questions. We are doing fine, recker is healthy and such an amazing little boy he has my heart entirely and is honestly the light of my life. WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC about all these tests and believe that everything will turn out ok. Thank you to all of our family and friends who have showed love and concern!!

**It is hard enough being second guessed and being told that im over reacting from family and friends so please i dont want to hear your negativity. I am NOT over reacting by getting him in this early, in fact i have been told that i am doing a GREAT thing by getting him when i am. He has now been seen by FOUR doctors (two of them specialists and some of the best in their field), and now FOUR ddd/Early Intervention team members who have ALL come to the same conclusion that something IS WRONG, they are not sure if it is AUTISM but it is raising enough flags and he is showing enough signs of Autism to be accepted into their clinic. They would NOT accept anyone into the clinic if there was not a good chance of that Diagnosis. They would NOT accept him if he was "JUST LIKE THE OTHER KIDS HIS AGE", Like i said before we are extremely OPTIMISTIC that it will not be Autism, but it is no ones place to rule it out but the doctors.....WE DONT WANT TO HEAR YOUR ANONYMOUS NEGATIVE COMMENTS. KEEP THEM TO YOURSELF**

no joke, im the fool...

2011-04-03T01:34:00.001-07:00

So april fools day brings up very fond and funny memories. On april 1, 2008 i decided to send a mass text to my entire family and friends and tell them that i was pregnant! quite a few actually believed me and were sooo excited for me, so i felt bad when i had to tell them it was a JOKE and that i was NOT pregnant. Well about a week later when i was at my yearly checkup i got the wonderful news that i actually was pregnant, 5

weeks pregnant to be exact! So the week earlier when i thought i was joking about being preggers i really was! when it came time to tell our family, NO ONE BELIEVED US because we had joked about it earlier that week. when i finally talked my sisters into believing me they were the most excited, screaming like crazy im sure my little bean sized baby heard them. Anyways we LOVE april fools day now and will always be reminded of that amazing day when we found out we were expecting our little Recker Jay!!

PRAYERS

2011-03-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are close to my family know how much MY MOM has struggled

for almost 2 years with breast cancer.

i could tell you all about it but my sister

HALEIGH said it best HERE.

We started a ward and family wide fast for my mom tonight.

We are asking any and everyone to keep her in you prayers.

.Marleigh.

2011-03-31T22:21:00.000-07:00

i was so lucky to be able to take pictures of my adorable niece Marleigh in celebration of her FIRST birthday!!! she is seriously adorable and so smart, we just love her to pieces and im so glad that recker has a little cousin his age to grow up with...more like get into trouble with, i mean they are roussels after all.

Marleigh Gene Roussel

February 18th, 2010

Day 05-

2011-03-26T01:33:00.001-07:00

day 05

A picture of my

Favorite Memory...

(the very first time i got to hold & see my Recker)

December 14, 2009

Day 04

2011-03-26T01:14:00.001-07:00

A picture of your day.

um my day is usually CRAZY!
im a mom & wife, and on top of that
i work full time in a special education
classroom in Gilbert.

not sure what a picture of my day looks like but here are a few to sum it up....

drop off my little "not-so morning person"

at my mom's on my way to

work....

pick up recker and head home to play with jeremy..

after he leaves for work

(i hate his shift right now)

recker and i usually

end up either here...

or here...

usually both.

and then we end the night...

watching backyardigans before we get ready for bed.

Day 03

2011-03-15T10:02:00.001-07:00

"Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show."

ok so i know on day two i put two clips of my favorite shows.

Bare with me while i share a couple more of my favorite clips from

Modern Family & Arrested Development

if these clips arent enough to convince you to watch

either of those shows, i dont know what else will.

TRUST ME THEY'RE

AMAZZZZZZING.

Day 02

2011-03-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

"Day 02- A picture of you & the person you have been close with for while"....

what does that even mean?

so i guess it would be jeremy.

We met December 02, 2007.

Got engaged February 16th, 2008

Married May 10th, 2008.

Our dating and engagement was short but

i wouldnt have done anything different.

Jeremy is PERFECT for me, he puts up with my

weird quirks and awkwardness, and compliments

my shyness (yes im super shy actually) by

being the most outgoing boisterous happy person EVER.

he is my absolute complete opposite in everyway

and i LOVE it and HIM.

Trickster

2011-03-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

So recker used to wear hats all the time until we went to the swapmeet

with Skyler and Jess one time and bought a head scratcher...

we thought maybe recker would like it. NOT.

after trying this contraption on him, he FREAKED OUT if anything

touched his head from then on. my sisters and jeremy thought it was

funny to tease him with their hands and do it and it traumatized him.

If you even went near his head he wouldnt have it. Jeremy has wanted him

to wear hats for the longest time but there was NO WAY!

Anyways jeremy bought Recker a hat and i laughed at him and told

him good luck with that one. Well i guess the guy at Hat Club gave

jeremy a trick to get recker to wear the hat. Put it on him while he is asleep

so when he wakes up he is wearing it. So we did it while he slept and

during naps and VOILA!

(sorry the pics are low quality, they're from my phone)

Laissez les bon temps rouler!!

2011-03-13T21:17:00.001-07:00

So this is going to be a long post...

Ok so first of all last sunday i got a HUGE suprise from Skyler and Jessica (my inlaws) they brought me something that i have been missing for years....when i was pregnant i almost, seriously you guys, drove to vegas (thats the closest place) to get this....its Raising Canes!!

So most of you know i lived in Louisiana for over a year and a half...anyways there were two places that became my favorite that you could ONLY get in Louisiana and one of them is Raising Canes Chicken (the other is Steam Boat Bills for crawfish and cajun food). I wont go on about how much i love it or else i wont be able to stop (my mouth is watering right now) anyways the resturant originated at LSU by a guy who his teacher told him that businness of only serving chicken (kind of like chick fil a but soooo 100x better) would work. Well he proved him wrong and now they are everywhere but HERE!!

Well on sunday jessica and skyler brought it back from vegas for me and i was the happiest girl in the world!! THANK YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH!!!

Continuing on with my Louisiana theme....

Mardi Gras was this week and

Everyone celebrates Mardi Gras differently

there are those in New Orleans who party like this

then there are some who celebrate like THIS!!!

Well yesterday was Fat Tuesday meaning mardi gras!! I was sooo sad not to be in Louisiana. I miss it sooooo much sometimes. The green EVERYWHERE, the AMAZING food, the people are incredible and my friends and family. I met some of the best friends ever there

I was there during hurricane katrina and hurricane rita...

Anyways here are some friends from louisiana...

(Michelle aka Sug or Sugar)

(Hillary)

(Mark)

(josh)

I spent 2 birthdays there my 18th and 19th....

from the left: Sugar, Caleb, Hillary, Luke, Johnny (my cousin!)

(sug and ben)

I crashed and totaled my car while living there...

my aunt & uncle had the best dog EVER, her name is shelby (from steel magnolias) and she could FLY seriously look....

well jeremy and i went back to visit for spring break of 09' and i had sooo much fun showing jeremy around my second home. he LOVED it. we took him to New Orleans and to eat my favorite Raising Canes and STeamboat Bills....

(incase youre wondering...those are CRAWFISH on our fingers!)

Awwwh my mouth is watering just looking at this, i am dying for some steamboat bills crawfish and pistolettes and fries! Cajun food is the best food EVER!! Shrimp Etouffe, Chicken and sausage gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice awwwh all of it is just incredible. i wish we could get it here somewhere.

anyways you can see our trip to louisiana

HERE!!

Where i blogged about it in march 2009!

i loved my time in louisiana and i'll NEVER forget it! i cant thank my aunt and uncle enough for letting me stay with them and for everything!!

30 days 30 pics...

2011-03-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

So this is lame but im hoping it will get me in the habit of blogging more often!!

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen random facts.

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for awhile.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Day 04 - A picture of your night.

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most adventurous things with.

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.

Day 12 - A picture of something you love.

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.

Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.

Day 25 - A picture of your day.

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Day 01

15 facts about me...

1. I met, got engaged and married Jeremy in a total of 6 months and its one of the best things EVER!!

2. My siblings are the funniest people that I know, hands down.

3. I love random awkward moments and somehow always find myself in the middle of them!

4. I am super paranoid about scary things happening to me...ask jeremy!

5. I love stories. It sounds weird but i love to hear a story, any kind of story from anyone. Especially random strangers...when i lived in louisiana i always would get life stories from random strangers at the grocery store. I LOVE IT! so ever need someone to tell a story to...im your girl!

6. jeremy and i love to collect books, any and all of our favorites.

7. Every single thing about recker makes my day. I love his little dimple and his amazingly blonde hair and blue eyes...His little sweet kisses are my faaaavorite! He is perfect in every way.

8. i am weird about certain textures and have a slight sensory problem...i can not walk barefoot on cement that has sand on it, the thought of tapioca or oatmeal makes me gag, and fruit baked in anything is absolutely disgusting, fruit should only be eaten FRESH!

9. When i was preggers i craved pickles and ice...im not exaggerating when i tell you that i could eat a 10lb bag of ice in couple days, the dr. said he thought it could be pica because i obsessed about ice, its all i could think about, i had insomnia so i didnt sleep, i just laid in bed and ate ice. Pickles were my other obsession. but i was a snob, i'd only eat Mt. Olive Pickles. I ate a HUGE costco size jar in 2 days...needless to say my feet swelled up sooo big from the sodium.

10. Ive been put on hold by 911 twice in the past month...seriously how can 911 put you on hold for 30 mins?

11. I am sooo excited for the summer...im such a baby in the cold.

12. ive worked at highland park elem. in special ed for 5 years!!

13. i have buyers guilt! i rarely shop and when i do its usually for jeremy or recker. but i cant get out of target under $100 its ridiculous!

11. i love to collect recipes. my mom and mother in law are the best cooks EVER and i love to use their recipes along with other ones that i collect from tons of my cookbooks and blogs!!

12. I have been to 18 different countries some of them multiple times.

13. i am so easily amused and laugh at everything.

14. i can probably recite toy story 3 or shrek ever after word for word, recker is obsessed!!

15. Ive never laughed out loud at any other show as much modern family and arrested development!

Thin Mints & Kleptos

2011-03-08T21:30:00.001-07:00

Ive been so sick (the parents send the kids to school when they are obviously very sick) and i ended up getting Recker sick. Anyways he's been feeling pretty crappy lately, so i decided to let him watch his favorite show The Backyardagains in my bed for awhile before it was time to go to sleep. I went into the other room to clean up the kitchen and when i went back in to check on him, this is what i found....

The little booger got into my purse (yes i carry a box of girl scout cookies in my purse!) and got my cookies!!!

Well like i said earlier ive been so sick lately bc the kids in my class at work always are coming to school sick. I finally am feeling a little bit better and its a good thing because we are going on a field trip tomorrow to Build A Bear @ Santan and then lunch at the food court. Im so excited to see how this goes down. Our class goes on CBI (community based instruction) trips almost monthly, and they are a blast, we just have a couple serious kleptomaniacs who think if they want it they should be able to just take it, so we've got to keep our eye on them hahaha. So if any of you are wondering why Santan has been taken over by 3 special ed classes tomorrow thats why! Watch out Build A Bear you are not going to know what hit you!

Luck Be a Lady...

2011-03-05T16:41:00.001-07:00

Ok i know im biased but i have the best husband in the world...He definitely wins the Husband of the year award!! He has fridays off so he drove me to work and when he picked me up he surprised me with a present. Jeremy knows how stressed ive been lately and he's always telling me to relax but its really hard to let myself. Soooo he gave me the perfect present to help me relax....

+Sudoku (my fav)

+Frank Sinatra Greatest Hits

(Luck be a lady? get it? eh eh?)

+Reflexology

+Mani & Pedi

The best kind of presents are the ones that are not expected and are completely random!

It was just what i needed!!

capri.

2011-03-02T22:42:00.001-07:00

The past week or two have been pretty hard, for different reasons. But one thing that i have been reminded, is how short life is. We never know when it will be taken from us, and that we need to tell the people around us that we love them. I am so grateful for my husband Jeremy, (this will get sappy so skip it if you'd like) he is one of the hardest workers i know and the best father. Hes exactly what i need in my life. We are almost complete opposites but at the same time, exactly alike. I can not imagine life without him. He is everything to me. He gave me the most amazing son. I cant being to say how much my son is my whole world...most of you are moms so you know what im talking about. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me/us. I love my family, they are everything to me. My parents have always been the best parents and have helped me with so much in my life. They have supported me through so many trials and choices. i don't know where i would be without them. They help me watch recker almost daily and without them i'd be lost! They are so strong and are such examples to my siblings and i, we look up to them more than they will ever know. My sister Haleigh, i cant begin to express how much i love her and how much she has helped me not only with Recker, but just being her loving empathetic caring self she always has been, she's always the one person i want to go to when im sad (even though i don't). Kaitlyn ive always been in awe of, she is amazing and i love her soooo much. She has helped me with recker so much lately, i love the connection he has with her. She is so sincere, fair and sooo fun. Ive always been jealous of how laid back she is, (i can get wound up sometimes). Im so grateful for how close we've become the last year. She married the most perfect guy for her. We all LOVE Brian and are so happy to have him join our family, he is so generous & kind and fits in perfectly!! Then there is Blake. I miss him soooooo much. Sometimes i'll hear a song on the radio that reminds me of him and it kills me how much i miss him, i want him to be home already. He is such an example to me. He has been through so much, he overcame everything and is now doing the most honorable thing a man his age can do, serve a mission. I am so proud of him. Hes the best brother a girl could have. He has such a big heart and is honestly one of the funniest people i know. I cant wait to see him this year. My family has been the only constant in my life, friends have always come and gone but my family will always be there.

Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.

-- Anthony Brandt

For my horny umm i mean HORNET Friends....

2011-02-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is my families FAVORITE cake ever!

We made it at work today with the kids and a lot of you

were asking me for the recipe so here it is....

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Yellow cake mix with pudding (will say that on the box) - I prefer Pillsbury MOIST supreme

1 sm. pkg chocolate INSTANT pudding

1/2 C. sugar

3/4 C. vegetable oil

3/4 C. water

4 large eggs

1 C. sour cream

1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine first 3 ingredients. Stir w/ fork or wire whip to remove large lumps. Add remaining ingredients except choc. chips. Stir until smooth. Stir in choc. chips. Pour into greased/floured (the Pam with flour works awesome) bundt pan. Bake @ 350 for 1 hr. Cool 10 min. on a wire rack in the pan. Remove from pan and cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!!

My mom has a blog that has hundreds of our family recipes and other ones that she loves so if you ever need a recipe this is the place to go. Every dinner i make is from her blog so CLICK HERE if you ever need to try something new!!

Thank You!

2011-01-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Thursday we had a big fundraiser for Team Monya for our Relay for Life team. Our team as a whole needs to earn $1500 before April and with the help of family and a LOT of great friends we are a little bit closer to our goal. Sweet Tomatoes graciously hosted a restaurant night in honor of Team Monya and we got 15% of the proceeds from that night. I just want to tell everyone that came how grateful I am. Thank you soooo much for taking time out of your lives to come spend money and help us.

We will be hosting a few more restaurant nights and other fundraisers in the next couple months if you are interested i will be posting the information on here and facebook.

THANK YOU!

RELAY FOR LIFE

2010-12-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

So i remember doing relay for life when i was in high school and man are those some crazy memories. To me it was just an excuse to spend the night with my whole high school and friends on the track field, it didnt mean anything more to me than a giant party. Now it has a whole different meaning. Last year we participated in it and this year I am captain of a team in my mom's name, TEAM MONYA. We almost have the whole team full but still a few spots available. A lot of you have emailed me and joined, but if anyone else is still interested you can email me at kaylaroussel@gmail.com. Also we have a goal of $100 per person to raise for the team, so roughly $1500 per team. If you want to donate to TEAM MONYA you can do that by CLICKING HERE and either printing out a form and mailing in a check or by clicking the donate button and paying directly online! Thank you for everyone that has already donated, it means more than you know!

For those of you who don't know what Relay For Life is about you can read about it here.

here are a couple photos from last years Relay for Life

(mom with friend and Survivor Dena Weech)

(Mom walking with Recker - April 2010 Relay For Life)

ITS BEEN A YEAR!!

2010-12-18T16:53:00.001-07:00

ONE YEAR!

ps i appologize in advance for many many many pictures...

NOW ONTO THE BIRTHDAY AND PARTY!!!

(this is recker saying "screw toy story 3" and throwing it, so he can grab his favorite....SHREK!!!)

Thank you to everyone who came and helped us celebrate Recker's birthday, we really appreciated it and loved seeing all of you!

Cabin, Haircut, Halloween...

2010-12-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pictures from the past few months ive missed updating!!!

uncle skyler

aunt jessica

Skyler and Jessica invited us up to her family's cabin for the weekend

and we had a BLAST!! Recker loved it and loved being able to play with Jeremy and Skyler!

Just a few pictures of recker showing off how he can go up and down the stairs

and play at Grandad and BonBon's house!

Recker and Grandad

His FAVORITE thing to do....play in the front seat of the

car and pretend he is driving. HE LOVES IT!!!

Recker and Bon Bon

For halloween Recker dressed up as his favorite...MICKEY MOUSE!

Playing with Brooke Halcomb (cant remember married name)

We LOOOOVE her and Greg and cant get enough of them. We went to mexico together for the 4th of july and seriously had so much fun, i love them! Anyways they were running the snow cone machine and recker got his first taste of snow cone.

Reckers First Haircut. My mom did not want us to cut it but it was seriously starting

to look like an old man mullet. Soo we trimmed it up a little! He HATED it!

I KNOW I KNOW...

2010-12-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

It has been months since ive posted anything and the idea of catching up on everything is overwhelming so im just going to post our cruise we went on at the end of sept to begining of october for a week! We went to: Miami, Belize, Honduras, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel. IT was a blast, my family is all about cruises and go every year but this year we had spouses and a baby! Anyways here are a TON of pictures!!

Recker and Bon Bon taking a nap up on top of the ship

Recker all dressed up for dinner.

My amazing parents Monya and Eric!!

The best sisters ever and did i mention beautiful!

Anyone who knows my dad knows what is going on in this picture....Yes he is bartering with ALL of the cab drivers in Belize.

Tia Bear!

View from the top of the Ruins in belize.

Recker petting an alligator...does it make me a bad mom that i was totally encouraging recker to hold this monster? hahaha

Love him haha dad is always wanting his picture taken especially with the locals.

Jeremy and Recker in the ocean in Cozumel.

Of course we would meet random people and become friends with them!

Recker hanging out in his jammies during one of the night performances.

Did i mention that the night performance was Kaitlyn and Brian doing LIVE versions in FULL COSTUME? Kaitlyn put on a live performance of "HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME" by the one and only brittany spears and Brian sang "FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES" by Garth Brooks. This was full on singing on their own with back up dancers, no lip syncing or anything hahahaha it was AMAZING!!! They were Mortified but we LOVED it!!

Recker pretty mad he didn't get to go to bed at his regular bed time!

kaitlyn

2010-08-07T23:47:00.001-07:00

kaitlyn i missss youuu!! i wish you lived here so we could play and you could see recker all the time!! we've been playing ichat tag for like a week and it sucks...recker wants to see you!! anyways i came across some old videos of you and they always used to cheer me up when i was sad, and now we just watch them to laugh. anyways i know youre probably going to kill me buuuut its ok. my favorite ones i couldnt post, im going to keep it PG. Kaitlyn you are the best and so funny these are 3 or 4 years old but they still never get old! And neither do the 13 other ones i have!!

Summer...

2010-07-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

We've been lucky enough to travel this summer and go on fun trips!! We have had something going on every weekend this summer it seems like!! Heres an update of a couple trips we took...

We went with my parents and sister haleigh down to mexico for the fourth of july this year. We had such a blast, as we always do in mexico & with family. We were lucky enough to have the halcombs there too! We loooove the halcombs they are some of our favorite people ever...cant get enough of them! He is such a daddy's boy, he hung out with jeremy all day and went on adventures with him in the mornings. We love mexico and can not wait to go back down!!

SOME FUN STUFF WE DID IN MEXICO....

Recker took a ride on the cooler with Bon Bon!

Played in the ocean & sand!!

Played volleyball and soccer with the halcombs!

Took way too many naps!!

Walked around down at the fish market and bought fun stuff!

Sat around looking irresistibly cute!

Played with the halcombs some of our favorite people ever, and ate DELICIOUS food!!!

Now onto our CAMPING trip!!

So last year we went camping with some of jeremy's siblings and we had the best time EVERR! Soooo we decided to make it an annual thing we do. We've been sooo excited planning this trip the past couple months and we finally got to go last weekend! We went up north between alpine and springerville! (quick little side note: we stopped in payson and i over heard a mom and daughter talking about how they were getting heat rash because it was "SOOOOOO HOT OUTSIDE!" i about DIED! we had just come from 110 degree heat to beautiful 79 degree payson where we thought we were in heaven, people are crazy and have NO clue what HEAT is until they've lived in the valley for a summer!) Anyways we drove up on thursday morning set up camp! The pena's were already there and ready to play! We had the best weekend ever! Waaay too many funny things happened to even begin to list, but lets just say it was an epic camping trip and one we will NEVER forget, from a bull growling outside our tents one night to alan break dancing in a pile of ants!! I can not wait until next year!!!

Recker did amazing the drive there and back he slept the entire time!!

We pulled up to this little beauty...How lucky were we to get to spend our weekend here!!

My sweet nephews Wesley and Alan eating breakfast...yummy homemade biscuits and jam!

Here is a picture of jeremy trying to give me a heart attack!!!

My two beautiful nieces Madison and Ashley!! I looove them soo much they crack me up constantly when im with them! Love it when they come up thinking they are being sneaky and say they have to tell me a secret and then whisper "I love you!" haha they are amazing!!!

Recker and daddy cuddling with each other before breakfast! Recker is definitely not a morning person....like his mama!!

Ashley wanted to come into my tent and hang out with me so i told her to take her shoes and socks off, little did i know, they were cleaner than her feet! hahaha good thing we were camping and not at home!!

Jessica snapped a quick picture of all three of us, its so rare to catch one of these. See how please i look to be in it? haha NOT!

Recker loooved going on hikes with us and being carried by jeremy!

Crashley! Obviously she gets her nickname from being a little accident prone! While we were camping, she fell in the creek, cut her finger open while prying apart an aluminum pop can, fell on her rear or almost face first i cant even count how many times and fell in the fire...just to list a few hahaha we love her though soooo much! i mean look at her, how can you resist!!

This is Grandpa Charly aka the baby whisperer as i like to call him!! He is my nieces and nephews grandpa on their other side. He came with us, and he was reckers absolute favorite person ever!! The instant granpa charly picked recker up, he would stop fussing/crying and was completely calm and would lay his head down on his shoulder and cuddle. Grandpa Charly was a lifesaver and seriously recker couldnt keep his eyes off of him it was incredible! wherever grandpa charly was, recker wanted to be!!

Just couldnt resist those blue eyes and pouty lip!

Wow that was such a long post, but i had to catch up!!

ps Thank you chad and aubrey, we cant wait for next year!!

recker & aunt haleigh

2010-07-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

so we're here in mexico and loving it sooo much! the sun makes recker so tired and wipes him out, but when he wakes up he is wide awak and slap happy haha this is recker waking up at like 1am and laughing at his aunt haleigh in the kitchen. More to come tomorrow or whenever i get a chance haha....

2010-06-21T17:43:00.001-07:00

So after coming home over a week ago to a flooded house, we ripped out our carpet in all 3 bedrooms and replaced it. It feels like a new home its awesome!! We are slowly putting everything back where it should be, we had everything in our living room (see pic below haha). Anyways lifes getting back to normal in that aspect, in another...we are getting ready for reckers EEG on wednesday. So after being told by every pediatric neurologist in arizona that we couldnt get recker in until september, i finally argued my way into Carden's Children's Hospital haha. I called cardens 3 times and finally got ahold of the head nurse of pediatric neurology and she told me no chance until september and desperately i started telling her how old recker is and how he's just a baby and these seizures are a new onset that completely changed things. The nurse said Recker needed to get in ASAP and she said she would sneak me in. She told me everything i needed to do in order to get into see a doctor. First, i needed to get an order for an EEG from his pediatrician. Once we got that we had to wait for the LOVELY insurance company to approve it and finally we are able to get into Carden's Pediatric Hospital on wednesday at 7:15am. They said he has to come sleepy and hungry. We will see a neurologist after we get his results from the EEG. Ill keep everyone updated!

{everything from all 3 bedrooms moved into our living room}

{seriously would go all day without clothes if i let him....if he is anything like his uncle blake or his mom im going to be in a whole lot of trouble when he gets a little bit older. We used to strip down at the mall, front yard, anywhere!}

{sitting with daddy while we play dice in bed haha}

{im the luckiest lady to wake up to this little man every morning}

p.s. sorry the photos are such crappy quality, they are from my phone!

6 months and more...

2010-06-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

So Recker is now 6 months old and so amazing i cant begin to explain how in love with him i am! he has learned so much in the past month, he is crawling, walking around furniture and trying to walk on his own already. He has a love hate relationship with baby food, he hates the food, but loves that he gets "bathtime with bonbon" afterwards (thats for you mom and kait bahahaha)!! We took him to the doctor yesterday on his 6 month bday because he's got white sore looking things in his mouth and mostly on his lips and tounge, turns out its thrush, and turns out thats what is causing his nasty rash too. But the main reason we went to the doctor was for the past two weeks we've been seeing some strange things with recker. Being that ive worked in special ed for 4 years and have experience in this area, i was pretty sure he was having petite mal seizures (absence seizures). I guess i just didnt want to accept that my baby was going through this but finally after 3 other people recognizing and saying something i finally decided to take him to the doctor and we have been referred to a peds neurologist. Here are some facts on Petite Mal Seizures (most for my records sorry for the long list of facts)....

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Absence seizure — also known as petit mal seizure — involves a brief, sudden lapse of conscious activity. Occurring most often in children, an absence seizure may look like the person is merely staring into space for a few seconds.

Compared with other types of epileptic seizures, absence seizures appear mild. But that doesn't mean they can't be dangerous. Children with a history of absence seizure must be supervised carefully while swimming or bathing, because of the danger of drowning. Teens and adults may also be restricted from driving and other potentially hazardous activities.

Absence seizures can usually be controlled with anti-seizure medications. Many children outgrow absence seizures in their teen years, though some may eventually develop grand mal seizures.

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Signs of absence seizures include:

Staring, without unusual movement
Lip smacking
Fluttering eyelids
Chewing
Hand movements
Small movements of both arms

Absence seizures last only a few seconds. Full recovery is almost instantaneous. Afterward, there is no confusion, but also no memory of the incident. Some people experience hundreds of these episodes each day, which interferes with their performance at school or work.

Children who are walking or doing other complex tasks during a seizure probably won't fall, though they'll be unaware.

Absence seizures may occur for some time before an adult notices them, because they're so brief. A noticeable decline in a child's learning ability may be the first sign of this disorder. Teachers also may comment about a child's inability to pay attention.

Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Often, no underlying cause can be found for absence seizures. Many children appear to have a genetic predisposition to them. Sometimes hyperventilation can trigger an absence seizure.

In general, seizures are caused by abnormal nerve cell (neuron) activity in the brain. The brain's nerve cells normally communicate with each other by sending electrical and chemical signals across the synapses that connect the cells. In people who have seizures, the brain's usual electrical activity is altered. During an absence seizure, these electrical signals repeat themselves over and over in a three-second pattern.

People who have seizures may also have altered levels of neurotransmitters, which are the chemical messengers that help the nerve cells communicate with one another.

This type of seizure may be more prevalent in children because there are more synapses in a growing brain. Many children gradually outgrow absence seizures over months to years.

Preparing for your appointment

By Mayo Clinic staff

You're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, you or your child will probably be referred to a doctor who specializes in nervous system disorders (neurologist).

Because appointments can be brief, and there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.

What you can do

Write down any symptoms you or your child are experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you or your child takes.
Write down questions to ask the doctor.

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For absence seizure, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

What's the most likely cause of these symptoms?
Are there other possible causes?
What kinds of tests are needed? Do these tests require any special preparation?
Is this condition temporary or long lasting?
What treatments are available, and which do you recommend?
What types of side effects can I expect from treatment?
Are there any alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
Are there any activity restrictions that need to be followed?
Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
Can my child also develop the grand mal type of seizure?
How long will my child need to take medication?
Can my child participate in physical activities, such as soccer, football and swimming?

In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.

What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:

When did you or your child first begin experiencing symptoms?
How often have the symptoms occurred?
Can you describe a typical seizure?
How long do the seizures last?
Are you or your child aware of what happened?

Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

Some children experience episodes that resemble absence seizures, but aren't truly seizures. Such episodes can usually be interrupted by calling the child's name or by touching his or her shoulder. True absence seizures, on the other hand, can't be interrupted by voice or touch. They also tend to occur right in the middle of a child's conversation or physical activity.

For a proper diagnosis, your doctor will ask for a detailed description of the seizures. Blood tests can help rule out other potential causes of seizures, such as a chemical imbalance or the presence of toxic substances. Other tests may include:

Electroencephalography (EEG). This painless procedure measures the waves of electrical activity in the brain. The brain waves are transmitted to the EEG machine via small electrodes attached to the scalp with paste or an elastic cap. Your child may be asked to hyperventilate or look at flickering lights, in an attempt to provoke a seizure. During a seizure, there's a difference in the normal pattern seen on the EEG.
Brain scans. Tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can produce very detailed images of the brain, which can help rule out other types of problems such as a stroke or a brain tumor. This test is not painful, but your child will need to hold very still for long periods of time. Talk with your doctor about the possible use of sedation, especially for young children.

Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

Many medications can effectively reduce or eliminate the number of absence seizures. Finding the right medication and dosage can be complex, requiring a period of trial and error. Taking the medications on a regular schedule is crucial to maintaining the proper drug levels in the blood.

Often, the first drug prescribed for absence seizures is ethosuximide (Zarontin). However, other medications, such as valproic acid (Depakene) and lamotrigine (Lamictal), also are effective at controlling seizures. Your doctor will likely start at the lowest dose of medication possible, and increase the dosage as needed to control the seizures. Most children can discontinue anti-seizure medications, under a doctor's supervision, after they've been seizure-free for two years.

Female adults who need treatment for absence seizures are advised against using valproic acid while trying to conceive or during pregnancy, because the drug has been associated with higher risk of serious complications for the baby. Women who can't achieve seizure control on any other medication need to speak with their doctors about the potential risks.

MEXICO!

2010-06-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

We went to mexico last week with my parents, kaitlyn & brian and we had such a blast! Recker LOOOVED mexico just like we figured (he does have williams blood in him after all) haha. We ate, swam, soaked up the sun and then ate some more. We can't wait till we can go back with all our friends and their babies too!

{we forgot his hat when we were down at the fish market and didnt want his head to get burned so we bought him a bandana and let him be a pirate for the day}

{first taste of mango, really didnt like it but wouldnt put it down haha}

{making everyone laugh out on the grass below the condo}

Day #1 sleep baby sleep

2010-06-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

ok so ive turned out to be one of those moms i swear i'd never be, the kind that lets her baby sleep with her! Recker has slept with us since the day we brought him home from the hospital, yes its been great and we love it, but we also need him to be able to sleep on his own, without jeremy or i. Its not like he isnt a good sleeper, he will sleep on average 8-11 hours so thats not the problem, its just that we need him to be able to sleep at other peoples houses and take naps easier than what he is doing now. So ive been reading book after book after book.....and FINALLY after two tries (haha im the one its hardest for i think) he is asleep in his crib in his bedroom!!! It took an hour of screaming and crying, but he finally dozed off and has been asleep for about an hour now haha. This is going to take a lot of work and yes i know its my fault, if i would have just put him in his crib from day one. But i loooove to snuggle and sleep with my baby boy. So this will be an adjustment for all of us!! Luckily i have great friends who are encouraging and well versed and read on their baby sleep theories haha....so wish me luck, this summer is going to be rough for both of us hahaha

^ more to come from our trip to mexico ^

We Heart The SUns!

2010-05-27T18:09:00.002-07:00

OK I LOVE NASH SO MUCH MORE FOR THESE VIDEOS THAT HE ALWAYS MAKES....

(heres the link to his videos he makes Steve Nash Channel MeatHawk )

my boys

2010-04-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

whenever we've had a crappy day we love to go for a drive together, we havent really gone on any since recker has been born, we usually end up at butcher jones, somewhere off hunt highway and even payson one time! they always seem to make everything better...

2010-04-25T00:53:00.001-07:00

Its already been over 4 months since recker was born, and it seems like a LOOOOT longer. We are having so much fun watching him learn new things. He started to sit up on his own, he still falls over a lot but hes getting the hang of it, and he just started solid foods which jeremy has been dying to feed him! Just rice cereal for now but he loves it haha. We are officially all the way living back at home now and not staying at my parents anymore. As much as we appreciated them housing and feeding us it was time to grow a pair and move back to our house. I had just been so scared since we got robbed and im already paranoid as it is let alone after a break in. Cant wait for work to get out for the summer 24 more days (school days) left and its out (for gilbert at least)! Im debating on whether or not to get a job for over the summer part time. I'll probably stay home with recker and play in the pool all summer. Last summer i was pregnant and never in the sun so im super excited for this summer. Most of our friends have babies or are currently waiting to deliver any day now, so by june we'll have babies galore and tons of time to play, its going to be a blast! Just have to give a little shout out to my mom, mother in law and sister in law alexis! Since i started back to work, my mom has been watching recker for me and has absolutely been a savior!! Well she FINALLY finished chemo and is on to the next phase of her fight...Radiation. Well its mon-fri for 6 weeks, and the times are completely different everyday, so its impossible for her to watch recker all day. Thats where my amazing in laws come in. Alexis and my mother in law Patti have been saints and help me and my mom out by watching recker for me while my moms at radiation. I know they say its no big deal, but they really dont know how much it means to jeremy and i. We love our family so much and are so grateful for all they they do and have done for us! THANK YOU!!!

Bubba Boo

2010-03-21T20:49:00.003-07:00

Dear Recker,

You are now 3 months old and growing soooo fast, you now weigh 15lbs and are about 26 inches of pure boy! We are absolutely in love with everything about you. Just some things you love and learned in the past month...

-You pull yourself up to stand on your feet using your strong biceps and super strong thunder thighs!

-Because you want to be standing CONSTANTLY you love to play in your baby einstein play center, where you have learned to push buttons, roll the rattles and turn in circles.

-You roll over so good and love naked tummy time after your bath.

-You started to blow spit bubbles and drool like CRAZZZY!

-You jabber/coo to us all day long and love to copy us and stick your tongue out at us.

-You sit in your high chair so good while we all eat dinner at the table.

-You started reaching for and grabbing your toys from us and next to you!
-You can roll from belly to back and from back to belly!!
-You laugh so hard at yourself in the mirror.

-You love any kind of noise we make out of our mouths especially fake coughing.

-You definitely recognize mama and daddy and follow us with your eyes when we walk away from you.

-You sleep the whole night through and only wake up for a diaper change then fall right asleep.

-You started to make a "POOP FACE" whenever you are pooing and its seriously sooo funny!! and put people to tears from laughing so hard when they see your poop face.

-And our absolute FAVORITE you started belly laughing, we die laughing so hard when you bust out in uncontrollable giggles.

We are so excited to see what this next month brings and what new things you will learn and show us. We love you baby boy!

Love Mama and Daddy!

Haleigh Yvonne Williams

2010-02-18T08:05:00.003-07:00

So last night me bear (haleigh) and my mom were in mom's bedroom talking about blogs and bear said she never reads my moms blog. So she said if we blogged about her she would get on and read, she gave me a VERY specific list of things she wanted to me say about her, which will be included as well as "MORE THINGS TOO" as she said. We were laughing so hard last night about this i guess you had to be there. So this is in attempt to get her to read our blogs....

Humm where to begin? JUST A FEW WORDS TO EXPLAIN BEAR...

AUNT

This year haleigh became an Aunt she goes by (Tia Bear). She was there with me in the delivery room when he was born. She helped me throughout the labor/delivery and was able to see him be born. She loves him so much and is such an amazing aunt! I know recker loves her so much and always will. He is spoiled with love and attention from his aunts daily!

SISTER IN-LAW

When i met jeremy, my sisters werent the biggest fan...to be honest they've never really liked anyone ive ever dated. I remember one time i was dating this real jerk and he made me cry in front of her and she went crazy on him haha. But she came around with jeremy and has become such a sweet sister in law to jeremy. He loves her like his own sister and would do anything for her! and i know brian would too!

TALENTED

Haleigh has been dancing since she was like 3 and she is INCREDIBLE to say the least! Ive been going to concerts/recitals for years and they never get old, i love to watch her dance. She is so talented when it comes to not only dance but so many other things.

COMPASSIONATE

Since bear was young in elementary school she has always had a special place in her heart for those less fortunate and especially with disabilities. She has always been such a understanding and compassionate person, Ive always looked up to her so much for that.

LOVING.FORGIVING.FAITHFUL

Hales has always been one of the most loving people i know. Not only loving but forgiving. When i moved to louisiana i know she was so mad at me for leaving her. But when i moved home she shared her room with me and despite my snoring we had the best time together. We watched all the seasons of the office and set a goal together to write in our journals. She also has such faith in those she loves, she believes in us and we can all feel it.

FRIEND.EXAMPLE.LOYAL

Haleigh has ALWAYS been such a great friend and sooo LOYAL! She will stick by your side and be there for you whenever you need. She is one of my best friends and always will be. She is such an example to not only me but everyone around her who knows and loves her. Whether youve made a mistake or just done something she dosent agree with, she will always be there for you to help and love you.

DAUGHTER

She has been by far the best child to my parents. She is so obedient and loves to please our mom and dad. She is so loving and being the only child left at home gets to spend so much time with our parents and become so close to them. I hope one day that i am lucky enough to have a daughter like hales.

SISTER

Bear is the youngest of us 4 kids and i think we all look up to HER. I love my sisters so much, they are completely different in every way but thats what i love about them. Haleigh is all the things ive listed above and SOOO much more. I am so lucky to be best friends with my sisters, we are so close and i wouldnt trade that for the world.

p.s. this doesnt mean we're bringing you to the D.R., we still need someone to stay home and clean.