Austin is back in school and has had a wonderful two weeks so far. His teachers and therapists have commented on how well he is doing and how much he has changed since the end of last school year. This will be his last year of preschool, then he will move on to Kindergarten. Austin has been moving around alot more on his own, not quite cruising yet, but definately adapting to what his body his allowing him to do for himself. He has mastered standing up and getting his own sippy cup from a table, and has accomplished being able to stand and hold the cup and drink from it all on his own. We are still working on the setting it down nicely phase. He enjoys climbing on us and his brother and thinks it is so funny. He communicates still with no words but uses many more sounds like high pitches, groans, moans and crying. His eye contact has approved greatly and has turned into a better form of communication for him. He was introduced to a walker and a bronco walker that we now have at home. It has allowed him the freedom to move about more without us having to hold him up. With the bronco he his straped in, it has handle bars for him to hold and a seat when he gets tired (which Austin soon realized was there, and takes full advantage of). He manages to move himself back and forth and loves the walls! It is great to see him have some freedom. We are still working on his exercises from Chile. We are going back in October and will be there for two weeks this time. We are excited and nervous at the same time. We hope the therapist won't be dissapointed in us! Austin loves to take toys out of his toy bucket now and throw them all over the place one by one. It is nice to see him take interest in things like that. He seems to be eating much better lately and even eating snacks at school with the other kids. Sometimes it seems like he wants to eat every hour and a half. He has gained 3 pounds since January. I think it is all in height though!!!! Although Austin is making such great accomplishments it seems that we are stuck in time. I miss talking about his milestones like other moms, I miss not being able to have him run out to me with open arms after school like the other children, I miss him not asking for snacks or learning new words. It makes me sad sometimes that after 4 years, almost 5 now, I thought we would be so much further along. I am tremoundsly grateful for all of Austin's accomplishments but also extremely frusterated at the same time. Every day is a new day and I look more at what Austin has accomplished than not, but there is still that part of me that want's him to move and do like all the others.

I apologize for being a blogging slacker. We are happy to report that Austin has been keeping us busy in great ways!!! Where to start.....Austin has been doing some great things over the past month or so. First of all he really likes to play with big brother Zach now. It brings tears to my eyes sometimes, because it makes me so happy to finally see that. We have waited a long time for this, and so has Zach. He gets so excited when they wrestle around together and Austin will let Zach help him stand. It is so fun to watch. Zach even tolerates Austin banging on him mostly in a playful manner. We continue to do therapy on a daily basis with Austin in one way or another. Austin really enjoys when we get his green therapy mat out. He hops over to it and does a four point stand. We take it that he understands what is happening and that he is ready for business. The exercises are challenging for all of us, but we manage to get through them with a group effort. Austin is taking steps, some really good, others very wide and all over the place. But......he is taking steps mostly with a two hand hold. He likes to pull to stand all day long, and cruise the corner of the couches from one to the other. He likes to get his sippy cup off the table and stand up and hold it with a two hand hold and drink from it. What a major accomplishment for him, and he knows it with that big smile and blue eyes. He has become so playful it is actually fun and exhausting at the same time. Austin is in extended school year (ESY) for one month this summer and is really doing good. He goes for one and a half hours Monday-Thursday at a special needs school. His teacher is the same teacher he has throughout the school year. He loves the adaptive playground and actually gets really mad when they put him back in his chair. He seems to enjoy the smaller class size and even eats his snack every day there and drinks his juice. I guess this is where reality has sunk in...Austin's needs are truly met at this special needs school. No more denial for me, time to face the hard truth. Austin has become more verbal and loves to make different sounds. He really seems to understand me when I make monkey sounds. I can't figure that one out, but it really gets his attention. His big baby blues just stare at me. Austin's eating is a little more consistent. He still needs to gain more weight, but for now he is eating a little more than usual. We are still planning on going back to Chile in October. I hope to go then to share an apartment with my friend Beth and her daughter Mia from Phoenix. Time seems to be going by so fast for us. I can't believe it is already going to be July. Austin had some genetic testing done and all the results came back normal. They tested him for Rhett's syndrome, P ten gene and a chromosal analogy. All chromosomes are intact and no deletions noted. That's all good to know, now back to the drawing board. We will see her again in October. I will try to get some video of Austin walking so all can see with your own eyes. Keep praying for Austin and his daily journey. It's working. More later.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow