TA-DA!

well, we've got lots of winners out there, so here is your picture!  (if you'd like one for your fridge, autographed no less, send me your address :)

so the news is out, our family is about to grow.  me, i'm already growing at a rapid pace. apparently, this little one is trending large, fabulous.  due in June, Wyatt's little brother will be making his long awaited debut.  but in case you wanted a sneak preview - wave to the crowd, little guy!

see ya soon!

what have YOU been up to lately?

i was reading some of my older posts and i feel like i was witty back then.  my posts had themes and i was able to throw in jokes here and there.  they might even make it sound like i was happier back then.  now, i don't blog as often, and when i do, the posts are dry and short and well, boring.  well, they are.  so, i'm gonna try to clean it up a bit.  what else is there to do at 10pm while i await the night nurse's arrival?  don't ask my husband that question.  (SEE?!?  i am funny!)  (and for the record, i am happier NOW!)

so i really hope i don't jinx myself, but the littlest cowboy has been making strides lately.  he's been on a new med, Keppra, that was just a trial to help with his movement disorder, but it has helped tremendously.  and he may just be coming into his own.   he is making so many purposeful movements, reaching for his communication buttons to tell us yes or no, to take turns singing songs and even to activate computer games!
visually, he is a new kid.  tracking, looking for us, smiling and laughing when we are across the room.  these are all things that we weren't sure he'd ever do, and now it seems he trying his hand at all of them.
and sleeping, he is sleeping like a champ now.  i can actually count on two hands the number of nights he has slept 10+ hours in a row.  a real feat for a kid who wasn't getting more than 2 in a row and 7 a night.
he loves school, he loves therapy, he loves other kids and he loves (and i can say this with full confidence) us.  i just melt now, knowing that his smiles are for me.  that he SEES me and is happy about seeing me.  these are uncertainties that i have learned to live with, but am now proud to say are no longer a question deep down in my soul...

where's the witty you ask?  i don't know.  maybe i don't have to cover up anything with sarcasm and cracks now, i'm just really happy.  there may be other reasons too - the first one to guess wins an autographed picture of THIS KID to hang on their fridge!

yes, his shirt says i *heart* budapest.  thanks grandpap.

Happy Holidays!

A free greeting card by Smilebox

All Yoga All the Time

that's how it feels anyway.  mama's new job started and we are all adjusting.  Wyatt is at home with a wonderful nurse/nanny one day a week and he still attends "school" the other two days.  Wyatt has adjusted very well and really loves Tracy (his n/n).  dada has adjusted well too - he has a little break in between coming home from work and Wy-duty to work-out or write or what ever floats his boat.  mama is adjusting ok too.  the first week she had a few breakdowns, actually stalked her own house, driving by and trying to see any action from the windows.  but now, three weeks in, she is learning the ropes at school and more comfortable with someone else helping out at home.

there seems to be a lot of guilt that comes with a mother deciding to work out of the home, especially when that home contains a child with special needs.  we are lucky enough to be able to afford for me not to work.  and i've considered it for sure.  but i have found working to be like a therapy for me (although not a replacement for regular therapy of course!).  granted, my work is teaching yoga to children (and adults), so (i think) it's a low stress, very fulfilling job.  i have learned so much about myself through the process of developing another part of my identity, i've learned about how to talk to others about my son and how to share my experiences in a helpful way.  so anyway, maybe part of me still feels a little guilty about leaving home to work with other children.  maybe that's why i wrote all this out.  but the more i think about, the more i know that it has made me a better mother to my Wyatt.  and that's all that counts!

here is a little picture of heaven:

All Things Halloween!

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year.   my family indulges me with numerous trips to the punkin patch.  i think they are beginning to enjoy themselves as well.  Wyatt let the nice lady at the face painting booth draw a smiley kitty and even acted the part.  the day was so bright and beautiful, i don't think the poor kid could open his eyes!  

Wyatt threw a little Punkin' Paintin' party with a couple of our close friends.  all the kiddos are growing up so fast.  first you have dada and Wyatt waiting for our guests.  then the dinner group and the artists in residence... 

finally, i know you're wondering who on earth could be hiding beneath that adorable monkey hat?  

"It's ME!"

could the cowboy be any cuter??

 Wyatt seemed to love dressing up and visiting a few neighbors for trick-or-treat.  it was a chilly night and the monkey costume was a welcome fuzzy blanket for him.  all for now - enjoy the weather! SNOW is on the way!

Blast from the Past - Summer Fun

i figured you might want to check out a few pictures from our summer fun.  if you are a follower of The Littlest Cowboy you might know that our summer, especially August and September were really tough.  we did have some good times though and i'm glad we were able to document them!

first up - Wyatt's sister Anna visited for a week long sleepover!  it was super fun.  and as you can see, Wyatt loved having another kid around.  she was sweet with him and brought him a lovely present - a cuddly penguin.  she is a thoughtful little 5 year old.  at one point she told me, "you know that guy who is in a wheelchair but is very, VERY, smart?  I think Wyatt will be like him."  i'm pretty sure she meant Stephen Hawking.  a mother can only dream... :)  

next up - a little trip to the mountains for the family (our first and only family vacation to date, a 3-day weekend to the Poconos for a family reunion).   this was Wyatt's first experience in the pool.  he enjoyed it (though you can't tell from the expression on his face) and we even got a season pass to the pool in our neighborhood.  we used it a ton in June and July, but when Wy got too sick in August, not so much.  

NEXT YEAR!

These family shots are from a trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo.  they have a evening called "Dream Night at the Zoo".  it's a chance for special needs families to explore the park.  it was packed with people of all abilities and we had a good time.  though i think Wy liked the people more than the animals! 

and here you have Wyatt with his globe-trotting grandparents.  they were back for a super fun visit.  as you can see they make him giggle.  we had a short but sweet visit with Grandpa a few weeks ago, and we miss Grammie tons.  hurry home!!

more to come, including pictures from Wyatt's birthday party.  yes, he's almost 27 months now.  I KNOW.  but enjoy these smiles for now.  they have been getting more frequent and chubby in the past month, so you know they'll be good.  love!

No More Promises

it's become very clear that i am not made out for the blogging world.  i haven't updated since Wyatt's last visit to the hospital and it's not because there's nothing going on!  i'm taking full responsibility though, and have to admit that it's because my job really picked up.
i'll toot my own horn for a moment and brag about the conference i attended where i presented the research i've been conducting.  that work kept me very busy.  and right now i'm procrastinating and not writing the paper that should go along with it!  oh yeah, i also got a new job!  i'm super excited about it - i'll be teaching yoga and conducting research at the Falk Laboratory School !  seriously, they have a resident yoga teacher?  yes.  and i'm her.  it's a beautiful new building in the middle of campus and it just seems like the right place for me.
one of the perks is that my children will be able to go there for free - a private school in the city!  a dream!  except, wait a minute...what about Wyatt?  right now he attends a super program for super special kids.  a daycare/preschool program called Child's Way.  we love it.  he loves it.  they take care of him so well.  but i know that 3 years old means transitions to new schools and so we are already dreading thinking about the where's and how's and even the if's.  and we are getting close.
what i wouldn't give for my Wyatt to go to this school.  my new boss, was sweet and pointed out that special needs kids are accepted and cared for, even those that require nurses...but, i tried to explain.  he's really special.  and i've already decided that i don't want him to be the most special.
so i guess i'll be the one to go to the private school in the city for now...
and i'm not going to promise that i'll post pictures soon.  apparently i'm not good at keeping that promise!