Grandpa and Luke enjoying some snuggle time.
January ends tomorrow which brings us one more month closer to summer. Mark is complaining about not having any snow. I am enjoying driving on clear roads and have no complaints about the current conditions. I wanted to do a post on Sean's birthday but it was such a difficult day that I don't even want to think about it. I love that little boy and am excited that he is three. Sean had a very stressful, autistic birthday. The day's activities were filled with stress and anxiety for him. Opening presents was overwhelming and he cried for about an hour afterwards. He did enjoy his party with Grandpa. He loved blowing out candles and shared cake and ice cream with his birthday buddy. He didn't sleep much at all that night. Which brings me to another update. Sean isn't sleeping well anymore. If he gets over-stimulated or stressed during the day he doesn't sleep at night. He experiences anxiety and has a hard time calming down. He struggles to let us help soothe him. It used to be that Sean wouldn't sleep outside the house but was our best sleeper at home. Now he is struggling at home, the one place that he should feel peace and calm. We are working on paying closer attention to his stress levels during the day and praying for more patience at night. Mark and I have decided that we can't the little guy on vacation if he won't sleep while we are gone. All of this just makes me sad. It's hard when autism affects our whole family.Sean is doing well in his preschool class. He loves going to school. He is doing better interacting with other children. Sean enjoys approaching his friends and saying "Hi" to them. He will even try to say their names. Sean's preschool class focuses a lot on learning how to be a good friend. It is so exciting to watch Sean understand how to interact with his friends. He is quick to hand out hugs and kisses to his brother and sister. Yesterday Lukey was crying and Sean gave him a hug without any prompting. It is a big deal for him to recognize the needs of others. Sean is also rocking nursery. His two teachers are kind and sensitive to his needs. They are comfortable scooping him up and helping him through a hard time. Sean and Luke can now both attend nursery by themselves which allows Mark to finally go to his classes and serve in his calling in the Sunday School Presidency.
The first anniversary of Kara's passing is on Saturday, February 25th. Portions of the stress, anxiety, sadness and pain from a year ago are coming back. There is tension in the air as we are unsure of how to navigate an anniversary of this kind. Kara's passing was terrible and tragic and we worry about re-living this nightmare. Please be aware of our family in this upcoming month. This is such a new experience for us and we are unsure of what support we need. I'm sure we will appreciate prayers of comfort, phone calls and friendship during the next few weeks.
Lukey continues to be an angel and one of our greatest blessings. He is happy and loves people and attention. I love watching Grandpa Hamblin light up when he scoops Lukey up in his arms. Luke has the funniest personality. The other day I was showing him pictures of himself when he was born. We turned to his ultrasound pictures. Luke pointed to the ultrasound and said, "Uh oh!". Yes Luke that was a BIG uh oh. I am still laughing about his reaction and am certain that Auntie Kara would have enjoyed this story! Luke has asthma and on Saturday started the day with a fever and croupy cough. He woke up from a nap that afternoon with labored breathing. He was burning up and shivering at the same time. His lips and feet turned blue. We administered his emergency inhaler and he soon began breathing easier. All of this is very concerning for us. We are watching him closer and hoping that he is okay. (of course I took him to the instacare but by the time we got there he was pink and happy and the doctor thought I was crazy....!)
I have started attending my parent support group for moms with special needs children. I enjoy the company of mothers who understand what I experience as a mother to Sean. I always leave feeling uplifted and encouraged and am grateful for this support. Mark will teach his first of three lectures at BYU this week. IM Flash is contracted with BYU to help teach a freshman seminar for any student considering majoring in electrical engineering. Mark jumped at the chance to be on campus and work with his professors and to teach a subject that he is passionate about without the added pressure of grading homework, writing tests or dealing with whiny students.
