Cohen Update

Well..since Cohen was diagnosed with Autism not so long ago we have had a lot going on in regards to getting help. So much paper work and testing is involved in everything we do but the Help is beginning to arrive and we are thrilled. I have actually seen a lot of progress with Cohen already. For one we (Clay and I) are seeing things differently and learning how to parent Cohen with different expectations. We got Cohen and I-pad because we learned how great they are for Autistic kids for educational purposes. I didn't think it would hurt to give it a try. Before we bought the ipad Cohen would not use his hands to push buttons, he would just take our hands to do things he wanted done. Now, he takes the ipad turns it on, goes to the ap he wants and plays the games, listens to books, or watches Netflix. I am amazed at how much progress he has made with just that. There is one Ap that is called Emoticons and it helps Cohen express how he is feeling..such I am Happy, I am Sad, I am Angry..and many more. Cohen was sitting at the table the other day and said, "I am Happy." What? ...That is the ONLY time he has ever expressed himself, it felt so good to hear that. There are more examples, but that is my favorite. Also, Cohen is now in speech therapy one day a week, he LOVES it. They are not only helping Cohen they are helping ME. I am learning new strategies in helping Cohen with speech and transitions. We are about to start occupational therapy, which I think will also be one day a week. We are working on the paper work and Cohen will begin a preschool her in Gilroy! We are thrilled with all the love and support we are getting for him! Thank you all, friends and family, for loving us and our Cohen and for your continued prayers.

Birthday Girl

We recently celebrated Cenley's 2nd birthday! I really wanted to make it Super Special for her but also low key and just our little family. Something about family being together and celebrating each other, I just LOVE it! :) We decided to go to Build a Bear for Cenley's big day. The boys had done a bear before but Cenley had not. So the boys brought their bears and were going to get a new outfit for them, and Cenley got to pick a bear and get an outfit. They all had a Blast! Cenley got a tie die bear and to Clay's dismay not a princess dress but a John Deere T-shirt! :) Cohen didn't want an outfit for his bear, but it did have a bath and he did choose a new puppy. Cooper of course came home with a clean, stitched up brown bear with a Spiderman Costume. We went home and had a Princess Party...of course. Cake and ice cream and presents. So much fun!! She felt really special and we wore her out enough to throw a 2 year old tantrum to top it off!

Just Random Cuteness :)

Gilroy Gardens with Gammy

One of our "Go to" places for our family is Gilroy Gardens. Gilroy is actually where our new house is going to be as well. Eventually, I will get to the post on that. Anyway...we have Season passes there and we thought it would be a great place to take Mom and let the kids have a good time. The kids (especially Cohen ) love all the rides there, so we did as many as we could. Cohen did extra with his Daddy because he likes the scary ones that Cooper will not do :). They had a really cool petting zoo that Mom got the kids tickets too. I think that was the best part of the trip. Cenely chased chickens the Entire time, Cohen hung on a a fence watching the ducks, and Cooper carried around a chicken while checking everything out. Very neat!!

Gammy's Visit

Mom came for a visit for 2 weeks this past month. We all really enjoyed the visit and I think wore her out really well. We weren't able to really make any big trips this time because we had quite a few Doctor's appointments and school meetings. We did make several trips to parks and also to Gilroy Gardens. Thanks Gammy for a fun visit and all the HELP! :)

Game Day!

Well, just because we live in California doesn't mean we don't still support Alabama football! Well, I do at least. We all wore our Bama attire out to the park this past weekend, on Game day. Tried to get some pictures of our crew together, got a few cute shots. :) The park we took the pictures is really close to our new house, by the way!

Kindergarten has Begun

Well, it has begun..the days of Elementary have started. Cooper started school about 2 weeks ago. He is really enjoying it. It's a new thing for Cooper to have to sit still for longer periods of time, but he is learning :). He loves his new teacher, Mrs. Randazzo. She seems like a wonderful teacher, very well organized and keeps the kids in line. Cooper comes home singing his rules and new songs he has learned. Makes me happy to see him enjoying it so much!