3 years old

Ryan is 3 years old!!!

Our little Ryan, baby Ryan and Ry guy turned 3 yesterday. Yesterday was hectic so I am taking the time to post today about this beautiful little boy who brings me so much happiness. It is fitting on the Valentine's Day which is dedicated to love to talk a bit about this child who makes my heart swell

Ryan is so full of life and so eager to be happy. He has been a hand-full (as most toddlers are) but he makes me laugh so much everyday and he really gives me a different taste of madness from parenting Brody which can consist of never ending paperwork, appointments and meetings that relate to parenting Brody. Ryan is curious and has this serious face he makes when learning about something new. He loves interacting with people and playing. More so than toys he wants to be played with, which a new experience for me as a parent. During this last year of his life he has developed so much more language and his talking is precious and I cherish ever word.

Ryan is obsessed with anything related to numbers, letters, coloring, music and musical instruments, sports, painting and now play-doh. I hope that we can afford to put him in some type of preschool later this year or next cause he loves learning so much and I feel inadequate to keep up!

Our family is so much more full of love AND fun now that he is a part of it. I hope and pray for the day that Brody is more aware of him and willing to play with him so that we can finally see a fun sibling relationship. Until then Ryan will bug him and take his toys (which might be one reason Brody doesn't interact with him)!

We love our little Ryan

Update

So here are some pictures I have taken with my iPhone over the past couple months. It has been nice cause with our normal camera I never get the timing right to take the good pictures. My phone is much more handy.

I love my boys so much. I also love my husband a lot. He spoiled me at Christmas. We have been able to have more quality time lately. It was wonderful to see the joy on my kids faces as they opened presents. But I have been feeling guilty cause I never post on my Blog or at least very often. I blame Facebook, school, kids and the distraction of my iPhone.

But I have been feeling so blessed with such a great family and though life is chaotic, I want to share how wonderful my kids and hubby are. Also, even though nothing major has been happening in our lives I feel an update is due.

Jake: Well he is about to start studying for the CPA exam. To get this certificate a person needs to take 4 exams. Each exam is about 3-4 hours long. There is also a 5th exam Arizona requires that is on ethics but it is a take home exam. Most of the other accountants that Jake works with have been telling him of their experience. Literally dozens of these people he works with who have taken the exam and received the CPA pretty recently studied for 20-30 hours a week between each exam. All four parts of the exam need to be taken within 18 months from the start to finish. Jake wants to do everything this year. As you can see from the amount of hours, studying for the CPA will be like a part time job. We are working the exams and studying into our lives. It will be a bit crazy but it is necessary and important for Jake to do.

As for me: in addition to the normal everyday house and kid caring that I do, I am almost done with my online associates. I will be done around the first week of May. So I am in the middle of two classes currently and then there is another set of 2 classes and then I am done with my associates!! I am still getting a plan together to finish my bachelor's. While Jake is working at Apollo Group it is difficult to go to another school just because I get to go to school for super cheap. I like some of the online programs at ASU but I am still looking at all my options. Also I am also working on getting Brody into what is called Hab-M. A masters level behavioral analyst will work with our current habilitation provider such as training but also recommendations like other therapies and additional hab hours will be advised. We have been advised by different people that it would help Brody the most. Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to get approval through the state and out of the question to pay for privately. We have already been turned down twice. Those other times I was talked out of appealing the decision by our support coordinator through the state. This time around I am preparing to appeal. Usually it means there is a hearing and it run almost like a court of law. Oh, the things a parent has to do to fight for the rights of their special needs child!! I am fighting now cause I hear from many people that when a child turns 6 (which Brody is only 4 months away from) the state starts trying to take away as many services and hours of therapy as possible.

Brody: He is doing fantastic in school. His teacher can't say enough about how smart and capable Brody is at school. It is amazing to slowly discover these things about my child because with him not talking much there is no other way for me to find out. I get notes home a lot lately about how he is becoming more and more verbal at school. He isn't that spontaneous with his speech at home and he still echos language a lot but he is doing better everyday. My sister Jericho started working with him in October doing habilitation and respite. Though there has been lots of tears in the past, Brody is going really well with her. I have been so blessed that my other sister Jada worked with Brody for a couple years and now Jericho. To work with a person so much with your child and to talk about the goals it is really so personal. I have been lucky to have such capable and talented siblings to work with Brody. And as for Brody he is just so filled with love for these people that he has grown close to. Brody is still going to a GI specialist. So still 2 laxatives and now a fiber supplement. We have now officially been working on potty training since last summer. The GI specialist want him on all of this until he is fully potty trained. Sometimes I don't feel it is possible as long as he is on the laxatives but I am trying to put my trust in her.

Ryan: This toddler is all over the place - physically and emotionally. He is manic with ups and downs and every where in between. A friend said it best when comparing toddlers to drug addicts, laughing one minute, crying the next and parents have to protect them from themselves. All Ryan wants lately is me, Mommy but he also screams and yells at me. He commands me to do things when he used to use please, thank you and your welcome. He wants me to just be by him while he plays, watches a movie and colors. He doesn't want me involved, just there. He loves cousins, aunts, uncle and Grammie and Grandpa but seems to not show it. Interaction with Ryan sometimes is difficult as he screams "no" but then runs at you to play. It is an interesting phase I don't remember with Brody. Ryan is the cutest thing and sometimes even when he is throwing a tantrum. I enjoy everyday with him. The experience of having him is so different from Brody. Ryan really wants to be interacted with and everyday he talks more and to hear his little words is wonderful and amazing. But there are times when I just don't know what to do with all the toddler-ness. I am trying to remain calm most of the time!

So that is us right now. We have been in our new house about 6 months and love it. We love our neighborhood, the church we go to and making the house our home.

This month Jake turns the big 3-0! Ryan turns 3 and I turn 29! February is a big month for our family

Anniversary and New Years

Jake and I had out 8 year wedding anniversary on December 30th. We had an overnight in Vegas at the beginning of November to sort of celebrate but we still wanted to do something so we went to a nice steakhouse and then to a movie. For Jake and I, any date night is wonderful.

I could go on and on about Jake and how amazing he is but I guess I will be brief cause I have more to say plus when anyone gushes about their better-half it is always cheesy and lovey-dovey. Lets just say he has made me happy everyday for the past 8 years. As much as I loved him the day we got married, I love him more everyday. He is the best husband and a great father. There have been tough times we've experienced in these eight years. But our marriage and love has been a way to get through the tough times and never causing problems. I think our marriage has been so wonderful because we both work to make each other happy - therefore how could one of us really be unhappy!

As for New Years, I didn't get any pictures. But it was a blast. Most of Jake's family came over last night. We played some fun games on the Xbox Kennect (not sure I am spelling that right). My boys played a game with some dancing and it didn't work out very well game wise but they had fun dancing. Ryan had more fun that I am sure he thought possible. I let him stay up till midnight (thank goodness he napped till 6:30 pm). He got to play with his big cousins and fun aunts and uncles. Lots of giggling and showing off.

I was crazy and decided to let the boys stay up as long as they could and of course didn't give Brody melatonin.

Becky and Trevor were cool enough to get fireworks and we let some off earlier in the night and then some later at midnight. That was fun for everyone (well except for Ryan)

The highlight of Brody's night really came at midnight. Our neighbors down the street had their own amazing fireworks show but like the real kind that shoot up in the air. It was amazing since it was just a couple doors down from us and we just sat in our drive way watching.

In the past the boys had never really either stayed up late enough on New Years and never thought they had the patience for 4th of July celebration. Brody's face lit up and he was just ecstatic. Poor Ryan on the other hand. He crawled to the drivers seat of our minivan and covered his ears and didn't really look at the fireworks unless we were holding him. If we were holding him he was still covering his ears and watching the fireworks in fear. He kept saying, "bye, fireworks".

All and all it was lots of fun and yet again, no pictures.

I have lots of goals and aspirations for our entire family. Here is for hoping for an accomplished 2012!

This time of the year always makes me grateful for all my many blessings. My boys are the light of my life and they make me laugh all the time. They also let me smother them with so much love. I am also so blessed for an amazing marriage that brings me so much joy and happiness. I will work better this year to be worthy of all my many blessings!