So, I know that I promised that I would catch up and return to regular posting nearly three months ago and that hasn't happened, but this time I promise. For real.
To catch up on the past few months:
LJB's new day care/preschool is wonderful. His teachers are great, the staff is very well educated and knows how to handle him, and best of all he has shown so much progress since starting! LJB has begun some parallel play with his friends at school. His play skills are still incredibly immature, but at least he has some play skills at this point. I couldn't even say that 6 months ago! One of the 75,246,890,122 things that keep me up at night is wondering if/when he will ever be able to have a best friend. If LJB will ever be able to form a relationship like I have been so blessed to have with my best friend (Shout out to my homegirl! Love you, Rheedie!). Even further than that, I wonder if he will ever be able to connect with someone and fall in love. These are things that are in that huge pile of unknowns that, to be entirely honest, freak me out, but time will tell and I just have to wait and see.
Back to catching up...
We love our new house. When we left Lexington, I had lived there for 7 years and Mr B had lived there for about 13 years. It was home for us. We left so many people and places that we loved and it was a hard move. Ever since then, NKY just hasn't felt quite like home...until we moved. Our new house is not fancy. It's not huge and new and HGTV worthy. It's actually pretty cluttered and the pale pink tiles in the bathroom could use some serious updating, but you know what...I love it. It feels so homey. LJB loves it too. We've managed, with the help of his therapists, to turn the entire place into a sensory heaven. If he feels the need to escape, LJB has dark quiet places all his own. If he needs some sensory input, he can dive in the ball pit, flop down on the bean bags, or slide down the stairs on his rear end. This is the stuff my kiddo lives for, and that makes me a happy mama!
Our Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays were wonderful! We have so much to be thankful for...even when circumstances seem pretty crappy. I'm resolving to remember that more in the new year. We spent Turkey Day with Grandma B who even watched LJB for a few hours so we could go catch a movie on Black Friday. What a treat!
Grandma B came back to stay with us for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. Santa brought a trampoline that LJB loves and a bunch of other goodies he hasn't really dug into yet -- he's pacing himself, ya know... We drove to Western Kentucky to spend a rather eventful weekend with Gramma and Grandaddy and a houseful of sisters, brothers, in laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends close enough to be family. It was truly a great time.
I was a nervous wreck about how LJB would react to a strange, unpredictable, loud environment, but he adapted. He had a blast playing with his cousins. He actually played with them! I couldn't have been more proud of my little dude.
Even though we have been mega-stressed, I realize we have been tremendously blessed. I have a kiddo who amazes me every single day. He has this uncanny ability to make everyone around him smile. I watched this weekend as my parents and my sisters grinned from ear to ear just because he was there. Sometimes I feel like Mr B and I are the only ones that get to see the funny, loving, sweet, clever little guy who loves Mickey Mouse, gives great snuggles, and likes to pretend to whisper secrets in your ear. He is usually just so out of sorts when we are around other people or away from home. This weekend was different. This weekend they all saw it. My boy was the star of the show. He chased cousins, waved hi and bye, blew kisses, threw balls, played cars. We all had a blast!
2012 was hard. There was joy interspersed with some of the saddest days of my life. I'm looking forward to a fresh start in the new year.
Bring it on 2013. I'm ready. And for anyone who wants to follow along, here are a few of my resolutions:
1. The obligatory lose weight/get healthy resolution. This time, for real.
2. More focus on my husband/marriage. For the past 6 months, every ounce of energy I have has been poured into LJB. Though he is certainly still the focus, Mr B and I need to get a sitter and get out more. Our marriage is coming back into the forefront in 2013.
3. More consistent blogging. I love this. I love to chronicle our goings-on on the world wide web. Even if no one reads, I need to write it.
4. Potty training. Many of you know that we use cloth diapers. Best. Decision. Ever. I love them. When we are traveling and use disposables, I can't wait to get back home and get some fluff on the little dude's booty. That being said, I am tired of the laundry. So, before the end of 2013, I resolve to give potty training my best shot.
There you have it. Have a very Happy New Year!
