It’s funny how certain dates through the year have a meaning to you in one way or another. It could be celebrations or sad milestones, a certain date can bring back memories and feelings.
February the 6th is the day that we received Ethan’s diagnosis. I remembered the date last year and thought perhaps this year I would be too busy to even think about it. I was wrong, I was aware of the dates more than ever as I counted down the days this week until today.
I don’t think I’m marking this date because it makes me sad, I just think it’s a date that I will never forget as it has had a massive impact on our life.
What Have We Learnt
Sleep is a luxury. Communication isn’t just about speech, but you long for it when you don’t understand what your child is asking of you. Silence isn’t golden, it’s a horrible place that can only be left on someone else’s terms. Life can be very intense. Everything has a routine. Food is a battleground. Waiting lists can last for years. There can be months between appointments. Visiting people can be a complete nightmare. Anxiety can stop you in your tracks. Leaving the house must be planned with military precision. People will stop talking to you. You have to learn to fight for your children. There is a lack of understanding. Meltdowns are nasty. Obsessions are interesting. You will get stared at. The future is a scary place. Live in the here and now. Education isn’t simple. Potty training could take a while.
What We Love
Learning to enjoy the simple things. Going on thrill seeking adventures. Happy flapping and jumping. Amazing smiles. Fantastic giggles. Loving water. Loving bubbles. Letters and numbers are fun. Mummy is an amazing word to hear.
Our amazing little boy, an adoring big brother. Who has been our greatest life teacher. Our little superstar!
Yep, there are always dates that you remember for good reasons, bad reasons or just because you remember them. He is such a gorgeous little boy, it must be incredibly hard but incredibly rewarding too x
Thank you, lets just say it’s different! We have ups and downs but so do all families ;0) x
That is a gorgeous photo of Ethan and I think it is important to stop and look back across the journey particularly on days like this. It helps you realise how far you’ve come and it sounds like Ethan is doing so well. I can identify with some of the list of things that you’ve learned from my own (albeit different) journey of having a children with additional needs and it is sad that we have to fight so hard for what our children need sometimes. I’m so glad that you are getting such lovely moments in amongst the challenging ones too – especially hearing the word ‘Mummy’ from Ethan and I agree that his smiles are incredibly beautiful 🙂
Thank you for your lovely comment. You’re right it is so important to look back, no matter how hard, to see how far you have come. Who knows where we will be this time next year x
It is a huge ‘journey’ isn’t it?! A roller coaster of emotions. But lots of good ones in there, and I know you have the right positive attitude to carry you through. Am sure there will still be days, and weeks which are really tough, but then you can hopefully turn to the good support around you. He’s a gorgeous little boy and your new girl is gorgeous too!! x
Thank you Steph, we both know it’s a very emotional ride. It’s hard to stay positive all of the time but I do try my best x
Whenever I think of Ethan I just get a picture of his smile in my head. I’m sure it’s been a really hard few years but precious too x
He does have an amazing smile, I’m sure it will win a few hearts along the way. Lets just say it has been an interesting adventure!
I can’t even imagine to be in your shoes. We all need to learn to focus on the small moments of happiness in our lives. Big hug x
Thank you, journeys like this do teach you how important the small things are x