On the day we received Jovie’s initial diagnosis of Autism and a Global Developmental Delay, we took home a package of pamphlets of services we might be interested in. Some were support playgroups, financial advice and then there was a small brochure for an Autism specific day care centre that was opening near us. The cut off for first applications was in 3 days, so we quickly registered our details and hoped for the best.
After sitting for a family interview, our application was accepted and we were excited! Only problem was… the centre was not built and they had no idea when it would open.
That day, was today! Almost 16 months after we first submitted our details (I can’t believe it’s been that long), Jovie has spent her first day at daycare/school and you better believe I shed some tears, lol.
Alot has changed in the last 16 months (e.g. having the diagnosis of Rett Syndrome instead of Autism), but ultimately we still wanted Jovie to be a 3 year old girl. We still want her to have friends and her own independence, her own schedule and to keep her stimulated. Rett Syndrome doesn’t stop us from wanting what every 3 year old could/would be doing, it just means she needs alot more support throughout the day. (Everything from navigating the room, nappy changes, eating, drinking, sleeping etc). Jovie’s always been taken care of by myself (or my parents if something has come up – like pneumonia, ugh), so leaving her was tough on me but I love the staff there so much and they know her so well that I knew she would be totally ok for a few hours.
Her teachers are all trained therapists, psychologists and early childhood teachers – they all have a background in working with kids with Autism and other special needs – so it’s a very special place for the kids to be. The centre itself is awesome, the outdoor area is amazing and very Jovie-friendly.
We picked her up early because I knew she wouldn’t sleep (and didn’t) and she nodded off as soon as we pulled out of the carpark. Success! Now to repeat once every week until she goes to school….
since my last proper photo update, i’ve had the amnio which did go very well (as amnio’s can be). the scan also confirmed that i was measuring 6 days ahead and my estimated due date was bumped forward to june 20.
so the amnio? much better than the cvs. in terms of pain and procedure, it was quicker and less painful for me. maybe because i knew what to expect, it was just not as bad as i thought. again, i made sure to rest for 3 days (no heavy lifting, though i did have to pick up Jovie of course) and i only had a few cramps/pain.
on tuesday, 10 days later (6 working days), our genetic counsellor called me with the first part of the test results – no Rett Syndrome detected in our June bug 🙂 the next part of the testing (the chromosome results), will be available by the end of next week hopefully.
i still suspect that this bub is a boy, i swear i thought i saw something on the screen but the technician swiftly changed positions…. we will find out either way in the next couple of weeks through either the chromosome testing or my 20 week scan in a couple of weeks.
at 18 weeks, my morning sickness is completely gone but i need at least a 15 minute nap a day to survive. i’m loving being able to eat clean again, i’m still drinking heaps of water. i’m wearing almost 100% maternity clothes now, lucky that i’m finding bargains thanks to the summer sales!
i can feel little bub move around almost every day, there’s some definate kicks in there but he/she is alot quieter than Jasper and Jovie were at this time. my days and evenings are really busy, so i make sure to spend 10 minutes at the start and at the end of the day just concentrating on the bump.
time is going past pretty quickly, i cannot wait to meet this little one x
i must admit, i’m having alot of fun this summer. not that we’re doing anything different, Regan is at work so we’re not going away on holidays and it also doesn’t help that both of my hands are often in splints (pregnancy induced carpal tunnel), but actually making time for the kids has been my goal.
Jovie starts at her autism specific day care next week and Jasper will start school in early February. the year is already passing us by but i’m happy that i’m purposefully spending each day doing something the kids will remember and love.
