Family Update

So it's been over a year since we last posted...holy cow...so much has happened and is happening. I guess the first of which is that we have our third boy on the way and he looks a lot like thatcher's picture that I posted last july:):)

Thatcher or Chach as we like to call him is almost 9 months now and growing like carzy...he is crawling everywhere and trying with every ounce of strength he has to stand and walk...I can already tell he is going to be an independent one. He loves to explore and experience new things for himself...but also LOVES to be cuddled and squished:)

Sawyer is doing better than ever. We have him on a strict Gluten, Casien, Milk, Dye and sugar free diet that now also excludes main staples such as soy tofu, peanut butter and strawberries. When he is off all of these things he is a different boy and it is so fun to see the real Sawyer grow and learn and develop his amazing personality and sweet heart.

All that to say this has probably been the most challenging year of our lives. Remodeling the house has been an amazing adventure but C.J. and I both agree that we won't take on such a large project with kids again:)

We have also gone through so much with Sawyer. We are just now seeing some of the fruits of our past year of labor and we still have a long way to go. Praise and Glory to God for giving us strength and unity as parents because I KNOW we could not have made it without his grace, wisdom and guidance.

Sawyer was accepted in to the developmental preschool through clackamas county ESD when he turned 3 in April. This has been a huge blessing for our family because it is free and it allows him to socialize with other kids two days a week. When we started preschool we had not yet started the diet and his cognitive, developmental, communication and motor skill scores showed it. He has been diagnosed with a communication disorder and a secondary diagnosis of being developmentally delayed and he also has sensory integration and modulation issues to deal with.

I guess one of the most challenging things about Sawyers condition is simply to stop caring what others think of him or our parenting skills. It's been hard to stop feeling like I have to explain to every stranger we pass that he is "delayed and has sensory issues" no one cares anyway and most just seem to roll their eyes probably thinking he is just a bratt. Anyway, although the stare and eye rolling shouldn't matter I still seem to go to bed so many nights broken, discouraged and feeling like I have failed my son.

Sawyer is so amazing in SOO many ways. I love his laugh and his smile. I love his adventurous spirit and his ability to go off on his own and play not caring what other children or adults think of him. He is strong and he is a leader and I know God will use these traits to make him an amazing man...we just have to survive childhood first:):)

More to come later:)

Lindsay