2013
August 2013 I started working Graveyard shifts at Beehive Homes in American Fork. I would work Thursday, Friday and Saturday Nights. Fridays were really hard because I would get home at 7am, sleep for an hour, Josh would head to work and then I would be up with the boys all day till Josh got home around 5 then I would sleep till 9:30pm and get up and go to work at 10pm. Then would get home at 7am and sleep till 2 or 3pm ect... It was really tough but we couldn't afford a babysitter at the time so we had to make it work. Luckily I only did that for a few months and then moved to the evening shift from 4-10pm on the weekdays and any shift on the weekends.
The first Grave I was suppose to work by myself, I was carrying Brayden down the stairs and fell, my body protected Brayden but I fractured my right wrist and broke a rib. I felt horrible and couldn't work for 3 weeks!
October 2013 Was a pretty fun month. Josh was still working for Truland at the Data Center in Eagle Mountain. We went to a cute little pumpkin patch and the boys picked out pumpkins and ran around. Brayden was doing a ABA class through KOTM (Kids on the Move) It was very draining on me to try and get him to do anything, he fought everything, he just wanted to do things his way, we were really working on using sign language to help him communicate what he wanted instead of throwing a huge tantrum, and crying. His big thing was when he was mad, he would scratch you. It was so exhausting. We were preparing him to end his program when he turned 3 and then he would start preschool in the school district in the special needs program.
On Halloween I did something crazy and got a puppy! I just knew that Brayden would go crazy and really needed the love of a doggy. I found a lady selling a 1/2 lab 1/2 German Shepherd mix that was too perfect to pass up. Puppies are a lot of work... we named her Kaylee and the boys fell in love with her instantly! Halloween was a challenge, Brayden did not get the concept yet of trick or treating (plus he is allergic to like everything they hand out) He had a huge melt down when I tried to put him his costume he picked out, it was a dinosaur that looked like he was riding it, way cute! But he wanted NOTHING to do with it on Halloween, so he went as a basketball player in a jersey. Joey was the most adorable monkey ever and loved bananas, he was too young to understand trick or treating. Towards the end of the night Brayden finally got the concept of knocking on the door and they give you treats! It was so cute to see the light bulb finally go off in that cute little head. Joey was just happy to tag along. :)
November 2103 Brayden turned 3!! We had balloons that they both loved and car cupcakes that the boys helped me make. He was really into cars and was so excited for the candle. He didn't really understand what was going on but loved getting all this attention all day. We tried to make it as special as possible! We got him a swing to put up in his room for his sensory. He liked opening presents!
On November 19th 2013 Brayden had his first day of preschool and riding the bus! When that bus pulled up that morning , he had the BIGGEST grin on his face and was so excited to get on the bus with his cute little Lighting McQueen back pack. I didn't cry till after the bus left. It was the first time I had ever left him in the care of others for any kind of therapy and it was so hard for me to let go. I was so nervous all day, but the teachers said he had a good first day :)
Thanksgiving 2013 was crazy but really great. We had Karen and Richard join us for Thanksgiving. I started working the evening shifts and picked up some extra shifts when Josh was off for the hoildays, so I was working and hosting Thanksgiving. It turned out really nice though with the help of my amazing husband and mother in law. We also got our first real Christmas Tree the week of Thanksgiving and the boys helped put it up and decorate :) They really enjoyed putting the decorations in the same spot. Most of the ornaments ending up at the top of the tree by Christmas, little cuties couldn't keep their little hands off of them.
December 2013 was yet another crazy month. We heading to St. George where my parents lived before Christmas because my brother Jake got a new job and they were going to be moving to Florida and my mom wanted to get family pictures and spend time together. Luckily my beautiful friend Kirsten took our family pictures, she is amazing! Josh and I were both busy working and juggling the kids. I worked Christmas Eve Evening and Christmas Morning, it was hard to give up time with my family but we needed the extra shifts and cash. I got home late Christmas Eve but the boys stayed up and we opened Pj's and drove around looking at lights, the boys LOVED it and Brayden was even saying the word light, light. Joey would giggle and scream in delight. Of course the boys didn't understand Santa yet but loved watching Christmas movies. Christmas morning I enjoyed working and spending time with my special residents but really missed my family. Since the boys didn't get the concept of Santa yet, he didn't drop off presents until after mommy got home around 2pm. Brayden got a new bike and was already riding it in the hallway and was so happy, Joey got a play tool set and was in heaven. We opened gifts and spent the rest of the day as a family and overall was a very nice Christmas. It snowed a few times that month and the boys loved sledding and playing in the snow! Joey hated wearing his snow suits and walked around like a little marshmallow. Brayden had NO FEAR in sledding.
2014
The year started out great! After Brayden turned 3 something clicked and he started signing and saying more and more words! Something just clicked in the cute little crazy mind of his. Joey of course was saying more and more words too and his quirky personality was showing more and more. The boys were already fighting each other and driving me crazy. In January we took the boys to the Zoo. Josh was still at his job at the Data Center but did not know for how long because the project was getting close to being finished and his company is out of Virginia and most of his co-workers were moving back. They gave us an offer to move to Virginia but Utah is our home now and really did not want to move. I was offered a huge promotion to Manager of the Level One Assisted Living at Beehive and took it. I felt very lucky with no management experience to be offered the job and I took. My hours were a little more flexible but took on ALOT of responsibility! I was ready and put my whole heart into it and I loved every single one of those resident's and their families. The owner and administer were very good to me and taught me so much. I would work on the floor as well as management duties. I was lucky enough to have a neighbor babysit for me for a few hours when I had to be at work before Josh got home. It was very good for both boys, It helped Joey not be so shy and clingy to me also for Brayden to play with other kids and she has a son the is older than Brayden but also in the Autism Spectrum Disorder. They played so well together getting their sensory out. I loved my job but felt so guilty every time I dropped my crying kids off at the sitters.
Josh and I did get lucky and go snowboarding for a day. My beautiful mom watched the boys for us and was really nice, we went to Brighton.
February rolled around and Brayden got really sick. He couldn't keep anything down, had a high fever, and horrible diherra, and had a small seizure, took him to the local ER that night to get him a IV to get him hydrated. He was doing better and was sent home. A few hours later he was worse and having more seizures. We ended up at Primary Children's Hospital and was kept there for a few days. Poor guy had a horrible virus that was causing him to be dehydrated and high fever which was causing his seizures. I never left his side and Josh was taking care of Joey at home. It was so hard to see your beautiful baby boy so miserable and could do nothing about it. We had really good nurses and doctors that were more adaptive to his Autism. Valentines Day came and the boys got spoiled with candy and kisses.
Through the rest of the winter and most of the spring I was really busy with my job and so was Josh and they kept pushing out his project, which was great because he didn't have to find a new job but frustrating because we just never knew when they were going to let him go. My mom came to visit for a weekend and we went to the Zoo which the boys can never get enough of, they opened up the new safari part of the zoo and they had a new train the boys just could not get over riding it and seeing all the Zebras, Lions and Giraffes. We spent as much time as we could together as a family between our busy schedules it was hard. When it started to warm up we were outside most of the day. The boys loved helping me water the flowers and play in their little pool. Karen and Richard came to visit in April and we got to spend it at a hotel in Park City, it was beautiful and amazing but I had to work and couldn't enjoy the whole weekend with them.
Bunch of Random Pictures through the months
Well I hope I didn't bore you but I really don't want to make this any longer, I will do a new entry for the rest of 2014!
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