I took the kids to Freestone Park a couple of days ago for a photo shoot in this amazing weather with Harmony the service dog. We had such a good time, and the pictures turned out gorgeous! Our photographer was my friend Tiffany Hatch, and Brian from AZ Goldens took some shots too. I must say, my kids are pretty darm photogenic! Maybe that is because they are just beautiful kids anyway :). Here are some of my favorites, enjoy!
Our family is truly amazed by the outpouring of love and support that we have received from family, friends, and even complete strangers. This process has been incredible so far, to see the community coming together to support our little Heidi. Because of all of you, we are almost 1/4 of the way to our fundraising goal! We appreciate every single donation, no matter the amount, more than you will ever know. Heidi and I would like to say thank you to every single one of you from the bottom of our hearts!
We are in the process of getting Heidi an autism service dog, and we are so excited about it! These dogs are absolutely amazing. We are in the fundraising stage right now, so I created a blog to keep everyone informed of our progress and about any upcoming fundraisers. You can visit Heidi's blog at
www.helpingpawsforheidi.blogspot.com
You can also visit her fundraising page at
www.servicedogforheidi.com
We have had several friends and family members donate already, and we want to say how much we appreciate all of you! We are so excited for Heidi to have the benefits that a service dog will bring, and your help means so much. Thank you for your love and support!-022.jpg)
Ready for another post packed with all of the craziness going on in our house? Here it is!
We are participating in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event on Sunday, October 31st in Tempe. We have formed a team of friends and family members to walk with us, and people that we don't even know have joined our team. It has been so amazing to see the love and support that people have given us. If you want more info on the walk or if you would like to join our team and walk with us, you can visit our team website at http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/arizona/teamjacobs
. There is a link on the page that will allow you to register and join our team. We would love to see you there!
Why are we getting involved with Autism Speaks? We just completed all of Heidi's assessments and evaluations (hours and hours of testing), and she was diagnosed with autism. There are three "levels" of the autism spectrum: Aspergers (the least severe), PDD-NOS, and autistic disorder (the most severe), and then of course there is a wide range inside each category. When we started this testing process, there was some suspicion that she was on the spectrum, and we thought that her diagnosis would end up being PDD-NOS. We knew that she didn't have Aspergers because she has a speech delay, and that is a non-qualifier for Aspergers. A PDD-NOS diagnosis means that the person has some signs of autism, but does not meet all of the criteria for an autistic disorder diagnosis. Heidi was diagnosed with autistic disorder. I honestly can't remember much of what the doctor said after, "Heidi fits all of the criteria for autistic disorder." I just broke down and cried. Not because of the "label", but because I was so heartbroken for Heidi, knowing how much she is going to struggle in her life. Now that I have had a week to digest and research, I know that everything is going to be OK and that there are so many things that we can do to help Heidi. God has a plan for Heidi. She has been in speech therapy for 3 years and occupational therapy for 1 year, but now she is going to have even more therapies and resources available to her that will help so much. It is very nice to know exactly what is going on, we have been trying to get a diagnosis for almost 5 years. I feel so relieved that now we know what we need to do to help her, and we can learn how to see into her world and get a better idea of what we can do to make life easier for her.
Macey has been working hard at her rehearsals for Little Women, even putting in some 9 hour days! I can hardly wait until her performances. I am so proud of her, she is so dedicated. I will definitely post pics and video of the performances.
As for me, I have been staying super busy researching autism, treatment options, resources, etc. I had to immerse myself in figuring out how to help her to keep myself from being sad. It paid off, because I have found so many great resources and organizations that have been so helpful and supportive. Additionally, after almost FIVE years of being a the waiting list (and using deferrals, withdrawing, reapplying, wash, rinse, repeat), I am finally starting nursing school! Whoo hoo! Yes, life is crazy, and this is going to be hard, but I don't think there is ever going to be a perfect time to do it. I will be doing weekend classes (Fridays and Saturdays), so I will still be home during the week with the kids. I am excited and nervous, I have been waiting for this for so long.
Scott has been traveling for work a lot. He is going to Belize in a couple days for business and to check out living accommodations. Yes, I said living accommodations. I will do a whole separate post on that another day, but in a nutshell, we are seriously thinking about relocating our family to a more peaceful environment.
Ryan and Jenna are, well, how should I say this...they are 3. That means independent, silly, dramatic, but oh so sweet and fun. I know that I have said this before, but I love watching a boy and girl grow up at the same time, the differences are so apparent at such a young age. They are two peas in a pod, best friends one minute and then twinenemies (as another twin mom friend put it) the next. We sure love these little people.
So, that's the latest! I will try to update more often so that each post isn't jam-packed with craziness!
Our adorable little Macey auditioned for her very first play on Friday, Little Women the Musical, and got a part! She got one of only 6 parts in the children's chorus, for which TONS of kids auditioned for! We are so proud of her! She is so excited she can hardly contain herself. She begins rehearsals later this month and the performances are October 25th-29th. Congratulations Macey! We love you!
Where have the last three years gone? Well, to be perfectly honest, the first year with twins is slightly blurred due to lack of sleep, but still, it has gone by so fast. These sweet little kids (not babies?! KIDS?!) are so incredibly amazing, we are so blessed to have them in our family. Being a mom to twins is so special, I am so glad that God chose me to be one of the lucky ones.
Ryan and Jenna are constantly entertaining us with their silly little antics and their special bond. They play together all day and have cute conversations non-stop. Yes, twin toddlers means "double the trouble", but it also means "double the love and entertainment." I love being able to watch a boy and a girl grow up at the same time, raised by the same parents, and see how truly different they are from each other. Even little things like throwing a football or how they express anger or frustration.
I have been thinking a lot about that crazy day three years ago and the scary and painful days leading up to it and following it. I am so thankful that Ryan and Jenna are so healthy for how early and tiny they were. Especially Ryan, as he gave us quite a scare for a day or two after he was born. Those weeks in the NICU were agonizing, but all of it was so worth it, and we now have these amazing little kids! This is the video from when they were born. There is nothing too graphic in it, but if you are really squeemish you may not want to watch it (it does show Ryan getting intubated for just a second).
Looking back at the last 3 years...
