Well, OK, not popular demand, but my Aunt V got onto me at our family dinner the other day for being a blogging slacker. I agree wholeheartedly. (Get a Facebook account, Aunt V!!!) :-)
To be honest, I just haven't really had it in me. Oh I've got plenty to say, but just didn't know how to say it. Kind of hard to bring up in casual conversation, "I planted my herb garden the other day, and Oh hey, did you hear, Little Nugget's been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder." Wah?
So there you go. Yep, a little over a month ago. Mostly we've been dealing with the "A" word, but it's not really a big surprise. We've known something was up since last summer. She surpassed quirky on the behavior-meter and took it all the way to twitchy. They seemed a little odd at the time, but many of her behaviors could be explained away by shyness, being an only child, etc, and frankly I identified with many of the quirks so it didn't strike me as too unusual. And like I have a whole lot of reference for this type of thing, what do I know, I've only had one kid! Doesn't every one's kid like to snuggle with crayons?
We put her on a gluten-free diet, got her into therapy through our school district, and we've already noticed a significant change for the better since last fall (the dark days). She's more affectionate, and we can see her making strides in her social interactions. We're grateful for the early diagnosis and intervention. It's not going to be an easy road, but lucky for Little Nugget that she got the two stubbornest people on the face of this earth as her parents who will accept nothing but the best future for our Sweet Angelpie of Goodness! Go Team Nugget!
All for now,
Nugget
