Now I know what the wicked witch of the west felt like..

Seriously, can it get any more humid and hot out there? Ok, I know its not that hot or at least not as hot as its going to get but I am roasting over here! We already have the A/C in the living room but I swear its not enough. I really do hate the heat and I know that I could NEVER live some where south. I am definitely a Northern NY girl. Give me lake effect snow over a heat wave any day! You can always put more clothes on but, but unless you want stares and possibly a ticket for indecent exposure, you can only take off so much. I think that I am quite possibly going to melt if the weather keeps up like this.

Ok, enough with my ranting about the heat..on to the other stuff.....

So I have been meaning to put up a few blogs from different play date Gage has had, but this baby is kicking my butt. So..I'm going to make this one long blog and put them all on here. Along with some awesome new things Gage is doing.

A few days ago Gage had a play date with Jaina (Beth's daughter) at the park. I haven't seen Beth in years and Gage and Jaina were born on each other's due dates. I thought it would be fun to have Gage play with someone so close to his age. Of course for the first part of the day Gage played on one end of the playground and Jaina was on the other. They eventually came to the same area. I also used it as an opportunity to play around with the LensBaby again. Here are some pictures...



Heading up to the slide



Deep in serious conversation..or maybe just a staring contest



Isn't she a cutie? It took a little coercing to get her to look at me...


Jaina loved Gage's toys and decided it was necessary to carry them to each part of the park she went to. Boy was Nemo dirty after a day in the sand.



He loves it outside


Checking out the toys



Being brave and going up the big slide

I of course took tons of pictures, but I cant post them all...It started raining towards the end of the day. I would say it was a pretty good day though, Gage had fun with Jaina and it was nice to chat with Beth, it really had been a long time. Here are two more pictures from that day.



It got a little windy...


Oh man do I love that face

A few days later..or maybe it was the next day. I don't remember...anyway, I figured it would be a good idea to take Gage outside to play in the backyard. I saw Donna and Will were outside so it was a good opportunity for an impromptu play date. Plus, with Will's outdoor stuff and Gage's outdoor stuff there is plenty to do! Of course, I again brought the camera with me and though of doing a little photo shoot with the kids.



So, Gage LOVES Will's sandbox and it was the first place he ran to. He has his own, but I haven't cleaned out the old sand and filled it with new stuff yet. By the time he was done, he looked like a Smurf.


Will came over to join in the Smurf fun and to give Gage a little smooch.


Yes, I know this is blurry..I just love the shirt he had on.


Again with the sand..

While Gage was playing in any sand he could find, I took the change to get a few pictures of Will.



Check out those eyes.



"Whatchu talking 'bout"



I'm glad someone likes Gage's trampoline


Seriously..I'm not kidding..I LOVE this face

So Gage and Will had fun. It was adorable when I asked Will if he wanted to take a picture for Mommy and he responded with "And Daddy?". So of course, we took a picture for Mommy..and Daddy. It's nice to have someone live so close that Gage can play with. I mean like close, close. I can smell what Donna is cooking for dinner on some nights. lol. We do need to hang out more, especially because we live thisclose to one another.

So now to the most recent...I apologize this is quite long..with tons of pictures, but believe me..I didn't even post half of what I took.

Yesterday Gage had a play date with Kasey (Erika's little guy). We had tried to do this before, but the weather sucked so we rescheduled. With Gage's schedule and Erika's it was hard to find a time. Is it sad that my schedule never posed a problem? Maybe that's because, I don't have a schedule. My schedule is whatever Gage's schedule is. Anyway...

We planned to meet at the park by the town hall, I got there a little bit before Erika and I felt like an idiot. I pulled in and saw a whole bundle of kids running around. Big kids, kids I don't like playing on a playground with Gage. They are older, rougher and faster. Not his crowd..or mine really. So I put on my glasses trying to find Erika and Kasey, because I didn't realize at the time they were not there yet. I was hoping she would want to go somewhere else because it was so busy. Luckily, she agreed. We ended up at the park behind the fire dept. This park is about 1/2 a mile away from my house when you drive, but about 10ft. if you walk. I didn't realize this until I went looking around, but we couldn't have walked..I don't want to go through some one's yard.

So...

We meet up and both Gage and Kasey are wearing their M&M shirts. I couldn't get one of them together, but I did get one of them separately.



It had been awhile since I had seen Erika, sure we have chatted on Facebook, but face to face its been awhile. I had never seen Kasey before, besides pictures. Well, he is adorable. The whole time he called me " Hey Lady". I thought it was hilarious.

Gage and Kasey didn't really interact much. Gage was all about the slide and Erika, while Kasey was all about being away from Gage. I think they warmed up to each other in the end and were able to be less than a foot away from one another. Again..I took a lot of pictures but, I'm only going to post a few on here.

Kasey took right to me taking his picture, which was fine by me. Here are a few that I took...


This is unedited and blurry..but I love the "Cheeeeese" face.



He really is a cutie.

Gage really, I mean really loved the slide.




It was a fun play date and we'd love to do it again. Around the time that they had to get going, Tony, Gage's speech therapist came to the park. I had called him to have him meet us there for Gage's session. It's nice to have a change of pace and not be stuck in the house all day long.

So, this is where the awesome Gage news comes in to play. For awhile Gage I think plateaued with his services. He wasn't doing what he knew very often and not picking up on anything new. He also was having some meltdowns when he was in therapy. Well..now he seems to just be going through a learning spurt. He is picking up on this soooo quickly.

For example: In the time that Gage had his session at the park with Tony, not only did he learn to sign "candy", he also said it! It was something like "Caynedeee". So of course, I have been having him do it over and over..which he obliges me for a dum dum lollipop. Win-Win.



My filthy, dirt covered kid signing "candy"!



Gage and Tony again, in deep conversation



Being pushed by Tony on the swing

Gage also has another new word. Now if you know me pretty well, you know when it comes to Gage, I tend to sing him things. I don't tell him its time to eat, I tell him "We're gonna eat, eat, eat...chickey, chickey, chickeeeeeennnn" or something along those lines. I have done it since he was a baby..its just my weird thing I guess. So that being said, Gage was in the tub and I put his shovel and rake from his sand toys in there with him. So I started taking the shovel and "shoveling" water on him and taking the rake and raking his belly. As I did this I was singing "Shovel, shovel, shovel...rake, rake, rake". Weird I know, but after two or three times I said the shovel part and Gage comes out with "wake, wake, wake"! I was so excited and surprised! Of course, why would an almost 3 year old need "rake" in his vocabulary, I have no idea..but at least its a word!

Oh and yes, bathtime is not longer hell!


as you can see here...it's wasnt a power struggle!

So as of right now Gage with say:

No, Yeeeeah(yeah), Rake, Niiii(night), Baaawl(ball), hi, by-eeee(bye), Caynedee(candy), Paine(Plane), Hoo Hoo(woo hoo)..along with a few mixed things here and there

Gage can sign:
More, all done, down, eat, want, drink, candy, thank you, please, rocket, help, swing..again, some others on occasion

Gage can now:
Make about 5 animal sounds, identify some vehicles and animals, point to 6 body parts, point to things instead of using his whole hand

So, lots of progress and he seems eagar to learn right now. So we're going to keep bombarding hiim with all we can.

Sorry this was so long, but so much to tell!



Really...how can you not love him?

What's a long blog without a surpise ending??

Can anyone tell me how to de-clutter my house, life, mind? I could sure use some help with that! I'm not in the largest house ever, it isn't tiny, but it sure isn't big either. I have so much, actually, Gage has so much stuff that I am running out of room! I know what you might think, STOP buying him so much! I don't though, well that's a lie...but I don't by him as much as I used to. I need to have a yard sale this summer but finding the time and energy to go through all the boxes is not fun. I have stuff that isn't even unpacked from when we moved in. I don't even want to mention the clothes that are practically pouring out of this house! Its horrible, I could have my own Plato's Closet here! Gage does have a lot of clothes too, most of those are in plastic totes, one here and I think 3 at my mother's house. I just cant seem to part with all of his adorable onesies, hats and outfits. He had quite the nice collection of clothes, he still does really. Toys are the devil though, lol. After his 2nd birthday and Christmas this place was bombarded by things. He got WAAAY too many presents, most of which are my fault. He liked something (Disney's Cars cars) and I got to hunting them down like it was my job!

I have sorted through some of his things that he doesn't bother with anymore and put them on the front porch. I wont be able to fit too much more on that porch though, its pretty full right now. I need to go through it and just get rid of it. If we haven't used it in a year..we wont be using it any time soon. I know its clutter and I guess I have a bit of an attachment for my "stuff". Doesn't everyone though?? I mean, its your stuff! Oh, I don't know..I suppose I should just toss it.

On another note...I finally got to play around with my new Lensbaby! It is a little different to get used to, but I think I am going to like it. As you can see..I am far from a master at using it. I took a few pics of Gage exploring his new swing set. Which by the way, he adores!


Checking out the new slide.


YAAAAAH!!!!


He is such a ham and knows right when to look at me.


I also took a few w/o the Lensbaby. I didn't really edit, edit too many of them..but I have a confession..I'm in love. Yep, I am in love with Totally Rad Actions and I'm not afraid to shout it from over the top of my laptop! THEY ARE AMAZING!!!



Lovin' his Deee


As you can see..they were looking over a very serious matter..


I tend to confuse him..


Again with the car down the slide


Trying out the trampoline and clapping for himself as I yelled out "YAY Gage"


How could you not love that face?
(I know its hard to see it, because he badly needs a haircut)


Hi Momma!


I'm really loving the black and white these days


Seriously though..how could you NOT love him. He's gorgeous!

So, now..I am going to post another picture that isn't so flattering for Gage. My son now has a new "thing" he does. I try every time I see him to redirect him, but I don't always get there in time...like shown below.


Um..EWW!

Maybe I should be happy that he is doing my job for me. That's one less toenail to clip..but I'd much rather clip them for him...darn boys!

I babysat for Mandy recently and it went pretty well. Hayden really listened to me and I think had fun with Gage.



Gage on the other hand..didn't have as much fun as Hayden, lol. Actually..it wasn't bad at all, he just got a little cranky later in the day. Doesn't Hayden look concerned for him though? Its cute I though. I was able to take a few surprise shots for Mandy. I figured she says how much she likes the pictures I take of Gage, that I would take a few of Hayden and see what I could do with them. They aren't anything fancy, just some quick shots on my stairs.


What a little monkey..seriously..I had my leg on him to keep him seated


Doesn't he look like he is up to something??


My favorite, he looks sweet in this one...

So, last but not least..the surprise...are you ready for it?? No, seriously..are you sure you are ready for it??

Ok..here it is...



Yep, you read it right....

I am going to have another little bowl of Oatmeal. I don't have specifics yet, because this test was taken a few days ago. Can you believe I kept my mouth shut this long? I'm almost proud.

I know there are a very few people that knew already..because I cant keep my mouth shut easily about this kind of stuff...but now its out there..and I am still trying to have it sink in. It better be a girl..otherwise it's going on Ebay. I kid, I kid...lol. I am just really rooting for a girl.

Then again..I am also rooting for more energy, less back pain and more sleep. Let's hope I get those too! I have a feeling, because of the way I am feeling already this is going to be a LONG 40 weeks. I had it so easy with Gage that I guess it's time to pay my dues. Actually, I had it easy up until delivery. Some of you know my horror birth story, he was well worth it, but still. I deserve an easy road after that!

I will keep you updated...

I've neglected this blog for too long...

It's true, I have neglected writing for awhile..I have just had no inspiration to write anything or energy for that matter. I suppose I should do a little update on Gage. That is always easy to do.

Gage is doing well. He is obsessed with puzzles lately. Well, puzzles and his Brown Bear book. I have been working with him on animal sounds, he currently will say "arf arf, heh heh heh"(the barking and panting of a dog, lol), guack, guack(while making his hand into a duck's bill), "ppppppp"(which is is horse..think of the sound after the horse whinny's) and the last one is a cat..but I have no idea how to write that sound. He doesn't meow, he makes a slurp sound for the cat drinking milk. I was pretty impressed with how well he has been doing with them and made his own versions of the sounds the animal actually makes.

He is also doing quite well (well..some days not so well..) on using more than one sign at a time. Right now he can do 4..for example he can sign "Want more drink please" or "Want eat again please". Please is his strongest sign for sure. He uses it all the time! We are working on teaching him Rocket(because he brings one everywhere) and help. His therapy is going well, but we are going to switch to ABA therapy for something new. On certain areas Gage has plateaued and is regressing on some things. It seems he will regress lets say, with using the sign for "more", but only for a little while and then it comes back again. Some times I think it is just him being a stubborn 2 year old. I say this because we will ask him if he wants more, he says "Yeah!" and I tell him "Show me" and Gage will look at me and just say "No". So the fact that he is saying no, he doesn't want to sign makes me think its not always that he can't do it.

I got Gage a swing set today, its not the one I wanted which was about $900, this one was more affordable at $200. I still want the other one, but I couldn't justify spending that much money on a swing set me might outgrow. So we went with one that has a trampoline attached and has the longest slide on it. That is the only thing he really likes anyway, so the rest of it isn't that important. I'm hoping for a nice day so we can get it put together for him. Hopefully before Gage's girlfriend comes to visit. I also got him a water table, he has already gone nuts for it and there is no water in it! I will admit, I put a little in it and let him play..in the dining room. He of course got water all over so I dumped it. He was less than happy with me. So outside should be fun for Gage this summer. He will have the swing set, water table, sand box, his bounce house and I am going to get him a wagon for walks soon.

I started reading a book recently, "Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" it has really made me think about how I do things with Gage. I am only about half way through it, thanks to lack to quiet time to read, lol, but I would recommend it to parents, relatives and pretty much anyone with constant contact with a child on the spectrum. Its really made me think about why Gage does this, how I should/shouldn't react, my lack of truly understanding how it is for him with things..plus a lot more. It makes me think, ok when Gage is knocking down the blinds because he is standing on his head..he isn't trying to knock them down..he is seeking pressure on his head/trying to fulfill that sensory need. I don't know, its just an interesting book.

Well I am going to take it as a hint that I should finish this..since I am zoning out, staring at the screen. Until next time...hehe

Are we getting older or is everyone else getting younger?

Just an FYI...I started writing this about a week ago and never got to finishing it..so it has a little of this and a little of that in it.

Well I got a good dose of reality thrown in my face recently. My 10 year reunion is coming and its coming very soon. Of course, I'm not stupid. I know how old I am, I just didnt really realize it until I saw the title of the group on Facebook. "...Class of 2000....10 year reunion." At that moment it made me think, what have I done for the past 10 years? I mean, I've done a lot of things..but have I really done anything? Now my biggest accomplishment is of course, Gage. Like many mothers, my little man is the best thing I could have ever helped create...because, well, he's awesome. Its making me think, what the hell have I really done. I've been to a few colleges, worked a fair amount of jobs, finally moved out of the house, bought a car, wrecked a car....its almost depressing when you try to think of it. I feel like I should be a doctor, a published artist, a famous something..I know that the majority of my graduating class is most likely not a famous anything..so I would be in the majority with them, but still.

I suppose it it inevitable, we all get older. We all have to grow up sometime, even though I know many people that have yet to do so. I sometimes think about high school and I wouldnt go back but there are parts I do certainly miss. I miss cheerleading the most. It was nice to have a sense of "duty"(back then at least), we were there to get the crowd excited and have a fun time. I of course miss the constant company, I was always around people and friends. I dont have that now and its sad to think about that. I never go anywhere or do anything, yes, a lot of that is because of scheduling but its still depressing. I miss having sleepovers, going to the movies with friends, not having bills and feeling more carefree. I think maybe being home so much is just starting to wear me down. I need to get Gage's schedule set to where we can go and do things more often. I think mainly I need energy, I wish I could be one of those people that have energy to do things. I just dont, I dont have the energy or the drive to do some things. When its for Gage, I am all about it. When its for me, not so much. I said something recently in a comment to a blog that I think is very true. I use 99% of my energy on Gage every single day. I think that the 1% that is left over for me I just have no idea how to use it so it ends up being wasted. I wish I could be that mom that has it all together and organized. I would love to get up in the morning, shower, get Gage ready, do his therapies and then go do stuff. It just doesnt happen often and I know I can only blame myself but it sucks. My goal for this summer is to give myself a kick in the butt and get out more. Maybe join a play group or something. I know we are going to Sesame Place, not sure when..but it will happen. Plus we are bringing Gage to the Please Touch Museum..I've heard a little about it and it sounds wonderful.

A little update on Gage...

He is doing wonderfully with bath time now. He seems to really enjoy it. Brushing his teeth is another battle. He was doing so well with it and now he freaks out when I go near him with a tooth brush. I feel horrible but I dont want him to have bad teeth. Its a curse in my family, no matter how much we brush, our teeth are cursed. Gage's poor little teeth are already not the whitest on the top because of how hard it is to brush them.

Gage is also taken a liking to biting his lips. It is driving me NUTS! He just chews and chews until he has a sore on the inside of his mouth. Between that and constantly biting his fingernails I am constantly checking him. He chewed so much before that his nails and lip have bled.

The biggest thing is that Gage is FINALLY not only trying, but eating some new foods!!!!! Last Thursday we went to Disa's house to play/have lunch. She was having hot dogs and mac & cheese. So I figured if all else fails, Gage had the hot dogs to eat. So we got there and Gage made himself right at home....going straight in to the bedrooms for toys. Fricken kid, lol. Well, while Disa was making the other kid's dishes, I got Gage's together. I figured I would put a little of everything on the tray, hoping that if he saw the big kids eating it he would too. I was quite surprised, because I figured Gage would attack the hot dog and I would have to toss the rest. He actually ate the mac & cheese! I wont lie, I got a little teary eyed...There at the table was my big boy eating a new food with a fork, right along with the other kids. I know to some people that might not seem like a big thing, but it was for me and Gage. I would never want to change Gage, but it was nice to see what could be. He was there at a table with "typical" kids and was blending right in, eating right along with them. It made me think that preschool is the right move and that Gage will do fine. I was just afraid that he would be picked on or stick out and feel bad. I know the preschool he will be going to more than likely wont be like that. He will be in a class room with kids more on his level, but still...I just had visions of him sitting there, not eating and being pushed around. He is such a gentle, sweet kid that other kids tend to take over. He doesnt really care it seems, but I certainly do. He just lets them do what they want..of course these are NT kids, so that could be the issue too. Anyway...I decided to see if the mac & cheese was a one time thing, so the next day for lunch..it was hot dogs and mac & cheese for lunch. I bought easy mac because I figured it was easier (hence the name) and there was a smaller portion. I didnt need a box just for Gage. Well...he ate it again!!! He didnt even bother with the hot dog. I got it on video, of course. I will load that another time though..I cant seem to find where Gage hid the flip camera.

One other thing..

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the mommies! Hope you day was good. Mine was pretty uneventful...although I did get some good stuff. I got a new light kit..yay!..and a lens baby! So if anyone is looking for a light kit, I have my old one for sale! I also started to play around with some pictures again. Its been far too long since I have done anything. So I took some older pics and some new ones and played around on Photoshop the other night. I didnt change anything so it will look good on the web, but you'll get the general idea of the pics. I am thinking when Gage goes to school I will finally start to advertise instead of just word of mouth. Now of course, if anyone wants anything done in the mean time... :)


Mr. Oshkosh and Rocket


He only liked the swings long enough for me to take this pic


Yum! Ice cream! Can you believe those eyelashes?


OLD pic..but I love his sweet face


Check out those eyes..


Another old one..


Came out dark on here..but he's pondering something..


My favorite..this came out a bit darker on here too..


So there you have it..I got bored and stayed up until 4 am doing pictures. I did A LOT more but they wernt all of Gage, so I decided not to post them here. I suppose it is time to finally stop this now though. I'm such a bad blogger...I dont post then when I do BAM! I post a long one. Well, I will keep more up to date..I swear....ish. :)

If I go on MTV can I get people to believe me too??

Alright, this might be short but then again it might be long..so be prepared.

I am sick to death of hearing about people "curing" autism. Specifically a certain blonde playmate that used to pick her nose on MTV for a living. I know I have talked about this before, but it just really gets me heated. I am no way telling people how to raise their children or what is right or wrong. Each parent does what they feel best and I get that...but why put someone so innocent through the ringer for your own need for a "normal" child? I dont mean the parents that just change the kids diet or add vitamins. I mean the ones that spend a ridiculous amount of money on treatments that I wouldnt even wish on someone I dislike, let alone someone I love!

I really think that she is spreading the wrong message and too many misinformed people are on the bandwagon. They see that tiny thread of "hope" and cling to it for all its worth. When I would bet money that whatsherface's (I'm even sick of her name) son isnt really even "cured". Sure, maybe he improved...but that isnt cured people! Hell, Gage has made improvement but I'm smart enough to know he's not at the level of a typical 3 year old and he certainly isnt cured/healed/whatever. I really am thinking that this poor child is being used. Maybe at first it was a mother excited about progress and wanting to share, then I think it became about fame and money. Think about it, before her whole "I am Mrs. Autism"(no, she didnt say that..I'm just being mean) what did you really see her in? I'll give you a minute to think about it......

Cant come up with too much, can you? She started making a profit off of her child before he was even born. I wont lie, I enjoyed her book "Belly Laughs". I was young, pregnant and scared. Not to mention too lazy to read a book as big as "What to expect.." lol. So I bought it and it was funny and gave me a insight on some things I wouldnt have thought of. Of course, that being said..it was like reading the comics in Sunday's paper..you read them because they are funny, not to get the real news. Dont get me wrong, I dont think she is a bad person. I just think she is irresponsible to be doing what she is doing. She had given people a false belief of what Autism is. Unfortunately because of her "star" status many people believe her. Hell if Oprah had her on, it must be true...right? I would think true reporters would be smart enough to not have only her on there talking about Autism. I remember Oprah having Toni Braxton, Holly Robinson Peete and Jenny McCarthy on her show. Who got the most air time?? You guessed it! Jenny did, which just shows that people believe her crap. I am sick to death of not hearing any other way but the Jenny way. How can you listen to someone that is just not credible, at all. First she goes on and on about how she is an indigo mom and her son is a crystal child..blah blah blah. Now she's dropped that though and its all about being a "warrior mom". I recently read a blog by a very smart woman. No, I dont know her, but I can tell from her blog that she has a good head on her shoulders. :) This is something she said in her blog "A Warrior Mom is a mom who loves their child unconditionally. Who wants them to have all of the advantages of other children. Who beams when they walk in a room." I totally agree with her! Check out her blog here.

I just wish someone, ANYONE would do a show about how its like to really live with Autism. Not some photoshopped version of reality. It is irresponsible to give people a one sided, false hope version of the truth. Autism is not curable. period. I'm not always the brightest crayon in the box and I figured that one out pretty damn quickly. I also this its funny that whatsherface keeps changing her story. One time her son is "cured", then he "recovered"..she doesnt like any vaccines at all, then she thinks they are good but need to be spread out..make up your mind and stick with it already! Now, if he is cured/recovered/fixed/crystal..why do we never see him? Except in photographs, which I am sure took longer than she would like to admit. Why not show video of his progress and how much this wonder treatment can do? I am not saying her kid isnt cute, he is..but his mom is an idiot. Also, if she is removing yeast from his stomach..why is the thing she is using to remove yeast have yeast in it?? Did you know that this pill makes you throw up over and over again(I've heard for like 3 days)..and also give you the poops? Now that would make an adult sick and weak, imagine what it does to a child.

I am just tired of her and her Autism parade...or should I say charade? She is promoting junk. Do people really think Autism is the way she says? Probably..and its sad. Not once have I ever heard he mention how her son is/was. People that read her crap or watch her on tv that are not parents to Autistic children probably dont know what Autism really is. Autism is not celation, shots, vitamins, yeast or "recovery/cure". It is different for everyone. Every family has a different "What Autism is.." story. I know in this house Autism is a lovable, funny, hand flapping, oooh-ing, sensory seeking, texture hating, over stimulated, silly little guy named Gage. Is Gage's journey unique? It sure is..each child with Autism is unique, they may share certain similarities but each one is unique and so is each story. Dont reduce it to one person who is a fame hog, that promotes herself over and over again. Her story is not the only story out there. I wish people would realize that and stop giving her the attention she doesnt deserve.

There..I'm done my ranting. I just dont have the patience or energy tonight to talk about her anymore. Its irritating and upsetting..

Thanks to everyone that came to support the Autism Awareness Walk!

Well I figure its about time I put something up about the walk since it was a week ago. It was amazing to see how many people showed up to support Autism. I was even more impressed how many of my own friends and family came to support Gage. It really made me feel good that so many friends/family cared enough to come to the walk(of course I know some had to work and whatnot). I dont think they know, so I will say it here...It truly meant SO MUCH that you came out to the walk I cant thank you enough for supporting Autism and Gage. I of course didnt get to talk too much to anyone because I was busy being the official photographer, lol. I took SOOO many pictures, which I will of course post on here. I still have a lot of pictures to edit, but I have a sample of some of them done. I'll just add ones of Gage because I dont want to post any of people I dont know, just to be on the safe side.

Some of the friends/family that came out to support the walk (thanks again soo much)

Bridget, Beth and (I'm sorry...I forgot your name but thanks for coming! Erin, maybe??)


So where to start...I was supposed to be at the walk around 9:30..but Gage had different plans for me. I ended up there just before 10, found Tony and started taking pictures. It wasnt long before my mother came and started being my little assistant. She took my spare camera and went off on her own. She has no photo experience at all and actually just learned how to use the camera about a week before the walk. I knew I could edit things though, so I wasnt too worried. Well, together we took 524 pictures! I am now in the process of editing the last ones, adding my watermark, sorting out the undesirables and burning them to DVD. I have been a little slow getting them done..but I get sick of staring at photoshop for so long some times..

My little helper, lol (she would kill me if she saw this)


Again, I was really impressed at the volume of people at the walk, not just there for Gage..just there in general. You dont realize how much it affects the community until you go to something like this. I knew Autism was pretty prevalent up here, but didnt realize how much until the walk. Its pretty mind blowing to see how many families it affects. Not to mention the variety. I know its a spectrum but you really could see that spectrum that day. There were kids FAR worse off than Gage. I knew of course and have seen glimpses of kids that are more severe, but it really hit home how lucky I am at the walk. Gage didnt have one meltdown, no fits, no cries..nothing. He was awesome! I was pretty impressed and thankful that he was so good.

Gage got to run around and play...a lot. Everyone was grabbing him at some point. My mother took him, Justin's dad..everytime I turned around I was like "Where's Gage?" lol. People that didnt know Justin was there too must have thought I lost my son. Gage played in the sensory tent..and got soaked. I didnt get to see it, but he basically dunked his whole arm in the water. Good thing we bought him a hoodie.

Look how much fun he was having..


He also, surprisingly put his hand in some paint and put his hand print on a sign. He HATES his hands wet so it was fun to watch him do something new w/o freaking out.

A little help from his Mee Mee didn't hurt either..


Mandy and Hayden came too and I got an adorable picture of them giving each other a kiss. Just check out that pucker...


Speaking of kissing..I got a picture of Gage and Justin that I love..

Isnt that sweet?

There was a slide with balls in it..right up Gage's ally. He loved it and didnt want to get out. He even started pushing a kid because he was apparently too slow for Gage.


So much for being my gentle giant..lol


He also loved the bounce house..again..a big deal for Gage. It was something new, with a lot of kids and I didnt go in with him. He did it and loved it though.

(see..my mother is learning how to use the camera)

Over all the whole day was pretty good. Gage had fun, I took A LOT of pictures and a whole lot more money was raised for a good cause. Here are some more pictures...



Waiting for a ball to be rolled to him


Look! I found Rocket!!!

Two of Gage's wonderful therapists..Maribeth and Krystal

and of course..who could forget Tony..the one with the toughest job..Gage's speech therapist(poor guy gets the most tears of all 3 of them)



Now I also want to give a quick update. Gage is doing some awesome things! He is getting sooo much better with getting a bath, last night...so screaming! WOOO! I had a clean baby with no tears! I was pretty happy with that. Also, Gage is really getting good with a spoon..of course you wouldnt know by the video below..but he is. He is also talking some more. He said plane the other day and ball is coming back slowly, but coming back. The biggest thing though is that he is finally trying new foods. Besides a pretzel that he tried the other day, Gage tried cheddarwurst. I had some that I fried up with onions and bbq sauce. Well he kept coming up and sticking his finger on it and tasting it. So I let him, because if he wants to try something new..by all means he can stick his little finger on my plate. He did that for a few minutes then actually took a bite. I was quite impressed. Then last night I had some left over Chinese that I made and he was interested in trying it. I didnt let him though, it was General Tso's chicken and I didnt want to burn his tongue. Hopefully this trend stays and he eats more than hot dogs, chicken, sausage, grilled cheese and peanut butter sandwiches.

He started off using a spoon..but decided his hand made a much better one...I guess he needed a shovel.