Thankful Thursday

Disclosure:  There are affiliate links in this post for the cookbooks listed.

"Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling.  It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in.  It is what God gave you time for."

~Neil L. Anderson

Happy Thankful Thursday!  This week got off to a bit of an overwhelming start.  As much progress as JJ has made in his speech, there are other areas that I'm starting to see him regress in.  So I went to talk to his pediatrician and we both decided that he will greatly benefit from some extra therapy services. Now we're just waiting for an official evaluation from his Autism specialist, who will then request the services for him.  

When all's said and done we're looking at maybe a total of three therapists.  I'm not sure how we're going to make it all work in terms of scheduling which therapist comes on which days.  Also, my other fear is that he'll get too overwhelmed and shut down.  It took him a long time to warm up his speech therapist and I'm just hoping he'll have an easier time bonding with his other therapists.

Being a mom to a child with Autism is hard.  Like really, really, really hard.  However, I keep reminding myself that motherhood is calling and God saw something in me that made me capable of raising a special needs child.  I'm beyond grateful to be my son's mom because he's taught me so much more about what strength truly is.  He motivates me to continue to grow as mother and role model.

I'm even more grateful for his pediatrician.  She knows to expect to see us at least once a month during the warmer months and 2-3 times during the colder ones.  Even when it's something serious going on with the kids, she does a great job of soothing me and getting me to calm down.  I love that she's not one of those doctors that toss out big medical terms without breaking it down for us non-medical folks.

I had a mini meltdown this week in her office when she told me she could see how overwhelmed and concerned I was, but she could also see what a great job I was doing not letting it consume me.  And while I don't need recognition for doing what I am supposed to do as a parent- being responsible and attentive-, it was nice to know that somebody sees my effort and that I'm not totally failing at this motherhood thing.

I'm thankful that we got spend some time at one of our favorite libraries.  Moo had blast playing with the new toys they installed in the kids' area.  She couldn't believe how much her second favorite library here had changed.  Of course, JJ and I already knew of these changes because we've visited it a few times before returning from doctor appointments last school year.  It was great to watch my two littles play.

I'm also thankful that his pediatrician talked to me about looking into some cookbooks that had recipes specifically made for people with Autism and food allergies.  I never knew that eliminating certain foods while eating more of other foods could help.  Also, Moo let it be know in no uncertain terms that she was ready to see some new dishes on our menu.  So I'm stepping my game up with the help of these cookbooks from my local library.  I do have copies coming so that we'll own them.

The Paleo Chef: Quick, Flavorful Paleo Meals for Eating Well

Eating for Autism: The 10-Step Nutrition Plan to Help Treat Your Child's Autism, Asperger's, or ADHD

Cooking Allergy-Free: Simple Inspired Meals for Everyone

Lastly, I'm grateful for my siblings.  They've been such a comfort by reassuring me that everything will be okay.  I love that throughout this whole process of finding out that JJ was special needs, they have been extra supportive.  My baby sister is already making plans to come up and give me a day to myself while she babysits.  Y'all already know how much I love her!  She's way more of a second mom to JJ and Moo than an aunt and I appreciate that.  If anything ever happened to me or their dad, I know they will be in great hands with her and my brother.

What are you most thankful for this week?