Angels

My heart is full today. It is full of happiness, pride, and gratitude.

This morning something truly amazing happened. I was sitting in my office staring at my blog contemplating what my next entry would be about. Kaden climbed up on my lap and together we were staring at the picture of him and I on this blog. I said “Kaden, that is you and mama. Can you say mama?” He smiled. He looked at me and said “mmmmmmm.” After a few minutes of coaching he put his sounds together and said “mmmmmaaaaaaaam.” He then said “mam” about 5 more times and I was so excited, I started yelling and clapping. I have been waiting for him to say this for two years!

I am incredibly thankful to all of Kaden’s therapists. Every day, Kaden looks out the window waiting for one of his therapists to arrive. After they are finished, he watches them out the window as they leave, signing thank you. In my eyes you are nothing short of angels. You are saving his life, you are his best friends, and he looks forward to seeing you every day. He knows you are fighting for him, he knows you are on his side. You amaze me with your patience, enthusiasm, and passion for what you do. You are not only opening up Kaden’s entire world, but you are giving our family tools that we will take with us for the rest of our lives. You cannot put a price on this. We are so lucky that Kaden has the best of the best working with him right now. This time is crucial, and we can never get it back.

I am thankful for our amazing family and friends ~ you know who you are. For all of you who knew nothing about autism but have taken the time to research, read the books, watch the movies, and ask all of the questions in the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for not looking at Kaden and saying “Wow, he looks normal.” Instead you did your own research and tried hard to relate to us on this confusing, crazy journey. Thank you for not judging the decisions we have made as parents but rather supporting them. For all of those close to us who felt as if they never had a connection with Kaden and said “wow, I thought it was just me,” thank you for not giving up and taking the time to form your own special connection with Kaden. It means more to him than he can let you know, I see it in his face every day.

Thank you to Kaden’s cousins who are constantly teaching him, forcing him to interact, and pushing him. He loves you guys more than he can even express. But one day he will be able to tell you how much he loves and appreciates you.

Kaden is so loved. Without all of the amazing people surrounding him, this journey would be so much more difficult. Please know that we appreciate each and every one of you, every single day.

As a family, we face challenges every day with Kaden’s development. I am not going to lie, It is not easy watching him among his neuro-typical peers. There are days that it hurts, but days like today make all of those challenges fade away. Kaden will be ok. He is so smart and amazes us day after day. There are no words to express how proud I am of my little man, and how thankful I am for the angels in his life!