Grayson's First Disney Trip!

 Just got back from our first real vacation.  And it was to the happiest place on Earth....Disney World!  We had no idea how this trip would go and had very little expectations.  We could not have been more proud of how Grayson responded toward everything.  He was a rock star.  So I apologize in advance for the length of this blog, but I was able to limit it to under 50 pictures.  A HUGE feat if you ask me.  I am going to give very detailed commentary because this trip is something I want to remember forever.

We left Jacksonville around lunchtime on Friday.  We made it to our hotel, the Blue Heron beach resort in just over two hours.  The hotel was perfect for us.  It was a 2 bedroom suite with a living room, full kitchen, washer/dryer, and two balconies.  One overlooking this amazing lake and on the other side you could see Downtown Disney and Epcot.  So we check in and Grayson runs right over to this twin bed, he was so excited about it, even though the picture doesn't nearly do his reaction justice.  By the time I had gotten the camera, he was looking at me like he was saying, "What, I am a big kid, here I am in a big kid bed."  He had no idea that once we had dropped off our things we were headed to our first stop of the weekend: Sea World!

 At first we were a little concerned because it didnt seem like there was that much there to do. Grayson isn't the type of kid who would like or be able to sit through the many shows that both Sea World and WDW have to offer.  We were not under any delusions that he would be, so we just blew right past those.  We finally saw these cute sea lions, walruses, and birds that Grayson liked talking to.

 Then we figured, time to try a new thing....Dippin' Dots!  It sure was cold, but he loved it and ate almost my whole container.

 Then we went into this great exhibit, called Shark Encounter, which was very much like an aquarium, a place we know he loves.   He was very interested in the room that had a glass dome above it where you could see all of the fish and sharks swimming by.

 "Daddy, did you see that??"  :)

 The weather could not have been more perfect for the entire weekend.  There was not a cloud in the sky and most mornings, there was a cool breeze.   As we were walking around Sea World, we strolled past this lake where you could rent paddle boats in the shape of flamingos!  Of course, I jumped right on this chance.  Too bad we weren't with other people who could have gotten the flamingo in the picture.  They looked hilarious.  Grayson wasn't quite sure about it, but nevertheless was a good sport.

 Next we found this little tot spot where there were a few rides to try. We figured we would give it a whirl to see what we were in store for the next day.  Up first....a train.  

 Next: the carousel.....of course a better reaction on this one.

 Only took 456 shots to get a good one in front of the Sea World sign.

 There were two ride similar to the spinning tea cups in Disney so we tried both of them.

 Getting excited.....

 Loving it!

 We stayed at Sea World for about three hours.   Grayson had woken up very early this morning and had a very short, 25 minute nap on our car ride, so we figured he would be getting tired soon.  Before we even pulled out of the Sea World parking lot, this is what we saw.

 The next morning was a very early one for us.  Grayson was up ready to go meet the Mouse at 5:00 in the morning.  Not too much rest was had over the course of the weekend, but I guess that comes with the territory for a Disney trip.   It did allow me to get some beautiful sunrise pictures over the lake from our balcony.

 And off we went....we decided to take the ferry to Magic Kingdom.  Grayson loved it.   We were starting off right with a great attitude and outlook for the day!  We arrived at the gates of Magic Kingdom and were successful in being given a DAS card for people with disabilities.  This card along with the fast pass allowed us to jump ahead in all of the lines, on the 8 rides that we got on the first day, with minimal wait time.

 First ride..."It's a Small World."   Now I will say this before I post anymore pictures.  Grayson did amazing on these rides. For us, it wasn't like going to Disney with a "normal" kid where you can point things out for them to look at and explain to them what they are looking at. With that said, he was fully engaged in every ride we were on and looking around at everything. He would babble, laugh, and smile on all of them.  Some you will see, he DEFINITELY liked better than others, but he did great with all of them!

 First family photo of the weekend.  Thanks to Uncle Andy and Chelsea for being great photographers when we wanted some family picts and for helping us with Grayson. A special thanks to Uncle Andy for getting us free tickets for a fantastic weekend.  We were so thrilled that you could be there with us to help witness his first time at the park.

A light snack after It's a Small World, while we were waiting for Peter Pan!  No picts from Peter Pan, it was pretty dark in the whole ride.   All in all the pictures that were taken on the rides are very limited, it is extremely difficult to get good ones with the lighting inside the rides.

 So excited to see what was going to happen next!

 Castle shot #1.

 Spinning Tea Cups.  Chelsea was the only one brave enough to go on this ride.  And that forehead and those eyes...oh yea, that is Grayson.

 A great shot that Chelsea got while the ride was going.  Think he liked it???

By the way he is looking at her and holding her face, I would say he was saying, "Thank you so much for being brave enough to take me on that ride and possibly get puked on."  

 Then we were off to Dumbo....

 Tried to get a better picture with the Dumbo that was stationary.

 We went on Winnie the Pooh's Great Escape, that he really enjoyed!  He had a great big smile on it the whole time. Then we had a little bit of time before we had to return to ride The Little Mermaid, so we let him run around free.  Not without trying to get some pictures with him. Forget the characters...who wants to take a picture with Grayson?

 The Little Mermaid!  Ahhhh, who looks the most excited in this picture??

 And here was probably the favorite ride for Grayson.  Buzz Lightyear.    I know he doesnt look too excited in this one.....but keep scrolling.

 He was my special helper and we shot tons of things using our laser gun.   He was laughing the whole time.

People Mover probably ranked #2. He liked feeling the breeze, getting to see everything, and even a few sharp turns it made.  He will definitely be a roller coaster guy, as soon as he is tall enough.

 And of course, a Disney World staple.  The Mickey Mouse ice cream ears bar.  Of course a win.  Duh, it is edible, and on top of that, chocolate and ice cream.  Nothing beats that combination.

 Castle shot #2: An even better one.

 After about 4 hours, he was done.  Lucky for us, we were done also. We had made it to all the rides that we thought he would enjoy and we wanted to leave on a good note.

 He napped in the car and then when we got to the hotel we were off to his favorite "ride" of the weekend.  That damn bed.  

 Day #3:  Animal Kingdom.  Uncle Andy told us that the Kilimanjaro Safari was a very popular ride and we should head there first.  He was right!  That ride got packed very quickly.  So worth it though, it was a 15 minute ride through the safari where we got to see all kinds of animals.  He loved it. I wish he could tell me what he found so exciting about these rides, but his smiles, laughter, and incessant babbles are priceless.

 Went on a nature hike through a trail to a petting zoo.

 We got to brush some pigs and goats.  After that, we decided to head back.  We were only there for about two hours, only did two rides, but it was getting hot and crowded. There wasn't a whole lot of other things for us to do there with Grayson so it was a good time to call it quits.

 After a non-nap time, Gramps came!  Got some great photos out on the balcony.

 After one failed attempt, we decided to try again to put Grayson down for a nap. Success!  This was an integral component to our day because we wanted to try to make it to the fireworks show at Epcot.  We did it.  He loved it.

 Daddy held him for the first few minutes and then he wanted to watch from the comfort of his stroller.

 Our last photo taken on the balcony before we left this morning.   We couldn't have asked for a better trip.  Our new norm, Grayson is phenomenal in new situations.  This trip had the potential to have been very bad, it was a complete crap shoot.  It couldn't have gone any better.  We are looking forward to more family vacations in the future!

Castaway Island Preserve 2014

The weather here albeit pretty bipolar, has been beautiful lately!  We are trying to spend as much time as we can outside before it becomes unbearably hot.  We visited this treasured spot about 10 minutes from our house.  It is a hidden gem for sure.  It is a free activity for us, which is always great!  There are a lot of trails, bridges, paths, and overlooks.  The scenery is beautiful.   The three of us had a fantastic time here this past weekend.   Here are some shots from our time there.   Please forgive me, I pretend that I am a seasoned photographer that knows what she is doing.  I like to mess around with color, black and white, and different exposures and saturations.  I love it.  Wish I had more time to practice this hobby.  You have to admit, I have a great model. :)

Pure joy!   He was so excited to be free and be outside.

We ran into a couple of photographers and they asked if we wanted them to take a few pictures of us.  At first we hesitated because we know how hard it is for others to get photos of Grayson, but then we figured it was worth a shot.  I am so glad they offered, these are the first family pictures we have of all of us in months!

It was a great day and we are hoping to go back really soon, before the weather is too brutally warm.

February 2014

 Here is our little "lovasaurus"wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

 A little Risky Business action...

 It has been beautiful, but chilly, weather here over the last few weeks, so we decided to try bowling.  We went into it like we do all new things these days, with no expectations.  He did great!  The noises, people cheering and clapping, balls flying down the lanes, and pins falling down didn't bother him at all.   He was excited to give it a try!  We got bumpers and this nifty little slide to help him bowl.

 Here is his first frame, bowling with Daddy!

 After each time the bowl rolled down, he would intently watch the ball go down the lane and knock down the pins.  We would get a little smirk and then he would RUN back to the machine to get another ball.  Daddy would get it, grab his hand, and off they went!

 Ahhh the excitement!   Strikkkkkkkkke!

 Claps for good bowling!

 Mommy got to be in a few pictures too!

 Grayson loved doing it over and over again.  He bowled for all three of us for about 4 frames.

 "I am so good at this!"

 Then.....we got a little tired so we sat.

 And leaned back to check the score.

 This bowling thing is exhausting!

 He had some french fries, got some pep back in his step and bowled another frame or two.

 All in all a very successful activity that we are sure to do again.    We have been spending a lot of time outside recently.  If we are dressed appropriately, it is gorgeous.   We have gotten very brave and started to go down the big kid slides at the playground.  His signs are coming along really nicely.  We get to practice "slide" and "swing" a lot!  Below are pictures of him signing for both activities before we start them.

 Happy kid, has loved the swing since he was teeny tiny!

 Great Grandma JoJo and Nonny Andrea came into town last weekend.   They got to go to Chuck E Cheese to play and spend good time with Grayson and Daddy.

Winter, Big boy bed, and more!

So it may be hard to see, but this picture was the start to a very big change for Grayson in 2014.   He started throwing his leg over the side of the crib. I don't know if he was just stretching or plotting an exit, but I wasn't willing to take a chance.  We decided to get him a toddler bed, and exactly four days later, we had a new bed in his room.  Yes, we could have gotten a "tent" to put above it, but his sleeping pattern has been horrendous lately anyway.  For the last month, he has been up for between 1-3 hours in the middle of the night.  Not crying or upset, just awake.  Babbling, yelling, kicking, running around the crib.... So we figured, if this moving to a bed thing was going to be a shitshow, we might as well do it now, while we aren't sleeping anyway.

We were both very nervous since any two year old might have an issue with this transition, but typically children with Autism have a much harder time with transitions, especially our little man.  We could not have been more thrilled with his reaction.

 After bath time we do naked reading in the room.  Him, not us. :)   And as soon as he saw the bed, he ran right for it.

 Pulled the covers over himself and laid down.

 We were so excited that we dressed him in his PJs in bed and read his stories in his bed.  How do you think he felt about his new bed?  That smile is worth a million words.

He typically sleeps in a bat cave with black out shades on the windows,  but because this was a new thing, and we were sure he would get out of bed, we put a nightlight back in his room. Didn't want him running around in the dark. He fell asleep great, just like he normally would.  As soon as the clock struck somewhere between 1 and 3,he ran around at night for hours, just like he would in his crib.   Then I decided to turn the night light off.  That  fixed that problem.  He is about 50/50 now, two weeks later for being awake in the middle of the night for an extended period of time, but he stays in the bed.  Nap time has been a different issue.  After about a week of no naps, and yes, he does NEED a nap, I decided to use the pack and play for nap time.  Of course, if he is given the option to run around the room, he is going to.  If not, he has about a 80% chance of napping.  So, I will do anything to increase his chances of napping.

 One day I decided to put him on top of the mailbox as we were playing outside.  He loves it and now likes to be put up there to look around, then get down, and go back up again.  It is a great workout for Mommy's arms.

Grayson's teacher at pre-school asked if we take hand me down clothes. Duh, I said.  I couldn't have been luckier with the bag she gave me.  All Ralph Lauren Polo tops.  I couldn't resist this picture.  What a handsome little devil.

 We have actually had a winter this year!  A late one....but nevertheless, a winter!  We have been building lots of fires and Daddy is an expert pyromaniac.  Grayson loves them.  Above he is enjoying a snack by the fire and below he is admiring the fire from afar.

 He has made so much progress in so many areas recently.   This ATV was a gift from his godfather, for his second birthday.  He was scared when we have tried to put him on it in the past and cried to get off immediately.  I don't know why I was feeling confident, but I put him on it, and away he went with a great big smile on his face.

At circle time at ABA they watch videos on the computer that are teaching different skills.  All of his therapists there always tell me that he loves circle time because of the music.  So we decided to download the songs on our Ipad and let him watch them here.  One of his personal favs is Usher singing the alphabet with the Sesame Street crew.  Who wouldn't love that??!

Side note- things are going very well at ABA.  He is signing for about 10 different objects; cereal, chip, banana, raisin, music, slide, swing, drink, ball, and jump.  We are thrilled that he has been able to imitate these signs since that was one of our biggest priorities when starting ABA.  Imitation has always been a huge struggle for Grayson.  So we have overcome that obstacle, and we know that G knows that when he signs for something he gets something, but based on the amount of incorrect signs, and scrolling, going through multiple different signs when asking, we are still working on trying to get him to link the correct sign with the correct reinforcement.  Nevertheless, they love working with him and always tell us what great work he has done that day.   He is starting to babble a ton more.  So they are trying to have him make a verbal request as well as signing for an item. Any verbal request that comes out of his mouth is celebrated and reinforced. Since that is going so well, they are now trying to shape his sounds.  This is where imitation comes in again.  He has NEVER imitated vocally, so I am sure this will take time, but we are thrilled with the prospect.

We always have made leaps and bounds of progress socially and sensorily.  We went to Pump it Up last night for a party.  It is a place with inflatables for jumping and sliding.  Last time we were there was a year ago for another party.  This is when we had just started with Early Intervention and were at the peak of all of his issues.  We had a Grayson glued to our bodies that would scream cry when we would put him down.  There are three different rooms that you are in, 40 minutes in each room.  By the last room, where we got to eat pizza and cake, he started to mellow out a bit.

Fast forward a year.   He LOVED it.  Went right in and did a few laps and circles with a smile on his face.  Then went right with Daddy down the huge slide which resulted in a huge smile.  They had a mini roller coaster with two small hills.  He transitioned so well between the two activities and was such a good listener when it was time to switch to the next room.  We went in all the inflatables, obstacle courses, and slides alike.  He kept grabbing one of our hands and pulling us back to the start to go again.  What a pleasurable time we all had.
Really makes us look back at all the progress he has made, and although we still have a lot of work to do, it reminded me that this is a marathon not a sprint, and we have to stop to celebrate the great successes that we have achieved along the way.   Enjoy the two videos from the fun we had last night!