AND, Getting Into Things...

AND, he was a ham getting into things. I think he ate a deposit envelope or two. He was SO cute doing it though. I have to savor this cuteness because I might not find it cute in the months to come.

Celebrating a Good Day with a Cookie

Raf had a WONDERFUL day. He was his old self. He was looking for his momma's attention. He was happy. It felt so good, I gave him a cookie! Of course, it was a special cookie just for him, but it really did taste good! Can't you tell?

Fountain Run

We've been getting gorgeous weather here so we made a quick trip to the fountains today. As you can see, the girls had fun!

Just Cause

Fun with Friends

Yesterday we got together with some friends at the park since they didn't have school for the day. The kids had much fun playing at the playground, taking a hike, and seeing the cows!

Oh, Rafferty

He still sucks his thumb, especially when bored or tired.

Some days he still has wild and crazy hair, though it is getting much lighter underneath all that and we might have a blondie yet! And let's not forget the teeth, he got two new ones this week, making his grand total, SIX!

On some days he's strong enough to hold ALL of his own weight now and he's crawling up a storm!

And solid food, not pureed, still confuses him.

Well, it's been one heck of a week to say the least and I don't think I would've survived it without Abbi and Eric's support. I want to thank you two from the bottom of my heart for listening and reassuring me these past several days. I posted the things that have not changed about the little man as of late in the pictures above, but there have been other things that have, in my mind, changed dramatically just recently. Raf's been, well, more serious than usual and inattentive. Because of what we know about Imogen and autism, I've always been a bit worried about this baby and when I found out he was a boy, I was, obviously overjoyed, but also a bit more worried in the back of my mind based on statistics, statistics about boys, siblings on the spectrum, and autism. So since he's been in our lives, I've continued to look for any clues, watch out for any red flags, and with all my looking, I've felt very confident and comfortable with the little guy....until recently. I noticed it on Easter Sunday. He didn't respond to his name when I called it time and time again in hopes that he might shoot me that big grin he usually does as I snap a photo. Sure, he smiled a little but nowhere near the usual amount and he seemed totally oblivious to his name suddenly. We were outside, so I thought he might be distracted by the breeze, trees, and whatnot. Unfortunately, this trend did not seem to end thereafter either. I began to "test" him repeatedly but to no avail. I began to panic, really panic. For the last week I've found it difficult to do anything other than worry with that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and repeatedly call his name in hopes that he would look at me and grin. Nine times out of ten, Raf ignored me and avoided most eye contact until today. Today, he looked at us when we called most times, all of us, he smiled, he babbled, he laughed, all of these things he did repeatedly. So, I don't know. I don't know what to think. We met with the pediatrician yesterday. He didn't pass her tests and she wants him back tomorrow. better rested too, for a hearing test but I KNOW he hears. He's more likely to look at us from way across the room when we call him, he'll respond to whispers, he'll startle, on occasion, to loud noises. Heck, even Eric has been worried about him. I continue to hope that each day will get progressively better from here on out, or at least, if he could be engaged on most days. So, today has been a good day. Maybe he's been busy practicing his new skills, getting complacent with all the hullabaloo and chaos in our large family, maybe his new teeth have left him crabby or tired. I don't know. I do not know what the future holds, but I hope my little boy is here to stay with us, with his family who adores him so much, that he'll continue to smile and laugh and love us as always. I hate that this has happened, that I thought things were okay and now, I don't know anything for certain. I guess it's kind of like life. Nothing is guaranteed, as we've been shown. Not that I didn't savor all of these special things about Rafferty before, but now I have a greater appreciation for all of those little things he does that let us know he's healthy, happy, and engaged.

Eight Months

Well, here we are, eight months! Drool city all over again with the man. Moving everywhere! Busy, busy, busy! I could hardly get his attention for the pictures. He's interested in EVERYTHING! Crawling up a storm this last week or two. His pincher grasp is in overdrive. If you've lost an earring, he'll find it for you! He's mild mannered at times and still intense too. He's babbling a lot, mostly in the morning though. He's been known to be loving on occassion, giving out kisses. He would LOVE it if his legs could help him pull up to standing and stay there. He's just dying to get there. He spends a great deal of time on his knees at chairs and coffee tables, exploring the top surface. He's still extremely ticklish. Just grab his thighs and you'll get a snicker. He seems to be having a reaction to food, so were cutting out some things to determine what's causing this reaction. His cheeks are the only place he's getting a rash but it's a pretty good one. Cereal is NOT the problem, I have determined that. I think he may be reacting to carrots, if that's possible. The sun did him some good this week and the rash is almost nonexistant, though he did scratch himself again (hasn't done this in awhile). But back to cereal. He absolutely loves cereal now. Can't get it to his mouth fast enough. Crazy kid. He's still nursing several times a day, usually sleeping through the night now (about 95% of the time), and possibly beginning to slender down a bit. We'll see about this next month at his nine month check-up.

This month promises to be an active one. I think he's making many connections right now.. I've been signing with him for a long time now, but he doesn't seem interested in signing. He doesn't seem to have the patience for it. He cries to get his needs met still. He goes straight to crying most times. Oh, Rafferty..... Such a sweetie, but a definite temper thus far. It will be fun to see how much happens this month, I think. Can't wait to share.