A Whole New World

We've just made a huge move as a family.  We have moved from our rural Tennessee home to a townhouse just outside Nashville, and I'm very happy with the move.  I've been praying for CHANGE for many months.  I've sat up at nights crying and pleading with God for help, and honestly, I had begun to believe that He had completely forgotten me.  But, as soon as we decided that this was the area we needed to be in, our house sold and we are here.  It has all been really sudden.  I LIKE THAT KIND OF CHANGE!

Although I love change (I want to take a different route everytime we go somewhere), my husband and especially Isaac has a hard time with it.  In many ways he has done better than expected.  Isaac seems to love being outside our townhouse.  He LOOOOOVES the pool and the playground down the street.  And, he seems to like the place okay, but we are still having some major problems with getting him to sleep. He gets really hyped out about our upstairs bedrooms with the vaulted ceilings and the fans that hang way down.  Actually, the first time we tried to go up the stairs, he shrieked in horror.  And, when David tried to force him up the stairs, Isaac bit a huge chunk into David's arm.  It was horrible. 

So, we moved the mattress to the living room floor and that is where David and Isaac slept for the first two nights.  I slept on an infant mattress with my feet hanging off in the floor beside Josiah.  Isaac eventually, decided to go up the stairs out of curiosity.  He clung to his favorite pillow and told himself, "It's okay" over and over.  But, as he got up there, he realized all his toys were there, and he soon forgot his fears.  HOWEVER, he is still uncomfortable sleeping up there, and for now we are suffering more sleepless nights, struggling to get him to sleep.  And, he is ESPECIALLY grouchy from sleep deprivation.

Josiah loves our new place.  So far, he thinks it is the coolest place he has ever seen, and I've never seen him happier!!! Thank God for that.  Maybe more of my personality in him!?!?!

So, tonight we met with the organization that we decided to use for ABA.  They were very nice, and I like that they spend a good amount of time training us as a family.  We are using Hope Consultants who was referred to me by someone locally.
http://www.hopetn.com/

I was happy when I saw that Isaac's main therapist was a beautiful lady with long, blond hair.  Of course, Isaac thought she was awesome, and he tried to get his flirt on a little despite his crankiness!  He is a sucker for blonds!!!

So, we start Friday.  That quick!  I can't believe it!  It's been a whirlwind.  I nearly cried on the way home from the meeting from sheer joy and from being overwhelmed that it has all happened so fast.  We are starting Isaac with the minimal 8 hours a week of in home therapy, but we are also enrolling him in a summer class where he will be working with an ABA consultant at their center in a group with three other children.  He does well in small groups.  So, by the first week of June he will be getting 14 hours of ABA a week and I am hoping that we, as parents, can supplement that with more.  Our goal was 20 hours per week, so we are pretty darn close!  Now we need the finances.  I have resumes out for part-time, second shift, or third shift jobs.  I'm hoping to hear something soon.  I jump everytime the phone rings, thinking it might be a potential employer.  We have the finances to start the therapy, but it won't sustain it for long.  God has been faithful with this move, and I now have to trust that he will come through again!

So excited to see his progress!