Up and Down

Ever have one of those days with extreme highs and lows, well today that kind of day for me. Started off fairly uneventful, I had butterfly's in my belly before noon, Liam had an appointment with a developmental pediatrician at 12:30. This was "it," a big meeting to watch Liam play and talk about his behaviors including lack of speech and hopefully get more services for him. And much like anticipated Liam was diagnosed with Autism, why did it take so long and so many people watching him to see something that I had long thought? Well, there is a lot of politics in it, and no set "standard" test, it isn't a blood test that comes back positive or negative so over the years we have had teachers so "no way" because he learns something new and seems to relate, and others say "yes, I don't diagnose but I wouldn't doubt"... thankfully our Genetics doctor got us the referral to this doctor. Now for the big things, getting therapies and a educationally enriched room for him to grow in communication not just learning abc and 123. That might seem simple, but I assure you it isn't. We now have to hope the insurance accepts this doctors diagnosis for the therapy, yep that's right they can still question it as can the school district. They can both require additional testing too, seems like a pretty successful doctor with ties even to the MIND institute at UC Davis would be well enough to agree with.... we'll see what evolves in the next few months, for now I'm feeling at least vindicated. I was able to go to a introductions class tonight at Fresno State to join and adult band. Clearly I was the youngest in the room, that doesn't bother me, I just really need to be able to play music with a group once a week...I have always called music my therapy :) It really is relaxing and helps me to focus better and continue to manage life as crazy as it is. That meeting was great, talked with some really nice people and look forward to playing my Trombone (they had flutes no Trombones so back to the horn section I shall go). Of course I was relaxed until I reached my car and wa-la.... I got a ticket! I was so mad, I bought a day use ticket, plopped it on my dash and went into the room! Come to find out I parked on the "faculty" side of the lot, of course there is nothing saying "faculty" just some yellow lines instead of white... I AM NOT A STUDENT THERE (and this class is a no credit, no admission class as well!), how in the world would I have known that! So I will be writing a kindly letter tomorrow explaining what occurred, we'll see how "just" there system is, I really had no idea and that stinker ticket is $50, I PAID the $3 fee for parking darn it! Get home to a house with one sleeping baby (Liam) and one crying in her room (I will spare the details)... sigh, and so ends the day at the McCarty house.

Finally Friday!

So obviously I didn't post this on Friday, truthfully I meant to take and add pictures, it's more fun with them...then the weekend celebration occurred and well....it's Monday, no pictures if the heart pin that even this morning is back on her shirt or anything else....maybe later, off to feed Liam lunch!


The end of the first week of school is today, in some ways the week went by fast..in others slower. Ayiana had a very hard adjustment going from half days to full days, she expressed this through tears on 2 different nights, and 3 mornings. This morning though, knowing it was "fun Friday" at school followed by knowing she has Saturday and Sunday off seemed to help. On Tuesday morning I took out a little heart pin I had from my jewelry box and put it on her, told her is she missed me to look at the heart I gave her, she has worn it everyday this week...I guess that helped keep away some of her blues. I learned on Tuesday just how much more I can clean the house in one hour with no one else home...I think the only one confused was Bella, she followed me around everywhere but stayed out of the way! Wednesday afternoons are now lunch date days for Thomas and I and that was nice, ome quiet meal for us to have adult conversation at will be nice! Thursday I will stay with Liam (volunteer in his class) until I go pick up Ayiana at her school and starting in September on Fridays I will be in Ayiana's class from after her lunch to the end of the day, I am looking forward to it, it is there "fun" time and usually when the holiday parties take place too....last year we couldn't swing Fridays so I missed out on that stuff! Liam has been awesome with going to school, I feared repeating his separation issues he originally had when he started preschool, but he definitely remembers everyone and is more then happy to go, I am so thankful! Here is to a great weekend!

First Grader!

So today was, like many across America, the start of a new school year! This year we have new schedules, which actually allow slightly more freedom for mom :) Ayiana is in school from 7:55-2:05 and Liam from 12:15- 2:30...well he could be there as early as 11:30 but that is lunchtime and he doesn't do well in the cafeteria still, since I figure being fed is important I keep him at home to do this and then take him. So today I went grocery shopping between Liam's drop off time and Ayiana's pick-up, Thomas and I also watched an America's Got Talent on Hulu with...NO interruptions, well at least not from the kids, I don't sit for as long as the shows, I have to get up on the breaks but it is limited to commercial breaks only lol. I, of course, took photo's this morning. I told Ayiana to stand in "the spot" same as last year and the what we plan on using until the kids are out of school or we move, whichever comes first. :). She instantly said she wanted Liam to be there with her, yes, she is a considerate sister, so I took a few of both then some of her.  I never did get a single good one of Liam by himself, so I am glad that she took initiative, and I actual got a photo with them BOTH looking at the camera at the same time (last one on the row!)...if you've been around my two kiddos you'll know that is really quite a feat!

Ayiana - first grader; Liam - Pre-Schooler

This was her "pose" 

It always amazing me that she can be this happy, then go to

 This in 0.2 seconds....I am sure teenage years are going to be thrilling... (yes that's sarcasm!)

Yep, mom was up in time without the alarm clock, had to "do" my
hair a little more after I noted my picture! 

I love these two babies of mine!

To Ayiana and Liam,
 May this school year bring you both joy and
happiness, and learning that will help you explore your world,
and perhaps, if I am lucky, you'll teach mommy a few things along
the way! Love you both! 

Up at 3:30 AM

Do I look sick to you?

It is always so difficult when kids get sick, last night Ayiana came into the bedroom around 3 am burning hot and complaining of a sore throat. I began dosing her with Tylenol and Motrin, her fever reached to 103.8 during the day, but it wasn't until mid-day that we figured out the cause of her pains and fever. That's because Liam began having more symptoms. He had been lying round in his bed and room floor throughout the day, but by afternoon came walking to me down the hall crying and looking like he'd been riding a horse for s long ride, legs spread apart feet barely wanting to contact the ground. I originally thought this was from a diaper rash he had so I picked him up and plobbed him down in some warm bath water...thinking this would help sooth it. Then, I saw what the real cause of the cowboy walk, sores on his feet.

 I called Thomas to look and he logged online to what childhood illness we thought it was, yep....Hand, Foot, and Mouth. Between the two kiddos we had every symptom and Liam's rash was identical to every picture we could find. Ayiana the fever, blisters in her mouth, body aches, and ovall malice.

little blisters all over the back of Ayiana's throat :(

Liam had the poops, blisters on his feet, this small rash on his hands, and also didn't want to move about; although he never ran a high fever as far as I could tell though this did explained his lack of wanting to eat well Tuesday. I think we are actually midway through as it usually last less then 1 week, just sad some that Liam couldn't tell me that he was hurting 2 days prior, when in reality he probably was. On top of that he had gymnastics yesterday so I apologize to all our little friends there that, may end up with the same, oh how those germs spread even when trying to be diligent!

So proud of him, when we started he would latch on to us
so tight when we placed on the beam, now he just uses some hand
support and walks down it!

He is also getting more brave, like on the rings!

 I am hopeful both kiddos will actually gt to start school on Monday. In the mean time, Liam fell fast asleep in my arms yesterday afternoon at 3:30 pm...so naturally he was up at 3 am.

he slept on me so hard he left an ear impression on my arm after
I laid him down in his bed lol

 I made him rice-a-roni and chicken at 3 am and he ate and drank well, he is clearly feeling better and the blisters on his feet have already greatly reduced in size.



Since most of that was sad news, I will leave you with another Disneyland shot, which is at least something to smile about :) Don't mind the 2 guys in the back...we have no idea who they are lol

The last Tuesday..... before school starts!

As promised Thomas and I took Ayiana and Liam to the climbing gym this morning. There is childcare available from 9-11 so we figured we'd go at 10 and get an hour of climbing in. "HA" at least that was Liam's take on the idea, I learned to tie-in and hook-in order to belay Thomas down the wall BUT that was IT. Liam saw us moving around trying to find a route for me to climb after I got "certified" for the day and proceeded to start screaming at the door of the daycare room....at least I learned the ties so Thomas and I can take turns climbing the next time we go, which maybe sooner than previous visits because both kiddies will be in school every afternoon and Thomas does have weekdays off!  We ate lunch and then Liam finally got to play with the last item(s) that we picked up from Disneyland, little plastic jewels, he will be a pirate for Halloween, loved the Pirates ride at Disneyland and will even "argghh" for you if you ask him too! The "jewels" entertained him (and Ayiana) for longer then child care at the gym...lol go figure!

Some Ayiana Cheese!

something so simple...can bring such joy!

So bunny Dad!

All Hands on.... jewels?

Mentos and Soda, and a wah-wah-wa (Charlie Brown's teacher style) medical update

So my dad had given us a case of soda's, they must have been a give away where he worked for "quailty control issues" because they did not taste right and expired about 2 weeks later anyhow...but fret not, what is better than drinking it? That's right, playing with it! Thomas swung by the store earlier on his way home from errands and remembered so Mentos candies...so what did we do in the heat of the day, yep made a bubbly party in the backyard!

The first bottle, Ayiana thought it was hilarious!

I think they had fun!

Liam saying, "Would ya look at that!"

Everyone in Action!

Stand back everyone!

"Is that how you do that Dad?" 

Here's the yada yada, blaa blaa blaa medical updates which I am sure half will skip...don't worry I won't blame you, lol!


We got Liam's genetics results back as well last week, I called and spoke to the genetics counselor today as I always have additional questions. All of his tests came back in normal range, negative for cholesterol disorders (YEY, he is totally in the normal ranges...better then Thomas and I who both run abnormally low). The only "new" find was 1 gene which is in the range on the 18th chromosome previously found, this gene has very little known, I could barely find it in some of the referencing sites I use...and they are medically based lists of genes, one site even had "new" big at the top lol...I guess maybe its new with us haha. Anyhow,  I am relieved that at least all of his blood work came back "good" at least it is unlikely that this is something metabolic in cells and once again we go back to the idea that his development and medical needs are indeed what we originally found with the partial duplication on chromosome 18. The other call I made today was to check on when he will see the developmental peditrician, I was told they would call back within the week to schedule our appointment and that the wait time isn't too long since they just switched doctors, so hopefully we see that doctor by October...and hopefully she can glean some information on behaviors and educational approaches for Liam. Next Monday both kiddos will start the school year off, I can not believe how incredibly fast the summer went by.....

Days 2 and 3 Disney pictures

I will keep the dialogue here short because I have so many pictures to load, last post shows day 1, here we have days 2 and 3...although not in the best order.  We had such a good time!

Ayiana at our character breakfast (Ariel's Grotto)

Alice and Wonderland... Ayiana and mom in the back, my Dad in the front lol, Go Grandpa Go

We made it to Carsland Liam!

Liam trying to get some explosives 

All of us disembarking the Rockets, Ayiana, Thomas, Liam, and Me

On the train, Ayiana held Liam half way around, I think he enjoyed the hugs from sister

Ayiana and Belle at the Character Breakfast

Ayiana and everyone knows this guys name!

Ayiana and Pooh Bear

Ayiana and Snow White at the Character Breakfast

Ayiana and Thomas, they had Thursday afternoon just the two of them. My mom, dad, Liam, and I all went to Walmart
to get some medicine for Liam's ear (he got an ear infection).  

Ayiana and I on the bumper cars

Ayiana liked her cake, we called this her Birthday Cake since this trip was also
celebrating her birthday (2 weeks late). This cake had gold sprinkled on the top it was beautiful!

Ayiana with the "ears" she choose

Thomas wanted to get Ayiana a "real" crown, so on our date night we went shopping too :) 

Ayiana found some treasure on the island

Liam liked the bumper cars

Dad was a little "competitive" on them!

Fantasmic, the night show followed by the fireworks... very cool!

Fireman Liam

This really is a happy place!

Liam took a nap on me, day 2. All I had to do was keep his ears covered some, rock, and hum lol

Liam has ears, its a Mater, no its a Goofy...oh wait, its mickey, nope nope, it's all-in-one!

In front of the castle

He loves his water fountains!

Me and my mom, my dads back there too.

My Johnny Depp

Our one character attempt with Liam...he could care less about them, was more interested in his hat

Liam watching the parade

Double piggy-back to watch the parade, my dad in the middle...guess who is taking this picture lol Grandma who hates
being in them anyways :-)

Thomas is a bit silly sometimes!

So it shouldn't surprise that Ayiana can be too!

Star Tours, Ayiana thought it would be boring to start
she changed her tune after the ride though!

Ayiana breaking out of Jail haha

Thomas and I on our "date" 

Thomas and Liam on the train

Yep, he has a ball and chain....still

ummm... hot dog!

Yep, more water...they got soaked by playing
with this one, the water came down the pillar
but it was so hot outside it was quite
refreshing!