Two years have passed since I wrote one of my first blog entries entitled Meet My Crew. Here’s a brief update of how everyone in the Hardin Clan is doing as of Summer 2019.
 |
 |
| Jacob, age 9 |
Can you believe this handsome guy is going into 4th grade? He is not really looking forward to school, but I believe he will be just fine. He is as funny, creative, and smart as ever. You followed Jacob’s journey in the entries where he was first diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
As he gets older, we are starting to see situations where his ASD has an effect on his cognitive processing abilities, especially as it pertains to relationships with the people around him. As parents and educators, we (his dad and I) are looking for ways to support him through this process.
He still maintains his ADHD and DMDD diagnoses. We finally found the perfect combination of medicine for those. The medicine dosages just have to be tweaked. This is a situation that we, along with a support team, monitor closely.
 |
| He still has those gorgeous blue eyes! |
Our sweet little Jude Dude is now 5 years old and starts Kindergarten this week. This
blue-eyed cutie has the best laugh, gives perfect hugs, and loves playing
sports. Baseball is his favorite.
The most amazing thing about Jude’s life is
that he has been seizure-free for nearly three years! Jude just went off his daily epilepsy medicine a few months
ago, and so far, things have been going well for him regarding that.
Professional speech therapists have been able to pinpoint Jude's struggles. He was recently diagnosed as having Profound Phonological Disorder
with Apraxia Tendencies. So what exactly does that mean? I will explain it in
an upcoming blog.
Jason is still my 'partner in crime'. Through the past several years, we realized quickly that we are a team. It's US versus THE CHILDREN on most things. And if we stand alone, we're outnumbered. 😃 Jason is my best friend, and I'm thankful for him.
 |
| For our 15th Year Anniversary, we took a quick (somewhat early) getaway to Chicago. |
Sandy
We no longer have our beautiful, Golden Retriever, Sandy. She is now providing support
for another family we know. Both Jason and I were working far from
our house the past few years. Between our long commutes and crazy educational schedules that involved leading
clubs and lengthy teacher’s meetings, we were getting home later and later.
Sandy became sad and lonely during this time. She is such an amazing, kind dog
and deserved better quality of life. So we gave her to loving family friends
of ours. They have schedules that allow her to see her humans more often, and
she is much happier these days. It was a very difficult decision to make, but
we wanted what was best for her. Going 11/12 hours every day without seeing her
family was not what was best for her. I still tear up when I think about her. She really was (and still is) the perfect therapy dog.
As you can see, we are doing well. I won’t even begin
to pretend that we have it all together though, because we don’t.
I’m still
trying to figure it out as I go. But I will say that I have found new direction
for my life and have gained much insight over the past year. I’m looking
forward to sharing my journey once again as I get back into the routine of writing. 💙💚💜💛