and so it begins

This is about me.

I was blogging on behalf of Ignacio, but haven't posted anything there for over a year. Mostly because I found I could share information more easily on facebook. But what a difference a year makes.

Over the past year it has become clear that Ignacio is not a "typical" child. He's what some might call quirky. He's an incredible kid. He's extremely intelligent. He has a fantastic sense of humor. He's very sweet, when he wants to be. He's obsessed with dinosaurs. He's on the Autism Spectrum.

We have spent a good portion of the past year going to appointments: doctors, therapists, autism "experts." We have become immersed in the alphabet soup and professional jargon that go along with having a child with "special needs."

High-functioning autism, Asperger Syndrome. It doesn't really matter what we call it. We deal with meltdowns several times a day. We try to balance his needs with those of the rest of the family. Especially Lucy, who is also an amazing child and completely different than her older brother. Trying to keep the peace. Not to react, but to remain calm and avert crises. It is not easy.

So this is about me. I need a place to gather my thoughts. To share my feelings. To talk about my struggle to accept life as it is, every moment, all of it.

Thank you for reading.