Mommy's are Amazing

I don't know how we do it, juggling school, work, kids and all of the curve balls life throws at us. I'm not about to stop tooting my own horn though, because at the end of the day, when I've gone through the bedtime routine, laid Jace down for the second or third time, and finally he's fallen into a peaceful sleep, while I'm exhausted and want nothing more than to lay my own head down, I keep going.  It isn't that I want to be a martyr, or that I believe that to live well is to suffer. It is just life, and we push through it knowing we are working for an easier tomorrow. Well, maybe not literally tomorrow; perhaps a better next decade.

I have always been a slacker when it comes to school.  Really, in life, I've had the persona of "when the going gets tough, run away!"  However, I'm mature now. At least, I'm much more mature than I used to be. I see the way things are, the way life has been, and I see a route to changing the path I've been on.  I'm happy to say that my hard work this semester is being rewarded with all A's. So far. I'm overwhelmed at the moment, but I'm elated to know that even if I slip a bit right now, I will still hold high B's in all of my courses.

Oh, AND, I found out that I am definitely graduating in May, 2012. I will be able to start my Masters in Audiology that fall, assuming I'm accepted into the program.  Finally, a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel!

OK, I'm done gloating.

Jace just got over a very nasty, albeit short-lived, stomach bug. I've never been thrown up on so much in the entirety of my existence.  I do believe I got a bath in vomit. Not a pleasant experience.  Especially for poor Jace, who refused to hang his head over a bowl and had a not too happy Mommy because of it. Pumpkin.

Now he is on the mends, and we are spending a lot of quality time together. We had a wonderful afternoon at the park, and met another 3yr old and his Mommy.  It always makes me sad to see other children shy away from Jace because they aren't able to communicate with him. I know this will pass, I know he will have many friends in the future, but right now it is painful to watch.  I feel worse for the parents, who try to have their children interact, then are embarrassed for their child's natural aversion to the child who can't communicate with them.  Such a strange feeling, to feel sorry for your child for being shunned, sorry for yourself for being sad about having a shunned child, sorry for the parent of the other child, and all the while trying to be OK with it because there is nothing you can really do except try to help your child communicate.

Jace is beginning to talk, though, and his spoken vocabulary is becoming much more clear. I've uploaded a video from this afternoon. Nevermind my constant questioning of him, its a habit you pick up when you spend all of your time trying to engage your non-verbal son in the hearing world.