Happy New Year!!

I can't believe today is the last day of the year! This year has definitely had its ups and downs, but I am so thankful for every moment I have had with my family. I look forward to seeing what 2009 will bring!

Kelsie accomplished so much this year especially in regards to her speech. She turned 2 in January and right after that started really talking, before that she mainly relied on sign language which she became very proficient at with 40+ signs. She only had about 10 words before we moved to our new home in February. By the end of February she had over 70 words and was already combining them into sentences!! Now of course we can't get her to stop talking LOL! It is not uncommon for her to combine 10-14 words into complex thoughts these days which is considered advanced. We worked so hard getting her there. She started speech therapy when she was 14 months old in March of 2007. At that time she was not speaking, babbling, or making any attempts to speak. With the hard work of our speech therapist (Ms Janet) we were able to get her to start trying and eventually get her where she is today.

She has transformed from my little baby into my beautiful and smart little girl right in front of my eyes. I just can't get over everything she is capable of these days. She can count to at least 10 sometimes she even counts to 15, she can sing most of her ABC's, she makes up songs, she is able to keep herself entertained with her own elaborate imaginative play for short periods of time, she has excellent manners, and is the most loving little girl! I am so proud of her.

Mike has been doing great at work. He became a MER (Mission Evaluation Room) Manager at the end of 2006 and has excelled there. He was recently selected to receive an individual service award for his superior leadership during the last mission. I am so proud of him too! In addition to his work he is as always a supportive and helpful husband and a terrific hands on dad. I am so lucky to have him as a support system as we go through the journey of raising Kelsie together.

Life certainly hasn't been perfect this year though. We have had many ups and downs when it comes to Kelsie's behavior which goes beyond just the typical terrible twos. We have had periods where we couldn't leave the house without major meltdowns and tears. Thank God we finally have some answers as to why. She has Aperger's Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, and on top of that has been dealing with sleep apnea. Those things combined definitely can explain it all. We are working toward finding her the appropriate therapies for the new year, because our time with ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) is coming to a close.

We have already seen some great improvements thanks to the suggestions of our Occupational and Speech Therapists. They have been a huge help in navigating the waters of these issues. I am really going to miss them not only for their services, but as the wonderful people they are. They have really helped me to accept that Kelsie may be different, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Going into 2009 I am a little apprehensive, but I am also so excited to see what it will bring. Each year Kelsie changes more than I would have thought possible and it is hard to imagine what she will be like at this time next year! I am looking forward to this next step in our journey together!