I was so excited when I found out that I was having a boy after being a mother of two girls. I imagined how my life would be different. Sports, cars, trucks, and rough and rowdy play time was what I thought was going to be in my future. I was not prepared for what God decided to bless me with on July 17, 2007.
After five hours of labor without any pain medicine, we welcomed a healthy baby boy. Right away I knew he was different than most newborns. While we were still in the hospital I noticed he was more alert than my girls were when they were first born.
He was mesmerized by his surroundings and craved cognitive stimulation. During his first year he only slept for 20 minutes at a time and as a nursing mother I became his pacifier. That year flew by and he reached his cognitive milestones a lot sooner than most infants.
Parrot said his first word at five months. By the time he was a year old he was talking in sentences, knew his colors, could count to 10 and say the alphabet. However, he was not interested in walking.
When he was two he arranged his toys in the hallway in a very methodical way. After I cleaned it up he remembered where he placed the toys and put them back in the very same manner. This was when we first thought he may have Autism.
When Parrot was four we got him tested and learned that he had Asperger’s which is a form of high-functioning Autism. He accelerates academically but has a difficult time socializing with his peers.
We have made it through all the challenges of raising a kid with Asperger’s. He is bright, funny, and very special. Happy birthday to my sweet little boy. I can’t believe you are seven years old today.