We had our psychology appointment today, and a whole lot of chaos before and after. I cried the whole way there, it's easy to put away the reality of it every day. It's just life and we just deal and Mason is amazing. But making that drive, thinking that I was on my way to an appointment I should not be going to, no parent should ever have to go to, really hit me hard. I ended up going to the wrong place, had a hungry baby during the appointment (not great for a nursing mama), had to walk a block downtown from my car to the office with baby and a wild 2 year old. UGH. BUT, we have good news. The psychologist doesn't want to see us again! It's a little discouraging because we still don't have answers, but we know now he does NOT have autism. But just specifically autism. What we suspect is PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified) or a learning disability of another sort, and the better news is that children with this CAN catch up. Halleluiah! It was the best waste of my time ever. lol We have to go see a different type of specialist now, a developmentalist. And there is only one in Austin, and she doesn't start with Children's Hospital till 2/8. And thank you all SO very much for the amazing support. I have received so many emails and comments, and I want you all to know how very much it means to me. It's good to know we are not alone. :o)
Ok, so now on to the recipes! Thank you to those who contributed, my mouth was watering. Shame on you for making me miserable with these yummy recipes!
Jalepeno Poppers (a.k.a. Deliciously Fattening Treat)
6 medium sized jalepeno peppers
block of cheddar cheese
uncooked bacon
toothpicks
grill
1. Cut jalepenos in halves & remove seeds.
2. Cut strips of cheddar so that they will fit inside th pepper slices
3. Wrap each pepper piece in bacon, securing with a toothpick.
4. Place peppers on hot grill, cheddar side up. Cook until bacon is browned and cooked through.
5. Eat like you've never heard of Weight Watchers! :)
~~Thank you Megan!~~
Jalapeno cream cheese roll ups
Ingredients required
Package of Tortillas
1 box of cream cheese
2-3 jalapenos seeded and chopped(depends on the size of the japs, if smaller go with 3-4)
1 tsp of lime juice
Let the cream cheese soften and then mix in the lime juice and chopped jalapeno's to where you have a nice spread consistency.
Take the cream cheese mix and spread it on the tortilla almost completely to the edges. Roll it up and complete the remainder of the tortillas. After completed slice up so you have pinwheels.
Serve with Picante sauce
YUM!!
~~Thank you Stacey!!!~~
ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BEAN SOUP
¾ lb Italian sweet sausage
2 cups beef broth
1 16 oz can tomatoes (petite diced)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1 onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp Italian seasoning
1 can pork and beans
1 Tbsp parsley
Remove sausage casing, crumble and brown. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for a couple of hours.
~~Thank you Sandy!!~~
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sharing my full plate
Well, I figured it was about time to share with all of you the things we have been going through lately. A few months ago, I posted here about how we had a lot on our plates, and were going through a rough time and needed prayers. So, now that we have done the Q & A with all of our family members, I thought I'd share our journey here. This will be lengthy, so make sure you can sit down for a few! ;o)
A few months ago, I was at a session with one of my regular clients. I have been taking portraits of this little girl pretty much since my business opened. She is SUCH a doll. :o) I noticed at this session that she was talking SO well, and I started to talk to the mom about it. She told me about a state program that services children who have any special needs. It can be something as simple as a slight speech delay, as was this girls case, but they also serve children with autism, down syndrome, mental retardation, etc. I asked a ton of questions about the program, mainly out of curiousity at that moment. I'm a talker after all! I left the session and didn't think much about it. A few days later, my client contacted me to offer up the info for the state program and ask if there was a reason I was asking about it. I lied to myself by excusing it as gathering info for someone else. While this was slightly true, it was not someone else that was in the back of my head. It was Mason. Our 2 year old son, he is amazing in every way. He has always been an independent child. Didn't like to cuddle or snuggle, was content to be left alone. When we were around crowds, he would find his way to an empty and quiet space. But he was perfect, in every way. We had always joked, since he was born, that he had middle child syndrome. lol But there was just something "off". So, I decided to call the PRIDE ECI program she referred me to. We scheduled an evaluation, and suddenly the pit in my stomach grew. Was this real? Was I really facing an evaluation for my own son? I kept telling myself, the evaluation is free, and it won't hurt. They'll come out and evaluate Mason and tell me he's fine.
So, they came. And I answered a billion questions, and they said they would need to continue the evaluation. They were going to bring out a Speech Pathologist as well, and it would be a complete evaluation. The day of big evaluation came, and my husband and I answered a million more questions. They watched Mason, talked to us about his behaviors, habbits, strengths, and struggles. Throughout the questioning process, my pit grew larger. As I sat in my living room answering these questions I often never considered, it dawned on me that thinking there wasn't a problem was wrong. See, to us, he's perfect. There's nothing WRONG with him. He's amazing. He's so amazingly handsome, he's sweet, he may be strong willed - but so am I! And at the end of it, they sat down with us to discuss their findings. There was something different. Mason was delayed in every area they evaluated, and I couldn't believe it. The thing is, I KNEW it. I knew it. But hearing it was the biggest blow. There is so much controversy on how you are supposed to "feel" when you are dealt these cards. And I am not here to argue with those emotions, I am just here to tell them as I felt them. It made me sad. Knowing my child would struggle, broke my heart.
They told us Mason scored the following:
Physical Development - 24 months
Speech - 21 months
Cognitive - 19 months
And he was 31 months old at the evaluation.
We sat down and designed a Family Service Plan. The ECI program, in addition to testing, also provides therapy for these children. If you have insurance, they will bill them and you pay nothing. If you do not (which is crazy by the way!), they have you on a sliding scale that is income based that is amazingly cheap even if you make a ton of money! We have wonderful insurance, so we pay nothing. We set Mason up to receive therapy through them once a week, alternating between speech therapy and developmental therapy.
So, here we are months later. Months into treatment, and here is what we know as of late. Mason has a global developmental delay, meaning he shows delays in about every area. He has Sensory Integration, and also an Audio Processing Disorder. We have spent the last months doing independent occupational therapy once a week, as well as speech or developmental therapy once a week. And endless hours spent finding doctors who can assist us in the diagnosis. It's amazing how hard it is to get proper treatment, and find qualified doctors. Harder than it ever should be. It's really sad, especially with the current epidemic of autism we have. And insurance companies, don't make it any easier. OOOOOH no, they make it as hard as you can imagine. But after months of work, I have found what I hope to be a great team of doctors. We meet his psychologist tomorrow morning, she will meet with us to talk about his testing. A psychologist (or developmental pediatrician)is who generally does these types of diagnosis. We will also see Mason's new neurologist next month! We scheduled that appointment in November, so we are SO excited that it's almost here. In March he goes in for his entrance evaluation for the school district. They will determine what type of program he will need. (the ECI program only services children up to age 3, thereafter the school district takes over if you choose.) We already know he will qualify for services, and are excited with the possibilities they have for Mason. The downfall is I will literally go from having 3 kids in the house everyday (but preschool days), to Reagan starting kinder next year and Mason being in the PPCD (preschool program for children with disabilities) likely 5 days a week. Granted Mason's days are half days, but still! What are Brooklynne and I going to do with ourselves?!?! lol
As of now, we don't know the reason behind the sensory integration, global developmental delay, and auditory processing disorder. But we hope to know soon. Life is challenging, and has taken a turn we never expected. But we adore our son, as I mentioned before he is perfect and amazing in every way. He's differently-abled. And we hope that with the treatment he is currently receiving and the findings the doctors have, we will be able to assist him in a successful future. We have a very long road ahead of us, and really don't know what the future holds. We don't know how if he will ever "typically develop". Mason may always struggle with some things, but we are already on the right path to endless possibilities. We are so blessed to have him, he brings such joy to our lives. He is so much fun to be around, and if you've ever met him (as most of you have) his spirit is just amazing to be in the presence of. We are glad we have the cards we were dealt. Sure things could be easier. But this is who he is. And who he is makes me proud, and thankful.
If you've made it this far, bless you for reading. :o) Come back tomorrow, we're posting Super Bowl Recipes!!! Thank you to everyone who's sent me one, but I want more! Send them on over!!!
A few months ago, I was at a session with one of my regular clients. I have been taking portraits of this little girl pretty much since my business opened. She is SUCH a doll. :o) I noticed at this session that she was talking SO well, and I started to talk to the mom about it. She told me about a state program that services children who have any special needs. It can be something as simple as a slight speech delay, as was this girls case, but they also serve children with autism, down syndrome, mental retardation, etc. I asked a ton of questions about the program, mainly out of curiousity at that moment. I'm a talker after all! I left the session and didn't think much about it. A few days later, my client contacted me to offer up the info for the state program and ask if there was a reason I was asking about it. I lied to myself by excusing it as gathering info for someone else. While this was slightly true, it was not someone else that was in the back of my head. It was Mason. Our 2 year old son, he is amazing in every way. He has always been an independent child. Didn't like to cuddle or snuggle, was content to be left alone. When we were around crowds, he would find his way to an empty and quiet space. But he was perfect, in every way. We had always joked, since he was born, that he had middle child syndrome. lol But there was just something "off". So, I decided to call the PRIDE ECI program she referred me to. We scheduled an evaluation, and suddenly the pit in my stomach grew. Was this real? Was I really facing an evaluation for my own son? I kept telling myself, the evaluation is free, and it won't hurt. They'll come out and evaluate Mason and tell me he's fine.
So, they came. And I answered a billion questions, and they said they would need to continue the evaluation. They were going to bring out a Speech Pathologist as well, and it would be a complete evaluation. The day of big evaluation came, and my husband and I answered a million more questions. They watched Mason, talked to us about his behaviors, habbits, strengths, and struggles. Throughout the questioning process, my pit grew larger. As I sat in my living room answering these questions I often never considered, it dawned on me that thinking there wasn't a problem was wrong. See, to us, he's perfect. There's nothing WRONG with him. He's amazing. He's so amazingly handsome, he's sweet, he may be strong willed - but so am I! And at the end of it, they sat down with us to discuss their findings. There was something different. Mason was delayed in every area they evaluated, and I couldn't believe it. The thing is, I KNEW it. I knew it. But hearing it was the biggest blow. There is so much controversy on how you are supposed to "feel" when you are dealt these cards. And I am not here to argue with those emotions, I am just here to tell them as I felt them. It made me sad. Knowing my child would struggle, broke my heart.
They told us Mason scored the following:
Physical Development - 24 months
Speech - 21 months
Cognitive - 19 months
And he was 31 months old at the evaluation.
We sat down and designed a Family Service Plan. The ECI program, in addition to testing, also provides therapy for these children. If you have insurance, they will bill them and you pay nothing. If you do not (which is crazy by the way!), they have you on a sliding scale that is income based that is amazingly cheap even if you make a ton of money! We have wonderful insurance, so we pay nothing. We set Mason up to receive therapy through them once a week, alternating between speech therapy and developmental therapy.
So, here we are months later. Months into treatment, and here is what we know as of late. Mason has a global developmental delay, meaning he shows delays in about every area. He has Sensory Integration, and also an Audio Processing Disorder. We have spent the last months doing independent occupational therapy once a week, as well as speech or developmental therapy once a week. And endless hours spent finding doctors who can assist us in the diagnosis. It's amazing how hard it is to get proper treatment, and find qualified doctors. Harder than it ever should be. It's really sad, especially with the current epidemic of autism we have. And insurance companies, don't make it any easier. OOOOOH no, they make it as hard as you can imagine. But after months of work, I have found what I hope to be a great team of doctors. We meet his psychologist tomorrow morning, she will meet with us to talk about his testing. A psychologist (or developmental pediatrician)is who generally does these types of diagnosis. We will also see Mason's new neurologist next month! We scheduled that appointment in November, so we are SO excited that it's almost here. In March he goes in for his entrance evaluation for the school district. They will determine what type of program he will need. (the ECI program only services children up to age 3, thereafter the school district takes over if you choose.) We already know he will qualify for services, and are excited with the possibilities they have for Mason. The downfall is I will literally go from having 3 kids in the house everyday (but preschool days), to Reagan starting kinder next year and Mason being in the PPCD (preschool program for children with disabilities) likely 5 days a week. Granted Mason's days are half days, but still! What are Brooklynne and I going to do with ourselves?!?! lol
As of now, we don't know the reason behind the sensory integration, global developmental delay, and auditory processing disorder. But we hope to know soon. Life is challenging, and has taken a turn we never expected. But we adore our son, as I mentioned before he is perfect and amazing in every way. He's differently-abled. And we hope that with the treatment he is currently receiving and the findings the doctors have, we will be able to assist him in a successful future. We have a very long road ahead of us, and really don't know what the future holds. We don't know how if he will ever "typically develop". Mason may always struggle with some things, but we are already on the right path to endless possibilities. We are so blessed to have him, he brings such joy to our lives. He is so much fun to be around, and if you've ever met him (as most of you have) his spirit is just amazing to be in the presence of. We are glad we have the cards we were dealt. Sure things could be easier. But this is who he is. And who he is makes me proud, and thankful.
If you've made it this far, bless you for reading. :o) Come back tomorrow, we're posting Super Bowl Recipes!!! Thank you to everyone who's sent me one, but I want more! Send them on over!!!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sneak Peek!
I feel so weird to post 3 different times in a 24 hour period. It's like SO against everything I believe in (laziness). But I'm pretty sure if the mama of this little man doesn't get her sneak peek she may show up on my door for one. hehe And really, can you blame her with children this gorgeous?!?! I hope you enjoy this sneak peek mama, there are plenty more beautiful ones coming your way soon!
Super Bowl Recipe Exchange!
I was taking a look at one of my favorite blogs to read this morning, www.pioneerwoman.com, and the thought for a recipe exchange popped in my lil noggin. If you haven't visited the Pioneer Woman's blog, well you just haven't lived. She is a riot! It's seriously a very important part of my day, every girl needs a little humor in her life. Anyways, I want to post some fun and yummy recipes for everyone in honor of the upcoming ball game. That I won't be watching. But I'll be eating all the good food that goes along with it, that's all I really care about here afterall. :o) SO, if you have a yummy recipe email it to me at bethany@bellaamadis.com! I will be adding them this week!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
My little Valentine's
Have I ever mentioned how much I adore my own children? Of course, there are times I wish I could lock myself in the closet in efforts to get a moment of sanity. :o) But they are cute. And fabulous. And they really are amazing kids. And I have to tell you, I generally don't like themed pictures. But I LOVE Valentine's pictures. They are so lovely, and cute. And I get to make cute little Valentine's for them to take to class. *sigh* I love these.....
And can you believe how big this baby is? She will be 8 months old tomorrow! I CANNOT believe how fast it has flown. And she gets lovelier everyday. She started crawling just before Christmas, about a month ago and boy can she book it. She started pulling up too. But she has no teeth, and little hair. Silly girl. Oh, and yes she had a lolli. It was all for the price of pictures. Bad Mommy. (she loved the sugar - note to self: hide the lollis)
And can you believe how big this baby is? She will be 8 months old tomorrow! I CANNOT believe how fast it has flown. And she gets lovelier everyday. She started crawling just before Christmas, about a month ago and boy can she book it. She started pulling up too. But she has no teeth, and little hair. Silly girl. Oh, and yes she had a lolli. It was all for the price of pictures. Bad Mommy. (she loved the sugar - note to self: hide the lollis)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Beautiful Bride...
And she happens to be my little sister. :o)
My sister, my mom (aka my wonderful assistant at this shoot), and I headed to Dunvegan Keep for her bridals 2 weekends ago. The weather was actually nice, the sun was out, but my sister still froze to death. lol But she survived it, and we came out with some beautiful images! We had a great time, and I was so honored to be a part of this. My wonderful friend, Robin DePaula does (amazing)destination weddings and is coming for her March wedding. And I couldn't be more excited! Did I mention my sister is marrying Smokey Mo's son? That means bbq at the wedding! YUM. I'll be sure to post images of our adventures....and the wedding when the time comes!!!
Oh, and we are having our 2nd annual Valentines mini sessions on February 2nd. I'll be emailing details out tomorrow I hope. Thanks for stopping by!
My sister, my mom (aka my wonderful assistant at this shoot), and I headed to Dunvegan Keep for her bridals 2 weekends ago. The weather was actually nice, the sun was out, but my sister still froze to death. lol But she survived it, and we came out with some beautiful images! We had a great time, and I was so honored to be a part of this. My wonderful friend, Robin DePaula does (amazing)destination weddings and is coming for her March wedding. And I couldn't be more excited! Did I mention my sister is marrying Smokey Mo's son? That means bbq at the wedding! YUM. I'll be sure to post images of our adventures....and the wedding when the time comes!!!
Oh, and we are having our 2nd annual Valentines mini sessions on February 2nd. I'll be emailing details out tomorrow I hope. Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A word about the contest
I just received a not so friendly comment regarding the contest end time, saying I had not stuck to my rules. As I mentioned before the contest was expiring in ONE WEEK FROM THE START DATE, at midnight on the 16th, meaning 12 AM....which has come and gone. The start date was the 8th, which one week would have put it to expire on the 15th, I provided all day the 15th. In addition, I also let the contestants know of their image being in the contest before it went live. When that email was sent out, they were notified voting would last one week. And I have to be honest, even with a 3% win, it would have taken a ton of votes to change that with as many were received. This was all meant in fun. We are not competing for a car, a trip....I am a mommy and do the best I can with what I can. It really makes me sad to be attacked over something they misunderstood on a contest meant for fun! I appreciate all the votes, and hope that others can still appreciate the fun this has been.
We have a winner!
This contest was SO much fun, and I am completely amazed at how many votes came in! It was insane, you guys really don't mess around. :o) It was SUCH a close race, with different images taking the lead at different times. But in the end, image 3 won by just over 3%. They were all such wonderful images!
Congratulations "Baby A"!!!
1st prize - Free Session and a complimentary 8x10 at your next session! (up to $100 value!)
2nd prize - Half off session and complimentary 5x7 at your next session! (up to $54 value!)
3rd prize - $20 off session and complimentary 5x7 at your next session! ($37 value!)
And of course the other 2 will receive a complimentary 5x7 at their next session! Congrats everyone!!! And thanks for voting!
Congratulations "Baby A"!!!
1st prize - Free Session and a complimentary 8x10 at your next session! (up to $100 value!)
2nd prize - Half off session and complimentary 5x7 at your next session! (up to $54 value!)
3rd prize - $20 off session and complimentary 5x7 at your next session! ($37 value!)
And of course the other 2 will receive a complimentary 5x7 at their next session! Congrats everyone!!! And thanks for voting!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
No joking here!
When I posted this contest, I figured we'd have about one to two hundred total votes. HA. I have been closely watching the voting status over the last day, and as of right now (10:40AM)we have 235 votes!!! And it is a close race. Here are a few details for you all:
Voting will last for one week from the start date, the poll counter expires at Midnight on the 16th. You guys have had no problem whatsoever getting the word out! But I also wanted to mention, I have had several inquiries about sessions from people coming to see the contestant images. As a reminder, if you refer someone to us that has a session, you will receive a complimentary 8x10 at your next session! And those can really add up! And for THIS CONTEST ONLY, if you are a friend of a client who has sent you here to vote and you have a session with us we will also give you an 8x10! This offer is good for sessions booked (just booked, not actually taking place before) now through the expiration of the contest.
And NOW, what you have all been waiting for, the prizes.....
1st prize - Free Session and a complimentary 8x10 at your next session! (up to $100 value!)
2nd prize - Half off session and complimentary 5x7 at your next session! (up to $54 value!)
3rd prize - $20 off session and complimentary 5x7 at your next session! ($37 value!)
And because No ONE is a loser, and these were all so fabulous, the others will receive a complimentary 5x7 at your next session!
Voting will last for one week from the start date, the poll counter expires at Midnight on the 16th. You guys have had no problem whatsoever getting the word out! But I also wanted to mention, I have had several inquiries about sessions from people coming to see the contestant images. As a reminder, if you refer someone to us that has a session, you will receive a complimentary 8x10 at your next session! And those can really add up! And for THIS CONTEST ONLY, if you are a friend of a client who has sent you here to vote and you have a session with us we will also give you an 8x10! This offer is good for sessions booked (just booked, not actually taking place before) now through the expiration of the contest.
And NOW, what you have all been waiting for, the prizes.....
1st prize - Free Session and a complimentary 8x10 at your next session! (up to $100 value!)
2nd prize - Half off session and complimentary 5x7 at your next session! (up to $54 value!)
3rd prize - $20 off session and complimentary 5x7 at your next session! ($37 value!)
And because No ONE is a loser, and these were all so fabulous, the others will receive a complimentary 5x7 at your next session!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Best of '07 - time to vote!
Well, it took a LOT of digging through images. And a LOT of back and forth with the judges. This was truly a difficult opinion, best left to those who are not connected to any of my clients. I would have chosen them all! But after many days of staring at each image for ever, this is what we have come up with:
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
I will be back tomorrow to announce the prizes!
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
I will be back tomorrow to announce the prizes!
More sneak peeks!
Well, it was just a super busy weekend. But we walked away with a ton of great images. :o)
Meet the "S" Family. The oldest boy goes to preschool with Reagan and they are just best buddies. But hello, are these children not gorgeous! They were just fabulous, and funny, and they came away with some excellent images too! Thanks again, Mom, for bringing your sweet family out. It was fun! :o)
Meet the "S" Family. The oldest boy goes to preschool with Reagan and they are just best buddies. But hello, are these children not gorgeous! They were just fabulous, and funny, and they came away with some excellent images too! Thanks again, Mom, for bringing your sweet family out. It was fun! :o)
Monday, January 07, 2008
Sneak Peek!
Have you ever seen such a sweet sleeping babe?
Meet Baby T. He came to see me this weekend, my first weekend back since being closed for the holidays. And what a sweet face to come back to. :o) This little boy was just the sweetest baby, so content and cooperative.
His parents were FABULOUS as well, and a joy to work with.
And he is very blessed to have a wonderful big brother who LOVES him. Isn't he ADORABLE?!?!
And he is also blessed with a beautiful smile! Isn't he just sooooo cute?! What a beautiful family. Thanks for coming out guys, it was fun! I am working hard to get the rest to you soon! :o)
Meet Baby T. He came to see me this weekend, my first weekend back since being closed for the holidays. And what a sweet face to come back to. :o) This little boy was just the sweetest baby, so content and cooperative.
His parents were FABULOUS as well, and a joy to work with.
And he is very blessed to have a wonderful big brother who LOVES him. Isn't he ADORABLE?!?!
And he is also blessed with a beautiful smile! Isn't he just sooooo cute?! What a beautiful family. Thanks for coming out guys, it was fun! I am working hard to get the rest to you soon! :o)
Friday, January 04, 2008
First ever Blog CONTEST!!!
Yeeeehaw! Sorry I got a little excited there, and it seemed appropriate seeing as we are in Texas. :o) You should be excited too! We are having our first ever blog contest! I am going through loads and loads of '07 images, looking for favorites! Everyone's will be considered, but if you have a specific image from your session with me you want considered please email me to let me know! This weekend I will have a panel of anonymous and very qualified judges choose the top 5 images. Then, next week I will be back to post the top 5 of '07 for voting! There will be fabulous prizes to the winner and 2 runners up, to be announced when the top 5 are posted.
p.s. the first person to email me with my baby's first name SPELLED CORRECTLY will receive a FREE session!!!!
p.s. the first person to email me with my baby's first name SPELLED CORRECTLY will receive a FREE session!!!!
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