Our Daughter is everything I ever hoped for and more

It has taken me a week to write this post. I have started numerous times but for a few days I was in fog and couldn't really write clearly and thoughtfully. I had a lot of anger and sadness and I feel like I have risen above it... for now... No promises :)

Going into the appointment I was hoping I was wrong. I was hoping he would say she was just delayed without the Autism label. When he was finished doing his assessment he looked at Devin and I and said she is on the Autism Spectrum. He thinks she is moderate-severe. Moderate-severe. I stopped listening when he said moderate-severe. I am not a doctor but I would consider her to be mild-moderate, at least from the research and testing with her other therapists we had done. He was with her two hours during nap time and to say she was very uncooperative would be an understatement. She was in no mood! He was not my favorite doctor because he defiantly had no compassion and said worst case she will never talk. I know that it is a possibility and I have thought about her never speaking but I will not dwell on the worst case, I will hope and pray for the best case. We left there and I felt so defeated and we haven't even started yet. My husband gave me a hug and said we caught it early babe, we know what we need to do. Lets do it. It could be worse, it always could be worse. He knows just what to say and can make me laugh when I need it the most. We hit the phones after that!

We went to a center for ABA on Friday for a tour and we go to a school and another center today. Insurance went through and we got that taken care of and luckily where we live there really is no waiting lists for this type of therapy like there is in other parts of America. We are hoping and praying that with intensive early intervention that we will make Payton's future as bright as possible. Her brothers are so helpful and anytime she babbles and it sounds like a word they come running. It is so adorable and they are so hopeful for their sister. She has a lot of cheerleaders and we are hoping to find the best therapy and routine that will help her become the best she can be.

With prayer anything is possible. Payton may be different but she is not less. Like Devin said to me when I was having a sad moment, "Our daughter is everything I ever hoped for and more. I wouldn't have her any other way then the way she is." Neither would I....