Day 2

We got the official diagnosis of autism for Jonah yesterday, but really, it's been a long time coming. Since he is a twin, it's been easy to see, along the way, the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences. The eye contact that was so much harder to get at 6 months. Spinning toys at 9 months. Failure to develop language at 12-18 months. Preference for playing alone that still persists. I really do think, though, that all of these symptoms are milder than they could be. I can tell you that, just from observing other children in the waiting room at speech therapy, we are lucky-lucky-lucky.

And of course, that's not the only way we are lucky. I couldn't be more proud of Jonah. Of who he is, of what he's accomplished. Today, when he wanted me to sing along with a song on the radio, he walked up to me and put his little fingers on my lips. Smiled like crazy when I obliged- no accounting for taste :) He has his own way of letting us know what he needs now, and it's such a pleasure to finally be able to do that. Also, he's darn cute, if I say so myself.

I cried for most of the day yesterday, but today what I feel most is relief. We waited so long to get the appointment with the pediatric neurologist, and we spent all that time questioning whether we were worried for no reason or (more likely) wasting valuable time. Honestly, I'm glad it's over and ready to just dive in and get him what he needs. What that is exactly is hard to say. There seems to be no road map, no concrete plan of action. It's probably impossible to have one with such a varied spectrum.

So, anchors aweigh.