Firstly, we decided that we aren’t moving for another year. We just want to have more time to find the perfect home to buy, and that was proving to be more difficult than we thought.

Secondly, we are starting to make some improvement with baby A. Quite some time ago his pediatrician recommended we get him some speech therapy because he just hasn’t been talking much. At his speech evaluation they recommended an occupational therapy evaluation also, because they thought he may have sensory integration dysfunction. After that the pediatrician also recommended we get him tested for autism. Our autism test has gotten pushed back until the end of April, but we have done all of the other things. The good news is that I really don’t think he is autistic. The reason his doctor wants us to check is because speech disorders (they think he has receptive and expressive language disorders - I don’t think he has any trouble receptively though) well the speech problems and sensory problems are a big part of autism, although he doesn’t seem to have any social impairment which is the defining factor in an autism diagnosis. Getting too medical for ya? Well, I must explain what sensory integration dysfunction is also.

Your senses are like a scale, if you get too much with one you don’t get enough with some others. My son A is very visual. Because he is constantly processing so much visual information his body is lacking in what he gets through touch, or just how his body responds to his movements. Basically, when we would start to run for example our body would feel that pressure and exercise. His body has a hard time feeling that, so he continually is in motion, always trying to push himself further so that his body gets the stimulation it needs. With occupational therapy his body will start to get what it needs (through lots of rough and busy active play). Already I have seen that once we get his body satisfied with movement etc. he clams down so much and is able to pay more attention to books, toys, and speech. It’s funny that it’s such a cascading effect, because he is so visual, his body feels less, which constantly keeps him searching for stimulation for his body, which keeps him from being able to focus on things like speech.

So, I am hoping with this therapy, and working with him on speech, and helping him to do the right activities to get his body on track, all his problems should work themselves out. I do hope we can improve very soon. I would love for him to not have to deal with this once he gets into school. Finding the right school for him will also be more difficult.

So much to say. Have you ever seen a dust cloud or a sandstorm? Here in Georgia this week I have seen clouds of pollen blowing across the landscape. Before living here I had no idea that there were places in this country where you were warned not to go outside if you have allergies, or worse warned not to leave home when the city pollution is so bad that you have smog warnings. Thank goodness we kind of live in the country anyway.

Soon I will be getting back to normal here. There are SO many things I have been wanting to post, so many photos and videos to show everyone. I will be updating my websites also in the next few weeks and get my photography back on track. Anyway, I apologize for the downtime and hopefully it won’t continue much longer.

Hey, I almost forgot - it was just our 4 year anniversary!

dooce: I resolve to eat more leafy green chocolate
“In classic Armstrong fashion our new year began when we walked into Leta’s room yesterday morning to find that she had decorated her body with puke during the night. Red twizzler puke. With chunks of refried beans and a glaze of Sprite. A festive quiche of holiday vomit. It was in her ears, in her hair, up her nose, wrapped around each knuckle, lodged in the zipper of her pajamas. Her right hand had been covered in puke so long that when I finally washed it off, her fingers were so swollen with wrinkles that she couldn’t even wiggle them. They were frozen in place. Stuck. Five little rigid reminders of what can happen when someone lets a toddler go to bed with gum in her mouth.”

Cheers!

What did you do in 2005 that you’d never done before?
- With moving across the country and having a baby we did way too many new things!

Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions? Will you make more for 2006?
- I don’t think I made a resolution - or if I did I didn’t keep it. I don’t think I have one for this year either - maybe to stop being lazy but I doubt that will happen.

What places did you visit?
- Started the year in Colorado, then moved to Georgia, visited Minnesota and Tennesse

What events marked 2005?
- Birth of baby A 1/25/05. Moving to GA 3/5/05. 2 year wedding anniversary 3/28/05.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
- Me, lol. A friend in Colorado. A cousin in Colorado.

Did anyone close to you die?
- yep.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
- Save more money, go to more movies, take more vacations.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
- Could have spent less money (although I am sure that if I had it to do over again I would spend the same or much more). Could have eaten less, that would have been great.

What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
- Would love to buy a house, I think we will because we have a better idea of where we want to be now.

What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory?
- Nov 30th

What “things” did you want and get?
- We had a big spending year, bought ourselves and baby A alot of stuff. Nothing too huge but we did get a lot.

What “thing” did you want and not get?
- Haven’t gotten a 2nd car yet, hopefully soon.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- I turned 23. I will have to think about what I did - I think we did dinner and a movie.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- More sleep! More time with husband J!

What was the best thing you bought?
- I love my Ipod Nano, we got a headrest dvd player in the car for A that he loves, we upgraded some stuff in J’s computer, lots of great stuff.

Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
- Husband J. We are always calling eachother and sending eachother messages.

Compared to this time last year, are you……Happier or sadder?
- Happier, A has changed me.

Thinner or fatter?
- Well, considering in the beginning of ‘05 I was 8 months pregnant I am deffinately thinner! I like this question.

Richer or poorer?
- Richer I suppose; although we spent most of it.

What were your favorite films of this year?
- I love movies. I could not begin to list them all - I will say “A Million Little Pieces” was a book that changed me.

What was your favorite TV program?
- Arrested Developement, Seinfeld, Project Runway, The OC, House

What was your greatest musical discovery?
- Hmmm, I don’t know that I really listened to new people much - maybe Kanye West

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
- I love to wear casual scrubby cloths with super nice jewlery - it’s comfy but you don’t look so much like a bum.

Who were the best new people you met?
- Sadly I think the only new person I met was my hair stylest. She is great. Only see her every 3-4 months though. Very sad.

How many different people did you kiss in 2005?
- Only the 1 in the romantic way - I am kissin’ A all the time also.

How many people did you have sex with in 2005?
- Kinda personel but again only the 1.

Did you fall in love in 2005?
- I did I did, even though it sounds so sappy I fell in love with my baby boy. When he was born he was like this little alien who I didn’t know at all and I fell in love. He is wonderful.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
- I didn’t meet anyone new to start hating yet - lol - Truthfully there are few people I hate.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- Becoming a mother. I really didn’t plan on this whole questionaire being about baby stuff.

What was your biggest failure?
- If I could think of one I don’t think I would admit it.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
- Don’t know really.