Stella 7 Months & 8 Months

Second child problems, I do 2 months at a time.  She knows I love her!

7 Months

Likes: Sitting up, putting everything in her mouth, Blaze theme song
Dislikes: being over tired, sleeping
Can/Does: sits up, scoots backwards,
Size/Weight: Still tiny.  Moved up to 3-6 month and some 6 month clothes
Still no teeth!

First over-night at grandma and grandpas as Mommy and Daddy went to a wedding in Milwaukee.  

St. Nick came!  We also have the Elf on the Shelf visiting us.  She has been named Yelf.  (How Nolan pronounces The Elf and we are going to run with it because how cute is that?!?!)  Stella got a chewy banana, some puffs, and a toy.  

And because I LOVE comparisons of the two, here are the kids in the same PJs on both of their first St. Nick visit!

Kaukauna Christmas parade. It was freezing.  The wind was horrible.  Then it was probably the longest Kaukauna parade ever! (maybe it was just that cold that made it feel that way.)

Vanden Heuvel Christmas Party at Great Uncle Pete's shop.  We see Santa, play with cousins/second cousins (or maybe 3rd I have no idea how that works).  Stella loved her tea set and watching all the kids running around like they are crazy.

We went sledding on our street and in our yard a couple times.  Stella does really well sitting up and being outside!  Stella is still perfecting sitting and I didnt want her to hit her head while undressing Nolan...so she got to sit in the box while I was undressing Nolan and until it was her turn.

Every year in Kaukauna, a man sets up the North Pole. Santa, elves, reindeer and many other holiday sights to see! The kids really liked it!

With Mommy working for Usborne and being a teacher, we spend lots of time reading. Some times we initiate it, but the best is when they start doing it on their own!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were wonderful!  We went to church and spent time with family.  We even managed to get family photos at each place!  Christmas morning, we opened presents at our house, then Grandma and Grandpa Jansen,  then Grandma and Grandpa Gloudemans.  

Stella had her follow up cardio appointment-AND SHE HAS BEEN CLEARED!  Both holes have been healed and there is an extra vein but it is just an extra vein, there is no double aortic arch for sure.  She is cleared of needing any extra cardio-care.

Stella LOVES her Badger dog!

New Years was spent at home with Ms. Stella Bean feeling very sick.  She still smiled for her photos, but that was about all the energy she could muster for a couple days. (hence her faces in her 7 month photos too).

8 Months

Likes: playing with her vanity, screaming/talking, her brother, getting up to see mommy in the night
Dislikes: sleeping through the night, waiting for food, green baby food, puffs/to thick of oatmeal
Can/Does: scoot around on her butt, go from sitting to tummy,  move around the floor (but not forwards), clap, beginning to pick up food/small things, hold own bottle/cup (working on actually drinking out of it), crawl!
Size/Weight: 14lbs 5oz (at cardio appt--lost a little weight being sick)  Still a big fat 0 in the teeth department!

As mentioned, New Years was spent at home with sick little Stella Ear infection #2.  She went from bad to worse through out the weekend and finally on Monday I called to get her in.  She had a bulging double ear infection and they think she was either on her way out of RSV or Influenza.  Luckily, she was doing ok and already healing from it so we just had to continue to watch.  The meds helped her sleep better and begin to feel better.








Alex and I were talking about how we met 14 years ago bowling and decide to take the whole family bowling.  It was a little over stimulating for Nolan, but he still did pretty good.  We had fun and Stella loved watching all the action! PLUS Mommy and Stella matched in our feathers!

Stella is getting very good at yelling/talking, and she LOVES her vanity from Daddy from Christmas.

8 days into her second round of antibiotics we discovered Ms. Stella is allergic to amoxicillin.  It is minor with only some hives covering her body.  They checked her ears and they were cleared up so we just stopped taking them but have this listed as an allergy on her record.








We went to the Little Chute pool/water park to celebrate Daddy's birthday and try something new.  Stella loves water!

Stella got her first pony tail and pedicure











The kids have been going on some errands with me and Stella is getting good at sitting in the cart like a big girl!

She is also a stinker butt and keeps trying to steal her brother's snacks.

 Another building for kids trip! 

Apparently at 7.5 months Stella has decided she needs to sleep with a paci..but she doesn't even  use it right. She holds it in her hands and chews on it until she falls asleep.  I am ok with it as long as she goes to sleep.









Stella doesn't like to be hungry so when she is hungry she demands food.

She is getting good at blowing raspberries. Her favorite time is when she is eating a food she doesnt like or when when she is supposed to be going to sleep.

Stella is almost crawling!  She can go from sitting to her belly and she can move about the floor with out going forward.

 We are in Packer country, we have lots of Packer parties.  Even if it isn't a party, Packer gear is required.

We started eating yogurt puffs.  Stella isnt really a fan.

Started using a sippy cup.  Not great at it but she is liking practicing!

Standing with support of the bathtub....and look at those bunners!!

Stella is loving ride on toys

Full head piggy tails!  Big girl hair!

We played outside inside at Rainbow Play systems.  Both kids really had fun!

Although yogurt puffs make her gag, Burger King french fries (the

insides) are apparently ok.  

Going for a walk on a January thaw....love the bear feet and ribbit boots!











and then this happened on the day she turned 8 months!

Nolan and ASD

Back on December 20 we had Nolan's observation/assessment.  This was to test Nolan for autism and just look at some of his development.  The testing took place at Catalpa and it was about an hour and a half. They did allow Alex and I to stay so we could give her perspective if it was "normal" for him to do something or not so she could kind of know if this was a good basis for the observation.  It was.  It was very close to a typical day for him.

I kept second guessing myself and wondering if Nolan really is in need of an observation, was I being to hard on him, etc.  I mentioned this to his doctor and she did say that she was glad we brought him in because there are some definite red flags.  The doctor also said we are doing a great job parenting him and I have "early childhood teacher written all over my parenting."  Hope that is a good thing ;)

While waiting for results your brain goes a lot of places.  You want a diagnosis because then you can get supports, but you were also hoping they say it is just a phase he will out grow.  It is hard.  Logical brain knows supports will help, it will be fine, there are many ways of growth, it is ok he is now with peers, he will get there in his own time in his own way, but emotional brain has a hard time with that. All the school and training I have had does not prepare you to be a mom in this situation.  I have talked to moms in this situation as their teacher, but it still does not prepare you to be here.  I am not sure anything can.

I am not going to lie, Alex and I have taken on the assumption that Nolan is autistic.  So, that being said, we have begun reading and researching.   We have begun doing therapy in the best/only ways we know how, accepting, and changing our perspective.  It has helped us AND it has been helping Nolan.

Well the test results are in.  Nolan is autistic, ASD.  ASD stands for autism spectrum disorder. It is that, a spectrum.  The current way (in the ever changing way) that levels/the spectrum work is level 1 (very little supports needed), level 2 (moderate level of supports needed), level 3 (high level of supports needed).  Nolan scored between level 2 & 3, but with his other levels of development, the psychologist said she felt comfortable putting him at a level 2.  Based on the assessment she did in her office, he language was that of an 18 month old.

I am not going to lie, that was higher level ASD than I anticipated and lower vocabulary than I anticipated, a rock hit my stomach.  Tears hit my eyes.  My love for this kid is so incredibly strong that this diagnosis does not change this, but it scares me what it means for a prognosis.  I am currently torn between sobbing my eyes out in fear, and getting to work picking therapists, planning, setting up therapy schedules and lets get sh** done. Sooo....naturally when you are stuck with those 2 feelings simultaneously, I freeze.  I put on my pjs, sit on the couch and just watch my family.  I watch Nolan playing and happy.  I watch Stella on the cusp of crawling.  I sit next to Alex appreciative he is off of work today and can be here.  One day.  I am going to watch and be passive one day.  I get one day.

Day 2.  OT day.  Explain yesterday.  Make a plan. Ask for Speech & Language referral.  Contact every person I know who works with children who have autism.  Lists, lists, books, references lists.

Ok, what this means/next steps:
Our psychologist has recommended ABA therapy--starting pretty vigorous 30-40 hours a week.  Continue OT and start S/L services.  He is young, he is placid and we can make a big difference in Nolan's life with this early intervention.


So my feelings on this are mixed.  I want to do everything I can for Nolan.  I really want to help him and I want to learn.  I want to watch his therapists so I can do continued language and consistency in programs they implement.  I want him to grow as much as his little mind is ready to, but I also don't want to overwhelm him.  I know it is a recommended amount of time and they wouldn't recommend if they didn't think it was good for him, but I still have some apprehension.  Alex and I have worked hard to not allow things to be too hard to be worth doing.  We like giving them memories (or at least pictures of mom and dad's memories) to look back on.  We don't want Nolan to be in therapy all day and not a part of our family of 4 unit.  I don't want him gone all day when I am here all day to spend time with him (he is only 2!).  I don't want to be in all this therapy and working to make him be a successful adult that he misses his childhood.  Yes, teaching him all the skills he need to be a successful, independent adult is important BUT so is his childhood--the here and now.  I want to enjoy him now.  I want him to enjoy now.  I want him to be a kid.  We still want our Tuesdays at the children's museum or splash pad or whatever we see fun in our middle of the week fun.  Alex and I have talked and we are on the same page.  We will discuss this with a therapist team (when we finally pick a therapist team) and find a fit that helps us feel comfortable.

There are many discussions to have with a lot of people but one this is for sure.  Nolan is going to be ok.  He has a million people who love him and there is a plethora of information and studies out there to help him be successful and professionals that can help us implement them.  I have the UTMOST faith it will all be ok, we just have a very windy, bumpy, dark, bright, colorful, exciting journey ahead of us.

As someone extremely important to me has reminded me: Let go and Let God.  💜

Now, I want you all to know this post above is A LOT about me-my feelings, my plans.  Nolan is an amazing little boy.  He is smart, he is cute, he is learning more every day.  I want to highlight more of the stuff he's done!  Yay! for Nolan highlights!

follow along for our day to day happenings on Instagram @behindthescenes_mrsg