Sunday*

*family portrait, taken last week*

Anthony has slept really well this weekend, which I think merits a post. Also, Mike took Maria out to pick up breakfast, Anthony is downstairs playing, and Veronica is finally napping in Maria's crib, so I have a moment.

He had a good week, although more than once his therapists noted that he was 'weepy'. Oh, it can break your heart, when he gets weepy! One of them told me that it wasn't like a tantrum, or like he didn't want to do something (both of which I guess she's seen), but that he seemed really sad. Last weekend, my mom and I sold stuff in our neighborhood garage sale, so we were down on the sidewalk. I looked up the stairs at Anthony, and he was crying and crying, tears were *streaming* down his face. I went up and asked him what was wrong, but of course he didn't answer, so I just hugged him for a while and he felt better. God only knows what was bothering him then, or what was bugging him at school - it's a mystery, for now. He certainly feels emotion, and his face matches his emotion, which are two things that I always read don't happen with autistic kids.

He has been sleeping badly and I'm sure that explains his rough afternoons at school. BUT he had some good things happen, too. He was "very verbal!" mostly every day, he said "BYE!" to his therapists every day. Yesterday, I took him over to my mom and dads, just the two of us. I can't remember the last time I went with him alone over there. It's been a long time. Anyway, out of nowhere he wanted to do his alphabet and count to twenty for my parents. It was so, so great, and his voice is just adorable. He adds real inflection to every letter and number. He loves the applause that follows, too. Ooh, he drives us crazy with his cuteness and also with his not-so-cuteness.

Friday night we were going out to dinner with some friends and my parents were coming over to babysit. Veronica seemed really out so I laid her down and figured if she woke up, my parents could just go get her. Usually we just transfer her sleeping self to my mom before we leave. Mike put Anthony to bed and for the first time in a long time, he fell asleep. Veronica stayed asleep too, so for the first time EVER, my parents just babysat by *sitting* here and watching tv. Anthony slept all night, he didn't wake up until around 8:00 yesterday morning, which is almost 13 hours! Last night he didn't fall asleep when Mike left, and was kind of weepy again, but I went up with Veronica shortly after that and he was quiet, so I think he went to sleep early again. He was up around 6:00 this morning but that is still pretty good. Now I'm just hoping (against hope) that he sleeps well tonight and then he can start well at school. I have a meeting with his therapists this week, it will be monthly, but this is our first one. They are really great with him and as usual, seem to really care about his success.

We are trying to figure out the insurance and how it's going to work. Anthony's speech therapy bills have to be paid by us and then we have to get reimbursed. Of course, the scumbag insurance companies are making us jump through every hoop that there is to get them paid and it's a lot of money, so we are jumping! We still haven't had our new insurance pay out anything, they have just claimed (so far) that we have another insurance company that should be paying. Sigh. As long as someone pays, I don't care, but I am nervous that no one will. It's so great now, there's no way we could ever take it away from him. But I am keeping a good thought that it will all work out, you all should too! :)