And So it Begins

I want to start from the beginning. On February 26,2009 my husband and I were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, our Lizzybug. From Day 1 we knew there was something special about her. She was so alert, and she could watch the lights over the hospital bed for hours. There was always something different but beautiful. People were attracted to her and she made them laugh. She was curious and as she began to crawl, she became an explorer. She made my life beautiful. I suddenly realized what it meant to be happy. I found joy in every little smile and every little laugh. As Liz began to grow she met all of her milestones on time (and maybe some a little early).
When she was 20 months old, our Butterfly was born. Life felt perfect. I had 2 beautiful girls and a husband that I loved. Not long after Butterfly was born I began having some concerns about my Lizzybug. I shook them off and convinced myself that everything was fine. She really wasn't that behind in her speech and where she was she would soon catch up.
 When Liz was just past 3 years old things began to snowball. She threw frequent tantrums and began picking at her skin, her speech was behind, and her social skills were lacking. I made excuses and convinced myself that it was due to moving to a new state.
 A few months after our move I admitted there was something wrong and called early intervention. I was forwarded on to the local school district's preschool. To make a long story short it took 4 months for them to accept her. When they described our Lizzybug they simply said that she was a "complex child."
Around this time our pediatrician decided to send us to Kansas City for an Autism Evaluation. In the meantime, I began doing my own research and knew in my gut that we would get an ASD diagnoses. After a 4 month wait we went in for the evaluation. I will never forget hearing the psychologist tell us that our Lizzybug had autism spectrum disorder. No amount of homework and research had prepared me to hear those words. I didn't want to talk to anyone afterwards. I wanted to sit back and fully digest what was said. I wanted a game plan. I was overwhelmed. What do I do now?
It was definitely a day that changed my life. It was just over a month ago, yet it seems like a lifetime. Here I am trying to figure out who my daughter is. What does she think? What does she feel? What does she want or need? I ask myself those questions every single day. I made myself a promise that day. That promise was that anything my Lizzybug wanted to do in life she would achieve. I will not let ASD hold her back, I want her to learn that she has talents because of ASD, and those talents can take her places. I want to help my Lizzybug use her wings.