Ava's First Year

A bit about Ava's first year...

Ava Dawn Dirksen was born on Sept. 5, 2008 in the morning and weighed 7lbs 8oz. The home birth was quick and uncomplicated. She was a good baby, not crying during the day so much. She did LOVE the swing, and it was nearly impossible for her to sleep at night unless she was in the swing or being held. During the first 3 months or more I slept on the couch with Ava in my arms. When a friend lent us a swing, she started sleeping in there as well.

Ava would make eye contact quite a lot. We never noticed or now remember her being overly smiley or verbal (making babling noises). She seemed to be an "observer" and that was ok with us. Jayden was the doer, and Ava would watch and learn from him, or so we thought.

Here are some videos from Ava's first year:

Helping Ava

Welcome to Ava's website. I have created this blog in order that we can have communication, and a record of Ava's progress. I am so grateful to my family, therapists, and friends who have all come alongside us as we work with Ava. The title of this blog is not a mistake, I believe that this is Ava's dawn (Dawn is her middle name), in that she is now beginning to express who she is and we are beginning the wonderful process of discovering who she is.

As I have been reading about the many parents who have been through autism with their kid(s), what stands out is that Ava will do as well in life as we expect of her, and hope for her. My hope is huge and my resolve is set... that we will do everything in our power to give her the best chance of full recovery.

In future posts I will give background on Ava's last two years... and then start in on the daily updates. This is meant to be a journal of sorts for our own records, but also a way to share information with others. Thank you for being a part of this journey.