What life is like with E. (#tbt)

The morning begins the way the night before ended; with tiny feet against my legs, as he does not cuddle, but likes to know you are there.  Waking him up is beautiful, and he usually smiles and then, in a tiny voice you hear MeMa…I waited years for that word, and love it every time he says it.  Words from him are precious and cherished by us.  Far from little, years of eating difficulties led to supplements that made my “tiny boy” the size of a 5 year old, at 3.   The day never changes much, from school all day, then home for the night, because routine is everything.  This keeps outings to a minimum, and home becomes a playground of such, to include a trampoline in the living room.  He is the baby in our family and our child that turns little things in to daily blessings and gifts.  Never could I have imagined that he would wordlessly add such a dimension to what I believed parenting to be; nor would I have it any other way.  My husband calls it “next level” parenting, and that is accurate, for it challenges every ideal and thought I have used in raising the others.  When he is happy, it is evident to everyone; and we call him “Super Happy Ethan.”  Let him be hurt or sad, and he is equally as obvious about it.  He loves with all he has, and judges every situation with wisdom that is well beyond his years.  If you looked at him, you would know something was different, but it would take you a bit to really understand exactly what. Our motto?  "You can be normal, but I prefer to be awesome!"  This is Ethan, and this is what Autism truly looks like.