I honestly don't even know where to begin... It ALL started back when Blake was about 18 months old but I don't have the time to go back THAT far so I guess I have to do a short summary for now.

So at 18 months we kinda noticed a "switch" flip for him. He seemed to be a normal, happy, healthy, baby boy. But then again he was our first and what the heck did we know about boys or raising kids or anything at that point. We asked other parents and read articles and keep plugging along. The more and more he seemed to do things that just didn't add up I kept wondering. He would get very angry and had massive outbursts and would not be able to be consoled. This all went on and on. I continued to speak with the pediatrician to no regard.

At the age of 3 I finally got him tested by the State and they agreed he had some delays. They placed him in Early Education Preschool and began preschool through the State. What a blessing. He did his second year of preschool in what is termed Child Find. He was surrounded by "typical peers" started his IEP path (a whole new world to me) and was taught by a fabulous special education teacher with years of experience.

We still had no formal diagnosis for Blake and that was a struggle. He continued to have behavioral problems at home with outbursts and tantrums and behavioral issues but school was great. He loved school and did well.

At the end of his preschool year we were able to get him seen at the UNLV and they did genetic testing on him. After lots of testing and questions they gave him a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder, and anxiety. They unfortunately could not diagnosis with Fetal Alcohol Disorder but only because the paperwork that we have from his birthmother specifically states that she did not drink alcohol. All signs and symptoms of FAS are present though.

We have now found a new pediatrician and on the very first visit we walked in and he looked at Blake and said "he has FAS doesn't he", and he also said "has someone diagnosed him with ADHD"? These are both things that he is now being treated for. Our new pediatrician and listened to our concerns and helped and we are grateful we were referred to him.

Meanwhile we have taken Blake to Occupational Therapy since the age of 5. We have also taken him to countless specialists including pediatric orthopedic surgeons for toe walking (which he still does), and then physical therapy to help with the toe walking, and night braces to help with the toe walking. He also went to a neurologist to check for cerebral palsy. He had to be sedated to receive a brain MRI to check for any brain abnormality. He was going to a family therapist. All of this was done on a weekly basis for months, if not years!

Oh and I might add it was all out of pocket. Most kids are placed in adoption with Medicaid but for some reason (still not totally sure why) when we adopted with LDS Family Services if we had personal insurance the child was placed under our insurance and we did not receive Medicaid. It is not that I wish we had Medicaid but sometimes I really do. We have been denied services due to having private insurance. We have massive medical bills due to all the therapy and treatments.

We did some research and hard thinking and have recently decided that something had to change. This was affecting our family life, our attitudes, our other two children, Blake and his quality of life. We have found a new direction and therapy program that we have just begun and are hoping it is going to be life changing for Blake and for all of us.

Wish us luck.

wow... wasn't even sure I could get on here and actually post...

We are going through some major changes at the Urbancic house and I am going to start this blog back up again. I know that NO ONE reads it but it will be a great way for me to document our changes and it is easiest for me to sit down and type then actually write in a journal or anything... we will see how it goes.

Catching up

So life is moving along day to day here... I know everyone loves to read blogs because they like to look at the pictures but right now I don't have any...my computer is being crazy...pictures will have to come later!

Summer is here and it is too hot to do too many things outside. We are swimming at least once a week and Blake is doing awesome! He loves the water and is still going strong with this swim lessons. We are blessed to have found such a great swim teacher. Thank you Ella!

He is also doing great and is now pretty much potty trained. I was DREADING this time of his life and not sure what to expect. I had heard tons of stories and wasn't quite ready to start. I was thinking we would start to think about it closer to the end of summer or when he was almost 3 (in November) but due to a HORRIBLE diaper rash we had no choice. Well... that was a Thursday, on June 14th, and up until today we have really only had about 3-4 accidents. He of course is not night trained yet and naps are hit and miss but to me that is pretty good!

Blake is however giving us a run for our money with tantrums lately! He seems to have gone back to the terrible twos. He was doing okay for a while but we have entered the tantrum phase and REALLY entered it. I hope this one doesn't last too long and we can get our sweet, fun-loving boy back. I don't like to complain too much about him, or harp on the negative but he really is draining some days and (just like most 2 1/2 year old boys) really knows how to make life miserable for all those around him. But we love him and can see the sweet Spirit that he has and are so blessed he is in our family and in our home.

Chelsea is growing bigger every day it seems. We have heard from the attorney that all is well on the termination of birthparent rights...so that is good news. We also know that all should be well and we should expect that we should be going to court to finalize her adoption in the beginning of September and then go to the temple thereafter. Such fun and exciting things to look forward to.

She is a very sweet addition to our home. She is a very happy, calm and content baby. She sleeps through the night, eats well, loves to watch her brother jump around crazy, and she is laughing and ALMOST rolling over. She just turned four months old and we can't believe how fast time is going by!

Like I said... we are just going by day by day and trying to enjoy every moment. Things get busy and hectic but we are trying to remember to just slow down when we can and enjoy the small things, do what needs to be done and let other things wait.

I will post pictures of some of the fun things we have been able to spend time doing soon.

Secretary of what?????

On April 29th Aranne was called to serve as the Relief Society Secretary. 


I got a call on Friday and was asked to come and meet with the Bishop that Sunday. We knew that the RS President was going to be changing since the old one was moving but this didn't ring a bell in my mind. I was thinking and thinking, and wondering what in the world he was going to talk to me about. I honestly thought he was going to ask me about Activity Days since I was just released from that calling and I was saddened about that and I had heard rumors that the program was still needing some help and maybe they were going to make changes there. I had no idea that I would be put into a calling in Relief Society. I especially was not expecting it since I was just released because of the placement of Chelsea and they were going to give me some time to get use to be a mom of 2... well I guess 2 months was enough time in their eyes!


So here I am now in the RS Presidency and have no idea what I am doing! 


I am excited about the calling and hope to do my best. I am always up for the challenge of a new calling and always know there is a reason I am in that calling but this time I am a little (ok a lot) overwhelmed. I am working with adult women who all know WAY more than me, and I am filling the shoes of a great secretary and I am just a little busy at home so I am struggling to find the time to actually fulfill my calling. 


But then... Sunday our wonderful new President gave a great lesson. The lesson was on why we get the callings we get, and how to respond to those callings and that we are not a church of volunteers but a church of assignments. I need to remember that I did not volunteer for this position because I was good at it, but I was assigned to do this job because I needed to learn how to do it and all that the Lord is asking of me is to do my BEST and he will help me with my shortcomings and I will have the support of the ladies in my ward and the presidency and it will all work out. 


I also attended a meeting last week and was reminded that I need to take care of myself first, my family next and then my calling. I am the kind of person who likes to say "yes" to everything and everyone so that was a good reminder. I have two little ones at home and a busy husband and busy life, so I need to be okay with saying "no" if I can't do something. I have to know that someone else needs to fill in the gaps sometimes and be okay with that. 


I am looking forward to learning in this calling and helping those that I can in whatever way I can. I hope I will do it justice and serve my Relief Society President well.

Summer fun

Summertime is in full swing around here.... We have a few weeks of great weather before it gets HOT! We love this time of year and love to spend time outside while we still can. Blake especially loves to be outside and play. He loves to be in the water, or just running around being a boy. We have been busy the last few weeks and here are some pictures to show what we have been up to.

 Hanging out at the park for a picnic

 Mr. Cool with my sunglasses

Soaking up the sun... and having a lollipop too

Showing my ticket onto the train at the Train Expo in California

Seeing how big my wingspan is at the Orange County Zoo

Sweet Sundays

Sundays are a little more fun now that there is a little girl in the house. It is more fun to dress a little girl up for church and get her in the fancy, fun dresses and bows. I will admit though that Blake has always been good about getting dressed and ready for church. He loves to wear a tie and be "just like daddy" so that is fun too. We seem to take more pictures on Sunday too. Here are just a few random pictures of us on Sundays....

Day at the Park

On Saturday, May 12th, we went out to enjoy the beautiful weather, have a nice picnic and spend the day outside. Blake can't get enough of being outside and so we decided to take advantage of the day.

Our friend Cindy had just stumbled upon a "new to us" location and we were happy to join her on this great day.

We packed up the car, got our football, bubbles, and goodies together, packed a lunch, and we were ready to go. We headed out to Spring Mountain Ranch just near Red Rock and we were pleasantly surprised. We arrived at a beautiful park and a huge grass area surrounded by trees and a nice breeze. It was the perfect spot to spend the day, and the perfect place for Blake to run and play. Chelsea also enjoyed being able to be outside and have the breeze blowing.

We spent a few hours there and then headed home. It was a great day and I am sure we will go back many times.

On Being a Mother

Mother's Day....


This day has such mixed emotions for me. For years I HATED this day. I would dream of this children I hoped would fill my home but my home was empty. I would get packages in the mail and cards that wished me a Happy Mother's Day...yet I was NOT a Mother. I would loathe going to church where I would get a candy bar wishing me a Happy Mother's Day...and again I was NOT a Mother. 


Today I have a different attitude. I sit today with toys filling my home, laughter heard throughout my house and I am thankful. Thankful that I am a Mother. Thankful for the two birthmoms that made me a Mother. Thankful for my two beautiful children who help be to become a better Mother everyday. Thankful for adoption and the chance that if gave me to be a Mother. 


I am also thankful for the years that I wasn't a Mother and the chance that I had to help "mother" many other young lives and that I can look back now and see that I did have that opportunity and how precious that is. I now know that no matter our circumstances we, as women, can "mother" know matter what our own personal circumstances may be. I am thankful for the chance that I had to be a primary teacher to many little ones. I am thankful for the chance that I had to be a Mia Maid leader and to work in Young Womens. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to work in the Camp program and be a Camp Director and work with so many wonderful young girls with that calling. I may not have touched each young life but they touched mine and taught me so many things... they taught me how to "mother" and for that I am eternally grateful. 


Happy Mother's Day!

I am back!

So I am actually sitting here doing a post... I can't believe it myself. It has been WAY TOO LONG!

I am not going to go back and I am not going to do a real re-cap but I will give you a few of the reasons of why I have been missing in action....

The main reason is because I was just too overwhelmed! And while I loved to blog and would do it constantly I found myself feeling like I had nothing to blog about or just to exhausted to blog about the events of the day. I also have come to realize that I need to make certain things in my life a priority...and others not. I often look at others from an outsiders perspective and think "I wish I was more like so and so" but I am starting to see that everyone has their faults and weakness and trials and starting to be happy with who I am and the life that I live. I am also understanding more and more the saying "there is a time and a season for everything" and right now I am in the season of being a mother to my young children and a wife to my husband and that is what is important right now. One day I may be able to learn to sew, or go back to school, or be a fabulous cook, or be caught up on my scrapbooking, or have time to sit and read all day, or whatever it is that I feel I want to do at that time, but right now my calling is to be a mother and how grateful I am for that!

With all of that being said... to fill in a little right now we are doing great. We have been blessed by adoption once again and are now a family of four. We have Chelsea Danielle in our home. She was born 2/25/12 and we love her to pieces. Blake is now 2 1/2 and is loving being a big brother. Dan is still working doing fire protection and stays plenty busy. I, like I said, am loving being a mom to these two crazy kiddos and I am also working from home doing medical transcription. We both are busy at church too. Dan is the Gospel Doctrine teacher and I was just called to be the Relief Society Secretary.

While things are busy and loud they are also filled with love and we couldn't ask for much more. I don't promise much with this blog but I do hope to do better. I miss getting on here and sharing my thoughts and connecting with family and friends and that is what I hope to do. Don't be upset if it is weeks before I post again, but fingers crossed it won't be.

First bike

Even though Blake's birthday isn't until October we wanted to go ahead and get him his birthday bike now while the weather is nice and he can enjoy it. He was so excited and wanted to help daddy build it. He helped out the whole time (slowly daddy's progress) but being very patient. He could not be more excited about his new bike and his new helmet that Auntie Laura got for him. He loves to wear it and he loves to "ride" around the backyard. I think this was a great purchase and should last us a while! Happy early Birthday Blake.

Summer Fun

We had such a busy summer and such a fun summer. We spent most of the time in the water, trying to stay cool. We went swimming at Papas' pool, lots of times with friends. We also went to the park and played in the water there. It is fun to get out and enjoy the water...and Blake sure loves it. He is really getting to be a great swimmer too. He can make it all the way from one side of the pool to the other!

Abducted by Aliens on the 4th of July

Obviously all our pictures aren't on here but I think you can see that we had a great time....lots of laughs, lots of adventures, and most of all, lots of driving! We drove from Vegas to Albuquerque, NM, then to Roswell, NM, to Carlsbad, NV, back to Albuquerque, NM, and then back to Vegas.... crazy!!!!

Here is a snapshot of our trip:

Hanging out at the KOA halfway between Roswell and Carlsbad

They had a fun, free firetruck ride which Blake LOVED... It was a pretty cool old truck.

Storytime with Uncle Brian...of course! Brian makes up some pretty crazy stories though.

Swimming with Aunt Cindy

We did make it to the Carlsbad Caverns and they were pretty awesome. We went late in the afternoon...took the elevators down and HIKED OUT!!! Not a very good idea but the only feasible one at the time. We were able to stay and see the bats come out at dusk.

Blake hitching a ride on daddy's back... what a way to go!

Even with getting to ride the whole way up and down he was exhausted that night!

The whole reason for the trip was the 4th of July and of course that means fireworks... YES we kept Blake up to see the fireworks...and NO he was not impressed. Maybe next year.

Again it was a fun trip and we love to be able to make these great memories and share times with great friends. We know Blake won't remember these yet but we have pictures to share and
great stories to tell him and soon enough he will start to remember!