The judge approved my request

I received a phone call from Probate Court, to let me know that the Judge had issued a ruling. That may sound a bit dramatic but that's exactly what happened. Yesterday, I requested a copy of the adoption decree from when I adopted Gavin. Apparently, there's a rather significant process involved in doing that and that involves getting permission from the Probate Court Judge. Rather then walk in and simply request a copy of paperwork, I had to petition the Judge for permission instead. I get some adoptions are sealed but I'm seeking documentation for the adoption of Gavin, where I was one of two parties. It's not a secret or something I would have thought was protected. It's not a huge deal, I just thought it was a bit…

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I have an unplanned trip to Probate Court

We have to straighten a few things with Social Security in regards to Gavin turning eighteen and transitioning to permanent disability. One of those things requires his adoption decree which for the life of me, I cannot find. It used to be in the safe but it must have been pulled at some point and not returned. SSA called this morning and let me know we needed this ASAP. For some reason, Gavin's name is still Gavin Weaver in their records and we've no idea why. It's an easy fix but it requires paperwork we can't find. We called Probate Court and I have to write a letter, explaining why I need it. They will give the letter to the judge for approval. If she approves the request, I'll pay…

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Unfortunately, we’ve had to adjust our plans

Keeping true with the story of our lives, today hasn't gone as planned. We were supposed to be at the Cleveland Clinic for a follow-up appointment with the epilepsy center in regards to Gavin's recent EEG. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling well this morning and driving that distance would not be responsible of me to do. We already know the EEG was fine and this was more of a technicality but it was still important to us. Aside from not feeling well, we also have the more pressing issue of the car. It's getting easier and easier to share what isn't wrong with the car because the list of problems continue to grow. It's no longer worth fixing but at the same time, we don't have another option. Making the needed…

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It’s been an emotional roller-coaster this weekend and I’m exhausted

It's been an emotional weekend for all of us here in The Autism Dad household. Losing Maggie has been devastating for all, but especially for Elliott and Emmett. They're feeling the loss a bit differently because they have basically never known a time where Maggie wasn't here. They were both so young when we got her, it seems like she was always part of our family. Lizze and I have been trying to keep the boys distracted because that helps them to move forward. Saturday was pretty rough. There was a great many tears shed throughout the day and we really tried to keep the boys occupied, but it didn't always help. On Sunday, all three of the boys hung out with their Grandparents for a large part of the…

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Why did he laugh when our dog died?

If you read my last post in regards to Maggie passing away, you may have noticed that I never made mention of Gavin and there was a reason for that. I want to explain and hopefully educate my readers about what we saw or rather didn't see from Gavin that day. It's important to understand that Autism can be quite mysterious at times and even though I have experienced and a decent understanding, there are times where it's difficult for me to grasp as well. I didn't mention how Gavin reacted to Maggie passing away because I didn't want to go down that path until I'd had a chance to process everything. Let me begin by saying that people with Autism tend to struggle with emotional situations. I'm not saying…

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Maggie passed away last night and we’re all heartbroken

In November of 2008, Emmett was almost six months old and we were a dog-less family, not looking for a dog. In a completely random occurrence, Lizze stumbled across a picture of a dog with the most amazing smile. We weren't looking for a dog because we had just recently had Emmett but we found ourselves drawn to the picture and it turned the dog was actually somewhat local to us. Lizze wanted to go look at her in person and for whatever I went along with it. It was one of those spontaneous things that wasn't really like us at the time. There was just something about this dog and we made the forty-five minute drive to meet her in person, not knowing what to expect. What we didn't…

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I fear Gavin’s becoming a bit more paranoid

Lizze and I had a pretty good morning. None of the little missions we went on panned out due to bad information but it was nice to try. We ended up just walking the track. Gavin will be coming home soon because he's apparently getting anxious/freaking out because he needs his infusion and can't do it at grandma's house. I don't know why he's so worried. He's doing perfectly fine as far as time is considered. Even if he did it tomorrow he'd be fine. He's sorta becoming more paranoid. At the same time, despite our many attempts to explain how this works to him, I know he doesn't understand. That may be to blame as well. I don't want him worrying about this stuff to the point he begins…

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Still struggling but forcing myself to exercise

Lizze and I have a few hours to ourselves this morning and that almost never happens. Gavin spent the night at his grandparents and the boys are at school. What I want more than anything is to crawl back into bed and sleep off the nausea but that's not in the agenda. Lizze and I are going to go walking shortly. I want to go. I need to go but I feel like shit still. At the same time, I know that I'll feel better as I walk and that's why I'm forcing myself to go. I'm losing weight and getting back into reaching my fitness goals. It's unfortunate that I'm having such a difficult time withdrawaling from Paxil but the more active I am, the better I feel. So,…

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