Who is GPS?

I became a mom in 2013 with the birth of my first child, G. G is talented, headstrong, sassy, and so damn smart. Over the years, G has struggled with her mental health. When her father was deployed to Kuwait, she developed night terrors and an adjustment disorder. After an intense family vehicle accident, she developed anxiety and PTSD. We suspect ADHD (inattentive type) but are addressing the PTSD before we cross into that area to avoid a misdiagnoses.

In 2016, along came kiddo number 2, P. P is empathic, free spirited, creative, and hilarious. Only a couple months ago, P finally received her formal ADHD (combined type) diagnosis. Due to her sensitivity to stimuli such as hair brushing, shower heads, and big noises, we have suspected autism for quite some time, but have not yet had her evaluation, as the waiting list we’re on is VERY long.

In 2017, S came into our lives a little prematurely. Complications were mainly related to breathing issues that self corrected in the first couple months. Since then, he’s been a fun, loving, silly, information-rich child. S has PTSD from the family vehicle accident mentioned earlier and a bit of a speech delay, both of which we are on waiting lists to have addressed. He and P are basically 2 parts of the same soul, following each other’s lead and creating chaos together.

GPS are wonderful kiddos, they simply have behavioral tendencies to work through and learn from. We’ve had days where we wake up to puddles of milk all over the kitchen floor or all the contents of their toy boxes and dressers thrown across the home. They talk back, they scream, they hit, and they struggle to regulate their emotions. However, they are very capable, brilliant-minded children with fun interests and big dreams. As their parents, my husband and I are responsible for correcting those behaviors without thwarting their unique personalities or breaking their confidence. Sometimes, that’s really hard. Other times, it’s an absolute blast. 100% of the time, it’s the best job I’ve ever had.