A moment at the park...

While we try to teach our children all about life,

Our children teach us what life is all about.

~Angela Schwindt

Kellytrutter.com

I have just recently launched my website for my private "practice." It is super easy to remember.....www.kellytrutter.com. As some of you may have noticed in the news, legislation just passed Senate Bill 946 which mandates medical insurance to cover ABA intervention for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. This is a huge advancement in the field, and a long time coming for many families who have been paying tens of thousands of dollars per year for intervention and treatment for their children. It is also estimated that this bill (effective next July) will create approximately 20,000 new jobs in the state of California. Currently, I have a contract with Aetna medical insurance who started the ball rolling a year or so ago and is already covering ABA services for their insured. So, check out my web page! Right now I am only willing to travel around Northern California, but once Raegan is a bit older I will be willing to travel further. My Aetna contract is approved for several states, including Illinois. Many Aetna members are not aware they qualify for these services, without a even referral being needed! Help me get the word out so that these families can obtain the support they desperately need!

6 months old!

 

Half of a year old already! I can't belive it! She is just more fun every day. At her checkup yesterday she weighed 17lbs 14 oz, and was 26 and 1/2 inches long! She can now sit up very well on her own, and will often roll to her stomach to try to reach her toys (or items that are not toys, such as the remote control). She can transfer items from one hand to the next, and sometimes we catch her just looking at her hands...as if seeing them for the first time! One of our friends calls her the "bye-bye" baby because she loves to go bye bye...anywhere! She is most content when we are out of the house doing things. I am approaching the solid food issue again (after a very discouraging run with rice cereal), but I tried apples yesterday and after one bite she was done. We are hearing a lot of babbling...she likes the "mmmm" sound and when she is upset it sounds an awful lot like "mama." Her favorite book is a lift the flap book called "Where is baby's belly button" and she will look at me and smile even when I say those words without the book. Daddy has found lots of ticklish spots and we notice that sometimes it seems Raegan will laugh in order to see Jasen or I laugh. She is no longer taking a pacifier - which can present its own challenge, but we will see if that ever comes back or if we are done for good! We are excited to see her start crawling soon! :)

A weekend excursion

Last weekend we headed to the bay area to visit Aunt Meggo! The weather was beautiful and we had a really wonderful time! While we were there, we decided to take Raegan to see the ocean, so we took a trip to Half Moon Bay. The famous Bay is only about 35 minutes from Meghan's place, but with the pumpkin and Fall festivals in full activity, it took a bit longer. When we finally arrived, we stepped out of our vehicle to a surprisingly very cold and very windy beach! Raegan didn't seem to mind too much, and she enjoyed looking at the waves and the birds. :) I think my favorites part was leaving the beach and stopping at a very warm and cozy coffee shop for some delicious hot drinks! We also ate at some cute restaurants in down town Palo Alto, one in which served sandwiches on gluten free bread - hooray! :) Raegan was so excited to be at Aunt Meg's that she didn't want to go to sleep that night, so she stayed up with the big kids until 9:30  with lots of smiles and laughs. What a fun weekend!

The newest Packer fan!

Raegan officially joined the packer crew last week when she attended her first Packer Party. She wasn't too sure about so many people making so much noise, so we saw a quivering lip here and there. However, this week we hosted the party at our house and she did great! She was smiling at everyone and enjoying all of the attention. Our friend Robin made Raegan a special Greenbay bow for her hair....so cute! :)