We had serious camera problems this Christmas - the kind where you believe the camera is working fine until you get the photos back and find out you just have 36 plain black pictures.  So no photos of Christmas I'm afraid. 

Here is one taken in January though.

Ryan seems to be doing very well in the Nursery class.   He has his ancillary of course but he is now trying to join in with the rest of the class in some of the activities.   He likes Sandy (his ancillary helper) and gets on well with her.   He likes his teacher as well but does not seem to recognize them in any setting other than school.   We were in the supermarket and Sandy came over to say hello, Ryan looked at her as though she was a total stranger and would not speak to her.   The same has happened with his teacher.

February

Getting closing to the wedding now.   Have I said about the wedding - no (just looked back at previous pages) Debbie and Michael have been living together for a while now with Ryan, Rebecca and Michael's two sons Sam 13 and Josh 12.  They are getting married at Easter so lots of plans are being  made.   Rebecca has tried on her "wedding dress" - she is a bridesmaid and is quite excited about things, it all seems to pass Ryan by.  He is improving very quickly at nursery now.   We think his speech is very good, of course you have to make allowances but it's good.   A friend was watching him play recently and when someone made a slightly disparaging comment about Ryan she just said "he's not doing bad for a vegetable!" stopped things dead that did, but she's right.   With all the things we were told about his various problems we would not have been surprised if he had been little more than a vegetable in truth, so anything he can do and say is a bonus and he does and says a great deal.   After all he only falls down all the time because he CAN walk,  he makes a mess of saying things and repeats it goodness know how many times until we understand because he CAN talk, ask someone whose child can not walk if they would like their child to trip over their own feet dozens of times a day.

March

For the end of March it's very warm, people in shorts and T shirts the kids are in paddling pools.   I looked at this next photo and the immediate thought was "is there something wrong with that boy"  what an idiot I am, of course there is but whether that's got anything to do with him finding and putting on Becca's swim suit, well your guess is as good as mine!

Ryan now has a suit for the wedding next month, getting him into it should be fun!

April

The day of the wedding (Easter Saturday) dawned fair but went over grey and windy as the day progressed.  Never mind, the wedding was great.  Ryan stole the show in the church.   The vicar knew that we could not explain to Ryan what was happening and had said whatever Ryan wanted to do was fine.   So Ryan started off sat with me then went to the join his mum and Michael as they exchanged their vows.   When the vicar told them to "hold hands" Ryan was there holding one of his mum's hands and one of Michaels.   He tried to join in the exchange of rings and everything.   Just about everyone said it was the nicest wedding they had been to for a long time.   The wind was a bit cool when we went outside to have the photos taken.

Here is just one of all the family outside the Church, Ryan being held by his uncle David.   I'll probably change it for a better one taken by the photographer later.

I know this one is dark but I took it at the evening party and I think it's a lovely photo of Ryan wrapping himself in his mums wedding dress.

    Ryan dancing at the party.   The little girl is only a couple of weeks older than him