Very small hooray!

I can't remember what the word was, but Josh let me manipulate his mouth a little while he was vocalizing, to help him properly make his "oh" sound! He let me do this a few times, and I think I saw some wheels moving in his head. After I was done with him, he tried it a little on his own, but didn't quite get there. He was a little closer, but this will take some time. How exciting! I'm really glad he lets me help him, oral motor stuff. It's like walking, I think he can do this, but it's going to take time to convince his noggin that he can do it. I knew he could walk when he was ready, but it took a week with a walker for his brain to figure out he could do it on his own. And he was so cute with that little walker!

He used a lot of language today, on his own. To tell me what he saw, and what he heard, too! When a motorcycle went by us in the park he looked at me confused and signed "LOUD". I signed and said, "Yes, the motorcycle was loud!" He signed and tried to vocalize "loud" again, actually tried to say the word. Good progress.

He's using his language to label things well, but he's also starting to tell me what other people are doing, how they feel. He consistently uses happy and sad when another boy is smiling or crying. Cool that he identifies these.

I'm signing with him, but also working so hard to help him vocalize, too. I find that when he is comfortable with the language, the speech follows much more easily. And I'm sure was more patient with me working a little with his oral motor skills because we were outside in the park relaxing vs. doing "therapy" at home. When he's relaxed and having fun, communication comes much easier.

OH! He was waving and saying "Bye!" to everyone, without any prompting! When a boy would get off the climbing toy, he would wave and say, "Bye bye!", and when the boy got back on he would wave and say, "Hi!", more like, "Hah!" But this took no prompting from me whatsoever, it came straight from him. And when we left the park he waved and said bye to the park sign, too.

As a mom who is totally involved with all of her children, I get very frustrated at times. I feel chained to the home, to the kids, like I have no life of my own whatsoever. I am a full time unlicensed therapist for my boys, and this has been going on for years. I hit a rough spot yesterday where I felt so burned out I just wanted to cry for hours. My husband asked me if I'd want to do anything else, and to be honest, I don't know what else to do. This has been my life for a while now, it's just become a part of me.

Fortunately, I have always loved books and find good escape in them, even if for a few pages at a time. That and Law and Order. I used to like gardening more, but that's hard to do when my three boys are running around the neighborhood like crazy men. I look forward to Josh being in school full time.

But when I am burned out, Josh always seems to pull something new out of his hat. Like letting me help him with his "oh" sound, and saying "Bye bye" to the kids and park sign all on his own. He is one cute kiddo!