Growin' in Every Direction

I could say that a lot has changed over the last year and a half since I last wrote in this blog.  But I would prefer to say that twice that has changed in the last six months.

I have now been seeing Jo, my speech therapist for over a year.  I had to take a vacation for the last 4 months of the year last year (due to insurance reasons).  I LOOOOVE Jo.  She has all the different games and toys to play with and she just loves talking to me.  She first taught me how to verbally express my needs and fears.  Then she taught me how to put whole sentences together.  Now I am working on entire thoughts.  She gave mommy some good tools when I left last August and with the constant conversation between me and my family and Alie, well.....I have no problem telling you my thoughts.  The words still get turned around, and occasionally stuck when I'm excited or frustrated, but I get them out somehow.  Now Im working on descriptive words so I can be more colorful in my language.  

When I saw Jo last week for the first time since August, she said she wanted to cry.  She told my mommy that I was a whole new boy.  That there was a new life in my eyes, more emotion in my conversation and more joy in my soul.  I don't have a picture of Jo yet, but mommy promised we'd take one the next time we visited her.

I now have a new occupational therapist.  Her name is Ameda.  I miss my old gym teacher (Lynette) and ask about her gym every week, but mommy said that Lynette was just too far away to drive on the days she had to work.  I was sad at first and continue to miss Lynette but I really like Ameda's gym and mommy loves the new information Ameda gives her.  Since starting O.T. a year ago, I now do pretty much anything any other boy would do on the playground.  Even if I don't have the muscles to complete the task, I'll start it anyway.  And I love swinging!!  (used to be terrified of it).  Alie brings her dog over to our house all the time and now my therapist has a 'therapy dog' named Lucy.  I got to play with her today and loved it. I've been telling mommy I want my own puppy.  Mom and Daddy both agree we should have one too, but they want to wait a little while longer until Travis gets bigger.

I've put some pictures below of my therapy session with Ameda this week.  And something happened that was really really big news.  Mommy cried and even Ameda said she wanted to cry.  You see, my big muscles have been growing really well, but my little muscles and the messages my brain sends to those muscles are still having a hard time.  It's been hard for me to hold a pencil or write a simple line.  I know all my ABC's, but I've never been able to draw them.  Same with shapes.  I just can't get my hands and fingers to listen to my brain.  But after two weeks of drawing exercises at home....today I drew a circle, triangle and a rectangle!!  And mommy got it on video.  I'll post that as well.

Hmm, what else is new?  I love love love my big brother Parker.  And I just want him to play with me all the time.  And Travis?  Well, he picks on me a lot, because I think he loves me a super duper lot and I'd have to say the feeling is mutual.  We bicker, cause that's what brothers do.  But I have the bestest brothers ever.  We all watch out for each other very closely.

I love playing in the water and that is new for me as well.  In fact, I love it soo much, I would prefer to have my life vest on so I can be out in the deep end with no help.  I love being independent.  Speaking of independence, I can now dress myself all the way to the shoes (except for tying, but Parker said he would teach me).  And just last week, I zipped my jacket for the first time.  Finally, my fingers listened to my brain!

I have a lot of special people in my life including my family and Alie.  And with them by my side, I would try or do just about anything (especially if Parker did it first).  Oh, and I love Thomas the Tank Engine (but I'm good about spreading myself between Thomas and all his friends).  That's it for now.