Every year the question is asked. "Where were you on September 11, 2001?" I always replay that day in my head on the anniversary of 9/11. People are right; you never forget where you were and the feelings you had, even 16 years later.
September 11, 2001- I remember being in the 7th grade, kneeling at my locker, getting my things ready for the day. My friend, Jessica, ran up to me and said, "Did you hear terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Centers?"
*I really didn't know what a terrorist was until this day. I knew what the word 'terror' meant, so I assumed 'terrorists' wasn't good.
*I had never heard of the Twin Towers before.
Once she told me this, it was like the hallways of our middle school were filled with whispers and cries about what was going on in our country. I still didn't realize the severity of what was going on. I shrugged it off and went to homeroom. Our teacher brought in a TV and this is where my heart sank. I remember the feeling I had watching the planes fly into the towers. My teacher standing with his hand over his mouth. Some of my friends crying around me from fear. The intercom going off calling kids to the office to checkout. I wanted to checkout. I still wasn't quite sure what was happening, but I knew I wanted to be with my mom.
September 11, 2001 was the first time in my life that I realized that our world wasn't as perfect and safe as my seventh grade self thought it was. Don't get me wrong, I knew about "Stranger Danger" and tornadoes that could demolish our house. I mean, if the news mentioned rain my mamaw had all of the grandkids hiding in her closet under the stairs. I knew about those dangers, but knowing that there were people who wanted to hurt Americans was unheard of. I remember the days after 9/11 and being scared whenever I saw a plane in the sky not knowing if it was going to crash into the mall or in the neighborhood I lived in. The fears and anxiety never really went away. My first airplane ride in 2006 to Disney brought back all the fears I had. "Would this plane crash, too?" Our family vacation to New York City in 2010/ 2011 gave me all the anxiety. We tried to get into Times Square for the ball drop on New Year's Eve and I was terrified. There were going to be thousands of people in such a small area. If someone wanted to hurt us then that would be a perfect time. The subways had me nervous. All the anxiety because of people who wanted to send our country a message of hate years before.
16 years later and I won't lie... I still have some of those fears. I think that day changed the way many of us (at the time) kids perceived our world. Our world opened up. It wasn't just 'small town Arlington' anymore where nothing bad happened. We lived in a big, sometimes scary, world. I learned that there is going to be hate everywhere, but I have to be the one to teach my children about love. They will be the change.
"Hate: it has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet." Maya Angelou
Monday, September 11, 2017
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
One Year Later Update.
One year has gone by that we started our journey full of therapies, doctor appointments, and a new school. It's been a year full of IFSP (individualized family support plan) meetings, PT (physical therapy) days, working with our SLP (speech-language pathologist) and EI (early intervention).
Welcome to the SPED (special education) world, full of acronyms for big, intimidating words. God knew what he was doing when he put on my heart to become a special education teacher. The SPED world of acronyms doesn't intimidate this momma anymore!
I don't think I can accurately put into words how proud I am of Sam. He has worked incredibly hard this year and it has shown in every aspect.
Let's start with physical therapy. We had his evaluation in June and his evaluating therapist looked at me and said, "I have been doing this for 11 years and he is one of three children who have "grown out" of their diagnosis." This is the therapists who pushed me to get Sam tested because he was showing all the signs of autism when she first worked with him. She gave me different neuropsychologists names to contact. She saw the same thing we saw: poor eye contact, no verbal speech, very independent, not meeting milestones for his age, didn't want anything to do with his classmates. To hear her tell us she couldn't believe this was the same child she evaluated a year earlier had me in tears in her therapy room. After this summer, we will go from physical therapy once a week to just evaluations every three months!
Our speech... I mean, Sam just literally looked at me and said, "hydraulics!" (Shoutout to Blaze and the Monster Machines for that BIG word!). He is saying sentences, telling us what he needs/ wants, and is being pretty bossy. "Mommy, you go to kitchen now!" We just got his PLOP (present levels of performance) this past week. *Keep in mind, Sam turned two (24 months) in December of 2016. We were significantly behind in our speech and language.* Since January of 2017, just six months ago, Sam has gone from being at 12 months in receptive language to 22 months! In expressive language he was 16 months and is now at 28 months! Hello! Please, look at this growth. I could not quit smiling and saying "thank you, Jesus" as I was looking over these scores last week.
Sam's social interaction has come so far. He used to just sit and watch everyone else play. Now, his teacher tells me that he brings toys over to other kids who aren't as mobile to play with them. Sam helped a blind friend play in the water at school. His friend kept asking him to pour water on his head so of course Sam did it! He has friends that he asks for by name; "Ben-Bett" is his best friend from school. Sam always wants to go to "BenBett's" mimi's house. He gets to have play dates with "Mommy Cake" at the splash pad and our house. If we put our swim stuff on he knows it's either to play with his "Mommy Cake"or go to his Honey's house. "Kayney" is his friend from church who he loves to sing and dance with. Watching him play with his friends makes my heart so happy.
It's been 8 months since I made the leap of faith to stay at home with Sam. Jovie was born in March and Sam is in love with his sister! He wants to kiss her head or hold her ALL the time. Sometimes, it gets to be too much lovin' for Jo and she lets him know real quick. If she starts crying he looks at me or Matt and says, "baby so sad." The growth that we have seen in Sam has been absolutely incredible. I am so excited to see the growth in the coming six months. God heard our prayers for our baby and he answered them.
I think this fortune Sam picked out the same day we got his present level report speaks volumes. When my mom sent it to me, I couldn't help but cry happy tears for my baby.
Disclaimer: We don't believe in fortunes BUT we do believe in signs from God.
Welcome to the SPED (special education) world, full of acronyms for big, intimidating words. God knew what he was doing when he put on my heart to become a special education teacher. The SPED world of acronyms doesn't intimidate this momma anymore!
I don't think I can accurately put into words how proud I am of Sam. He has worked incredibly hard this year and it has shown in every aspect.
Let's start with physical therapy. We had his evaluation in June and his evaluating therapist looked at me and said, "I have been doing this for 11 years and he is one of three children who have "grown out" of their diagnosis." This is the therapists who pushed me to get Sam tested because he was showing all the signs of autism when she first worked with him. She gave me different neuropsychologists names to contact. She saw the same thing we saw: poor eye contact, no verbal speech, very independent, not meeting milestones for his age, didn't want anything to do with his classmates. To hear her tell us she couldn't believe this was the same child she evaluated a year earlier had me in tears in her therapy room. After this summer, we will go from physical therapy once a week to just evaluations every three months!
Our speech... I mean, Sam just literally looked at me and said, "hydraulics!" (Shoutout to Blaze and the Monster Machines for that BIG word!). He is saying sentences, telling us what he needs/ wants, and is being pretty bossy. "Mommy, you go to kitchen now!" We just got his PLOP (present levels of performance) this past week. *Keep in mind, Sam turned two (24 months) in December of 2016. We were significantly behind in our speech and language.* Since January of 2017, just six months ago, Sam has gone from being at 12 months in receptive language to 22 months! In expressive language he was 16 months and is now at 28 months! Hello! Please, look at this growth. I could not quit smiling and saying "thank you, Jesus" as I was looking over these scores last week.
Sam's social interaction has come so far. He used to just sit and watch everyone else play. Now, his teacher tells me that he brings toys over to other kids who aren't as mobile to play with them. Sam helped a blind friend play in the water at school. His friend kept asking him to pour water on his head so of course Sam did it! He has friends that he asks for by name; "Ben-Bett" is his best friend from school. Sam always wants to go to "BenBett's" mimi's house. He gets to have play dates with "Mommy Cake" at the splash pad and our house. If we put our swim stuff on he knows it's either to play with his "Mommy Cake"or go to his Honey's house. "Kayney" is his friend from church who he loves to sing and dance with. Watching him play with his friends makes my heart so happy.
It's been 8 months since I made the leap of faith to stay at home with Sam. Jovie was born in March and Sam is in love with his sister! He wants to kiss her head or hold her ALL the time. Sometimes, it gets to be too much lovin' for Jo and she lets him know real quick. If she starts crying he looks at me or Matt and says, "baby so sad." The growth that we have seen in Sam has been absolutely incredible. I am so excited to see the growth in the coming six months. God heard our prayers for our baby and he answered them.
I think this fortune Sam picked out the same day we got his present level report speaks volumes. When my mom sent it to me, I couldn't help but cry happy tears for my baby.
Disclaimer: We don't believe in fortunes BUT we do believe in signs from God.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Thanksgiving or Mother's Day
"Mommy, I kiss you."
Oh. My. Gosh.... (Sam can also say "my gosh" now, but that's a blog post for another time 😑).
These four words mean the world to me when I hear them coming out of my two year old's mouth. This time last year Sam wasn't saying anything. Not mama or dada. Nothing.
This Mother's Day I am thankful for his words. Every new word and sentence we hear makes us so incredibly proud of Sam. I love to hear him repeat prayers at night. "Jesus, mommy, daddy, and GoGo. Sleep. Good day. Amen." That's usually how his prayers go and I know God knows exactly what he's saying. My absolute favorite sentence I hear is, "I luh you mommy" in a whisper at bedtime.
This Mother's Day I am thankful for this blessing in disguise that has allowed me to be at home with Sam and Jovie. I never thought that I would be at home with my babies at the age of 27. It is definitely one of the hardest things that I have ever done. I will say that God has given me more patience than I have ever had in my life. Shout out to whoever has been praying for me! I feel the prayers and the peace that comes with them. I love being able to drop off/ pick up Sam from school and talk to his teachers about his day. I love being at home with Jovie every day. Watching her beautiful blue eyes light up and a smile come across her face when I talk or sing to her makes my heart explode. I love kissing her fat cheeks over and over and over.
This Mother's Day I am thankful for both of my babies who fall asleep next to me every night. I selfishly didn't want Sam to get in a habit of sleeping with us every night but it's become one of my favorite things! He slept in his bed, in his room, with (usually) no problem. Once Jovie came home and he realized she was sleeping in our room it was over. He has been in our bed since. I love waking up in the middle of the night with an arm wrapped around my head. I love falling asleep with little fingersbrushing pulling my eyebrows. I love sharing a pillow with him. I love having Jovie sleeping peacefully in her pack-n-play right next to me. I know if she needs me I am an arm reach away from her.
This Mother's Day I am thankful for my mom. My mom has shown me what it looks like to be a selfless mom. To put your children first always. To pray fervently. Love unconditionally. Now that I am a mom, I know the fears that she had/has for us. The hopes and dreams that she has for us. She is our biggest cheerleader in life. I am thankful my babies have her as their Honey. Sam is crazy about his Honey and asks 12,068,083 times a day (we've counted) "Where Honey go? "Gam go Honey house?" Today and everyday I am thankful for her guidance, her patience, and her heart that gives and gives without question.
Oh. My. Gosh.... (Sam can also say "my gosh" now, but that's a blog post for another time 😑).
These four words mean the world to me when I hear them coming out of my two year old's mouth. This time last year Sam wasn't saying anything. Not mama or dada. Nothing.
This Mother's Day I am thankful for his words. Every new word and sentence we hear makes us so incredibly proud of Sam. I love to hear him repeat prayers at night. "Jesus, mommy, daddy, and GoGo. Sleep. Good day. Amen." That's usually how his prayers go and I know God knows exactly what he's saying. My absolute favorite sentence I hear is, "I luh you mommy" in a whisper at bedtime.
This Mother's Day I am thankful for this blessing in disguise that has allowed me to be at home with Sam and Jovie. I never thought that I would be at home with my babies at the age of 27. It is definitely one of the hardest things that I have ever done. I will say that God has given me more patience than I have ever had in my life. Shout out to whoever has been praying for me! I feel the prayers and the peace that comes with them. I love being able to drop off/ pick up Sam from school and talk to his teachers about his day. I love being at home with Jovie every day. Watching her beautiful blue eyes light up and a smile come across her face when I talk or sing to her makes my heart explode. I love kissing her fat cheeks over and over and over.
This Mother's Day I am thankful for both of my babies who fall asleep next to me every night. I selfishly didn't want Sam to get in a habit of sleeping with us every night but it's become one of my favorite things! He slept in his bed, in his room, with (usually) no problem. Once Jovie came home and he realized she was sleeping in our room it was over. He has been in our bed since. I love waking up in the middle of the night with an arm wrapped around my head. I love falling asleep with little fingers
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Golden Birthday. Golden You.
Matty's golden birthday is today! He's 27 on the 27th. Birthdays in our house can be kind of big deals.... Sam and I LOVE anyone and everyone's birthday 🎂
In honor of my golden boy's golden birthday I wanted to write 27 things that I love and appreciate about him and maybe a few random facts. I don't tell him enough how much he means to me.
1. 2016 was an interesting year for us. We found out we were pregnant and we also had to make important decisions regarding Sam's schooling and therapies. When I quit work to take care of Sam, Matt never once questioned it. He works so hard to take care of us so I can be at home with our babies.
2. He works hard without complaining.
3. Matt is a great listener. He listens to everyone who needs him and gives great advice.
4. Ask him anything about the Grizzlies and he will know the answer. If there were ever a Grizzlies trivia night you would definitely want him on your team 😊
5. He's the best diaper changer!
6. Every night he puts Sam to bed. Watching them on the monitor is my favorite.
7. This is a given BUT he's so crazy about both Sam and Jovie. When they were both born he looked at me and told me how beautiful they were. He's an amazing daddy.
8. I love watching him play with Sam. He makes these crazy sounds that Sam thinks are hilarious. Like the sound from that crazy Panda song.
9. He's a great bug killer... 😐
10. I love how he politely tells me when I get song lyrics or sayings wrong. "Court, that was close, but I think this is how the saying really goes." You mean it's not, "You just went from 1 to 180."
11. He tells me how great every meal I cook is. Even when I know it was the worst thing he's ever tasted.
12. I love watching him play the drums.
13. I admire his drive to finish his degree. For 18 months he studied and worked hard all while having a toddler running around, a pregnant wife, and work. On top of all that, he graduated with honors.
14. I love how one day his eyes are green and the next they are blue.
15. I love how he tells Sam how proud he is of him and his accomplishments.
16. His smile is my absolute favorite. So is his belly laugh.
17. He really is a great movie picker-outer. Most of the time I don't like the title of the movie and I don't want to watch it. Once he gets me past the title I actually enjoy the movie. 🙈
18. He is pretty funny. I mean, maybe not as funny as I am, but he's funny. Kidding, kidding... He's quick witted and makes me laugh all the time.
19. I love how sometimes he knows momma needs a break. He will send me to take a bath while he plays with the babes (and dogs).
20. He makes the best chocolate milkshakes!
21. Matty compliments me everyday. And he's absolutely sincere with each compliment that's made.
22. I love how mornings (especially Sunday mornings) we can all be running around like crazy trying to get out the door and I look over and he's stopped to clip his toenails. So random... I know. At the time, I get so angry, but it's really funny to me. He's the calm to my crazy.
23. I love listening to Matt lead us in prayer at meal time and bedtime with Sam.
24. He supports all of my dreams no matter how far fetched they may seem.
25. I love when we are watching a movie or show and he predicts the ending. And 100% of the time he is correct. It's like magic. I don't understand it.
26. Our conversations at night are my favorite. We may talk about work, the kids, Grizzlies facts, or just our lifetime dreams but I look forward to this time every night.
27. I love how creative he can be. He planned a Geocache proposal that was unforgettable. For my birthday one year he got me a blanket with Pippa and Presley on it. Seriously, one of my favorite gifts ever. I may have cried when I opened it...
Happy golden birthday, Mart! I love you more than you'll ever know.
In honor of my golden boy's golden birthday I wanted to write 27 things that I love and appreciate about him and maybe a few random facts. I don't tell him enough how much he means to me.
1. 2016 was an interesting year for us. We found out we were pregnant and we also had to make important decisions regarding Sam's schooling and therapies. When I quit work to take care of Sam, Matt never once questioned it. He works so hard to take care of us so I can be at home with our babies.
2. He works hard without complaining.
3. Matt is a great listener. He listens to everyone who needs him and gives great advice.
4. Ask him anything about the Grizzlies and he will know the answer. If there were ever a Grizzlies trivia night you would definitely want him on your team 😊
5. He's the best diaper changer!
6. Every night he puts Sam to bed. Watching them on the monitor is my favorite.
7. This is a given BUT he's so crazy about both Sam and Jovie. When they were both born he looked at me and told me how beautiful they were. He's an amazing daddy.
8. I love watching him play with Sam. He makes these crazy sounds that Sam thinks are hilarious. Like the sound from that crazy Panda song.
9. He's a great bug killer... 😐
10. I love how he politely tells me when I get song lyrics or sayings wrong. "Court, that was close, but I think this is how the saying really goes." You mean it's not, "You just went from 1 to 180."
11. He tells me how great every meal I cook is. Even when I know it was the worst thing he's ever tasted.
12. I love watching him play the drums.
13. I admire his drive to finish his degree. For 18 months he studied and worked hard all while having a toddler running around, a pregnant wife, and work. On top of all that, he graduated with honors.
14. I love how one day his eyes are green and the next they are blue.
15. I love how he tells Sam how proud he is of him and his accomplishments.
16. His smile is my absolute favorite. So is his belly laugh.
17. He really is a great movie picker-outer. Most of the time I don't like the title of the movie and I don't want to watch it. Once he gets me past the title I actually enjoy the movie. 🙈
18. He is pretty funny. I mean, maybe not as funny as I am, but he's funny. Kidding, kidding... He's quick witted and makes me laugh all the time.
19. I love how sometimes he knows momma needs a break. He will send me to take a bath while he plays with the babes (and dogs).
20. He makes the best chocolate milkshakes!
21. Matty compliments me everyday. And he's absolutely sincere with each compliment that's made.
22. I love how mornings (especially Sunday mornings) we can all be running around like crazy trying to get out the door and I look over and he's stopped to clip his toenails. So random... I know. At the time, I get so angry, but it's really funny to me. He's the calm to my crazy.
23. I love listening to Matt lead us in prayer at meal time and bedtime with Sam.
24. He supports all of my dreams no matter how far fetched they may seem.
25. I love when we are watching a movie or show and he predicts the ending. And 100% of the time he is correct. It's like magic. I don't understand it.
26. Our conversations at night are my favorite. We may talk about work, the kids, Grizzlies facts, or just our lifetime dreams but I look forward to this time every night.
27. I love how creative he can be. He planned a Geocache proposal that was unforgettable. For my birthday one year he got me a blanket with Pippa and Presley on it. Seriously, one of my favorite gifts ever. I may have cried when I opened it...
Happy golden birthday, Mart! I love you more than you'll ever know.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Another Adventure!
Being a stay at home mom has me looking for outside work to help my husband with a little of our income. I don't want to be too busy because I still want to be able to attend to our babies needs.
As of this week, my mom and I have started an online women's boutique called Honey Jo's Boutique. It will be rune by me, mom, and my two sisters when they have time. I am so excited that we have started this new adventure together. I still get to be at home with my babies AND work with my favorites! Make sure you visit Honey Jo's Boutique on Facebook to see all of our cute and affordable Spring clothes.
As of this week, my mom and I have started an online women's boutique called Honey Jo's Boutique. It will be rune by me, mom, and my two sisters when they have time. I am so excited that we have started this new adventure together. I still get to be at home with my babies AND work with my favorites! Make sure you visit Honey Jo's Boutique on Facebook to see all of our cute and affordable Spring clothes.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Dear 2016, It's not me. It's you.
2016 was a busy year for our little [growing] family. It wasn't a bad year. Just busy with lots of overwhelming moments.
But let's move on to 2017! Goodbye, 2016!
2017 is going to be exciting. 2017 means Jovie will be here soon (March 😍 )!
I try to set goals every year, but we all know how that happens. You go strong with them for a month or two then you forget. I want to set realistic goals for me and my family this year to really focus on. I am currently reading a book called, Loving My Actual Life. In this book, the author chooses different things to focus on for an entire month. I have taken some ideas that I want to focus on all year long from the book. Then, I also have my own personal goals I want to really work on.
But let's move on to 2017! Goodbye, 2016!
2017 is going to be exciting. 2017 means Jovie will be here soon (March 😍 )!
I try to set goals every year, but we all know how that happens. You go strong with them for a month or two then you forget. I want to set realistic goals for me and my family this year to really focus on. I am currently reading a book called, Loving My Actual Life. In this book, the author chooses different things to focus on for an entire month. I have taken some ideas that I want to focus on all year long from the book. Then, I also have my own personal goals I want to really work on.
- Quiet: I really want to relish in the quiet moments I have and use them wisely. Quiet to me is limiting social media throughout the day. Facebook and Instagram have become background noise to me. I will pick up my phone, open the app, and just mindlessly scroll through pictures and statuses. Usually, this is just to waste time. I see the three loads of laundry waiting on me, but I choose to waste ten minutes scrolling. I have really focused on my quiet the last few days. When Sam naps or goes to bed, I use this time to read, pray, and write. My prayers have become more intentional and focused. My phone has been out of sight during the day so I can spend as much time as I can playing with Sam or just watching him play. I want to soak up all the time I can with him before school starts again and our days are busy. I also know that it's ok to have noise. I just have to capture the unexpected quiet when the noise is all around. Quiet: "Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46:1
- Mornings: Mornings can be chaotic. This is one that I really am going to commit to doing daily. I want to wake up while the house is still quiet, read my Bible, and spend time with God before the noise starts. I want to have myself fed, coffee enjoyed, dressed, and ready to go before I have to get Sam up and ready for school. We shouldn't have to feel rushed in the mornings. I want to make time for preparing the house for the day. In the book, Loving My Actual Life, the author talks about how you should leave the house how you want to be welcomed home. That means beds made, breakfast put away, and counters wiped. Coming home to a dirty house REALLY drives me crazy, but it happens all the time. I will admit that I am NOT the best housekeeper, but I love a clean house. I think if I can accomplish small things in the morning, then it will make the rest of my day not as chaotic and my house more welcoming. Mornings: "His compassions never fail. They are new every morning." Lamentations 3:22-23
- Marriage: I want to really focus on Matthew and give him my 100% undivided attention when we are together. I want the phones and computers set aside. I want him to know he is worth my full attention. I want to compliment him more and criticize him less [ouch]. Marriage: "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8
Of course I want to focus on our growing family. Spending as much time with Sam one on one before Jovie gets here. I want to organize my life and house 😁 (with my mom's help). I want to get back in a workout routine so I am healthy and energized when baby number two gets here.... or now. I need the energy now chasing playing with Sam. But the three points I wrote about are my main focuses that I want to accomplish throughout the new year. Eliminating a lot of the social media time will help with focusing on ALL of the things; God and prayer, family and marriage, quiet times, and less chaotic mornings.
2016, thanks for the memories. Thank you for showing me that parents will do anything and everything if it means the best for their children. Thank you for the overwhelming moments when we were able to rely on God and see His work first hand. Thank you for our testimony. Here's to 2017. Here's to new memories, new family members, and accomplishing our goals 💪 . Cheers!
Courtney
Monday, December 5, 2016
Progress Noted
Progress noted. These two little words are what I love seeing on Sam's reports from his therapists weekly. Especially from his speech therapist.
My last post was telling all about our journey and how God opened and closed doors for us to be able to get Sam the best help possible. Now, I want to tell you how far we have come with speech. We are finally hearing his sweet voice use words and it makes our hearts melt every. single. time.
September 27, 2016: This is the day I took Sam for his speech evaluation at Brightsong. He was tested in four areas; gesture, play, language comprehension, and language expression. In the gesture area, Sam completed 2 out of 5 tasks. In the play subtest he completed 1 out of 3 tasks. He was able to stack and assemble toys, but could not follow commands to put the toys away or fix a broken toy. The language comprehension and expression is where I knew we would really have a hard time. On the language comprehension subtest Sam completed 0 out of 4 tasks. He could not choose one picture from a set of pictures when asked, follow novel commands, follow a two- step command, or understand new words rapidly. The language expression is where he scored 0 out of 8 tasks. We were NOT using two word phrases, 50 different words, using new words regularly, relating personal experience, using 3 word phrases, referring to self by name, or using early pronouns occasionally. Once the therapist sent us his report, his overall language was that of a 14 month old. When the test was given, Sam was 21 months old.
October 2016: As of early October, Sam still didn't have words he was using. When he did "talk" to you it was a throaty grunt kind of thing. Think about if you were humming and not opening your mouth. That's the kind of noises we got from him. There was an occasional outburst of some consonant sounds, but no words. He was signing for "more" when he wanted more drink or food and he signed "all done" when he was finished eating or wanted to move onto a new activity.
One thing that we did was always count for him to come give us a hug. "One, two, three!" and he would run and hug whoever counted for him. Eventually, Sam got to where he would say, "three," but still in his throat. Sort of humming it. His speech therapist worked on counting to three like we did and also worked on "ready, set, go!" to race cars. She noted how he was starting to say the words, "three and go" whenever she said them. This was progress!
November 2016: This is the month we saw so much progress with our speech and comprehension! Sam started waving and saying, "ai" for bye when someone was leaving. He would call for "dada" if he needed something. He started comprehending and following commands such as, "give me a high five, throw the trash away, pick up your toys." He would bring me or my mom to our pantries and force out the word "coo-kie" when he wanted a snack. Sometimes he would add a little drama to the word "coo-kie" and place his hands together like he was begging! Matt says he gets the dramatics from me... I don't know though 😉.
He stayed at a friend's house one evening in early November and he even said their little girl's name before we left! He had never said any one's name before!
Then, the best thing ever started happening... He was saying "mama." And he was saying it with meaning! He would come up to me, look me in the eyes, and say in his sweetest baby voice "mama." This is also the month where we heard "uh-oh" all the time. If something fell, "uh-oh." If a dog made a mess, "uh-oh." If Sam splashed water out of the bathtub, "uh-oh." Everyone was so excited every time a word would come out of his mouth that was understandable! Our baby was finally making the progress we ALL wanted to see!
Sam's vocabulary was exploding! He was saying (with meaning), "mama, dada, uh-oh, hi, bye, cookie, three, thank you, aight (for light) and thirteen!" There were more words, but these are the ones that we heard daily. Sam was also doing more pretend play. He learned the song, "The Wheels on the Bus" at school and can do every motion and sound that each character does on the bus. He pretends to be the mommy and "shhh" the babies with his little finger at his lips making the "shhh" sound. He cries like the babies with his hands by his eyes (or ears sometimes). He swishes his hands like the wipers on the bus. My favorite is when he gets to be the bus driver and says, "move on back." He doesn't say those words exactly, but it's close. He makes his voice go a little deeper and points his whole hand to tell everyone to move on back! Around Halloween time he would walk around with a bucket on his head and dance like a robot. He learned this from his show, WallyKazaam. We had many robot dance parties with him.
Sam was also going through the house wanting to turn off and on the "aights." This was something he worked with his therapists and we carried it over at the house. I cannot tell you how many times we have turned off and on the "aights" just to hear him say it again. 😍
On Thanksgiving is where Sam learned the word, "thirteen!" There is an exclamation mark at the end because he has to scream it every time he says it. My mom started a tradition with us last year called, "Dirty Turkey." Pretty much like "Dirty Santa" except she hides gift cards in a few of the little gifts so you may end up with extra gifts at the end and not know it. Anyways, all of the dirty turkey gifts were on her fireplace with Christmas lights around them. Sam immediately ran towards the lights and wanted to touch them. He started counting the lights with Toby. Toby was counting, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13." When Toby stopped at 13, Sam screamed, "13!" So of course we counted to 13 over and over and over that night at Honey and Papi's. And on the way home. And the next day. Every single time, he would wait patiently until you got to 12 and he would scream, "13!" This is also the night when he walked straight up to Toby and said just as clear in his sweet voice, "I lu you" and gave him the sweetest hug. I think we all had teary eyes after we heard it.
November was also the month that Sam started giving out sweet kisses. Matt and I (and everyone else) would give him kisses all the time. At night is when we routinely asked for a kiss and hug before bed. He didn't do it, but we modeled every night what to do. Our routine oriented baby would go into his room every night, turn on his night light and the sound machine, run to Matt to pick him up, turn off his "aights, " reach for me to get him, put his little hands together to pray, and we all pray as a family. Every night. Sometimes he will say, "Jesus" and wait for us to finish the prayer and then end it with, "ee-ee" for 'amen' and then laugh. "Amen" is a funny word to a toddler. Then, before we put him in his crib, Matt would say, "Can mommy have a kiss?" One night our boy looked at me, stuck out his lips, and gave me the sweetest kiss on my lips! Kissy sound and all. The he hugged me with his little arms around my neck. Then, he did the same thing to Matt. He was showing his affection towards us. This was a huge thing! Sam gave hugs, but kisses were a new thing. My mom and I were talking about his hugs and affection one day and she was saying how she remembered that he would just stiff arm hug and squeeze real tight when he was first learning. Sometimes you would just get a little pat on the back. He wasn't quite sure what to do.
Sam wasn't overly affectionate at all. Sometimes, he still isn't which is ok. We do not force him to give kisses. Sometimes if you ask for a kiss and he doesn't want to kiss you he will turn so you can kiss his cheek or put his forehead down to kiss. No one forces us to kiss random people (or even people we are related to). Why should we force him? We are learning to not make Sam do a lot of things if he doesn't want to. If he starts screaming during a picture we just let him go. If he starts screaming while being held we let him go. I know some people will say that he's got to learn to take pictures with people or let others hold him, but not right now. Matt and I are all about Sam doing his own thing and not forcing anything on him. He's learning all these different emotions and we have to let him figure them out. We have to support that. Even though he's two he is a human with lots of emotion. He's learning what (and who) he wants and doesn't want. Anyways, moving on...
This is also when we started saying the word, "thank you." Sam is the most polite little boy when you give him something he wants. Without missing a beat he will look you in the eyes with his sweet baby voice and say, "thank you." I'm telling you, it's the sweetest 'thank you" you've ever heard! He thanks us for everything! Matt and I were just talking yesterday about how much we are going to miss hearing his sweet "thank you" one day like we miss his toothless baby grin.
We were also hearing new words like "bu-bbles" and "ball." I am telling you, we have worked on the word "ball" since before he was one. Sam used to be completely obsessed with a ball. I'm not even kidding when I say we had to keep a ball in the car, at both grandparents house, friends houses, and in our house. We had to make sure there was always a ball available for him to have. It's sweet because Toby painted me a picture for my birthday this year and it was Sam outside with his ball. Our friend's little girl asks for "CoCo, Sam, and ball" to come over to play. Her older sister even made Sam a birthday card with her and Sam playing with a ball. It was like his signature thing to have. Sam never said "ball" or even signed for "ball" until the last week of November.
We also hear this baby jibberish now! I have no idea what Sam is saying, but he sure knows. He jibbers in whispers. He jibbers in the car. He jibbers playing with his toys. I think if he would have opened his mouth when he did all the "throat talking" it would have been all this jibberish we hear now. He also knows when to answer after a question is asked. He answers his shows when they ask a question. He answers Matt and I if we ask him something. He says, "yeah" a lot now. I know he doesn't understand what "yeah" means right now, but I know he knows that it's a good answer to give when someone asks you something.
Also, going back a little to his imaginative play, Sam learned a trick a few weeks ago when he was wearing pajamas that were too big for him. He was laying with me in bed and his sleeve covered his hand. As I was trying to roll up his sleeve to get his hand out I asked him, "Sam, where did your hand go? Oh, no? Where is it?" Then, I slid the sleeve up and showed him his hand and said, "there it is!" Well, Sam thought this was the best thing ever! He started pulling his hand inside all of his long sleeve shirts and saying "where'd my hand go?" Of course, he wasn't saying that full sentence, but his jibberish let you know that's what he was asking. Then he would slide his hand up really fast and wait for your reaction of, "there it is!" I got a note from his old school one day saying, "Sam showed us his hand trick today. We laughed so hard!" He also did this trick at his birthday party this past weekend for everyone! He thought it was great when everyone laughed at him.
Here's a little update on Sam's new school as well:
December 2016: Sam started his new school after Thanksgiving Break. He went on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday he was still at his old school. This is how it will be the rest of December.
On Monday Matt and I both took him. He was excited to see all of the new toys and play equipment they had! Once we started to leave though he was not very happy. Remember me telling you that our boy loves a routine? Well, at his old school, they came in and had snack first thing at their little table. At his new school, he had to go to the table to work on puzzles and motor skills. This was not what he was used to so that threw him off. One of his teachers held him as we left and I could hear his little cry. After we turned the corner I had Matt go back and check on him for me. My heart was breaking. Dropping Sam off was also something new for me. I was always at work and Matt was the one dropping him off at his old school. Matt came back and told me he had already stopped crying and was playing with the toys. I felt better, but I still cried a tiny bit in the car 😁. Oh, remember our tree guy from the last blog? Well, he saw us walking in that morning and couldn't believe it! He said that he immediately called his wife when he left to tell her Sam was in their little girl's class! Like I said, God had put such great people in our story and this couple is one of them.
Sam's teacher sent me a picture later that day telling me he was having so much fun! Seeing this picture made my mama heart so happy.
Wednesday he cried when I left as well. He still wasn't use to everything. One of the assistants held him and consoled him. Friday was a different story. Maybe because Friday was his birthday and he brought cupcakes to share with his class, but he went straight to that little table and started working on stringing animals on a string. He was perfect! I asked for a kiss, he gave me one, and I walked out. About an hour later his teacher sent me three pictures of him eating his cupcakes.
I also got a note that afternoon that Sam showed them his imaginative play and wore a bucket on his head like a hat. Remember those robot dance parties we had in October? Well, he had his own at school on Friday!
My mom and I movedALL almost all the furniture in my house last week while Sam was at school. He came in the first day to a new living room layout and said, "uh-oh." He knew it was not like it used to be. One of the pictures that we had in our kitchen was sitting in the living room floor and he grabbed my mom's hand and pointed to the wall where it belonged. He wanted her to put it back! When we moved his room around he just wanted mom to pick him up as he pointed his little finger around at all the changes. He is a super observant child.
School was a success last week and we are so excited to see all the progress that Sam will continue to make on this journey. He still isn't where he should be developmentally, but we are seeing new things from him every single day! Progress is definitely noted.
Courtney and Matt
My last post was telling all about our journey and how God opened and closed doors for us to be able to get Sam the best help possible. Now, I want to tell you how far we have come with speech. We are finally hearing his sweet voice use words and it makes our hearts melt every. single. time.
September 27, 2016: This is the day I took Sam for his speech evaluation at Brightsong. He was tested in four areas; gesture, play, language comprehension, and language expression. In the gesture area, Sam completed 2 out of 5 tasks. In the play subtest he completed 1 out of 3 tasks. He was able to stack and assemble toys, but could not follow commands to put the toys away or fix a broken toy. The language comprehension and expression is where I knew we would really have a hard time. On the language comprehension subtest Sam completed 0 out of 4 tasks. He could not choose one picture from a set of pictures when asked, follow novel commands, follow a two- step command, or understand new words rapidly. The language expression is where he scored 0 out of 8 tasks. We were NOT using two word phrases, 50 different words, using new words regularly, relating personal experience, using 3 word phrases, referring to self by name, or using early pronouns occasionally. Once the therapist sent us his report, his overall language was that of a 14 month old. When the test was given, Sam was 21 months old.
October 2016: As of early October, Sam still didn't have words he was using. When he did "talk" to you it was a throaty grunt kind of thing. Think about if you were humming and not opening your mouth. That's the kind of noises we got from him. There was an occasional outburst of some consonant sounds, but no words. He was signing for "more" when he wanted more drink or food and he signed "all done" when he was finished eating or wanted to move onto a new activity.
One thing that we did was always count for him to come give us a hug. "One, two, three!" and he would run and hug whoever counted for him. Eventually, Sam got to where he would say, "three," but still in his throat. Sort of humming it. His speech therapist worked on counting to three like we did and also worked on "ready, set, go!" to race cars. She noted how he was starting to say the words, "three and go" whenever she said them. This was progress!
November 2016: This is the month we saw so much progress with our speech and comprehension! Sam started waving and saying, "ai" for bye when someone was leaving. He would call for "dada" if he needed something. He started comprehending and following commands such as, "give me a high five, throw the trash away, pick up your toys." He would bring me or my mom to our pantries and force out the word "coo-kie" when he wanted a snack. Sometimes he would add a little drama to the word "coo-kie" and place his hands together like he was begging! Matt says he gets the dramatics from me... I don't know though 😉.
He stayed at a friend's house one evening in early November and he even said their little girl's name before we left! He had never said any one's name before!
Then, the best thing ever started happening... He was saying "mama." And he was saying it with meaning! He would come up to me, look me in the eyes, and say in his sweetest baby voice "mama." This is also the month where we heard "uh-oh" all the time. If something fell, "uh-oh." If a dog made a mess, "uh-oh." If Sam splashed water out of the bathtub, "uh-oh." Everyone was so excited every time a word would come out of his mouth that was understandable! Our baby was finally making the progress we ALL wanted to see!
Sam's vocabulary was exploding! He was saying (with meaning), "mama, dada, uh-oh, hi, bye, cookie, three, thank you, aight (for light) and thirteen!" There were more words, but these are the ones that we heard daily. Sam was also doing more pretend play. He learned the song, "The Wheels on the Bus" at school and can do every motion and sound that each character does on the bus. He pretends to be the mommy and "shhh" the babies with his little finger at his lips making the "shhh" sound. He cries like the babies with his hands by his eyes (or ears sometimes). He swishes his hands like the wipers on the bus. My favorite is when he gets to be the bus driver and says, "move on back." He doesn't say those words exactly, but it's close. He makes his voice go a little deeper and points his whole hand to tell everyone to move on back! Around Halloween time he would walk around with a bucket on his head and dance like a robot. He learned this from his show, WallyKazaam. We had many robot dance parties with him.
Sam was also going through the house wanting to turn off and on the "aights." This was something he worked with his therapists and we carried it over at the house. I cannot tell you how many times we have turned off and on the "aights" just to hear him say it again. 😍
On Thanksgiving is where Sam learned the word, "thirteen!" There is an exclamation mark at the end because he has to scream it every time he says it. My mom started a tradition with us last year called, "Dirty Turkey." Pretty much like "Dirty Santa" except she hides gift cards in a few of the little gifts so you may end up with extra gifts at the end and not know it. Anyways, all of the dirty turkey gifts were on her fireplace with Christmas lights around them. Sam immediately ran towards the lights and wanted to touch them. He started counting the lights with Toby. Toby was counting, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13." When Toby stopped at 13, Sam screamed, "13!" So of course we counted to 13 over and over and over that night at Honey and Papi's. And on the way home. And the next day. Every single time, he would wait patiently until you got to 12 and he would scream, "13!" This is also the night when he walked straight up to Toby and said just as clear in his sweet voice, "I lu you" and gave him the sweetest hug. I think we all had teary eyes after we heard it.
November was also the month that Sam started giving out sweet kisses. Matt and I (and everyone else) would give him kisses all the time. At night is when we routinely asked for a kiss and hug before bed. He didn't do it, but we modeled every night what to do. Our routine oriented baby would go into his room every night, turn on his night light and the sound machine, run to Matt to pick him up, turn off his "aights, " reach for me to get him, put his little hands together to pray, and we all pray as a family. Every night. Sometimes he will say, "Jesus" and wait for us to finish the prayer and then end it with, "ee-ee" for 'amen' and then laugh. "Amen" is a funny word to a toddler. Then, before we put him in his crib, Matt would say, "Can mommy have a kiss?" One night our boy looked at me, stuck out his lips, and gave me the sweetest kiss on my lips! Kissy sound and all. The he hugged me with his little arms around my neck. Then, he did the same thing to Matt. He was showing his affection towards us. This was a huge thing! Sam gave hugs, but kisses were a new thing. My mom and I were talking about his hugs and affection one day and she was saying how she remembered that he would just stiff arm hug and squeeze real tight when he was first learning. Sometimes you would just get a little pat on the back. He wasn't quite sure what to do.
Sam wasn't overly affectionate at all. Sometimes, he still isn't which is ok. We do not force him to give kisses. Sometimes if you ask for a kiss and he doesn't want to kiss you he will turn so you can kiss his cheek or put his forehead down to kiss. No one forces us to kiss random people (or even people we are related to). Why should we force him? We are learning to not make Sam do a lot of things if he doesn't want to. If he starts screaming during a picture we just let him go. If he starts screaming while being held we let him go. I know some people will say that he's got to learn to take pictures with people or let others hold him, but not right now. Matt and I are all about Sam doing his own thing and not forcing anything on him. He's learning all these different emotions and we have to let him figure them out. We have to support that. Even though he's two he is a human with lots of emotion. He's learning what (and who) he wants and doesn't want. Anyways, moving on...
This is also when we started saying the word, "thank you." Sam is the most polite little boy when you give him something he wants. Without missing a beat he will look you in the eyes with his sweet baby voice and say, "thank you." I'm telling you, it's the sweetest 'thank you" you've ever heard! He thanks us for everything! Matt and I were just talking yesterday about how much we are going to miss hearing his sweet "thank you" one day like we miss his toothless baby grin.
We were also hearing new words like "bu-bbles" and "ball." I am telling you, we have worked on the word "ball" since before he was one. Sam used to be completely obsessed with a ball. I'm not even kidding when I say we had to keep a ball in the car, at both grandparents house, friends houses, and in our house. We had to make sure there was always a ball available for him to have. It's sweet because Toby painted me a picture for my birthday this year and it was Sam outside with his ball. Our friend's little girl asks for "CoCo, Sam, and ball" to come over to play. Her older sister even made Sam a birthday card with her and Sam playing with a ball. It was like his signature thing to have. Sam never said "ball" or even signed for "ball" until the last week of November.
We also hear this baby jibberish now! I have no idea what Sam is saying, but he sure knows. He jibbers in whispers. He jibbers in the car. He jibbers playing with his toys. I think if he would have opened his mouth when he did all the "throat talking" it would have been all this jibberish we hear now. He also knows when to answer after a question is asked. He answers his shows when they ask a question. He answers Matt and I if we ask him something. He says, "yeah" a lot now. I know he doesn't understand what "yeah" means right now, but I know he knows that it's a good answer to give when someone asks you something.
Also, going back a little to his imaginative play, Sam learned a trick a few weeks ago when he was wearing pajamas that were too big for him. He was laying with me in bed and his sleeve covered his hand. As I was trying to roll up his sleeve to get his hand out I asked him, "Sam, where did your hand go? Oh, no? Where is it?" Then, I slid the sleeve up and showed him his hand and said, "there it is!" Well, Sam thought this was the best thing ever! He started pulling his hand inside all of his long sleeve shirts and saying "where'd my hand go?" Of course, he wasn't saying that full sentence, but his jibberish let you know that's what he was asking. Then he would slide his hand up really fast and wait for your reaction of, "there it is!" I got a note from his old school one day saying, "Sam showed us his hand trick today. We laughed so hard!" He also did this trick at his birthday party this past weekend for everyone! He thought it was great when everyone laughed at him.
Here's a little update on Sam's new school as well:
December 2016: Sam started his new school after Thanksgiving Break. He went on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday he was still at his old school. This is how it will be the rest of December.
On Monday Matt and I both took him. He was excited to see all of the new toys and play equipment they had! Once we started to leave though he was not very happy. Remember me telling you that our boy loves a routine? Well, at his old school, they came in and had snack first thing at their little table. At his new school, he had to go to the table to work on puzzles and motor skills. This was not what he was used to so that threw him off. One of his teachers held him as we left and I could hear his little cry. After we turned the corner I had Matt go back and check on him for me. My heart was breaking. Dropping Sam off was also something new for me. I was always at work and Matt was the one dropping him off at his old school. Matt came back and told me he had already stopped crying and was playing with the toys. I felt better, but I still cried a tiny bit in the car 😁. Oh, remember our tree guy from the last blog? Well, he saw us walking in that morning and couldn't believe it! He said that he immediately called his wife when he left to tell her Sam was in their little girl's class! Like I said, God had put such great people in our story and this couple is one of them.
Sam's teacher sent me a picture later that day telling me he was having so much fun! Seeing this picture made my mama heart so happy.
Wednesday he cried when I left as well. He still wasn't use to everything. One of the assistants held him and consoled him. Friday was a different story. Maybe because Friday was his birthday and he brought cupcakes to share with his class, but he went straight to that little table and started working on stringing animals on a string. He was perfect! I asked for a kiss, he gave me one, and I walked out. About an hour later his teacher sent me three pictures of him eating his cupcakes.
I also got a note that afternoon that Sam showed them his imaginative play and wore a bucket on his head like a hat. Remember those robot dance parties we had in October? Well, he had his own at school on Friday!
My mom and I moved
School was a success last week and we are so excited to see all the progress that Sam will continue to make on this journey. He still isn't where he should be developmentally, but we are seeing new things from him every single day! Progress is definitely noted.
Courtney and Matt
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