Cream of Potato Soup

Thanksgiving went well here. We didn't encounter too much bad weather in our travels, and the time we spent with our families was a lot of fun. My brother Steven told us that he'd like to get a handheld tape recorder to record all of the funny things we say when we're all together. It is pretty much a comedy gold mine--I think there's money to be made there.

I was right about Evan digging Christmas this year. The other day when Mike and I were in the kitchen, he took it upon himself to decorate the bottom half of the Christmas tree with Kleenex. He's really getting in the spirit of the season.

He's even got the spirit of giving. Everytime we pass a Salvation Army red kettle he wants to drop some coins in. If I have any, I let him, and today the woman outside the post office even let him ring her bell after he dropped in his quarter. He was pretty excited about it--don't be surprised if you see Evan outside your local KMart one of these days.

Posted by jenny at 09:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, it would appear that Christmas is fast approaching. I don't really have much shopping done, but that does not seem to slow time down at all.

This week Mike is off work for the Thanksgiving holiday, and I took this opportunity to put up our Christmas tree and all the other decor. Evan was very interested in all of the preparations this year--he helped me sort the branches to put up the (very artificial) tree, became very wrapped up in the lights, and moved the lower ornaments to suit his taste.

I think Ev is going to get a huge kick out of Christmas this year. It makes me really excited to be able to see him experience all of this. I have always been into our family holiday traditions, and it means so much to me to pass them on to another generation. I know things are going to be very different for Evan than they were for me as a child--his extended family is more scattered than mine was, and that makes the holidays tricky sometimes. So far though, we've all been able to be together at Christmas, and I feel that we're really laying the foundation for his traditions and memories.

I wonder if this will be the first Christmas he remembers. I'll try to make it a good one.

Posted by jenny at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sign language is coming along pretty well with Evan. He seems to be picking things up fairly quickly, though he does have a little more trouble with signs that are done around the head rather than in front of him. I'm learning the signs quickly as well, but I'm having trouble remembering to use them all the time. That's another of Evan's difficulties. He knows the signs, but won't always use them to get what he needs. It's still easier for him to take me there and point.

Evan still is unable to imitate sounds at all. The only sound he is able to reproduce when asked is "s" or "sh". He can hold his finger in front of his lips and say "shhh" any time you ask (Mike taught him that one), and is able to mimic the "ssss" when you use an s word with him. Fish becomes "esh", shoes becomes "shhh", as does snake. He did say "shoes" today, but it was purely by accident. He was unable to do it more than once.

Ev's speech therapist thinks this is really weird. I guess that sound is a harder one to make than "b" or "m" or something like that, so she's shocked that he can't do those but can do "s". He can make some of those other sounds, just not on command. Yet another mystery of Evan's language development.

Shhh.

Posted by jenny at 04:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's no secret that Evan loves Usher's song "Yeah!" No matter what he's doing he stops and starts "dancing," which usually is some kind of swaying and jumping up and down. If he's in his carseat and it comes on, he still dances, just without the jumping up and down part.

I've been meaning to catch this on camera, and tonight was my chance. We were singing our techno song, and while Evan still had the mic in his hand, cold rockin' it, I put on the song and the rest is history. Enjoy:

Evan Dancing to Usher (right click and save. QT format).

Posted by Mike at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Look out kids, Evan got a mini trampoline and exercise ball today. They're supposed to help with therapy, but I think they are tons of fun too. He's been bouncing all around on them, having the time of his life. I have little doubt that we'll be at the emergency room before the end of the week.

Posted by jenny at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I feel so scattered this week, like I just can't get it together. I can't finish anything I start, and I have a million things up in the air. Or maybe they're not, and I just feel like they are. I'm trying to organize my world, trying to start Christmas shopping, trying to finish projects, trying to get all of the insurance/MA stuff settled for Evan to start hospital therapy, trying to figure out how to get through the winter stuck in the house. I feel anxious and overwhelmed and not all there.

I think part of the reason I'm feeling this way is that we got the report back from Evan's last speech eval. There's a laundry list of all of Evan's "problems" and it's been a bit hard for me to swallow. I know my little boy and how great his is and how far he's come, but it's hard to reconcile that with a list of things like "apraxia, pragmatic language disorder, receptive and expressive language disorder, auditory processing disorder, oral/motor deficits, feeding/swallowing disorder".

Nobody ever thinks their child will have problems, and I know given our situation and rough beginnings they could be much worse. I am thankful that Evan is healthy and happy and growing, but it's still difficult for me to accept that he has a long term disability. I guess I'm still getting used to the idea. For so many months we were assured that he was just a little behind and would catch up--I can't tell you how many stories I heard of kids who just "exploded" with language at 2 or 3. But I don't think that's going to happen for us, and it's a little hard to let go of that fantasy. It will just take some time.

It feels selfish and indulgent to feel sad about this, but I do. I feel like a lot of our expectations about parenting had to be scrapped, and with each one I've had to mourn a little. Emergency c-section, weeks in the NICU, developmental delays, sensory issues, lack of speech, the worry of constant evaluations and endless hours of therapy...none of this was in our plans when we decided to start a family. I love Evan and I love the life we have with all of its bumps along the way, but I can't help but feel a little sad that my kid still gags when he sees me eat an apple, and that I've never heard him say "love you Mommy".

I'll be done feeling sorry for myself in a day or so. Now back to the business of raising our son--we're doing the best we can.

Posted by jenny at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Halloween was fun--we played at the park instead of trick or treating here at home, and we watched the big town Halloween parade from the end of our street instead of battling the huge crowds along the parade route. Lest you think we're antisocial, Evan and I did head up to Erie yesterday for some good times. We visited the Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Louise and cousin Linda, and even Aunty Beth.

By the time trick or treating time rolled around though, Ev was ready for his jammies. He's now got a bit of the cold I had (as does Daddy), and it's made him pretty unhappy. He just wasn't himself for most of the day, so after all of our visits and just enough candy and treats, we headed for home. I remarked to my mother that kids seem to always get sick on holidays--not the week before or after, but right in the thick of things. I have to balance my excitement at taking Ev out in his costume with what's best for his health, and that's no fun! Mommy has to try not to get disappointed over these things.

Posted by jenny at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)