Another Mom Tells a Funny Story / "The Look"

So here's a funny story from a mom who's daughter has CAS. This particular post is about her son though. To be honest, I haven't read enough of her blog yet to know if her son also has apraxia, but he must have some speech issues because he's working on some sounds and that led to a funny (although not at the time for her), very public exchange in a store. Check it out.

She also refers to "the look" - that look your child gives you when they know you aren't getting what they are trying to say. I'm just now being introduced to that look, but I know it already. It makes me sad. It is terrible enough that I know other people will struggle to understand her. I want to be able to understand her all the time. I feel like it's my job as her mama and the least I can do. But I can't.

Instead I will try hard to let her know that it's all right when people don't understand. She always has options. She can always try another way. I guess my real job is to equip her with the tools she will need to communicate successfully in any way that she can and the persistence to always keep trying. That's my goal at least.

Don't take the nap away!

The signs are there. Michael used to go down at 7:30 or so at night, fall asleep on his own in about a half an hour and then sleep through till about 7:00 the next morning. He would also go down for about a 2 and ½ hour nap every afternoon. It was a beautiful thing. Then he started playing before falling asleep at night. We still put him down between 7:30 and 8:00 in the evening, but he’s often still awake at 9:30. He entertains himself in his room, and then falls asleep on his own but it’s still a sign. He’s also waking up earlier - at around 6:15 in the morning. At naptime he plays and plays in his room. He’ll play for two hours and never fall asleep. If I go into his room and sit in a chair insisting that he lie still in his bed he’ll fall asleep after 15 minutes or so. Then he’ll still sleep for about two hours. However, I think the signs are there. He’s ready to drop the nap.

• He doesn’t fall asleep on his own for his nap any more.
• He is fine, behaviorally, until bedtime even when he doesn’t nap.
• He’s staying awake after bedtime for at least an hour or more.
• He’s waking up earlier in the morning.

He’s willing to play quietly in his room while his sister naps giving me a break in the afternoon. Why am I still going upstairs and putting him to sleep?

I do it because it’s Ava’s therapy time. That time between when Ava wakes up and when Michael wakes up is when I work with her on her speech. If I stop putting Michael to sleep he’ll hear her get up and want to come downstairs too. Then I lose the therapy time.

I need a plan for working with Ava while Michael is up, but I haven’t figured something out yet. I need to find something to entertain him quietly that won’t interest her at all. The problem is, she wants to do everything he’s doing. Until I have a brilliant idea I’ll just muddle along with the current setup. But it won’t last much longer. I think Michael’s afternoon nap is on its way out. Suggestions?

Compliment?

I was tucking Michael into bed tonight and told him in a rather sappy voice, "Goodnight, Little One. I love you." In a rather sappy voice, he returned, "Goodnight, Little One....I mean Big One. I love you too."