6/29/09

Emily is anxiously awaiting the 4th this Saturday. I'm trying to convince her/everybody that we should go to the park this year (last year the best we could do was outside my mom's house and watch it from the museum), I'm hoping I'll win. As for Benjamin, I'm not too sure about that one, but we'll see.

It's funny to see yet another difference in the way I'm handling Benjamin vs. Emily when thinking about fireworks. I remember when Emily was one, there wasn't even a conversation about taking her out, because it was so much after her bedtime. With Benjamin, the only concern I have is whether or not it's worth putting up with his screaming.. Maybe if I cared more about things like bedtime with him, he'd scream less.. hmmm..

Emily can now stroll into the computer room, turn on either computer, log in as herself, start up her web browser, and entertain herself for as long as she wants. As I sat here writing this, I watched her leave the computer room (didn't even really acknowledge I was sitting here on the couch), walk into the kitchen, grab a bowl, get some crackers, put the crackers back in the pantry... then rethink the whole thing, put everything back, grab a popsicle and sat down to enjoy it. I wondered what it would be like when she reached this point, and more than excitement, I'm starting to worry at how fast this is all going.. I fear I'll blink and she'll be off to college.

I've found new ways to worry about Benjamin lately, but before I write about those, I'll catch you up to how I've progressed: something wrong before birth, deaf, deaf some more, autistic, some other huge problem that I can't remember, and now.. He won't ever speak.

So, we went in for our year appointment a while ago, and the doctor asked how many words he could say. Compounded with the grandson of a freind of mine around the same age speaking in about ten different languages, that was enough to send me over the edge with that worry. The doctor explained that the main thing she will be looking for is understanding, not so much words. Yeah, sure.

Well, if all that is true, I think we're getting somewhere. In the past week or so, we've noticed Ben understanding quite a bit. Now we can say things like, "Let's go outside" or "let's change your diaper" or "put your passy in your bed" and he knows exactly what we're saying. If we ask him if he wants to go outside, he'll stretch his arm out as far as it can go and let it lead him to the back door, as if it were pulling him there (all while giggling).

So, we can't say mom, dad (and mean it, at least), and can't really find our nose, eyes, whatever, he sure is getting the stuff that matters to him :)

I'm off to play with Emily in the backyard before she grows another ten years or so without me noticing.