Here is what is going on it "Benjaminland" -
Physically, Developmentally & Spiritually.
PHYSICALLY:
I am now THREE years old! December 4th came and I had so
much fun digging in my cake! I have decided that I LOVE CAKE!
I weigh about 27 pounds and boy and I getting tall! I've
done pretty well over the past few months gaining my weight, but my mom is so
giving, she keeps offering "to cut" a few inches off
her "reserves" for me. Not sure how this would work, but I
think it makes her feel better to offer it anyway.
I got a new adaptive stroller - and it is the cream of the crop!
I look pretty stylin' in my new ride (now if my parents can convince me
of this because all I do is cry when they put me in.)
This new chair allows me to take the bus to and from my
pre-school. I stuggle getting on the bus, but my teachers tell my mom
that I am okay once I am there. (Of course she wonders.)
My teachers tell my mom that I have so much fun at school with
song-time (even though I don't like the HB song) snack time (even though I am
not eating anymore) and story time. They are starting to work with me on
an eye gazer and they want my parents to make one for me at home. It is a
way for me to learn how to communicate using my eyes. It's a pretty cool
concept and I do like doing it.
I am also working on PT and OT at school and my mom is trying to
get me into new appointments this fall.
Over the summer, I found my most favorite activity.....SWIMMING!
My mom found a neck ring from Water Way Babies and I love it! It
gives me so much freedom to move around. My daddy says we will put a pool
in our next house, just for me.
We are still working on my fine motor skills. When I pick
something up, I still use my whole hand, so I make the GREATEST messes
while I am eating. My family loves it! In fact, they love it so
much that they installed a vacuum cleaner hose INSIDE the wall and they can
pull it out at a moments notice to clean me up in a snap! (((I love cords
and hoses so much, I got a hold of the hose and gave myself my first HICKEY! My
mom was mortified, but I just think...you gotta start somewhere, right?
Eating has become a challenge again. It's been like 5
steps forward and 10 steps back. I am still "tube fed" at
night, and now in the day I am tube fed too. I gag on anything that gets
put into my mouth and refuse to swallow. I still like "tastes"
but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will spit it out. So....every 2
hours, I am tube fed and this is highly discouraging to my parents because they
worked so hard at getting me to eat.
I had a tooth that turned "black" so they had to
perform oral surgery on me and extract the tooth. While they were in
there, they had to do 2 root canals and cap all my front teeth. My
dentist says it is because of the formula that I drink. Since I have a
hard time swallowing, it takes me all day long to drink about 8 ounces of
formula and this sitting on my teeth was rotting them. They wanted my mom
to go back to 90% tube feeding, but my mom just couldn't do this. I have
worked so hard to be able to eat through a bottle and to take that away seems
like it would be going backwards. But...eating this way is also causing a
new problem because my teeth are rotting. Sometimes my mom feels like it
is a vicious cycle and she just has to do the best she can and trust the
outcome will be just fine.
I'm getting pretty strong at being on my stomach. I can
even go pretty high on my forearms and my knee isn't far behind me. It's
so fun to hear my family say: "up, up, up, up"....I go higher
and higher when they encourage me. I still like KISSING, but I have
gotten kind of stingy with "who" I give kisses too. They have
to deserve it. I still LOVE LOVE LOVE to PULL my mom's hair, scratch her
face, pinch her arm and if it inflicts pain, I like to do it.
My method of transportation is still ROLLING - - - and I AM FAST
LIGHTENING! I will eat paper, chew a shoe and get lost in the bathroom
before anyone knows I've left the room.
I still LOVE to arch backwards...that is my all time FAVORITE
position. BUT...I am liking more and more being up against my parents
shoulder. I still prefer to be forward because I always want to
"see" what is going on.
My neck is getting stronger. I can sit for about 30
seconds with the criss/cross apple sauce position and then I tumble over.
I can also get into the "crawling" position and stay that way
for at least 30-45 seconds before I face plant into the carpet.
But no one cares about that. They are just so
excited that I can hold that position.
My legs are also getting stronger. For a few seconds, I
can stand up against something if someone helps to balance me.
This "balancing" thing is still a tough one
With occasional tylenol or ibuprofen, I am still OFF all
medications! Yeah!!
HOW OLD IS YOUR BABY is still the family favorite? This
has become a fun "game" to my family. When someone asks this
question, my parents answer "well...how old do you think he is?"
Most people automatically say: 10 months. My parents laugh
and say "you're close. He's three!" It's always a great
conversation starter!
I sleep pretty good every night too. As long as I have my
"ocean waves" going I am off in dream world. My parents are so
grateful for this!
Since I am such a loud breather, my mom had a hard time blocking
me out so she could sleep (as I am in their room) so the ocean waves make all
the difference for us all.
DEVELOPMENTALLY:
Everything still goes in my mouth. (My dad has a strange
habit of "smelling" everything and I have a strange habit of
"eating" everything.)
I love to bite and I love to touch hair. I love to touch
faces. I am soothed by "sensory" things. In fact, my
newest thing is to HIT MY OWN HEAD all of the time. And, if you aren't
careful, I'll take my head and hit it against yours. I love this for some
reason that my parents can't figure out.
I still love to "wave." I love to clap and say
"ma ma ma" and "tha tha tha" - my parents love this sound
because it sounds like I am saying their name, but I really just use these
words for pretty much everything since they are all I know.
I still make a "growling" sound to laugh and if you
make a sound to me, I will usually say it back to you.
I like to bang things around and we are working on placing
blocks "in" and taking them "out." I get a little
distracted because I HAVE to eat them.
I am very happy 99.9% of the time. I still don't like to
be left alone and I am thankful that my mom and dad work from home so I can be
with them all day long. They've gotten pretty good at staggering their
schedules so I rarely am not with them or my "babysitters" (Zachary
& M'Kayla.) Yes. My brother and sister have really stepped up
and learned everything they can about me and sometimes they will watch me if my
mom or dad needs to run somewhere. It works out great because I love to
be around them and them and they love to KISS ME!
SPIRITUALLY
My parents still refer to me as their little angel baby.
You will often find me rolling back and forth on the floor - looking to
the sky and talking to "someone"....laughing and kissing while I clap
to them. My family has no doubt that it is a special friend who has come
to see me. My family loves it!
They say that they look into my eyes and see a piece of heaven
right here in their own home - I arrived to make them into the people that they
were supposed to be. My mom often reflects on how her life has never been
the same since I arrived. She used to "believe" that there are
no accidents and now after living with me for three years, she
"knows" - beyond a shadow of a doubt that this fact is true.
These past three years have been an amazing opportunity of growth for my
whole family and we are truly blessed.
I love you so much my sweet friends and I thank you for your
continued love and support.
Thank you for continuing on this amazing journey with me.
With All My Love,
Benjamin
