Catching Up

It's amazing how things go. A few years ago, I started this blog to share my adventures of my 2 year old and the amazing things she had to say. The last post I wrote before my absence to blogging was announcing our pregnancy to Little Man. He is the happiest, cutest, sweetest, determined little boy I have ever met. He LOVES trucks of any kind - he longs to see trucks, buses, firetrucks, pick up truck, tractors...you name it, he will point to it. Our little boy doesn't have the same voracious vocabulary his big sister had at this age.

When Little Man was 6 months old, we noticed that his head size was very large. The doctor noted it and asked us to come back at 7 months for another head measurement. I commented that I noticed that he would slouch to the side in his carseat and couldn't sit up unless he was supported by his bumbo chair. Being the over worrier I am, I asked her about calling EI, the dr told me to wait, but I couldn't. I called and set up an appointment for the day after his 7 month head check.

At the appointment, LM's head went up to the 115% - the doctor then asked me if I had contacted EI and I told her I had an appointment the next day. That afternoon, LM and I went off to the hospital for an ultrasound of his head. I carried him in the Ergo carrier and he slept on my chest as they gooped up his head and told me that there was no water on the brain and his large head was just a large head. Phew!

He was picked up for EI for his gross motor and we enjoyed having his therapist come to the house every week. He had multiple ear infections after that and his hearing was compromised - thankfully after tubes, his hearing is back to normal. He was a late walker and last summer, we noticed that he wasn't babbling again or making any speech sounds, and now he had a head size of 130%. Off to an appointment with a neurologist, who determined that his head was b/c of hubby's and my head size and looking at our daugther, it was "normal" for our family. The doctor felt that Little Man was language delayed and to watch him for possible spectrum. Then as the school year came - he still wasn't picking up any words - not even Mama or Dada. He signed about 10 words, so he could communicate his basic needs and wants. If he didn't get his way, he would just walk away - no tantrums, no tears - he would just give up.

Back in January, his EI specialist mentioned that LM could have Verbal Apraxia or Childhood Apraxia of Speech - mostly b/c LM shows no signs of a spectrum disorder. When I looked at the signs of Childhood Apraxia, it was like seeing a picture of LM. Since then we've been pursuing outside testing to make sure that this is the correct diagnosis for him and make sure that he is getting the best therapy he can, so we can help him. The process is crazy and honestly, I'm so glad that I'm knowledgeable of all of the things a parent has to do to be an advocate for their child. So far it's been a process - but seeing this face:



makes everything worthwhile. :)

(Little Man back in September '10 inside a wheel of a truck)