First up...no more baby food...
We had struggled to transition Josiah from baby food to 'people' food. It's not all his fault, it's partially ours. Face it, baby food is easier (at a certain level). Baby food is more costly, but less time consuming. Josiah had been sick for the two weeks leading up to Disney. He favored baby food while he was sick. Admittedly so, we preferred it too. Then we went to Disney, and his sickness was still questionable. He seemed to have developed a secondary lactose intolerance (I must admit, I'm not sure what that means, how long it lasts, or when to know it has ended). As a result, we stopped feeding him yogurt (the one food he ate consistently). While in Disney, he ate (almost exclusively) baby food. It was safe & kept him well.
We arrived home and, honestly, just decided to stop feeding him baby food. Well, low and behold - it worked. Suddenly, Josiah was eating people food (and was happy about it). In the three weeks we've been home, Josiah has eaten pot roast, beef stew, chicken, onion rings, hamburger helper, mac & cheese, and the list goes on. He hasn't touched baby food in weeks! We are ecstatic!!! Just last night, I noticed the secondary gain....Josiah's orange tint has finally disappeared!!! I thought it would never be so!!!
Here's Josiah, after eating a piece of birthday cake last week. Look at the smile on that face!!!
Second up...mister curious...
The day we arrived home, I thought Josiah seemed more curious....as if he was willing to explore more. Well, I don't know what that trip to Disney did - but it is amazing. Josiah is an exploration monster. Luckily, he doesn't risk safety. He explores things in a whole different way now. He challenges himself to do things. He explores things in a whole new way.
This has led to climbing up and down off the couch and beanbags. He thinks sliding down a slide (face first) is hysterical!!! He is such a curious and fun little boy. He makes my heart melt (and sometimes causes my hair to turn gray) lol. Here are a few of his recent explorations...
Third...suddenly signing...
We have used sign language, with Josiah, from birth. Knowing language may be difficult for him, we hoped sign language might help. He has always seemed to understand sign, but not usually willing to utilize it. Since our return, he has been signing "be nice," "more," "all done," "eat," "sleep," and "phone." He's blowing them away at speech therapy, too! Mister stubborn is suddenly makes sounds (and signing) on demand. It is absolutely amazing!!!! I'm in awe of this little boy :)
Fourth...about to walk...
Josiah has been walking with his toy walker, for months. Occasionally, he takes a few independent steps. Well, last night was mind blowing!!! He stood up in the middle of the room & took 4-5 small steps. Then he stopped (while maintaining a perfect stand), regained his balance, and continued. He took another 4-5 little steps, stopped, regained his balance, and repeated one last time. He took 4-5 little steps and lunged onto his Elmo bed with a resounding laugh! He knew what he had done! In excitement, I texted his physical therapist D. I told her what he had done. She texted back. "Don't tell him I know. He'll stop doing it if you mention me." I truly laughed out loud. I'm not sure she's wrong, by the way....
Lastly...scores...
I stopped looking at scores from Early Intervention, and the like. I don't like them. They do not accurately reflect my child's capabilities!! With that being said, at play group parents are asked to fill out a questionnaire (of sorts). It assesses a child's overall development (and where they fall in the spectrum). Josiah's scores have always gravitated towards zero. No matter the age, his low muscle tone inevitably biases the score. It's ok and doesn't bother me. Last week, we arrived at play group & received the results of the last assessment. In all categories, he fell ON THE CHART!!! He "needs improvement" in all but social - but he actually fell on the chart!!! He didn't score zero's, like he had previously. Our little man, is catching up!!! So much so, that I keep asking "Who's this new kid?" :)
"Don't underestimate me. I would never do that to you."
I was holding my breath while reading all Josiah's recent accomplishments. It's so exciting when a child has a little burst of advances! The line under the last picture choked me up though..."Don't underestimate me. I would never do that to you." Something to remember!
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