His Smile.

Lately I have been feeling like that new mom who wants to shout about every little thing their child does! Because my youngest son, three years old, has been working so very hard this last year and has over come so many obstacles. So, for those of you who might pass him in public or see him at a social event might think his smiles and conversations and spontaneous hugs are no big deal, because they are age appropriate.

But I want to shout for joy because it is so different from where he was, because I was once so scared about his future. 

The other night I was near tears when he ran up to me with his arms wide open and said in his best deep voice, "Give me a hug!"

Not only is his language improving but more importantly his whole communication is growing. He seeks me out. He shows me his favorite toy. He sings the ABC's and he smiles. 

Oh how I love his smile.

Every time my son does the opposite of what he once knew I want to praise the Lord for His blessings. And to be honest, I am thankful we aren't there, in that dreaded place, anymore. There is relief in my exhale.

Attachment

Sitting in the sun with Robert snuggling in my arms.
Oh it felt so good! 

I have been on cloud nine lately after realizing just how far my little Robert has come over the last year. Many of you may have read the article I recently wrote for the Fostering the Future campaign, if not, you can read it Here.

During our recent camping trip I was enjoying a good conversation with my mother-in-law, and she commented on how far Robert has come. It got me thinking...

Hearing Evaluation

This picture brings tears to my eyes.... my little boy looks so grown up in this picture.

Maybe it is the super cute overalls he is wearing. 

Maybe it is the fact that he is sitting in this chair by himself instead of in my lap, for the first time, as we test his hearing in the booth we visit often. 

Maybe it is because I have seen him practice this "game" so many times and this was the first time he used this new technique to test his hearing.

The Best Day!

On our way to the bus stop. 

I just had to share that I had the best morning with my little handsome boy!

The rest of the kids were at school and the house was quiet, Robert was content and it would have been tempting for me to work on my book or do another load of dishes....but with only a few hours until the kids got home I found myself on the living room floor in a fort with my little man. We were silly and read books and chased each other upstairs into the play room and served each other tea in little plastic cups. He even gave me a fork to stir my tea. :)

Snuggles!

Cuddles with my sweet boy after his bath. 

I have been hoping to write sooner on this but I was struggling with how to share my excitement with you. I have been digesting a lot of our changes recently. With the year coming to a close and as I was reflecting on a lot that has happened I wanted to share the joy in my heart with you!

My sweet boy has slowly been making big changes these last few months. All of the sudden I realized I was able to connect with Robert more without him rejecting my contact or going into a frustrated fit.

Here are a handful of some of the wonderful moments I have been blessed with:

*Cuddling after his bath (as pictured above) while I rock him in his chair until he is ready to be done. These are such special moments for me because I have rarely had the chance to cuddle with him while sitting still. He has shown interest before but would usually get easily overwhelmed almost in a panic and want down.