Has it really been three years since I have blogged about my not so little boy?! It can't be true can it? I can't even believe it's been THREE years!!!!
Oh yes ... yes I can. Life takes over and before you know it three years have flown by and you have not sat in front of a computer screen for more than five whole minutes. I take that back - unless it was to search a YouTube video for your son, or Google a Minecraft picture for your daughter. We all as parents know - that doesn't count.
In Three years our boy has gone from barely speaking to demanding and I for one couldn't be prouder. Brecken is reading, writing, beginning to tell stories (with much help, but he's doing it!!!!!), and verbalizing more. Every. Single. Day.
Two minutes into this and a small child is beckoning me. See ... 5 minutes. I can't have 5 minutes.
Whew! Just an irritated eye out of nowhere. Luckily, a wet washcloth solves all of a 4 year old's problems.
Back to Brecken. In the last three years he has overcome so many challenges and has far exceeded any expectations I could have had ... if I had any. See, unlike a lot of other people I like to encourage, but not expect. Expectations set people up to feel disappointed or discouraged and I refuse to EVER feel that way about my son and his goals. Ever. If he's rude - sure. If he talks back - maybe (but was he right?!). But to be disappointed that through all of his sensory overloaded self he can't tell me a story or pick up a pen? NEVER.
Brecken is now 8 years old. EIGHT YEARS OLD! The first two of those years were full of baby giggles, cuddles and rote first words. Along with those amazing and irreplaceable feelings came frustration, misunderstanding, guilt and the dreaded word - disappointment. After the diagnosis when that little boy was just two years old, I vowed to Brecken and myself that I wouldn't ever go back to that place of disappointment. I learned more than my fair share about Autism from Google, books, forums ... blah blah and more blah. However, I learned the most form the source of the superpower himself - Brecken Andrew. That boy is the best teacher around. Screw a fancy certificate, that kid has his Masters Degree in himself. I mean, don't we all?
Things that have not changed for Brecken:
*Love of Toy Story
*Love of Mario and Luigi
*Love of all things cheesy
*Love of McDonalds! Theesa way!! (insert pointing) All roads lead to McDonalds
*He will find a pop-can or a fountain pop cup anywhere! Don't even try to hide it
*Love for any form of figurines
*He's non-judgemental
*He works damn hard at life
*He accepts everyone
*He loves everyone
*He is always happy doing his own thing
*He never - EVER - fights with his siblings
*He is the absolute light of anyone's life that knows him
*He is still and will always be my baby boy
*Grandma Gertie will always be his favorite and I'm OK with that :)
Brecken's gains have not come without hard work. I am not just saying or blogging this ... but I could not do what that boy does. An 8 year old boy works harder at life than I will ever have to ... on one hand I am so extremely proud of him. On the other, my eyes fill with tears as I imagine the day to day struggles of my child.
*Brecken get up, no Ipad, get dressed, pick up your toys, put the Ipad down, clean up your blankets, BRECKEN! NO IPAD, time for breakfast, its cold you need socks, OMG BRECKEN PUT THE IPAD AWAY, let's do your hair, brush your teeth, get your backpack, Mario and Luigi need to go back in your room they are not going to school, I SWEAR BRECKEN - PUT THE IPAD DOWN!*
This is a typical morning conversation. By typical, I mean every single day. I assume Brecken hears about 1/4 of this conversation. And by 1/4 I mean he hears the word Ipad.
So for him to even be able to do all of these "normal" morning steps with 765 prompts ... I feel like he is a Rockstar. My Rockstar.
This is just a tiny three year update on our little big man. More to come ... when I have another 5 minutes to sit in front of a computer. Be on the lookout in the year 2019.
No comments:
Post a Comment