lil' man update

{trying on sissy's necklace and saying "cheese"}

so i mentioned last post that i need to update you on reese's progress.  i am soooooo elated to share our good news.  i feel like when he turned 2 in march a switch was turned on inside of him.  all of a sudden language began pouring out of him.  it started slow with things like "hooop boooo" for hot dog.  but then, progress... ca (car), on, off, feet, eyes... then over the summer wham!!! he could say all of his color words and began labeling everything.  in fact, if he was pointing to something and wanted us to say the word for it and heaven forbid we didn't notice him, he would start yelling at us to give him the name of the object.  he truly wants to learn and speak.  he will imitate everything we say, including "oh man" and papa's favorite "aye, yi, yi".  and then the regional center assessed him again, as they do every 6 months, and found that all of his delays have significantly decreased.  in other words he is narrowing the gap between what he should know at this point in his life and what he actully knows.  my favorite story happened just the other day.  he began bringing me each letter from his alphabet puzzle {thanks to my mom, for all of her own therapy she does with him}.  he would say, "mama, b", then go get another letter, "mama, s", and so on.  i was in shock.  he knows all of his letters!  then grandma brought over a number puzzle and he is now able to tell us the numbers 0-9, as well as being able to count to 5.  and most recently, he is beginning to put 2-word phrases together: "mama car, banana more, reesey all done, noooo lola".  although there are still some areas of concern, such as still not waving hi/bye, will not point to far away objects, does not like most fine motor activites like coloring or using utensils.  we will continue working on them and i know he will get there.  i am just so thankful for my pediatrician for recognizing our problem early, for the regional center/aces (company that gives us therapy) for all of the wonderful things they teach him everyday, for the support of our grandparents {without them we would not be able to follow through with every-day-therapy sessions}.  we love you sweet reese. 



{there's nothing like a boy and his dog. and thank goodness she is so forgiving of the leg pulling, eye poking, toy stealing 2 year old she resides with.}



{loves trying on everyone's shoes.}



{and even jumping around in them.}



{"mama, night night"}