Truman Update

Truman Twenty:

1. Truman has as many as 100 signs now and is doing a lot more communicating. He's also starting to string two signs together a little more often to make sentences. We're glad he's communicating more, but when we hear his peers carrying on full conversations with their parents, we really wonder what all Truman would tell us if he could. That gets really depressing.


2. Truman has learned to say cookie, but seems to have decided to stop eating them.


3. Truman is starting to do a little more mimicking of sounds--not really turning them into words, but the sound repertoire is expanding.


4. His receptive speech continues to impress us. Ben and I will be talking to each other, and then Truman will do something in response showing us that he understands everything we're saying.


5. Truman knows a lot of his alphabet. For him, that means being able to point to specific letters when asked. He also knows a number of words that start with particular letters, like signing Fish after he points to the letter F or being asked to find a song on his alphabet call and going to the correct letter that starts the song (e.g. O for "Old McDonald" or I for "I've Been Working on the Railroad." On a few letters, he sometimes will make the letter sound -- sort of the phonics.
   
6. Truman has never made an attempt to sing, even just in babble. This makes his dad, in particular, really sad. I got choked up when the children's choir sang on Palm Sunday, knowing that Truman probably wouldn't be able to join in -- at least not as young as the other kids get to. Maybe he could sign songs while the others sing?


7. Truman is not making much progress in the eating department either with vomit reduction or texture. We had a really good month with vomit in February, but then a bad run in March and are somewhere in between for April so far. However, we implemented a protocol of various oral-motor exercises and sensory stimulation (using Chewie Ps and Ts, a nuk brush, and a Z-vibe oral vibrator) that does seem to help. Or, at least we notice he is more likely to vomit on meals when we don't do it.


8. Bedtime has gotten really easy if Ben does it. Finally, after 2.5 years, Truman can be put to bed awake like most toddlers. However, he still makes me lay down with him until he falls asleep (or we both do). If I don't, he throws up all over his bed and himself.


9. Truman has become really affectionate. He gives random hugs and kisses. His favorite time to hug is when he's naked after the bath. He practically leaps at us from his changing table and hugs with such intensity that he grits his teeth. He also likes to pat backs while hugging.
10. Truman learned to open the fridge today. This was discovered when he brought Ben a package of sliced cheese and signed "Cheese, please." Ben was sitting on the toilet at the time. Good news is--he ate the cheese.
11. Truman has to go back to physical therapy. Apparently, they are concerned about the fact that he can't jump and about his overall strength. He tends to still move more like a toddler than a preschooler as well.
12. Truman loves hot wheels. In fact, his security toys are two particular hot wheels. Other kids carry blankets. Mine carries tiny metal objects.
13. Truman loves the Wiggles -- so much so that if you give him a choice about any TV, he will always sign "W" for the Wiggles.
14. Truman is obsessed with wearing shoes. He likes to have some on at all times. He also wants everyone around him to wear shoes. If you aren't, he reaches down and touches your feet and signs "shoes" rather insistently.
15. We have no idea what Truman weighs right now, and it feels really good not to worry about it.
16. Truman loves his bath. Most nights, he lays on his back and "swims" after he's done being bathed.
17. Truman points with a "Double T." His dad loves that.
18. Truman knows where all the parks in our neighborhood are. If you tell him you are going to a park and you drive by one on the way to another, he gets quite upset. Even if you didn't tell him you were going to one, he frantically point thems out when you drive by. He is a maniac about slides.
19. It appears that Truman is learning to shop by computer ... by shoving gift cards in our computer's CD drive.
20. Truman loves other children. If one comes to our house, he spends the first few minutes squealing and running in circles.