SLP Mommy of Apraxia

Tag: Ashlynn update

  • Happy Birthday Song! Ashlynn turns four

    Happy Birthday Song! Ashlynn turns four

    Ashlynn turned four this past weekend and my husband and I were just beaming with pride.  Last year, she couldn’t blow out her candles, sing the Happy Birthday Song, much less even say Happy Birthday.

    When she woke up in the morning, balloons were waiting for her in our hallway.  Before she hit the bathroom she excitedly said “BAYOONS!!”

    As she stepped in the kitchen, we had a Minnie Mouse Birthday banner, tablecloth, and big balloon decorating the kitchen.  She could not stop talking!  “Minnie right there, and Minnie right there, and Ashlynn”s Happy Birthday!”  When my husband came out in the kitchen she called “Look daddy!  Minnie! Ashlynn’s Happy Birthday!”  When he asked her how old she was, she proudly held up four fingers and pronounced “fowa.”  She just recently has been generalizing the ‘f’ and she said it correctly without any cues. Also, last year, the motor plan to hold up the right amount of fingers just wasn’t there; but this year, with a little planning, she pulled in her thumb and held up all four fingers.  My husband and I exchanged looks of pride knowing what the other was thinking, without having to speak a word.

    When we got in the car to go the Pumpkin Patch, all by herself we heard a happy little voice coming from the backseat, “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to ASH – IN, Happy Birthday to you!”  This time when we exchanged looks, we both had a little tear in our eye.

  • God Bless Grandma Green

    God Bless Grandma Green

    Ashlynn’s Great Grandma Green has been out for about a week now visiting. This isn’t the first time Ashlynn has met Grandma Green. She usually comes out in October each year to stay with Ashlynn’s Grandma Smith who is of course her daughter. 

    Last year she bought Ashlynn a dress for her Birthday that was purple with big colored polka dots that was instantly her favorite. Unfortunately, at that time, Ashlynn didn’t have many words. She couldn’t really express how much she loved the dress (besides pointing to it when she saw it in the closet), she couldn’t say I love you, and actually, she couldn’t say grandma and mama the same way at that time, which meant she couldn’t even expressively differentiate between any of the maternal women in her life.
    This year though, is different. Oh what a difference a year makes. Grandma Green has only been here a week, but each day I picked Ashlynn up after work, she was sitting as close to her hip as possible. Today, circumstance would have it that she could go out to lunch with just her and her two Grandma’s. When she got back, she once again kept trying to get close to Grandma Green, asking her, “Read this book?” Or “Ashlynn sit here?” She still confuses names, and in a sentence may call Grandma “Mama” or Grandma Green (Dama Deen ) “Grandma Smith (Dama Smi).” We all would have to pause frequently saying, “wait, who am I?” 
    However, there was no mistaking tonight who made a guest appearance in her nightly prayers. We usually go through and say, “God bless daddy, mommy, Jace, and Sahara.” Then, depending on the day and who she was with, I add names of the Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc. Half the time I have to remind her to include Cody and I!
    Well tonight, I started out, “God bless…..” As I waited for her to fill in the blank, out popped “Dama Deen.” I couldn’t believe it! She has never added anyone novel before without me modeling it first! Heck, half the time she forgets her parents or Jace! Well, tonight, she finally had found the words to express her love for Grandma Green, in a simple prayer to our Heavenly Father. I really don’t know how much bigger it gets than that. 
    She still has few words, but with them, she expresses profound things.  God bless “Dama Deen.”

  • Farm field trip and speech update!

    Farm field trip and speech update!

    Ashlynn and I went to her class field trip to visit farms from the 1860’s and 1890’s in Littleton, Colorado.  They had a lot of animals and she was so stoked to see all of them! I was taking an informal language sample as we walked along and sample phrases were:
    Come here mama!  Look!  A cow!
    I see a donkey!
    Ewe, muddy piggy!
    Whoah!  I see chicks!

  • Ashlynn update 3:10

    Ashlynn said her first compound sentence yesterday. It took me so much by surprise that I almost ruined it by interrupting her.

    I picked her up from school asking the usual questions and getting the usual answers,
         “How was school?”
         “Good.” (Dood)

         “What did you do?”
         “Play” (pay)

         “Who did you play with?”
         “PLAY!!” she says impatiently.

         “I know, but WHO did you play with?” I asked.
         “Evelyn (Eveyin)

    As I was about to interrupt she said,
    “She’s nice and she’s funny (sunny) too.”

    A six word compound sentence!!! Music to my ears!

  • “You say it best, when you say nothing at all.”

    “You say it best, when you say nothing at all.”

    Today I took Ashlynn to one of my BFF’s bridal shower.  There weren’t going to be any other kids there, but Ashlynn is so good around a group.  When I think of people who have charisma, I think of great speakers and people gifted with words.  The Martin Luther King’s and the John F Kennedy’s of the world.  But Ashlynn makes me realize charismatic people don’t need to speak.  There is so much else to them.  Their presence, their unseen light that people can feel and gravitate toward, their inner goodness that shines brighter than words can resonate.  The latter I believe, fits my daughter.

    She is talking now in 3-4 word phrases, but in a group she gets shy and I have to prompt her to even utter one word responses.  Somehow though, she manages to light up the room.  Flitting by from person to person, looking at them with her curious, kind eyes; touching them with her baby soft hand.  Yes I’m in a room full of women, but even so, strangers reach out to touch her hair, take joy in her smiles, feel happy in her presence.  They hold her hands, give her hugs, and let her sit on their laps.   I know I’m her mom, but I’m telling you, I can see it and not just because I’m her mom.

    She is so special to me, and even though she’s not this outwardly verbal person, she somehow demands attention in the room.  Eyes are drawn to her, smiles are cast upon her, and mutual love is relayed from each other.  All this, without her hardly speaking a word.

    There’s a country song by Allison Krause entitled, “You say it best, when you say nothing at all.”  Ashlynn truly personifies this.

    Dear Ashlynn,

    “The smile on your face lets me know that you need me, there’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me.  The touch of your hand, says you’ll catch me whenever you fall.  You say it best, when you say nothing at all.”

  • Lessons from a tricycle

    Lessons from a tricycle

    We bought a tricycle for Ashlynn three months before her third birthday. My husband and I took her to Toys R Us, excited, full of hope and expectation. I had seen two-year old children on Facebook gleefully riding their trikes with big goofy smiles on their faces, and I couldn’t WAIT to snap that happy gleeful face on my little girl.
    Pregnant with my son, we all left the store and I had visions in my head of me walking to the park, with her riding her trike in front. I would occasionally have to call for her to stop so she wouldn’t get too far ahead………….
    ….but it was me getting too far ahead that night. One year later, with aching backs and frazzled patience, my Ashlynn still can’t ride a trike.  She has made progress though and can now not only keep her feet on the pedals, but can also keep them “straight” on the pedals where her heel isn’t constantly coming into contact with one of the bars.  As for the actual alternating pushing motion, that is still to come.  
    You’d think she would be frustrated, but the opposite is true.  As kids whiz by on their bikes, she happily laughs, giggles, and asks me, “See bicycle mama?”  and then with determination in her face she gets up on her tricycle again, ready to practice. Like most other motor tasks, this one too will take time.  It will be a journey to success, but success will surely be there; waiting more patiently than me.
    However, I’ve learned success is never really about the outcome, just as riding a bike is never really about the destination.  Every bike rider will tell you the fun and the meaning are found in the journey.  The sights seen, the hills climbed, and even possibly the falls taken.  The lesson learned from the tricycle is more than just learning to ride.  It’s a metaphor for life, and of one thing I”m certain.  Ashlynn will always be a success because she has already learned: the fun is in the journey.