Language Development and OT Update

Chris and I have been amazed to watch John's language development lately--not that we think it's particularly advanced, but just that the human brain can do such a thing at only two years four months old. Just a couple of weeks ago, I introduced the ABC song into our repertoire of songs we sing casually around the house all day--and I don't know why that one didn't make it in sooner--and last night I discovered that John can sing his ABCs now. Also, one of his favorite books is "My Little Mother Goose" and last night I discovered that he has almost all the 21 poems memorized. It's not like I test him, so I don't have any idea how long he has known these poems. I read the poems as often as he hears them and I don't have them all memorized. Of course, I have a stiff, old brain and John has a gorgeous, expanding youthful brain!

Another new development is John's interest in us telling him a story and his telling the story back to us. We no longer just read books to him, but John asks us, "Tell a story!" We tell stories that are about John, said in the third person. Children love stories in which they are the main characters! In response, John is getting very good at telling stories to me, whether they are stories from real life or repeating a story from a book. It's just amazing to me and so fun!

In other news, our son ate a carrot yesterday. I tell no lie! John seems to be making great progress with his occupational therapist. The OT got him to eat not just peanut butter, but peanut butter with crushed up pretzels in it, then peanut butter with chopped up carrots in it. Meanwhile, in the previous week, John had joyously played with shaving cream on his hands, eaten whipped cream, asked to try a green bean (he licked it), asked to try marinara sauce (he dipped his finger in it and licked it), and asked to eat pretzels covered in peanut butter. I know all of that sounds normal but these are things John would never before have done. We're very happy with the techniques the OT is using and we're doing our "homework" with John during the week.