Blast from the past

I am a notebook person.  During the first years of Chance's diagnoses, I took notes on everything from what the different people working with Chance suggested we do at home, to things I learned while attending meetings and conferences on deafness.

I found one of these notebooks this week where I had written words and phrases that Chance was able to say at the time.

I am guessing he is about 4 or 5 at this time.  Some of the phrases are not grammatically correct, but we were just delighted that he was gaining the ability to express himself, and it was hard work!

These words and phrases brought back many memories and I cherish the hard working little Chance who preservered and aquired the language skills he needed after not hearing for two whole years.

Some of my favorites:

Me shower.  ( I want to shower)

Clean up or come clean up

Come see.

Shhhhhhh!

Me play?  Me play Cade?

Me go daddy. ( I want to go with daddy)

Mommie owie. (mommie has an owie)

Me want no.  ( I don't want some)

Me see.  ( I want to see)

Me school no.  (I don't want to go to school)

Me swing.

Uh oh.

It

Baby no, ( advising his little sister not to do something)

Go way.  (Go away)

It broken.

And one of my ultimate favorites " I want blue, red, yellow, blue, red" etc. when there were M&M's around.  He wanted to make sure we gave him enough and that he got every color.  Then he would patiently sit and divide his M&M's into piles by color.  Count each pile, and then eat them.

Oh, and "Oh man!"  It was adorable when used this expression and we loved it when situations arose when he felt the need to say it. (his preschool teacher taught it to his class)

Chance using the art of unspoken communication

I can hear his little voice now working hard to express his wants and needs.  The pronunciation was not  always perfect,  and sometimes only his momma could fully understand what he was saying, but oh how that boy worked hard!

It warms my heart just thinking about my little Chance.

And all those years of his tenacious trying and never giving up have paid off!  He can totally tell us now when he wants to shower, we just have to remind him when it is time to get out now.

He can also tell us that he doesn't want to do something with a WHOLE  bunch of words telling us why he doesn't want to.

Oh and he can tell us he wants go to out and play with his friends who show up at our door with air soft guns and lawn mowers.  Chance has a little lawn mowing business going on with his friends but that is for another post.

Yes, Chance can express himself and his emotions just fine now.

Chance with his brother practicing non-verbal communication