After two bouts of strep throat, after the flu, AND a major cold - After months of missed and inconsistent school and therapy - After weeks of tantrums and non-stop complaining, James is finally a healthy kid. The weird thing is that James is a different kid. At first we thought that the changes - major changes - were a result of the sickness, and everything would eventually go back to "normal." But it seems that these changes - all implemented by James - are here, at least for the time being, until James decides to change again. We are blown away. James no longer watches movies, none. He now eats and drinks at the dining room table, everything, meals and snacks. He no longer drinks milk. His appetite has increased (no doubt related). He eats apples (previously he would gag). He can eat powdered donuts (hated the mess on his fingers). He eats cheerios (hated touching them, his motor skills inhibited picking them up). James sometimes "reads" books while eating (perhaps imitating his folks reading the paper?) and has "read" aloud! (babbles). His attention has increased, choosing different books with more words, more story. On occasion, he uses words and we can understand him. He hates having a wet diaper, running into the bathroom immediately after or waking and crying in the middle of the night. This awareness is key for potty training.
The list could go on. Taken individually these "changes" are mostly minor, but they are earth-shattering because they represent growth in so many developmental areas.
We are so shocked, we are just holding on and trying to roll with it. Alter our life, our behaviors, think on our feet, and just try to encourage him. He is now super demanding, requiring attention 24/7, but so far so good. Last week, we the ignored the "dire" snow storm warnings and stayed at the Jersey shore. It hadn't seriously snowed down there since James was 2 weeks old. Well, we were wrong, it snowed more than usual, about 14 inches more. I was terrified of entertaining James without television and not being able to drive anywhere, no fast food bribes, no park or beach runs. But I was wrong again, it was a great day. I HAD FUN WITH MY KID.
