December Happenings...
THE STRAW:
Luke learned how to drink from a straw! Yay!
The look of concentration and focus...
He is also beginning to drink out of regular cups with small regular straws. He is also beginning to try to drink out of a regular cup like a big boy! His teacher (and her staff) worked so hard with him to achieve this. I am so thankful!
Christmas 2013
As you can see, Luke was fairly uninterested in Christmas. His siblings did help him become more involved...
Luke's gift... The SnugglePod
A cocoon shaped swing type chair. It hangs from the ceiling in his room. It is not really a swing, but it rocks back and forth. He loves it!
2013 in Review
This year just flew by! So many great things happened. Our family has grown closer and we are continuing to blend. Luke is a great part of our family. He fits in. While his disability causes him to be dependent on his parents, he is able to be flexible and flow with the needs of his older siblings.
Luke is walking stronger. He now can hold on to someone's shirt and walk. He pulls up to counters and goes around the kitchen on his two feet while holding onto the counters. He grabs things off of the tables and counters (this is actually a good thing!). He stands at the table and will vocalize while looking at me (or Marty) in order to let us know that he is hungry. He has started vocalizing in ways that sound like he is saying approximations of words. He vocally imitates sounds that Marty makes. He will sometimes try to kiss and hug me. He laughs at some things that are age and gender appropriate (i.e., burps, passing gas aloud, etc.). He has grown taller and gained some weight. He is in kindergarten and seems to be among the higher functioning students in his class. He is drinking from a straw and trying to drink from a regular cup (without a lid). He has stopped trying to climb out of his carseat. He has learned how to push the button to roll the car window down. He opens up the drawer under the stove to access cookie sheets to bang on the floor. He LOVES music and will move his head to the beat of the music. I am sure there is much more, but I am tired and cannot remember.
So, while there are some challenges with Luke, we are all focusing on all the growth he has made this year. He truly is a living testimony to the greatness of God. I cannot wait to see what 2014 brings!!!
