It's the little things

Today I went to the Rec Center to workout.  I can pay $4/hour for Ben to stay in the nursery ~ Cailey is at school.  First, I wasn't sure Ben would be comfortable in the nursery once I left ~ but I had no reason to worry.  He went running into the nursery and never looked back.  They said he did great and played the whole time ~ ahhh, I love my little man!  Anyway, I was running on the treadmill (seven minutes into my 30 minute run I was feeling like crap because I HATE to run) when I looked up and saw an elderly women walking on the indoor track.  But the kicker wasn't that she was just walking ~ she was walking very, very slowly and using a walker and clearly in some pain.  I thought wow, that women is here against the odds. Nobody would blame her if she sat at home, but she's here.  I am healthy, able to run in fact, and here I am complaining that I hate to run so much ~ it was just another testament, at the right time, to realize how fortunate I am right now.  I was able to finish my run with a little more enthusiasm.  :o)

Ben had speech therapy on Tuesday.  I am trying to stay open minded about the whole thing.  Ms. Paula played with Ben for an hour by asking him to identify animals and other objects in the toy room.  Then, she gives me a report and assessment.  The problem is, she directs us to work on things I think we are already doing.  For example, she said we need to work on independent naming and phrases  "Moo says the..." and "Wash your ..." and ask Ben to supply the final word... I think we do this constantly.  She wants us to take turns with Ben naming pictures in books and magazines... which we/I do every single day.  I feel like she is making an assessment on our intelligence and ability to parent and help Ben develop language ~ that we are somehow inadequate and that Ben isn't talking because we have failed him.  I know Ben's problem isn't a cognitive issue ~ it's a hearing issue... he isn't hearing the sounds correctly.  So, to tell us that we need to work on things like using more prepositions when we talk to Ben ~ well, it irks me because how does she know what we do on a daily basis when she is only spending one hour with him?  Cailey talked really early and was very articulate at this same age, so I feel like we must have been doing something right.  Am I wrong?  I continue to educated myself about language development and parenting through books, online resources, and magazines and I am confident that I am utilizing nearly every available opportunity (the grocery store, the playground, the mall, etc.) to develop Ben's language skills.  I feel like she is assuming we don't already use the strategies she is suggesting.  I guess I was expecting Ms. Paula to spend more time developing the correct sounds with him.  Plus, after counting his words, we have calculated that Ben actually knows over 300 words and many two and three word phrases.  The problem is that he is very difficult to understand ~ much like a deaf child... but not that extreme.  Again, I am trying to stay open minded and I will ride this thing out.  Ms. Paula is the professional and Ben can only benefit from the speech therapy. Maybe these are just the first steps that have to be taken.  Heavy sigh.

Ben has started telling me "I done" when I go to get him out of his crib after nap.  It's super cute!!  He also mastered the word "movie" ~ it used to sound more like "avie" ~ with a short "a" sound.  But, now it is clearly moo-vie :o) :o)  

Tomorrow all four of us are attending a playgroup brunch with my new Mommy & Me playgroup.  Ben loves having so many new friends!  I am making banana bread to share!  YUM!!