Hey, nobody April fooled me!  I usually pull a good one but darn it - I didn't have time this year!  When I was little I thought the funniest thing ever was short sheeting my parents bed.  They always knew it was coming on April fools, but they'd stand there anyway (with me hiding around the corner peeking in) and scramble to find the sheet on the bed once they pulled the cover back.  Good sports, them! 

Cody continues to have FANTASTIC days.  What a charmed time this is.  He's laughing OUT LOUD all the time.  He's is super loving.  Great eye contact.  Mostly - he's content.  Since March 17th, he's regained his communications skills in a huge way.  Today he chose the picture of the "swing" 20 times in a row.  I held up the little cartoon of the swing against all kinds of other photos - a crayon, a lego, a block - every single time he chose swing.  He did the same at lunch with a granola bar.  I think he feels now what he remembered feeling back in December - empowerment.  He's still having tons of seizures but they aren't stopping him.  He walks all over the house - searches for a photo of what he wants - and hands it to me.  I am THRILLED at his progress in such a short time.  We are trying all kind of different approaches and it seems a specific few are really working.  He loves his ABA therapist and shes does a fantastic job using PECS with him and has helped me figure out some good tricks.  Thursday we see his old speech therapist again and he's coming to the house soon too - to help me further Cody's progress in the home environment.  Interestingly, as his ability to use PECS (picture communication) improves, he's trying to sign more too.  Today in his swing, rather than screaming and grabbing at the straps to cue me to take him out, he put both hands together and stared at me very camly.  He was signing "open" because he wanted me to open the T-bar and let him out.  Tonight we put the bucket swing away for the night and he handed me the PEC for "swing" to let me know he still wanted to use it.  So we drug it back out and let him have some fun in his jammies circling the vaulted ceiling of our play room.  When he was done, he calmly signed "open."  This is a different child than 1 month ago.  Even than 2 weeks ago.  He's not frustrated because he can't communicate.  Instead, he's learning that he can communicate again!  I am beyond happy. 

We went to Children's today and saw his neurodevelopmental pediatrician (what a title!)  He said, "how long's he been like this?  This is amazing!"  I said, about two weeks...we've been doing some unconventional approaches with his old speech teacher and ABA therapist and he's really made progress.  Dr. Walker was amazed.  He said that often it's the case that when a child begins to communicate, his entire demeanor changes.  They tend to have "communication spurts" which is what I think Cody is doing.  He is SO happy to be able to tell us what he wants once again!  Of course, Cody could do all this back in December, but once his hit public school he really went backwards.  Finally he's moving forward again thanks to these home therapies.  Did I tell you I was thrilled???? 

It is tough having him out of school though.  Hard to keep him busy.  However the last 2 days straight both boys have fallen asleep for naps at the exact same time which was bliss!  I had 2 great quiet times with my cup of coffee in hand.  I really spent most of both of those times just thanking God for this quiet, peaceful time in our life.  I'm guessing it may change - it usually does - but all the more reason to really just sink into it when times are good.  Casey is getting easier by the day - he loves to crawl around the play room and explore - pull up on things - and play with toys.  I can leave him in there and actually cook dinner!  And we're now leaving the gate open for Cody so he gets to get out and explore the whole house whenever he wants!  He loves this.  He wanders into the bathroom and pulls all the toilet paper off the roll and tears the towels down.  He wanders into the bedroom and lays on the throw rugs.  He loves tapping on the glass shower doors.  But his most favorite thing is walking into the kitchen and tipping over the garbage cans!   I know what you're probably thinking - "why doesn't she discipline him?"  Well, right now I'm just enjoying the fact that he can walk without falling all the time --- that he has so much fun going from room to room --- that in the middle of it all he always walks up to me with his hands held up for a hug ---- and I don't want to be running around all day saying "no!  no!  no!"  What's a roll of toilet paper?  Does it really matter if he knocks the towels down?  I put the yucky garbage cans under the sink so the only basket he tips over is full of paper.  He has NO concept of right and wrong -- has no idea of the word "no".  So right now I choose to let him be.  There will be plenty of time for lessons.  But I don't really mind following after him.  I do help him put the garbage can rightside up.  I have him help me put the towels back on the rack.  But when you have a child who's been confined to 1 room his whole life, it's just too joyful to watch him able to walk around without intense supervision every single second.  Our house is small so he's never more than a room away and i can see him most of the time.  Sometimes he'll even pass Casey crawling down the hallway!  It's just so darn fun right now.  I have no complaints. 

well, time to run and do the dishes before bed.  love to you all,

shawna