A Brave New World

Jordan’s chiropractic neurology/cranial sacral treatments are going so well. He has been in treatment just over 2 months now. Every week holds new advances. He’s doing so great, catching up to what is appropriate for his age at lightning speed. Each week I think we have arrived and his advances will plateau and then a whole additional realm of development seems to open up. In the last 2 months, I would say he has had at least 7 months worth of development. In the last two weeks, everything has come together.

Communication.
Last week he started adding certain phrases into his regularly used vocabulary – “Thank you, Mommy”, “Here you go, Mommy”. This from a kid who 3 months ago couldn’t say “Mama” or “Dada” and would just stare at me when I asked, “Where’s your nose?” For the last few weeks, I’ve been writing down the words he adds to his vocabulary. He’s been averaging about 2 per day, which I’ve been ecstatic about! Between 15-18 months of age, not only did he not add a single word to his vocabulary, he lost many words that he had been proficient in up to that point. Then last Wednesday, he added 9 new words or phrases THAT DAY, whoa! He’s adding words to his vocabulary so quickly I quit keeping track this week!



Independence.  
Wow. For nearly two years now (he’s 23 months old) he has been glued to me. If I left the house without him, it was cause for a major meltdown. This didn’t just apply to leaving the house - walking to another room or setting him down instead of carrying him were certainly cause for great distress! For months (actually an entire year, from about 5 months old to around 17 months old), I had my kitchen set up so I could do everything one-handed because his backside was attached to my left forearm. My arm was like his permanent chair and should he be removed for any reason, terror-stricken frenzy would ensue – for hours. The up side was that I had the greatest bicepts of my life!

This week, his grandparents took him to the park. As he RAN out of the house, he turned and said, “Bye, Mommy” – no tears, no wailing, no flopping on the floor acting as if the world was about to implode, not even a frown, actually he was smiling. A joy-filled face excited to greet this day’s adventure! Who is this little guy? He has changed so rapidly I hardly recognize him. I’m still shocked by occurrences such as this.



Happy. 
A couple of days ago, Jordan awoke from his nap. How do I know when he is awake? Well, for months (perhaps about 20 of them), I would hear crying or screaming and know my little guy was no longer slumbering, but was now begging (or demanding) to have Mama’s company. The last couple of months this has gradually changed to hearing babbling, or more often the repeated mantra, “Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy”. But on this day, emanating from his room I hear:  “Ashes, ashes, fall down!” (crash) “Ashes, ashes, ashes, fall down!” (crash) ”Ashes, ashes, ashes, ashes, ashes, ashes, ashes, ashes, ashes, fall down!” (crash). How cute. And not just cute, but amazing! He’s singing. He’s remembering. He’s understanding a game.  He’s developed an understanding (and enjoyment) for interacting with others! As soon as I got him out of the crib and he joined his big brother in the living room, he grabbed his brother by both hands and started pulling him in circles saying, “Ashes, ashes, ashes, fall down!” WOW. He initiated a game with his brother. Amazing! This is definitely a new thing. And of course, big brother was delighted to fill in the rest and round and round they went, “Ring around the rosie…”  This mama’s heart is overflowing with joy.



A Brave New World. 
Last weekend we went to the tractor supply store looking for stock tanks for the aquaponics system we are building (more about that in the future). Now, we’ve been taking him to stores for a good part of his life. But this time, it was totally different. There was an entirely new world just waiting to be discovered! This kid went crazy (well not literally), but his eyes took everything in, wide with wonder and excitement. His feet ran all over, climbed on things, crawled inside things, wanted to go in 5 directions all at once. There simply was not enough time to discover all the incredible things there were to discover in a hardware store!

Three months ago, the trip would have insited dull lifeless eyes, unless he saw anything round then he would have repeatedly said, “ball, ball, ball’ and if he didn’t immediately get the ball (which he rarely ever did) would have been followed with tears and angst. He would have had to be carried the entire time in the store, as he would not have wanted to walk or to be that separate from me - even so distant as holding my hand would have been too far.  The time limit on the trip inside the store would have been about 7-10 minutes before complete and utter misery would have set in, and with it squirming, fussing, flailing, and all-out meltdown, effectively ending the trip. But not this day. This day, the hardware store may as well have been Disneyworld! My son has woken up. He is not just functioning, he is participating. He understands there is a world around him and desires to observe and take part in it, discover it, have an adventure. The fear has been forgotten, the world awaits!



A Great Debt of Thanks.  
I must extend a great huge “Thank You” to Dr. R, and those words just don’t cover it. He has unlocked my hidden little boy. Two months ago when we walked into Dr. R’s office Jordan was sullen, unhappy, fearful, full of pain, unsure of everything in this world; screaming was his means of communication – and I’m not just talking volume, I’m talking content as well. He would scream and it was my job to figure out what was wrong or what he wanted. My little boy was trapped behind a wall of pain and unable to comprehend the world around him or interact with it.  Dr. R has unlocked him and set him free. He is smiling, curious, joyful, is so incredibly sweet, talking, laughing, communicating his emotions and desires, and is running to meet life and the adventures it holds! Dr. R, thank you for introducing me to this incredible little boy, giving me the opportunity to truly meet him, my son.

He is absolutely blossoming. Praise God!  Thank you, Dr. R!  Thank you, prayer warriors!