Blood, Sweat, Tears, Peanut Butter and Jelly

OK, maybe not blood, but patience, to be sure.

I knew what it was like to be that parent that watches her tiny one grow and change, week by week, month by month, babble, turn over, crawl, walk. I knew what it felt like to casually enjoy sweet little milestones and watch them pass, carefree... for a while. Then I became the parent that fills out checklists and assessments, and each developmental step achieved became less so adorably precious and more so crucially important.

Even as purely enjoyable as it is watching the blur that is my two year old showcase every new word, every new skill, there is a part of me mentally recording clinical observations and tracking current levels.

Communication has never seemed to come easy or quickly for FMO, so when he has met a goal or made some notable progress, it doesn't ever slip by casually or unnoticed. We have been working on getting him to verbalize making a choice for a very long time. For literally years I would ask him repeatedly, "Do you want peanut butter or cream cheese?" showing him the choices, demonstrating how to choose. His reply would usually be to either just repeat the question or to say, "I want peanut butter or cream cheese." The other day, as though it  all suddenly clicked, he told me in response, "I want peanut butter and jelly, please." (Since then, he has also chosen cream cheese and other things unrelated to sandwiches.)

It's kind of a big deal.