Bug's 2014

Each New Year is a funny thing. It's just another day, time going by in its usual fashion, but to us with calendars and goals and things, it can be a big deal. I honestly usually don't think too much about the New Year holiday, but this year is different. I've written several entries the past few months about how blessed we have been in 2014. But today, I want to acknowledge Bug and all of the ways he has amazed us. In 2014, he:

• "Graduated" Early Intervention 
• Started speaking in full sentences (not just 2- or 3-word phrases) and asking questions
• Went from attending about 15 minutes of church on Sundays (usually walking around) to sitting and listening for a full 45-60 minutes, consistently, every week
• Became more flexible about going to new places and into stores he was previously uncomfortable with
• Decreased his meltdowns from 3-5 times per week to maybe 1-3 per month
• Completed a feeding therapy episode (three months) in which he about TRIPLED his accepted foods inventory and became overall better at eating meals and trying new foods (we eat meals together as a family now!)
• Showed us that he can memorize and recite books - which he can use in appropriate contexts to make text-to-real-world connections
• Learned to count to 25, and to count objects
• Started attending and loving preschool
• After over a year of take-out, is once again able to go out with our family for a sit-down meal
• Answered questions more often than repeated them (huge increase in using yes/no)
• Learned all the short letter sounds - without any help from us or preschool
• Started holding pencils/crayons/etc correctly and used them to draw shapes and letters
• Went on our first out-of-state road trip after about two years, and had a successful, fun time at grandma's for a week

I am so, so proud of Bug. The day-to-day can get tiring and discouraging for all of us: I think it's so easy to stay in the moment, focusing on the short-term goals and the baby steps - which is important, don't get me wrong - but we can overlook the major milestones. And look at all those milestones! Bug truly is our superhero. For all the work we have done this year, he has done exponentially more. We've only begun to scratch the surface on what he is capable of doing.

I'd like to challenge you parents (and remind myself), when you feel like you're not making a difference, or things are just too hard, or you feel like nothing has changed, to sit down and list all the progress that's been made over a period of time. Sometimes, I just make a mental note of the good things that have happened in a day. The time frame doesn't really matter; it's the reflecting and tweaking your perspective that can turn your attitude around. 

Here's to a 2015 full of even more milestones!