Our Helpful Son

Tuesday went well. Tyler was happy and playful as soon as he ate and got brought out to the living room to play. He was in a great mood all day, you'd never know he had surgery the day before! Everything looks good, not bruised or swollen. His Bone Marrow site had bled a lot though. I took off the gauze and they had 6 layers of gauze and all of them were bled through, covering almost the whole piece of gauze also. It didn't seem to be bleeding anymore, so I left it open. I went skating since he was doing so well. It went great. He was good for the sitter, she was impressed at how nothing had really changed with his mood because of it!

Wednesday I noticed some bleeding, so I covered that spot up with gauze again and called the clinic nurse. She wasn't too concerned, just told me to keep it covered. I took the kids to the park at the Roosevelt Early Childhood building. It was lots of fun. Dawson followed me in and spent about an hour playing. Afterward he followed me to the car without running off or throwing a tantrum! I was very impressed. He pouted a bit, kept looking back, but he followed me. I assured him that we would be back some other time and that seemed ok with him.

Dawson has been trying to say more lately. He'd been saying the same thing and I couldn't figure out what it was. I could make out "oh, hi" and the rest was babble. Then I realized he was copying what I say when he knocks on a door and I answer it. "oh hi, how are you!". Once I said it, he beamed and said it again. We practiced many times and he was excited about it. I said it slower and he was getting a couple more of the right sounds in there. He's definitely trying. He also likes saying "ooh yeah", "yee haw", "owie", "uh oh", "uh huh". He also has been adding "oh" to many things. He'll says "oh owie" and stuff like that, it's really cute.

He's been very helpful lately too. He helps people off with their coat and shoes. If I ask him to get my shoes or his shoes, he'll do it. Same with coats. He often just voluntarily gets them. He'll go so far as to put them on my feet, or at least over my toes. He gets Tyler's shoes too, tries to help zip up his coat and he buckles the chest clip on his carseat. He helped me make popcorn the other day. He helped pour the kernels into the measuring cup and then into the air popper. He picked up the cord and handed it to me, then watched it make the popcorn. He had already brought his chair over to watch. He's very observant to everything I do, seeing what else he can do to help. Of course then he gets his very own bowl of it. The other day he brought me the container of popcorn kernels in the morning, wanting them for breakfast! I told him we'd have them later, that seemed ok with him.

Dawson helps me pick up Tyler too. He'll hold him under the arms and lift him up with me. He doesn't really even bear any weight, but he feels good that he's helping. The other day Dawson was saying "uh oh!" and it was sounding urgent. I went over there and Dawson started trying to lift and shove Tyler at me. Turns out he had a smelly diaper! Dawson gave the funniest face of disgust and relief when I took Tyler away from him, it was hilarious!

Dawson's teacher is coming in the morning. I can't wait to tell her about his new improvements. She said last time that it sounds like we already have to re-write his IFSP (goals) because he's achieved most of them!