These Boys... (an Update)

I am so lucky to be able to stay home each day with these two delightful souls. Seriously, they make me so happy and bring a fulfillment to my heart that I'd never known before becoming a mom.

Both boys are making some awesome strides in their growth and development. Since he's the oldest, I'll start with Gus.

We has his IEP meeting (IEP stands for Individual Education Plan and goes hand-in-hand with special education. Basically, it spells out what areas he needs help and how he'll receive services to help him). We met back in May when he first qualified for Fulton County services. School started August 12 and from August 12-October 20, he met all his goals. His teacher called a meeting so we could set more challenging goals for him.

She sent home the proposed IEP and while it was awesome to see how far he's come, it was a little disheartening to see all the areas that he's struggling. Thankfully, we were able to ask questions at the IEP and we learned that Gus is making AWESOME gains and while he does have deficiencies to overcome, his teacher said she doesn't foresee him having any problems eventually overcoming these setbacks. They (his teacher and speech therapist) said he's so awesome and helpful, learning to deal with his impassivity, and his attention-span is getting better. His speech is the big issue, and they're working on helping him with his speech, and we're seeing a lot of improvement at home.

Just last night, Gus delighted us by narrating his favorite story, "Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons." Here's the video if you're interested:


I can't even put words to how awesome it is to watch this video. I know that not everyone will be able to understand what he's saying. Part of this is because he's saying is so fast, but the other part is because he's got speech delays. However... here's what I love about this:
1) He's so happy
2) He's so excited to be sharing this story
3) He remembers the WHOLE story from beginning to end
4) His voice changes to show inflection where appropriate
5) He's understandable (to me and Steve)
6) He's actually retelling a story!!!

Here are some of my favorite recent pictures of Gus:

 Yes, he's actually doing his own laundry!!! At age three!!

 We went bowling for the first time ever with my MOMS Club. Gus had a blast!

Now let's discuss Hugh.

I don't even know where to start with him.

For real, so many wonderful things are happening in his world. He has gone from gagging and eventually puking anytime you give him something that's not in liquid form, to trying a cookie (the above picture), and eating puffs and Baby Mum Mums without having issues.

Trying a cracker

As if the eating weren't enough to be proud of, he's decided that he's ready to walk. He took his first step on his 10 month birthday. He's taken a few more here and there, but isn't "walking" yet. He's trying to figure it out still and gather the confidence.

His tremors have totally stopped, he's not rigid like he was, and I personally don't think he needs an MRI at this point. His ankles have started to correct themselves, and he's not wearing braces or special shoes. He's just progressing at his own rate and it's awesome.

Hugh has such an easy-going personality. He's so laid-back and chill and doesn't get upset by too much. However, when he does get mad, watch out! He's got quite the little temper!!! His favorite person to be around is Gus. He loves to be anywhere near him and loves to play with him. Gus likes Hugh too, so we're very lucky in this regard.

Here are some of my favorite recent pictures of Hugh:

Hugh's baby playgroup had a Halloween party here yesterday- he had a great time playing in his biker baby costume with his friends!

We are so happy and blessed and excited for trick-or-treating tonight. The holiday season begins tomorrow and we are excited!!!