Update on Micah

Update #1:

He keeps getting cuter and cuter!

Update #2:

Micah's communication is getting better every day.  His new therapist introduced Micah to a modified version of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS.)  Normally a child would give a picture of the desired item to Mom or Dad in exchange for the real item.  Micah doesn't exchange the picture, though.  He just has to point to the picture to get what he wants.  

I have taken a bunch of photographs of common snacks/ favorite foods, like this one:

We have practice sessions each day.  I put one cracker and the photo on his high chair tray and let him eat the cracker.  To get another cracker he has to point to the picture.  This facilitates speech at the same time because he almost always says the word (or a version of it) when he points to the picture.  Micah doesn't ask for things or talk about things that he can't actually see, so the photograph helps him organize his thoughts and ask for things that aren't right there.  This exercise has also FINALLY taught him how to point.  Just this week he pointed to a light just to show me that he liked it.  It was the first time he has pointed to get my attention and share something with me.  A big breakthrough!

Micah has a lot of new words now.  Most of them are food!  But he also says Bee-Bee for his Blankie, Bubba for toothbrush, Na for fan, On for air conditioner, ah-gah for all gone, and a few more words as well.

Update #3

This kid is trouble!

Last Friday we were rushing out of the house to get to Micah's play group.  I was throwing in a last-minute load of laundry.  I unscrewed the cap and filled it with soap, then placed the cap and the open bottle of detergent on the dryer while I went to the living room to clean up a mess.  When I turned around, there was Micah holding the upturned bottle of laundry detergent and standing in a giant puddle.  This was an almost brand new bottle of 2X concentrate.  AAAHHH!  I threw a towel over the mess, and while Micah was at his play group, called the RS president to ask her to send out an email asking if anyone had a Bissell I could borrow.  Luckily, she did.  So here is Jared spending 30+ minutes suctioning soap and LOTS of water out of our living room carpet.

Update #4

Micah is on his 7th ear infection in the past 12 months.  We have an appointment with an ENT next Tuesday.  I'll keep you posted on what we find out.  There may be surgery in his future...