How to make rain (Another great success story)

[Guest guest]

I have a funny story -some of

which I'm sure some of you can now relate too!!

This morning Tanner, who will be 6 on June 11th said to me, " Mommy, I

know how to make rain " So I said " How? " And he said " I put my

finger over the hose and water come out and rain "

(This was after a conversation he was having with me about the birds

outside and asking if the larger birds were the mommy and daddy and

if the little birds were the babies. None stop talking today before

he left for preschool!!)

What's funny is that I used to count how many words he would say in a

row right after he said it. I've been telling everyone that Tanner

is speaking in 9 or 10 words sentences -I was wrong!! He's

talking so much that I've stopped counting the words!!! How cool is

that?! Not perfect sentence structure on the longer sentences -but

still.

To bring hope to those of you who have younger children -here is part

of an email I recently sent to the producer for the one documentary

to show how Tanner was before EFAs (and at this point before therapy

too because his pediatricians at that time considered him " just " a

late talker!!!)

" I found a perfect professional video tape of for what we want to

show for Tanner before -and I'm so glad now that you filmed the

before the fevers pictures of Tanner -because you are not going to

believe it's the same child. This video is of Dakota and Tanner on a

sleigh ride from when Tanner was a year and a half old that clearly

shows what I always say that professional photographers could not get

this child to smile. After -10 minutes of frustrated attempts of

toys, bubbles, stuffed reindeer flying overhead, music, rocking in

the sleigh, big candy canes, and even throwing large cotton snow

balls at him that only Dakota threw back - that Tanner really doesn't

smile -except for an attempt which was more of him lifting his head

and opening his mouth -that lasts about 30 seconds -rest of the

time -blank stare with droop eyes. The place that does the video was

trying to get Tanner to smile because they then also make photos out

of the video -so as usual we had to go with a picture of Tanner not

smiling. Tanner does attempt to imitate Dakota and wave the candy

cane -but with no expression. It's so sad to watch. I think that shows the

point

really clear -and it's amazing that none of the pediatricians in his

group back then picked up the clear neurological changes in him -not

only the no expression -but the droop eyes -low tone face (this video

shows close ups)

Anyway -I'll send that one and I'm looking still for talking attempts

from before EFAs. I noticed most people in my family did the same as

we did -because he had a blank look and didn't attempt to talk -he

only said " mmm " -most people didn't focus the video tape on him for

more than a few seconds. Very sad -but I know I did that because I

didn't want footage of him saying " mmm " that one day others may tease

him about, you know, you only want to show them at their best.

Anyway -watching this video it's clear to see why he couldn't blow the

candles out on his birthday cake at two! "

This by the way is a video of the same child that just today told me

how he can make rain with a big smile on his face. (Maybe that's

another side effect of EFAs!)

=====