Happy Friday, everyone! I know it is a happy day for me. Today, I heard my son utter those sweet words “love you” for the first time just moments ago. Yes, he is 2 years and 8 months ( but whose is counting), and most of you moms and dads out there were blessed with that utterance much sooner, and some of you, like my sister and her husband, will never hear it at all, ever. I know {now} I am fortunate. Fortunate enough that I get to celebrate every word he speaks. It {talking} is something I took for granted having a daughter who spoke clear and precise sentences by a year and half and had nearly 50 words by her first birthday. Despite hearing how lucky I was from countless mommies, I had no idea how right they were.
I have mentioned several times the struggles I have had with Harlan and his FPIES diagnosis, and I believe I have mentioned the behavioral problems I had with him early on due to lack of communication, but today I celebrate progress.
Progress in adding 2 new foods in the last month (apple, and carrot) alone and several through out the last year. Now, drum roll please… his food/ingredient count is at 28!!!
Yay! It is amazing, and I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Many FPIES kids, outgrow their ‘triggers’ by 3 and almost all, by 5. At the very least, we are half way there. A celebration of itself.
His progress of speaking {mini} sentences offers me equal excitement. I literally had a mom, whose has known Harlan since 18 months, say to me with the greatest enthusiasm, “he speaks sentences!”
Mind you, he often leaves out the articles, a word that had completely left my lexicon, btw. I literally had to ask his speech therapist what those {articles} were.
Slightly embarrassing.
Luckily my wit and charm make up for my lack of English comprehension skills.
Seriously.
He has come along way. His sweet little voice makes every word sound adorable. If you ever get the chance to hear him say “watermelon” you will never be able to look at one again without replaying his utterance of the word in your head. Trust me.
For the past several months, he has used the phrase “miss you” instead of “I love you” in context. I think it started because I told him one day that I missed him in the exact tone I say the phrase “I love you.” Since then, it stuck. Until today when I ws putting him down for his nap, he looked up at me in his crib as I was about to walk toward the door and said, “love you.” I almost cried.
Actually, I just did.
Of course, being that I am supposed to encourage complete sentences as my speech homework, I asked him to say, “I love you” and he did.
I thanked him for his use of words, and say a big “I LOVE YOU” back.
Today, I celebrate progress, and love.
Oh, and I am happy to report, his sister FINALLY loves him. For real. Not because we tell her she has to.
Happy day!
Xoxo,
Magazine Mom
magazinemom.wordpress.com 
Oh friend, tears. Happy happy tears. Love those kiddos of yours.
Awww…thanks. Love yours too. It means a lot that you know me so well 🙂