Thursday, April 19, 2012

Toddler Speak

Most of you already know that Vincent was having or is having difficulty in speaking english.  Haha.  I just wanted to update you that he has been really trying harder now to talk more and it has gotten hilarious to just see the things he has to say.  As a deaf mom- i'm proud that he signs... but I want him to also function in the hearing world like I do.. speaking, writing, reading... it will take him far in life.  It has been really interesting to see the things he has to really say and what is on his mind.

Vincent is very self centered now......... everything begins with ME, or I.  

he also yells............. ME WANT PLAY OUTSIDE!!!!
ME TIRED! I WANT EAT FOOD...ME hungry.  

It is so funny to see the language he is picking up and how he spends hours giggling over the smallest thing.  Tonight i was telling him good night and giving him hugs and kisses.. and (yes at 3) he doesn't like the kisses anymore and wipes them off his cheeks.. BUT he asks for more and laughs... so  I think he still likes it but is making a game out of it.  He has really begun a language explosion the last few months where he is picking up so many signs/words.. and also with me letting him watch signing Tv shows (blue clues, signing time) he has been really learning more.  I have never been prouder of him.  

I think there is some speech delay though... the key will be to find out to what degree and how to help him catch up with his peers.  Hopefully he won't hate us for all the work we will have to do with him. :)  I had speech thearpy as a kid and I hated it........ I guess I never thought about how it would be like from a hearing kid point of view- they should speak english fine and shouldn't need the help..... so I hope I can make vincent feel ok about having to go and that he gets the extra help now while he still is little.  It is hard.. so many worries.. so much love and life.

I have to share though: Victoria said Mama tonight. :) she was looking at me and going MMMMMMMMMM, Mama! little tiny voice she has. :)  I'm just thrilled because vincent said dada first before mama. (but he did sign mama before dada)  Victoria isn't really into signing at all.. she knows what signs are and what are the same repetive signs we use daily.  Time will tell in the next few months if she will really ever pick up ASL like her brother has.  I was also cleaning up the house tonight... and Vincent got his animals and pooh blankie and said good night to his dad and basically put himself up in bed by himself.. I was like you are getting so big that you know you are supposed to be going to bed.. Wow.  :( My babies are growing up.. the next I know.. i will be blogging about all the activities they do and how much time I spend texting/driving.. Haha. 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Easter Egg Hunt

The promise of Easter is finally here.... Easter.  Easter is a time for us to get together and finally get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine and really enjoy being with our family... after being rudely shut in all winter! 

This year held special meaning to me... as most.. Ok, ALL of you know, I had Victoria the day before easter- and that is when my family does Easter.. so I missed out, and I missed out on Krause Clan festivities last year as well as Steiner's. I have been looking foward to easter since christmas mainly just because I can eat the food and actually paricipate in the fun rather than being in a hositpal bed wincing in pain.

We went to my mom's hosue for Easter this year.......... it was actually a lot of fun.. lots of chattering, eating, and giggling for hours.  This year, since I got out of cooking food- food duty.. I decided to allow ( with my mom and stepdad's permission of course) all 6 grandkids to go outside and do a easter egg hunt with 84 plastic eggs... Haha. 84 divided by 6 came to 14 eggs per grandkid! Grandpa G went outside to hide all the eggs.. It was pretty funny watching my Nephew try to sneak and see if he could see where Grandpa was hiding all the eggs.  :) Once all of the kids arrived.. ( I love how this happens) one of the kids ran up to the other and said.. Grandma's letting us easter egg hunt!! and there's Candy in them.... then all the kids bubbled up with exictement and started chattering madly and peeking out the window and yelling I see one..... Oooh i see another.  Grandma was like we aren't doing that until after everyone's ate and is done! (kids mumble and whine a bit)  Kids rush through meal while the adults take our sweet time eating and chattering........... (kids come up the stairs and ask about 20 times when we are going to do it.)  (giggles)  Vincent was really a little too young to really get it.

The Easter Egg hunt:
we told the kids 14 eggs each, once u get all 14 you stop but if you see somoene else that is still looking for eggs, then you can help if you want.  All of the kids found eggs pretty quickly- amazed me how fast they found 'em.  we had trouble finding 6 eggs..  I guess Grandpa must have hid them really good!!! we did find them... if there was one or two i am sure Grandpa will find them when he mows the lawn. haha.

the adults spent the rest of the day on the deck yakking for hours and visited with Tori who slept most of the time. poor baby she was really tired.

Sunday we spent the day with the krause clan....... easter egg hunt.. and the kids found eggs too.. vincent having done this the day before caught on really quick.. when we told him to look for something in this spefic area.. he found them! I think it helps too to have BRIGHT colored eggs ( which i think we will do next year at Mom's) this year we had pastel and I think that was harder for vincent for some reason.  and we all sat around and laughed at the kids and chatted.... they all really liked seeing Victoria and vincent. Vincent threw a HUGE fit at the end because he was so tired from all the craziness and he told andy.. I not fall asleep on ride home. i Promise. I not tired. andy is like you are tired and i thnk u will fall asleep.. he said no daddy i not tired i not fall asleep.. and on the way home he was desperately trying to stay awake........... and he made it to De Pere........about 3 blocks away from home.... he fell asleep. and we laughed.......... I not tired!! Andy put him to bed and vincent tried to convince him to let him not nap... I was like, No buddy mom says u need to nap.... pitting one parent at the other already!!  tori was completely exhausted and very happy to nap :)  after all that....... so were we!

Lauren