Why Have I Failed To Notice This??!

I've been so focused on what Bennett isn't doing in the gross motor department that I've failed to notice he's totally rocking the speech and cognitive department!!!

I know they say that some kids will plateau in one area while they succeed in another and I think Bennett is really doing this. Don't know why I've never mentioned this but Bennett can say several words! He says "mama" and it's purposeful-but only when he really wants me, "dada","ball", "knock-knock", no, all done {sounds like ahh duh:)} and his latest is "nose" and then points to it on our face! It's as if something has just clicked and he's picking up on things quickly. His imitation skills are really getting good too and he tries to make almost every sound I say and action I do.

What cracks me up is when he sees a picture of a car, tractor or truck he automatically makes the "vroom-vroom" sound which is more like a raspberry and a "broom-broom" but we haven't really worked on these pictures a lot-I think it's a boy thing-instinct! My girls never did this! He will say "woof-woof" (in his own way of course) when he sees a picture of a dog and he says "moo" for a cow. He's working on "buzz-buzz" for a bee.

Bennett can sign but doesn't really like to (meaning I've seen him do several as well as is therapists but not very consistently). However, just this last weekend he kept signing "all done" when I said it, with a big smile on his face. He's also waving "bye" and "hi", he's been doing this but now it's much more consistent. When he sees bubbles he starts to blow as if he's blowing the bubbles. He will also blow kisses by smacking his lips and he likes to give hugs-so sweet! Bennett understands "No", for sure-like when he's quickly crawling over to the dog's water dish I say "Bennett, NO" and he turns around, sits up, gives me the biggest pout he can and then gives me his annoyed grunt. Of course he will keep trying but stops every time and does the same thing. LOL.

It's just so nice to see him make real progress!! And really, speech is where I ultimately want him to excel and cognition of course, because he will pull up and walk- I know he will but most people with DS have a hard time communicating with others because of their speech.

I don't know, I just felt like I've been a little hard on Bennett and I had to "brag" a bit because he deserves it!

Here he is trying to say "nose" and giving me his smacked lip kiss {not the best example of him saying it and we have a few interruptions but you get the idea}....

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Here he's signing "all done" (in the best way he knows how) but won't give me a kiss;(....

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Way to go Bennett, we're so proud of you!!!

By the way, as I'm watching these videos and Bennett hears all the commands he's doing all of them- he's saying "nose", smacking his lips for "blow me kiss" and signing "all done"-too funny!

Okay here's one more of his response to me saying "Bennett, NO"....

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Thanks for reading my brags. If you haven't figured it out yet, when Bennett does something, after months and months of not much, we're pretty darn proud of it!;)