Ite back...

Today Julia shook her finger at me and told me "Ite back!" She was going to the next room for a book. When she came back to us she smiled and proudly announced "Mama...Oo-ee-uh ite back!" (Mama, Julia right back!)

We burst into gales of laughter...these little things probably don't seem like much to the parents of typically developing children but to us they are pure joy! We are thankful for EVERY BIT of deliberate communication we get from our Julia!

Fetch and Carry...

Last night Julia did the neatest thing! I was upstairs in my bathroom cleaning and I said to Julia: "Julia, please go down to the laundry room and get mommy the broom." I didn't expect her to do this, but I try to talk to her like I do all the children and involve her in what we're doing. I kept cleaning and she headed out onto the landing. The lower floor was dark and so she came back to me and said "dahk." I said "It's ok, Julia." A few minutes later I heard banging and a triumphant Julia came into my room carrying the broom! As small as this seems these are the steps it took for her to do this:

• Hear and process my request
• Go out and see that it is dark downstairs
• Come back and tell me that it is dark
• Go back out and climb down the stairs
• Go through the living room, dining room and down the hall in the dark
• Open the laundry room door
• Turn on the light (I found evidence of this)
• Select the broom from our tools that include a mop, a broom and a push broom and several other cleaning implements
• Carry the broom back through the house and up the stairs
• Present it to me

Pretty awesome for any 5 year old...especially our special one! Go, Julia!

More fun at the park...

Julia has a great time at the park...