Friday, September 24, 2010

My two new favorite words



Tonight, I'm here at the Type A Mom Conference doing the anti-social media thing. There's a talent show happening downstairs but I'm holed up in my room with a burger and sweet potato fries, I have a mask on my face, and in an hour I'm planning to get a good night's sleep for the first time in I dunno. I may have just officially confirmed that I am getting old and boring.

I called home before as I was walking around Asheville's downtown, a really cool area. Sabrina's first words were, "MOMMY! I stayed up really late last night and watched TV!" She seemed quite proud of herself. Then I asked the babysitter (Dave gave himself the night off) to put Max on the phone. Max was babbling on and on, but I couldn't make out any words. Suddenly the babysitter said, "Tell Mommy you're getting dressed."

And Max said, clear as anything, "Getting dressed."

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. I have never heard Max say anything so intelligibly, other than the word "No."

"MAX!!!" I shrieked into the phone. "You said those words SO clearly! I am so proud of you!"

Something really big is going on with Max's speech. I mean, B-I-G.

It's just a little over a year after the stem cell infusion. And I'm beginning to wonder if maybe, just maybe, it did something.

At the BlogHer conference, I was speaking with a mom who was complaining about how much her kid talks. "If Max could talk like that, I'd never get tired of listening to him," I said. She responded, "Oh, come on, you would!" And I said, very firmly, a little edge in my voice, "No, I wouldn't."

I am awestruck by every single word that comes out of Max's mouth. And grateful in a way I've never been grateful for anything in my life.

Photo/Harold Neal

38 comments:

  1. I can feel your joy through the computer screen. So happy for you & Max.

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  2. Ellen!! This post brought tears to my eyes and a HUGE smile to my face!! I am so happy for Max, and for you! :)

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  3. Way to go Max!! That's awesome news Ellen!! YAY :)

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  4. That is wonderful. Really wonderful!

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  5. Ellen, I am literally sitting here with tears in my eyes. I am sooooo happy for you and Max! It brings me back to when I first heard my daughter make a noise---with a trachoestomy it took a whole year before I really heard a sound from her---and how thrilled I was. Now you KNOW Max has the ability to speak clearly. He WILL. Yahoooo!!!

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  6. That's WONDERFUL! Way to go Max!!

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  7. I know I'm one of your annoying pals who keeps bringing up the stem cell treatment and relating everything Max does to it, but I can't help but think it's doing something. You know, when Max said "no" so precisely in the car video you put up recently, I got a sense that his enunciation was not just improving but going to a new place. He may be "on the verge" of chewing your ear off and wouldn't that be great!

    Didn't the doc say it would be six months to a year before you started to see anything? Maybe if you're shy for a theme we could revisit that whole stem cell topic...I just love it, I think stem cells hold so much promise for so many folks, I am still pissed that we wasted eight years of No Federal Research due to a moron in the White House, but I won't get all political on ya. I'm just glad that Max is showing such strong improvement!

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  8. One day in July after a rather mean surery on his body my child woke up and started talking. Ty is 5. Nothing till then. I would be infuriated hearing I wish my kid shut up, when I wanted to scream let my kid never shut up!

    And I can honestly say , he talks VERY well now and I do not get tired of it .I encourage him to talk alllllll the tim.


    GOOOooOOOOOOOOOOO max

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  9. that's so truly really awesome!

    Isn't it funny how they do things when you're not around? my little guy walked his first steps without me there, he did his arts and crafts projects on the first day of school when I've been trying at home FOREver, all these great things when I'm not around.. figures.

    go MAX!!

    can't wait until my little guy starts talking. I'm with you, I'll never get sick of hearing him talk.

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  10. I'm delighted for you. We are having a speech explosion here but I haven't had to wait so long, and I am so very relieved. I'm sure Max will talk your happy ear off one day.

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  11. Aww! That's so awesome!!!

    Noah's just now (at age 3) starting to talk, and some things more clearly than others. He gets so frustrated when I don't understand him - like when he really wants a cookie, not his car keys - but I know that it will all come neatly into place when He is good and ready to start talking.
    Thank you for this bit of hope, and I completely agree with everyone: I don't want to EVER stop hearing my baby talk to me!

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  12. I posted a video on my blog about teaching kids about Jesus. It shows Mikey joining in saying "this" and "yes". I think i could watch it forever and listen to him forever. There is something so breathtaking about his speech because its been such a wait and he works so hard for it.

    Max is just fabulous! He is full of the greatest energy. Im so grateful that you share your lovely family with us.

    http://www.playontheword.com/2010/09/the-big-fall-out-video/

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  13. *choked up* Beautiful words, indeed!

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  14. LOVE IT!!! I'm shocked you didn't say anything this morning :-)

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  15. Wooooohoooo!!! Way to go Max!!! Wonderful, wonderful news!

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  16. YYYAAAAAAYYYY Max!! Wow that is super! Sooo very happy for you and your family.
    Very glad you got a huge pick me upper...and thank you for spreading the joy...a big pick me upper for us - bringing us all some hope.
    We're riding a hope wave as our little one is almost 2 and just rolled from him back to his belly. We're going to try to keep riding this wave - and hope you stay on yours too!
    Yaaay Max!!!
    :) Rose

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  17. I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes after reading your story, Ellen. I am so excited for you and Max. What an awesome kiddo.

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  18. AWESOME!!! I'm with you (with the edge in my voice)...no, I would never get tired of it. I hope both of our kids are soon chatting our ears off, asking us billions of unanswerable questions and telling us their every thought. But you know, I'd also settle for just a few words, at this point. Still waiting over here for a decent no, but still hopeful!

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  19. Congratulations!!! So exciting!! Just sorry, you weren't there.

    My son had his stem cell infusion about 2 years ago..I have ALWAYS said that it helped his speech. Even his therapists at the time believed his speech improved!

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  20. Your wonderful Max! What a delight for you.
    Believe your friend, however. I recall reading that we spend the first few years teaching them to walk and talk--and the rest of their lives telling them to sit down and be quiet! An exaggeration, of course! But a smile for the day. I thank God every day for MY Max (grandson) who was born 8-9 weeks premature and despite predictions is now in regular school and doing great. He did spend ages 3 and 4 in a "Special" school that helped him get a super beginning.
    Please keep sharing the joys....

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  21. I am so excited you guys are so excited. One of the main reasons I started this blog was to inspire moms with younger kids—and Max definitely makes that possible. So, Mary, Rose, and everyone else, sharing the joys here is meaningful to me on so many levels. And Debbie, have faith: Addison is so young. And, yeah, I hope both our kids are talking their asses off someday. They can get on the phone or on Skype and talk all about us! Eeek!

    You know, Michele, I wasn't sorry I wasn't there; I don't care how or when Max talks to me, as long as he's doing it. Of course, I hope, I hope to hear more when I'm back. I'm greedy that way: I want more, more, more, more, more.

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  22. I am so thrilled for you (and Max)! This is just awesome news...and I have goosebumps just thinking of him saying that to you over the phone and how you must have felt.

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  23. Tears of happiness. What wonderful news. I can't just imagine you stopping on thebsidewalk, awestruck. Awesome.

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  24. OMG, Ellen, that's so awesome! Go, Max! xo

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  25. Hurray, yippee, wowza! Doing cartwheels, happy dance, grinning ear-to-ear! So happy for you and Max! Thanks for sharing.

    We just had a breakthrough this morning too - maybe something in the air?

    Wishing you lots more words!

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  26. It never fails to amaze me how some parents can their kids for granted. Way to go Max; keep talking.!!

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  27. Maybe listen to the phone conversation again with 'new ears'?

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  28. Love it, love it, love it!!!

    Also, glad you're letting yourself sleep for once!

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  29. Ellen Cj is 6 1/2 years old and is just starting to say some words perfectly too! He says Hello every morning now when he wakes up! He is also saying Ry his brothers nick name. I wrote a post about it.
    Way to go Max! How happy are we!

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  30. That is SO cool! Way to go Max! And can I say how jealous I am about the sleep you are getting?

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  31. This is so exciting, and I am so happy for you guys! Max is wonderful.

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  32. Just got the chills. So cool!!! And your night at the hotel sounds AMAZING. I'm jealous.

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  33. I am so excited for you and Max! What an amazing accomplishment!!

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  34. My little sister has a number of issues. She recently went on mesication for ADHD and now shs talks so much that she barely eats anything. It is truly an issue.

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Thanks for sharing!



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