Update on Jackson after His Surgery/One Year Toddler's Bible?

The speech therapist came Tuesday and here is an update on where we are:

• She was very happy with his tongue movement from top to bottom but side to side is still not really moving near as far as she wants it to, so that is where using the Z-vib will help. I will be interested to see how weak his tongue is now after the surgery (before it was 90-95 percent weak which is a big reason why we decided to do the surgery)
  
• She agrees with me that his top lip frenulum being attached affected his speech as well because there was limited movement with his top lip for labial words. She says your checks, lips, tongue is all connected with speech and I am so glad we had both his top lip frenulum clipped as well as his tongue frenulum
• Just in case you are wondering what she does the hour that she is here goes like this:

1. She gets shaving cream on his hands and tries to stimulate a part of the brain that is usually not stimulates...this somehow helps with the part of the brain that deals with speech. He hates it usually and then she tries to get him to wash the ducky with the shaving scream
2. While still strapped in the high chair she uses the z-vib on his mouth going all on the outside of his checks and then especially on the inside side of his checks to get his tongue to move far from side to side.
3. Next, she moves to the floor to play usually using bubbles. She tries to get him to blow the bubbles and say combo words and sounds. Last time she tried to get my stubborn little boy to say "my turn." I was in the hallway listening to all of it because right now I am a distraction in the room. He said "my turn" and tear came running down my face. I am so glad see could not see me crying. I have never heard him say a "t" sound! I was so happy. He only said it one time though...haha
4. Finally she uses flash cards and ask him what he sees and tries to get him to say the animal or whatever it is correctly

If your child is struggle with speech, you can do most of this at home with your baby. I would highly recommend flash cards with pictures on it. It is a great time of learner for your toddler. Also, I would highly recommend Baby Babble DVD's. They have taught him how to make all kind of sounds, and Baby Babble 2 teaches a hundred words with the first sounds that a baby can say "p, b and m." I only let Jackson listen to educational dvd's in the car so he has seen these dvd's along with Signing Time dvd's a lot.

Jackson also has been making the "f" sound ever since he had the surgery which I have never hear him make. Overall, my speech therapist was very happy with his movement of his tongue and lips and really thinks that he can now say most all of the first words a child gets. Now comes the hard part, breaking Jackson of his bad speech patterns. A lot of times, I think he just does not want to say the word even though I know he can. Please pray that God give Jackson a desire to now talk and that God will show Jackson that he is now able to make the sounds he could not make before the surgery.

His eating is so much better as well! Also, now when he gets upset and cries real hard his tongue moves to the top of his mouth which it has never done (praise the Lord Abigail's tongue moves to the top of her mouth because short frenulum is hereditary).

Daily, we are using the Z-vib in the high chair while his favorite show is on to distract him. Also, I am now reading The One Year Children's Bible to Jackson before he goes down for a nap. It does pictures for most stories. It is probably way to advance for him but it is a short little summary of a major Bible story every day. He was trying to read my One Year Bible with me one day and so I got him the best one year Bible out there for little ones that I could find. Another new invention: The One Year Toddler's Bible. I know how to read to toddlers now, so today we studied about Balam and his donkey and there was actually a picture of the donkey and he said donkey for me and I explained how God spoke through the donkey after I was done reading. Do you know of a One Year Toddler's Bible or One Year Preschool Bible? What is your favorite Bible that you read to your little one? We have ordered a new Bible to read to him before her goes to bed called "My Very First Bible" for toddlers and I will let you know how I like it.

Thanks again for loving and praying for Jackson!