a ben boy update

over the course of the past three years, i have worried about so many things with ben.
his ability to breastfeed, then his heart surgery, his muscle strength, his ability to comprehend.
i remember a time when i worried when he would be able to hold his head up!
it seemed like it took forever.
and then, with crawling and walking and climbing.
worry, worry, worry.

lately, my worry has turned towards his speech.
he gets speech therapy twice a week due to his delays. he can sign about 50 signs or more, and every once in a while he will say daddy and mama and a few other words, but for the most part he is non-verbal.
God, i hate that word.
non-verbal.
yuck.

i dream of the day that we can have a conversation or he will wake up and say "good morning mommy!"

just like with other things, it's been so hard to WAIT.

but yesterday, oh yesterday, was a huge breakthrough!
ben said so many words! it was CRAZY!

book, more milk (together!) , cow, mooooooo, shoes, fish, night night, yea!, go, and he even tried to say i love you!
it's so funny because normally this change would send me right off the deep end into a big sobbing mess. but not this time.
i just sat there with the biggest, silliest grin on my face.

my boy spoke to me.

it's not "good morning mommy" just yet, but it's a giant leap forward for him.
and i am so excited for the conversations that will come.
because they will.
and i can wait a little longer.

and one more thing...ben's latest trick? opening the pantry and grabbing a snack!
door knobs? easy peasey lemon squeezey baby!