Happy Birthday Nate!

Nate's First Birthday

My sweet, second child turned 9 today!  He was as unexpected as my first, but at least this time I knew about my pregnancy at the very beginning.  We were moving into this house in October, and my sister came from out of state to help.  I was so tired that I kept falling asleep on the couch in between runs from the old house to the new house.

She mentioned "Maybe you're pregnant" and I blew it off as unlikely.  A couple days after she left, I had to tell her that she was right!! 

Colin wasn't a year old yet, and when Nathaniel was born a month early, that made them 18 months, less a day, apart.  Unlike his siblings, I wasn't sure of his name until he was born -- but now that he has been with us all these years, I know I chose the right name for him.  His name means "Gift of God" and this spirited and dedicated child is definitely another gift from God in our lives.

Nate is a young man that is conscientious, generous, kind and loving.  He is always quick to help others and doesn't shirk from hard work.  He has a sensitive spirit, although he likes to put on a face that he doesn't. He likes to work with his hands.  He loves the outdoors and heat. He is intelligent, and when he puts his mind to it, does very well on spelling tests.

He loves to play sports and looks forward to the start of the different seasons.  He is finishing up Little League this week and can't wait for club soccer this fall. He always tries his best and gives each sport his all!

He loves his family very much.  He and Lydia are so close that they often fight with each other, but you can see the love anyway. He and his brother are still extremely close, and I hope the three of them retain that closeness throughout their lives.

He chooses friends who are kind as well.  He is well-liked by his classmates, and teachers.

This year was his first in the school system, and he adjusted beautifully. His grades put him at the top of his class, and his great attitude made him a favorite of his teachers. He is still working hard at speech therapy and learning tools to lessen his stuttering.

He has blossomed into an advocate for the stuttering population by sharing his presentation videos, as well as always being willing to educate others about stuttering. He never lets him hold him back.

He is friendly and outgoing and while his stutter sometimes slows down conversations he never backs away from talking with others.

He's my child that I would choose to visit museums with, because he is thoughtful and interested when visiting them.  He likes to have the space, time and peace to fully appreciate the things around him.

I'm lucky that he still hugs me goodbye in the morning, and hugs me goodnight.  He won't kiss me out in public, but if I catch him in the moment sometimes he will still hold my hand.

Today I wish my "little one" a very Happy Birthday!  He celebrated with his friends yesterday, but today it's about family.  He requested lasagna for his birthday dinner and I was happy to make it for him!  It's been wonderful watching him grow through the years and I'm eager to see what he does next.

National Stuttering Awareness Week - Spoken Words

For National Stuttering Awareness Week, Nate wanted to make a video. For while I can write all the words I want -- the true picture of someone who stutters must include their spoken word.

Here's Nate talking about his stutter, giving advice to people who meet those who stutter, his take on the school year, his great 3rd grade teacher and our summer plans.

National Stuttering Awareness Week - The King's Speech

Nate came home from school today to a box from The Weinstein Company.  They were the production company for the movie, The King's Speech, and they sent Nate a movie poster that was signed by David Seidler!

They included a note thanking him for being such a big fan.  He was so excited to receive this surprise in the mail -- and how appropriate that it arrived during National Stuttering Awareness Week.

David Seidler is the screenwriter of The King's Speech, and we will be able to listen to him speak this summer!  Nate and I are attending the National Stuttering Association's Annual Stuttering Conference in Texas and he is the keynote speaker.  We are excited and can't wait to go.

I just asked Nate why he thought The King's Speech was a good movie and he said "Because it shows perseverance for people who stutter."  A great thing to remember every day!

National Stuttering Awareness Week -- May 9 - 14, 2011

This week begins National Stuttering Awareness Week.  If you've read my blog, you know that my son, Nate, stutters.  It does not define him, but it is obviously a part of him.  It's a characteristic that he cannot hide, unless he chooses not to speak -- and he has never chosen not to speak!

Around 1% of the population stutters, which is about three million people in the US.  That seems like a big number, until you realize that there are over 300 million people in the US.

Nate and our family are becoming advocates for the stuttering population.  The videos I've made and posted of Nate speaking have become learning tools for people all over the country.  I have received emails from professors, speech & language students, parents of stutterers and those who stutter sharing their stories and thanking Nate for sharing the information.  His presentation video about stuttering has been shared with countless students who stutter, as well as being used in presentations made by professors and SLP's.

I have been extremely fortunate as a blogger to work with a number of companies that have allowed us to review new products. All of my children enjoy making video reviews, and Nate is no exception.  He has never shied away from the chance to talk on camera, even though he stutters.  He has had the opportunity to connect with many others through these videos and I am very proud of him.

We have never treated his stutter like something bad -- it has always just been a part of him.  We have encouraged him to use the tools he learns to help control his stutter, but we know that he will probably always stutter.  That is just fine!

If you know someone who stutters, the best advice I can offer is to be patient and let them finish their sentences.  It's not that they can't remember the words they want to use, it's that the words they want to use are stuck and have a hard time being articulated. 

I'll be sharing more this week about stuttering and Nate, so stop back by!

Broken Toe

We topped off a busy and hectic week with a trip to Urgent Care. N was in our backyard and a piece of flagstone fell on his foot. There was blood and tears as I quickly loaded all 3 kids into the van for a trip to Urgent Care.

Thankfully, it was at a time when my sister was heading home from work, so she met us at Urgent Care. We switched cars and she brought C & L home while I stayed with N.

He was pretty hysterical, so they took us back right away and started taking care of him. I have nothing but good things to say about the NextCare in Apache Junction! They were wonderful with him - very gentle, kind and caring. Another staff member came with me to fill out the paperwork, so I didn't have to leave him alone.

The nurse practitioner that treated him was fantastic. Instead of a wheelchair, he just picked up N and carried him into the x-ray room. The x-ray showed a break, but it's not displaced and no chips were seen.

His toe was taped up, and I have a referral to a pediatric ortho next week to take another look at his toe. He was very brave through the whole thing, and was in great spirits last night. Until he realized that he won't be able to finish soccer and that was very distressing.

The pain set in during the night last night, and he had a very fitful night. This morning, he's in pain, taking medication, and watching shows. I was worried about keeping him quiet for a few days, but I think it'll be easier than I thought.

20 / 20

I took N for his well-child-visit today (just a couple months late!) He weighed 46 3/4 lbs and is 46 3/4 inches tall. How funny is that? His vision and hearing both tested as perfect, which upset C since he felt that he shouldn't be the only kid in the family wearing glasses. LOL!

No other issues, so it'll probably be a year until he visits again!

N is 6!

My second child turned 6 last week!

He has had a love of construction vehicles for most of his life, so when I saw this cake in a recent Family Fun magazine, I knew I had to make it for him this year! He loved it, and I'm happy with the way it turned out.

N has an enthusiasm for life, boundless energy, a positive spirit and a deep love for his family.

He has a strong attachment to a scruffy stuffed lamb named Mickey and has an imaginary friend named May who has been part of his life for as long as I can remember. He & his brother also have a very elaborate imaginary land that they play in called "MickeyLand" where the most amazing things occur (like a real dinosaur park, and the ability to fly!)

He loves to snuggle and is free with hugs and kisses. He has to be on the move at all times, and doesn't have much patience for anything that requires him to sit still. He loves to dig in the backyard and build small structures.

He is extremely helpful, and will be the first to volunteer when help is needed. He often runs through the house when he hears his name called, and shouts "At Your Service!!" when asked to complete a task. When L was born, he put himself in charge of making sure I always had a drink so I could have plenty of "mommy milk."

His brother is his best friend, and he can't fathom the idea of spending much time apart from him. He has told me all year that the only reason he bothers with the enrichment program is so that he can spend lunch and recess with his brother. He is the first to jump into my husband's arms when he comes home at night to welcome him home.

Six years ago we welcomed him into the world and I'm grateful to be his mom!

milestones

Last Wednesday, C lost his other front tooth while at his enrichment program. It has left him with a delightful gap-toothed smile.

Around the same time, L sprouted her 6th tooth -- giving her 4 across the top.

L's favorite game of the moment is peek-a-boo and she will spend countless minutes covering her head with whatever is nearby in hopes someone will squeal "peek-a-boo!!" Thankfully, her brothers are still enamored of her, so they comply quite regularly.

She showed me today that she knows how to climb when she climbed the stepstool someone had left in front of the pantry. Not 10 minutes later, she escaped out the back door and was crawling over the rocks to find the boys. I think she may be a little monkey.

She prefers sleepers without feet, mainly because she likes to hold onto her toes while she's nursing down at night. Footed sleepers frustrate that desire. Unfortunately, I bought a pack of 3 on clearance and can't find any more.

N is blossoming academically. He recently started a 1st grade math book and a 1st grade spelling book. He is clearly ready for both. His handwriting has gotten much better and he's willing to write in lowercase. His reading is getting better each day and he is able to get through early readers with very little assistance. He also complains MUCH less than a few months ago about doing schoolwork.

milestones

L's first tooth came through on Saturday. It's one of the lower front teeth, and I think that's why her cheeks are bright red at the moment (apparently bright red cheeks can be a symptom of teething.)

N asked DH to take off the training wheels on Saturday and is successfully riding his 2-wheeler! It took him about 10 minutes after the training wheels were removed to get the hang of it. Of course, he's still a bit wobbly, but he's doing great!