My Cashew at 2 1/2

I've been planning to write this post for months, and I always seem to find a reason to put it off. I think part of my problem is there just seems to be too much to share...where to begin? Every single day, Anlon does or says something that just lights up my world. Since turning two in July, he has blown us away with how much he has developed. The most notable change has been in his communication. He just "graduated" from speech therapy two weeks ago, after meeting with our current therapist Reshma twice a week for the past 10 months (prior to this we were seeing a different therapist in St. Pete for several months). It is absolutely amazing how much he is talking. I couldn't have imagined how people now comment on how well he speaks. We've gone from making a list of words he could repeat after hearing to words he could say without prompting to not being able to keep track because he can now repeat any word and speaks in full sentences. What an answer to prayer this has been. We have learned so much from Reshma and are so grateful for her clinical excellence and commitment to Anlon's language development.

Some of the sweet things he says: When he's made a bad choice, he often says "I sorry for acting that way and talking that way." I've often told him that he's such a good helper, so now when I thank him for being good when we're at the store, he says "I such a good helper."  When we pray before meals, he thanks Jesus for things he sees on the table (we still sometimes use a couple of toys or books to encourage eating). So he'll say "Thank you Jesus for big purple Holly Shiftwell car, thank you Jesus for baby pig...". He says "you" instead of "me", so he'll say "Mommy to pick you up", "want Daddy to play with you". I call him Cashew (as well as Spud, Buggy, Bug, Little One) and Vipul calls him Peanut (as well as Potato, Biggie, Biggles, Monkey, Muncle, Monster, Senor Bigglestein, etc.). So he'll say "I Mama's Cashew and Daddy's Peanut."

He completed occupational therapy in January, after going twice a week for 11 months. I knew we were nearing the time when our therapist Janet would say that he no longer needed therapy, but I burst into tears on the day she told me. It was such a monumental moment for me as she explained that although there are things we need to continue to work on, Anlon has reached the end of his need for therapy at this time. After his initial struggles with feeding, our next greatest concern had been in the area of his fine motor skill development and appropriate play skills. I cannot put into words what a difference OT has made and Janet has been outstanding. I am a better mother because of her.

Anlon just began physical therapy two weeks ago to improve core and overall strength, but enough about therapy! I wanted to share some pictures of Anlon doing some of his favorite things. He loves spending time in our backyard and going on walks in our neighborhood. Most mornings, he asks "May I go outside please?" He loves to push either choo-choo train walker, Mater truck walker or shopping cart or pull wagons on our walks, while watching bugs, picking up acorns and crossing the street (he loves to cross the street). And he knows the drill - hold my hand, look left, right, left again and "make sure no cars are coming, no trucks are coming and no mommy's cars are coming" - not sure where he got the last part :)

Anlon still needs a medication for delayed gastric emptying (which he will hopefully outgrow soon) and an appetite stimulant, but he is eating better than ever before. He loves a variety of fruits and vegetables, including pomegranate (when they were in season, he often ate an entire pomegranate each day), brussel sprouts, and kale. He also loves whole-grain waffles (loaded with ghee and maple syrup), salami, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cheese sticks, spaghetti made with bowtie pasta, and scrambled eggs with cheese. I'm incredibly thankful that mealtime is actually an enjoyable experience for us now.

We've been blessed to have some very special friends that Anlon adores. He has a number of little buddies that he enjoys playing with, but there are a few that he sees more consistently and talks about them when they're not together and prays for them and their families.

Austin

Jack (although their faces aren't showing, this is my favorite of them)

Javen and Malachi (they've been in Uganda bringing home their new brother Moses and Anlon has really missed them!)

Matias

Norah Grace

Anlon still loves books and has memorized almost every page of some of his favorites. Over the past few months, he's most enjoyed It's Time To Sleep My Love (there were weeks when this was the book he chose every night), Kisses for Daddy (Vipul's rule is that only he can read this to Anlon :), This Little Prayer Of Mine, The Wide-Mouthed Frog, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and The Little Golden Bible Storybook (he really loves his Bible - it's so neat to see how God's truth can penetrate the heart of a child).

His favorite song right now is from the Seeds of Faith cd - "Grace (La-Di-Da)". Every time we get in the car, he says "I want to hear la-di-da song" and after we listen to it and the next song comes on, he says "Don't like this song. Want to hear la-di-da song again." Thankfully I like the song because right now we listen to it A LOT. He also loves a song about Noah's Ark from a cd that came with a book we have. For at least a month, he asked for me to sing the "Noah's Ark Song" every night before bed. The ABC song has also been a favorite and he's been able to sing it since our trip to KY in October when he learned it from his friends Makenzie and Camryn.

He has always loved his stuffed animals, but in the last month or so he's been even more interested in them. His favorites are Leo the lion and Tommy the tiger, and they are usually required to rock with us before naps and bedtime. Once in his bed, he asks for all of his animals to be placed on top of him - Leo, Tommy, Pooh bear, Edwin the rabbit, Haathi the elephant, Eagle, Sea Star, Airplane, and Blue bear.

Anlon and Vipul have developed quite a special bond and he gets SO excited when Daddy gets home from work at the end of the day. If Vipul gets home late a couple of days in a row and isn't able to see him before he goes to bed, Anlon gives him the cold shoulder and we have to make sure that they have quality time together asap. It's wonderful to see how Anlon learns different things from each of us and responds to us in different ways.

After a rough night, he couldn't stay awake until nap time.

He loves to hold Vipul's thumbs.

He could do this forever!

Here are a few pictures from some fun outings we've had.

The Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney

Lowry Park Zoo

The Florida Aquarium

Dear Anlon, 

There is honestly not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for you. If I ever doubt His goodness and grace, I just need to look at you. You are such a sweet, gentle, loving little boy. And you are so funny! Everyone who spends time with you walks away with more joy in their hearts than they arrived with. Your name means "Great Champion" and we believe God has a very special plan for your life. I pray that you will always know the love of Jesus and will always feel that love expressed by your Daddy and me. And I pray that as you continue to grow, you will grow as Jesus did, in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)
Love,
Mama