Baby Cale finally said, "pretzel!" Actually what he said was, "Ah-eah!" Close enough. It got him the pretzel!
Cale has always made sounds. He even said some words at one point in time, but that was a long time ago. Then he lost those words down some neurological laundry shoot and they never came back. I know he can count to ten. Sometimes I hear him whispering to himself, "One, two, tree, fou, fi, sik..." But he has NEVER looked at another person and attempted communication before. It was the first time my son has EVER asked me for something.
I started to cry giant rolling tears I couldn't hold back and I slipped that pretzel into his mouth faster than the speed of light. He blinked his eyes and began to chew slowly while the realization of the new found power lit up his whole face. Then he said it again and got another pretzel, then again and another etc. He said it each time without crying, and he quickly realized that it was his sounds that where getting him the goods.
My baby! He asked me for a pretzel!
It happened in our one on one therapy session with the ABA therapist at SARRC. She smiled and clapped and said, "Good job Cale!" with the same amount of enthusiasm she has to show to each and every client all day long. God bless those therapists. Shane asked her on the way in if she had any kids and she said, "Uh NOOooo!!" and then quickly catching herself continued, "maybe some day."
Later on I found myself realizing that if I'd worked there before I had kids, I never would have had any. And I never would have known the pure and total elation of having my son ask me for a pretzel.
