My wonderful Nathan

My dear Nathan. My dear hard working Nathan. We had a great speech appointment again today, and Debra, our dear sweet SLP, told us that she would like to administer the "big" test again at the end of the month, and depending on his score (which Debra anticipates to be at the very top of the charts) and if we feel comfortable with his speech levels, Nathan could be finished with therapy.

Not only can we see the light at the end of this very long tunnel, but we can actually see the end. I am amazed. I am so proud of my boy. He has worked very hard to reach this level. His ability to concentrate at the ripe ol' ages of 2 and 3 has blown me away. He has learned so much more from Debra than just his sounds. His interactions with others overflow with Debra's positive influence. Her example to Nathan and to me has forever changed us.

Watching him grow over the last 18 months has been an amazing experience. His confidence has just exploded. He is proud to tell people that he goes to visit Debra. It has been such a positive thing for him. I have seen him fall asleep on the way home from a session because he is so completely exhausted from working so hard. I have seen him cry because we had to cancel a session. During many sessions, I have seen him concentrate so hard and keep trying when I know many people, and certainly little children, would have given up. Nathan is an amazing worker.

I have seen him struggle to produce a sound for days and then see the absolute joy on his face when it finally clicked. One of my favorite things to hear during a speech visit was: "Mom! I did it! I made my sound!"

And so Nathan, to quote a great lady whom we have grown to love and will miss dearly, "Great job! You did it!"