Afternoon

Kristen....you rock!! Thanks for helping me and typing updates while I am out with Anderson!

I have the sweet angel to bed tonight. He is sleeping soundly. Anderson was tired after his exciting day.

In the therapy session this afternoon....he said "Hi" clear as day to someone at the center. A therapist 3 rooms away in the center (which looks like an beautiful older red brick home) heard him say it! She yells "I HEARD THAT" from the other room! It was crystal clear! AMAZING!

Also, as Anderson was doing his program today....it sounded to me and his 2 therapists in the room that he repeated 4 letters of the alphabet after the therapist said them. Example, she said, "I"...he said "I", etc! It happened 4 times today!

Tonight, when we got back to the hotel...he started jumping around. He had 2 feet off the ground. He could not do this prior to today....the proof....his current IEP has a physical therapy goal to jump by June 2011!! No kidding!

They taught him a song and the motions to the song this afternoon. He came back to the hotel and was doing the motions with me and ANTICIPATING the motions of what was coming next in the song!! This is HUGE for him too! He does not typically imitate gross motor movements...much less anticipate and recall them!!

My Mom drove down today to see us and help me. It is so nice to have her to witness all of this and help me!! She was reading a book with Anderson and there was a turtle! My Mom made a "chomping" motion with her hands (as like an easier way to snap...hard to explain)...anyway, Anderson copied it right away...and is still recalling it hours later! NO kidding!

I am not sure what to say. If I left today, I was would be elated with his progress in the 5.5 hours of therapy he has rcvd thus far! One of the therapists said this afternoon, "This is the best Monday I have ever seen a student have!" I told her I did not believe her :) LOL!! She said, "no, really!" I was so excited to hear this!

Anderson has sat on the potty 4-5 times today. No more "successes", but he is trying. This is more trying than he has done in the past month in total!! It is amazing that he's had the attention, and patience to even be trying it! IT amazed me! I prayed to my Grandma this morning....to give me a sign...and I believe this was my sign! ;) Anderson behavioral therapist (who would be the one to help Anderson with us)...sent me a text and said, she was SHOCKED at his success today....if that is proof...she is our witness for this ;)

I feel so at peace! I feel like we are moving in such a postive direction for our little man. He is so so happy!

MORE INFO ON HOW I HEARD ABOUT THE PROGRAM!! So, a soroity sister, sweet friend from college and I reconnected via facebook about 9 months ago. She knew a tiny bit about Anderson. She sent me an email and told me to call her RIGHT AWAY! Considering I have not spoken to her in 12 years (we lost touch after school)....I SAID TWELVE YEARS!!! I could not imagine what was going on...so, I call her! She asks me about Anderson. I explain everything about him to her! (It was so nice to hear Allie's voice!) Anyway, she was BUSTING with joy and told me about a program that came into her life and she thought of me! Allie was at her uncle's funeral and met a long distance relative that had a business that helped children with learning disabilities and more recently helping children with autism. Allie thought of me and called me. This is where we are....Charlie and I felt that this literally FELL out of the sky into our lives and we needed to RUN with it!

Here I am in Georgia......

(BTW, people move very slow here!!! LOL! The therapists are all little spit fires...full of energy and kind, loving and move fast. However, the people at starbucks, walmart, subway, etc...move SLOOOWWWW! VERy different from our neck of the woods!!)

Thanks for the continued prayers.....we appreciate them!!!

XOXOXO