Hard work

When Shea was younger than 3 or so he had no words. He grunted, pointed, squeaked and was mono-syllabic. He made a sound that I always visualized as "ACK" or sometimes "OCK". Remember Bill the cat? Didn't he say "ACK!"?

I remember Shea would make these 'hard work' sounds; like grunting from exertion.

Even when something wasn't really heavy or hard to do, he would make the sound for added emphasis? Or maybe because it was just a comfortable, easy sound for him to make.

Later, at 3 1/2 he would say his first word "up" while lying on his back and pushing Bubbles hands up with his feet. "UP!" Hard work, guttural, deep from inside his torso.

From that day on, little by little, it has come. Sounds, words and phrases; they are there, accumulate quickly and are still coming. Even though, at times they sure are hard to pin down.

The other day Bubble said she only imagines he will need Speech for another 2 years or so. I had been thinking 5 more years. She said that he will probably need help with some school work or extra tutoring down the road but, honestly, who doesn't? That we can sure do.

Now, he still makes the hard work noise not just for emphasis, but to ham it up or to make a joke or to act like a super hero.

Which he is.