"Get up!"

So while I was busy at work tonight, the guys were having a great time at home. Some lucky little ducky got a water table for Easter and was been spending the past two sunny days splashing around on the front porch. (I don't know where this weather came from but I love it!)

They rode Tom's bike around the driveway and they ran up and down the hill along the side of the house. After all this excitement my husband Derek was ready for a little break so they came inside to play in the living room. 

We can steer it from behind while Tom takes care of ringing the bell.

Derek barely got to sit down before Tom was tugging at his hand, trying to get him up and playing again. Tom tugged at his hand and said, "Go!" Derek tried to get him to sit down for a bit but Tom was insistent; "Go!" Finally, Tom had to bring out the big guns - his words! Tom pulled at Derek's hands again and said, "Get up!" 

Are you getting the WOW? Tom has never said those words before, and in general, he doesn't speak very much at all. He says about 15 words and uses several signs (all done, more, yes, no, stop) to communicate. And he could have just said "Up", but he said, "Get up!" I am so impressed. 

It just makes me even more sure that there is so much going on inside of his head that we don't even know about yet. For the longest time my husband and I have felt that Thomas has words and phrases in his brain that he just won't let out for some reason. It leaves you feeling both frustrated and hopeful at the same time. As a parent, I want to think the words and potential for speech is in Tom. I know he understands exactly what I am saying because he has the appropriate emotional response to what I am saying and often follows commands or shows that he understands by his actions. 

There have been several times where he has unexpectedly blurted out a long phrase and stunned us. A couple months ago my husband mentioned that he was going to get Tom's food together for a g-tube feed. Thomas was sitting on the couch and said, "Oh, you need me now?" We just looked at each other in shock, not quite believing what we had heard. But we both heard the exact same thing... 

This guy is a little mystery!