Finding Ninee » Sharing our parenting and special needs stories with heart and humor.

Happy dance time!  We have a new, perfectly pronounced word coming from Tucker’s cute little lips.  “Open!”  In the past, he’s said “stuck” when he wants us to open the rear of a truck, the cockpit of an airplane or (since Halloween) a Kit Kat package.  He’ll answer with “that” or “yes” when we ask […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Henriette - Like like like! Yay you Tucker!!! 🙂November 9, 2012 – 12:06 amReplyCancel

  • Julie - excellent – nice work Kristi and Tucker! and what exactly does “mommy go do bubbles?” refer to?!!November 9, 2012 – 12:26 amReplyCancel

    • admin - Thanks, Julie! “Mommy go do bubbles” means mommy and Tucker go to the backyard and blow bubbles. It’s a favorite thing.November 9, 2012 – 10:16 amReplyCancel

  • Sara - Yaay, Tucker! Plosives are hard. Good on him!
    ….and btw, Calliou actually isn’t that hard, phoneme-wise. It just seems like it’d be hard b/c it’s tricky to spell (i.e. it LOOKS hard).
    So how is he with B sounds? Or T sounds: can he say his own name well?

    Hurray for Tuck, hurray for you, and hurray for the behavioral method!November 9, 2012 – 10:13 amReplyCancel

    • admin - Thanks Sara! B sounds are awesome. With T sounds, it varies. When he sees the letter T, he says “Tee!” and knows it’s for Tucker. He’ll also ask for TV on. He stumbles on his name a little bit and says it really quietly like he’s not confident about it. And I think Tucker is sort of hard to say, especially with the “ck” which is rarely pronounced correctly (in fact, the only word I can think of where it is pronounced correctly is “stuck”).November 9, 2012 – 10:20 amReplyCancel

  • MomboMombo - Open! – this opens the floodgate – more words will be spoken every day!!!
    yippeeee!November 9, 2012 – 8:10 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - Yipppeee indeed. Although when I proudly bragged about this to his teacher, she wrote back something along the lines of “oh well I’m glad he modeled this word at home, he’s been using it here for months.” WTF.November 9, 2012 – 10:33 pmReplyCancel

      • Sara - Maybe you should ask the teacher what other words he regularly says with ease, and more importantly, which ones SHE’S noticed he stumbles on. Then you can work on the ones he fumbles and also would know which ones he’s faking not being able to say b/c he says them at school. (Not that he’s a faker, but some words may be circumstantial for him and you could get him comfortable saying them anywhere.)November 11, 2012 – 6:51 pmReplyCancel

        • admin - Sara, she’s usually really good about letting me know. We have a notebook in Tucker’s backpack that she writes in every day. I was just annoyed as we started working on “open” back this summer BEFORE school. I thought it was a breakthrough and she’d already heard it. But you’re right, there are definitely words that are circumstantial. And he’s sometimes a faker.November 11, 2012 – 7:48 pmReplyCancel

We had a follow-up appointment with the developmental pediatrician yesterday.  Before going, I was nervous and looking forward to gaining further insight as to why Tucker has a speech and language delay, and whether he’s on the autism spectrum.  While it was encouraging to hear that the doctor noticed a lot of improvements, even going […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Jennifer - Sometimes it’s ok to worry about Tucker too just because others have it worse doesn’t mean you can’t fight for him it’s ok!November 8, 2012 – 2:47 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - That’s true, Jennifer! Thanks for the perspective and you’re right. I’ll always worry about him, no matter what. I just don’t want to dwell on the speech delay (as I sometimes do) with worry, as we’re so blessed that he’s healthy! Thanks for the comment.November 8, 2012 – 2:48 pmReplyCancel

  • admin - And yes, to the question I just got about this photo being Photoshopped. I didn’t bother to include a shadow so it’s pretty obvious. Was just trying to make a point. Thanks for visiting! 🙂November 8, 2012 – 2:49 pmReplyCancel

  • Sara - So sweet! Yes, your grass IS green! …in fact, it’s sorta unnaturally bright, even neon, green. I might question whether it’s safe for Tucker to play on it. ;’)

    Being grateful for what you have is definitely a strong point; things can almost always be worse. Tucker is a great kid and you’re lucky to have him.November 8, 2012 – 3:32 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - Ha ha! Our grass sucks so I had to use this from an image bank. I suppose I could have made a shadow, and made the grass more realistic. But the fact is this: I’m lazy.November 8, 2012 – 6:17 pmReplyCancel

  • Sara - Hey, has Tuck been doing the blow-through-a-straw exercises?
    Do you think that’s been helping?November 8, 2012 – 3:32 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - You know what Sara, I actually totally forgot about the blowing through the straw thing (insert guilty face here). We do have him blow a lot though, mostly to make pinwheels spin. Honestly, I don’t think it’s as much his mouth muscles, but since I have no idea, I’m going to do a better job of getting him to blow through the straws. I can’t believe I forgot about that one! Oof.November 8, 2012 – 6:16 pmReplyCancel

When we first realized that my son Tucker has a speech and language delay, and that it may be autism, my heart broke a little bit.  I had to grieve and let go of my Imaginary Tucker.  The son that I’d imagined him to be.  After that initial sadness and grief, I wanted answers.  I […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • admin - And really, look at that mouth. Is it BEAUTIFUL or what?!!?!?? Tis. Indeed…November 6, 2012 – 10:26 pmReplyCancel

    • Sara - It really IS a gorgeous mouth. He is quite stunning at times…
      (as is his mother, of course)November 8, 2012 – 3:34 pmReplyCancel

      • admin - Aww. Maybe it’s just hormones but I’m totally verklemped. Thank you Sara.
        Is that how to spell verklemped? Hm.November 13, 2012 – 10:47 amReplyCancel

  • Looking for Blue Sky - He is so handsome – wishing you the very best in building your community and I hope it helps him xxNovember 10, 2012 – 4:15 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - Thank you so much! I do, too.November 13, 2012 – 10:48 amReplyCancel

  • mdbc77 - when Patty began preschool, about two weeks after her third birthday, she had a very limited vocabulary. she may have had twenty words, if that. i had no idea what to expect for her in the way of educational gains. but, fast forward to age six and she has amazed us. sure, she’s not talking/socializing as well as the other kids in her class. but, who cares! one of the first graders stopped me in the hall this morning to tell me that she got a new kitten and named it sexy. i am super relieved that Patty does not use the word sexy!November 13, 2012 – 10:29 amReplyCancel

    • admin - HA! That’s too funny about being glad Patty doesn’t use the word sexy (and what little kid names a kitty “Sexy” anyway?
      I’m relieved to hear that your daughter has come so far. Is she in a typical class?
      Thank you so much for visiting the blog! I appreciate it and should mention that I get crazily ecstatic when I see that I have a new comment, and even more so when it’s from a new visitor! 🙂November 13, 2012 – 10:50 amReplyCancel

  • Jen - Stumbled on your blog this evening while googling info about my almost three-year-old little boy who sounds an awful lot like your Tucker. We have been with EI and speech therapy for almost a year now and like you, know that our sweet Logan is not typical, but also doesn’t quite fit the Autism spectrum. He too has language/social/emotional delay and I have felt like we don’t quite fit in anywhere right now. Just wanted to say thanks for your blog–it was just what this mom’s tender heart needed tonight.November 13, 2012 – 10:54 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - Hi Jen, I’m so happy to meet you and thank you HUGE for finding us and commenting. It’s frustrating (to say the least) to not have a diagnosis, but I believe there are probably lots of us…we just don’t know how to find one another.
      I’d love to hear more about your story if you feel like sharing it. When I started this, I thought I’d have a whole section on stories like ours…but then realized how hard it’d be to actually find one another. So thank you huge for the comment. And if we can compare notes on therapy or whatever, I’d love to…November 13, 2012 – 11:47 pmReplyCancel

      • admin - And the fact you found us through Google is awesome news as it means we’re finally a “real” website 😉November 13, 2012 – 11:56 pmReplyCancel

  • Important Site - When someone writes an piece of writing he/she keeps the thought of a user in his/her brain that how a user can be aware of it.
    Therefore that’s why this piece of writing is amazing. Thanks!March 30, 2013 – 2:26 amReplyCancel

It melts me to watch Tucker’s focused concentration while playing with and launching his Blue Angels.  He loves them.  He flies them from their aircraft carrier at the base of the stairs to the kitchen counter, to the table and to the couch.  Although he’ll ask for them if he can’t find them (“Bwue An-gos?”), […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Sara - So sweet and very touching…November 6, 2012 – 9:41 amReplyCancel

While worrying about Tucker’s dental health, speech delay, sleep schedule and general well being, it occurs to me how focused I get on a particular worry.  Like, borderline obsessive.  I have to remind myself how quickly each moment passes.  I can remember being utterly freaked out when my milk hadn’t yet come in, crazily documenting […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Cathy - The time flies by way too quickly. All of a sudden your kid is 32!! And guess what, he’ll love you back despite all the mistakes you make. Chill!November 5, 2012 – 11:30 amReplyCancel

    • admin - Cathy, thanks for the reminder. 32 seems like so far off, but so did three, just three short years ago. It does fly, doesn’t it? Thank you for commenting! I really appreciate it.November 5, 2012 – 5:20 pmReplyCancel

  • Love&Giggles - How I adore you and love you more. take a chill pill sister, you are a wonderful mother and it shows!!!!November 5, 2012 – 6:45 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - Ha! Thanks, I guess. You had to admit it made you laugh though. Especially about Robert not using the loofah on his ass. I know you laughed at that. I know it.November 5, 2012 – 7:09 pmReplyCancel

  • Sara - So with your timeline perspective do you find that you freak out any less? Knowing that this too shall pass? We feel what we feel when we feel it. It is b/c we love so strongly that we care so very much what happens to our love.

    You are certainly not alone in your freakouts….November 6, 2012 – 9:44 amReplyCancel

    • admin - Sara, of course I don’t freak out any less. But it does help to hope that someday worrying about Tucker’s speech delay will be like worrying whether I’d know when my milk was in. And you’re so right. We feel what we feel when we feel it. Silly or justified, it just is. Thank you for your comment!November 6, 2012 – 6:12 pmReplyCancel

  • Henriette - Ok, so I am still trying to recover from the loofah part… 😉November 6, 2012 – 2:19 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - I’m mean. Poor Robert, huh?November 6, 2012 – 6:10 pmReplyCancel

On Halloween, I shared that I was nervous about the way in which people might react to Tucker not being able to say “Trick or treat!”  Since that post, I’ve had a few inquires asking how he did.  Here’s his Halloween Report Card. Also, I’d like to say that trying to be thoughtful backfired on […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Jennifer - OMG you are so funny. I love he tried to see people’s cats! I think you are cool for sharing all this. Tucker is very handsome too!November 3, 2012 – 7:29 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - Thanks Jennifer! 🙂November 4, 2012 – 4:21 pmReplyCancel

  • Cathy - All in all, a good night, huh?November 4, 2012 – 1:27 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - Cathy, yes, all in all it was a great night 🙂November 4, 2012 – 4:20 pmReplyCancel

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