Observation room: JACK

OHHHHHH Jack.

So after the initial consultation next up for project "help Jack be the best Jack he can be" was an observation of Jack in the office.

Now, I use the word office loosely. Though the first room looks like a typical therapist's office, the connecting room is FULL of huge awesome cool toys. HUGE giraffe and elephant, bean bags, trampoline, slide, etc. etc. etc.

We knew Jack would be slow to warm - or, I assumed he would be. So I wasn't surprised that he kept quiet on the floor at first, albeit a little feistily flirty. He couldn't quite figure out if he should be mad to be there at first and Mona is way too approachable and happy and nice looking for him to resist being a LITTLE flirty. But, of course he didn't talk - duh, why would he? At least he wasn't crawling in my lap saying he wanted to go.

So we didn't entice him to talk there so off we go in the adjoining room. At first I sat back to see if the sheer fun of the place cracked his shell. BUT no. So Mona told me to go play with him. That is when it got very... striking.

I.E. I wasn't surprised he wasn't talking TO Mona. But at this point - all alone in that room with the sole purpose of observing Jack's demeanor where my son who has always been a chatterbox at home absolutely refused to speak and yet in every other way was playing and happy. He wouldn't say "NOOO Momma" in his joking voice when I suggested the banana went on my head and so on and so forth.

Mona asked if this was normal for Jack and I'd say yes, but honestly - I'd just never let it go this far. As in if we were somewhere he was uncomfortable I'd just hold him til he was warmed up or until we left or follow him around until we got the same result and so on and so forth. I considered a moment then shrugged and said, of course if Steve is present he wouldn't let it go this far in that he would take Jack and wrestle him until Jack's screams of protest became screams of joyful tickling pain. And then that would be the thing that basically "broke" Jack.

So I sit there. As our appointment time is nearing an end... and I think... oh CRAP stinking Steve is yet AGAIN going to be right even when it seems like he wasn't. SO I put on my Steve cap and instead of normal Mommy type play - I take Jack and throw him into the bean bags and tickle him mercilessly. When done he stands up and asks me where the trains are. I explain it's not my house, you have to ask Mona.

SO off Jack marches and clear as a bell asks Mona to please let him see the trains.

WHY OH WHY is Steve ALWAYS right? It is enough to drive someone batty.

After all that, I sat well away from Mona & Jack letting Mona do the voodoo that she does and marveling at how odd it all is.

Anyway so Mona, sharp as she is, takes full advantage of the 7 minutes that she has Jack speaking to her and is fully happy to say she's ready to sit down with us for an evaluation. She went ahead and reassured me that all the markers for you know basic normalcy and development are there he just happens to have you know... very little flexibility and all that.

I don't want to assume too much from what she said, so I'll give you all the full story next time we see her.

I just found the whole thing much more disconcerting than I expected to. It was so much eerier than it sounds when he just plain wouldn't talk. He would just point.

ANYWAY all the while along with this process Jack seems to have hit his stride somewhere/somehow and he's just been blossoming into super cuteness.