OT: BIG BRAG!!!! FINALLY got a reactive laugh from TJ!!!!

[martikadragoon]

Ok this is a little ot but I wanted to share. As some of you know TJ is 8 months but is still VERY behind. He has yet to give us a reactive smile OR a laugh....

Well, friday with his teacher, he gave out his first big gummy smiles.... probably about 10x....

Then today I was playing with him. I grabbed his arms while he's on his back, and bounced him gently but quickly by pulling on them, making him bounce......... I noticed I was getting smiles, but no laugh.

So I got his blanket and flipped it over him, saying "where's TJ???".... Then I'd flip it back and he'd smile... after about the 4th time he actually LAUGHED!!!!!!

I got to see my baby's first true laugh! It was so cool. I feel like we've waited forever for this! I can't wait to show DH when he gets home! hopefully TJ'll be in a good enough mood to do it!

We got a video of it (my brother shot it) and it got accidentally erased from my camera as I tried to view it... I'll get another later and post on youtube or something!!! it was ADORABLE!
(i have a HUGE grin on my face right now!)

Cindie

[martikadragoon]

Grandmatobe~ no I hadn't seen it. I wish I would've. I think maybe I can go to the website and watch it there... I'll have to look.

thanks ladies! I've tried to get him to do it today... but he's just smiled a few times. We had a bunch of Dr.;s appointments today, and he didn't get his hearing test because he's gotta have his ears cleaned out. But we have that scheduled for June. TOO LONG. lol

Try looking up this movie> Mr. BlueSky..... It's beautiful!

[GRose]

That's GREAT, I am so glad you were there to see it. Congrats!!!

[Lance06]

I saw that movie too....its on Lifetime. Good movie..

[Grandmatobe]

Yes, that was the name of the movie.  It was a fabulous movie and shows you how wonderful and warm-hearted DS children/adults can be.  It really moved me......

[justice6920]

Awwww that is sooo great! Its the most precious thing to hear your baby laugh!! Congrats!

[Wendy80]

It was called "Memory Keeper's Daughter".  I know exactly which one you are talking about b/c they showed the commercials ALL the time here in CT.  I never did watch it (it looked too sad for me).  I bet it was a bittersweet-type movie, like you said.

[Grandmatobe]

That is so sweet and precious - - I hope he did it again for DH last night....congrats on the wonderful progress.

On another note Cindie, since you are close to me here in CA, did you by any chance catch a Lifetime movie this weekend about the girl with Down's Syndrome?  It was about a doctor and his wife, who had delivered twins in 1964 and one of them had DS, so the doctor asked the nurse to send her to an institution, because back then, they thought the child wouldn't live very long.  The doctor told his wife that the baby had died.   The nurse ended up raising the little girl herself, in secret, and it took you through the next 22 years.  In the end, the father figured out that his "perfect" son wasn't so "perfect", and his DS daughter was the sweetest thing ever.  The wife found out 22 years later that her daughter was still alive after all these years.

It was sad to watch, but also happy, because this special little girl was so sweet and thoughtful and had such an innocence to her.  It was a wonderful movie - - I wish I could remember the name of it.......

[martikadragoon]

Thanks ladies!

and wendy~ yea it is the best!!! With TJ we're sure he can't hear the "where's TJ".... But I do it just in case. plus, I want him to get used to seeing my lips move because if he can wear hearing aids, it'll take a while to get him fit (he'll be  a couple yrs old at least)
So I want him used to it. I also sign it.

We don't get smiles yet when we startle him, but I'm sure that's soon to come.

I called DH at work to tell him. (he had to work overtime 2 hrs) and he can't wait to see. luckily he's off tomorrow so I can show him. (and his therapist!)

Cindie.

[Wendy80]

Oh, isn't that the best?!

I'm glad you finally got to experience that with your little T.J.!  And the blanket over the face thing was (is) definitely a big hit with my daughter... basically a silly version of "peek-a-boo".  And I don't know if this applies to all babies (or perhaps my daughter is just a fruit-loop), but the biggest smiles and laughs we get from her are when we startle her.  I'm not talking about scaring the poop out of her... but doing something sudden with a quick, excited noise almost always gets her going.  She used to love when I would duck down below the changing table so she couldn't see me and then I'd hop up real quick and say "There's the baby!"  =)

If you can get it on video again, please do share that with us... vsentz shared a video of her daughter giggling at her dog and it's just so great to see!  But when it's your own child, it's just infectious, isn't it?  =)

[blueeyedtabbycat]

That is great!! I still remember the first time Dalton smiled and laughed!! You never forget:) Now that he has started it will only get better:)