Henry Update: Cleared For Takeoff!

. . . of his speech services, that is. Henry had his five-week scheduled checkup today with his surgeon. He was a little bit nervous, and ran around the waiting room working off some anxiety. Either that or he was just being two.

He got to sit in the big patient's chair.

"Oh, no. Will the doctor finally let me eat potato chips and other crunchy goodies?"

As it turns out, there was no need for fretting. My big boy is completely healed! Only time will tell if he needs further surgery, but as of now, Henry's mouth is looking great. The doctor even laid Henry down and asked him to open his mouth. He asked Greg and I to hold him down, but we didn't have to--Henry laid down and opened his mouth up really wide, just like the doctor asked. "I didn't even have to use the tongue depressor!" the doctor exclaimed.

Our doctor recommended we take Henry to the cleft palate clinic for a team meeting and a speech evaluation so that when he ages out, we have recommendations for additional speech services.

 At our doctor's office there was the coolest winter/Christmas display that the boys loved.

Best of all, Henry's been cleared to resume speech services. We're hoping the hypernasal speech goes away and he talks normally within a few years, and without further surgery. That will just depend on time and chance.

I think my favorite thing that happened today was this evening, though. Henry came down from napping and saw that I was crying. (Stress, broken car, hormones, you know, the usual.) He came up and turned on our "Happy Light" designed for people with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Then he hugged me and pointed to the light. "Happy Light make you happy. Be happy." How sweet is that?

If you couldn't guess, Henry's pointing at the Happy Light. They turn it on all the time. 

Just so Nick doesn't feel neglected, I think I'll do a post about some of the progress he's been making. I'm proud of both of my boys, and Nick has completed some noteworthy tasks.