Mother's Day 2011, say what??

Mother's Day 2007

Mother's Day 2011

So blogger.com had some technical difficulties and any blog posts that were made after Wed got deleted! They said they would restore them all, but I have a feelin it just ain't gonna happen. It kept the pics from my Wednesday blog post, but not anything I'd written. It's hard to remember all that I wrote but I do remember telling about something that happened with Chase.
I was pumping gas on Saturday night (day before Mother's Day) and Chase rolled down his window so I turned around to face him and before I could say anything he said "Hi Mom!"
Immediately Allie and I both said to each other.."DID YOU HEAR THAT?? CHASE SAID HI!"

Ok, you may be thinking, "whoopdeedo and big deal, you're kid said Hi to you". But it was a big deal, because it was the first time my son, who will turn 6 yrs old next month, has ever said hello to me.
For years now, we say Hi to Chase and then have to prompt him to say hi back, and what he always says is "Hi Chase" because that's what he just heard you say. So then we would say, "No Chase, say Hi (insert name here) and then he would repeat what he was told to repeat. I always cringe a bit when people say hello to him in the grocery store or somewhere like that because I feel like I have to explain why he flat out ignores them, as they stand there waiting for a hello back. Chase isn't being a bratty child, he just doesn't say Hi back because he doesn't understand/comprehend that it's the socially acceptable thing to do!
I just can't express how when he said hi to me. It is so profoundly rewarding to see years of working with Chase on something finally click. The thing I love about having a child with autism, is that when they learn something new, no matter how small, the joy you feel is beyond describable, because you know it's a step closer to them being able to live and function in a "normal" world. Every little thing they accomplish is HUGE, and the pride you feel as their parent is HUGE because these things do not come easily or naturally for them in most cases.
Do you know how amazing it was to have Chase walk through the door on Monday after school and have him come right up to me and say "Hi Mom"
Or the next day when i walked into a room, and I wasn't ignored by him when I said Hello, but was greeted with a smile and a hello back? Do you have an almost 6 year old child? Have you had to wait for all that time to engage with them like this? Because I have, and it was hard waiting. Everything is baby steps with autism, and teaching Chase to say Hello was another baby step that I will appreciate for as long as I live. As a parent, you want more than anything to engage with your child, to have them understand and know how much you love them.
When it comes to your children, never take the baby steps for granted, because it's those small steps that lead them to greatness.