Anything for a Doughnut!

Camryn wanted a doughnut yesterday at church and asked if she could go get one by herself. She walked out of the sanctuary and into the lobby area and got one... all by herself, with no prodding on our parts. Our church building is small for the number of people that attend, so she walked through a crowd of people to do this! I'm wondering if the medication is kicking in or not. Today will be the fourth day.

Feeling Very Special!

Camryn had a wonderful birthday yesterday. It wasn't that she had this huge outlandish party with tons of presents and tons of people. (We are having a little "get together" later with a couple of friends). But without a doubt, I could tell that she really felt special. One of the things that made her feel special was Mrs. Tami coming over to bring her a gift, and along with it, the most special letter filled with encouraging words and scripture. And while we were at CiCi's Pizza, Camryn received a message from Mrs. Fathauer wishing her happy birthday. What a blessing it is to have these two wonderful ladies from church take a special interest in my child! For the SM child, building trusting, loving relationships with other adults is invaluable!

Good News!!!

I had a consultation with Camryn's pediatrician this morning. I took in all my internet findings, research, books, etc. with the intent of convincing him to consider prescribing an anti-anxiety medication for her. He listened very intently to all that I had to say and agreed! In previous discussions, he didn't seem very comfortable prescribing anything like this. So, this is an answer to prayer. If there's a small dosage of a medication that can decrease her anxiety level, and ultimately lead to her talking at school, then why in the world would we not give it to her? By the way, today is her 9th birthday. What a wonderful birthday present... a chance to lessen her anxiety/fears/worries. Please continue to pray for her.

Also, because it is her birthday today, I went to the school and had lunch with her. You should have seen her when she saw me standing at the end of the hall with a Quizno's bag in hand... smiling from ear to ear. How joyful it makes me to see her happy! We had a great lunch together. At first she would only communicate non-verbally. Then eventually, she would whisper in my ear, while looking around to see if any of her classmates were looking. Of course they were. Certain little well-wishing friends stopped by to say "happy birthday," and she just smiled. Of course, I said "thank you" for her... what else could I do? A little boy sat next to me and proceeded to ask me questions about Camryn like, "Does she talk at home?" I responded in the usual way, "Yes, all the time, non-stop!" I love to see their reactions when I say this, total amazement/disbelief. After lunch we went out on the playground. I asked her what she usually did at recess. It broke my heart when she pointed to a bench and said she usually just sits there. So, we walked around on the playground and swung on the swings until recess was over. After several hugs and kisses goodbye, she returned to her line to go back to class. It was such a blessing to get to take off work to be with her today.

To Be or Not to Be... A Flower Girl

Camryn has been asked to be a flower girl in my cousin's wedding. She immediately said no. When I asked her to think about it, she said, "I'll think about it... NO!" She said that it would be just as bad as being asked to talk in front of a bunch of people. As a mother, I would LOVE to see my daughter be a flower girl in a wedding. My cousin who is getting married was a flower girl in my wedding, so Camryn being a flower girl in her wedding would be very special. I'm going to pray that she reconsiders.

A Day Out With a Friend

Saturday, Camryn spent the day with a friend from school. She had only talked to this friend once or twice on the phone but never at school, to my knowledge. She was a little nervous about it the night before, but she ended up being "totally Camryn." We dropped her off at 8:00 in the morning, and the mom, little sister, friend, and Camryn went to IHOP for breakfast, a children's museum, GattyTown, and the mall. By the time they returned around 5:30 in the afternoon, Camryn was talking up a storm. She told me she started talking sometime during breakfast. We are so thrilled that she felt comfortable enough to be herself!

Sunday School

Wow! Three days have gone by, and we've seen yet another accomplishment this morning. Camryn walked all the way across the sanctuary that was crowded with people and went into her Sunday School class all by herself. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Newsboys Concert

Last night, Gary and I took Camryn to a Newsboys concert in Houston. The Newsboys, in case you don't know, are a Contemporary Christian band that's been around for a long time. Anyway, Camryn clapped her hands to the music and clapped her hands whenever the audience clapped. OK, this may not seem like a big deal, but she has never done this before. S.M. affects more than just talking. She doesn't do anything that will draw attention to herself non-verbally, either. Gary and I both noticed but did not make a big deal out of it. If we had, she would've stopped. Another success!