Jake's Journey with Apraxia

by Tara, Contributing Writer

I dreamed about my wedding since I was 5 years old (don’t all girls?!).

When the day finally came, I remember hugging my dad at the end of the aisle. He tried to let go after a few moments, but I hung on. Tightly. Trying to “take in” that moment because I knew the day would go by in a blur.

It was a blur – a spectacular blur – but it went by so quickly!

Same goes for pregnancy. You dream and hope and wish and wonder … Boy? Girl? What will he/she look like? Be like? Grow up to be a doctor? Lawyer? Teacher? Country singer?

Well this week another moment happened that I can’t quite wrap my head around. One of my son’s speech therapists said “I think B might be age appropriate in some categories for his speech and language”.

AGE APPROPRIATE!!!!!

AGE APPROPRIATE!!!!!

Music to this apraxia mommy’s ears!

I actually stopped the speech therapist and asked her to repeat herself because there have been countless times I never thought this day would come. In my head, I thought she has to be joking!

Our son has been in speech therapy since he was 18 months old. He’s now 5. I should sit down sometime and figure out exactly how many therapy sessions he and I have sat through.

A LOT.

Well, I can’t fully celebrate quite yet. The speech therapist is going to run B through a bunch of standardized tests/assessments and we’ll see what the “official” results show. But, the fact she thinks we are darn close feels like a miracle.

Right now, he’s still in private speech 3 times a week (and gets speech therapy through our school district, however that will be end when school lets out for the summer).

What would I do with a calendar that has dare I say it some ‘spare’ time in it that doesn’t revolve around appointments? I literally have no idea.

Of course, not everything is sunshine and roses on this journey. Our daughter who turns 4 this summer is struggling the past couple months so we are increasing her number of speech therapy sessions. I hope she can rebound with more therapy this summer and we can officially cut back for good in the fall? I probably just jinxed everything.

The moral of this story is that the blood, sweat and tears of the past 3 ½ years might actually soon be paying off. I barely knew what a speech therapist’s job actually was and now they are truly our lifeline to our family.

I feel like I’m in The Little Engine That Could …
I think I can.
I think I can.
I think I can.

We haven’t crossed the finish line yet on our marathon. But, I promise I will be throwing one heck of a party when I can finally say “NO MORE SPEECH THERAPY appointments!” I’m pretty sure it will be considered a holiday in this house.

Bio: Tara is the extremely proud mom of two kids who could both put the Energizer Bunny to shame. She spends her days chasing, running, chauffeuring, refereeing, counseling, scheduling, coaching, doting, teaching, cooking, playing and loving. Her little boy and girl are diagnosed with apraxia. She lives in Minneapolis and is “temporarily retired” from her days as a TV/Radio journalist until her kids are a bit older.