I got a fun new Flip Video Mino camera (courtesy of Circuit City's sorrow), and sprung it on Schuyler this morning. She wasn't even remotely interested in getting out of bed until she saw a new gadget. She is her father's daughter.
(Listen for a surprisingly clear "Good Morning".)
I thought not only the "good morning" but the "what's that?" and the "I want that" were pretty easily understood. The only thing I didn't get was the bit right at the end (when volume was at least as much the issue as her speech problems) -- was it a demand for the "camera"?
ReplyDeleteYour voice, interestingly (for me, but I'm easily amused), was very different from how I'd imagined it, but also exactly right.
(Also, Schyuler is unbearably adorable. My daughter is a complete pill if we wake her up in the morning.) :-D
ReplyDeleteShe's so cute, and I totally caught the good morning! Good morning Schyuler!
ReplyDeleteHave you by any chance recorded her using her box of words. I'm very interested in this.
My friend has a daughter who doesn't talk (she's 4 the 9th) that they haven't really gotten a believable diagnosis for.
I'd love to see how the box of words works for Schyler maybe it could be of use to Em.
Nerdy girls rock (speaking as one myself).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Liz: The "Good Morning," "What's that?" and "I want that." were all very very clear. I love her voice. It's very sweet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
The Flip is great. Makes making videos so much easier. I think you and Schuyler will have a great tie playing with it--and maybe all the rest of us will be the beneficiaries.
ReplyDelete(Not only will you have a great "tie" but you might have a great "time" too!)
ReplyDeleteThat was too funny when she saw the camera. I keep thinking of the line "train up a child."
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that. Delightful!
That "good morning" brought tears to my eyes. Schuyler reminds me of my little son in the morning: rumpled, disoriented but completely adorable.
ReplyDeleteAlso: LOVE the Flip. My husband bought me one for Christmas.
Yes - I came here to comment on how "good morning", "what's that?" and "I want that" were all perfectly clear, at least through that recording and the medium of the internet.
ReplyDeleteHer speech is getting a little clearer as she gets older, which is good news and a little bit of a surprise. She still does much better when you have a fairly good idea what she's likely to be saying. And it's funny how much of what we say in a day falls within the bounds of often-repeated "catch phrases" like "good morning and "i love you".
ReplyDeleteWhen she launches into a monologue about something at random and you don't have any context for it, it goes back to being pure Martian. Well, baby steps.
Rob, I'm so delighted that you posted this! What a lovely look into your and Schuyler's morning routine. It's amazing to hear her speak as well as she does, and to really see how much she's grown -- the video shows it more than the photos do. She's turning into a young lady. (My daughter Rachel is close to Schuyler's age, and so I view this process with delight and slight alarm, as I know you do as well.) Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteAw, what a cutie! Her speech was clearer than I expected, too, especially considering she had just woken up. I heard the "Good morning," "What's that," " I want that" and I thought she said "I fell on the floor."
ReplyDelete"I fell....i fell on the floor" is what i think i caught at the end.
ReplyDeleteMy middle daughter, the one that adores Schuyler is going to be so jealous when she see this vid in the morning.
Jealously over the castle and i can already hear her going what is that hanging of the bed and then saying can i have that for my birthday.
I'm off to google the flip.
After googling,have now decided i want a flip.
ReplyDeleteThat was hilarious - and I thought "good morning" was incredibly clear.
ReplyDeleteI thought of Schuyler today. I was at my state's speech conference and I got to play with AAC devices for the first time! I had fun with the eye-gaze device that doesn't require any touch at all.
ReplyDeleteShe seems to pick up intonation patterns well, which can take you far. :) I'm glad that she keeps communicating with speech...it may be why she's getting better at it!
Oh, how lovely. I agree with Liz's comment - I could understand everything she said except that last bit. I can also understand how context and body language have SO much to do with this, as you point out!
ReplyDeleteAs Schuyler made her way down the ladder, I could really see that she's starting to become a young woman - a terrifying and exhilirating change for both parents and girlchild. Even the "neurotypical" kids find this stage a challenge - good luck!
Lookin' all frowzy, but hopping on out with the promise of gadgetry to get her going.
ReplyDeleteGooo, Schuyler!
Best post ever! That "good morning" sounded clearer than I sound when someone wakes me up! She really is ALL legs and arms, isn't she?? Thank you for sharing this little window into Schuyler, Rob. And her room rocks!
ReplyDeleteMan, Schuyler is one gorgeous kid. Also, her room rocks. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Rob! That was awesome! Schuyler really is beautiful - seeing her in action really captures how gorgeous she is...you're going to have your hands full!
ReplyDeleteWOW!!!! That was amazing. She has come sooo far. I don't know why I'm surprised at how big and mobile and grown up she is. She's NINE!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. She is clearly doing great!
OMG. That was so clear! My heart is pounding! Thanks for posting...hope Daniel can do that one day. Sent chills down my spine! Incredibly beautiful soft voice!!
ReplyDeleteShe was pretty clear. I understood her. I need to get over to our Circuit City, maybe I can get one of those on the cheap!
ReplyDeleteI about melted into the floor when you went to wake her and her sweet face peeked out from under the covers!! My daughter is the same age as Schuyler and sleeps the exact same way. She calls it her nest.
ReplyDeleteSchuyler is just so beautiful and QUITE the morning person!
This just plastered a huge smile on my face!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone says, those phrases were very clear! I wonder, in addition to learning to use her box, does she still receive speech therapy at school?
ReplyDeletealright...that's adorable. i think that last comment was, "i fell." not sure. she is great and i love how she immediately wants the camera...even before she wipes the sleep out of her eyes. mas wakes like a charm, too. how cute!
ReplyDeleteIt's totally not fair that she's beautiful even when she first wakes up in the morning.
ReplyDeleteJanet
she even has better hair than me with bed head.
ReplyDeletedelightful and adorable.
really really clear 'good morning'
you sound very young!
mb
I can't watch it (*pout*) because my school has a strong firewall that blocks out most Youtube videos.
ReplyDeleteSo, on a completely different topic, have you ever read the book "Rex" by Cathleen Lewis? It's a memoir like yours about a single mother and her son Rex, who is an autistic savant, a musical genius. Though his abilities and disabilities are far different than Schuyler's, reading about him reminded me of reading about her because they both seem to have an absolutely joyous spirit, and both you and Rex's mother describe their incredible laughs. She also describes similar problems with school programs (and I knew what she meant by an I.E.P. thanks to your book).
P.S. Just to warn you, you might not like parts of the book because she talks about God a lot in rather more complimentary ways than you do. But it's a great book.
oh my god, schuyler video!!!!! W00T.
ReplyDeleteI wish you would repost the video where the two of you visit the duckage and the turtles at your (then) new apt. complex pond. The difference in her ability to vocalize is astounding, over what, maybe 3 years? That video also shows her signing, and her difficulty with fine motor control - something you mention but not often. Has that improved as well?
ReplyDelete"Good morning" indeed! Extremely clear AND right when she was waking up!
ReplyDeleteI love her room, too...I have to admit I was surprised at just how TALL she is getting!
I don't know I could handle my own child growing up when I feel so sentimental about someone else's daughter!
Anyway, really cute video :) Thanks for sharing it!
Her good morning was very clear - and let me tell ya, she is much more gracious than I would be if I woke up with a camera in my face! There would be no "good morning" from me! She's so cute.
ReplyDeleteShe is just beautiful. I could understand everything. That's great that her speech is getting clearer (at least with common phrases). Think about how much of your daily day to day stuff is just common phrases. I'm shocked at how sweetly she wakes up. My oldest will usually growl and throw animals at me (she's not a morning person).
ReplyDeleteShe has the just sweetest, loveliest voice, Rob.
ReplyDeleteSue
I LOVE her room! Also her grabby hands was so cute, I'm still known to do that :)
ReplyDeleteI must concur: Schyuler's room totally rocks! My heart swells when I see parents get the coolest shit for their kids and make their rooms fun and fort-like. I was thrilled to see video of her with her own voice (although I do love your montages set to music, they're awesome) and to see her waking up was so sweet; one of those perfectly ordinary moments in life that we take for granted all the time. She's the fairy, the princess, the dragon and the pirate all at once. Charming as can be :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely "I fell....i fell on the floor" for that last bit. And I love the "gimmegimmegimme" dance she did right at the end. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhoa, a LOFT BED? Dude, sweet! Schuyler is one lucky girl to have such cool parents to let her have a LOFT BED.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that tousled bedhead look? My hairdresser charges at least $90 to get that going on someone's head.
Wow! Good morning to you too Schyuler!!
ReplyDeleteYou know, whenever I see her, I am struck by how much she looks like my own daughter, who is 6 years old. So I have a hard time focussing on her speech, in favor of grinning over how very beautiful and luminous she is :D. Your family just... fills me with joy and tenderness every time I read your blog. I wish that i could give her such a big squeeze!
ReplyDelete