Birthday Shopping

It's fun to watch as special needs children grow and become much more able to express their preferences and personal style.  In Whitney's case, as with many challenged kiddos, communication starts with getting messages across about basic needs.  But as time has gone on Whitney has been able to share more about her likes and dislikes and things that are her favorite.

This was brought to my mind again as Whitney's birthday is coming up.  She is in need of a new dress some new shoes to go with those new braces (that should be coming in the mail any day now) and a new case for her iPhone. (She uses it to speak and to play.)

We're still in the hunt for Whit's birthday dress and shoes because finding things that fit can be a bit of a challenge.  But a case for Whitney's hand-me-down phone is taken care of.  Whitney sat down with Melanie and looked at case designs on the computer.  Whit told her the colors she'd like and pointed to patterns that looked fun.  After narrowing things down for a while, Whit decided on a case that is black with pink flowers and butterflies on it.  It totally reflects her style and I know she'll love it.

A shopping experience like that something most parents would take for granted, but for special needs parents it's a different story.  It makes me so happy to know that even though my daughter doesn't really speak, she can enjoy shopping with her mother and picking out things she loves using signs and gestures.

Next up, clothes shopping and a birthday party.  Should be an adventure!  I'll report back on the celebration.