Finn is 7, alive, out loud.

Seven Year Old Finn 

pours himself out. 

When he is alive, he is out loud. 

When loved, he loves. 

When disappointed, he screams. 

When joyful, he moves.

When overwhelmed, he cries, 

and every day. 

Seven Year Old Finn 

is alive, out loud.

When Finn hears something he likes he will repeat it, obsessively. It could be the inflection used to express a word, the chorus of a song, or the melody of a phrases. He appreciates sounds in a way I haven't seen from anyone else. It becomes part of him and he can't help but to embody it.

On his birthday the phase that he couldn't stop chanting was: "I know I do, I need some honeydew!" Which confused the Ihop waitress, who in turn brought Finn endless bowls of honeydew alongside his birthday pancakes (Papa David's treat).

Finn's vocal expression is like a compulsion at times.  As if to stop the repeating once its gripped him is less of a won't but a can't. 

On the other side of the coin he is quickly overwhelmed by loud sounds.  He uses noise canceling headphones everyday at school to rest his sensitivities. 

Finn is excelling at school. Socially and academically. He often asks me to help him write love notes for his teachers. He will spend the mornings before school cutting out colorful hearts for his classmates. 

He loves to feel helpful and was disappointed when he wasn't chosen to be a runner to the school office in the event of a medical emergency in his classroom.  He didn't realize the drill was primarily in place for him, and his seizures.  

He hasn't had any seizures this year, and didn't have any in Kindergarten. By the end of 1st grade his neurologist will feel comfortable officially declaring them "outgrown". It goes without saying (though I'll say it anyways) that we understand no one knows what the future holds. But we are looking forward to the peace of mind time brings and the green light to cancel our seizure preventative monitoring and stop filling expensive emergency medication.

Finn hates eating the same thing every night and also hates eating new things. Either way. He will be pouring out big feelings surrounding food. 

He loves to draw, build Lego's, play on the trampoline and spend time wrestling with whoever is willing.  

He is Stella's shadow.  He loves to have sleep overs in the family room or Stella's room. 

Finn takes 2-5 small oranges to bed almost every night. He loves rainbows. (He also has a special place in his heart for pink and golden and orange, but mostly he loves the whole rainbow.)

He loves the book "The Wild Robot" (we went to see the movie in theaters for his birthday and the song "Touch The Sky" became a quick favorite). We are reading "Phantom Tollbooth" together and he's enjoying all the wit and creativity. He loved the book "Scary Stories For Young Foxes" that we read for Halloween. He pretends to be Uly (when Stella will be Mia alongside him).  

Finn endures Myra's rage filled wake ups every morning. He holds an enormous amount of patience for her, tires to help and dress and feeds her, despite her barrage of fury and the slapping words of "Stupid" that she spews at him. (or anyone who is around her in the mornings). Her loudness is often dysregulating for him, and his own loudness is often dysregulating for the rest of us. Circle of life.  

Transitions are tumultuous. I never know if I am doing too much or too little in trying to help him navigate his deep feelings.  Finn dips into shame often and easily. I'm curious as he grows what he might tell us about what it was like to be little in our home. 

He loves to talk about concepts, and contribute to important conversations.  He is a deep thinker, deep feeler, deep lover. He is clever, and notices so much. We love him so very much and have loved watching him grow. 

Happy 7th Birthday Finn!

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