My Pet Giraffe
Thank goodness it wasn’t a goat! I wasn’t sure how Sarah would react to having a giant stuffed giraffe in the house but once she saw how attached and even affectionate Porter was with Melman, it was pretty hard to ignore his charms.
Porter proudly posing with his new friend Melman. He even introduced his friend Mommy to his pet giraffe.
Showing Mommy just how excited he is about his new giraffe.
When we went upstairs for bath and bedtime, Porter wanted Melman to come along. He even tried to take him in bed with him, but there really wasn’t enough room. So he settled for having Melman stand next to the bed so he could watch over him. When I turned out the light after we read Dr. Suess’ Fox in Socks, Porter asked me if he could still talk to Melman.
Porter petting Melman.
Trying to pull him down on the chair so the three of us could snuggle together. It’s really been quite amazing to see the emotions and affection Porter has shown for this stuffed giraffe, which he sometimes refers to as a “soft giraffe.” We’ve had dozens and dozens of stuffed animals in the house since he was an infant and apart from his one white stuffed rabbit, he hasn’t shown much interest in them at all. He’d play with one if it was in front of him or once in a great while, but he never really seemed attached to any of them, again, except for the white rabbit, which he often liked to have in bed at night. So this has been very interesting.
A few weeks ago, toward the end of February, I posted that Porter had finally starting using the term “I love you” in such a way that it finally seemed like he understood what it meant. And that’s continued as he’s applied it to us, his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and his friend T.J. A few times he’s said “I love you” to some of his favorite toys, too. But this s different. He’s actually showing his affection by kissing and hugging Melman, trying to take him everywhere, along with saying he loves him. It’s so great to see him develop an ability to love, I can’t even tell you. Often times, supposedly Autistic kids have difficulty with understanding emotions, let alone being able to express them. Porter obviously seems to have no trouble in that department, and it makes me love him even more, just to watch him express it. My heart melts everytime he refers to me or Sarah as his friend Mommy or his friend Daddy. To him, that’s the highest title he can bestow upon us and I try every day to live up to the awesome responsibility of being his friend.