Taking requests...

I remember when Nathan was unable to communicate what he wanted verbally or make choices. I remember holding two items out in front of him and deciding that whichever one he reached for first was his "choice". I remember later asking him questions with 2 choices, and he'd just always repeat the second one. His dad got good mileage out of this one by asking "who do you like more, mommy or daddy?". I also remember the day I asked Nathan what he wanted for lunch and before I could give two choices he gave an answer, communicating what he wanted.
Fast forward to now: the child is nonstop requests! Last night we got home from work and school at 6:15. Nathan climbed up into his chair requesting "Juice! Carrot!", so not just juice but a specific type of juice. I told him I was cooking him some fish sticks but they were not ready yet and asked him if he'd like an orange. "Orange," says Nathan, and then, thinking on it, "stick!". He settled for the orange while waiting for the fish sticks. He ate his fish sticks, cornbread and green beans. Me: "more green beans?" Nathan: "stick." Yeah, of course. he wants more fish sticks, not more veggies. He got more green beans too though.
This morning he said "toy". I knew which toy he wanted but not where it was. A quick search of the house did not turn it up. Since we couldn't find the toy, he had another request: "Wonderpets." No, no TV in the morning. No way. I stream Wonderpets on Netflix for him after nap when I'm waking him up and he's super cranky. But not before school, not just any time he asks. No way. So he gave up on that one. "Bubbles?" Okay, bubbles. I blew bubbles. Nathan does not rush to pop the bubbles the way many kids do. He likes to watch them. He gets very excited, extending his arms and legs, great joy on his face. Bubbles done, we got him ready for the bus. "Itsy spider?". Yep, there's time for Itsy Bitsy Spider before the bus. "Itsy Spider." Again? "Itsy Spider". And as soon as we got home from school today the first words out of his mouth when we came in the door: "Itsy spider?".
Wow. It's now a nonstop barrage of requests and choices. It took him so long to be able to do this that initially I felt like I had to give him everything he asked for since he used his words. Now, no. I still want to encourage the use of words. Often I will make him use more words, tell me "I want Itsy Spider again". But sometimes the request is not going to be honored. I will tell him no, and repeat what the request was, so he knows I understood his communication, but that the answer is no. After all, it can't be all Wonderpets and fish sticks all the time!