So no real BIG news, but lately life has been feeling pretty good (well I’ve been feeling pretty pregnant…32 weeks). It just seems to me that maybe Josie is finally starting to catch-up. When Josie was only a couple of months old, she was only a couple of months behind; as she got older the gap between her and her peers started getting wider and wider and then kids who weren’t even conceived when Jo was born started lapping her with walking. We’ve been ok with it, knowing from the start that not only does she have genetic reasons behind it — she’s been in the hospital for like the equivalent of 3 months not to mention she spent her first 6 months or so with a very unstable heart and no growth (weight gain) on negligible feeds and having sternal precautions for a good chunk of time! So at 19 months, ok she’s just starting to get around to walking. But she’s kinda been preoccupied with fighting for her life… what has your kid been doing? Choking on cheerios?
But like I said, the gap was growing wider and wider and I was starting to wonder when this whole “catch-up” thing I was promised would come into play. Age 3-5 years are supposed to be Josie’s golden years where she smokes everyone with her route memory and early reading ability. Where, besides scars (and maybe feeding tube), you can’t tell she’s ever been different in any way. You know before she supposedly starts to fall behind socially and academically, spatially and mathematically…
Well that’s ok Jo — Mom’s DNA checks out 100% fine and I still had social and spatial issues and math disabilities similar to what they say you have a 90% of having. Mom’s is dyscalcula and while I never knew I had it — I knew something was different about my brain and when I stumbled onto it — heck yeah. I am not dumb. And that’s what I want you to understand too. You will be brilliant — I am 100% sure of that… and that’s a bigger percentage than 90% — even I can do that math. So screw spatial abilities… I get around just fine. I just use my giant vocab when at risk of being perceived as dumb and it usually works. And with your supposed non-verbal learning disability you should be able to floor them with your speech … you know when we get to that.
Speaking of, you just started getting “da” sounds! I heard a “da” and a “dee” today a few times. And while you’re still not doing it on command, it’s coming. Your signs are just amazing. You are so polite always asking please and saying thank you and blowing kisses. Tonight you ate all of Grandma Wilmot’s pea’s one by one and then drank a little juice. You giggle and smile all the time, even when you are sick and running low on sleep. The only time you get cranky is when you’re bored! You’ve started to take chances and risks with your walking and are not even afraid to fall anymore. You don’t cry, just get up and try again — and today I was putting sun screen on you at the park and I thought you were holding onto Daddy and you were just standing. For at least 12 seconds like it was nothing. We are super excited. And YOU are ready to explore EVERYTHING! Trouble maker.
Yes, my Josie is the cutest, sweetest, really patient, adorably gorgeous little girl. And we are very proud of everything you do and how much progress you’ve made — and most of all, just so happy that you’re here with us to be loved, squeezed and kissed! Happy you are so well-adjusted after the horrible things that you’ve been through already in just a year and a half of life. Happy that you don’t have any more surgeries scheduled (yet). Love watching your face light up and sign “bubbles please” when you spot them on the fireplace mantel — and love watching you turn your head away from a spoon feed and sign “cracker” and then point to what you really want on the table (Gerber Crunchies). Jo, you finally have started pointing with your index finger too which is so cool. Anytime you hear a new sound you look at us and ask “what?” in signs. Plus you are totally mimicking Mom by saying “yeh” after questions now. As in the sound “yeh” not just nodding. Yes we finally seem to have started a catch-up phase!
You are so smart and thoughtful and you take everything in. I am so proud to have you for my little girl and can’t wait for you to be a big sister and show Mary the world and how to be a sweet girl. Love you.
Tags: walking
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