As Maddox is getting better at walking, some of her therapies are decreasing which allows her more down time. The result....
Maddox had her first for real live normal day. Most other’s would not celebrate this day, but to us, it was triumphant.
She woke up, and attempted to walk through the house to my room but those warm footie pajamas were not cooperating. I’d hear her grunt, stand, take a few steps, then thunk the floor. She finally gave in and crawled the rest of the way only to meet me with a great big smile. This is her day, a day of freedom, a day she had worked hard for. No place she had to be, no therapist telling her how to perform.
So what on earth will Maddox and Susi (the baby sitter) do?
STORY HOUR AT THE LIBRARY
As 11:00 approached I couldn’t help but wonder how it was going for Maddox. Did she play with the other kids, did they talk to her, could she answer back, did she follow the storyline of the book, would she listen to the directions, if all the kids wander away will she follow, will she walk or crawl, would she blend in, would she know the song they sing, and would she perform the actions? My mind was a whirlwind of new mommy fears.
My curiosity got the best of me, at noon I text Susi at noon to see how it went, she replied, “Great.”
Whew.
I got home and was able to hear all about it. Maddox and one other gal listened intently to the story and pointed to pictures when asked. They sang the wheels on the bus and Maddox did all the actions. She also showed off her mommy lovin skills and rocked her own baby during the goodbye song. She even showed a little boy how to crawl through a tunnel. She was brave enough to try it (on the third attempt) and HE followed HER!
My daughter a leader? For two years I sat at home and wondered how she would feel when the other kids left her in the dust, but today she leads....and other’s followed?
Atta girl!!
Maddox fell asleep within three blocks of leaving the library. Having a normal day is exhausting! The babysitter decided to go through Arby’s to get a pop. She quietly whispered her drink order while Maddox was sound asleep in the backseat. As she pulled up to the window to pay, she glanced in the backseat only to find Maddox frantically signing SANDWICH SANDWICH SANDWICH. Susi asks if she can add a sandwich to her order and Maddox stayed awake the entire drive home to partake in fast food delight!
There is so much to be said for mainstreaming. That’s another soap box for another day but today I will cherish the memories of Maddox’s first day as “normal” child doing normal things.
I know there will be readers out there who will want to tell me that Maddox has been normal all along and so on...And yes, while deep down I know this, today I got to witness it. And witnessing it makes me smile. A smiling mommy means - I’ve hit another milestone.
But here’s the thing. Our perfectly normal day couldn’t end without one more perfectly normal thing. Before bedtime, Maddox was standing at the couch. She looks over at me, picks her runny nose, and sl-i-i-i-i-i-ides her freshly coated finger down the cushion of our new leather furniture.
Atta girl.
Maddox had her first for real live normal day. Most other’s would not celebrate this day, but to us, it was triumphant.
She woke up, and attempted to walk through the house to my room but those warm footie pajamas were not cooperating. I’d hear her grunt, stand, take a few steps, then thunk the floor. She finally gave in and crawled the rest of the way only to meet me with a great big smile. This is her day, a day of freedom, a day she had worked hard for. No place she had to be, no therapist telling her how to perform.
So what on earth will Maddox and Susi (the baby sitter) do?
STORY HOUR AT THE LIBRARY
As 11:00 approached I couldn’t help but wonder how it was going for Maddox. Did she play with the other kids, did they talk to her, could she answer back, did she follow the storyline of the book, would she listen to the directions, if all the kids wander away will she follow, will she walk or crawl, would she blend in, would she know the song they sing, and would she perform the actions? My mind was a whirlwind of new mommy fears.
My curiosity got the best of me, at noon I text Susi at noon to see how it went, she replied, “Great.”
Whew.
I got home and was able to hear all about it. Maddox and one other gal listened intently to the story and pointed to pictures when asked. They sang the wheels on the bus and Maddox did all the actions. She also showed off her mommy lovin skills and rocked her own baby during the goodbye song. She even showed a little boy how to crawl through a tunnel. She was brave enough to try it (on the third attempt) and HE followed HER!
My daughter a leader? For two years I sat at home and wondered how she would feel when the other kids left her in the dust, but today she leads....and other’s followed?
Atta girl!!
Maddox fell asleep within three blocks of leaving the library. Having a normal day is exhausting! The babysitter decided to go through Arby’s to get a pop. She quietly whispered her drink order while Maddox was sound asleep in the backseat. As she pulled up to the window to pay, she glanced in the backseat only to find Maddox frantically signing SANDWICH SANDWICH SANDWICH. Susi asks if she can add a sandwich to her order and Maddox stayed awake the entire drive home to partake in fast food delight!
There is so much to be said for mainstreaming. That’s another soap box for another day but today I will cherish the memories of Maddox’s first day as “normal” child doing normal things.
I know there will be readers out there who will want to tell me that Maddox has been normal all along and so on...And yes, while deep down I know this, today I got to witness it. And witnessing it makes me smile. A smiling mommy means - I’ve hit another milestone.
But here’s the thing. Our perfectly normal day couldn’t end without one more perfectly normal thing. Before bedtime, Maddox was standing at the couch. She looks over at me, picks her runny nose, and sl-i-i-i-i-i-ides her freshly coated finger down the cushion of our new leather furniture.
Atta girl.
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