As I continue to walk down the road of "prematurity," I feel as though my girls are starting to evolve into typical toddlers. They giggle, fuss, play games and get into everything that is off limits. Oh, did I forget to mention that they fight? Yes, that too. All of these things point to normal toddlerhood right?
On the flip side, I feel like we are stuck in the prematurity rut. A typical week looks like:
Monday - Physical Therapy
Tuesday - Speech Therapy
Wednesday - Occupational Therapy
Thursday - Physical Therapy
Friday - Special Instruction
Our list of physicians include the following disciplines:
Pulmonology
Cardiology
ENT
Genetics
Opthamology
Developmental Follow
Dentist (soon)
We have yet to "fire" any of our therapists or doctors. Shouldn't the list be shrinking if we were moving closer to normal? The girls are officially 18 months. I didn't expect our lists to be this long a year and a half in.
Everywhere I go I hear how well the girls are doing. I am in agreement. Look where they started - so small, week and questionable. Today, they are full of life and opinions. Yes, an opinion is what I prayed for day in and day out for Adeline. God answered that prayer and without my asking gave a pretty strong opinion to Miss Lila as well. Normal toddlers?????
I am not sure where I am going with this post. I guess it is evidence that I am still on the fence when I look at the girls. I am so proud of them and love every last bit of them. I love to put up pictures of the day's happenings and comment on how they are growing and developing. Sometimes, when I read through this blog I feel like prematurity isn't the undercurrent anymore. Yet, when I measure the girls against others their age, clearly prematurity exists - possibly in the form of a tidal wave.
"New Normal," has been my theme for the last 18 months. I think we (our family) has done a decent job at adapting to our situation. My question is, "Will all this ever be a thing of the past?" Or, will we just become so accustomed to living life behind the 8 ball that we no longer notice our lives don't parallel the lives of our neighbors and friends?
I remember sitting in the NICU just wishing the first 18 months to soar by. I wanted answers and most doctors seemed to think the answers would come at this year and a half milestone. Well, the months did soar by but the answers haven't been found. When do they come? I am tired of drifting the sea of prematurity! I am ready for someone to tell me where the ceiling is or if the sky really is the limit in terms of the girls' development.
