Two weeks from today, Hannah will be TWO years old. It really is amazing to think how the last two years have played out.
Now more than ever, I realize how age truly is just a number. Even before this major setback for Hannah, she was not at a 2-year-old level. I see other kids who are around her age, who are so far more advanced developmentally than she is. Now, she is even farther behind the “typical” 2-year-old.
And that is okay. She is on “Hannah’s developmental plan.” There just came to a point where I just accepted what it was. The delays are difficult to accept sometimes, I’ll be honest. I go through spurts of sadness and frustration as to why it had to be this way. But for the most part, I am at peace with it.
Especially now. Hannah is still alive. She fought back from the lowest point (there were quite a few days in the hospital that I begged her to keep fighting because I was so fearful of losing her), and she has come out still fighting.
With her movement disorder, she still tries so hard to do things. She has even been able to get her pacifier a number of times now. It is 100x harder for her to pick up the pacifier and get it to her mouth, but she tries so damn hard to get it there, especially with her almost non-existent fine motor skills at the moment. She still will lay on her back and try and get her arm and hand to hit the keys on her favorite toy piano just to hear the music. She tries over and over and over again.
Her birthday is coming up in just a couple of weeks. Before her hospitalization, we had planned on a small family party with a few close friends that weekend. However, Daddy and I have decided to wait a few weeks longer for her party, just to give her more time to recuperate. We owe that to her. We will still do a very intimate birthday “something” with just our family on her actual birthday. But we do want to celebrate this amazing milestone with those who care about Hannah — this birthday is a BIG DEAL.
Carrie, you are an AMAZING person in my book, you are a true inspiration to all mothers . You have had your occacional “MELT DOWNS” but you pull yourself right back up and you move on. There are mums out there who would give anything to have just a small fraction of you STRENGHT. If you can BOTTLE it up and sell it you would make a fortune. I am truly proud of both you and Bobby!
Hannah certainly has come a long way in her almost 2 years of her life. She is definetly her mothers daughter, a FIGHTER, such a strong little girl and with you by her side she has made it this far and is going to continue to fight on.Like you said “SHE IS STILL ALIVE” and thats just amazing considering all that she has been through and thats a blessing !!
Yes indeed this will be a very special birthday for our little Hannah,God Bless Her!!
Susan
wish I could be there like last year! but we can celebrate when I see you guys in Sept!!!
your post tells a lot – her brain is still telling her how to do things, her body just can’t respond…yet. which is great news! hopefully the new med plan will get her movement disorder under control and her brain and body can speak again (with some OT for muscle strength). yay!
xoxoxo
It sounds like you are in the right place mentally. V is 12 now. An aquaintance asked me if we are letting her stay at home by herself this summer because 12 is when its considered OK to do that. I hate having to explain that there is not a chance in heck of that happening to relative strangers. Its good to put the milestones in perspective. “Alive at year ___” is totally a milestone in my book!