Past Denial and Into Acceptance

There I am. Still in denial if you ask me. Still hopeful that Sophie will blend in to this loud and crowded party with a bunch of busy, loud excited 5-year-olds.  Hopeful she’ll strike up a conversation with one of these kids.  Hopeful she will smile and laugh and run around interacting with these kids.  Hopeful she’ll appreciate the hand sewn dress that was made for her special day.  Hopeful she won’t yell at anyone.  Hopeful she won’t hide in her room.  Hopeful she won’t run out of the house,…

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I Wasn’t Ready, But I’m Getting There

No one asked if I was ready… At 18 months old, my daughter Vivian was typically developing. She had always been “the last.” The last of the children of her age group that we knew to learn to crawl, the last to walk, the last to utter her first word, “dog.” But that was okay. She was still in the typical range.  Then she began withdrawing. No one asked if I was ready to see my baby stop coming to me.  I wasn’t.  I wasn’t ready to watch as my…

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