Madi is 3. That's right. Miracle baby turned 3 and with it came a few changes! But, I digress, let's go back and do this thing chronologically, or at least as much as I am able to do so.
In my last post I mentioned a walker. Man, was I ever emotional over that thing. Yes, it arrived. Yes, we are using it, but it has taken some getting used to. As much as I love that thing and the freedom it provides for Madi, I also despise the inconvenience of that darn thing! Madi took to it pretty well. She likes being able to walk upright and wave and smile at people.
(She's pretty cute too.)
Imagine letting your 5 year old drive. Inconceivable, right? Well, Madi has to learn to drive this thing. She is learning to steer without running over toes, people, or into walls. It's a big task, but she is taking to it like a champ. Like she seems to do with any challenge she has been presented.
She hasn't really achieved any great visible milestones. She has really been concentrating on her speech since the spring. What a joy it is to hear those babbles turn into words or phrases that I can understand. That OTHERS can understand! We weren't sure if she would be able to do this, so we are over the moon with every new word or sound we hear. (ok, sometimes the screams for "Mom, Mom, Mom" are annoying, but only in the moment. Most of the time the sound of her voice makes me smile.)
Our latest milestone. PRESCHOOL. Yep, you read that right. Preschool. My baby is in preschool! She goes 3 times a week for 2 1/2 hours. (Please, don't ask me what I do with myself! I have 6 children in this house, not including the husband. I have plenty to do) The transition went much smoother than expected. For those of you who see Madi, you know how attached she is to Butch and I. I thought that she would cry and scream and throw a tantrum the entire time! In fact, that first morning when I dropped her off, she was screaming with her limbs flailing. I made it half way down the hall before I was balling. I felt horrible. In fact, most of that morning I spent wondering if she ever calmed down.
When I arrived at the school to pick her up, expecting to see tears, there she was with a huge smile on her face. She had a great day at school. The teacher informed me that she spent less than a minute crying. Apparently, as soon as I made it out of the building she quit screaming and sat down to play with play doh. That easy. For her. Since that first morning there hasn't been a single tear or tantrum at drop off. She is super excited to go to school and see her friends. She walks in, sits down at her activity center, and doesn't even notice when I leave. She loves school, and we are excited that she has started speech therapy. I can't wait to see the progress she makes.
This road with Madi has been both terrifying and amazing. When I think back to her diagnosis and the overwhelming fear I felt for her and about her future, I can't believe how much has learned and is able to do.
There's a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that came out not to long ago. It's called Glorious Unfolding. Whenever I hear that song, I think of Madi.
Here's a snippet of the lyrics.
Lay your head down tonight
Take a rest from the fight
Don’t try to figure it out
Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart
‘Cause I know this is not
Anything like you thought
The story of your life was gonna be
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
But it’s just not true
There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold
And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and SEE and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding
God’s plan from the start
For this world and your heart
Has been to show His glory and His grace
Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of
His unfailing Love
And the story has only begun
here's a link to the video on godtube (yes that's real)
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=W676WLNX
I think that song truly reflects how I see Madi. I was terrified when she was diagnosed and afraid of what her future looked like. I was afraid to hope for miracles or for more than what the textbooks said her life could be. I lived with this fear and anxiety of how she would grow, of what her life would be like, but her life has been this glorious unfolding of hopes realized. Hopes I was almost afraid to dream.
I think this song is our new anthem. Her story should have been the video! Wouldn't that have been awesome?
Here's another picture of the stinker, because, let's be honest, she's adorable!
