New

The new bright shiny spotlight in our little life is that M spoke a "real" word. Clearly, perfectly and with 100% full knowledge what it meant. Not Mom, not Dad but eyes. Yup. Something very random in the big world of words that I use every day, in fact...I don't use "eyes" very often. But eyes it is and clearly, perfectly eyes. She knows a word.

Now....for most of parents out there to almost 2 year olds, the kids who are babbling tons of real words, in full sentences a single word isn't something to dance in the street about but in our house it is. We've struggled. We've begged. We've had early intervention. I was getting desperate to know that she CAN speak just that she is choosing not too. Well she finally pulled it out, and right at the end of our latest intervention appointment. I did a HUGE internal boogie and a little external one too. This was such a huge, GIGANTIC win for her that I couldn't help it. I still love asking her to say it just because I love hearing it. This (for me) was as big as the first time she sat up, crawled, walked ANYTHING because I've waited SO long for a hint that she was ok and with more intervention and possibly Speech Therapy she'd be a talking little kiddo that I'll look back and shake my head and say "why did I ever worry?" I honestly can't wait for that day when I can say that. I NEED there to be day when I can say that.

There was some huge validation in my capability as a parent, as a teacher(well to her) and as a person to hear that. There have been some dark days but we're fighting our way out and as she's as stubborn as myself and her Daddy I know we'll make it. Now that I can see that she's just being a stubborn little goose I kNOW we can make it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and for once it doesn't seem like its a train coming to run me over.