One thing that I have come to understand about JC is that there are good days and bad days. But why? Why are some days better than others? When everything is seemingly the same, why do activities on some days elicit much more volatile reactions?
Then it hit me… My child is like an Orchid!
Orchids are beautiful, highly sought after flowers, but are very temperamental and difficult to grow. But not just that… There are over 30,000 orchid varieties that all thrive under varying conditions. Each must have a specific temperature, specific humidity, specific soil blends, water levels, and some prefer to be housed in a glass dome. If these conditions are met, the orchid blooms into a beautiful flower. But if these conditions are not met, the orchid will wilt and die. …continue reading
I always knew there was something different about Cam. Something different, and special. As Cam was my first (and unexpected) baby, I took off into motherhood flying very much by the seat of my pants, blissfully uninformed about exactly what kind of flight I was on. It wasn’t long, however, before some unusual weather patterns began popping up on my radar. And that’s when the bumpy ride really started.
As an infant she struggled with all her might against going to sleep at night, but the minute Cam was strapped into her baby swing, her little round face relaxed, and she drifted off into peaceful slumber. An unavoidable disaster struck when she eventually outgrew the swing. We were both in tears every night until she gradually adjusted to our new routine of rocking in the rocking chair and singing good-night songs before falling asleep. Yes, she did finally learn how to go to sleep. But it took nearly 3 years for her to learn how to stay that way. For nearly three years I would wake with her at least five times every night, until gradually I adjusted. To interrupted sleep, to inadequate sleep, to going to work in the morning with my underwear inside out and my shirt on backwards. You do get used to it.
Even as a baby, Cam strenuously rejected every attempt at introducing solid food. She would gag on even the smoothest of purees. At the time, this did seem odd, but I was reassured by her pediatrician and by my friends, who promised me that she would come to accept baby food, that I just needed to keep trying. But they were wrong. She never did eat baby food. As a toddler my girl was painfully hesitant to take her first steps, and would almost sheepishly revert to crawling at every opportunity. She felt safer closer to the ground. For months I watched her, knowing she could walk if she could only gain the confidence to try it. …continue reading
