[tri-med] Thanks Susan--Carpe Diem!

Thanks for your input Susan.  I often wonder myself if Meredith is really 
aware of the things that are said around her.  I was holding her last night 
and realized how lucky I really am...not that I hadn't thought it before.  
My 5 year old Caitlyn grew so fast and when she was a baby I was in the Army 
and my husband was out of town a lot so I didn't really get a chance to 
enjoy her being a baby.  I guess Meredith is making up for that!

I did finally manage to find something that captivates her.  I bought her 
this ball at Wal-Mart called the Kaleidosphere Discovery Ball.  It is 
mirrored inside and has different colored beads so it kind of looks like a 
kaleidoscope.  She will even hold her head up when she's on her stomach to 
watch it!  I also decorated her crib with Christmas lights and she loves 
those.

You know, I'm not interested in her meeting developmental milestones so she 
can go to school or be a "normal" child.  I just want her to be able to 
chase a butterfly or a puppy or waves at the beach, to roll in the grass, or 
jump on a trampoline...the things that are truly fun in this life.  Of 
course I think it's sad that a lot of "normal" people don't fully enjoy 
their life...my husband is one of those...people who are so caught up in 
work or school or "success" or what other people will think that they miss 
out on the good stuff.  I once laid down on the lawn of an office building 
in the middle of town because it was the most beautiful soft green grass I 
had ever seen and had just been mown...the smell of newly mown grass is like 
an aphrodisiac to me!LOL  Last year my then 4 year old wanted me to dye my 
hair purple and hers pink and well I couldn't think of a good reason not to! 
  Boy was daddy surprised when he got home!  None of that fake rinse out 
stuff...the real deal...permanent color.  He just couldn't understand that 
what I was really doing was making a memory for a 4 year old.  Who cares 
that I had to walk around with purple hair for a month (she decided she 
liked it better red) with strangers looking at me funny.  I cared more about 
what the 4 year old thought of me than what the strangers thought of me. 
This is also what caused me to put my 190 pound 5'2" self in a wetsuit in 
January so she and I could swim with dolphins in Florida...Boy what a site 
that was!  I have always believed that one should live for the day because 
you're not gauranteed a tomorrow (although you should still plan for it..I 
do try to be responsible :-) Which is why I took Meredith on a 3600 mile car 
trip when she was 3 months old.  At that time they were telling me that she 
most likely would not make it to 6 months so I wanted to make sure she got 
to see all the people who loved her.  We (me, her, and Caitlyn) drove from 
Dallas, Texas, to Fayetteville, North Carolina and from there to Kentucky 
and then back to Texas.  It was on this car trip that she smiled for the 
first time!  She goes to the mall, the zoo, swimming, Gymboree play 
classes...anywhere we go.  And we tell any one who asks about her size about 
Trisomy 18...let me tell you I give people more information than they ever 
wanted to know about T18, but they asked!  I'm doing my fair share to 
educate people...the funny thing is hearing Caitlyn tell people about 
chromosomes.

Thanks again Susan for reminding me that she doesn't have to walk or talk or 
eat solid foods to seize her day...she just has to be loved!

Cindy
Mom to Meredith 14months PT 18q, and Caitlyn 5 years

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