New Beginnings in 2013

For some reason right now I am really looking forward to the new year.  Don't get me wrong, I know that basically all it means is another turn of the calendar page but for 2013 I see great new beginnings.  I cannot believe how much you have grown and changed and your determination to continue to put one foot in front of the other.

I am often times overwhelmed with the little man you are becoming. I am scared on a variety of fronts, some founded and some not so much.  One day I will be looking at you and I can't believe how far you have come in such a short period of time and then the following day I am watching you wondering how you will ever make it the fast paced world around you.  I am scared to death that we haven't done enough, that you haven't made enough progress yet, and that the gap between your skills and your age is only getting bigger.  Then I have moments when I am scared to death because you show me moments where I know you will thrive and that one day I will have to let go and allow you to try to fly.

This past year has been a fast paced run and I am not sure why.  The finish line is no closer, the strides are no longer or shorter, and towards the end we have forgotten to stop and smell the roses.  Focuses have changed, more schools have come and gone, programs have evolved, and the calm has been far from the center of our lives.  With all of this chaos, you have continued to move forward and show the world you will not go down without a fight.  In 2012 you.....

* Learned to dress yourself
* Increased your expressive vocabulary to close to 100 words using some 2-3 word phrases
* Discovered the game of hockey and learned to ice skate
* Learned a few select 3-4 letter words to show your personality
* Discovered what it means to be a smart ass
* Discontinued the use of all mood stabilizers and decreased the amount of medication needed
* Started to read sight words
* Developed a passion for science
* Learned to lay on your stomach and enjoy the view of the world from this angle
* Started tracing horizontal and vertical lines with minimal assistance
* Began to cut with regular scissors
* Overcame your fears of taking a shower versus a bath
* Drastically decreased your self-injurious behaviors
* Mastered all of your foundational skills (colors, shapes, letters, letter sounds, 1 to 1 correspondence)
* Found out about Elmo, Mickey Mouse, Woody, and Spiderman
* Continued to show resilience as schools and programs changed and peers came and went
* Developed a strong imaginary play including expanding your interests
* Found your internal motivation for independence and showed it in a variety ways
* Discovered the world of electronics

Most importantly, in 2012, you allowed your emotional walls and barriers to fall down around you.  You recently have allowed yourself to discover the world on your terms and through your own eyes.  This is your biggest accomplishment in 2012 and nothing anyone could teach you.  I could allow you to feel safe, allow you to explore, and allow you patience and understanding.  Mind you baby, patient and understanding are not two words that are often used to describe me, but you taught me this.  Over the past year you have taught me to let go of certain expectations, relax and enjoy the moment, and that I can not always predict what will happen next.  You taught me that I could not set the path for you but instead you had to be ready to pave your own path and over the last few months that is exactly what you have done.

You are the one driving 2013.  I do not know the destination of the path you paved but just as you have learned to trust me I have learned to trust you and am along for the ride.  I cannot control the twists and turns and ups and downs because this is your life story.  What I can do though is continue to support and provide for you.  I will be your biggest advocate, cheerleader, and supporter.  I will also be the first person in line when you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to lean on.  I will continue to provide you with the resources and therapies that help you meet your goals and I will continue to raise the bar for you and show you all that you are able to accomplish.

I feel as if we have finally hit the point in your emotional, academic, and social development where it is no longer a comparison to your past but simply a celebration in your success and realizing the doors to your future that each step opens for you.  I feel that although your past will always have an impact on who you are, it no longer is the dictator of who you will become... it is simply your past.

We have so many opportunities ahead of us and I am excited to see which direction you will take us in. Developmentally you are a bouncing four/five year old that is excited for your next adventure.  Language wise you are at the pivotal moment of a two year old, right before the explosion.  These two factors alone should lead to an exciting start to the new year and one that will definitely keep me on my toes.  I cannot wait to see where this adventure takes us




Keep On Truckin
Love
Mom