Talk to Me

I love taking Cyrus to social events where there are a children under the age of five and under two is even better! Because they will just swarm all over him - they run up excited to look at the cute baby! And the most common thing they say is "Wow! That's a big baby!"

It's quite an accurate assessment really. He still doesn't really have hair so that helps with the baby impression, but he also moves like a baby! His arms and legs still flail a bit making him look uncoordinated and quite a bit younger than he actually is. But he is pretty normal in size for an 18 month old - tall and thin for his age. So he really does look like a ridiculously big baby!

At which point a mom will ask, "How old is he?"

"He's 18 months!" I tell her.

At which point she glances at her own 15 month old daughter, who is tottering unsteadily around constantly trying to poke my son (this child would just let out the most precious giggle every time she succeeded - my heart definitely melted a bit), and then comes back to my flailing son.  And she is totally silent. She doesn't say a word more about my son, though she is suddenly way more persistent about trying to insure her three children don't bother him too much despite my assurances that they are totally fine and more than welcome!

And the silence made me sad. Though I couldn't exactly figure out why. Because it definitely wasn't the first time and I assume she was just trying to be polite. It took me hours to figure out that what I really wanted was an opportunity to swap parenting stories, an opportunity to commiserate, an opportunity to talk about my son!

Because he's precious and happy and oh so strange and loves to dance (with help!) and learning to roll to every corner of a room!! I have more than a small suspicion that he will love roller coasters if he ever has the chance or ability to ride them! And sometimes, he wakes up three times a night or gets so sick he can't keep anything down. Sometimes, playing with mommy and daddy is the best thing in the world and sometimes he wants nothing to do with either of us.

I want to tell you all - It's okay! You don't have to tip toe around me! This is our reality! You're not going to say or ask anything that I will find offensive or startling. I know a bit about how children normally develop and I know that my child is on a different path. You're certainly not going to give me any worse news or realizations than his doctors already have. In fact, your child's accomplishments and milestones are just that much more amazing to me because such achievements are not a given in my world.

So bring on your morbid curiosity! Ask anything you want! And then after I confide our abnormal struggles, please don't hesitate to share with me your pride, your frustrations, and your worries about your own child! I know you want to gush about your kid!

Because I very much want to gush about mine!

...

Other updates: 

I have gone back to work - and during that first week I swear Cyrus was mad at me or something as he starting denying me his gorgeous grins. I saw not even a glimmer of a smile for like three days! Then this week he caught a cold - and I think that was unfortunately that was my fault. Nothing serious, but he has been extremely congested. And suddenly he's like the happiest clam ever! And it's like - I don't understand you kid! You really are so strange!! We have spent the afternoon and evening listening and dancing to Lindsey Stirling's new album - Brave Enough. And in between coughs and sneezes and sunburns he has just been laughing and giggling in ways that I haven't heard in weeks! We also upped one of his meds and it looks like he's back up to seven days seizure free! Yay!

He started at the puzzle blanket...

Science experiments with cool whip!