Going back in Time: Normalizing

I am pasting some earlier posts I wrote for my myspace blog, in keeping with the journey. They are from those volatile prenatal diagnosis and Norwood days. I am re-posting them here because they are a play-by-play account from that time--the hindsight and retrospection continues to evolve. We have come such a long way since then! Looking back on it, those days were filled with a combination of worry and hope, but I do remember them now as a time of joy and togetherness...and of Herculean effort!

March 19, 2009
So, here's the update on the little dude! Not much to report on the heart front this time--and isn't that a good thing!!! He got cleared for travel last week!!!!!!! Things look good--at his next check-up, however, he is supposed to be sedated so they can check up on his leaking tricuspid valve, and to see if there's any narrowing of the coronary artery.

We've been working on "normalizing--" as much as possible--and breaking old habits like keeping track of how many cubic centimenters he eats in a day :) I actually even feel like I'm starting to have some free time, so I've been thinking that it might be possible to go back to working earlier than I originally thought, and at least get back to writing for awhile!

So, the rest is just happy baby news stuff!!!!!!! The boy is rolling from 1 end of the living room to another, getting to toys he wants. Not kidding, he is obsessed with his BOOKS, as well as the cats, so I joke that so far he's following in the footsteps of St Kieran of Ireland, with his love of learning and animals :) With his newfound mobility and independence, he seems much happier--willing to entertain himself, and occupies his time with attempting to crawl and creep after the cats (who generously indulge his desire to touch them every once in awhile). He amuses us with his many new verbal skills. He makes these noises so earnestly that I feel kind of bad when I crack up and he gives me a look like, "what's funny?!"

Ah yes, he's developing quite a personality...including a self-consciousness I haven't much seen in babies his age (wanting to do new skills only when he thinks his parents or therapists aren't watching) and glaring at me when he thinks I'm laughing AT him instead of WITH him. His favorite books are such literary classics as Playtime Peekaboo! and Hop! Hop! Hop! When I try to read him things like The Velveteen Rabbit, he quickly gets bored and tries to kick it out of my hands and yank my hair. He's very observant and extremely stubborn. He's crazy about music--mostly making it with his rattles and chimes and baby piano. Now I'm looking forward to finding some friends for him. Where does one start, if your baby isn't in daycare? I'm guessing, library story times and go from there....