cora's growth

While the Doctor's still look at Cora's slow weight gain, I can't help but be reminded that this little girl may be 12 months old chronologically, physically she is 6 months old.  Here is what I mean.  If Cora struggled with her health both physically and developmentally from the time of birth until the second open heart surgery, doesn't this mean that even if she was clocking in days, she wasn't clocking in development. (That would put her physically at a six month old level)

Those first months of Cora's life were filled with a daily struggle just to survive.  The first year of her life was full of more pain, and struggle than most people endure in a lifetime.  So, being that she didn't have the energy to learn the things like sitting on her own, pushing up on her arms, or even finishing a bottle without sweating and panting, she most likely didn't have the energy to put into growth.

I see Cora developing so much these last few weeks.  She is sitting more on her own.  She has learned to brace herself with her arms on her legs to keep her balance.  She even drank some of my smoothie from a straw.  This past week she has added the word "no" to her vocabulary and today when upset with my mom, she reached for big sister (I was outside with a client) and said the word "Emily" very clearly.

There are so many areas that Cora throws the curve of what is expected of an infant with Down syndrome out the window, that I wonder is the weight gain again needing to become an issue?  Yes, there was the warning that the repair was leaking and might let go, but is it time to push the panic button?

I can't.  I have to have the faith that this is all part of Cora's journey and sometimes faith is the strongest track for she and I to travel. 

So, for today, I take pride in the fact that Cora was able to yell for her big sister, and very clearly at that!  Because if you look at the time she has had the physical ability to do anything, she really isn't that far behind most six month old babies.  For Cora, you gotta take all the positive thinking you can get.  All that other stuff, well, that's for another day....

Cora playing peek-a-boo.