I have to come to realize that this journey will continue to give me unexpected blessings, as well as jaw dropping surprises. One of these moments happened yesterday.
Cora had an appointment with her eye specialist to see if her tear ducts had improved or if she needed the tear duct surgery. The good news was that the surgery does not look like it is needed. If she continues to improve with her eyes developing normal drainage then that is one surgery she will completely avoid. This was such a blessing to hear because I was concerned about her having another surgery when she is not yet a year out from her last one.
During this appointment Cora was showing her concern of having others around her. She has started becoming very stand offish towards anyone that she doesn't know that wants to touch her. While she cooperates and is willing to sit still for the procedure, she does not like to have the doctors or nurses that she doesn't recognize , touch her. The eye doctor leaned in to look at her eyes and to see how they followed an object. He gently took Cora's chin in his hand to keep her head from following the light and to get her eyes to follow instead. Cora reached up, pushed his hand away and said, "DOON TOUS". I was completely surprised. He looked at me and asked, "Did she just tell me, "don't touch"? I said, "She sure did. Isn't that great? That's the first time she has said those words!" I was so excited and Cora was just looking at the doctor with that stern, serious look she has. He told me that he was impressed that she could speak clearly enough for him to recognize what she was sayingas most infants with Down syndrome cannot. I just smiled and thought to myself, YEEHAW! More words for Cora.
It wasn't until later that I thought about the rudeness of Cora's remark. Then I figured is it really such a bad thing to have Cora telling a stranger "don't touch?". Yes he was a doctor, but to her he is a stranger that she only sees once in awhile. How do you explain to a 19 month old the difference between appropriate touch from a doctor and not from a stranger. I don't think you can.
So instead of pondering of the rudeness and suddenness of her actions, I celebrate in her Independence and ability to get her point across. Yeah Cora!!
Cora staying warm while I work on fences for the horses....On a side note: to have Cora saying words with a clear meaning is a huge milestone for any infant with Down syndrome. Their facial muscles are not as strong and are more relaxed and harder to move into the correct position to form words. Try saying "Don't touch" or other words with four marshmallows in your mouth. Or maybe put one or two in each cheek and then talk...this is as close of an example as you can get and as close to the feeling Cora experiences when forming her words.
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