Baby Steps

                                                                                                                 –First Aid Kit

So if you don’t follow me on IG, then you missed this awesomesauce video I posted of Lamp the other day with the following caption:

So much to say about this 11 second video… it has taken almost a year from standing independently to taking these first few steps.  Honestly I didn’t worry or think about it too much because what could we do?  @brackdawg (B) on the other hand took matters into his own hands and fashioned a Tiny Time like crutch for her and suddenly she might as well be walking on water for the amazement and miracle it is for us to see. Sometimes I feel like I’m a pretty good mom for her, but I often find myself thinking @brackdawn was born to be her dad. And the icons on the cake is always that infectious giggle and light radiating like an atom bomb of love, ice cream, rainbows, and pixie dust.

To be clear those weren’t her very first steps as she had been practicing for a couple of days, but you get a sense of how exciting it all is. Also, she wouldn’t be taking these steps if it wasn’t for her dad and his amazing crutch making skillz. You may remember he was also the one who invented her spoon (and now we have a fork) for her to eat all by herself with.  She literally went from being spoon fed everything or bending over and eating directly off her tray, to being able to feed herself overnight.  It was life changing.  The crutch could very well end up being a game changer as well, however unlike the spoon it will take a little more time to figure out. And when I said I didn’t worry or think about it too much, that doesn’t mean she (we) haven’t been working to make this happen for a long time. This girl has done therapy every week since she was a few months old, at one point 3 times a week. Patience often sounds so passive, like sit back and wait and as long as you do it calmly, then you’re being patient. In reality patience usually requires that you work your butt off to make shiz happen, and these few baby steps are the result of years of that kind of hard work.

My favorite thing about this video is the giggle and laugh at the end when she falls over because that is Lamp to a T. I’m not saying she never gets frustrated or grumpy she does–I don’t like it when other people put her on a pedestal and I try not to perpetuate that myself–but she really does have a brightness about her I don’t want to downplay either. As we all sat around and watched Zuzu take her first steps the week after her birthday, Lamp was cheering just as loudly as the rest of us. She was genuinely excited to watch her little sister take her first steps while never having done so herself. Minutes after those steps and feeling extra motivated, Lamp said it was her turn and she wanted to try walking as well.  So of course we got the brace on and helped her do her best, which to the untrained eye probably didn’t look like much. B and I exchanged half smiley looks that conveyed both gratitude and grief, because you know... life. So yeah the giggle and girlish scream at the end really do say so much about who Lamp is. To clarify, I don’t think she is choosing to be happy, I just think she is happy. She was born this way and like other natural gifts and talents it’s not about lavishing praise on her for a trait I  believe she was simply blessed with, but rather about feeling gratitude for the gift in the first place. Either way, it is a wonderful energy to be around and part of the reason I don’t worry about her too much.  You know, too much.  

You guys, the spotlight has been like crickets for a while now… this is probably the longest I’ve gone with very few emails and leads so if you know anyone who would make a great spotlight have them email me.  Or if you would like to participate please email me at thislittlemiggy at gmail dot com.  I love the spotlight and have always been so, so grateful for each and every person who has made it possible.  So thank you and lets get this thing back on track!

I hope you have a great weekend!
Hugs,
Miggy