Sunday, March 30, 2008

Thinking Out Loud

HO. LY. SHIT. Zube Boy and I just got our asses handed to us. We caught a bug. Zee had it, too, but she is apparently less of a baby than any of the other human members of this household. I literally had an hour or so where I felt so desparate I almost called my work to ask someone, anyone, to come over and take Zee for a bit. I couldn't stand up without puking. We muddled through, and all is well now, but we're still feeling the repurcussions of 36 hours of nothing in, everything out. And though I've always yearned for a nice, roomy bathroom, I am now thankful for the tiny bathroom in our house. Thoughtful of it to have the bathtub so strategically placed right next to the toilet.

Whew. So, now that we've got the oversharing out of the way, I'm going to do some thinking out loud here. I promised myself a long time ago, even before Zube Boy and I were trying for a baby, that if I ever had one this blog would remain MY space. Not MY space as a MOMMY. I swore I'd keep the Mommy blathering to a minimum. I don't know I've done so well with that, but it's what I'm attempting. At the moment, though, I am really, really, and I mean REALLY struggling with something Mommy-related. So I'm going to write it down mostly for the sake of my own clarity and also because, hell, you all have been tremendously helpful before. I hope you don't feel used. If so, kindly shoot me an e-mail and I'll let you know where you can send the bill.

The brief synopsis...

Zee Baby goes to daycare two days a week. Her Daycare Provider, we'll call her DCP, has been a wealth of knowledge in the past with everything from cold remedies to helping ease up on Zee's constipation when she was just a wee little thing. DCP was an ER nurse and has been in daycare so long some of her charges are probably my age. Or at least in college. Hopefully not majoring in partying like I did, but I digress.

As helpful as she's been in the past, DCP's advice is really beginning to grate. Since Zee was five months old, she has told me that Zee has Sensory Processing Disorder. It all started because Zee covers her ears when she hears a loud noise. She's not a big huge fan of the vacuum. I've taken in all DCP has to say, done some research (that site linked above is a good one), and really sat with my thoughts on this. I've concluded that I really don't FEEL anything is wrong with Zee. I just don't. I think I'd know if something was up. And I also don't think I'm being all "not MY baby!" because as we've all learned here, I'm well aware I'm not immune to being on the small side of heaping odds. And their are so many conditions out there that to me sometimes it's amazing most kids are healthy. So I don't think I'm in denial.

What sealed the deal for me was when I approached my doctor with DCP's concerns, he knew her by name, rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, she had a couple come in here CONVINCED their child had Sensory Processing Disorder because he wouldn't wear a hat. It took me an hour to get them to believe that some children just don't like hats." He asked if Zube Boy and I were concerned. We honestly admitted that our biggest concern was DCP's 'diagnosis' but that we didn't feel anything was wrong. The doctor pretty much said, "Zee is fine. She's interactive here with me, smiley, doesn't mind being touched...I've had one child in my practice officially diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder and you could tell that something was a little off. Don't worry. If you're ever concerned, let me know and we'll revisit the idea."

Case closed. Or so I thought.

So, where I am now...

Ugh. Basically, I have another daycare option come June. Nothing until then. But DCP keeps bringing up this diagnosis and reminding me that the earlier we deal with it, the better it will be for Zee. She also, and I don't know if this is on purpose, but she'll show me some of what the other kids are doing that Zee isn't doing yet. Not in a comparative way but in a, "Look at so-and-so, almost walking at 10 months!" Zee's not crawling. She's 10 and 1/2 months old. And I'll to tell you I'm the biggest proponent of All. Kids. Have. Their. Own. Pace. But I'm not going to lie. It's a little unsettling when your kid is the one on the slow end of those big milestones. My niece started crawling at 6 months and my nephew is crawling now and he's 9 months. So yeah, I am well aware that kids her age are doing things she isn't. Thanks for making that point, DCP. I'm also aware that other kids weren't holding their own bottle at 6 months and feeding themselves cheerios all pincer-style at 8. So Zee has been in the forward crowd, too. I think all kids lag and lead in different areas.

Now, DCP has mentioned her opinion regarding MY daughter to two of my friends whose children also attend the same daycare. And I'm boiling. I am seriously considering pulling her out for the next two months and taking a pay cut at work so I don't have to bring her there anymore.

The worst part of all of this is that given the constant and pervasive mention of it, I'm starting to doubt myself and my intuition a little. A little voice in the back of my head is going, "Are you SUUUUURE there's nothing wrong? I mean, you were SO SURE Zee was a boy, and she wasn't? What does that say about your intuition, Mama?" I don't know. Of course I want the best possible shot for Zee and if I felt something was wrong I would go to the ends of the earth to find someone who would believe me and help us address it. But I don't want to go around diagnosing her with things willy nilly just for shits and giggles. And I think if you try hard enough in any case, you'll find something wrong with everyone. Hell, it's what makes humans so god-damned interesting.

But I don't want my 'All Kids Are Different' mantra to do a disservice to Zee. So, for the sake of being all facty and diagnostic, below I've pinched a list of symtoms from the site I linked to above. I've highlighted in red the ones that might apply to Zee, and I'm even being a little liberal. Not all are true in all cases. I've added notes where I deem applicable in blue. Here they are:

Sensory Processing Disorder Symptom Checklist For Infants &Toddlers
__ Resists being held or cuddled
__ Cries and/or arches back when people try to hold him/her
__ Distressed by diaper changes
__ Distressed by baths and/or water splashing on him/her
__ Doesn't fall into a predictable sleep/wake pattern or cycle
__ Cries excessively throughout the day (more than a half hour or hour at a time)
__ Doesn't smile often, appears “sad” or “uncomfortable” much of the time
__ Has distinct preferences for adults of certain energy levels or voices (i.e., intonation, loudness, high pitched, low pitched, etc.)
__ Avoids eye contact, has difficulty focusing on objects or following them with eyes
__ Distressed when moved suddenly or whole body and/or head is tipped
__ Distressed by rocking motions
__ Distressed when moving in space (i.e., swinging around, bouncing up and down, or being “thrown” up in the air)
__ Doesn't appear to respond to name or familiar voice
__ Can't seem to calm baby down no matter what you try (or there is only ONE thing that does, i.e., a car ride)
__ Difficulty breastfeeding
__ Difficulty with sucking, chewing, or swallowing
__ Doesn't tolerate new foods well
__ Gags or vomits from textured foods or on variety of different foods (very limited diet for age)
__ Does not seem to sense when diaper is wet or dirty
__ Cries inconsolably until a wet or dirty diaper is changed
__ Prefers to be without clothing
__ Severe separation anxiety
__ Tantrums many times a day
__ Distressed by sunlight or bright lights
__ Distressed in public places, especially if crowded or noisy Zee doesn't like big crowds. Neither does her dad. He just doesn't cover his ears and cry. He has 33 years of experience using his legs and a bit more free will under his belt so he turns around and walks away.
__ Doesn't enjoy regular interactive movement games, i.e., peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, etc.
__ Doesn't notice new toys/novel toys and/or resists playing with them
__ Only uses one hand to manipulate and explore toys and/or can't switch from hand to hand
__ Unable to bang toys together or clap hands (at appropriate age)
__ Keeps hands fisted and closed most of the time
__ Distressed by dirty hands or face
__ Cries inconsolably when left with strangers or less familiar people
__ Significantly late to talk, walk, gesture, smile, hold bottle, sleep through the night, manipulate/play with toys, etc.
__ Major difficulties transitioning to solid foods and/or rice cereal after bottle or breast fed
__ Can not hold onto or use objects or utensils well for age
__ Regularly avoids certain foods, food categories, consistencies, temperatures of food, eliminates whole food groups, etc.
__ Difficulties with excessive reflux or allergies to foods and/or formulas
__ Doesn't seem to notice sounds others do
__ Frequent ear infections
__ Sensitive to sounds others don't seem to be bothered by Sometimes a few kids will be playing with noisy toys and Zee will cover her ears when they are all going at once. The other kids don't seem to mind.
__ Difficult to engage; is an observer, doesn't interact with peers or adults
__ Apprehensive and/or distressed by playground equipment
__ Distressed by baby swings, jolly jumpers, wagon/stroller rides, car rides, etc.
__ Avoids putting toys in mouth, exploring them with her mouth
__ Baby gags or vomits when objects are placed in his mouth
__ Beyond teething stage, always has something in his/her mouth, or chewing on clothes, hands, fingers
__ Avoids categories of toys, i.e., vibrating, stuffed animals, rough textured toys, slippery/slimy toys, brightly colored objects, etc.
__ Appears overwhelmed, cries, or falls asleep when overstimulated
__ Refuses/distressed by certain positions, i.e., being on tummy, on back, sitting, etc. Not a huge fan of tummy time.
__ Stays in one position and becomes uncomfortable when moving to another; if moving on own has significant difficulty transitioning to another position (hard to do, awkward) She's started transition from sitting to belly, but can't seem to move back.
__ You find you are always trying to be one step ahead of baby; trying to control his environment and “warning” people what to do/not to do so baby is comfortable
__ Difficulty staying asleep for more than 30 minutes at a time, or wakes up frequently throughout the night, unable to soothe himself back to sleep
__ Seems to get too much sleep, very short time when he is alert, playing, responding, and interacting
__ Has significant difficulty waking up
__ Needs a particular sound to stay asleep, i.e., fan, nature tape, white noise, music, etc. This is probably my fault. It's dry as hell around here so we have a humidifier running in her room at night and now she has trouble sleeping without it.
__ Will not sleep if there is any noise
__ Wakes with the sun
__ Can not fall asleep anywhere but home, in familiar environment
__ Needs excessive help to fall asleep...rocking, bouncing, singing, rubbing back, etc. for long periods of time
__ Uncomfortable if not swaddled tightly; or, if older, needs heavy blankets, stuffed animals, or tighter pajamas for weight and pressure on them to fall asleep well
__ Able to switch moods effectively and relatively quickly... easily distracted if upset, “gets over it” within a reasonable amount of time, a favorite toy/face/sound will soothe him/her
__ Excessively attached to a pacifier
__ Never attached to any comfort object, i.e., blanket, stuffed animal, rubbing something, pacifier, thumb, etc.
__ Doesn't reach for or hold toys (especially textured toys) at appropriate age
__ Closes hand if toy coming near it, or drops it immediately if placed in hand
__ When begins to walk, walks on tip toes only, will not put bare feet on ground/floor
__ Distressed by textured materials under themselves
__ Appears distressed by movement; i.e., a startled response, arches back, frightened look in eyes, etc.
__ Does not crawl before walks (or limited/different type of crawl) She's not walking yet, but I imagine she'll walk before she crawls. She does this scootching thing where she moves herself sitting with her heals, so I would say that would qualify as a 'different type of crawl'.
__ Craves movement, distressed if not moving, being swung, rocking, bouncing, rocks self constantly
__ Does not play reciprocally with caregivers or familiar people
__ Frequently engages in repetitive, non-purposeful play with one or two objects
__ Can not switch activities or participate in daily routines without distress when transitioning from one to another DCP has noticed this one, but we haven't. I guess sometimes she pitches a fit when they transition from playtime to feeding time and such.
__ Baby is not understood using language, cues, gestures, etc. and becomes frustrated frequently
__ Frequent head banging, hitting, biting, pinching, or hurting self or others She bangs her head on the back of her high chair. This one disconcerted me a bit when she started so I'd looked it up on the internet. I read that it could be a symptom of autism, and we're not concerned about autism with her given her progress socially. Another site said it could be a sign of genius. I just think it's a sign that she takes after her Dad. Who likes Gwar for crying out loud. She was born to be a head banger.
__ Breaks toys frequently
__ Unable to be gentle with animals
__ Appears uncoordinated, frequently bumps into things
__ Can not focus attention on play, caregiver, or toy long enough to interact (for age level)
__ Wanders around aimlessly or engages in non-purposeful activities in excess, i.e., spinning, rocking, staring at certain objects, etc...not interested in play or doesn't use objects for purposeful play

Looking at the vast see of black ink, I just don't think her symptoms make her anything more than, well, Zee. She's an interesting little tiny person who knows she can't stand the freakin' vacuum cleaner and covers her ears because it's the only way she knows how to try to keep the noise out. She also know she LOVES being tossed in the air by her Daddy and playing peek-a-boo with Mommy. She is perfectly imperfect. The only way I'd want her.

To the root of my question, a question which typing all of this out now has just helped me realize...Am I a bad Mom? A blind Mom? Because DCP and her harping are starting to make me feel that way. Oy. That was it. My biggest problem with all of this.

Thanks all, and I don't blame you one eensy bit if you didn't get through this whole thing.

23 Leg Humps:

Anonymous said...

I'm not yet a parent, but I am an aunt, and well...

My opinion is that you are her mother, and if you felt something was wrong, you would do everything in your power to get her the help she needs. Since you don't feel there is something wrong than you need to follow your instincts.

I have a special needs nephew, and his special need is minimal and wouldn't have been caught until he was older, but his parents noticed something off with him and had him seen right away, and he was just diagnosed recently. But that is just it, it was his parents who noticed, not someone else, and they felt something wasn't right. And he hasn't yet (at 13 months) started to walk, but his very normal older brother and sister both did not walk until they were 17 and 18 months old. And there is/was nothing wrong with them.

I wouldn't focus too much on what she isn't doing yet, but I also know how hard that is to you as first time parents. She's probably in the normal range, and you don't need to worry about it. I think you just need to let the DCP know that you don't feel anything is wrong, your doctor doesn't feel anything is wrong and that you don't appreciate her shouting your business from the hilltops for all the world to hear. I would also ask her to please not bring it up again.

Good luck.

Unknown said...

Honestly, I think the only "problem" you have is a little princess in the making. This could turn into a headache someday, but it's certainly not cause for alarm.

I would have a serious problem with DCP not only harping on you, but sharing this with other parents. That is very unprofessional and if you can afford the pay cut at work, I'd keep her home until June.

Anonymous said...

The only thing that the highlighted portions indicate to me is that you have a baby that knows what she likes. You are with your kid everyday, trust me, you'll feel it if there is something wrong. Plus if even your doctor says she's fine AND knows DCP's reputation, really, I wouldn't worry. Just have fun with Zee and enjoy her.

karen said...

Next time DCP brings the subject up, tell her that you've had Zee evaluated professionally (you don't have to say it was your pediatrician), and are following the doctor's recommendations. Thank her for her concern and let her know that there's nothing special the daycare needs to do for Zee at this time.

As for Zee not crawling yet, I think you're right not to be concerned. She was born a little early and maybe crawling just isn't for her yet! Also, one of my nephews (not a preemie) never crawled. He did do a funky sort of butt-scoot for a while, but went pretty much from sitting or rolling straight to walking. Keep believing in the "each at her own pace"...you'll KNOW if there's something you should seriously have checked out.

Shal said...

I agree with Karen, and when you do take her out of DCP's care (as I think this is the modus operandi of this person.. she's not going to "stop" making all these diagnoses, and sharing) just tell her flat out why you are doing it. Not to piss her off, but tell her that she isn't an expert in that sense that she can diagnosis a pretty rare disorder, and that she needlessly worried you and that it's INCREDIBLY unprofessional to share any of this information (does she not remember the HIPPA rules from her days as an ER nurse?).

It sounds like when you can make a change you should. I would really go with the advice of the doctor than this person who's spreading around your information.

Also you are right, all kids move at their own pace. Some earlier, some right on, some later. And once she starts moving oh man you wish they would slow down! ;)

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

hey Zubegirl....

I have a 15 yo son who still 'cries' if I try to comb his hair. His scalp is extremely sensitive. He also never mastered rolling over..well, he has now.
He walked at a year, my daughter walked at 9 months.
I had a hell of a time breast feeding him. I cried, he cried.
What I'm trying to tell you is we all have levels of things that bother us. she sounds like her daddy. Certain pitches of sound make my head feel like it's going to explode.

My overly pain-sensitive boy is also in the gifted class at school.

Zee is her own unique person. I don't see anything that she 'does' do that is any different than most babies. Who wants to be taken away from their toys to eat or in my case, taken away from my food to play.

YOU ARE A GREAT MOM! It sounds like Zee will get to fall down, hurt herself and be cheered to get back up again.

Zube said...

You guys, I can't, can't, CAN'T thank you enough for bolstering my confidence. Seriously, thank you. The personal stories are awesome, making me feel so much better. And just YOUR totaly trust in my instincts. Restored my faith in my own instincts. So thank you for that. Sincerely.

Anonymous said...

ZG...I totally agree with Karen. Plus as a nurse, she is not trained to make a diagnosis. That is what doctors are trained to do. Be polite but firm and just ignore her if she continues to badger you about it. Cora is a real cutie!!!

Anonymous said...

That list? Cracks me up! There are so many things on it that I still do! Who knew that reacting badly to OVERSTIMULATION was a sign of a disorder? Or avoiding certain foods? I thought it just meant that I knew what I liked. Now I know better. I better go out and get some medicine right away because I can't stand yogurt! :)

Sorry-- there are sooooo many things on that list that are just normal baby things. Zee sounds like she just has a firmly developed personality. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't. That doesn't mean she has a disorder it means that she is a baby!

Also, if it makes you feel better, I never crawled. Ever. I walked first and then later did this weird bear crawl thing where I would shuffle around on my hands and feet with my butt way up in the air. I? Also did not learn to skip until, like, second grade. :) I still have the report card that gave me an F in skipping in Kindergarten.

When unprofessional daycare lady gets after you about Zee's "disorder" you could counter it with "well our house is pretty quiet, so it's perfectly normal that she wouldn't be all that into loud noises" (I don't know if I'd mention having her evaluated as this will just give the woman incentive to do the same thing to other parents) And then say that if she gossips about you or Zee to other parents again, you'll not only yank your kid out of her care, but you'll file a complaint with...somebody official. Surely daycare providers are supposed to operate under a certain level of confidentiality? Because it sounds to me like she's trying to wrangle people over to her side to help bully you into doing what she wants.

If you wanted to pretend to be in high school for a minute you could say something along the lines of "funny, in all the times I've been in here I don't remember you saying anything about being a medical specialist in pediatric disorders. Can I see your certification?" Obviously I wouldn't reccommend actually saying that to her, but doesn't it give you a delicious thrill to think about it? :)

(Crap, this comment is long!)

Anonymous said...

Hey sis,
I'm sorry, but to me it sounds like you might have a baby on your hands. Good luck with that.
I don't see too many things on that list that your niece doesn't do. Shit, I may need to go to the doctors, because I have more than half of those symptoms myself.
Well, I will let you know how my appointment goes.
Love,
Bro Zube

Anonymous said...

DCP sounds like a nosy, overbearing bitch. Sorry, just my opinion.

Ethan couldn't care less about noise but both of my girls HATED the sound of the vacuum. HATED HATED.

Kate was also not fond of sudden, loud or sharp noises.

Maggie didn't walk until she was 14 months old. Far, far behind her brother and sister.

All three of them banged their head on the back of the highchair. Since the older two are honor roll students with normal social lives, I have a hard time believing that this isn't something most kids do anyway.

As for Maggie - well, she reminds me a lot of Stewie from The Family Guy. But, that's a whole other ball of wax. LOL

And problems switching activities? So, what? Zee isn't allowed to have opinions or decide that she was really enjoying what she was doing and didn't WANT to stop?

As for DCP telling your friends? I'd have Zee Baby out of there so fast it would make that nosy old biddy's head spin.

I'm fuming here. Sorry!

lgray said...

I think a lot of those things are things normal babies do. Our 8.5-month-old doesn't crawl yet, and doesn't seem too interested in trying it. I think it's just because we didn't give him enough tummy time early enough. He'll probably walk first and that's fine. Zee sounds fine to me. I think you need to tell DCP that you're aware of her concerns, but you are not worried yet, and that she needs to stop talking to others about your child. The nerve! You're Zee's mother, you know her better than anyone, except possibly your husband, so relax. You're doing fine. (People have to tell me this from time to time, as well.) Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Well, I am not a parent, and don't have a lot of experience with kids, so I'm not sure if my two cents are worth anything here, but your story made me want to speak up, because nothing at all seems wrong with Zee.

I would have to agree with Erin--so many of the things on that (LONG) list don't sound unreasonably alarming to me. Plus, a lot of the items are contradictory: your child is either too attached to her pacifier or not attached enough, etc. Now, if you looked at your color-coded list and saw a sea of red then yeah, maybe you'd want to get a second opinion.

One of the things that my parents tell my brother and I over and over again is that we were born with our personalities. I was an EXTREMELY sensitive child. I was a picky eater as a kid. I was a fussy baby and the doctor told my mom I had too much energy to burn to settle down immediately. As an adult, it's the same thing, except with less crying. My brother, on the other hand, was a little daredevil. Kid wouldn't allow my father to put training wheels on his bike--went from a tricycle to a bicycle without a hitch. He rolls with the punches like you wouldn't believe--no worries, none at all. He's always been much more adventurous, much more physical. And those aspects of our personalities -- things that would have undoubtedly shown up on a list of What's Wrong With Your Kid, had our parents consulted one -- have been with us since birth.

Both of us made it to adulthood just fine. I'm still sensitive and picky and I have a hard time relaxing. My brother is still a no-training-wheels kinda guy. Neither of us is perfect, but both of us are healthy and smart. Just like Zee. I think that absolutely the best thing you can do, as a parent, is trust yourself. You know your daughter better than anyone else, and you consulted with a doctor, who told you nothing was wrong. Everyone develops at their own pace, in all stages and aspects of life.

As I said, I don't have children, but I have to think that even babies are allowed to have SOME quirks before you go slapping a label on them and calling them defective (NOT that Zee would be defective even if she had this sensory thing, or autism, or whatever).

Finally, your DCP needs to mind her own business.

Chickie said...

It sounds like DCP is a nosy wench and needs to keep her opinions to herself. I'd be seriously pissed too about her voicing her "concerns" to other people.

Ginamonster said...

Heck, I exhibit more of those symptoms than she does. So does my parrot.

Zee is normal. I cover my ears too when noises are loud. I'm not saying I am normal, but I do think the DCP needs to quit picking apart your kid. In any list of symptoms, there will always be a few.

Anonymous said...

My oldest has autism and sensory issues and while I find that checklist to be a bit lacking because boys and girls are very different symptomatically speaking, I think it is entirely too early to diagnose her as having this kind of issue. Unless youve checked nearly everything off on that list and people (not dcp) are regularly asking you what is wrong with your child, then you are JUST FINE.

If you feel concerned there are things you can do at home to work on these "issues" with her. Playing different kinds of music (classical, rock, tribal, etc) at varying sound levels while actively engaging her in favorite activities, using reddiwhip on a cookie sheet or highchair tray to allow her to "paint"

and just a note, not meant to scare you, but autism in girls is a VERY DIFFERENT animal and the standards still do not recognize that. My 6 yr old is very social, she's just awkward. If you want a sound doctoral opinion on Zee take her to a developmental pediatrician. Regular peds, while dealing somewhat with autism are not typically well schoooled in the various nuisances that a developmental ped would be. You can message me any time if you need or want more info. Early intervention makes things easier but over intervention when something isnt actually wrong may in the long run cause more problems- it's a fine line you have to walk with such a wee one.

Anonymous said...

I agree with bro.. we all have many of these symtoms. I finally got the chance to read through this all and I know why you are concerned but DCP really should not be telling other parents about this and as soon as you can pull her from there. If you had all the toys being handed to you from other kids would you want to move? No probably not. Oh yea and if you had a huge jeep and were off roading would you want to stop to eat? No probably not. just comparing because you know nothing's wrong. Do not worry sis! She is perfect head banging and all.... haha I'm just laughing because Stan does that same head banging in his highchair. I really just think it's hysterical because it looks like it really hurts and he really doesn't care he just wants more food!!!

Love,
My belle

Anonymous said...

I have two girls, 4 & 5, they would have had more checks on that list than Zee, neither of them were diagnosed. Sounds to me (unfortunately) that the caregiver is going over the line in discussing your child with other parents, that would be enough for me.
You may be over this episode by now, I just had to leave my 2 cents, please trust your gut with your kid, it's been my best tool.

Anonymous said...

I have two little girls, 3 1/2 and 8 months. Babies/kids will do a lot of things that concern you, but be comforted by the fact your worrying at all, proves you are a good parent to your child. If you didn't worry at all, that would be a problem.

As for daycare, the woman probably just wants some drama in her life, so she stirring your pot a little for her own power trip. To go from the ER to daycare is a demotion of sorts and she probably wants to feel like playing God again. If it continues to annoy, pull the kid out.

As for slower physical development, that's still within a normal range, be thankful. It’s a sign of higher intelligence, as the baby is more focused on thought and reason than action right now. Does she ever appear like she focused or deep in thought? Likely, yes; and no don't count the 3 minutes before she takes a dump either. Other parents and adults are quick to point out to rapid physical progress as a high point of their child, partly in defense of being aware of what I have stated above, and partly to boost their own confidence in their child. Simply stated, your child will walk in due time, even if its months later than the others, but their child may never grasp calculus.

Lisa said...

Zube, I wouldn't worry. My 14 year old daughter has had issues with loud noises back when she was still in the womb! (We first noticed it when we went to see Jurassiac Park, and the first time the t-rex roared I thought she was going to pull an "Alien" move and launch right out of my abdomen!) Anyway, she is now a brilliant, funny, happy, well-adjusted teenager who still just happens to hate loud noises. She always covered her ears when I vacuumed. She doesn't do that anymore, but she still jumps out of her skin when the phone rings. I wouldn't worry so much. I think you are doing a GREAT job!

Gretchen said...

Ok. I shouldn't laugh over this but:
Wakes with the sun

Isn't that what we're biologically programmed to do?

Coming in a day late and a dollar short, but still wanted to give you my opinion.

If you are concerned, I have no doubt that you will get it checked out (as you mention your newest post). But. In reading those, all of my kids exhibited some of those things. Heck, they still run from the vacuum.

"She is perfectly imperfect." I couldn't have said it better

Wonelle said...

My son walked at 10 months. Our neighbor's son walked at 2 years. My son said his first word at 9 months "be-you-tiff-ul" (the second to last word in the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar) and our other neighbor's kid, a year older than mine, can't speak a clear word. Here's the thing: they're all NORMAL, just like yours, simply learning at different speeds. Strange that we're all different, huh? Nah, it's really cool.

Hope things with DCP are better than they were. From my perspective, all DCP's have good things and bad things about them. Nobody's perfect, that's for sure. But hey, that's part of the reason my kid is in daycare. I'm not happy full-time mom material.

No matter, she'll make you proud, that's for sure.

Best,

Wonelle

Effortlessly Average said...

Good lord, with that list EVERYone would be diagnosed with it. I mean, c'mon; I, too, have difficulty breastfeeding, so does that mean I've got SPD? Of course, for me it's more of a hobby than physical imperative, but still...

 

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