Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

Reese is 3!

Reese's birthdays are a strange mix of emotions. Although it seems like I have known her my whole life, 3 years have gone so fast. Life has been busy to the point of losing my mind at times. Olivia grew up in those 3 years and I don't know where that time went. We celebrate another year with Reese. It is joyful because Reese represents joy to us and we love having her in our lives. It is sweet because she is getting older, and very slowly making progress. But it also is painful in some ways because I don't want her to grow up. I want her to stay right here...where I can hold her and I can carry her. Where we can cuddle and I can lift her into the car. I cherish her and adore her. There are no words to adequately describe it. I kind of wish she could stay 3 forever.:)

In the world of Developmental Disabilities, 3 is a big birthday. It is the end of Early Intervention Services, the end of Developmental Specialists, the transition to the Children's Unit and the beginning of Developmental Preschool! AAHHHHHHHH! Reese is going to Preschool on Monday!

We are excited for her but feeling very emotional. Excited that she will do a "typical" kid thing. She is living life! She will have friends, she will have a teacher, a backpack, school shoes, and a lunchbox. She will get all of her therapies at school, including vision therapy every day. She will even get to ride the bus eventually (if I can actually let her go!!). But we are also emotional. She has been with us virtually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She has relied on me for every meal, every medication, every bite, every bath, every sock and pig tail. I know her cries. What if they don't? I know her seizures. What if they miss it? I know how to hold her, change her diaper, feed her. I am letting go and it is hard. I enjoy every moment with Reese and I will miss her.

So here we go...onto the next stage of our journey. We have learned so much through Reese, but the biggest lesson, the greatest gift, is how to trust God completely. So we are letting her go...our big girl is heading off to school in 3 days.