Yes, She Can!. . . Happy 15 Months

A Sick Bear

It truly is all in the phrasing.

Negative thinking and negative talking are both unproductive and bothersome.  At times, too many times perhaps, I find myself entertaining these thought processes and it can be very hard to put a stop to them.  

“Ellie is going to do things when Ellie does things.  When she does, it will be wonderful.” That is what a wise woman repeatedly tells me.  She is wise and correct.  She is my Mom.

Reading! (and drooling)

I am so proud of my little Bear and of all the things she can do.  Of all the things she tries to do.  She is a superstar with such determination and a type of motivation that cannot be taught.  She is the Bellie Bear, defying all expectations.  

Yet. . . sometimes I find myself thinking those thoughts.  For instance today I saw a little 15 month old boy in the waiting room.  He was running.  Running. He was talking up a storm and pointing.  It is hard to not compare.  A brief fluttering of “Ellie cannot do that yet” brushed by me.  Then I focused on the “yet”.  True, she may not be able to do that yet, but she WILL.  Then I focus on what she is doing.

Amelie likes to read too.

At every well child check, the nurse assistant asks a series of developmental questions such as “she's walking?” ; “can she scribble?” ;  “she says 3 words”.   She phrases them as statements as though, of course my child is doing these things.  Each time, I have to respond as “no, she cannot do that” (double negative, I know). I am tired of saying “She cannot walk”, “she does not say any words”.  Enough with the negative wording.  So I looked over the nurse assistant’s shoulder and read her computerized form. I said

“This is what Ellie CAN do.” 

And guess what?  On that 15 month-old chart, I was able to joyfully and excitedly state 4 things my little Ellie can do.  Four things on the 15 month!  She IS 15 months!  She can do so many things!!!!  Just a little turn of the phrasing and negative become positive.  Not failures, but triumphs!!!!

Look at what Ellie can do!  Cruising!

Here is a quick update from the 15-month Well Check:

Stats:

Weight: 18.625 lb (60% DS chart; < 5% regular chart)

Length: 29in (70% DS chart; 15 % regular chart) a 1.75 inch growth

Head Circ: 42.4cm

1. **The Bear is not really gaining any weight.  Only a few ounces since her 12 month appointment.  She is growing in length, but if you saw how this office measures length (a yard stick with Ellie dangling off of the table) you can not count on its accuracy.  She had dropped a curve at the 12-month appointment and has now dropped another curve at this one. 
2. I brought up how Ellie is still a spitting up spout even with the prevacid and fessed up to scheduling an appointment with a gastroenteroloist.  Ellie spits up small amounts, but very frequently and not always after eating.  I wonder about reflux vs. delayed emptying vs. floppy GI system due to DS.
3. Got my script for speech therapy! Andrew and I do not know if we are going to go this route, but the prescription for it at least gives us an option.
4. Otherwise, she looks great!  Oh aside from the red throat, coughing, and the vomiting episode that she had this morning. . . yep, the Baby Bear has her 1st illness.  Cough cough, blah all over Mommy.  Crankypants.  Negative strep test.  Doing better but still wah wah and unhappy.

**Denotes things that really worry the Mama Bear as in How. Did. I. Not. Notice. This?