Small Wonder

I am grateful that I have a 2 year old preemie that is strong enough to fight RSV and win.  That she is old enough not to have to worry about its adverse effects, that it took her down for a week, but she is right back up, jumping, climbing, running and playing. 

It doesn't mean I don't worry anymore.  I just don't worry as much.  It doesn't mean I've forgotten she's a preemie.  I remember, from time to time to most of the time, that she is a small little wonder.  And it's hard to explain to people what that's like.  To be thankful for everything she says and does and is able to accomplish.  It's not that we watch the milestones to rush her towards them.  It's that we're tentatively waiting, worried, then amazed that she achieves them at all.  It's that difference that some people don't seem to understand.  That there was a time when maybe there weren't going to be milestones to meet, not that we would worry that she might meet them later than others.  It's seemingly easy for others to assume that we're just overprotective parents, worrying over nothing.  Yet they seem to forget that there really are things that we should worry about, that we have valid reasons - 12 valid missing weeks of gestation reasons as to why we are still sometimes holding our breath. 

And it gets easier.  Oh, how it gets easier with time.  The love that we feel for our feisty, temper tantrum throwing, moon-howling obsessed girl.  Today, we went to the grocery store and her excitement over the big letters and numbers everywhere was contagious.  Our little, little girl is growing up.