Each year, I make a special photo book of all of the things that have happened with our girl, which we give to our families as Christmas gifts. The books follow her progress and growth throughout the year, and there's always a recap at the end, written from her perspective. As I sit here and look back at 2012, marveling at all we've done, nothing seems more appropriate to share with you than this year's book recap:
This was a really big year for me. Momma and Da are very proud of the things I've accomplished. Some of these things are:
Potty training...I haven't worn a Pull-Up (except at night) in months.
Mimicking...this is the first step toward language, something doctors and other professionals have been watching and hoping for since I was really, really young. I now mimic many actions, and one of the major things I've learned is how to wave bye-bye.
Following directions...this is a biggie. One really good example is that I can now walk on the trails at the state park without holding Momma or Da's hand. With a lot of practice, I've learned to follow simple verbal directions when we are out and about.
Swimming...this is the best part of this whole year, as far as I'm concerned. This summer, I spent so much time in the water. Momma and Da worked with me every single day, and by August I could swim from one parent to the other when they stood ten to fifteen feet apart in water that was over my head.
And now comes the sappy. Nana, grab your tissues. You know how you get.
If you're reading this, it's because you're very special to me. I may not speak English on my own yet, but Momma feels confident in telling you that I love you very much. You accept me for who I am, and I don't think I could ever ask for any more than that.
I am so unbelievably proud of my girl, and I feel so incredibly fortunate to have such a fantastic support system. Since the going got tough around here a few years ago, so many of you have stepped up and really proven to me how wonderful human beings can be. I've also found out how selfish and insensitive people can be, but y'all more than make up for that. I didn't need those other folks, anyway.
One of the things that people said left and right around the time of The Princess's diagnosis was that God never gives us any more than we can handle. I wrote this off as a canned response parroted by well-meaning people who love us and don't know what else to say. Now, more than three years after her diagnosis, The Princess shows me every day that this is true. I can't imagine what my life would be like today without her and her autism. I've grown in ways I never knew were possible, and I am very proud to stand before you as the person I am today.
I feel truly blessed, and I am looking forward to this coming new year with a glimmer in my eye and hope in my heart.
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