“I Will Wait” Struggles have made victory that much sweeter.
Ashlynn’s progress continues to grow by leaps and bounds. So many times I catch myself smiling and my eyes well up with tears to see her knock down all of her obstacles.
Last month she learned to jump for the first time at 3 1/2. At the beginning of the year, it broke my heart to watch her try on a classroom trampoline. On their turn, all the other kids exuberantly bounced away. When it was Ashlynn’s turn, all she could do was march. Now, she is not only exuberantly bouncing, but she is catching air in my kitchen, on my patio, and even on her bed. I was scolded for jumping on the bed, but I don’t care if she busts every spring and I have to buy her a new one. It’s worth it. It’s all worth it. Every penny spent, every happy and sad tear shed, every minute in therapy; it’s all worth it!
She also sang to a song that she had never heard before in the car last week. Mumford and Son’s “I Will Wait” song was on the radio. I was singing to it, and all of a sudden I heard her. Her little voice filling the car with the chorus. There are no words to describe the feeling. I will buy the CD and put the album cover in her baby book.
These little triumphs, so sweet when you have a child with a developmental delay. She has taught me so much. We may have had challenges, but we experience something so much sweeter when there are victories. We appreciate all the little things so much more. We never take for granted, not even for a second, her talking, her jumping, her SINGING.
Oh my goodness, this is beautiful! Cherish it! My little man marches too, when we tell him to jump. He’ll be 3 next month. Can’t wait for the jumping and the singing!
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Jenn,
He will be jumping in no time! Never give up 🙂 I look forward to reading your update when he does!
Yesterday Caitlin was watching Madagascar 3 I think, afro circus, and I was in the kitchen. When Katy Perry’s Firework came on, I could hear Caitlin’s sweet little voice trying to sing along. Oh my gosh it warmed my heart!!! She loves to sing and loves music and she tries so hard! I know exactly how you felt 🙂
I will never, ever forget when Cooper started jumping one month shy of his 3rd birthday. Now, he jumps constantly. I swear he is going to fly away sometimes. Yay for your daughter!! This is such a huge moment.
It’s funny how all us moms remember these exact moments!
Hey Laura, question for you. Does Ashlynn jump of furniture or off stairs? Cooper started jumping right at age 3. Yay! But I’ve noticed that he still doesn’t jump off of things. .
It’s funny you say that because I had assumed too that once Ashlynn could jump she would automatically start jumping “off” things. I’ve since discovered that jumping forward is another skill aside from just jumping up and down in a vertical line. To answer your question though, yes, she is jumping off things now, but she just got it! She finally jumps into my arms off the side of the pool 🙂
Yay! I am so looking forward to that. I have started noticing that Cooper is doing more physical movements. Like, climbing on the back of the couch or rolling of the side of a chair. He even crawled onto our end table. These are all new movements for him. It’s funny because Sawyer (1.3) is doing this stuff already. The first time Sawyer balanced on a chair I almost died. Cooper didn’t do that until he was 3! As it stands Cooper jumps CONSTANTLY. Hopeful jumping off things is next. Happy spring lady!