Sometimes Tim and I worry about Rachel. Scratch that. Sometimes I worry about Rachel. She's definitely behind the curve when it comes to reaching many developmental milestones. When I expressed a worry to my doctor about her lack of babbling at 8 months, he eased my concerns somewhat by indicating that her position in the family is likely more responsible than any sort of developmental problem. She simply doesn't get as much social interaction with her siblings and parents as the other two did.
I continue to have this nagging feeling (perhaps paranoia) that something is just off. On good days I attribute her quirkiness to the fact that her father is an engineer. On bad days, I toy with the possibility that she is autistic. In fact, it has become somewhat of a joke in our family (not a very funny one, I know) so that every strange trait she exhibits (like the fact that she sometimes crawls around with her head on the ground) is just a sign of autism.
If she is autistic, I will fight my natural tendency to be overwhelmed by the diagnosis and do what is necessary to help her. I, of all people, know that having a "special needs" child in the home, though tiring at times, is indeed a great blessing.
But that's not really what I wanted to blog about today. There is one area where I have discovered that Rachel is actually ahead of the game and that is her fine motor skills. Lately, she is fascinated with putting things into and taking them out of containers. Taking my kitchen tools out of their drawer. Putting them back in. Pulling Lily's toilet cup out of her potty. Carefully easing it back in. Emptying the downstairs toy basket of its contents. Tidying many of them up. Clearing off a shelf of books in our office. Putting them... okay that's definitely pushing it.
Today I was feeding her breakfast and she started putting little cereal chunks into the cupholders on her highchair tray instead of dropping them onto the floor as she did just a couple of weeks ago. Which makes me, for one, very pleased that she has mastered this skill because now I only have to sweep the floor once a day. Not twice. Or three times.
7 comments:
What exactly is Rachel playing with in that picture? And who in their right mind would let her get a hold of such things?!
Ha ha, dear babysitter! Thanks for letting her work on her fine motor skills - without lighting the house on fire.
I think the picture with matches help make Susie's point. ha ha I'm glad to hear that Rachel is finding that order is nice. If only I could get her to help my boys see that too...
Sawyer crawls with his head on the floor all the time so I don't think that trait in particular is anything to be worried.
My advice is to keep tabs on your mother instinct. That nagging feeling could be nothing BUT it could be something.
Dear Abbey,
I have a sister that lets her kids play with matches. What should I do?
My third, Julia didn't say much of anything until she was two. Up until then all she did was make "monster" noises. Then at two she just started talking in full sentences and saying words my four year old couldn't say! Now she speaks clearer than some adults. . .
But I agree with Lindsay with your mother's instinct.
You know Sydney didn't speak until 23 three months old. She didn't even say ma or da. Then she reached her 2nd birthday and began asking for things in complete and extensive sentences. She can still talk the pants off anyone in the house and living with me makes than a tremendous feat.
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