Thoughts on prematurity

Libby turns one year old in a mere 19 days.  How did that happen?  Time has sure flown!  As she gets daily closer to the big ONE, I have noticed her prematurity more and more.  As I said before in a previous blog, I really started to notice her prematurity when she hit about 4 months old.  Before that I didn't notice it mainly because what she was doing and what she was supposed to be doing weren't that far off.  As she's grown it's always been in the back of my mind that she is premature and I always take that into consideration as she hits her milestones consistently 6 weeks behind her age (which is technically on time for her) but it hasn't been a big deal.  Babies crawl and sit and wave and say "dada" and varying times so I barely even noticed that at 8 months old she was finally sitting up when an on-time baby would sit up closer to 6 months. 

But recently it has really hit me just how delayed she is and the reason is because she's hitting the one year mark.  Both my other babies were pulling to stands, cruising, and attempting words right before their one year mark.  Libby is so very far from all those things.  She has pulled to a stand only about 3 times or so, cruising is a completely, 100%, foreign concept to her.  In fact, a newborn would have an easier time cruising than her since he would still have the stepping reflex.  And as far as words, she is still on the single syllable, repeated over and over stage (nanananana, bababab, dadadad, etc.)  There is nothing remotely involving a word that passes her lips. 

I'm not saying any of this as a criticism or even a worry for her.  I understand she is delayed, she is expect to be delayed and she will continue to be delayed for the next 6 months to 2 years.  I am not in the least worried about it.  I know she will catch up when she is supposed to (by age 3 she should be caught up to her peers in all areas).  I only write this and say this because it has been so odd the past few days to count down to her birthday and yet, basically, see a 10 month old in front of me.  I know in my head it's her birthday and she will be 12 months but she doesn't act like a 12 month old so it's very weird to think about her birthday coming.  It probably doesn't help either that she came one home week after her due date so not only does she act like a 10 month old, she's only been in our home for 10 months as well.  Still, I am so excited for her birthday.  What a great day it will be to remember and celebrate the wonderful blessing we have in our little Libby.  And what a bonus that I get to hang on to my "baby" for  just a little bit longer.