Not That Tiny

She’s growing up. She’ll be twelve in less than two weeks. She’s a year from being a teenager.

She’s sassy and sweet and funny and argumentative. She will pick a point in something Tom or I say and will not let it go.

But I’m glad she’s tough like that. She can be so shy and unassuming that I worry about her being overlooked so I want her to stand up for herself, even if it does drive me insane sometimes.

She wants us to explain WHY we when we tell her to do something. She doesn’t understand WHY she can’t yell back at us when we yell at her. Perhaps we shouldn’t be yelling so much? Hmmm…

She loves to read and hates doing math. I don’t know if that is so much a 5p- thing or an Olivia thing. It’s hard, sometimes, to separate the girl from the syndrome. I know she’s incredibly high functioning but she is definitely affected by that missing DNA and her amazing abilities, while awesome and something we’re incredibly grateful for, doesn’t negate the fact that life is still sometimes a struggle. Just because others struggle more doesn’t make her struggle any less for her. (Pain Olympics anyone?) I, like any other parent out there, wish so much that I could fix things for her, take away the struggles, the pain, the hardship and make life perfect for her.

She still plays with Barbies but loves technology in the form of her tablet and the computer just about as much. This age is hard to buy for when it comes to birthday/Christmas presents. She needs warmer, longer pants but pants are fun presents to open on Christmas morning.

She’s getting braces in January. I think she’s excited about it. I know she understands why and we’ll be able to explain the pain to her. I realize there are parents out there who decide against braces for their kids with 5p-. I respect their decision. I just know that this is the best decision for MY kid. Because she sucked her thumb for over four years, she has a bit of an overbite, which could cause her teeth be damaged if she were to fall and land on her face and let’s be real here, that possibility is very high with my tiny girl.

She’s had a cold for over a week now. This is the first illness since our encounter with the flu over eight months ago. I know how lucky we are but I still hate that when she gets sick, it takes so much longer for her to fight off those germs. I hate that she has to suffer, that she has to have antibiotics, that she needs cough medicine and pain medicine and fever reducer to kick something that a typical kid would fight off in a couple of days with little to no medicine.

But we do what we must. We all do. All our struggles are unique to us and we take what we’re given.

Olivia takes what life has given her and she shines. She soars with joy and laughter. She gives us all so much love and light. I often feel like I’m failing her and yet…I’m so very grateful to be along for the ride that is the journey of her life.

And even if she does get taller than me, well, she’ll still always be my tiny girl.