Wow... j... just... WOW!

I don't know how else to describe it... it... it's just... WOW.

I can't believe the number of different things you've done in the last week. You started saying "Mom." It wasn't just once... you say it ALL the time now. Especially in the morning. You're always up first - always have been, probably always will be. You see me, and literally jump out of bed (or off the couch), grinning from ear to ear. You grab my arm, jump up and down (still grinning, by the way), saying "Mom Mom Mom Mom." I'm fairly confident it translates into "Good Morning Mom, Glad to see you, Are you going to feed me now?"

Last weekend, I sent Caitlin to the store for a few things, and when she came back I took them into the kitchen to put them away.

YOU TRIED TO HELP ME!!!

I was pulling the box of cereal out of the bag, you took it from me, and put it on the counter!

On Tuesday (I think?), Hayley was over for a while, and you were having dinner. I was talking to her while trying to feed you, and you just grabbed the spoon out of my hand and stuck it in your mouth.

YOU FED YOURSELF!!!

I couldn't believe it! You'd NEVER done that on your own before, even though I'd seen you feed yourself hand-over-hand at school before. If I tried to get you to do it at home, you would always look at me as if you were saying "YOU ain't my teacher!! I'm not doing this for YOU!" But you started feeding yourself that night, and every time you've had something to eat that you need to use a spoon/fork for, as long as I put the food ON the spoon/fork, you grab it and feed yourself.

It's getting to the point where I'm seriously starting to re-think some of my preconceptions about you. I've always thought that you'd be completely helpless - the way you've been for a long time - and that you would need someone to be by your side every hour of every day.

But now... I have to wonder. Maybe you won't be as helpless as I thought. Maybe some of the things I never thought you would be able to do... maybe you WILL be able to do them.

I had to fill out a questionnaire just this morning, regarding what kinds of services I think you're going to need as you get older, and some of the questions I thought I knew the answers to, a week ago. Now I honestly don't know.

But you know what? I kind of like THIS uncertainty. This is a GOOD uncertainty.

I can't wait to see what you grow up into. I've always known that I'll love you no matter what... but now I'm filled with excitement, at the possibilities I see opening up before you that I never thought would be available to you.