9 Months/ 6 Months

The traffic fairy was not as accommodating this morning on our real drive to the doctor. Rain and the day after a vacation combined to make us 1/2 hour late for the appointment. However it gave Tessa time for a long nap so after a brief moment of alligator tears right at the beginning she did very well at her appointment.

This appointment was her "6 month" NICU follow-up visit. Meaning if she had gone full term she would have been 6 months at this point. I'm not sure if I talked about this earlier but that is her "adjusted" or "corrected" age and that means in terms of developmental ability she is only expected to act like a 6 month old. And based on her weekly occupational therapy activities, her monthly pediatrician visits, and of course, today's appointment with the pediatric developmental specialists she is right on track. In some things, particularly her schedule for eating solid food and in someways her visual and social skills she is a bit advanced and closer to her actual, chronological age. As she gets older her developmental abilities and chronological ages will start to align and merge around two years of age.

Today, 9 months after birth and exactly 6 months after hospital discharge, she giggled during the physical exam and smiled smiled smiled at everyone, until she got sleepy, then she just stared and snuggled with Daddy.

She weighed 14 lbs 14 oz, and is 27 inches long! And, in case you are either challenged in the math department or in denial (like me) in three months my little big girl will be ONE! Pardon me while I go find some sand to bury my head in and pretend she'll be my little one forever.