Sometimes Reality Hurts...

Sometimes reality hurts. As Reese gets older and continues to miss milestone after milestone of speech development it hurts even more. It hurts when I see peers her own age clearly communicating their needs and it hurts even more when my dear friend's little ones who are several months younger pass Reese in her ability to speak. It hurts the most when I see what should be happening in writing, such as when the Parent's as Teacher lady comes and gives me handouts that state things like this:

-Says several single words (by fifteen to eighteen months)

-Uses simple phrases (by eighteen to twenty-four months)

-Uses two- to four-word sentences

-Repeats words overheard in conversation

Reality really sinks in then... Crap, my child is doing NONE of these =0(

Most of all, the unknown hurts. The unknown of how well she may or may not overcome this speech deficit, rather or not the speech deficit will cause other learning disabilities and how, long-term, this will all effect her in her daily life. Often guilt sets in and for just one moment I think I could be doing more, that it was something I did wrong to have caused the problem....maybe I didn't read to her enough, etc... Then I remember that we have another child, whom I treat exactly the same, and who is brilliant. I am thankful for this and I am thankful that despite these challenges, my children are the best gift a Mama could've ever asked for!