Anyway, despite the heavy drugs I was given, I still have vivid memories of the whole week I was in the hospital, as well as much of Jocelyn's time in the NICU.
I remember them saying to me right before the emergency C-section, "Don't worry, 32 weekers do just fine". Then we had the weeks in the NICU, the 9 months with the heart / apnea monitor, the year and a half with the Infants and Toddlers program, the physical therapy, and the many times I spent watching other kids doing what she was not yet ready to do.
Now don't get me wrong! I wouldn't trade a second of any of it, not one second! Having my baby girl slow down the development track only meant that I got to enjoy each stage longer, and each accomplishment was just that much sweeter.
And then we get to today. Jocelyn is 2 and 1/2 years old. She's not quite caught up with the physical developments of kids her age. Sometimes balance and coordination are a challenge.
BUT... this girl can TALK about everything and nothing, AND all the time! She's almost mastered dressing herself with a shirt and shorts. We're staring down the dreaded potty training. We have a day to day life together that involves people and activities that I never imagined for her.
And when she hugs me, my heart melts.
When I look at pictures of Jocelyn when she was days old, and when I think about how scared we were bringing this little 5lb 2oz peanut home from the hospital, I couldn't imagine then the little girl I see today. And today, I can't imagine 3 years from now when I send her off for her first day of Kindergarten. I will continue to treasure every second of every day. I will continue to cheer her on with every accomplishment, no matter how small, and ...
When she hugs me, my heart will always melt.