Our Talking Machine in Month 16

Margo’s 16th month has been action packed! For starters, Margo started school two days a week in January. It has been painful and hard some days with two hours of crying and other days it has been wonderful and easy with only 10 minutes of crying! On her 5th week at school, she was finally dropped off without tears. I think Margo was made for school and the socialization it fosters. She is a sweet baby with lots of energy and it is clear that she thoroughly enjoys the interaction and new experiences by her happy demeanor when she gets home. I cannot believe she has mastered napping on a mat, coloring with crayons and so many other things since she started. Margo especially loves one of her teachers, Ms. Dina, hugging her and sitting in her lap. Her favorite activities at school include dancing, singing, playing outside and reading books.

The hardest part about school is that Margo has already been sick a lot, as predicted. She suffered from her first ear infection and has been perpetually congested for almost four weeks! Surprisingly though, I love her school and how great it has been for her. It has not been as hard for me to lose control and not be “in the know” as expected. When Margo was at home, I could call and get reports as many times a day as I wanted. After several weeks of relinquishing control and giving her care up to God, I now only call once a day! I actually like knowing she is in a structured environment and I know that she is getting educational and social stimulation that was lacking at home. Plus, she is building up immunities that will keep her well in school when it really matters.

This month, we visited my best friend, Razil, and her precious family in San Antonio. Razil has a new four month old baby boy who is beyond adorable and a beautiful three year old blondie, Olivia. It was fun to see Olivia’s blossoming personality and watch Margo interact with her. I also loved the snuggles I got to experience with little Jonas. Razil is one of those friends I am certain I will have for life and it is neat watching one another “grow up”, build a family, etc… As we were finishing our second glass of wine one night and heading to bed, we laughed at the thought of how different it would have been just a few years ago. We probably would have been pounding beers and staying up until the wee hours. It’s amazing how time changes so many things, but not the bond of friendship.

During our visit to San Antonio, Margo got to meet her Great Uncle, Wilson, for the 1st time. Wilson is my dear uncle who suffered a traumatic brain injury several years ago and sadly, resides in a home for disabled people. It was obvious how happy Wilson was to meet our precious Margo and I am so glad we got to bring a little joy to his otherwise sad existence. As you read this, please say a little prayer for Wilson’s peace and comfort.

Developmentally, Margo is growing in leaps and bounds. Every single day she does something that amazes me. One day I asked her to bring me her shoes and I couldn’t believe she understood. Another time I told her to eat another bite of fish before I gave her more grapes and she did it. She is also a talking machine! Her vocabulary consists of at least 25 discernible words—some she says often, others not. Some of her new words include shoes, keys, spoon, baby, car and she can even say blueberry. I cannot understand a lot of her gibberish, which makes me feel bad because I know she is trying to tell me something.

She can recognize the color blue and almost all types of animals. She knows most of her body parts including ears, hands and toes and has a new fascination for eyebrows. She loves to sing and even mimics Elmo’s song as seen in the video below. Matter of fact, she is starting to mimic everything from the way I read a book (see video), to brushing her hair, sticking q-tips in her ears (scary, I know), wiping her nose, cleaning the floor, etc… She helps brush her teeth, scrub her belly, get herself dressed and desperately tries to put on her shoes.



Her favorite things are still her books, balls, stuffed animals (dogs especially) and she is starting to like her dolls. She gives her dolls and animals lovies, kissing them, cuddling them, feeding them snacks and rocking them—melt my heart! She loves nothing more than to be outside and cannot sit in one place for more than a minute. Margo loves playing our own little version of hide and seek in the house and screams in delight when we find each other. She is a true blessing… sweet, easy, funny and the most affectionate and loving child a parent could ever ask for. There is nothing better than your child running into your arms, giving you an unexpected kiss or patting your back in an embrace—it is love in the purest sense and it brings my heart so much joy!