My Tough Little Girl

Lily had her two-year doctor's appointment Thursday. Everything went well. She's doing great and is right on track.

She's such a little trooper. I say this because visits to the doctor with Ann Catherine are NOT fun. The minute the doctor walks in, she begins to cry. Lily, on the other hand, was fine. First, she got her foot pricked so they should check her blood. She didn't even cry. When the blood started coming out, she just put her little arm around me. Then, the doctor came in and as he listened to her heartbeat, she giggled. Lastly, when she got her vaccination, she cried for about ten seconds and that was it.

Best of all for me, was something she said. As I was talking to the doctor, I was holding her and I said, "I love you, Lily." She said, "I wuv you, too." She had never said that. She has said, "Wuv you, mommy," but had never answered me when I told her I loved her. My heart just melted. The funny part was she said it right after the doctor had asked me if she was putting two words together yet. She decided to show off and put together four words instead. :)

Lily got a clean bill of health. She is developing just right, and there were no medical problems. I was telling this to a friend of mine who went through something very similar to what we went through. She, too, had twins who were born very premature and one of them passed away. She also went on to have a healthy, full-term child. We talked about how "easy" doctors visits are with a well baby. Ann Catherine's doctors' appointments centered on so many questions that I had: how was she doing, was she "catching" up because of her prematurity, was she doing things that other kids her age were doing? We were obsessed with her weight gain and how she was developing. With Lily, I don't have all of those questions. Everything is just so....normal. It's quite a change from the first two years of Ann Catherine's life. Believe me, I don't take that for granted.

Lily is the coolest kid I know. I know that sounds strange to describe your child as "cool," but she is. She just does her own thing and is so easy-going. She digs her heels in about the things that really matter. Everything else is just gravy.

I love that little girl more than I could ever put into words. I'm so grateful that she is healthy...and here.