N is for Normal

You see the cracks but I see the light that shines through them.

What is normal? Webster's dictionary defines normal as A: of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development B: free from mental disorder, sane. How would you define normal?

13 years ago, I gave birth to a baby boy. We named him Robert after my uncle. Nothing was normal about his birth. We barely made it to the hospital. When he was born, I did not get to hold him. The nurses whisked him away and put him in one of those oxygen tents. He wasn't a premie but only weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces. My older children were both over 8 pounds. A few hours later, I got to hold him but something was wrong. He did not look normal and I could not get him to take a bottle. He was also covered in little red spots. Later on, we were told he had congetial cytomegalovirus (CMV).  He was taken to another hospital, the one we were at did not have a neonatal intensive care unit, where he stayed for 5 days.

Robbie at about 1 month

The last 13 years have not been normal. The first few years of Robbie's life were spent taking him to therapy (physical, occupational, and speech) He did not follow the normal timeline of most children. For example, he did not start to walk until he was 3 1/2 years old. That was a major accomplishment. Since the infection caused hearing loss as well, he hasn't learned to talk. He makes some gutteral noises like an infant and uses sign language to communicate but it is very limited.

No, Robbie is not your normal teenager. You can not leave him home alone or send him outside to play. You can not leave matches around or he will start a fire. You have to hold his hand while crossing the street. He doesn't play video games. He still plays with little kid toys but he can figure out stuff on the computer better than I can. No, Robbie is not your normal teenager but if he was, then he wouldn't be Robbie now would he?

linked to Jenny Matlock Alphabe Thursday Letter N