Expectations defied

When Saoirse was first born, the fact that her foot was twisted seemed like a minor concern for a baby born at 34 weeks after such a scary pregnancy. But soon it started to sink in that this was something that would require years of treatment, possibly surgery, and may affect her functioning forever. For the next few months, she wore a series of casts on that leg to correct the positioning of her right foot. After that, she spent three months wearing a brace 23 hours a day and having physical therapy 3 times per week. All of this affected what we expected of her, how we saw her. During that time, we started to assume that she would never be as physical as Rowan would be. That sports were probably out of the question, so she would be "the artistic one" or "the musician" or something like that. Even though we have tried really hard to not label them, to not consider them as a unit because they're twins. There doesn't have to be "an athletic one." They're independent of each other in that way. But it's really hard to avoid falling into it when they're right there in front of you, together, day after day.

Once she started wearing the brace only at night, we've discovered some things. She's not as sedate as she seemed when she was only able to move if she dragged a couple pounds of metal around. Although she is still sometimes content to chill and read a book, she's actually more of a daredevil than her sister. She loves speed, being swung in the air, being chased and tickled. In general, she seems to like extremes. Like the way she sleeps. She fights going to sleep, yes. But once she's asleep, she's really out, and she often has to be woken up from a nap so that she doesn't sleep all afternoon.

And although she doesn't walk yet, she does climb. Damn, does she climb.