This was new

Yesterday she did something that caught me off guard even though it is a normal everyday occurrence for most parents. We were leaving a small restaurant and she bolted out the door and was headed across the parking lot by herself. I caught her in three steps and grabbed her hand and told her to not do that again. Of course she asked, "why?" I gave the simple and direct answer, "So you you don't get smashed by a car." She squeezed my hand pretty tight when I said that.

In college I once pulled Tina out from in front of a moving car when she wasn't paying attention. Anyone can do it. I just didn't think Amanda would bolt like that.

You see, her mobility has always been less than average. She didn't crawl until she was 11 months old. She started cruising at about a year and a half at which point therapists and doctors said she would walk "any day now." More than a year later an orthopedist finally prescribed orthopedics and a reverse walker. She used the walker for more than six months before she walked independently. But even then she was very unsure of her footing. So for the most part when were out of the house I simply carried her.

I would scoop her in my left arm and just take her anywhere she needed to go. I'm a stout 210 pounds and it really wasn't much effort until she cracked 60 pounds. After that I would carry her only for stairs in public like at football games and such.

Her condition allows us to have handicap parking permits. Parking lots were a real challenge until then because of her lack of depth perception. She thinks every stripe is a tripping hazard so she tries to step over them. The closer we park the better, otherwise we will never make it across the parking lot. This is why you will often see her with me at Home Depot. I tell her she needs to come with me so I can park close, she laughs and yells, "SIGN!" I won't use the sign without her of course. Too many people need the spots. Although, one of the funniest quick scenes from the Simpsons is when Homer parks across four handicap spots and walks into a store dragging his leg.

As Amanda continues to progress I'm just going to have to be prepared for "normal" behavior. I'm just not trained for that.