Little Miss Throwsafit

I write a lot about my 3 year old daughter whom I lovingly call Little Miss Throwsafit.  I gave her that moniker when she was just a baby because she had this ability to be so sweet and smiley at one moment and then throw a mighty good fit when she felt the need to at the next.

I write about LMT not only because she’s the sweetest and prettiest little girl to every walk this earth (I know, I’m biased), but because she also has some special needs. Thankfully, they won’t remain with her for the rest of her life, but they are definitely making her childhood a lot more difficult than it is for other kids. My daughter has has hypotonia and speech apraxia, also known as childhood apraxia of speech.

My daughter’s disabilities are not obvious when you first meet her. If she were sitting in her stroller, she would look just like any other little girl. She’s observant, engaged, and interested in the world around her. It’s not until you spend a little time with her that you realize that she is in fact quite a bit different because she can’t walk or talk. At least not quite yet.  She’s walking pretty steadily in her walker and getting better every day, but she’s not yet walking on her own.

She also says a few words like yes, which is very clear, dog, that, this, cup, all of which, to be honest, sound quite a bit alike.  You have to pay close attention to hear the slight differences between the words.

When I tell people what her disabilities are, the first response is usually “What’s hypotonia?” and “What’s speech apraxia?” I had never heard of them before LMT came along either, so I completely understand others’ interest and curiosity. And anyone who knows me knows that I have absolutely no problem discussing LMT’s disabilities with anyone and am happy to explain.

To me, LMT’s challenges make her special, one of a kind, and that’s not a bad thing. Granted, I want her to be able to walk and talk as soon as we can get her there, but I’m not going to be embarrassed by her disabilities or downplay them. God made my daughter how she is and my job as her mom is to help her accomplish as much as she can with what God gave her.