She's Growing Up

These pictures were taken just a couple days after Jo came home from the hospital, she was born 6 weeks early, 3lbs 8 oz and 13 days in the NICU. She was so perfectly proportioned and very tiny. She has always stayed tiny. The NICU tracks their development for the first year and she stayed well under the growth chart, growing steadily, following the curve appropriately, just way smaller than her peers, even adjusted for prematurity. No one has worried over this, (except maybe me), she has always been healthy, thriving, growing, eating and developing. She hit every major developmental milestone well within the normal age range, even if you didn't adjust for prematurity. Except for teeth. Usually kids get their first teeth by age one, and have them all by age two. She was at least 15 months before she got teeth but she did have them all by two, I think.

I have always noted her small size, when buying clothes, or just passing on Je's, she is way behind her sister. At one she was still wearing six month, at 2 she was getting into 12 months to 18 month. At three she could still wear 18 month to 24 month/2T. Some of those were even big. She is getting so big now, at least for Jo. She is NEEDING, 3T to fit. If I want it to fit for a while, I am buying or getting out the 4T. Anyone who has every dressed a child, (or even yourself) knows their is a big range in clothing sizes. Some of her 2T still fits, but her big sister still fits into her 4T stuff too.

I have been cleaning out the closets, drawers, and every other nook and crany that is full of stuff we don't need, and in doing this I have been hit with the realization: my baby isn't a baby anymore. I will write more about the massive clean out another day but the growth spurt Jo is on is amazing. I told my mom, Jo went from an 18 month to a 3T in about two weeks. It might have been more gradual, but I suddenly looked up and the teeny girl is now only tiny.