To poo and beyond!

Shit!

After nine months of carrying them the first thing that is paid attention to is their pee and poo.  Is it yellow, orange, crystalline?  Is the poo brown, green, solid, liquid or pebble like.  These are things no one tells you in the Lamaze class or the parenting class you take prior to birth. You remember, the one where you're taught to bath a Tiny Tears knock off and change him/her. In fact those classes go out of their way to avoid the shit factor.

You float through nine months blissfully (for those allowed that grace) and when it comes to it and you bear down you may actually shit yourself.   I did as much with my 2nd baby, no epidural and no IV.  I wandered in to the ER fairly sure I was in labour. In fact I was, and 8 cm agreed with me. It was literally a pop, catch and release situation.  At some point mid push I shit myself.  A nurse swooped in, no one knew, I mean I was barely aware.  No one said, it was of course witnessed but never mentioned.  Suited me fine.

If I had known it was a bit prophetic.  This was my second baby, full term, healthy as an ox, great eater.  We dubbed him the Stepford baby for about 11 months.  Then I began to worry, ask questions, he was placid, almost vacant; he sat in his chair, watched us all, taking us all in.  By age 2 1/2 he officially had 7 words. I screamed up and down the pediatricians hallways until they either heard or sent me away.  At the time I didn't care, we weren't stagnant anymore as I was sent away to specialists.  His initial diagnosis, chronic ear infections leading to slow speech development.   I read that now and cry laughing.  How many parents of placid Autistic's get that as the initial diagnosis?  Autism came later.

Several years of speech and occupational therapy, great special education placements has meant that placid, non verbal little boy is a talkative, goofy, funny and brilliant child. To look at him he looks the same as all other NT (Neurotypical) peers.  His public self still struggles with speech and the give and take of conversation.  He is far more comfortable in his own world, space, science, math, bakugan and Skylanders.

You would never believe this brilliant nine year old really is not potty trained.

And there you have it people, they come out and all the people around you worry about their poo, then they're Nine and you are the only one worrying about their shit.  Never ends really.