 Caressa behaves like a baby of perhaps eight months old most of the time, except she does not demand attention like a baby would. She is far more mature than her mental abilities can show. She plays endlessly with her Elmo piano, and a variety of toys that make clicking sounds, or play songs. She’s very fond of her Pooh Bear who sings lullabies to her.
There are times when she amazes me. Her Fisher Price aquarium crib toy has buttons on the front, for a baby to turn things on, lights, music, sounds of water; and on the back, for parents to turn them off. The morning after I gave it to her, she was sitting up, peering over her crib side, and pushing the buttons on the parent side! Aha, little daughter! I see the twinkle in your eye!
Caressa is keenly aware of the videos BabySongs, Raffi, and Baby Mozart. She watches small children playing, and Raffi singing, with rapt attention. Often she will bounce up and down, as she sits watching, a big smile on her face.
She turns away at once for cartoons, even as slow and simple as Winnie the Pooh. I think this is because they involve a story line, and language, which she cannot comprehend. For all her young years she totally ignored TV. Then one day I noticed her watching Raffi sing. I’ve bought her videos ever since, hunting for those that catch her eye.
Caressa can never be left alone on the floor. Not even for one minute. She immediately scoots on her bottom over to the nearest bookcase, TV, cupboard, dresser, kitchen counter, or anything, and with great sweeps of her strong, busy arms, she throws everything on the floor, laughing heartily! She has broken many things. Once, she reached far over the edge of her wheelchair, and pulled a tablecloth off the table, cackling with laughter, bringing a four hundred dollar bread cutter, and a mircowave oven to the floor beside her! My obviously slow learning in how closely she must be supervised has been expensive!!!
One time, years ago, I was experimenting with letting her sleep on a mattress on the floor of her room, so she could have freedom. I moved everything out of the room that she could damage, and bundled her bottom in a diaper with many liners to protect the carpet. Well, I didn't think of putting a baby gate up in the doorway, because she had never left a room before. About three o'clock in the morning, I heard a splashing in the bathroom. I could hardly believe my ears. What could it be? Everyone was asleep. There wasn't a sound in the house, but splashing. When I went to see, here was Caressa, sitting on the floor by the toilet, leaning in with both arms, joyously splashing in the water in the darkness! She looked up at me when I turned the light on, with a brilliant smile of happiness! It goes without saying, that after that, I put a baby gate in her doorway!
I always choose a time when Caressa and Cassie are in their room, to sort laundry. I do it in there, watching a movie or just talking to them. Caressa’s favorite thing is to be put on the floor with a pile of toddler musical and rhythm instruments. She sits on the rug beside me while I sort and fold, ringing bells, clashing cymbols, jingling tamborines. Every once in a while she looks up at me and we exchange smiles. That’s how I sort laundry every day. This we do together, mother and daughter, just enjoying each other while we work and play.
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