As I prepared for the day, I haphazardly threw my hair up and thought to myself how January me would never believe the changes that December me sees.
At the beginning of the year, I prepared for each day the same way; by carefully styling my hair to conceal the bald spots where Brantley had forcibly pulled out large chunks of hair. Once my hair was complete, I carefully applied makeup over the scratches just below my right eye. All battlewounds from caring for Brantley. His aggressive behaviors were at an all time high, changing his diaper was an insurmountable task and we spent every night trying to solve the daunting puzzle of how we could keep Brantley safe at home, while giving his brother the childhood he deserved and yearned for.
As I reflect on 2023, it feels surreal. Brantley has grown, evolved, and triumphed in ways unimaginable one year ago. While diaper changes remain demanding, they are more manageable. Brantley is progressing with the use of eating utensils and he is making gains in expanding his functional communication through the use of his AAC device.
Even more impressive, Brantley has tackled eating at restaurants, going to movie theaters and walking through a store. All of these are feats we could only dream of 1 year ago today.
Brantley's growth fills me with immense pride for that little blonde haired boy and as we embark on another year I hope that he feels that greatest sense of accomplishment within himself.
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