As special needs parents, sometimes the "firsts" that we wait for take a really really long time.
Today, Sarah was so excited to go outside and play in the snow. She found all the necessary gear that she needed and got herself dressed. Other than needing me to put her coat over the snowpants, pull on her mitts and boots, she managed to do the rest on her own. When I was looking at her all bundled up, I had a short moment of aching in my heart. She is 7
½ years old and just starting to get dressed by herself. Those thoughts were quickly snuffed out as her beaming, proud face grinned back at me and she said "I did it all myself!" She did it. All on her own. It's moments like these that I'm so thankful for because they can outweigh the times that are discouraging.