A week ago, I'd noticed a wobble to Olivia's bottom tooth.
I pointed it out to my mother in law, and asked "When are children supposed to lose their baby teeth?"She responded, "Mmm, about six or so, but Olivia is different...she does things in her own time."
No truer statement can be found to sum up the last five years with our little girl.
Raising Olivia is without equation. There is no chart to seek out, no comparison to make, nor book to read...
We're writing the book, as it were.
In our household, we troubleshoot minute by minute and hour by hour, until those days eventually wind into months...
We acquire more data on Olivia's tendencies as time passes.
*Though a tendency is (only) an inclination toward a particular characteristic or type of behavior.
Olivia has a handful of tendencies that can alter given the occasion, but these few do not waver:
Olivia loves to clap and she loves for you to clap (constantly). She'll engage you by placing her sturdy hands over yours and bringing your two palms together.
Olivia loves Cocomelon. (For those that aren't familiar, Cocomelon is an animated Youtube/Netflix series that circles a little boy named JJ, his daily activities with his family, his friends, and his school. They don't speak, they only sing. Olivia will not tolerate any other form of media. It's Cocomelon, or nothing. Cocomelon, to her, brings a sense of familiarity to any location. It steadies her, it drowns out the noise, and it soothes her. It has been impactful with her autism.
Olivia loves books. She enjoys being read to...but she's truly in it for her ability to flip the pages. I think she takes pride in this little milestone.
Olivia loves physical contact and cuddling her people.
Several months ago, my husband and I stumbled upon an oversized recliner at a furniture store. He'd been trying to convince me for months on how we needed one, and I agreed after seeing how Olivia took to it.
Every day since, you can find one of us cuddled up with Olivia in that chair.
In fact, if Olivia sees you walking toward that chair, she crawls over to you as fast as she can, laughing... she then tosses her hands up eagerly in your direction. It is the most adorable happening and it is sure to put a smile on your face if you're in the room.
You simply cannot sit in that chair by yourself if Olivia is around.
Olivia also loves chewing on blankets. I don't know if love is the appropriate word, it's more of a compulsion, but in doing so she yanked her tooth right out of her mouth yesterday. My husband and I heard it click onto the floor.
So just like that: Olivia has lost her first tooth, two weeks shy of her fifth birthday.
Just an update of our going-ons,
S.O
Image Description: A zoomed in photograph of Olivia's face. I'm gently pulling her bottom jaw down to expose a hole where her tooth once was.
Video Description: Olivia sees her Nay-Nay sit on our oversized recliner. She shifts from a whine to a giggle and excitedly crawls toward her.
The way she is laughing.🥰