She's 9 years old now. Almost 10. She will be an entire decade old in January. She's sassy and sweet and oh so very smart. She loves to dance and sing and play. She is my everything. My life. She is changing so quickly it is unbelievable.
In the last several months it has become very apparent that Ireland is developing rather quickly. She looks much older then her nine years and even a night in the emergency room for a chest infection had the doctor questioning us as to her true age. She is tall and physically matured looking more like 13 or 14 then 9.
When Ireland was little she use to have excruciating growing pains. They would only be eased with Tylenol, heat compressions and if I gently would rub her legs or arms. She has not had an episode in sometime, probably a couple of years, however as of late they are a nightly occurrence. Her specialist at Sick Kids has said to control them with Tylenol but Ireland does not take pills very well at all and weighs too much to take the children's liquid. Her pain at times is heartbreaking to watch much less endure and it leaves me feeling so incredibly helpless.
Although she is only in grade 4 she has repeatedly been mistaken for the older children and sent to classrooms that are not hers by supply teachers or yard teachers who are unfamiliar with her.
I use to think that as Ireland got older I would relax a little bit, she has made it so much further then they thought she would at one point. Yesterday one of her friends jumped on her and she fell to the ground. The bruising on her shins is like nothing I have ever seen before. It looks as if all the vessels under the skin have broken open and the blood is pooling. The swelling has gone down now but the left over bruising is terrible. Ireland of course does not want me to look at it or fuss over her at all, it appears to become more difficult to manage her condition as she gets older and grows not only in development, but independence as well.
It feels like such a hard line to walk between letting her spread her wings and still being so little and needing to ensure she is safe and stays as healthy as possible for as long as possible.