Noah was born ready to meet the world, 5 weeks early at 35 weeks. I remember crying to my husband at labor and delivery and saying, “It’s too soon.” All I could think about were the numerous developmental histories I had written about as a school psychologist, “Born premature. Did not meet speech milestones within normal limits. Diagnosed with Autism at Age 3.” Despite Noah’s prematurity, he was born without complications and spent no time in the NICU. He was absolutely perfect! Throughout his early development, I was constantly checking for signs of Autism or developmental delays but his development was typical and he met all his milestones. As an infant, Noah was a smiley, social baby who loved to play and be around other people and children. He was a favorite at daycare and his smile and giggle lit up the room.
When Noah started walking at 13 months, life got even more fun and very active! Our weekends were spent taking Noah on outings-the aquarium, parks, Children’s Museum, Kid Ventures and My Yard Live. Noah loved exploring new places and meeting other children. He had so much fun when the big kids let him join soccer games at the park or Dance Dance Revolution at My Yard Live. His favorite daily activity was taking walks around the neighborhood and playing with the children in our neighborhood. We formed friendships with our neighbors because of Noah! People have always been drawn to Noah’s playful nature and Noah loved hanging out with his friends! Even though he did not have the words to communicate, he loved the interaction.
The most special part of Noah’s early development was the bond between Noah and I. Noah had a very strong attachment to me and I joked that he was my little shadow. My favorite part of the day was going into his room when he woke up in the morning as he always greeted me with a smile and giggle. He always wanted me around and was very sweet, affectionate and playful.
The Noah Connection 