Clarification is good and needed

Elizabeth is now reading everything she can get her eyes on and this is leading to a new type of censorship which I think is even harder to monitor. While in a public washroom Elizabeth feasted her eyes on a similar sign to the one above, I heard her read it out loud and thought nothing of it. A little while later during lunch Elizabeth asked me if I drank alcohol during my pregnancy with her. Elizabeth went on to question if that is why she has brain damage, did I drink with her? After almost choking on my french fry and recovering all the air that was sucked out of me I reminded her why she has brain damage. Times like this I wonder what goes on in her sweet little brain and I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. I should not have to have this conversation with my daughter, I should not have to be explaining brain injury to my daughter we should be talking about girl things not her brain damage.
I am thankful that she asked me for clarification as I would have been horrified if she asked about this at school. Of course she has not forgotten this new found knowledge and I have heard her mutter to herself more than once if she sees someone with a disability that 'their mother was drinking with them'. I am continuing to clarify this knowledge for her but she is a kid that may bring this up again and at a very inopportune moment.

The little man is now 10 mths (and a bit) and is a car driving, stair climbing, slithering little man. These past few days he is a terror getting into everything and trying new acrobatic feats by the minute. Elizabeth's quick thinking saved him from a huge tumble as I heard her yell and found her hanging onto Harrison's feet as he was ready to take a head first dive down our stairs.
He is signing more and finished and tries to use finished to get out of mealtimes which still are not his favorite time of the day. He is quite particular with his meals and has a pretty limited variety of foods that he likes and is not too open to trying new foods. That of course leads to his dislike for the bottle, I am back to work in 5 weeks and have not got too far with getting his nursing sessions reduced, I do offer a bottle/cup goats milk daily which he will have a sip or two. Dairy is still an issue with him so I continue to live dairy free and we have now added eggs to his list of allergies and are waiting to see the allergist.
It still amazes me to see how effortlessly he accomplishes gross motor skills; his car driving is amazing to see as Elizabeth was not able to propel herself until she was around 3 years. Those small progressive skills that Elizabeth completed with physiotherapy and repetition over months to years Harrison completes overnight. It is bittersweet to see Harrison do so much on his own and know how hard it is and still is for Elizabeth and that in no time he will surpass her and I hope that is something she will be okay with.

Another new Feat

I really did not think this day would ever come. I thought Elizabeth would need her tall AFO's forever, once her tall AFO's came off she had sea legs; she was unsteady and someone had to be by her at all times. Two years ago a colleague had thought of Elizabeth when she had a chance to order a new pair of short off the shelf AFO's for free. Originally these AFO's were only for short periods of time in the house or classroom but not for when she was walking distances because they did not provide enough support.
Fast forward to now and Elizabeth is wearing her short AFO's almost all the time. We are so excited to now see that she is developing calf muscles, her skinny lower legs are now getting some definition. Who knows one day she may be able to wear shoes without AFO's as we know the possibilities for Elizabeth are endless it just takes some time.