Christmas Break and Loved Ones

Things have been quiet here for a bit.  Our family had a nice break for Christmas time.  In our family's tradition, that means lots of time at home together with loved ones.  I think Whitney is enjoying Christmas more as she gets older.  She's always been one to relate well with adults, sometimes better than children closer to her own age.  Melanie and I think it's because adults understand her signs and gestures better.

Whitney also picks out special adults that she likes to spend the most time with.  You'll know if you're one of those people because Whitney simply won't leave you alone when you're around.  If you come over to our place, Whitney will probably plop down on your lap and make herself comfortable.

In our family, Whitney's Uncle Alan is one of her top picks.  Any time Alan and his family come over, we can always find Whitney tickling him and sitting on his lap.  Uncle Alan is a good sport about it as well.  We're not sure why Whitney picks certain adults to relate so much more to than others, but it's fun for us to watch her form those bonds.  And many thanks to Whitney's many loved ones for being patient about her sometimes smothering love.

Doctors have told many parents when their children are diagnosed with 1p36 Deletion Syndrome that they'll never really be social or interact much with others.  I suppose it depends on how you define interaction.  But if you count big hugs and tickles, Whitney is doing just fine with social things.