Posts Tagged ‘autism child’
Remembering the Beginning
We used to not be able to have lamps in our home. That sentence right there. That’s the one that people always comment on when I say it during interviews. Then they chuckle when I follow it up with how for weeks we had to eat with headlamps on. In the dark. At our kitchen table. I’m sharing this here because my son Cooper just had one of his best weekends ever. And I spent a little time last night looking at old photos and remembering the beginning of our…
Read MoreGrief is Love
Having a child with a disability is a million things. It’s unbelievable joy. It’s seeing and experiencing every single milestone. It’s happiness. It’s feeling the gut wrenching pain of watching them suffer. It’s finding your voice of advocacy. It’s seeing firsthand that bullying exists. It’s seeing resilience. It’s being turned inside out. It’s carrying a weight that most cannot see. It’s wanting to fight. And run. And hurt. And protect. And scream. It’s a million things. It’s so much. So much more. And tonight. For me. It was being 11…
Read MoreA Family of Three
We are spending the day as a family of three. Enjoying our children individually, and speaking to their hearts, is something Cooper’s dad and I try to do when we can. With four kids it can be a challenge. But today, it worked perfect. We took Cooper for a boat ride on the Mississippi River. His most favorite place ever. He loves the wind and when the water splashes him and the trains that go by every 20 minutes like clockwork. He is calm here. At peace. He gasps a…
Read MoreIt’s a Beautiful Life
I have said for many years that my son Cooper has give me the gift of sight. He is always showing me things. He will stop. Pause. Point. Gasp. Cheer. Clap. Even high five. The moon. A cloud. A train. Tractor. Cow. Bird. Christmas lights. A pumpkin. A man with a beard who looks like Santa. A sign for Target. A commercial for Starbucks. It’s amazing really. These little glimpses into his world and the things he loves. He has taught me to pause and to see. It’s a beautiful…
Read MoreBoots
This morning, right as he was heading out the door for school, my son Cooper said a word for the first time. Umprompted. The word was boots. He said it so casually, so matter of factly, that when I heard it, I didn’t catch it at first. I was playing legos with my other kids and yelling goodbye and I love you while thinking about my day. I was busy. Mom busy. But after he said it, he paused, just for a moment. He was looking right at me from…
Read MoreThe Special Mother by Erma Bombeck
The Special Mother written by Erma Bombeck “Did you ever wonder how mothers of disabled children were chosen? Somehow I visualize God hovering over the earth selecting his instruments of propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger. “This one gets a daughter. The Patron saint will be Cecelia” “This one gets twins. The Patron saint will be Matthew” “This one gets a son. The Patron saint…..give her Gerard. He’s used to profanity” Finally He passes a name…
Read MoreThe Best Birthday Gift
This morning I walked downstairs to my sweet boy sitting on the couch, surrounded by his treasures. He waved. It was quick though. He was very busy watching his shows. He takes his show watching very serious. Especially on weekend mornings. ‘Cooper, it’s mom’s birthday today!’ I said. Now I don’t know what I expected. Not words of course. But a cheer. A smile. A gasp. But nothing. He looked back down. It stung. Like a tiny bee sting or a poke in the side. But the pain is duller…
Read MoreAlways try One More Thing
People ask me every single day what advice I would give to parents of newly diagnosed kids. It’s a big question and I can think of so many things I would tell them. But one thing, the most important thing, the one that I feel is vital is… Always try one more thing. I can’t tell you how important it is. When I have been at my lowest, not knowing how to help my misunderstood little boy, both of us beat down by this world, I’ve wanted to give up.…
Read MoreHe’s My Home
My ‘older’ middle son has been having some big feelings lately. He is 9 years old and sandwiched in between two very big personalities and a baby sister. I think sometimes it can be lonely to be the ‘easy’ one. His dad and I are working for hard to make sure he knows how magnificent and treasured he is. And doing our best to navigate some uncharted waters. We want to speak to his heart. Last night a movie on the couch with popcorn and tickles. This morning a doughnut…
Read MoreWe Touch Our Hearts
My son Cooper knows some sign language. Like many parents, when we realized that he wasn’t babbling, we dove into baby sign language. More. Yes. No. Help. Cookie. Ball. Sit. All done. Thank you. The important ones. As he got older, and his fingers and hands didn’t seem to cooperate in the way we hoped, his signs got less and less. As he aged, we turned our focus to a speech device. A computer that speaks at the touch of a button. I’m telling you this because something beautiful just…
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