Posts Tagged ‘Caregiving’
Caring For Brother
Tonight we took a boat ride. Sawyer brought two friends. A brother and sister who are very much a part of our family. The big kids, Cooper included, all wanted to sit in front and scream at Jamie to go faster. They were also supposed to watch for logs but that part didn’t happen. As we boated along we hit some rough water. It only lasted a minute or so. Pretty common on a Friday on the St. Croix River. Anyhow, Cooper squealed as a bit of water splashed in…
Read MoreWhen Parent Turns Into Caregiver
Being a parent is something I always dreamed of. Being a parent meant raising my kids to be great people, to teach them values like kindness and honesty, and hopefully send them into the world as adults who could make a life for themselves. When I was pregnant I imagined their milestones in front of us. Finishing primary and secondary school, hopefully onto college and graduation and lastly a career that they loved and that both challenged and fulfilled them. In the same breath I imagined myself and Brian as…
Read MoreThe Things I Took for Granted
There is this saying, and I’m sure most of you in the autism world have heard of it. Something to the effect that “special needs parents have a child in the newborn phase for many, many years longer than most.” I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. How it’s pretty crushing, but it also couldn’t be more true. My son Noah still cries and screams to communicate most of the time. The only consistent words I would say he has are — “Pete” when he sees him on Mickey…
Read MoreI Love Holding Your Hand Mama
‘Sawyer, hold onto your brother on the dock.’ I was climbing out of the boat, holding a baby, a pop and two bags. Sawyer and Cooper were out long before me and were headed towards our truck. Which, in most cases wouldn’t be a big deal. But in our world, it is. We have to be very, very careful. Cooper, our son with autism, is a runner. He bolts, he drops, he flops, he runs, and he sits. And rarely does he walk in a straight line. He also typically…
Read MoreThe Emotional Weight of Autism
I am the mom to an amazing kiddo. He is almost seven. He also happens to be autistic. We have a bond that is indescribable. I am his voice. He is my purpose. I can read his mind. I can understand every scream, grunt, flap and hum. I know what he needs when he points to his Kindle. I know when he’s hungry and thirsty just by the look on his face. I just know. It’s my job to know. It’s my life. Parenting in general is not easy. We…
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