Posts Tagged ‘Special Needs Parenting’
The Way You Make You Me Feel
I remember the day so clearly, we sat outside at that little Italian restaurant as it was the start of our little dudes 2nd birthday weekend. We had just left his 2 year check up and were being sent for further evaluations. You told me not to worry, that we can get through anything and that we would tackle this head on together. I just remember being so scared. The day of diagnosis was hard. They told us it was Autism and we had no clue where to start. I…
Read MoreTo the Parents who are Nothing Special
To the delightfully ordinary parents. I see you. To the parents who are nothing special. The ones who are just your typical moms and dads. Not superheroes. Not saints. I see you. To the parents who don’t know why they were chosen to have babies with special needs. The ones who agonize over the whys more times than they can count. I see you. To the ones who don’t understand why people say God gives special kids to special people. Because while you know your kid is amazing…sometimes you feel…
Read MoreTo the Autism Dads
There are so many types of wonderful dads to honor on Father’s Day. There are the dads who coach all the sports teams and take the kids to college football games. There are the dads who do science experiments with their kids, take them camping and on long nature hikes to explore wildlife. There are the energetic, playful dads who run around the yard playing hide and seek and flag football. There are also the dads who do all the chores around the house from laundry to cooking. And then…
Read MoreThe View From Here
At 9 months old, I knew there was something different about Zachary. At 17 months old I took it upon myself to get him started in feeding therapy, and then shortly after early intervention. At that early point in Zachary’s life everyone tells you, “he is fine” … “he is a boy, they take longer to do certain things” and all that extra fluff. As a nurse I knew differently, and as a mom I knew in my heart. Zachary will be 4 years old in April, which also means I have been a mom for that…
Read MoreA Letter to my Son, High School Graduate of the Class of 2019
Dear Sean, Congratulations! You did it! My heart is filled with pride and happiness over all you have achieved and the amazing young man that you have become. Reflecting back as I look through old pictures and letters I have saved for you, brings back so many amazing memories I remember how you knew the names of all the Thomas trains and played with them for hours on end. You even took your favorite train to sleep every night! I remember the elaborate hot wheels tracks that you and your…
Read MoreWould you be so Understanding?
I found myself out today in the community with my six year old son and my baby. We were in a group of people. We were quietly sitting. And by quietly I mean Sawyer was bouncing off the walls and the baby was chatting up a storm. Just as kids should be. Busy and happy. It was lovely. The three of us out together. I’m stretched a little thin these days so it’s nice to get time with my kids. I found myself looking around. I found myself missing Cooper.…
Read MoreSeeing Beyond the Label
Honestly, my husband and I went into the autism clinic thinking that we were going to rule out autism for our twins. I went in with our son Aki and my husband went in with our other son Yuri. For Aki, the doctor wanted to wait to see what the IEP said at the school. She wanted to know a little bit more about the social skills before she made a determination. When I got out my husband was still in the office with Yuri. I already knew. Autism spectrum…
Read MoreRollercoaster of Love
When a friend asks me what parenting special needs is like I always try to be honest but I also hold a lot back. I want to share with them so that they can understand but also know that there are things they will never be able to wrap their minds around. Parenting a child with autism is a rollercoaster. A rollercoaster of emotions, of love, of off the wall stuff we don’t share and sometimes a loop de loop. It’s up, it’s down. It throws you in circles and…
Read MoreWill you just be my Mom Now?
I remember distinctively being a little girl and being so excited to sleep in my mom’s big bed when my dad went out of town. It was such a treat. It was the best part of him going on a trip. My son Sawyer now feels the same way. Last night, as I was putting all three boys to bed, Sawyer said to me, ‘Mom, since dad is gone, can I sleep with you?’ I still had a dozen things to do before bed so I said maybe. I said…
Read MoreThe Stuff I Prayed For
A few years ago, when we started to notice that our other son Sawyer was feeling the unique stresses of having a brother with autism, I started taking him out for breakfast every Wednesday. No matter what we wouldn’t miss. It was our time to chat and relax and eat doughnuts! We both looked forward to it. I remember distinctly thinking…I’ve never done anything like this with Cooper. And I might never. My son Cooper had never asked me to go anywhere. He was seven years old at the time.…
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