Spina Bifida MomsSpina Bifida MomsMy journey into motherhood as well as my daily experiences as a disabled mom raising a healthy and active daughter. Articles
Busy Is No Excuse
2007-11-15 03:32:00 Hey! You know what? I have a new little niece!Actually, she was born at the end of September. The picture's I've seen prove that she's adorable and, from what I hear, she's a pretty easy-going baby. But - I haven't met her yet. And she only lives about 25 minutes away.--------Hey! You know what? I have a new little 1st cousin-once-removed! (My cousin's - who happens to be a great friend of mine - new little son).He's an even more recent addition to the family and I'll get to meet him a few days after Thanksgiving.But - I've only sent my cousin a quick congratulatory email. I haven't yet called to chat with her (as I did after the birth of her daughter).---------I feel so badly about this.Yes, our lives - ALL our lives - are very busy. And we three all had colds recently. Then I had the whole eye trauma thing last week. And nearly every weekend day has been planned to a "T" since as long as I can remember (and will continue to be so until the end of the year, at least. I on... More About: Excuse , Busy
Mama Monday #83
2007-11-12 16:25:00 Theme: NewSometimes new is not so great.That's why I'm currently writing this blog post a day ahead of time from my parents' computer.Our own home computer is currently out of commission.In trying to upgrade to the new and improved program system (yeah - I'm so impressive with my lack of computer lingo knowledge. Go on, you can laugh at me. I'll wait...), things went all kerfluey.System down. Computer frozen. Things = ALL AROUND BAD.Luckily, we are friends with a "Mac Guy". Hubby is, right this minute (as I write this) over at his house with our laptop, trying to get things all right again.Last I talked to him, things seemed hopeful.We are, as they say, cautiously optimistic.Thus my reasoning for writing this elsewheres a full day ahead of when I need it posted. Must take precautions in case thing remain kerfluilus. (Yes, that's a word. Because I say it is, that's why).New, schmew. I'll be thrilled if we just wind up with the same ol' computer we had before.New is so over-r... More About: Mama , Monday
Sweetie Saturday #82
2007-11-10 20:05:00 Sweetie's a smart cookie, but she still gets her divisions of time messed up. For example -Last weekend I needed Sweetie to help me out and get herself dressed. Finally, she did - just at the same time my mom was arriving at our house to drop something off.Where's Sweetie?She's upstairs - supposedly getting herself dressed.In a few seconds, she was downstairs - completely dressed.Good job, Sweetie! Did you remember to put on clean underwear?Uh... no. But - that's okay. Because I already did when I took a bath last year.-------------------She's also recently told the dentist that her birthday is December 20th - which is correct.Oh! That's really close to Christmas!Yeah! Five weeks after Christmas!Uh - no. Not quite.----------------------------------- ---------------Last Sunday was a lazy day in our house, with Hubby and Sweetie taking a late afternoon nap together on our couch. So cute!Until... she couldn't fall asleep that night.Well, what can I do for you? Should I take your ... More About: Saturday
taking the red eye....
2007-11-08 03:37:00 Hello again, Hubby here, with apologies from Amy. Nothing in this household is so traumatic as eye trauma (Amy hates eye trauma, no matter how minor, and has thereby karmically brought it upon herself).Not content to rest at pink eye (I hate pink eye) she's gone on to full-fledged, hollywoods-night-of-the-living-dead, evil-gypsy red-eye.You can call it corneal erosion (which sounds way worse), but I won't. We don't talk of eye trauma in this house.The lights are low, and things are quiet... for now at least.Amy wishes you a good night, She's off to bed, accompanied by my dramatic reading of whatever her current bookclub selection is.... That'll get her mind off the pain. More About: Taking
Mama Monday #82
2007-11-05 16:05:00 Theme: RunningUpon driving home later than Sweetie's usual bedtime on Saturday night:Okay Sweetie, as soon as we get home, you have to get your pajamas on and go right to bed. And I have a trick to show you in your room then.A trick?! What is it?!You'll see. It's only in your room. It has to do with the time.Cut to home - downstairs.Okay, Sweetie - what time is it?Looks at clock - 9:50.9:50?! Wow, that's late. We're home late because of the party. You should have been in bed an hour ago! You're usually in bed around 8:50, not 9:50. So let's hurry up and get you upstairs.Upstairs, in her room.Now what time is it, Sweetie?Looks at her big digital clock (which I had turned back earlier that afternoon) - 8:50.Wait for it.... she's going to be amazed! Time? Running backwards?! Wow!... Buuuuutttt..... No. Not so much.Even after reminding her that her bedroom was the only room in the whole house that was in a different time.Hmmmpphhh. Hubby and I were so sure she'd be impressed wi... More About: Mama , Monday
Sweetie Saturday #81
2007-11-03 13:10:00 Sweetie really had fun trick-or-treating with my dad on Halloween. But I'm not sure getting all the candy was the highlight for her - I think she was more excited about being out at night.Papa Dave said she talked a lot! About the moon, and the stars (the moon's the daddy and the stars are all the brothers and sisters). Then there's Little Star who's the baby.Sweetie narrated their trip as they went along.*Wow! We're walking in the night! I love the moon! I love walking outside at night! Now I'm skip-a-doodling under the moon and stars....... (later) I want go back now because my eyes are starting to get cold.* Sweetie's narrative as I imagine it, based on what my dad told us about their adventure together--------------------------------- --------Sweetie does really love the moon. She loves to watch the sky as we drive to our weekday early morning destinations.Look, Mama! I see the moon! It's right there! And there's Little Star. I love the moon and stars. I wish we could bu... More About: Saturday
Cold Hearted Post
2007-11-01 02:26:00 Sweetie has a cold - she came down with it this past Saturday afternoon. But she's okay - she's always been able to handle sickness well, thank goodness.I have a cold too - I came down with it yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. I think I'm also handling it well. It's just the evenings and mornings that really stink.Hubby (you guessed it) also has a cold. Or so he says - haven't seen much of him lately. But he, like me, is pretty okay with it all except for the beginning and ending of each day.But what I'm really sayin' here is that I'm done. Sweetie's sleeping, nothing's on T.V., the dishes are done, and I feel yucky. I've got to go catch some zzzzz's.In the meantime, don't forget about my other blog posts over at Disaboom and New England Mamas. I blog several times a week at the former, and once every other week at the latter. In both cases, I've posted as recently as a day or two ago.Feel free to comment on my - or anyone's - posts at either sites. NE Mamas is open for ... More About: Post , Cold
Mama Monday #81
2007-10-29 13:44:00 Theme: LegacySweetie's Sundress, July 2007Sweetie's sun dress, made by her Nana, with material from a sun dress my paternal grandmother once owned, then passed on to my mom.------------------------------------- ---Unknowingly, Oh, The Joys posted a lovely entry on this week's theme. Check it out and send her some love.------------------------------------ ---So, what's your take on this week's theme? Submit your entry today. More About: Mama , Monday
Sweetie Saturday #80
2007-10-27 14:25:00 So last week y'all saw Jack's Story. But I didn't get a chance to tell you some other details of the day:When Sweetie and I first got home that evening, she took off like a shot for parts unknown (well, okay - she took off towards the bathroom). Good! It gave me time to set up the Jack scenario and take some pictures.Finally, I called to Sweetie:Sweetie? Where are you? Hiding!But you've got to come here. You have a special letter waiting for you.At that, Sweetie came out of hiding - completely, 100% naked.See, she was excited to take a bath in our new bathtub. New in that, just the day before, Hubby had the pleasure of spending many, many hours with and many, many dollars on the nice plumbing and heating guy who replaced pretty much all the plumbing and fixtures in our downstairs bathtub.Anyway, at the time Sweetie was much more excited about her impending tubby than her letter from Jack. But after the bath, that's when she started to get into it.She was somewhat confused.But,... More About: Saturday
One Too Many Coconuts Boppin' Me On The Head
2007-10-25 03:01:00 Sweetie read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to herself on the car ride home from Nana's this afternoon. Only a handful of words made her pause, asking me for help.Mama, what's this next word? I don't know. How do you spell it?t-h-e-i-rtheir.Oh. Okay. Thank you, Mama.This went on for awhile and I was impressed with how infrequently she stopped to ask me about other words. But there were others:Mama, what's this word? s-k-i-n-n-e-d?"skinned". Like you skinned your knee.Oh. 30 seconds later....What's this word? k-n-e-e?k-n-e-e?Yeah.Nothing. That's not a word.Yes it is! What is it?!Oh! Knee! That's the word "knee". Sorry about that, Sweetie.Come on - give me a break. It's hard to drive and spell at the same time. More About: Head
Mama Monday #80
2007-10-22 03:52:00 Theme: DividedHubby and I may disagree, fight and become frustrated with each other. We have before, and we will, undoubtedly, again. But, through hard work and determination, we will never be divided.Years ago, when Hubby and I were dating - possibly after we were engaged - a mutual friend of ours who happened to be big into astrology told us something about our relationship.He told us something we actually already knew, but had never really thought about - that we tend to approach things from completely opposite directions, but ultimately want the same outcome.We've witnessed for ourselves that this is the case for us time and again.Keeping this info in the back of our minds has been a real life saver for us. When things begin to get heated we are often able to take a breath, calm down, and restate our positions until we can each understand what the other is saying. And more times than not, it's true - we see we're arguing for the same conclusion.When it comes to parenting, Hub... More About: Mama , Monday
Sweetie Saturday #79 - "Jack's Story" Edition
2007-10-20 03:08:00 Hi (Sweetie),I need a face for Pumpkin Day. Will you please draw some for me? I'll pick my favorite one.Thank you.I'll see you tomorrow.JackI never got a letter from a pumpkin before!--------Good morning, Mama. It's 7:00.Come here.No. I'm going downstairs to see what my pumpkin looks like....(gasp!)...(back up the stairs)What's he look like?He looks like the first one I drawed. But... he doesn't have eyeballs. More About: Story , Saturday , Edition
Smart IS Beautiful
2007-10-18 04:29:00 Upon switching the channel last night from Cavemen to Beauty and the Geek (neither of which, I realize, was appropriate viewing for Sweetie, but there ya go....)Me: This is a show with pretty girls who aren't very smart and smart boys who aren't very pretty. But they're helping each other to be smarter and prettier. Which do you think is more important - to be smart or pretty? Sweetie: Pretty.Hubby and me, in unison: WRONG!Oy. So much for all my Smart Sweetie talk.Of all the things to think, Sweetie! That is the one thing you've got completely WRONG!(Well, that and your erroneous idea that you can't be a builder when you grow up because only boys are builders.)Be who you are, Sweetie. Be who you want to be - whatever path that may take you down. But most of all, be smart. Your natural beauty will undoubtedly shine throughout your life when you speak your mind, speak from your heart, and apply your intelligence to further both yourself and the world around you. More About: Beautiful
Mama Monday #79
2007-10-15 15:41:00 Theme: Virgin(ity)Yesterday Hubby and I had a fight. A stupid, angry fight. Yelling (both of us) and crying (me). And Sweetie heard it all. She came to silently stand in the corner of the room we were in - tears down her face and sadness in her eyes.After a two hour separation, Hubby and I each stewing (I mean, getting over it) in different rooms, all was fine. It really was a stupid fight over a stupid misunderstanding. It's not even the type of thing I'd normally bring up here, or anywhere, at all. My only point in writing about it is the effect it had on Sweetie.When Mommy is sad and crying it makes me feel like I want to cry too.------------------------------------- ---Yesterday evening we had AFV playing on the T.V. Not a show that we usually watch, but it seemed to be the best option at the time.Watching Sweetie watch this, I wondered if she'd think injury-inducing "comedy" would be funny to her or make her upset to watch. But my curiosity was relieved after a couple differe... More About: Mama , Monday
Sweetie Saturday #78
2007-10-13 14:47:00 Okay, one last time (for now)... Please indulge me as I show off my Sweetie a little more. (not to mention my mad movie-takin' skillz and both Nana's and my game-inventing ideas.... Okay, okay. So it's based on a game I saw on Curious George. But Nana helped turn it into a clock game).Behold the following video, in which our dear Sweetie creates a perfectly arranged clock. For our purposes, the Ace represents a 1, the Queen = an 11, and the King is the 12. Enjoy!Additionally, prepare to be astounded by the following photos I took of some Sweetie-drawn-and-captioned-pictures.For this one, she asked me how to spell "number".This idea she got from watching an episode of Word World. Note how she turned the letters of "vine" into a vine. Oh, and that's her swinging on it, not Daddy. He's just watching. She only asked me how to spell "swinging".This one she did entirely on her own. Wow, Wow, as in Wow, Wow Wubbzy. Pretty good Wubbzy rendering, huh?This is a picture, of course, of a p... More About: Saturday
What Makes a Sweetie So Sweetie-ish?
2007-10-10 23:12:00 So, I don't know, was it a couple months ago that we took our cats to the vet? Whatever - doesn't matter much. They're fine. A little fat. And Spoon! has one evil temper. But it was a good checkup for both felines overall. That's not what I'm here to talk about.What I still remember most from that day is Sweetie's insistence on making her presence known. Politely, mind you. But, man, is she persistent in her quest to ask questions, offer answers, and generally be noticed.Our vet, who's clearly more of an animal lover than a child lover, at one point asked us,Wow! Where did she get her confidence from?Confidence? Is that what we're calling it these days? Hmmmmm.... well, if you say so....Anyway, this rather rhetorical question actually made me think - where does Sweetie get her confidence from?Everything from Sweetie's declaration of being great everyday, to her creativity, dramatics, her pride in her smarts, her sense of humor, her ability to quickly make new friends and sp...
Mama Monday #78
2007-10-08 21:09:00 Theme: CompassionHubby and I spend this past Saturday in Boston seeing the musical Wicked. If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend it. It was breathtakingly awesome. Truly wonderful.I don't want to give away much of the story for those of you who haven't read the book or seen the show. But, really, at it's heart it's a story of compassion.Is the Wicked Witch of the West truly wicked? Is Glinda the Good Witch purely good? Their's is a complicated story of friendship, personal beliefs vs. sticking to the "norm", love, honor, disappointments, honesty and dishonesty, passion and compassion.I love going to the theater. And I loved this show.And I love my Hubby.Thank you, Hubby, for my birthday-present/anniversary present. Thank you for showing me compassion throughout the years. Your determination to lead a life with passion inspires me everyday.Because of you, I've been changed for good.---------------------------So, what's your take on this week's theme? Submit your... More About: Mama , Monday
Sweetie Saturday #77 - Completely Random Edition
2007-10-06 15:16:00 Sweetie has, of late, made some pretty (you guessed it) random declarations.For instance, I noticed on the announcement wall at Sweetie's school that one of her classmate's birthdays was coming up. So, once the birthday arrived (on a Saturday ) I mentioned to Sweetie,Hey Sweetie. Today is M____'s birthday.She didn't comment at all at the time and just went on with her playing. Okay. Whatever.Later, when we dropped Sweetie off to play at Nana's for awhile, the very first thing Sweetie excitedly said to my mom was,Hey Nana! Guess what?! Today is M______'s birthday!-------------------------------- --------------------------On another occasion, at bedtime, we instructed Sweetie to gather her sleeping friends before she headed up to her room. Unfortunately, Kisses could not be found. Anywhere.Hubby looked around - twice - in every downstairs room.Sweetie looked around.I looked everywhere too.Nothing. Kisses was officially missing.Sweetie waited in her room while I searched the downst... More About: Random , Edition
The Growings and Goings-On of A Sweetie
2007-10-04 03:10:00 More proof that my little Sweetie is growing up... she got invited to her very first friend-from-school birthday party. And it's a Halloween costume party to boot! My, my... the first of many party invites, I'm sure.--------------------------Sweetie has been impressing me lately with her larger grasp of the world. That is, her ability to see beyond the Right Now. To understand and apply things to the larger picture.For instance, we have a family wedding to go to this weekend. And Sweetie needs shoes to go with her dress. Considering this on my own, I resigned myself that I'd just have to stop somewhere on my way home one day this week to pick out a nice pair for her.Then, just a couple days ago, it occurred to me that she already owns a pretty pair of sandals I got her this summer. They're still in good repair and probably still fit her. So, thinking to myself about this, I told her,Hey Sweetie. Go get those sandals of yours on the shelf in the kitchen. I want you to try them on... More About: Going , The G , Goin
Mama Monday #77
2007-10-01 13:50:00 Theme: PurifySince having Sweetie (and largely, if not entirely, due to her presence) my body and life have been intoxicated with bodily aches and pains, exhaustion, stress, anger, impatience and worry.But.... hearing her laugh, marveling at her confidence and dramatic flair, and admiring her intelligence and wit purifies me more than any massage, cleansing diet, or comfy sleep ever could.-----------------So, what's your take on this week's theme? Submit your entry today. More About: Mama , Monday
Sweetie Saturday #76
2007-09-29 14:00:00 Well, I actually have a whole mess of cute things Sweetie's said this week - all written down and ready to go.But then she just had to come home from Nana's the other day with a cute little coloring book of her own creation. Totally her idea. And the pictures are oh so cute.So - funny Sweetie-isms will keep for next time. Today - you get Sweetie drawings.Our little artist. What a smart cutie! More About: Saturday
Aha! Moment
2007-09-27 00:59:00 I just realized why Sweetie always suffers head injuries when she's alone with her Daddy, but never when she's with me.... I'm not physically able to do all the crazy activities that lead to such trauma!Sweetie fell on her face when we where playing wheel barrow.Sweetie got jabbed in the cheek with a pickup stick when we were playing magic wands.Oy. More About: Moment
Mama Monday #76
2007-09-24 14:22:00 Theme: AimI am a short, tiny woman. I also have small feet that, because of my leg braces, require me to wear only flat (but not too flat) shoes.You need to know these things so that you can understand how difficult it is for me to find clothing and footwear for myself.(Hmmmm.... maybe that's why I don't ever crave shopping for myself - it's almost always a futile quest).But there is a family wedding coming up.... and there's my sorry collection of pants to deal with on a daily basis.... and Kohls does have a petite section. We'd be near Kohls anyway when we go on our date on Saturday night....Might as well give it a shot, then.Okay, so I did make my way to the petite section of the store. But it seems to me like they cater more toward the short-but-larger woman. I could find sizes P8-P18 with incredible ease. But my P2 size - nada(Yes, I too was shocked to see I was a P2. Last I knew I was a P4. But then I remembered that the clothing industry in general has been altering thei... More About: Mama , Monday
Sweetie Saturday #75
2007-09-22 14:46:00 I'm happy to announce that Sweetie has gotten much better at Simon Says. It's now a rare instance where we can mix her up in the game.This past week she and I were playing and I used the opportunity to quiz her smarts.Simon Says, What's 2+2?4!Simon Says, how do you spell dog?D-O-G!This went on for a while, with me asking her basic intelligence questions appropriate for her age. But one answer that did kind of happily surprise me was when I asked her,Simon Says, name a country other than the United States.Without much pause, Sweetie excitedly answered,Thailand!(See there? Maybe we do talk about you guys a bit after all!)------------------------------------ ---------------Speaking (indirectly) of my far-off cousins, my aunt and uncle from Georgia (my cousin's parents) came for a brief visit earlier this week. How wonderful to get to see them again!Sweetie has met my aunt and uncle before, but that was about 2 years ago. So, in preparation for their visit, Hubby and I went over with... More About: Saturday
Mystery Bloggeter 2007
2007-09-20 03:37:00 Blah. Blah, blah, blah. I'm feeling blah. And glandular. And yucky. Don't want to feel yucky! Yuck.So tonight, instead of a funny and/or thought provoking essay on life in general, you're getting funny and/or thought provoking pictures:Do you know what this is?How about this?Go ahead and give me your best guesses. Maybe I'll pick a winner to win.... something. Or, maybe not. Yeah. Probably not. Cuz, really, it's not all that difficult to figure out what these things are, if you ask me. But still...Guess. Or not. I don't care.Ugh. Yucky, stinkin' glands. More About: Mystery , Myst
Mama Monday #75
2007-09-17 15:00:00 Theme: RespectThis is a really awesome book and a wonderful activity-&-information0-filled website. It's marketed as a place for kids with spina bifida to go to learn and grow. But I really think it's a great site for any child - disabled or not - to visit.Teaching all kids everywhere to respect the differences of others and to not be afraid of those potential friends who may look, act, or move around a little differently than themselves. How cool is that?! More About: Mama , Monday , Onda
Rejoice, Reflect.... Relax
2007-09-16 16:08:00 Friends - today is the day!Today is the day to Rejoice, for we have been sent word of a wonderful new website - Disaboom.com. A website aimed at disabled adults seeking information, support, and friendship. The site is up and running already with a ton of interesting articles, blogs (like mine!) and communities. By the end of September it will make its official premier and be a true thing of beauty. Disaboom.com - Transforming the way people living with disabilities communicate.Today is the day to Reflect. For, as a member of the Disaboom blogging community, I am presented with the perfect opportunity to sit back and remember all the things that got me to who I am today - the loving and capable mama (who happens to have spina bifida) of my healthy and active Sweetie.See, here at Sweetie & Me, I'm mainly writing about the here and now. And the reality of that is moving much more toward plain ol' "mom stuff" and somewhat away from the "disabled" mom stuff. Yes, of course my spin... More About: Relax
Sweetie Saturday #74
2007-09-15 14:36:00 Sweetie's big thing to work on these days (so sayeth her parents) is Listening. Ugh! How the stubborn child doth like to fight and ignore... ignore and fight! All the live long day.To try to teach her about listening in a fun and interactive way, she, Daddy and I played Simon Says last weekend. (well - Daddy and I called out the commands while Sweetie tried to keep up with us).Long story short - Simon Says did not go so well. She didn't listen close enough to hear if Simon really told her to do something or not. It actually may have been partially our faults, though. I think we may have given too many Simon Says commands in a row before finally throwing one in without the necessary prefacing words.At one point I was so fed up with her just not getting it that I found myself being short with her, saying....Sweetie, this is not a ga......! I mean. I know we're playing a game here, but we're also trying to teach you something. You need to listen much better to hear whether or not S... More About: Saturday
Help!... No, Wait. Don't. Or Do, I Guess - If You Want. Oh, I Don't Know -
2007-09-13 04:01:00 One morning while in Hershey, we went outside our hotel to catch the shuttle bus to Hershey Park. And we were surprised to see a really. long. line.Oy!Admittedly, we were lucky the previous times we'd used this service - getting to the pick up/drop off spot just in time to hop on the bus before it took off for its destination. Perfect timing! But not this go-round. No sir.Having read the large sign in the entranceway of our hotel, we knew that the shuttle came by every 30-40 minutes. So who knew if we were joining the line close to the arrival of the next bus or just after the last bus took off? We'd just have to wait and see.At any rate, from our far back position in the line, we figured that even when that next bus showed up, we wouldn't make it on anyway.And we were right.Oh well - we'll get on the next one for sure.Grumblings and kvetching continued all around us, but Hubby and I just stood and waited. And Sweetie was surprisingly patient as she quietly stood and waited with... More About: Guess , Wait
Mama Monday #74
More articles from this author:2007-09-10 15:45:00 Theme: AmbivalenceOne behavior of mine that I'm none too fond of (although I tend to think most moms do the same thing) is this - upon hearing the "wondrous" milestone-surpassing achievements of nearly any child, I - somewhat completely beyond my control - feel I MUST put in my own two cents about the wondrous milestone-surpassing achievements of my Sweetie. That is - I act completely ambivalent and unimpressed with whatever the other child's skill is and am all, like, Oh, Sweetie does that/did that too. In fact, most kids I've seen about that age can do that. It's not really so amazing - except, you know, it IS amazing that Sweetie can do it. But not your kid. Psssshhh. Whatever.Ummmm. That's bad, huh? Not very nice of me, right? But - on the other hand (come on, you can admit it) - it's so totally true!I think moms (well, parents in general) absolutely pull out all the stops when discussing their kids with each other. - Oh, Tommy could read at 2 1/2 years old! - My, that's ... More About: Mama , Monday , Onda 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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