simplycamille

Paige's angel

2007-10-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Paige, and other children who have Down syndrome, are often described as being angels.
But Paige also has her very own angel. Her name is Betsy. Betsy's main occupation is being a mom. But not just a regular mom.
Besides possessing all of the regular mom qualities, Paige's angel also researches, advocates, rallies other moms, faces adversity with an iron fist. She also has become very fluent with medical terms and their meanings.
Right now Paige's angel is on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You see, Paige is now facing yet another medical battle, even though she is not quite 11. Betsy faces this new episode in her family's life in the most positive way. And she is humble enough to admit when her (I would not call them duties) daily activities are bringing her down a bit. But don't let this fool you; Betsy will be right back on track as soon as those feelings have been expressed.
Paige's angel, even when her days are filled with functions to better help Paige get through the many hurdles that are popping up right now, also finds the time, and energy, to bring Paige's classmates to their weekly swim. Betsy has a van and generously offered to bus the kids to the pool. Having a child in a body cast at home is not reason enough to back off from other engagements. She also lends a helping hand with our new Special Olympic swim team!!! By the way, all of the little athletes will be overjoyed when Paige joins them in the Spring.
Besides making sure Paige gets all the best care Betsy can find, she also makes sure Paige is being entertained and kept busy while being a lot less mobile these days...
Betsy is right though; Paige is amazing through this ordeal. I really enjoy visiting Paige, and her angel. Paige was so happy to see me, I had extra hugs and kisses, I got sang to and we just had the most magical moment together.
Now, if I could be Paige's angel's fairy, I would treat Betsy like the precious flower that she is. I would offer her little getaways such as an hour massage just down the street while I stayed with Paige. I would send her and her husband to a well deserved romantic supper. I would
find the time to help her with her housekeeping which of course becomes secondary when an angel has to be accessible at all times... So far, all I have achieved is one meal and TOO SOFT homemade fudge!!!
Betsy, may God answer your prayers and may Paige defy the doctors yet one more time!

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-09-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

I need help.
Emma swears.
Since a while, she has been saying J-C. At first, only us knew what she was saying because she couldn't pronounce it very well. But being the trooper that she is, she has perfected her J-C to a very clear swear.Carl was bringing groceries to the car, Emma was sitting in the cart. They hit a bump on the pavement, and there goes Emma: J-C, loud and clear. The problem was she said it just as an older lady was passing by. She lifted her head in shock, wondering if she had heard right.
We have tried to tell her that her saying this word is not nice. We have tried to redirect her to say Jee Whiz. It only works sometimes...
But this is the least of my worries...
I will admit that she might have picked up the J-C word from home. No, we are not perfect; far from it...
Here is my problem:
Since she is back at school, she has started to say, get ready for this, " Ha, F...". This is terrible. And it did not come from our house.
Emma used to growl or whine when things did not work her way, now she says: Ha, F... And this one is very clear, thank you very much!!! We are all in shock. She seems to say it at the appropriate moments...I keep repeating to her not to say that, that it is not nice. It doesn't work. Try to make her say: Ha Fudgesicle... Hmmm, I need something more convincing. The other day, I had 3 teenagers in the car. At one point, no one was talking. And of course, the dreaded curse came out of Emma's mouth! They all started to quietly giggle. They nearly had me going too. But I had to say something, it seemed a very weak effort from my part.
Emma is in a regular grade one class in the morning and in a Live and Learn class in the afternoon. Last year, they were 5 children in that class. This year, the class grew to 8 or 9 children. Did she pick up that bad word from the older children? I don't know. But she also did something weird the other day. Emma was holding a hockey stick and she would say: Growl, kill you. I looked at her and said: Caillou (a t.v. character in Canada). No, she said. Growl, kill you.
I need to talk with Emma's teachers. I do not want my little girl to carry that kind of language. Is it just a phase?
I need guidance, I need reassurance, I need ideas, I need help!!!

I MISS YOU PAIGE

2007-09-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

I miss you Paige...
Paige is that beautiful girl who was born 4 years and one day before Emma.
Paige is the very first child who has D.S. that I saw after Emma was born. In a "Down syndrome kit" that was given to me at the Children's Hospital, one hour away from home. Here she was, in that kit, cute as can be, offering me her mommy's attentive ear to listen to my apprehensions. And guess what? She lives only 15 minutes away...
Paige is that knock out Blondie, who I could watched blossom and break barriers; then I knew Emma would get there too someday...
Paige is that angelic face that never fails to produce gorgeous pictures.
Paige doesn't talk much, but she makes these unique, musical sounds that are so appeasing...
Paige is that school pionneer who inspired me in choosing Emma's school; a decision I have never regretted making...
Paige is that water godess who can float around the pool so leisurely, her hair up, appreciating a lazy moment of relaxation...
Paige is that girl whose older sister loves to pieces. Dakotah is always there for her little sister.
Paige is that girl whose mommy dresses up like a queen. Always trendy, always chic, she is a fashion card.
Paige is that girl who shares her whole family with dozen of other children who play baseball every Saturday of the summer...
Paige is that girl whose daddy is quiet, but, oh, so present...
Paige is that girl that Emma bosses around sometimes and yes, she puts up with it!
Paige is that girl that made me discover a wonderful friend: her mom, Betsy.
Paige is the one who introduced Emma to horseback riding.
Paige is that ray of sunshine who always shares her toys with Emma when we arrive at her house, more often than not, unannounced!
Paige is the cutest 10 year old girl I know who, when she sees me, comes straight to me for a hug... Or I should say, hugs. Because, you see, when Paige and I see each other, we hug, we snuggle, I talk to her, she sings to me. And while we catch up with each other, nothing or nobody else exist. This is our special moment and she is my special friend.
You see, I used to see Paige at least once a week. But I am back to work now and can no longer make it to the weekly swimming meet. If you ask me what is the hardest thing going back to work, I truly have to say, making it to the pool for my weekly hugs...
I miss you Paige!

MY VERY OWN "HAPINNESS TONIC"

2007-09-11T05:51:00.000-07:00

Emma never ceases to amaze me.
Actually, she very often blows me away. She is my source of energy, hapinness and complete freedom of the soul.
Her mind is constantly looking for stimulus. Her imagination has no limits. And if I play along with it, its brings me such pleasure.
This morning, while waiting for the bus, we were signing "The wheels on the bus". After signing a verse or 2, I started to say: The......Emma would add "cheesies", then we'd sign the cheesies on the bus go CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH. The....Emma said BURT (from Sesame Street), then we'd sing The Burt on the bus go HA-HA-HA. Then she said ERNIE, we'd sing The Ernie on the bus go CHI-CHI-CHI, with our hands in front of our mouth (just like the caracter). Then I'd say The.....she said cat, The cat on the bus go Meow, Meow, Meow. And the dog, then came the letters of the alphabet: The W on the bus go Wa, Wa, Wa. And so on...
The way she embarks on these games is awesome. I really get into it with her and it completely takes away anything else from my mind.
Aren't I lucky to have my very own, unique, live-in therapist?
I hope Emma keeps this aspect of her personality as she grows. I certainly will do my very darn best to preserve her bubbliness. I can see us signing together when I am 65 and Emma is 26!!!

ARTHUR MILLER AND THE MISSING ACT

2007-09-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

After writing my post about: An amazing soul, I went browsing on my friends' blogs. Amy brought to my attention an article in Vanity Fair, about Arthur Miller having a 4th child…Daniel, who has Down Syndrome. (find it on the web: Arthur Miller and the missing act)

I’ve always told myself I would not pass judgments on other people’s decisions… The content of this article made me think, think hard.

Even though I tried hard to imagine the context some 40 years ago, it was not easy for me to find compassion and understanding. But I succeeded; I will not pass judgment.

But stories like that do make me sad. I am sad for all the missed tiny moments people like Mr. Miller denied himself, and his son.

All I can think about is : If only they had known…. The joys, the warmth, the lessons my daughter enriches me with, Mr. Miller and his wife would have held on to Daniel as their most pecious gift...

AN AMAZING SOUL

2007-09-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

Later on, you will see where this is leading to...
Emma is now 6 1/2 years old. She still wears diapers. The inside of her legs look like elephant skin. Also, in the back, she has this sore that just won't go away. Doctors have given us about 4 different kinds of ointment. Those bad spots just don't go away. So Emma and I apply "cream" on a daily basis.
This week was quite busy for everyone. I am back to work after 4 years of being at home, Amy started high school and Emma is now in grade one and goes to school every day. All week, I could tell this daily schooling was quite tiring for her. She whined a lot, was less patient, and went to be much earlier...
Today, Emma and I were "outside" in our p.j.'s at 7:30. Then I did a bit of cooking and baking, took her back outside for another little while. Then I had to attack the pile of dishes, and later on, start the 3 loads of laundry that were waiting for my attention. Through it all Emma was whinning: "Mommy, outside. Mommyyyyyyyyyy, outside". While I was washing the dishes, she brought her little bench right beside me, got up on it and tugged at my arm: "Mommy, outside, Mommyyyyy, outside, MOMMYYYYYYYY OUTSIDE". God, how much more patience can I extract from way within myself?
That whinning lasted until about noon. Then, my friend who had a mastectomy only 10 days ago, showed up. She asked if I could change her bandages. Of course I would. We ripped the old stuff away. Her incision is quite large and still stitched with staples. Emma was still going on about going outside. I showed her my friend's wound and told her look,
" " has a booboo. Emma looked and took off....
While I was cleaning the wound, Emma came back with her "butt cream" and said : " ", for you, cream".
After feeling on the verge of having no patience left at all whatsover, here is my little girl, offering relief to our friend who has a booboo. We both went: "Ahhhh, Emma, that's so nice, thank you very much!!!" Of course, we had to pretend to apply the cream before putting the new bandage on. Emma even helped pulling the part that you peel while leaving the see through tape on.
Moments like that always make me think about those people who believe our lives have lost some of its "glitter" when Emma joined our family. How wrong are they? If only they knew...

MY BEAUTIFUL AMY ON WINSTON

2007-09-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today, was Amy's last horse show of the season. She did well on her beloved horse.
Amy is now attending High School. I am so proud of her. She has met and introduced herself to all of the special need teenagers who go to her school.

So far, she has had a 5 minute late notice (because she wheeled Catherine, who has cerebral palsy, who had a sore back that day, to her class!). She also met 2 guys who have Down Syndrome. They were trying to squeeze Catherine's wheelchair through a narrow doorway. Amy offered to help, but just guided the front of the chair while letting the guys push. I love you, Amy, you have a great soul!!!

WAITING FOR THE BUS

2007-09-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

EMMA AND I HAD SO MUCH FUN WAITING FOR THE BUS!!!
ISN'T SHE A CUTIE???

A DAY OF SHOPPING

2007-08-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

For those who don't already know Emma, let me tell you that she is a very bubbly, busy girl. She's got personality. She is playful, energetic, ALWAYS ON THE GO.
When in large buildings, Emma usually gets OVERSTIMULATED. I must admit she has somewhat slowed down in the last year. But people who meet us still tell me, Wow, she is busy... I wonder why???
While on vacation, walking in a restaurant, Emma was really loud. You have to understand, we've been in the car for many, many hours. As I took her to the bathroom for a quazillion diaper change, I told her we were going to have supper and that we should be QUIET. She behaved so wonderfully throughout the whole meal, I thought I was on to someting...
Back home, I decided that Emma and I would go on outings more and more often. So while Amy and her boyfriend Jesse had their day full with piling wood than go-karting with Carl, as a reward, I set out with Emma to do the school supply shopping...
First stop, the school supplies store. She sat in the cart the whole time. I was offering her choices as to which pencil sharpener she wanted, BLUE or RED. She said red. Okay. Then, said blue. I turned around, got the 2 colors again and asked her one more time which one she wanted, she said blue, so blue it was. And so on. She chose pencils, erasers, even binders for her sister!
So far so good... We were now headed to my favorite Thrift shop, a place I haven't been to in quite a while. We were going to look for clothes for Emma.
Again, she sat in the cart the whole time. I was amazed at how nice the clothes were for children. So I kept putting stuff in our cart until it was quite full. Emma would sometimes put stuff in too. And I was putting it back as best as I could.
Then I thought she should at least try on the pants because Emma is a bit bulky at the waist. Don't get me wrong. She is far from being fat. It's just that she is short and that makes it hard to choose the right size in pants. I had sizes from 6 to 10...
We entered the change room, with the cart, and set out to try on at least the pants. One, two, three, four, and, so on... Emma kept on trying pieces. She was looking at herself in the miror and was saying either NICE, CUTE, or BEAUTIFUL. And if I told her she looked beautiful, she would tell me THANK YOU. So we kept on trying, and trying. I felt that at any moment she would have enough, any child would. I was kneeling the whole time. I was sweating from being restrained to such a small area. But hey, we had a thing going on, I wasn't about to stop.
I simply could not believe it. She tried everything there was in that cart. At one point, I saw a jean jacket I knew I had not chosen. She must have put it in the cart. So she tried it on too. WoW, she looked so grown up. Of course we had to buy it. And we only discarded 3 items...
Emma has learned a new word: SHOPPING.
Believe it or not, we bought 14 shirts, 8 pants, 3 p.j.'s, 1 dress, 1 skirt, l jean jacket, 1 hoodie, 1 pair of shoes and, yes, a Halloween costume! Emma had tried on at least 33 pieces of clothing!!!
The whole experience cost me 120.00$ Back at home, my husband thought I had gone mad. Hey, how much clothes would she have gotten at a regular store??? I cleaned her dresser and threw out all the stained stuff. Yes, Emma is ready for school. And, yes, I shall go out with my girl more often. We had so much fun. There was no chasing her around, there was no noodle flops on the floor, there was no yelling or whinning. Hey, she even said the whole alphabet to a staff member.
Yes, Emma, we shall go SHOPPING again togerther, soon...And thank you for such a fun day!!!

OUR SUMMER VACATION

2007-08-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

We're back from beautiful P.E.I. Our one week trip was just awesome. First of all, travelling with Emma is simply a joy. Just keep the chocolate milk flowing and Emma is happy; mom too, as long as we stop often enough to change diapers... We had music for everyone. From Arlo Gutrie to Willie Nelson. From "Bad to the bone" to "Puff, the magic Dragon". From Queen to Raffi, it was a long musical drive.
First thing we did on the Island was head to the Joy Riders, therapeutic Riding Stable. Emma was treated like a queen. She enjoyed a beautiful ride on the P.E.I. red earth. It was very special for me that Emma too, also had plans of her own. Carl went deep sea fishing. Amy and Jesse went kayaking, go karting, trail riding. I enjoyed browsing in the numerous craft shops.

We all enjoyed the ocean, especially Emma. She loved watching the waves rolling in, yelled GO as they arrived close to her and jumped over or through them. Emma also rode at a "regular stable" while big sis and her boyfriend were on a trail...On our last evening on the Island, Amy and Jesse babysat Emma so Carl and I could have a nice seafood supper on a terrasse by the ocean. LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Coming back, we slowly drove through New Brunswick. We visited a few attractions, bought sea food, drove along the scenic shoreline. The plan was to make it to Quebec by suppertime, and, find a motel. Plans often do not become reality. By 8:00 p.m., we reached the first City in Quebec. There was not one room available. We had supper and kept going to the next town. NO VACANCY. The the next town. NO VACANCY. Somewhere along the way, Carl said we were wasting precious time looking for a hotel. If we kept going, we'd be home by 5:oo the next morning... Whoa, I said. Surely, we'll find something. NO VACANCY. Emma fell asleep at around 11:30 p.m. Every time we stopped, she would wake up and say something like: "Bathing suit, the beach" and go back to bed. We laughed so much. Once, she woke up and said her favorite swear word: J-C. I could not believe what I was hearing.!!!

My husband is always right. We were home by 5:00. I had stayed awake the whole time for fear he would fall asleep. He would not let me drive. My fear now was that Emma had slept enough and would want to stay up. Oh God, what would I do? But no, I changed a quazillion diaper and took her with me in my bed and we slept a blissful 4 hours!!!
Before we left, a lot of people were asking me what I was planning for myself during our vacation, and for me, the happiness my family brings to me is all I really need. The interaction with Amy's boyfriend and Carl. Everyone's sense of humor. Hum, my snoring, even though I still say it is Carl who snores, Amy's WHITE legs at the beach, Emma's Hi, my name is Emma to each and every stranger she met. Every moment was a joy!!!

ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE BACK!!!

2007-07-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

I am so happy! After 4 months of fruitless efforts, I finally managed to enter into my own blog!!! I believe I am a smart person, but for some reason I could not access my blog. I console myself by thinking Eh, I am a people person, technology comes lower in my skill assets...

Wow, 4 months to recap... Well, Emma has graduated to grade one, and Amy to High School...

Emma's physician thinks that maybe Emma has ADD. Whoa, is that why we are always so busy??? The doctor says that, at 6, Emma should be starting to slow down. We will assess her to find out in the coming year. My reaction was: Okay, I always thought that no children of mine would be put on ritalin. I would not want to diminish, in any way, Emma's bubbly personality. The other side of me, was JOKINGLY thinking: Quick, where is the ritalin; will I finally rest?

But seriously, I have spoken with Emma's teachers and aids at school. They all had the same reaction. No. Emma does not have ADD. She can stick to one activity for quite a while. When she stray is mostly because she doesn't see what is happening. Emma has a focus problem with her eyes... I know, I might have spoiled her by giving her a lot of my attention, and, when I am busy having a conversation with someone, she will try VERY HARD to get my complete attention back to her... The doctor is impressed because Emma knows all of her letters (big and small), she is trying to read by spelling words (p-o-o-h = caillou) and she can count to 12. Her perspective is that if Emma slows down long enough, she will learn so much more...

We shall take this in strides: wait and see. I certainly won't rush into a decision I may later regret... If any of you great people have the same dilemma, please let me know your opinion on the subject.

Summer so far: Amy is quite busy with the riding circuit. She is doing fairly good; always coming home with some ribbons. She won 1st place in her division in the 4H judging day. She was the "one on one" helper for a little guy who has ADD at a riding camp. She really enjoyed that experience.

Emma is swimming like crazy. In the fall, we are starting our very own Special Olympic swimming club!!! She also rode in the Spring-Summer therapeutic riding session. She has improved so much this year. She goes on trails, she now holds the reins and pulls as she says whoa to stop, she dismounts properly and she helps groom the horse. Unbelievable... She is going to ride in P.E.I. on Aug. 7th!!! This is so exciting. I contacted the therapeutic riding association there and they have accepted to have her riding in their club during our vacation... They are bringing in the local newspaper to talk about their small Ontario guest!!! This will promote therapeutic riding both in P.E.I. and our region of Ontario. And Emma also gets to do something she loves during our family vacation. AWESOME!!!

Emma and I, have also tried baseball. Ask Betsy, I have lasted only 2 weeks. I have to run, and run, and run... Emma enjoys batting but has no interest in the rest of the game. She targets cars (for their seat belts) and baby stollers (for their buckles). The child is absolutely "mesmerized: by these 2 contraptions... What kind of world would this be without seat belts and buckles???

Since Emma is going to school full time in Spetember, I am going back to work after being home for the last 4 years. This is a little bit scary. I have found the perfect "part time" job in a bank. I will work only 4 days for about 16 to 20 hours a week. I am very calm about facing this new page of my life. You see, Betsy did this about 2 years ago, and, I have her to inspire me.

So, enough about us, I am off to read your blogs!!! Yuppi!!!!

WHAT A GREAT DAY

2007-03-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Today, we had a CHEO day, CHEO being our local children hospital. Ever since Emma can walk, CHEO days were always very tiring. Emma would run away, she would escape, she would fuss, she would do the noodle on the floor, she would not cooperate with most of the staff. It seems like I was the only adult running around and not in control... Whenever we came out of there I was always exhausted.

Sometimes I would notice other children with Downs sitting with their mom, reading a book. I would always wonder if Emma would ever be that way; not really believing that it would ever happen.

Some parents would smile at my running around and tell me: my child used to do these things too...

Well, guess what? Today was a wonderful day. Amy and I took Emma to CHEO an hour before her appointment. Emma had some bloodwork that needed to be done. At the lab, Emma could hear a baby crying and she kept saying: sad. Yes, that baby was sad. She also had a chat with another baby while his mom was nursing him. Then came Emma's turn. Of course, they have to be 2 to handle us... Emma found out why that baby was sad before... Then she said: Thank you and Bye.

A trip to the bathroom, on the toilet, thank you very much. No changing diapers on a tiny counter when your child weighs 50 pounds.

We now had a little bit of time, so we went to eat a chip at the small restaurant. Again, Emma acted so grown up. She waited in line to pay. She sat and chatted with us while we all ate. Then we were off to meet the anestesist. I let go of her hand and, wow, Emma just walked along beside us. No running, no escaping... Could it be? The doctor made her take deep breaths 3 times and Emma did exactly that. Again, once done, Emma said Thank you and Bye.

Then we headed for the x-ray lab. We had to take pictures of Emma's neck. She was not too happy at first, but I told her all these guys would do is take her picture. So, come on Emma, put your hands on your lap, look down, don't move, and... say cheese! It worked perfectly: 3 pictures in all. Again, thank you and Bye!!!

We walked, not ran, all the way out of the hospital. NOBODY WAS TIRED. All in all, we had a great day.

I thought, Wow our turn has finally come. Emma is a big girl now. So if you have little ones running away, escaping, doing the noodle, do not fret, one day your turn shall come too!!!

The things we do for love...

2007-03-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today, I am going to talk about poo. You know, Emma will be six on March 24th, she weighs more than 50 pounds, and I am still changing diapers (the unbelieveable part is that I really don't mind doing it).
Emma has chronic constipation and has been taking stool softener for almost 5 years. Generally, after a blockage, we have an episode of really, really messy diapers. Lately, things seem to be on the right track...
She is peeing more often on the toilet, but number 2 seems to take a lot longer. Once or twice, she has done it on the toilet.
Today, her E.A. wrote a wonderful note in our communication book. She said: "Today, Emma told me she wanted to poo, she had started but we made it to the bathroom in time. I was putting Emma's pull-up on and she said: No thank you. So I waited and she had a 2nd B.M. She knew exactly what was happening." A friend came over and, as I was telling her about this great message from the E.A., Emma was making a funny face, and, guess what?... She had the juiciest diaper that I have seen in a while. It was leaking down her legs, it was everywhere. I had to carry her upstairs wrapped in her changing pad and give her a shower. How ironic!!!
Last week, Amy and I were having a late supper and, of course, Emma needed her diaper changed. As I was changing her, I told Amy, you know usually kids quit wearing diapers between 2 and 3 and I asked Amy (Emma's sister who will be 14 on Sunday), with all that you know about life with Emma, how would you feel if you were pregnant and the doctor told you your baby had some kind of "defect"? (Note that I didn't ask her what she would do, but, how she would feel.) Without hesitation, Amy, being an outstanding rider, said: I would spend the rest of my pregnancy looking for the perfect horse for my child. You know, mom, there are some challenged people competing who are doing great. Emma could do it!
I did not expect that, how refreshing! I love my 2 girls dearly.
The other day, my friend Betsy, in one of her posts, said that she now can go out without a diaper bag and a change of clothes and Paige will soon be ten. That made me smile; there is light at the end of the tunnel!
Meanwhile, I shall carry my diaper bag and my change of clothes for a while yet. The things you do for love! (Wink!!!)

Photo update

2007-02-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Emma. I have lost my baby but found this cute girl. Her latest word: BEAU TIFUL...

Emma's 6th sense

2007-02-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, when Emma was not quite 2, she was taking a bath and I was right beside her kneeling. I don't remember why, but I felt sad, or overwhelmed... I was crying.
This tiny girl got up, came right to me, all wet, she was hugging me, trying to make me feel better, or just sharing the moment with me.
I was amazed that Emma knew, at such an early age, exactly what was going on, and exactly what to do about it... My theory, then, was that even though she was experimenting developmental delays, she was sure on the ball with "feelings". Why was that? Was it exactly because of these delays? Could it be that Emma was more in tune with herself and with others because not so distracted by a multitude of outside preoccupations that "normal" people surround themselves with???
Last year, a friend of mine who had breast cancer came for a visit. We were having coffee in the kitchen while Emma was watching T.V. in the living room. My friend was crying, feeling a bit invaded by what was happening to her. Who comes running to the kitchen, climbing on the table right in front of my friend and starting to hold and hug and kiss, Miss Emma to the rescue. How did she know??? My friend never forgot that moment.
She admitted to me that when she first met Emma 2 years ago, she was not sure how to react to her. She was wondering what should she say if she did not understood what Emma was saying, she was not sure how to start a relationship with Emma "the right way".
What feelings Emma brought out of my friend that day made wonders for their relationship; they are buddies... When my friend needs some cheering up, she knows she can always come for a visit and Emma is bound to do or say something to help forget her blues...
Last Sunday, Emma and I got up. As soon as we got downstairs, I started to throw up. Once again, Emma to the rescue... She grabbed my leg, holding me and saying, Okay... Okay... I did not want her too close to me because I didn't want her to get this virus but there was no way I could get her an inch away from me, so I just let her nurse me: that's what she wanted to do.
I just love her to pieces!!!!
Do any of you have similar experiences, I'd like to know...

MY BIRTHDAY

2007-01-31T06:45:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday and I am a happy person. A while back I wrote A NEW COUNTRY, a sequel to Welcome to Holand. In my text, I was bragging about having the best of Italy and Holand, and by mixing both together, I was in this new country where Italy and Holand became one: my world.
So far today, my world is having sent both girls off to school. Then I phoned the Drug store; they each need prescriptions renewed.
Then I phoned CHEO, our children's hospital. Guess what? Emma has an ear infection (her very first and she's on her 4th set of tubes). I talked to a nurse who asked if I had a family doctor, then she passed me to the audiologist. We decided to put Emma on ear drops which we have at home since her last tubes were put in (They cost 50$). And if she still has problems by Monday, I am to phone Audiology and they will squeeze her in the clinic. PROBLEM SOLVING is so easy and fun!!! I avoided a long wait at our local walk-in clinic, I saved money on a new prescription and Emma gets treated right away.
In the early years of Emma's life, I heard a lot of parents complaining about always having to fight for our "challenged kids" and it used to scare me. I did not want to fight all the time, I wanted to be at peace and happy. And guess what, I am not FIGHTING, I am simply taking charge. There is a big difference. I am not afraid of knocking on doors, of expressing my needs, my ideas, or my solutions. This taking charge business makes life easier. There is a fullfilment in knowing that it's okay to take steps directly toward the top, not letting myself be swirled around the system and waste time, energy and peace...This afternoon, I am going to swim with Emma's class because they are one teacher short. I will get to swim with Emma and Paige, Betsy's girl whom I love to pieces!!!
This was my Holand part of today. In my Italy part, well I am very proud of Amy. She won the spelling bee at her school and is moving up to the Regional in Ottawa, then to the National... If she was to win, she would end up in Washington D.C. where my sister-in-law lives... What an incentive... Amy is a very good student; who knows how far she will go... We are studying words at home and she studies with her teacher at lunch recess. Yesterday, they met the ressource person from High School and all her teachers told her she had to pick academic courses... She wants to take Spanish and psychology. She thinks of herself as a nerd and says it's fun being a nerd! I told her she mixes being smart and being a nerd. They don't necessary go togheter. I told her that if she is a nerd, she is the coolest nerd I have ever met... Her social life is so full: horse riding competitions, boyfriend, movies, skiing, piano lessons, dances, let's not forget shopping, etc. etc. etc.....
As for my new country, tonight at suppertime, both my girls and my husband will treat me to a homemade birhtday supper that I will have helped put together. Emma will surely sing to me Happy Birthday to you in her Marilyn Munroe voice which I love. Amy will tease me about being old (45 to a 14 year old seems like almost over the hill...) and Carl, my guy, will have some surprises for me. LIFE AT ITS BEST!!!
Yes, today is my birthday, and I am happy...
P.S. mum2brady, I can't access your blog...how can I reach you?

OUR SLEEP OVER ADVENTURE

2007-01-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

Winter has been quite mild so far, until last Tuesday night. Minus 24 celcius, minus 30 with the wind shield factor at 5:30 Wednesday morning.
Of course, Emma and I had to sleep at CHEO, our local children's hospital, for a sleep study on that very same night. We eyed this trip as an adventure because the pamplet provided by the hospital explained that it takes about 20-30 minutes to hook all these wires to your child before he or she falls asleep...
Sticky things on their head, sticky things on the neck, some nasal contraption to measure carbone monoxide, 2 belts around the waist, the thinkerbell light taped on the toe to measure oxygen flow, the heart monitor, etc...
This is Emma here we are talking about. Emma the dynamo. Emma who they have to put to sleep to do a heart echo, Emma on whom there is no way they can do an ECG while she is awake.
Not to worry they say, we deal with children every day. Then they meet Emma...
We got there at 7:30 pm. Emma is usually asleep back home at that time. She wants to go back in the car. No, we are sleeping here tonight... First come the belts. They are fun. Emma loves the click (on and off, on and off) just like the riding helmets at home which we play with for hours at a time. Click.
Patrick, Emma's new buddy, decides not to hook Emma on the head with a million wires. So we won't know if she dreams... So what. Patrick also decides that we will hook Emma once she sleeps, he obviously reckognized Emma's energy level.
I am surprise that she acually falls asleep with the belts around her waist... While I wait for her to be sound asleep, I watch Patrick hook this other little girl. She's a pro. It's her second sleep study. She looks like a robot. Patrick (and mom) was right, there is no way we could have done this to Emma.
We go into Emma's bedroom. Patrick is good. Emma is snoring away. He says it's nice when they sleep so soundly. He tapes the red light on her toe, I cover it with a sock. He hooks the waist belts to his machine. He sticks one sticky thing on her neck...Emma wakes up. I have to lie down with her and help her sleep again. She resists for awhile...She sleeps again. I tell Patrick I will get ready for bed then he can continue his mission. That way, if Emma wakes up again I will just slide in with her. He sticks the 2nd sticky thing on her neck. Not a problem. He installs that thing in her nose and tapes it on each side. With one quick movement, Emma has that ripped away. But she is still sleeping. Patrick does it all over again, Emma is waking up. I quickly slide in bed with her and grab her hands. It is now 10 pm. So much for reading my bood in my own little bed... We fall asleep. Or I should say, Emma falls asleep. We are both in this small hospital bed. The chrome railing is freezing my back. The blanket is not big enough for the 2 of us. Emma tosses and turns and I feel her all tangled in the wires. At one point, I am aware that the nose thing is gone. Then, went the 2 sticky things on her neck. I feel for them and stick them back on. Who knows if they're at the right place, maybe they will monitor her swallowing instead of her snoring, but hey, I am only trying to salvage some of that mission... I get up to go to the bathroom thinking it's 6 o'clock. Nobody wakes up. I go back to bed. Later, Emma wakes up. We unhook whatever is left (not much, the belts and the toe thingy). Patrick walks in and says it is 5:00 am and it's -24 celcius outside. He thinks they will have enough data. So we get dress and find ourselves in the parking lot. It is very dark, and very, very cold out there. It is now 5:40 am. Will my car start? It does but we now have to let it warm up a bit. Leaving the city, we are the sole passengers on the outbound lanes. Tons of cars are already heading to the city. I guess these people are going to work. As for us, our mission is over.
We make our 1 hour drive without incident. Get home. Guess what? Carl has locked us out!!! He is so used to be the last one in, he always double lock the doors. I run outside from our utility room. Remember it is very, very cold out there and I guess I am a little tired. I have to scream underneath his window. He played pool the night before and probably had a few beers and I'm thinking he won't hear me. So I scream louder. If the farmers around are outside, they will think Carl is trying to kill me. Or is it me trying to kill him. It is now 6:45. Wow, Carl wakes up and comes to open the door in his Adam suit!!! Thank you very much!
I feed Emma breakfast get her ready for school and write a note to her teacher that if she is too tired, phone me and I'll get her... And I go to bed. Guess what? I can not sleep. I haven't slept in daytime for so long, I guess I forgot how...
Emma comes home from school. She is fast asleep on the bus. It is a 10 minute ride from school. In her bag, the teacher wrote: Not a problem, Emma was full of energy all day, just like usual...
I don't know when we will get results from this sleep study, but I still view it as an adventure. The half test, the small bed, the temperature. No, it was not the Hilton, but we did have a sleep over!!!

24 HOUR HEARTBREAK

2007-01-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

Gosh, it sometimes is so hard being a mother...

Amy is 13 and has been going out with Jesse for 6 months. They are so cute together. Really they are good kids. Carl, my husband, is a little nervous about the seriousness of this relationship. They call each other 3 or 4 times a night. They plan outings such as the movie theater, the monthly dance, skiing, shopping, riding. They even do homework together. Amy is tutoring Jesse; she is helping him to build his self confidence...

I try to keep the communication channels open with Amy... We can not stop the natural course of humanity, which has been moving from the start of time... So, letting her know I'm there should any situation arise, is the best I can do.

2 weeks ago, I was about to put Emma to bed when a neighbour showed up; she was a little bit peeved about her 18 year old son's behavior. She waited for me while I put Emma to bed... When Emma was finally asleep, I walked by Amy's bedroom door. She was in total despair, tears running, flowing down her face. What's wrong? She said: Mom, I didn't see it coming... Oh, no! Jesse broke up with her over the phone. But he is so nice, he even phone back to say he was sorry... He says he rather be just friends since in the fall they won't be going to the same highschool and that makes him sad too much of the time... I hugged her but she said go see Judy who is waiting downstairs... I had forgotten about my friend!

I was very concerned for Amy, yet I was also very proud of her. She went on MSN and some friends were saying not too nice things about Jesse. I warned her that she should confide to only one or two good friends and not say things she could regret later. No, Amy was not putting Jesse down, she was just very, very hurt.

She asked not to go to school the next day. She was afraid we would cry in front of her peers. Being one of the best in her class. We abided. Carl and I treated her with extra special care. Amy always beg for an Ice Cap at the local coffee shop and Dad usually say no. That day he bought her one even without her asking...

Comes suppertime and, once again I passed in front of Amy's bedroom. She has the brightest grin on her face!!! Guess what; Jesse is on the phone; they are making up!!! Dad's sense of relief is gone. It lasted 24 hours... They are going to take it easy. They will wait and see how things go being at different high schools in the fall. Maybe they can see each other on Wednesdays and over the weekends.

Like I said, it is very hard to be a mother. To watch your daughter grow up with the freedom and sorrow that come with it... I love her to pieces!!! They now have celebrated their 7 month anniverary...

A NEW YEAR IS UPON US!!!

2007-01-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

The Holiday season came and went... Emma really enjoyed Christmas this year. She can actually sing We wish you a Merry Christmas, say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

She loved meeting Santa Claus at her school. She really, really can open her presents and others' presents too!!!

In the second week of her holiday, Emma started to say: La bus, Paige, School, more often. It's hard to explain to her that she is on holiday and that school will start again just in a couple of weeks.

Now, after this weekend, she will be heading back to school with, in her 2nd week, a sleep study at CHEO. We are also waiting for a call for a day surgery to fix Emma's first cavity... Routine stuff, really. Sometimes I think about how things were so scary during her first year, how we had to cope and adjust to new stuff, almost on a monthly basis. Now, all this medical stuff is routine, really... I don't even worry about the outcome, we just go through stuff one item at a time.

The members of my family have become masters of living life as it comes, enjoying every single moment, in our own way. We don't follow any given path, we follow our own, we follow our heart and this is why we are looking forward to this new year with excitement. We do not know what it holds for us but we know that, whatever comes our way, we shall deal with in a serene manner, respectful of others and of ourselves. So may this New Year bring to all of our friends a sense of belonging, a sense of accomplishment, and, a sense of simple bliss!!!

THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH

2007-01-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

Emma will be 6 in March. Her speech took a very, very long time to get going...
At first, all she could master was a few signs.

Then, slowly, very slowly, Emma started to add new words to her repertoire: we counted them by keeping this record of 20 words, then 24... and so on. After we got to about 100 words we stopped keeping track.

Then her vocabulary really started to expand. She can sing O Canada, Happy birthday, the Barney song.

Her singing really makes me proud. You see, she sings completely off track, just like her sister, like me, and like her grandmother, my mom!!!

The more words Emma says, the more we sometimes have to guess what she is trying to tell us. Like "kiki": we searched and searched to find its meaning. One day my husband said I KNOW WHAT KIKI MEANS!!! It means mittens. Then the next day her EA said I KNOW WHAT KIKI MEANS!!! It means kitchen. To this day we are not completely sure of what kiki means.

Now, we have a problem. We are thinking Thand God Emma can not always pronounce properly. You see, big sister who is almost 14, sometimes swears to affirm herself. We had a discussion about swearing and she said she only does it sometimes depending on her mood.

At suppertime tonight, we're all sitting at the table and Emma keeps saying: Amy, J-C.
We all realized what she was saying and Amy could not believe her little sister picked that up so easily... The common person could not guess what Emma means by J-C, but if someone really paid attention, Emma's secret could be out!!!

I guess Emma's little swearing episode hit home with Amy and we will all be more careful with our language from now on...

AUGUST, A MONTH OF FIRSTS

2006-09-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Emma started the month by losing her very first tooth on August the 1st! It really bothered her when the darn tooth would slide horizontally and I didn't have the guts to pull it. She then proceded to lose a second tooth on Aug. the 19th. We never found either one...

Because of her self inflicted hair cut, I finally broke down and cut her hair shoulder lenght; she simply is adorable!!!

Emma also finally conquered the pool slide after climbing the steps all the way up then all the way down (for about a billion times). She loves the rush if procures...She also moved up to wearing only wings to swim.

Emma also finally pooed in the toilet, on the floor, and, yes, in the pool (sssh...) Let me tell you, if you want a bunch of teenagers out of your pool, just throw in an Oh!Henry chocolate bar and say Oh no... they will dash out before you can blink!!!

In Emma's O.T.'s report, she was described as having poor behaviour and was referred to a psychiatrist. Yet her speech therapist's report hailed her for always being happy and willing to march into therapy...

One day, after months of stressing upon her "I WANT" (ice cream, a drink, etc...), she said on her own I WANT PLAY Wow!!!

I also finally broke down and let Emma ride Winston, her sister's horse. Amy was leading Winston and Carl and I were on each side of Emma. She said "Walk on" and "Whoa" and when she came off the horse she went in front of him and said "Thank you". Amy was so happy and proud that I finally let her show us how completely gentle and trustworthy Winston is. This will become a family activity whenever we all can manage to be home at the same time... Amy wants to enter Emma in a leading class at one of our local fairs next year...We can already picture how great it will be when Emma wins her very first ribbon...

As for Amy, well, we have now added to our already busy schedule, dates with her boyfriend (movies, attraction parks, B.B.Q.s). I am dealing with this new reality quite well. Jesse, her boyfriend is quite nice... The other day, Emma phoned him by pressing the redial button. He said that she said Hi, then Amy, Amy, Amy... So he knew who she was and he said Hi Emma, she said Bye and pressed a bunch of numbers in his ears. Thank goodness the last number was not my sister-in-law's who lives in England...

So life goes on... Its course is not always what we expect but it never fails to bring along some greats "winks" to remind us that every minute, each second is worth living!!!

Hope you all had a great summer also filled with wonderful "firsts"!!!

I'VE BEEN TAGGED

2006-08-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Shelley (see the shamptons) to answer, in Emma's name, some questions. So here goes...

3 things that scare me: Loud noises, barking dogs and NOT MUCH ELSE

3 persons that make me laugh: my mom, big sis Amy and my 70 year old friend/neighbour Billie

3 things I love: music, swimming, riding, cars, ice cream, giggling, running, dancing and
OUTSIDE

3 things I dislike: anything that has to do with bowels (fleets, suppositories, tests), when
mom tries to cut my nails and getting out of the car; why can't I just
stay in there forever?

3 things I don't understand: why I can't cut my own hair, why we have to walk; it would be
a lot more fun running all the time and why my family doesn't
take me outside every time I want to go (maybe because we
would be out there from dawn to dusk) Please, pease, peaaaase
doesn't even work...

3 things on the floor: books, the sofa cushions and food

3 things I'm doing right now: throwing the sofa's cushions on the floor, playing the piano
and watching Caillou

3 things I can't do: drive the car (they won't let me), put my shoes in the oven (they won't
let me) and reach all the stuff my mom keeps putting higher (she'll
soon have to build shelves close to the ceiling all around the house)

3 things that best describe my personality: Bubbly (outgoing), daring (adventurous) and
a ray of sunshine

3 things you should listen to: Me, when I want to go outside (pease, pease, pease), music;
it's good for the body and soul and body langage; you can
learn so much...

3 favorite food: Ice cream, chips and fruits (bananas,apples,peaches,strawberries,pears...)

3 things I'd like to learn: How to drive the car, how to go down the pool slide; I go up but
always come down when I reach the 2nd last step and how to
make big sis Amy do everything I ask her...

3 favorite beverages: chocolate milk (coclate), peach juice and cold coffee once, mmmm

3 shows I watch on occasion: Caillou, Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street (my favorite
characters are Elmo, Cookie Monster and Mr. Noodle)

Thanks Shelley. That was a lot of fun. Now I am tagging Betsy...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2006-07-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, we had a blast. It was my friend's son's birthday. Alex is now 15. A group of neighbours met at my house for cake.

Emma always gets excited around a birthday cake. She really likes to blow on the candles. So I was expecting her to do that same little dance she usually does and try real hard to get the best spot in front of the cake.

To everyone's surprise, Emma started to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU all by herself. She went to everyone making them sing along while swaying left and right. I was so proud of her; she is just like her mother and grandmother (no voice whatsoever...)

She must have sang it 12 times to Alex (Koki she calls him). It was like he had his own little Marilyn Munroe...

Alex's mom, who went through breast cancer, says Emma is her best therapy!!!

During moments like these (and there are so many), I can't help but wonder how our lives would be if 5 years ago I would have opted for testings and abortion...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, KOKI!!!

SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME

2006-07-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

Emma finished her very first school year 11 days ago!

So far we have been swimming 3 or 4 times a day. Sometimes for 2 straight hours...You think this is the life! Let's just say we both sleep well at night...

The poor child. First thing in the morning, she makes her arms swim and says MIMING, MIMING. I say It's too early to swim. She says PLEASE with the sign to make me feel even worst for saying no. She even goes sit on the toilet to pee because we always do that before we put her bathing suit on. She is very determined... I usually break down by 9:30.

In 11 days this child of mine has managed to dive forward and backward, she dunks her head under water and swims as if she was being chased by a shark, she makes bubbles, comes up for air and makes more bubbles (2-3-4 times in a row), she floats on her back pretending to sleep. My neighbour brought her goggles and told me Emma has her eyes open and smiles while under water. My God! I looked at her with the goggles and she has that Jack Nicholson look: she is actually grinning (you can see her teeth) and her eyes are wide open!!!

Emma is only 5 and I would love to see her swim or dive in special olympics. But we live in the country at least 1 hour from either Ottawa or Montreal. For now, she is the star of our little swimming hole!!!

CAREER OPTIONS

2006-07-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today, Emma gave us a glimpse of what she would like to be when she grows up...

I was upstairs for 10 minutes. When I came back downstairs, Carl said look at what Emma did. I couldn't see anything. He said: SHE CUT HER HAIR!

There it was, the perfect hair cut. Since school finished last week, her teacher sent all of her stuff back home. Emma went through her school bag and found her scissors...She was very quiet in the living room. Carl thought she was watching T.V.

Emma did a really good job. She kind of went on a slenght all along her right side. It almost looks like a hairdresser layering job, almost. There is one distinction... Right at the top of her head, she has that very short piece that sticks up just like Dennis the Menace.

Carl wondered how far she would have gone before stopping. The Lord only knows. But I could picture her doing it. Grabbing her hair with one hand and CUTTING with the other. I guess her coordination with the scissors is improving...

For some reason, the whole episode made me very happy. I asked Emma: Did you cut your hair? She laughed and said : yeah, cut. She was actually giggling... The little rascal.
It my heart, it felt so good to live this moment. This little girl of mine is just like a million other little girls, experimenting with life!!!

GOODBYE ZAK

2006-06-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

This morning, Emma gave her very last hug to Zakie, my baby.

Zak was my cat; my very first cat. She was 17. She was a very beautiful calico cat.
She completely trusted me. In the early years, she would come and lie on my stomach while I was soaking in the bathtub.

I was right beside her when she gave birth, twice.

Zak was not too fond of children. When my niece and nephew came for a visit, they would have loved to pet her but she would run away and hide..

13 years ago, when Amy was born, some people told me I should get rid of Zak because cats were dangerous for babies. I couldn't do that and was just careful to always close Amy's door while she slept.

Zakie grew fond of Amy very quickly. I would nurse Amy with Zak also on my lap. She loved that quiet time.

Then, 8 years later, came Emma. Emma didn't really pay attention to Zak until about 2 years ago. Even though Zak was old, she was always very patient with Emma. Emma would hug her by the neck and sometimes would lift her up that way. Never did Zak hiss or scratch.
So this morning Emma gave her usual greeting to Zak and Zak kind of fell to her side as if her left leg couldn't support her. I thought maybe Emma had held her a little too strongly and hurt the cat shoulder. Once Emma was in school I brought my cat to the vet and (I knew it was time) found out that she has a neurological trauma. So I said my farewell to my first baby.

So long Zak. We will miss you. Amy is a strong kid; she knows you're better off where you're gone. Emma won't drink milk from your dish again but remember all those truly affectionate hugs and the way she called you Bubble. (Because of our other cat, Trouble, Emma calls all the cats Bubble.) So long Zakie Bubble xox

PICTURES OF EMMA

2006-06-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

Emma, at Pirate night supper on the Disney Cruise ship. Couldn't she play beside Johnny Depp???
Oups, we're 5; we should not be drinking from a bottle...

Emma goofing around early morning in our Disney World hotel room (part of Emma's wish). She was so happy to have stolen her sister's Minnie ears...

Walk on Dixie. Emma loves riding. Today, she actually trotted...

Look at those 2. Emma looks like E.T. and Amy looks like she's having a blast!!!

Here is the poster promoting inclusion in the schools. (The photographer took about 70 shots... The star was a little bit fussy that day...)

***I am sorry I couldn't arrange this post any better. I am not too technical and it is now 11:30 pm and I'm off to bed...

The joys of childhood

2006-06-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Emma is almost done her first year of school!!! It's been a busy year for her. She adapted to school pretty well. Her EA is the most amazing woman. She is just like Emma. Busy, happy, energetic; yet firm...Glory be; Emma got granted a wish from the Children's wish foundation and brought us all to Disney World and a Disney Cruise. WHAT FUN THAT WAS!!!

Back to reality in March. They cannot get a conclusive hearing test on her and tried for the last 2 years to do a heart echo while awake. It's Miss Emma they're dealing with here. How can she possibly lied down still for 40 minutes when she runs to even grab a kiss from you? Emma knows only one speed: FAST. So in May, they finally put Emma to sleep in order to run all these tests. Now we are waiting for a very uncomfortable bowel test and a sleep study.

In June, Emma was asked to be part of an awareness campain for Community Living Glengarry. This year's theme is inclusion in the schools. Her beautiful face is now on book marks and posters all over our county.

But today, one of the simple joys of being a kid happened to Emma. There it was in her school bag, along with the rest of her stuff: a Birthday Party Invitation; Emma's very first Birthday Party Invitation!!! I never gave much thought to this event but it caught me; I almost cried from joy. I don't even know the little boy who invited her but we are definitely going!!!

HORSES VS BOYS

2006-06-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

My daughter Amy is 13 years old. She's had the 1 boyfriend in grade 5. She was heart broken when the relationship ended. Ever since then she's been very, very busy with horses. She owns 2 and cares for them (hay, water, etc), she takes jumping lessons and loves going to shows.
For the last 3 years, all she cared about was HORSES.

We are not rich people and we try to keep tight reins on this horse business because it can get quite pricey. Amy's horses' dreams are very high standards. She is quite ambitious. But people tell us horses are a good investment: it keeps boys at bay...

Last week, Amy's class went on a 3 day year end trip to Bear Creek Camp. Today, while talking to a friend, I asked Judy: Guess what Amy brought back from camp? Judy instantly said: Oh, no!!! I asked her what she thought it was and Judy, a bit concerned said: She has nits? No, not lice, a boy!!!

All of a sudden, she seems so self assured. There is mystery about her and, my cordless phone's battery has been dead for most of the week end...

Life has begun... I am not too sure which one (boy or horse) is worst. They are most likely both all right. But can we afford both???

Best of luck, Amy, with your life experiences!!!

Boy, that's hard to say, but it had to be done... So there...

FOR BETSY

2006-06-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Betsy enjoys praising me but everyone should know that I am the one blessed by her friendship. You see, I get excited about things... So I often grab the phone and call Betsy. Betsy is always there for me. I've barged in on her amd her family on different occasions, to pass on a book or a tape my sister sent about speech, to vent out frustrations or share a bright moment.

So, in Betsy's blog, while welcoming me to this new world, she mentioned that I should share a few stories about Emma. So here goes...

Emma was always very active, very curious. She has a great personality and enjoys getting into mischief.

Yes, she can drink milk from the cat dish. She can poor milk into my stew.

One day, after knowing our physio therapist for a couple of years, she suddenly took notice of his bald head. She made Brian bend down, caressed his shiny head while saying Woooow. Then she kissed it! I was soooo shy... But from then on, this became her ritual and Brian, I think, enjoyed the special attention.

Emma also has a thing for the microwave. She likes shoving anything in there. Wanting to leave my mother's house, I couldn't find one of her boots. We looked and looked everywhere. We finally left without the boot. The next day, my mother phoned to say she had found the boot...
in the microwave. Another time, after starting our microwave, she blew in less than 3 seconds, a beautiful Mickey Mouse pen that lit up. Oh, she also killed her dad's poker machine in there. There was a small black circle on the screen. That was it for the poker machine.

Emma also likes baking. She will put anything in the oven. Her babies, my slippers, the dish clothes. So beware, better look in there before starting the oven...plastic melts, you know.

Last one, for now. Last year while she was at a daycare centre, her aid was introducing her to peeing on the toilet. The aid left her for a second. On her way back, she could hear water running... She thought: Great, Emma is peeing in the toilet. Guess again Karen. Emma was peeing all right but she was standing, with her pants down, in a boy's urinal...

That's it for now!

2006-06-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

LOVING THEM VS BEING LOVED BY THEM

2006-06-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

I was never bothered with Emma having Down syndrome. The radiologist who performed her ultrasound really bothered me with statements such as: "You really have to love these children"
(why does he think people have children?) and "Nowadays, people want their children perfect looking and performing" (Maybe in his world; he makes kids sound as if they are machines or tools). He offered me these comments because I was 39 and decided not to have an amnio...
Then, when he saw the baby was a girl, he was really, really relieved and told me that the chances of having a D.S. baby was less in girls than in boys... After Emma was born, I reflected often over this guy who thought he had all the answers. Not anymore!!!

Emma is now 5. And I came to believe that because of her coming into my life, I am now a happier person.

Because of Emma, I have met so many wonderful people. I am now more assertive. I see very clearly what's important to me; not to others.

Because of Emma, I permit myself to jump over the cracks on the sidewalks while counting them out loud, and I enjoy doing it as much as she does! Without her, I would never do such a thing...

Because of Emma, I quit a very demanding job, took a "challenged" adult boarder (Gaby) and enjoy watching my 2 daughters grow while getting familiar (because of Gaby) with the adult aspects of being challenged (I'm getting ready for when Emma gets there.)

Of course, there are down sides. I am still changing diapers even though Emma is 5; it doesn't even bother me. Emma has a few health issues and we have integrated therapists into our daily routine. I have a very sore back from lifting (too ofen) a 45 pound child, but hey I love dancing with her sitter on my lap.

My biggest BEEF is when I hear people expressing beliefs that parents like me have to make so many sacrifices to their supposably previous perfect lives. I believe that by sacrifice, they mean becoming selfless. And where is it written that making sacrifices lead to unhappiness?

Emma has a bubbly personality. She is very independant. She loves playing with her sick grandpa and doesn't even care if he forgets to put his dentures back in his mouth... She is truly the sunshine of my life.

I don't put expectations up or down with Emma. I simply marvel at who she is and all of her successes are a reason to celebrate her life. There are so many expectations pushed upon "regular" kids (Don't move; you can't get dirty-don't say bad words-be polite-etc), I believe that if we treated them a little more leniently and remembered to let them be kids, they would grow up to be happier adults.

So here, doctor radiologist: I REALLY LOVE EMMA AND SHE REALLY LOVES ME BACK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

2006-06-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hi, I am a new blogger. I am here because of my friend Betsy. We both have daughters with Down syndrome. Paige is 4 years and a day older then Emma. Betsy likes to say that my daughter Emma was Paige's nicest birthday gift ever but I think that Paige, along with her mother, were our nicest gift ever too!!!
When Emma was born she spent 6 weeks in NICU and, at the hospital they gave me a Down syndrome kit and there on a pink paper was Betsy inviting new moms to call her. Heaven be blessed, we lived in the same community!
Over the years, we became closer, not only because of our daughters, but because of our shared values, our honesty, our pleasures in just living...
Paige and Emma are now good friends. They didn't use to get along but they are now swimming together, they are horseback riding together, they are in the same class in the afternoon and love playing together.
Even though they both have Down syndrome, they are really, really different. Paige is gentle, delicate. She has a musical voice and can sit and pay attention for a long time. Emma is a go getter. She is very active, yet girlish. Her voice is kind of deep for a 5 year old.
Betsy and I also each have an older daughter. Dakota and Amy are 13. So there again, we kind of go through similar situations with the start of adolescence...
Betsy writes wonderful blogs and has inspired me to start my own. So, pleased to meet you all and hope to get to know you better...