It is all about attitude and my babies are full of it....

Saying Goodbye

Last Friday, June 12th, I went to visit my Grandmother who was in the hospital. She was having surgery for her hip after a fall and was not doing very well. She was receiving a Bi Pap procedure that forced oxygen into her lungs and had a large mask covering half of her face. The hip surgery was risky as her breathing was labored and her heart rate could possibly drop yet without surgery she would be in constant pain.  I told her I loved her as the nurse removed the mask for a few brief seconds. All of my family walked behind her bed while she was being wheeled into the operating room like a parade that had seen better times. I think that image will be forever in my mind.  That image is the last I have of my Grandma Garlock. Her hate rate dropped and her lungs filled with fluid after the surgery and by Saturday morning she had passed. 

It still seems unreal that she is gone. 

Cousins

Remembering fun times with my cousin Christy and her boys this past winter. Christy and I were born three months apart and were close growing up. As a teen Christy lived in Coronado CA. Now she is in Iowa City where her husband is in medical school and she is raising two handsome boys Quint and Russell.  Christy will be staying with her parents on Canandiagua lake for a few months this summer with the boys.  I am excited to spend time with her lounging in the sun, chasing our toddlers, swimming, and maybe being rescued by her in the water. A little side story: Christy played and coached water polo in high school and college and is an excellent swimmer. Anyway, when she was six months pregnant with her first, Quint, she was staying with her parents by the lake and I would go to hang out and swim.  At one point we decided to swim out into the lake and Christy nearly had to rescue me being six months pregnant and still a great swimmer and myself very out of shape!!!!! This is the strong and assertive cousin who pulled me by my hair off my bike as a toddler.

So Christy introduced me to blogging and can be found at lovingbeingcrazy.blogspot.com.

Summer fun in the nude

Passing on Another Great Book

Last night I finished a terrific book called The Year My Son and I Were Born - A Story of Down Syndrome, Motherhood, and Self- Discovery by Kathryn Lynard Soper.  Kathryn shares about the birth of her son Thomas and their journey through his first year of life. She writes with wit and honesty that I admire. I found comfort in knowing that another women shared some of my darkest fears and thoughts while parenting a child with special needs. She has courage to present the world with her most deep and sometimes seemingly ugly thoughts. 

So although I tend to hoard books (Wayne has the wood to make me two more shelves....) I decided to pass this one on through Paperback swap.com.  It seemed like a waste to let such a moving book sit on my shelf when another mom could read it. Sure enough as soon as I posted it on the website it was snatched up!! 

Thank you Kathryn! Your story is being sent to yet another mom to cherish. 

Adapting

One day Grandma brought over a new present for the twins; a large red wagon that seats two! Ella was thrilled and wanted to go for rides the remainder of the afternoon. As usual I was torn  between excitement and sadness.  William would not be able to ride with his sister as he does not have great head control and can't sit on his own. 

A few weeks later we received a new bath chair for William in the mail with a nice head support piece. It was a beautiful Spring day and aunt Julie was over visiting.  We were all outside enjoying the sun and decided to bring out the new bath chair as a sort of lounge chair for Will. Julie and I soon discovered that the head support could also be attached to the back of the seat in the wagon! With the head support and a few home made side rolls William was finally able to ride in the new wagon with Ella. I was triumphant! I walked them up and down our street like a parade with a huge smile on my face. William seemed to enjoy the ride too and did a fantastic job holding up his head until we reached the end of our road then fell asleep! Triumph in the simple moments.