January 2011 - Page 2 of 2 - Forever In Mom Genes

Tires and Tears

Jan 14 2011

If a Mom cries in Canadian Tire, does she make a sound? Monday we got a call from Sick Kids Hospital asking us to fill a last minute cancellation at the Sleep Study lab. We’d been waiting awhile, so I jumped at the chance. I picked up both kids from school and whisked them over to Canadian tire. Only a week after replacing my slashed rear tire, it seemed I now had a nail in a front tire. I didn’t want to risk driving on the highway on an impaled tire. I explained we were in a rush and the tire maven at the desk said she would see what they could do to get it fixed fast. All I had to do now was wait. Oh, and entertain my two tired children.Ya, there was that. My patient son was fine. He always is. Avery however had just pooped her Pull-Up (TMI, but it sets the mood), was hungry, thirsty and generally annoyed. The candy dispenser kept her amused for about three minutes. Apparently it’s a hoot eating Skittles off the dirty garage floor. Know what else is fun? Dumping a basket of sugar packets all over the floor and[…]

Jan 07 2011

There’s a reason why new parents obsessively discuss their child’s sleep routine. Did the imp sleep through the night? How was their nap? Is your baby a “good sleeper?” These conversations stem from true desperation. An exhausted sleep deprived adult if not properly caffeinated will soon look like this. Especially on Hump Day. Our daughter has always been a great sleeper. As an infant she slept too much in fact. (I had wake her to feed). At about eight months, she developed sleep apnea, but it didn’t affect the longevity of her slumber. She’d snort and gasp for air, but remained fast asleep. Her apnea comes and goes and changes in severity for no clear reason. But no matter how severe, her stellar sleeping pattern continued. At the beginning of December however, she started waking in the night. Usually around 2 am—awake and ready to rock for hours. We tried everything to solve the mystery. Is she too hot, too cold, is there light shining in her window somehow, nightmares, nightsweats, nightanythings?? Are Avery’s teeth hurting her and is this waking her up? (If you could hear the grinding going on in this poor child’s mouth, you’d know this is a possibility). Hubby[…]

Jan 04 2011

I’m busy. So very busy. I can’t believe how busy I am. And he’s so busy. And she’s too busy. And don’t even bother with them, they’re really quite busy. And things aren’t going to suddenly get less busy. Unless you become incarcerated. Or you slip into a coma. Work, kids, activities, social engagements, chores, errands, the pursuit of happiness–these things take time and we get busy and yes, there’s gettin’ busy, which also requires time. A little anyway. Hi honey. I often ask incredulously, “How is it possible that I’m SO busy? I work from home, part-time.” The fact is, life is as busy as it we allow it to become. That’s deep. I need to italicize that. Having a full and active life isn’t a bad thing. But, when it causes you to shirk certain responsibilities like calling your ninety year old grandpa on a regular basis or to let important relationships slide, busy becomes a four letter word. We can always find time to surf the net, watch a movie, get our hair done. We’re not too busy for those things. So when we tell someone we’re too busy to see them, to call them, to check[…]

Jan 02 2011

Tonight I came across a file on my computer I’d named “Perspective.” I’d forgotten all about it. When Avery was first diagnosed, I scoured the internet for hours on end, searching for medical information or the latest genetics research. Occasionally, I’d stumble upon something beautifully personal. When I did, I’d cut and paste it into my file and visit often to read the words that helped to put our new world into perspective. These are two of my favourites. Welcome To Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this… When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The[…]

Archive - January 2011

Tires and Tears

Are You Sleeping, Are You Sleeping, Brother John? Cuz We’re Not

BUSY is The New Four Letter Word?

Filed Under Perspective