Wednesday Video - Down Syndrome in the 21st century

When I look at AngelicA now and I think back to the time she was born, I feel that the doctors at the hospital held out absolutely no hope for us. I can still remember the conversation with the pediatrician. He told us that our baby would never be independant, that she would have to go to a special school and went on and on about what she wouldn't do. I remember staring at the little cuddly toy wound around his stethoscope and thinking - does he have anything nice to say? He was pessimistic about what the future would be. At best he was too, too pragmatic basing all his pragmatism on his text book knowledge of what Down Syndrome is. I'm not really angry or anything but I really wish doctors knew the facts...that today a child born with Down Syndrome can have a full life, just like everyone else. And this clip proves it...



Thanks for reading,
JD

Wednesday Video - The Push

My little big girl Ellie, sweet as she is, can be very clingy sometimes. Whenever we go to some new place, she climbs on to my lap and wraps her arms around me. At times, she clings to me even at home, almost all through the day. I tried talking to her, explaining to her, even being a little stern but nothing worked for too long.

One evening as were driving back from some place, she decided she wanted to sit on my lap again. It was dark and she must've been tired, so she whined and whined. All my attempts to reason with her were met with more whining. Then daddy told her a story about the mommy birds and the baby birds, and how the mommy birds push the baby birds out of the nest not because they don't love them but because mommy bird knows that the baby birds need to become independent and learn to fly. The whining stopped as Ellie listened to the story intently. And we had a peaceful ride home after that.

As luck would have it, I found this lovely clip in my mailbox today and I played it for her. I think she finally understood...



Thanks for stopping by,
JD

Wednesday Video - A dedication to our angels

There's just one word to describe this clip. Awesome! Sit back and enjoy the lovely visuals and music. And when you're done, let me know what you think of it.



Thanks for visiting,
JD

Everyday Miracles

More God | Forward this Graphic

Something really amazing happened yesterday. As I was leafing through the newspapers in the morning, a little leaflet slipped out. It was an announcement for a new children's hospital in my neighborhood and somewhere in all the details one line stood out. They had an pediatric occupational therapist for kids with special needs. And this wasn't just any occupational therapist - she was the former head of the occupational therapy department at one of the largest government hospitals in our city. I was like wow!!!

So I called the hospital right away and the staff scheduled an appointment for the same afternoon. Now I haven't really written about the trouble we were having in finding a good occupational therapist. We have had to change therapists three times for various reasons. Because of this, AngelicA's fine motor skills are not as good as they should ideally be, even if we factor in the delay for kids with Down Syndrome.

When we finally saw the therapist, it was like a dream. The facility was nice, they had a nice big aquarium right next to the therapy area and AngelicA had her little nose glued to it for most of the time we were there.

Our meeting with the therapist went off really well. She did an assessment and drew up an therapy plan for Angel. What I found most encouraging and comforting was that she was positive about Angel and her future, she was empathetic, kind, caring and so good with Angel that my little girl almost went and sat on her lap. It was a big change from having to drag her for therapy while she resists, kicking and screaming. And the best thing is that it is right next door and not half way across town so I won't be kicking and screaming (in my head of course) either.

I have a feeling this will go well and I am so, so happy. It feels like a prayer was answered before it was even on my lips. A little miracle. Reminded me of a homily I heard a long time ago. The priest had read a beautiful poem and talked of the little miracles that happen in our lives everyday, those which we often fail to notice. I found a poem (not sure if it was the same) and thought I should share it with you.

Everyday Miracles

By Walterrean Salley



Miracles happen
Every day
To many a folk
In many a way.
They’re not hidden
Beneath a tree,
But manifested
For all to see.


A mother giving
Sacred birth.
A flower shoots up
From the earth.
A wanderer
Who finds his way.
A survivor
Sees another day.


A beggar gets
His next meal.
A patient that’s
Completely healed.
The ocean with
Its shades of blue.
The sky with
A many hue.


Everywhere
And every day,
Miracles happen
In every way.
You don’t have
To travel far—
Just look around
And there they are.


You can find the poem here.

Thanks for reading,
JD

Ever little thing she does is magic...

Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun. 
                                                      ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

As a parent I feel blessed  that I am privy to a wonderful world. It's like having the best seats in the circus, with two resident clowns. A long time ago, when Elle was much younger, I was trying to explain to her what the 'magic words' are. I thought I did a pretty good job of it until I asked her "So what are the magic words?". Pat came the reply "Abracadabra?"

And now I have a budding comic in my 28 month old. The best thing is she has a great sense of timing and she knows when she's being funny. It's a treat to watch her break into giggles at just that moment.





Her unsuspecting victim is almost always daddy, Jason. Daddy likes nothing better than a kiss from his little girls when he gets back home from work. His princess Elle usually obliges, but Angel - the little monkey that she is - makes a game of it. She comes up to him, mouth puckered and then she runs right past him, laughing her head off.

The girls also enjoy some rough play time with their daddy who has just one rule - no tickling. AngelicA listens to him very intently and nods. But when daddy isn't looking, she goes right up to him and tickles him.

Recently, she peeled off some stickers and stuck them all over her face. Elle found it so funny, she couldn't stop laughing. And since then, AngelicA never lets go of stickers, plastering her little face with as many as she can to amuse her older sister.

Sometimes, it's the things she says. She's busy reading these days and it's kinda cute when she makes up stories. We can't get all the words she uses but we're pretty much sure that she's quite a story teller. A few days ago, she signed she needed a drink. "Would you like a glass of water," I asked her. "No," she said "Juice." It was the first time she said two words together. I was so excited.

And then there are times when she's quite naughty. She waits for mommy to be out of sight so that she can annoy her big sister and then pretends to be completely innocent when mom steps in. This Angel seems to have traded her halo for a pair of horns :)

Thanks for reading,

JD

Wednesday Video - Oil for your lamp

Here's a nice clip for women. Special needs moms might find that it 'speaks' to them and they wouldn't be far from the truth. We moms are very good at putting ourselves last, aren't we?




Hope you liked it.

Thanks for stopping by,
JD

Wednesday Video - Don't give up

I'm one of those people who would have to scrape the bottom of the barrel if I had to muster up an ounce of perseverence. Tenacity has never been one of my strenghts and being a special needs mom throws my grit (or lack of it) into sharp relief. But not to despair, I tell myself, there's hope. This little video can help, atleast for now.

Thanks for stopping by,

JD

Wednesday Video - Dream Big

There are days when I feel I desperately need some inspiration. Something to perk me up, like a nice steaming cup of coffee on a cold winter morning. Today was one of those days. I was in one of my contemplative moods, mulling half baked plans and a Big Dream in my head, my thoughts steering towards the very real possibility of failing. Yes, I needed a good pep talk.

And then I found this clip...



And boy did it do its magic on me. I think I'll save the coffee for some other day :)

Thanks for stopping by,
JD

Wednesday Video - No Limits

I am back to blogging after a long hiatus. And I wanted to start off with something really special. So starting this week I will be posting an inspirational clip every Wednesday.

This week's clip is of an amazing guy - Nick Vujicic. Nick was born without limbs and yet is a shining example of someone who beat the odds, who believed he had a lot of abilities despite his disability. Nick's story is truly inspirational and I am happy that I found some great videos of him to share with you.




If you're wondering why Nick? Well, here's the short story. In the days following AngelicA's birth, the phase which I still look back upon as a sort of a low patch, the newspapers and magazines were filled with stories of people who made it in life despite being born with disabilities. Strange coincidence, right? Just when I would be thinking what would become of my baby, there would be some inspiring article somewhere to remind me that all was not lost, that there is still hope. When I look back I like to think of those moments as my 'Hand of God' moments.

Nick's story was the first that I read in those days. I'm not exactly sure but this story could have been one of the things that lifted me to see the positives in my situation.

Here's another clip:



After watching these clips, I can't help but feel inspired and blessed. I'm sure that you will too.

Thanks for stopping by,
JD