When you look at this piece of paper you see what is immediately visible. It’s a blank page.

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I some days find myself on a balance beam. Without a gymnast ability. I am definitely not Mary Jo. My beam is so much more treacherous.

My beam is Bridget. Continue reading →

When Bridget was an infant and we heard the (thankfully false) prediction that she may never roll over or have a life of quality, we were devastated. Then we became Bridget’s warriors. We decided what goals we would have, we brought in therapists. We researched via Google. We found a team of therapists who were innovative and relentless in their quest to have Bridget obtain the tiniest of movements that snowballed into  her jumping on the bed.

It took 10 years, but my girl jumped on the bed while joyfully yelling, “Super hero slam!”. Continue reading →

Originally posted on 23-FEB-2016 to remember that sometimes it’s our easy child that makes us want to scream. Continue reading →

Recently, I wrote about not wanting to fail Bridget. An awesome reader responded about how maybe I’m not failing Bridget, she is just showing me her own form of independence and self-determination.

Bridget is definitely determined.  Stubborn, in a good way. Continue reading →

I consider myself very lucky that (for the most part) Bridget is an easy-go-lucky kid. In someways she is almost too compliant. She wants to please, never stops and questions a directive.  I understand that most parents would be woo hoo! But being Bridget’s mom it becomes a more complex issue.  This was illustrated in a way I hadn’t thought of the other day. Continue reading →

Originally posted on 4/3/17

A parent walks into the store, dragging her child kicking and screaming as other shoppers look on.  A sibling walks into the store and says, “next time I will babysit so you can try to get the shopping done”.

A parent answers, “What time is it” for the 500th time with patience that is waning. A sibling tries to redirect the looping by distracting them with Disney Jr.

A parent tells her other child that they cannot attend the school play, because their sibling cannot handle the lights and sounds. A sibling whispers they understand while their heart is breaking. Continue reading →

This week we are starting at home services. It kind of scares me, because (honestly) you feel judged. I remember when we had Early Intervention Services. The mad cleaning before the nurse arrived. That was hard enough. But now we are bringing someone in to help us with Bridget’s behaviors.  Her compliance.

Because we are messing it up.  Continue reading →

Thanks to a referral of a reader, in September 2014 we received the long awaited answer to Bridgetitis.  It took five years, countless tears and traveling 18 hours by car. The visit was not covered by insurance (thankfully the genetic testing was) and we worked a lot of overtime to afford the expense.

It should not have been that difficult to find the diagnosis. The science was there, the accessibility to that science was not. Continue reading →

In some ways we were lucky.  We knew at day 1 (even tho the nurses didn’t believe us) that something was wrong with Bridget.  Which sounds awful. Because Bridget isn’t “wrong” but she definitely had unexpected issues.

But what happens when you have a happy life and then BAM life kicks your ass? Continue reading →