First night is over. Apollo doing well overall but not “out of the woods”. His IV keeps coming out and they are having trouble drawing blood. He is very agitated and not sleeping well. Just happy to have him here. He was in VERY bad shape when we came in. Thank you for your thoghts…
Category: Special Needs
Raising kids with special needs is hard than I ever imagined it would be. In 2002 and 2015 Chuck and I adopted babies with special needs. Both were drug and alcohol exposed. One would later be diagnosed with autism. In 2010 I gave birth to our youngest child, Apollo, who was born with a double aortic arch, a rare congenital heart defect. Come read my stories and share in our heartbreak and triumph as we raise children with special needs.
Apollo’s Ten Month Photos- Take Two
You might remember my rather dismal attempt to get ten month photos a couple of weeks ago. That session resulted in one usable photo- and he was crying in that one! So we tried again yesterday. He's been so much happier lately, that I thought I'd give it a whirl. Don't you love how he's…
Will Going Dairy-Free Make My Baby Less Fussy?
Well, yesterday was one of dairy-free for Apollo and me…Sunday he was uncharacteristically happy…but maybe he was just having a good day. Yesterday…happy. This morning, happy and frisky. I am afraid to get my hopes up that this is the answer to his breathing and weight gain issues, but I am cautiously optimistic- that’s for…
Welcome Ezrah {Bellingham Birth Photographer}
Click over to Little Earthling Photography to see Ezrah's grand entrance into the world! Thanks so much to everyone who has left comments and links. I am slowly making my way through them. Apollo and I have been dairy free since Friday…I am avoiding soy as well, since it's one of the top allergens as…
Welcome Solomon {Bellingham Birth Photographer}
I only gave the bare facts about Apollo’s appointment when I blogged on Thursday. I wanted to update those of you who were praying. Now I’ll share a few more details. The Children’s Hospital is amazingly organized and efficient from the moment you walk through the door, whether you are visiting someone or seeing a…
Apollo Visits the Children’s Hospital
Well, we're home from Apollo's big appointment down at Seattle Children's Hospital. He was thoroughly examined by an Ear, Nose, Throat doctor. The good news: his anatomy is all in order. No tumors, deformities, or structural issues. The findings: his voice box and adenoids are red and inflamed, he's recovering from an ear infection and…
Homeschooling with Special Needs: The Reality
I don't write about my children's special needs on here very often. I try to be careful about what parts of their stories I tell, because it's not my story and I want to respect their privacy. The reality, though, is that it is incredibly difficult. Far more difficult that I could have ever imagined……
Proud?
Do you ever have moments when you don't know whether to be proud or concerned about your children's knowledge? The other day we were driving in our van and the radio was on. The newscaster mentioned Charles Someone-or-Other and Tucker piped up saying: Charles Van Doren? Did he just say Charles Van Doren? To which…
Apollo {10 Months}
This was the one and only salvageable photo from Apollo's ten month photo shoot. Don't worry, I plan to reshoot as soon as the rain goes away. If it goes away. Apollo is weighing in at 16 pounds 8 ounces…he's gained no weight this month. He went to the doctor this month so we could…
What’s Up, Apollo?
Sweet, sweet Apollo is now nine months old. And what a nine months it's been! First his prolapsed cord that ended in an ambulance ride and emergency c-section…then his frenulectomy at two and a half weeks old…his utter lack of sleeping as a newborn (he'd be awake for four, five, six or more hours, only…