Next Week

My teeny tiny baby is going to be TWO next week. I can't believe it. Where has the time gone?

I'm it?

I've been tagged by Angela to post eight random facts about myself.

I have to post these rules before I give you the facts:

Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

Now the nitty gritty:

1. Both my parents are psychology professors. Makes for an interesting childhood.

2. I was three years into my Biochem PhD when I found out I was pregnant. My major professor fired me when I told her and I didn't really care too much. It was a lot of hard work and late nights wasted, though.

3. I love, love, love fried okra. It has to be pan fried coated with cornmeal. The battered kind is good but just not the same.

4. I lived in England for a short time 20 years ago. I was in college there and I had a blast. I still miss the English breakfasts with a nice hot tea.... mmmm... fried egg, toast, beans, tomatoes, and rashers (bacon). OR some scones, clotted cream, and jam (but that is really a cream tea, not breakfast, exactly). Delish.

5. This summer I got to meet in person another preemie Mom that I met on a message board. It was great to get together face to face after talking for so long online. I also got to meet her little girl... absolutely gorgeous, precious little one. I'm going to try to rope them both into meeting us next summer at Sesame Place for a family outing. And this time I'll remember to take pictures... DOH!

6. I absolutely love old family names. William is named after both Grandfathers, his Dad, his Great Grandmother, and two of his Great Grandfathers. Margaret is named after both Grandmothers.

7. My husband and and I have only known each other for 4.5 years. I had sworn off dating right before I met him. Haha...

8. I'm three degrees of Kevin Bacon.

I tag these folks, if you have time (I tag more than eight. I dare you to stop me.):

Tiffany and ~K~... consider yourselves tagged.

Stephanie
Lisa
Jess
Dwana
Emily
Johnette
Meghann
Amanda
Jennifer

PS... that pic is my Sis.

Okay, what is THIS about???

Margaret has a new habit. She makes herself throw up. I guess that she finds it interesting... I find it horrible though I try not to give it too much attention.

How does Margaret do it, you ask? She sticks her whole hand in her mouth, fingers fully extended. Gagging is usually followed by throwing up. If it isn't she wiggles her hand around until she gets the desired effect.

Sometimes I catch her in the act. Sometimes she leads me to the scene of the crime by pointing and saying "blaaaach". (she can do this in almost complete silence)

Has anyone ever heard of another toddler doing this? I know they are weird animals and are likely to do just about anything. But as hard as I work to get food INTO her, I hate to see her making it come out this way.

Walking is Overrated

When I first found out that William had a brain injury, I knew there was another Mom with a son in the NICU who had also just found out about her son's brain malformation. We met in the family waiting area one day, cried together, and shared hugs. It was nice to share stories and those grieving hugs were so comforting.

But there was something about the meeting that has been eating away at me since. When exchanging stories and the prognosis the doctors had given each of our sons, she acted like it was the end of the world when I said that the Neuro thought William might not walk independently. I had shared what I thought were much scarier facts like blindness, seizures, possible severe mental retardation but it was only when I mentioned the walking did she have a negative reaction.

I have been thinking about the average person's perceived importance of independent walking since that moment. I, too, used to have that same attitude. Walking was the yardstick by which I gauged a person's abilities. The truth is, I had never actually THOUGHT about it. But I have explored this topic extensively in the past few months. And, I have to say that now I think walking is overrated.

True, there are many obstacles when you can't walk. I think probably one of the hardest must be when you are a child and come to know that you just can't play in all the ways you want to. In general, however, I think that most obstacles are those that just shouldn't be... things that deal with accessibility.

Accessibility should be seamless. The disabled should be able to live, work, and move in this world seamlessly. And it appalls me that in many ways they can't. What even is more shameful is that I never, ever even gave this a second thought until this year. Like most other abled people, I imagine, I assumed that there were always parking spaces, wheelchair shopping carts, accessible playgrounds and entertainment, therapies, and equipment readily available to those who need it. How naive.

Do I still want William to walk? Of course. Do I still use that as a yardstick? Hell NO.