by Maggie Ellison | Nov 13, 2010 | Family, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
The first time we heard someone refer to my son as having special needs, it hit us like a train. I didn’t see it at first, although I was jumping through all kinds of hoops to keep him content. I was “on” all the time. I parented him and took care of his needs. He was my first child, and I didn’t realize that certain things were not typical. He met all his milestones early or on time. His language concerned me a bit, but then he put those 2 words together just in time for the check-up, so I wasn’t worried.
He was very sensitive to noises, but the pediatrician told me he would grow out of it. Lots of kids and people don’t like loud noises. In fact, I hated loud noises as a kid, too. My son was also a very picky eater, but once again, I thought of a lot of kids who were picky eaters. At times, he had so much energy, it was hard to calm him down.
I had a few people talk to me about occupational therapy and how much their child liked it and benefited from it. I would think to myself, “Are they suggesting we need this, or am I reading too much into what they are saying?” I would also hear how I never took a break. I never got to sit down. I thought, “Of course not. Parenting is hard, especially when you want to be a good parent. All kids keep their parent’s busy, right?”
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Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
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by Allison Charleston (USA) | Nov 11, 2010 | Family, Motherhood, Parenting
So, I’m really doing this . . . writing a blog post, I mean. I’ve written thousands of things in my lifetime: grade school compositions, high school term papers, a college thesis, law review notes, legal briefs, and closing arguments to name a few. More recently, however, my writing has been confined to grocery shopping lists and status updates.
When I was invited to take part in World Mom’s Blog, I was intrigued and also a little intimidated. It has been almost two years since I’ve written much more than a text message arranging a play date or a meet-up with another stay at home mom for a cup of coffee and a trip to the swings.
I love reading all different types of blogs. I’ve been a long time regular reader of blogs written by lawyers, parents, political pundits, women struggling with infertility, fashionistas and military wives. I have often wondered what motivates someone to add their voice to the cacophony out there in cyberspace. For me, I finally decided to contribute to the blog because, like so many of us stay at home mommies, I found I needed an outlet to express myself.
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Allison is a 35-year-old attorney-turned stay at home mom. This New York City mom lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her 2-year-old son, Chase, and her husband, Andy. She is also expecting baby #2!
In her former life, she was an attorney practicing in a mega firm on NYC’s Park Avenue, putting in long hours, working hard and reveling in the fast pace of her life. She loved living in “the city”, and when she could, she took advantage of all it had to offer. But, when Chase was born over 2 years ago, that all changed. These days, the work has changed from writing legal briefs to changing diapers and the hours are longer, but she wouldn’t have it any other way!
Allison is enjoying her adventures as a metropolitan mommy, raising Chase in New York City and has gained strength from her longer-than-she-wanted-to-wait journey getting pregnant with her second child.
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The first time we heard someone refer to my son as having special needs, it hit us like a train. I didn’t see it at first, although I was jumping through all kinds of hoops to keep him content. I was “on” all the time. I parented him and took care of his needs. He was my first child, and I didn’t realize that certain things were not typical. He met all his milestones early or on time. His language concerned me a bit, but then he put those 2 words together just in time for the check-up, so I wasn’t worried.
