Tag: The Baby
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Dear Baby, Seize the Day
Hi little boy, I remember the first time I held you in my arms. You were only 5 months old and you were hooked up to all these machines, lots of beeps and boops, but your eyes were bright and we stared at each other quietly. You’ve always had expressive hands, a sassy left hand,…
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The Cancer Scare
It’s no surprise that children’s hospitals can be really depressing places to be. After taking guardianship of The Baby, he was (still) in the NICU for about a month. It was my first time spending any length of time at a children’s hospital and, despite the hospital’s best efforts, it could get very grim. One…
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I’m Not Okay and That’s Okay
I could also call this “Welderbeth Sees a Counselor: Round 2” During The Baby’s last hospitalization, I was stretched to my limit. This GIF is an accurate representation of how I can handle high stress situations. I can look like a total badass until I suddenly don’t anymore. And by fall all to pieces, I…
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A Cold and Broken Hallelujah
After The Baby was in the hospital over Christmas, I realized that I had actually lost weight. I was able to do some yoga and I made a point to have healthy food available instead of eating shit out of vending machines like a rat in the corner of the hospital room. The news of weight loss made…
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Go Home, Christmas. You’re Drunk.
Yesterday morning, I woke up to a text from my mom that my grandfather had fallen and was in the ICU in critical condition. It wasn’t unexpected but it wasn’t great timing. The Baby has been sick this week. It started last Sunday and since then, we’ve visited two different emergency rooms. Yesterday, Alex was…
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I Have Alot of Gall (Still)
A week and a half ago, I had my very first adult visit to the ER. I thought I was having a heart attack. I wasn’t. Let me back up. Just a day before, The Kid and I had just returned from a very fun but very exhausting trip to Washington state. So, it was…
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No, I Don’t Want to See What Your Baby Can Do
A few weeks ago, we went to a Down Syndrome Guild picnic at a local amusement park- the kind with the rides that are scary cause they’re real old and the only thing they really do is make you feel a little sick. We’ve done a handful of Guild events but I tend to struggle…
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Comfortably Numb
I am a creature of habit. Maybe more than anyone I know (except my oldest), I thrive in routine and structure. I love waking up and knowing what the day is going to be like. I do not like my feathers ruffled. That being said, The Baby has been in the hospital now for…
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Dear Baby: Upside Down
Hey cutie- I think upside down is a good way to describe how you came into our life. What a whirlwind! I have a feeling that you are going to make the rest of our lives very interesting. You are just perfect. You have the sweetest fingers, the cutest ears, the funniest facial expressions. Your…
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On Doing the Damn Thing
The Kid has these recurring doctor’s visits that require a parent to come up every three weeks and sit with the doctor to discuss treatment plans. I hate them. The doctor is so old that he must have been a contemporary of Moses. He shuffles in, limply shakes your hand, talks to a wall…
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Homecoming
Pro-Tip: This picture of a happy family, royal or not, cannot be real. Somebody photoshopped that picture. I’ll bet you a million dollars. Our Baby is home. Alleluia. When you have a baby in the NICU who is coming home on oxygen and a monitor and an entire pharmacy of medications, before you leave, you do…
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From the Bowels of the NICU
The baby (henceforth known as The Baby, differentiated from The Kid) had to have an eye exam this week. In case you don’t know how eye exams are done on infants, let me enlighten you. The Child Life Specialist came in to warn me that it might be…traumatic. They like the parents to try and…