Preschool Jitters

Today at 11am Dinah will have her official evaluation to get into the preschool program at Princeton Schools. (Tear Tear), My baby is growing up. I'm excited that she is going into a new chapter of her life, the very beginning of her formal education. But, im also nervous about which program she will be placed into. Its no question that Dinah needs to be in a program that has special need accommodations. I just don't know to what extent they will go to accommodate her. I want her around children who are appropriate so that she can learn from them. But, i don't want her to be the only special needs child in the class. Its hard for me to imagine other kids pickin on her and staring at the pink wheelchair she will probably be in for a while. But, its inevitable. Kids will be kids.  I pray that everything me and her father have instilled in her will allow her to rise above any and all oppression. Dinah has already shown the world that she is unstoppable. Sigh...my baby is so strong. I need to take a lesson from her right about now. :-l
-Kelley 

Playtime needs to be Over

So...I  literally spent the entire day messing around with this here blog. Its been so long since I've been on here that I forgot how to do even the basic things. I took a self guided refesher course that sucked!!!! I spent like 3 hours trying to figure out how to post a youtube video...actually i know how to post it but I had to troubleshoot to get it to work. Wheew!!!! 

Now Im sitting here contemplating my next move. I really need to do some reading for my NUR 150 Unit 1 exam.  Ive got just over a week to finish preparing for it. However, that probably wont happen tonight because someone volunteered me to watch my niece, Amiya. I Love spending time with her but when I have her and Dinah at the same time by myself i really cannot focus on anything else. So maybe me and the girls will play...and listen to my lectures lol. 

I have to also fit Dinahs therapy and exercises into the few hours left of this night. She has had her braces on all day so her legs should be stretched enough to try some standing. It is our goal to at least have her self-standing by her 3rd birthday, on February 24.  Once she is standing on her own it is only a matter of time before she is walking...and then running.  I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

The bright side about having a special needs child is that I learn patience and tenacity. I have to focus on her future and not just what she can or cannot do at this present time. She will walk...its only a question of time.

I think me being a nursing student helps a lot as far as Dinahs care and vice versa. I thought I knew everything about her condition (Cerebral Palsy) but I'm always learning new things that gives me strategy for her care. I truly believe no patient is EVER a lost cause. Until they take their last breathe...it is not too late. Working in healthcare, I sometimes find that people give up on patients when the prognosis is grim. But my child is a miracle and there are thousands more out there.  Faith is the best seed u can give to get a miracle.  All we had was faith when Dinah was was struggling for her life...and each other.

I hope to one day form a support group for mothers of premature children. It is a VERY devastating and traumatic experience. Its unnatural for a woman to give birth prematurely and often the body still craves to give birth because it feels like it did not accomplish that goal. It sounds crazy, but to this day I STILL feel like I never gave birth. I know I have a daughter. But, by her being born when I was only 5 months preggo by c-section, psychologically I have no recollection of a FULL birth.  I still deal with this everyday. I had to have therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder...yeah it was that serious.  I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone but I am still thankful that God thought I was strong enough to handle it. It definitely takes special people to take care of children with special needs.  I KNEW I was special all along lol :-)

-Kelley