So I guess I fit into the category of a Special Needs Mom now, though I’m not exactly sure what that means. So much of Tessa’s care seems similar to Ellie’s. Slower, perhaps, but the same.
Nevermind that whole week we just spent in the PICU, of course.
Still, after I told you all about my fear of Mom Jeans, I’m trying to put some goals in writing to maintain… maintain what? I don’t know. But as my blog friend Jill (and fellow Ds momma) put it, we are trying to avoid being those unfashionably fiery and crazy Special Needs Moms in our nightmares. I’m pretty sure that fiery and crazy is gonna happen sometimes, but we plan to do it without looking and feeling like a wreck. 🙂
My Special Needs Mom Law #1 is “Put your own oxygen mask on first.” Thanks to Beth, our NICU social worker for that one. No mom jeans allowed. No laundry on a Friday Night unless we’re going on vacation the next day. My Law #2 is “Celebrate the typical children, too.”
My Ellie Bean is bright and fun and fabulous… and she does some really awesome things! I fear minimizing her accomplishments because I know that Tessa’s won’t come as easily. But I need her to feel important, special, and loved just as much as her sister. And so I present to you Ellie’s milestone of the week:
That’s her name!! She can write her name!! We had been playing a lot with the Writing Wizard iPhone app, but I had not seen her skills transferred to paper. My mom showed me that she could write the letters with a marker last week, but I really needed to see it for myself. So we pulled out her little whiteboard this morning and she showed me. I’m so proud. 🙂
Yo soy La Lay 
Way to go, Ellie! I think law number 2 is a good one. 🙂