2 children with special needs

Melissa - posted on 01/26/2009

Hi Christine-

My son with DS turned 2 in December and he just started walking so life is busy busy!  I also remember bawling my eyes out in the bathroom.  The DS diagnosis was unexpected for us so we had to wait a week for the blood tests results.  I never knew how much joy my little guy would bring to my life and I'm so thankful for how much he has already taught me!  Have a great week!

Melissa - posted on 01/26/2009

Quoting Christine:

Hi, I am new to this group, but I saw your post and wanted to respond. I am mom to 3 wonderful children. Each of them has had their fair share of problems. My oldest girl, 12 1/2 was born with a short femur and malformed hip. She has, to this date, had over 20 surgeries to correct it. My Younger daughter, almost 3, was born with erbs palsey, and has had Early Intervention services since she was 3 months old. My youngest child, my 20 month old son, was in the NICU for the first 20 days of his life on a resperator. At birth, he pulled air into the space between his lungs, which caused both lungs to collapse. They are all beautiful, smart, and happy children. I have my days when I want to run out the door screaming into oncoming traffic, but only once in a while. I have learned to put the 2 little ones in their cribs for 10 minutes while I sat and cried in the bathroom! The kids are safe, and I need time to myself every once in a while. Every day gets better, and soon the little ones will be in school, and I will have time to myself almost every day!

Christine - posted on 01/26/2009

Hi, I am new to this group, but I saw your post and wanted to respond. I am mom to 3 wonderful children. Each of them has had their fair share of problems. My oldest girl, 12 1/2 was born with a short femur and malformed hip. She has, to this date, had over 20 surgeries to correct it. My Younger daughter, almost 3, was born with erbs palsey, and has had Early Intervention services since she was 3 months old. My youngest child, my 20 month old son, was in the NICU for the first 20 days of his life on a resperator. At birth, he pulled air into the space between his lungs, which caused both lungs to collapse. They are all beautiful, smart, and happy children. I have my days when I want to run out the door screaming into oncoming traffic, but only once in a while. I have learned to put the 2 little ones in their cribs for 10 minutes while I sat and cried in the bathroom! The kids are safe, and I need time to myself every once in a while. Every day gets better, and soon the little ones will be in school, and I will have time to myself almost every day!

Melissa - posted on 01/13/2009

Hi Janalyn.  I also have a son with DS, he just turned 2 in December.  I love being able to talk with other mothers with special needs children.  I always tell myself God gives special kids to special people! 

Amanda - posted on 01/12/2009

It is hard when you don't get a break from them, no matter how much you love them, we all still need our downtime. Time out for me is when thay are at school, as we don't live by family anymore and the one friend who is most willing to have my second child for long weekends, has just started fostering another child with more esevere disabilities so we just haven't had time to organise anything! Somedays are more trying than others and i've found forums like these are good place to let it all out as you are talking to people who 'get it'!

Marilyn - posted on 01/12/2009

Oh my, I was feeling sorry for myself, not anymore, u are an inspiration, my daughter is spastic quad, totaly dependant, love her to death,but havent had any respite for over 2 years, part because i dont trust most people, but lately I could use the time off. Feelin guilty,sorry,just venting, ignore my comments, except for my admiration, u truly are wonderful. Marilyn

Sonya - posted on 01/12/2009

I am a mother of 3 daughters, 2 are special needs, my first child had learning difficulties and behaviour problems, which led the paeds to her having ADHD and ODD, then my second child was born with Radial Club hand (in both hands) and she has had 3 ops, 2 where major finger reconstruction as her thumbs where non functional, and with the operations her pointer finger was reconstructed into the thumb position to make functional thumbs and she is doing great with that, then we found out about her food allergies and she is anaphylaxis towards peanuts and with that she also ends up vomiting every 6-8wks and so far we have been told it could be whats called cyclical vomiting, but we are still undergoing tests to try and find out, and well the youngest is still only very young so we'll see what the future brings. It has been an up hill hike but you learn so much and i love my girls and i do anything for them (even when they drive me crazy, but what kids don't). The hardest thing for me and when my oldest (who is 8) tells me she thinks I don't love her anymore coz i spend more time with the other 2 (who are 3 and 15weeks old) and all i do in return is tell her how much I love her.

Lisa - posted on 01/12/2009

Isn't that the truth?  Nothing like a special needs children to confirm your belief in life.  Now I feel like I really practice what I have preached (so to speak).

Laura - posted on 01/12/2009

I am a mom to 4 surviving quintuplets.  Three have Cerebral palsy - my son is mild with perceptual problems, one daughter is mid - can walk and get around but not without lots of difficulties that will need orthopedic intervention, and one daughter is spastic quad and uses a wheelchair and has had 3 hip surgeries so far and has had pretty fragile health.  Their "normally developing" sister has asthma and may have some learning difficulties.  They are 7 and a true joy.  Life is busy - just getting dressed each morning means three pairs of AFO's.  Breakfast and dinner involve getting medications straight.  My wheelchair bound daughter is still not toilet trained, and we have been forever trying to get her seizure medications correct.  Life is what it is, and we don't know what the future will bring.  But I sure do believe that every life is VALUABLE!  I thought I knew that before kids, but I KNOW it now.  Rejoice in our differences!

Amanda - posted on 01/11/2009

I also have two kids with special needs. My eldest has aspergers and dyspraxia, and my middle child has multiple issues due to a brain bleed caused by birth trauma - her main issues at the moment are learing/social issues and at age 6.5yrs she still is not toliet trained due to lack of sensory awareness, possibly related to mild left hemiplegia. She has now been 4 weeks without her hinged AFO!

Lisa - posted on 01/10/2009

We have three children; two with special needs.  Our fourteen year old son has Asperger syndrome and our twelve year old son as Down syndrome.  Our third child is a girl twin of the 12 year old. 

It has definitely been challenging for the last twelve years, but not without rewards.  It's amazing to see how many lives have been touched by our children through the years.

Janette - posted on 01/10/2009

hi my name is janette, i also have 2 children with special needs.both my sons are wheelchair bond with a condition called friedreiches ataxia; life as given us many challenges tears laughter. but through it all i am blessed to have two great sons. who are my pride and joy.

Meredith - posted on 01/09/2009

I was very interested to read your post. I have a 3 year old daughter with Downs. My husband and i are almost to the point where we want to start to try for more kids. although i am worried that we will have more kids with downs or other issues. were you nervous about having more kids? if so was there anything that helped?

Stacy - posted on 01/08/2009

It is so true that there are so many challenges and worries raising all children but especially children with special needs but it truly is a blessing. I bet your days are busy.