Way Past The Midpoint of Pregnancy!

Wow! Time is Flying! In no way does it seem like I should be 25 weeks already! I only have 15 weeks left until my due date! That is crazy!

Anyhow. I have officially lost my "shape." I look like spongebob squarepants from behind... I am just one big square with newly discovered "back fat." Madelyn and I have gained 20 pounds so far (only about 2 of that is Madi) and hope to only gain 10 or 15 more. I am doing great. Madelyn is great as well. She moves more and more each day. I enjoy feeling her move. It is fun to watch my belly move with her... She seems to be on a regular "schedule" in there. LOL! She usually stops moving when Jimmy touches my belly. He says it is because she recognizes his authority... Yeah Right! He is SO TOTALLY going to melt when he holds her for the first time. I am not sure he will ever be able to tell her no. ...Only time will tell...

I am still craving lots of fruit and sweet stuff. I also enjoy anything made with pasta. I am starting to have a hard time sleeping. I can't get comfortable. Side sleeping is for the birds! My hips and back are killing me. However, it will all be worth it in 3 months or so.

Harley seems to "sense" that changes are coming. He has been acting weird and being really silly with me. we try to talk about the baby and say her name a lot. Jimmy bought a pack n play and we put it up. Harley is infatuated with it. I am hoping that by having things around it will ease the transition when Madelyn gets here.

We scheduled our Lamaze Class, Breastfeeding Class and our Hospital Tour. Those will all happen in March. My Baby shower is also scheduled for March. We are planning for March 21st. I am so excited!!!

Anyhow... This is getting a bit lengthy! I should take a break... That is the update! I'll add more soon!

Reality Check

...When parents learn their child has a disability, they often react to it as if their child is dying a horrible disease. Although the child is alive and well, certain hopes, dreams, and ambitions they had for that child’s future are dead. In order to help their child, parents must grieve, rage, and finally move toward acceptance. This process is mirrored in the child with the disability. Like his/her parents, the child with the disability must find a way to accept his/her unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. The person with the disability must come to the fact that his/her life may never be ordinary, but it may be extraordinary!

Yesterday, I met parents who adopted a young child from an orphanage in Guatemala. They thought they were getting the PERFECT child. However, 2 years later, they find out he has a moderate learning disability.

I found myself choking back tears as I was telling them that their child would never learn the way other children do; that their child would have to be taught strategies to work around the memory and processing centers in the brain that do not function as “normal” people’s do... The parents were devastated. They had a difficult time wrapping their minds around this concept. I think that they were more upset that their child was going to be “labeled” for life (the mom said that)… Which makes sense, but how could they have such a negative outlook? Why not be realistic and deal with the issue at hand? The earlier you intervene, the better of a chance the child has at overcoming the learning disability and gaining appropriate strategies for successful learning…

...How would you feel if you were these parents?