Ok, so this Mom met her husband at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Her husband is from there. Well, the Outer Banks just happen to be my most favorite place on this planet! Just for the record, I am willing to house sit if you still have property there 🙂
Tell me a little about yourself and your family.
I am 38 years old and have three beautiful girls (Abby 12, Caroline 7, and Mattie 10 months). I am a school teacher and have been teaching second grade for almost 14 years now. My husband and I met at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He is from the Outer Banks and I was living on my father’s boat just for that summer, when we met. We married after I finished college and settled down in the town where I went to school.
Our family enjoys taking day trips to the beach, camping, going to sporting events, and spending time with our friends.
Tell me more about your child’s disabilities.
Our youngest child, Mattie, was born with Down syndrome. We did not know prior to her being born that she had a disability. I opted to not have any extra testing during my pregnancy. I knew I could never terminate the pregnancy and plus in my mind those things happen to other people. Well, I just happen to be that other person.
We were given the news less than 24 hours after she was born that she may have Down syndrome. I really didn’t believe what the doctor was saying. When the blood work came through she would see that my baby looked just like my other girls and she would be just fine. That was the hardest week I have ever had. The not knowing. By midweek, I had this strong feeling she was going to have Down syndrome.
The more I researched those awful outdated websites the more I became depressed about my child’s future. On Friday, we got the news and actually I felt as if a burden was lifted.
I began looking for message boards and came across some really great moms that had blogs. Wow! What an eye opening experience. It wasn’t that depressing life that the old websites depicted but normal families living normal lives. We haven’t looked back since. Mattie has been an absolute joy and blessing to our lives. I couldn’t imagine it any other way!
How did you go about deciding to blog?
I made the decision to start a blog after finding out Mattie’s diagnosis. I was introduced to all these wonderful families that had been through what I had been through and felt many of the same feelings. The fear of the unknown and lack of information made me believe that my life would never be “normal” again. The blogs completely opened my eyes to this misconception.
I decided to start a blog so others could share in our experiences and see that raising a child with a disablility can be very rewarding.
How have your child’s disabilities affect you as a mother?
I guess more than anything, I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life. What seemed like a big deal before, really doesn’t seem like much now. I don’t really worry what other children are doing in comparison to my child. We just enjoy each milestone as they come and celebrate them with great pride.
What did you do right and what would you do differently?
For me, not treating Mattie any different or “special” has been the right thing to do. One thing that I would do differently, if I could, would be to stay home with her. That way I would have more time to work with her on her gross motor and communication skills. Unfortunately, at this time, it is not an option. Maybe one day.
What do you want other parents to know?
There are so many parents out there going through the same joys and struggles. One of the best tools we can use is each other. Someone who we can share, laugh, and even cry.
Make sure to stop by and visit with Kim and her lovely family at her blog, Blessed With Girls!
Deborah can be found writing here at 5MFSN every Sunday and Wednesday, and can also be found at Pipecleaner Dreams.