Brennan's First Visit with Santa

We went to a Christmas party at Brennan's Early Intervention Center yesterday and Brennan had his first visit with Santa. His reaction was classic.......

At first he was a little scared of the man in the red suit

Then he took a minute to check him out (someone handed him bells, too - which helped to distract him)

And decided that Santa's not so scary after allPriceless.

Lil' Dipper, Anyone??

I recently asked an Occupational Therapist at Brennan's Early Intervention Center for recommendations on how to help Brennan learn to feed himself with a spoon. She said that Gerber Lil' Dippers were a good beginner utensil. They have a large rubber handle which is easy to hold and a flat end so it doesn't matter which direction the utensil is facing, thus giving the child the most opportunities for success. We've only used them a couple of times, so I can't give a personal report on their success - but they seem like a good little tool. I found them on e-bay for a really good price, so I have 4 packages (with 2 Dippers per package) that I would like to send to anyone who would like to give them a try. Just send me and e-mail at brennansbeginnings@yahoo.com.

Awesome Trike

My friend Julia sent me the link to this trike and I just LOVE it! With the harness and seat frame, I think it will be perfect for Brennan as it will give him the extra support he needs. As an added bonus, pieces of the bike can be taken off as he grows and no longer needs them. Brennan's siblings spend alot of time riding their bikes in the spring, summer and fall and I'm excited for Brennan to be able to join them.

Magazines

There are two magazines I have found that are for parents of children with special needs. The first is Parenting Special Needs Magazine, which is a free online magazine. After a quick browse, it seems like a good source of accurate information as well as inspiration. The second is Exceptional Parent Magazine which is available in print and online by paid subscription. I have subscribed to this magazine for about a year and have found useful information in each issue. Please let me know if there are any other magazines for parents of children with special needs that you know of and would like to share.

The Mustn'ts

Listen to the Mustn'ts
by Shel Silverstein

Listen to the mustn'ts, child,
Listen to the don'ts
Listen to the shouldn'ts
The impossibles, the won'ts
Listen to the never haves
Then listen close to me -
Anything can happen, child
Anything can be.

I was reading "Where the Sidewalk Ends" with my daughter last night and just loved this poem. It is short and simple, but emphasizes an important point. I think parents are too often told of their children's limitations....that they won't be able to do something because they're too big, too small, too short, too tall, not smart enough, not strong enough, too this or too that. This poem reminds me to ignore the naysayers and to encourage and support my children in achieving whatever it is they want to achieve. As Shel says, "Anything can happen, child. Anything can be." I came across an article this morning that proves this point, yet again.

Brennan and Jenna

Monica from Monkey Musings tagged me in the Name Tag game, where I am supposed to explain how we chose each of our children's names. We did not have any family names that seemed fitting, so we headed to the book store and bought a couple of baby name books. Eric liked unique names and I liked traditional names....so, in naming Jenna, Tanner and Parker, we compromised with names that aren't totally common, but aren't totally uncommon either. Jenna has my middle name (Noel), Tanner has Eric's middle name (Christian), Parker has Eric's dad, brother and nephews first name as his middle name (James) and Brennan has Eric's first name as his middle name. But, no big stories or significant background for each of the kids first names. Except Brennan. Jenna actually named Brennan. I'm not sure how she came up with the name (although one of her best friends from preschools last name is Brennan - but Jenna says she didn't know that when she picked it). But for quite some time before he was born, she said she thought his name should be Brennan. When he was born, we decided she was right. And, you could say, the rest is history - as the two have had an incredibly close bond ever since.
All of our kids adore and have great relationships with Brennan - but I think Jenna may be his biggest cheerleader. She is incredibly observant and notices and brings to our attention each new skill Brennan learns. You'd have thought it was Christmas morning the way Jenna was jumping up and down and cheering the first time Brennan got into a sitting position by himself. When friends of mine are inquiring about Brennan and how he's doing - Jenna jumps in and starts telling them all of the things he can do. She's just so proud. She holds him, hugs him and plays with him countless times throughout the day and always tells him that she loves him and that he's the best baby in the world. And I know that she means it.

A Quote

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things"

I saw this quote in a store a while ago and have thought of it many times since. I find myself enjoying the little things even more than usual lately....the sweet interactions between my kids, the funny things they say, their contagious laughter, their heart warming hugs. These seemingly little things really are the big things in life.