Buddy Walk 2012: One parent’s self-absorbed journey
Chasing Charlie looks back at how the Buddy Walk, a nationwide event to celebrate individuals with Down syndrome, can become so meaningful -- especially when Maureen quits trying to plan the perfect...
View ArticleWhy Ann Coulter doesn't matter, but words do
As mom to a child with Down syndrome, I've heard all kinds of excuses about why it's OK for someone to use the 'R' word. Enough. Here's why it's never acceptable — especially if you're a celebrity.
View ArticleAdvice for navigating the NICU
Leaving your child behind in a neonatal intensive care unit is heartbreaking. Here are one mom’s 10 tips for making the most of it — and being a model patient.
View ArticleNeed less stress, more soul mate? 6 Tips to compensate!
When I say the need to be a team is even stronger for parents of a child with special needs, I don’t mean we’re more important or that we do more than other parents. What I mean is more along the lines...
View Article5 Reasons I'm thankful for my little turkey
Having a child with special needs comes with challenges. Having to work that much harder to reach a milestone lends a unique feeling of gratitude and countless rewards. Here are five reasons my journey...
View ArticleWhat expecting moms should know about prenatal testing
Think more information is better? Make sure you're prepared to hear unexpected results, and make sure to consider the truth no test will tell you.
View ArticleGetting to know Charlie doesn't take rocket science
You don't have to know anything about Down syndrome to know everything about Charlie.
View ArticleThrow Momma from the minivan!
Today, this column isn't about parenting a child with special needs. Today, this column is about parenting in general. Because, in the end, that extra clause — <em>with special needs</em> —...
View ArticleHow a job share saved my sanity
Having Charlie meant it was time to shift priorities and focus less on career... but try telling that to my type A mindset. Then a colleague approached me with an appealing concept: a job share!
View ArticleWhen baby comes home with... a power cord?
We weren’t just bringing our newborn child home from the hospital. After arriving seven weeks early and spending a month in the NICU, Charlie came home tethered to a heart monitor. Within weeks, I...
View ArticleWhen strangers stare at children with special needs
So often, I can feel what’s about to happen... a stranger approaches for some reason and we exchange pleasantries. Then their eyes linger on Charlie, and it’s like a countdown clock pops up over their...
View ArticleMoms share favorite books on Down syndrome
The truth is, I've read very few books about children with Down syndrome. My other truth is that I have a veritable library of them. People mean well… but I'm just not there yet.
View ArticleWatching the gap close between typical child and child with special needs
It’s happening. My two babies are almost lockstep in their development, despite a 17.5-month age difference. I knew they would overlap, and it’s been fun to watch the range of differences grow slimmer...
View ArticleSome days, you wake up with a pajama footprint on your face
If waking up with a child’s pajama footprint on my face was an indicator of how my day would unfold, I should have stayed in bed. The truth is, having a child with special needs doesn’t bring with it...
View ArticleImagining a future for my son with Down syndrome
I've driven past it hundreds of times. Set back from the main road that threads into our neighborhood, the one-story rectangle of cinder blocks sits ugly and abandoned. Once, wire awning frames poked...
View ArticleDesperately wanting my daughter to protect my son
Because clearly I don't have enough issues, recently I added another obsession to my somewhat stale worrying repertoire: Will our daughter instinctively protect her brother as they get older?
View ArticleHow your parenting choices can make my children's lives easier
What if the choices you made as a parent had a domino effect? What if, for every success you helped your child achieve, you could know you had paved the way for future generations of children? What if...
View ArticleThe startling impact illness may have on a child with special needs
Caring for sick children can be heartbreaking, but the impact of illness on a child with special needs can be downright shocking.
View ArticleSapped from illness, Charlie needs special dose of fun
Watching Charlie recover from illness is never easy, but after a particularly nasty bout, Mommy decided to shake things up a bit.
View ArticleEmbracing my son's Down syndrome
I know where I'm <em>supposed</em> to land on this issue. I just can't.
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