[blparent] Re-Introducing Myself

[Colleen Kozubowski]

Hi Everyone,
 
My name is Colleen and I'm a blind mom from Chicago.  I was on this list awhile back when I was pregnant and trying to plan.  Then I fell off for awhile.  Now I hope to be back to stay.  My daughter Claire is 18 months old and her vision is normal, as is my husband's.  My blindness is caused by LCA.
 
I hope to get advice from parents whose kids are older than mine and I'm happy to offer 18 months worth of advice to those of you with babies.  One recommendation I definitely wanted to put out there is a company called Itzy Bitzy.  For those of you who have not heard of them, this is a company which sells squeaky shoes for children.
 
These shoes have been a godsend for me since my daughter started walking.  They have little squeakers built into the heels that sound like dog toys.  They are a fantastic tracking device for busy toddlers.  Claire has three pairs and she wears them all the time.  It's a perfect way for me to know where she is and what she's up to at all times.  Plus the shoes are really cute - my husband has described them to me and people always comment on how adorable they are.
 
The company was started by a woman who has a special needs child, so part of the proceeds from the shoes go to help several foundations for children.  You can see the whole selection of shoes at www.itzybitzy.com.
 
I do have a question for the list.  My daughter is getting to the point where I need to start teaching her basic recognizable things.  Letters, numbers, animals, colors, shapes, etc.  But I'm not sure how to do it.  All of these appear in her children's books, but those are pretty inaccessible to me.  Any suggestions?
 
Best,
Colleen