[blparent] Sleepless Nights

Thu Nov 15 04:33:00 UTC 2012

Hi Jo Elizabeth. I know what you mean about the cute things they would say.
When we use to ask Dylan if he knew his name he would say, "I Dyl ray I'm
two." I recorded him saying that one. The other day Kate was continuously
asking me if she could have sprinkles in her bowl. I couldn't for the life
of me figure out what she was talking about. Then, when I made her lunch she
asked if she could have sprinkles on it. That day I never figured it out.
The next day I was reaching into the cubbord and she spotted the can of
Pringles. She asked me, "mommy, there they are, can I have sprinkles now?'
Oh, I get it! sprinkles are actually Pringles! Lol. Gota love it. 

Jeri

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jo
Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 9:48 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] Sleepless Nights

It's wonderful to see our kids grow up, and hard at the same time.  Sarah's
in preschool two half days and two full days a week now, and although it's
good for both of us, it gets me a little teary now and then.  I find what I
miss is the cute way she used to say words, like "possibles" instead of
"Popsicles".  But I try to focus on all of the new and exciting things that
are ahead for her.  What I did with her footprints from the hospital is took
them to a tattoo artist and had one tattooed on my hip.  When she gets
older, I'll show her how tiny her feet were when she was born.  For Mother's
Day last year, she gave me a painted handprint framed by Popsicle sticks.  I
have it hanging above my desk, and another one that she made on a clay tile
tucked away because I want to frame that one nicely someday.

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may
kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at
evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
-----Original Message-----
From: Erin Rumer
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 9:16 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] Sleepless Nights

Hello Jerri,

All of those feelings you're having are more than normal and a sign that
you're a loving mom.  I will be sending my little guy Dawson off to
preschool two days a week come January and I'm having those same feelings.
My husband and I began placing Dawson in child-care at church on Sundays
when he was eight months old and that nearly ripped my heart-out as he
clung-on to us when we passed him over to the child-care providers.  Now I'm
beginning the process of weaning him which comes with all of its own
emotions for both of us and preschool is right around the corner.  In just a
few short years Dawson too will be 7 years old just like you're little guy
and it will feel like tomorrow he'll be leaving for college.  It's times
like this I do my best to stop and reflect on all the little things that
make every day so special with our kids.  Seeing Dawson go pee pee in the
potty for the first-time this past week, or watching how excited he gets to
see all the wonders there are to explore at the zoo are moments I want never
to forget.  I am trying to remember to write these precious memories down to
reflect on.  Something I also want to do is to write letters to Dawson for
him to open in the future at special points in his life.  These will
hopefully be little treasures that he can keep safe in a box to read himself
and share with us from time to time which will share with him our happy
memories and thoughts as well as our prayers and hopes for his future.
Something my mother-in-law did with my husband since he was a little guy is
they would pray for his future wife where-ever I was and that I was safe and
healthy and happy.  When I found-out about this I cried at the thought of
how precious and special that was.  Here they didn't even know me yet, and
yet they were praying for me.  I am carrying this beautiful tradition on
with Dawson and even though he's only two years old, we say a little prayer
each night for his sweet little future wife where ever she may be.  I also
got Dawson's foot and hand-print bronzed when he turned a year and it's a
very special thing I hold onto because even though I can't see all of our
adorable pictures of our sweet boy, I can feel those prints in detail and
it's almost like I'm holding him as a tiny guy all over again.  I recommend
getting that done if it's something you can swing and depending on what
package you go with, it can be pretty reasonable price wise.

Have a great night and thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings with
us.

Erin

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jeri Milton
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 1:47 AM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: [blparent] Sleepless Nights

Hi out there to everyone. It's the middle of the night, or wee hours of the
morning depending on whatever way you look at it. These last couple of weeks
I've been having a heck of a time sleeping. I read somewhere a long time ago
that people who are blind tend to have a harder time sleeping than those who
are sighted. It has to do with Melatonin. Does anyone know about this study?

Anyway, when I have these dreaded sleepless nights I tend to lie there and
think or worry about everything and it really drives me crazy. So tonight I
was thinking so much about my children. Instead of tossing and turning,
sleep for half an hour then waking up to twiddle my thumbs and think some
more, I thought I would post my thoughts on here sense it is about being a
parent.

I was thinking about how fast the time really does go by. It seems like just
yesterday I was pregnant with Dylan and enjoying every single bite of my
huge Breakfast Jack sandwich from Jack in the Box. *smile*. Then, boom he
was born and I was having sleepless nights with a new born baby that I had
no clue what to do with. Funny how we're so scared at first and then the
baby just becomes part of us, like he's always been there all of your life.
Next thing I knew I was planning his first birthday party. I remember that I
hand made them with pieces of construction paper folded in half to make a
card. I used every primary color in the crayon box for each letter of the
words. I wrote it as if he was writing it. It was very cute, I have to
admit! Now, well tomorrow, because he is turning seven and is old enough to
help fill out his invites, we're going to grandma's house to fill them out
for his pizza party at the end of the month. So, just yesterday I was losing
sleep and crying because I didn't know what to do with this new born, and
now seven years later, I'm crying because he's growing up too dang fast!
Also, I'm still trying to lose all the calories from that first dang
Breakfast Jack! Not to mention the weight gain when I was pregnant with
Kate. I know he hasn't been a baby for a while, but seven just sounds so,
well, not babyish. He'll always be my baby though. I tell him even when he's
forty he'll still be my baby. Then, somebody asked me the other day about
Katlyn starting preschool and I almost immediately burst into tears over the
thought of it. My gosh what am I going to do when they're both in school?
Gone all day to the hands of other people. When Dylan started preschool I
balled like a baby, and he was only going two days a week. Then, when kinder
garden came I cried all week. I felt that I was sending him into the wolf
pack. I worry about Kate because she does have eye problems and one of her
eye's wonders pretty severely. I hope she doesn't get teased. I wish I could
be with them every second of every day forever to keep them safe. While it's
fun to watch them grow, there's a part of me that feels sad. Is this normal?
I'll probably sing happy birthday to him and cry at the same time!

Jeri

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