10 Things I’ve Learned While Having a Child with Apraxia

Four years ago, I was the stay-at-home-mom of 2-under-2. Juggling two babies in diapers while trying my best to be a decent wife and maintain my emotional and physical health certainly brought many challenges. Just when I thought I had a handle on this whole Mommy thing, I learned that the first of my beloved littles has Apraxia.  It was like a punch to the gut – like standing up for the first time after a long-fought battle and taking a kick to the back of the knees. I was worried… I was sad… I (foolishly) blamed myself… it totally sucked.

Over time, I was able to do some research, get connected with phenomenal professionals, and meet other families of children with this diagnosis. I learned a lot about Apraxia and shared seven things I’d learned here:

  7 Things I’ve Learned While Having A Child With Apraxia

Since then, I finished my second Master’s degree.  My oldest started kindergarten. My littlest started Pre-K. I gave up my beloved status as a SAHM and found a new love as a working mom and School Psychologist.  I now have the distinct honor of working with other families of children with learning differences and special needs and advocating to connect them with the necessary resources for long-term success. I’ve also learned so much more about Apraxia and have met some wonderful families and professionals who understand what my family has experienced.

In the spirit of reflection, and with excited anticipation of Apraxia Awareness Day, I have decided to return to share a few more things I’ve learned. Here they are:

Reading and Seeding

School may be out for the summer, but the Littles and I love to learn all year ‘round. Check out this fun project we did to incorporate literacy, art, and science!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Looking for a fun and easy gift to celebrate your favorite teachers? Check out this apple-themed gift idea that is perfect for Teacher Appreciation Week or the first day of school!

7 Things I’ve Learned While Having a Child with Apraxia

I see you. You’re the mom in the grocery store nervously trying to explain to the nice old lady why your son isn’t telling her his name. You’re the dad over by the jungle gym watching other kids call out to your son, but he just looks back at them silently, missing out on the opportunity to make a new friend. You’re the one holding back tears in the library when a seemingly innocent older child loudly asks you, “Can she even talk?” You’re the one giving an Emmy Award-winning performance of pretending to have thick skin as other moms at the playgroup give you the side eye while you try to love your frustrated child through their meltdown because all they really want is a snack, but can’t get the words out to ask you. I see you.

Let me offer you a hug, a tissue, and my support. I’ve been there. I’m still there. But thanks to a few years of experience, an awesomely supportive husband, a stellar therapist (for me), and a dream team of therapists to support my little one, I can honestly tell you that it can and it will get better. It seems this Apraxia journey is a never-ending tale with twists, turns, surprises, and even a few sprinkles of excitement. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way:

Keeping a Journal with Your Preschooler

How do you capture memories of life with your little ones? Some people keep scrapbooks or photo albums. Others use a video camera to record important family events. My Instagram account and this blog are essentially my love letters to my littles about how much I love watching them grow up right before my very eyes.

But what about their memories?

Little Boy and Little Girl enjoy looking back at photos from our outings and talking about how much fun we had. They particularly get a kick of watching videos of themselves as babies and laughing at the funny things they were doing. Interestingly, however, they will sometimes point a detail that I would normally overlooked or remind me of something about the captured moment that I hadn’t noticed or had even forgotten. This made me realize that at the precious ages of 4 and 2 ½, my two littles have perspectives and memories of their own. In effort to capture the sweet innocence of those memories, I recently decided to encourage them to keep a journal. Although this is a relatively new project for us, I can already tell this will be something we will enjoy for a long time to come.

6+ Tips for Making the Switch from SAHM to Working Mom

Before my Littles entered the scene, I was a young, single, elementary schoolteacher. I lived in my semi-modern apartment, drove a two-door coupe, and spent my weeks looking forward to Friday afternoon happy hours with work-friends-turned-close-friends, margaritas, and less than authentic Mexican food. Then, I met my husband and before I knew it, we were having the “Why don’t you just stay home when the baby comes” conversation. Throw in a second baby, 4-door CUV, and a convertible double stroller and I was fully immersed in the wonderful world of the Stay at Home Mom.

Fire Hats & Tutus: Halloween Costumes for My Littles

Happy Halloween, my friends! This time of year is like one big dress-up playdate for children of all ages. Whether you are looking forward to trick-or-treating, marching in a Halloween parade, or just waiting for costumes to go on sale November 1^st to stock up on dress-up clothes for the Littles, many of us have had costumes on our minds for weeks.

Autumn Sensory Play

Welcome October!

Oh, how I love the cool breezes of Autumn! From sweater weather and tall boots, to beautifully colored changing leaves, to pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING, there are elements of the season that everyone can enjoy.

With mild weather comes more opportunities to get out into the fresh air with the family.  Over the weekend, we took the Littles to Linvilla Orchards‘ Pumpkin Land. After carefully selecting which pumpkins we’d bring home, we fed the animals, rode the ponies, and made our way through the straw bale maze. We were also sure to pick up some apple cider and sweet potato pie to enjoy when we got home! 🙂

The Construction Site Bin

The following activities require adult supervision at all times. Sensory bins often involve small pieces, so please use caution when selecting activities for children under 3. Let’s keep our littles safe!  🙂 

The Rice and Button Bin

The following activities require adult supervision at all times. Sensory bins often involve small pieces, so please use caution when selecting activities for children under 3. Let’s keep our littles safe!  🙂 

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