Mom of the Year

Thanks to Katie for nominating me for this award. I'm humbled. Clearly my blog is rose colored ;)




Rules for Mom of the Year Award:
(1) Admit one thing you feel awful about involving being a mom. Get it off your shoulders. Once you've written it down, you are No Longer allowed to feel bad. It's over with, it's in the past. Remember, you're a good mom!

Ok, I cried for three days after reading this, hence the delay in responding to this kind nomination. Here it is. I feel guilty for not taking the little bug to the doctor when she was 5 months old. She cried and cried all night long. After about 12 hours or so she fell asleep and things seemed ok, no fever, no scariness, so I ignored it. We had no insurance and I usually self-diagnosed using a great book by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Clearly that method leaves big gaps from lack of expertise. Two years later when she wasn't speaking we found persistent fluid in her ears (which the Doc described like dried rubber cement and prevented ANY functioning of her eardrums). She got tubes and could *miraculously* hear normally. Things started to progress until the tubes fell out and life was nothing but a continual ear infection that we couldn't kick. After she was on antibiotics for 10 months of the year with no improvement we had the tubes done again, and once again, hearing is great and speech is improving.

Fortunatly, her social skills have previously made up for any delay in communication and there has been no issue for the last little while. However, now in school it sometimes becomes evident that her comprehension and expression are behind and affecting her interaction with peers. I see other kids get annoyed with her lack of understanding and my heart aches. I think back to that night I didn't call the pediatrician and wonder if the delay could have been avoided had we caught the infections earlier. I've caused myself great stress and anxiety despite the fact that there is no evidence I "caused" the delay. I'm done worrying. At least, I'll try to be.

2) Remind yourself you are a good mom, list seven things you love about your kids, you love doing with your kids, or that your kids love about you. These are the things to remind yourself everyday that you Rock!

Things I love: dancing to ABBA in the kitchen while we bake cookies and spill flour all over, reading books in her little tent, the generosity and complete acceptance that my daughter exhibits, the way her laughter penetrates my very being, her radiant blue eyes, the sweet innocence that she exhibits (Oh, how I want that to stay).

(3) Send this to five other Mom's Of The Year that deserve credit for being great moms and remind them that they are the best moms they can be!! Remember to send them a note to let them know you've selected them, and add a link to the person who nominated you.

Alissa at AZ Petersons
Amy at Klindt Family
Moni at Autumn Breezes
Angela at The Rock Pile
and I hate that I probably can't list Katie again... so go check her out anyway!