Words That Hurt

Now that I have been working in the NICU for 5 years I have come across many different babies. In particular babies with cognitive disabilities, especially Down Syndrome. I was always under the presumption that babies with DS were only born to mothers that were older than 35. Well, I was totally wrong. Babies born with DS are born to ALL different types of mothers, young, old, first time moms, 5th time moms, even vice-presidential canidates (Sarah Palin) and all other sorts of moms. It just amazes me how many I have seen and taken care of. I also have come across many people I know directly and indirectly that have or know someone that has a child with DS. These are the most loving, passionate families that I have ever met. Granted, in the NICU wether or not the DS was a surprise or not they are usually in such a state of shock/grief that it is hard to see the relationships that will later blossom into those of the utmost love and compassion I have ever seen. Now with all that said I overheard a conversation at work today while in the cafeteria waiting for my lunch that made me so sad and angry.. There was a mother with her maybe 8 or 9 year old little girl (with DS) standing in the fruit bar line and there was also a group of about 3-4 high school aged boys standing near me at the grill waiting for their lunch. These boys kept laughing and saying look at that hot mom with the little retard kid and oh I bet they got here on the short bus. Ok, now I stop because I myself have used those same harsh words so I am by no means trying to stand on this high horse like I am perfect and everyone else is not because they use the word "retard". Now that I am more educated and I have had a little "peek" into the world of DS it makes me so incredibly sad to hear people use these words and to know that I myself have used these words numerous times. These children (and adults for that matter) with DS and other cognitive disabilities want nothing but unconditional love, they can not defend themselves against this type of abuse and it just makes me so incredibly sad. I came across a you tube video on a blog of an old NICU baby that I just have to post and it's 10 minutes long but is very moving and makes you think about the words we say and the effect it has on people who in no way can defend themselves.

Hilarious Craigslist Ad For A Nanny

new york craigslist > manhattan > childcare

Live in Nanny Needed for 4 kids (Pls don't call
them "Precious Ones") (Upper East Side)

Reply to: comm-804253499@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-08-19, 9:04PM EDT

My kids are a pain in the ass. Just in the past hour, i have had to tell each one to do something more
than once. oldest: can i have soda? it's just a sprite? please? can i? no, no and no.
the next one...don't even get me started. seriously.
the twin six year olds: one wanted dessert before her dinner was over, one kept wanting to know why
I wouldn't let nine year olds swing her around by her limbs. (the fear of a dislocated shoulder did
nothing.)
Please help me.
I can be a tad difficult to work for. I'm loud, pushy and while I used to think we paid well, i am no
longer sure. i work from home, so you get the pleasure of being hounded by me all day long. and, you
get to pretend to like me, because i am deeply sensative. (but well dressed and a know it all, a winning
combination I assure you.)
If you cannot multi task, or communicate without being passive aggressive, don't even bother
replying.
If you are the type who doesn't notice crumbs on the table, skip to the next post, because crumbs are a
deal breaker. they put me over the edge.
i have all sorts of theories on how to stack my dishwasher, and if you are judgemental about ritalin for
adhd, or think such things are caused by too much sugar, again, deal break city.
You do get a separate entrance excellent studio on the ues. you do get air conditioner and internet
connection and cable. even hbo. and showtime. you can bring your spouse, roommate or partner, but
sorry no kids. If you ask, can i bring my kid, the answer will be...anyone? anyone? No.
If you can cook, all the better. otherwise, i'll teach you all sorts of things about pasta. (Here's a freebie,
butter and parmesean, mmmmmm)
If you know anything about chess and violin i will be impressed.
We are not snobs, which is good. but then again, my kid sometimes swears to make a point. (We're
working on it, but halfheartedly, because, well the apple doesn't fall far from the fucking
tree.)Although I am told they are all very bright, they have not mastered the use of the oh so
complicated napkin. This is a napkin Junior, say it after me...Nap Kin. Good boy.
i am not looking for Super nanny, or anyone who wants this job because they will love my kids as if
they are their own. you won't. really. they are infinitely lovable, but trust me, they're mine and you
will move on when your journey with us is over, and save for some funny stories and a delightful
email every now and again, you won't grieve. Nor will we. (okay, we did all grieve a few of our past
sitters, oddly they were all named Sarah or Kate, or Nikki. And Leah. Leah was delightful, even if she
did drop my twin babies off our couch during a family gathering. Good times.
I don't want someone who has a lot of theories on the right way to raise kids, because in the end, I'm
just a woman doing my best. I'm willing to learn from you, or anyone, but not so much about how i
Live in Nanny Needed for 4 kids (Pls don't call them "Precious... http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/kid/804253499.html
1 of 3 8/27/08 5:59 PM
should parent my spawn. teach me to knit. introduce me to yoga, the white stripes, russian literature or
the best place to get a burger in the village at 2Am, but do not tell me to put star stickers on a good
boy chart. stickers irritate me.
If you are fundamentally unhappy with your life, you will be more unhappy if you take this job, so do
us all a favor and get some treatment or move to the Rockies, but do not apply for employment with
us. Also, if you suspect all wealthy women are frivilous, we are not for you. I do not want to hide my
occasional bergdorf shopping bag.
If you smoke, please quit. don't apply either, but please quit. i have known too many people diagnosed
with cancer this year. Even if you are a judgemental nanny 911 wannabe, no one should have to
endure some of the things I have wittnessed.
You gotta be able to drive with a valid license, but if you've ever hit a human,move to the next post.
You won't have to drive in the city, but if we go to our weekend place together, or if you make it to the
summer and still work for us, we need you to run into town to get some pink milk, so be able to drive
a mini van.
Can you swim? Swimming is good.
If you do drugs or drink enough so that you are grumpy in the morning and grumpier at night prior to
that next cocktail, call AA, and peruse craigslist childcare positions when you have a year sober. I'll
probably be looking again, and now is the time for you to focus on yourself anyway.
I need a team player. I need someone to back me up when it comes to remembering when the library
books are due, and whether i have rsvped to that birthday party yet.
Help me dear G-d keep track of our skim milk supply and also, also, also, what should I make for
dinner tomorrow night?
the hours are 7 in the morning to 8:30 in the morning. We'd be in it together, getting the kids out with
clean faces, brushed teeth and some food in their bellies. Doesn't that sound easy? Doesn't that sound
doable?
Then come on back for a fun filled afternoon 2:15-8:15 of activities and playdates and snacks and
dinners and homework and riveting conversations about global warming, hannah montana and guitar
hero.
When you do get to go home (to that swanky studio and possibly a significant other or buddy) your
time off will be respected. If I would like you to give extra hours, i'll ask. if you say yes, you get paid
15/ hour. if you say no, I will not fire you or hate you. Except if it is a school holiday or if i have a
sick kid, then i might ask, and unless you have a final exam worth 2/3 of your grade or tix The Lion
King, you may need to help out.
Okay, if you're still reading this ad, it means:
a) i am a halfway decent writer and maybe i really will get that book deal i'm yearning for
b) you need a job desparately
c) you think this just might be destiny, and that you could be one of the few, the proud, the potential
babysitter of our dreams.
D) you want all the information about job requirements, so that you can write me emails about how I
should stay home with my kids otherwise they are going to grow up to be sociopaths. (If my pen pal is
out there, wassup? Found love yet? No? How 'bout that.)
best of luck to all of you in your search for a job. Seriously. Job searching sucks. No two ways about
it.
RLS

Smarty Pants

So you know your kid is getting too smart for their own britches when your conversation sounds a little something like this...
Addison: Oh NO!!!! Where'd my BINKY go?
Mommy: I don't know honey
A: Oh No!!! What happened to it!!
M: You know, I think maybe that the binky fairy came and got it.
A: But WHHHHYYYYYY????
M: Well, because your almost 2 years old and 2 year olds don't have binkys.
A: But I'm NOT 2 mommy I'm ONE, I'm ONE mommy!!!!
Mommy and Daddy: Just laughing hysterically!!!!

Guess Where We Were Today?????

NO MORE DIAPERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I've been a little reluctant to post this but my baby girl is out of diapers!!!! Last Friday she strpped down to her BARE essentials as she often does and came over to me and said " Mommy need panties NOW!!!" and so I said ok lets go get them and she picked them out and I explained to her that when she needs to go pee-pee or poo-poo that she needs to tell me and we will go to the big girl potty. Well, all day Friday she did just that and we had no accidnets, I was stunned and in complete disbelief. So, the next day was a very busy day in the afternoon so we had a pull up on BUT in the morning she peed first thing in the morning and then a couple minutes later she said she had to poo so we went and she did, wow I was so excited. Sunday morning she woke up completely dry and I asked her if she needed to potty and she said no so as I was cooking breakfast I heard her peeing on the floor, it was totally my fault because I should have taken her to the potty right when she woke up but oh well my bad. She did great the rest of the day but when she got out of the bath she peed in our bedroom, oh well. BUT, since Monday NO ACCIDENTS at all! Yesterday we went to Publix with panties on and peed before we left and when we got home: ALL DRY! Later that day we took her to my OB visit and in the waiting room she told me she needed to pee so I took her and she went! I just can't believe how well she is doing, now I know what it feels like to be proud of your child! I am sooooooo incredibly proud of her and you know what, it is SOOOOO nice not having to change diapers all day. The next step is nightime, she almost always wakes up wet so we'll have to work on that but Saturday and Sunday she woke up dry and Wes said she also did Monday morning when I went to work, so I guess that's a good thing. I am not rushing anything but I just can't believe how well she's doing. And let me tell ya, she has got the cutest little hinnie in the world in her big girl panties, I just love watching her run around in them!!!!! I guess this is good timing because we have plenty of time before the baby comes to perfect her potty skills and hopefully it's enough time that she won't regress when the baby comes but we'll see, I am just so proud!!!

Welcome Madeline Kaye!!!!!

One of my bestest friends from college, Leslie had her 1st baby girl, FINALLY after a million other kids that have all been boys!!! J/k the proud big brothers are Talan (3) and Noah (1) and they are just the sweetest little family ever. Madeline will definitley be the cutest and best dreesed gal in all of CHIEFLAND!!! Lots of love and kisses to the newest addition to the Griffen family!!!!

Keys Videos

Our Vacation

We just got back from our wonderful vacation in the Keys and we had such a great time!!! Addison had soooooo much fun! She loved riding on the boat and wearing her lifejacket and had a blast swimming in the ocean. It was really nice to hang out with all my family. I got to see a lot of my cousins and Aunts and Uncles and we had such a nice time. We went down to Key West one afternoon, had a yummy luch on the waterand then headed down to Duval Street and of course they were having Lobsterfest so it was sooooooo crowded and so miserably hot but hey, you have to go to Key West when your in the Keys, right? We got Addison the book "Goodnight Key West" which you can only get down there and it's like her favorite book, "Goodnight Moon." We also got a book titled, "My Pop-Pop Is A Pirate" which she thought was hilarious! On our last day while all the adults went on the boat diving I took the kids to Bahia Honda Beach and we spent the morning swimming and having fun. The beach was so perfect for Addison because after you walked through the semi-deep rocks there was a HUGE sandbar that was maybe 3 feet deep and Addison loved it. She swam and swam and swam and I felt safe because it was only 3ft deep. Well of course I took over 400 pictures and a couple of videos but I put some of the pictures into a video with some catchy tunes for your viewing enjoyment so just make sure you pause the music player on the right before playing the video. The video's about 6 minutes long so hang in there it's worth it! The pictures are also in our family album which is on the right of the screen too but you can also just click here and it will take you right there! Enjoy!

A Perfect Heart

So we went to Addison's cardiologist (heart doctor) yesterday for another check-up of her heart condition AND she got a CLEAN bill of health and Dr. Appleton said she has a PERFECT HEART!!! Yaaay, no more holes and everything looks great and is functioning great. He said he doesn't ever want to see her again! He said only if her pediatrician ever hears an abnormal heart beat or murmer would we need to come back to him. I am so happy and so thankful, God is good!!!!!!! Now I leave you with a picture of my perfect little girl!!