Faith's Mom's Blog

I thought it would be interesting to see what blog posts in 2012 had the most views. I was a little surprised by the post that was visited the most. I was also very proud that the guest post written by my father-in-law made the top 12, in fact it almost made number one! I had a big surge of views during the month of December. In fact, four of the posts I put up that month ended up getting more page views than the posts I had written at the beginning and middle of 2012. I wrote 42 posts during 2012 and here are Faith's Mom's Blog top 12 of 2012: Number 12 - Good News About Faith's Hips publish date: 2-25-12 It's Saturday morning and after a busy, somewhat stressful work week, I can finally take a moment to enjoy a nice cup of coffee while doing some writing. Sitting here, I am reflecting on the wonderful news we received on Wednesday. Faith's left hip has not pulled out any further from its socket! Read More Number 11 - Conscious Sedation - A New Exper

Guest Post by Carol Watson of NationalNannies.com When children are young there is a lot of parent participation that’s encouraged through classroom parties and events because kids are still learning how to be away from home.  Most kids want their moms to be able to volunteer at the school for these events so that they can still see their mom in the hallway or at the class party. However it’s not always feasible for working moms to volunteer onsite regularly.  Fear not, there are ways that you can volunteer, even if you work full-time. Check out these 10 ways that working moms can volunteer at school: Coordinate class parties through e-mail.  Technology makes it much easier to plan events these days.  The teacher may send home flyers asking for snacks and craft supply donations.  Consider volunteering to coordinate these donations; this is an easy task to accomplish over e-mail or phone, and allows you to still participate in some way with the party.    Cut out or prepare

Grandfather and Grandmother spending time with Faith  Guest Post by David Bousfield Cari, our daughter-in-law, has asked me to write up an article for her blog. Not being a blog-writer myself, this has been something of a new experience for me. I do trust that your reading of this will be worth your while. How our son Robert found himself living and working in Watford City, North Dakota , is a complex story. Robert had lived and worked for a time in Regina, Saskatchewan, thus we had some preparation for his wanting to move back to the west, although we thought that his move would be a move back to Regina.   That Robert met up with Cari in Watford City did not entirely surprise Jean and me. With other family members plus friends from Green Bay, Wisconsin, we were able to get to the wedding and meet up with Cari’s family and friends. We have lived in a number of smaller Ontario towns, but for the most part we are big-city people, the greater part of our lives be

Guest Post by Russel Kelfer You are who you are for a reason. You're part of an intricate plan. You're a precious and perfect unique design, Called "God's special woman or man." You look like you look for a reason.  Our God made no mistake. He knit you together within the womb, You're just what He wanted to make! The parents you had were the ones He chose And no matter how you may feel,  They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind, And they bear the Master's seal. No, that trauma you faced was not easy; And God wept that it hurt you so. But it was allowed to shape your heart So that into His likeness you'd grow.  You are who you are for a reason. You've been formed by the Master's rod.  You are who you are, Beloved, Because there is a GOD.

What About the Boy? is written by Stephen Gallup, the father who made a pledge to his disabled son to help him find wellness no matter what it took. Joseph's parents were convinced that something was wrong him. He spent much of his time crying and while lying on the floor he would shake his head from side to side. Doctors and specialists told them that Joseph had a brain injury but that nothing could be done for him.  Believing that it was Joseph's birthright to be well, Joseph's parents took matters into their own hands, rising to the challenge of enabling Joseph to live a life of wholeness. For my complete review of What About the Boy click here . Read Stephen Gallup's guest post on my blog, Who Needs Sympathy?

I recently read a shocking article that the country of Denmark is well on it's way to making their country Down Syndrome-free. No, it's not with miraculous medical treatment, it's through aborting babies who are tested positive for the condition. Niels Uldbjerg, a gynaecological-obstetrician and researcher in medical ethics says the number of newborns with Down Syndrome approaching zero is a "fantastic achievement." My question is where does this stop? Are they going to start aborting babies who have congenital heart defects? Spina Bifida? Cleft Palates?This eugenics way of thinking is sickening and disheartening which is I why I wanted to post something on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Following is a letter that Sarah Palin wrote to her family and friends a few days before her son, Trig was going to be born with Down Syndrome. Sarah Palin imagined the letter to be from God. To the Sisters, Brother, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Frien

By Lori Borgman - written May 12, 2002 recently posted on www.amazingamelia.blogspot.com My friend is expecting her first child. People keep asking what she wants. She smiles demurely, shakes her head and gives the answer mothers have given throughout the ages of time. She says it doesn't matter whether it's a boy or a girl. She just wants it to have ten fingers and ten toes. Of course, that's what she says. That's what mothers have always said. Mothers lie. Truth be told, every mother wants a whole lot more. Every mother wants a perfectly healthy baby with a round head, rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes and satin skin. Every mother wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby for being flat-out ugly. Every mother wants a baby that will  roll over, sit up and take those first steps right on schedule (according to the baby development chart on page 57, column two). Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump and

Guest Post by Stephen Gallup Last week, a columnist for the local newspaper interviewed me in connection with a memoir I wrote that’s being published this year. It was a comfortable, low-key discussion in which he asked about the basic facts regarding my disabled son Joseph and what I’ve learned that might be of value to other families. It was the sort of dialog that required no special preparation in advance. I just sat down with him and talked about the subject closest to my heart. But looking back on it now, one thing bothers me. In concluding the interview, the reporter expressed heartfelt sympathy for everything I’ve endured. He was being more than polite. I mean, he laid the compassion on with a spatula. Startled, and already thinking ahead to what I had to do next that day, I just thanked him and said goodbye. But now that final note troubles me. I don’t want sympathy! First of all, from the point of view of a new author hoping to promote his book, sympathy

7 Kid-Friendly Alternatives to Television By Jessica P., who has written about online nursing classes and how to obtain a degree in social work . Our kids are spending far too much time in front of glowing tubes, especially the television. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that the average American child spends about three to four hours per day watching TV! All this time in front of the electronic babysitter equates to increased rates of childhood obesity and an increased likelihood to receive misinformation from their favorite programs. Luckily, there are a million fun things you can do with your kids to replace a few hours of their TV habit. Here are seven to get you started. 1. Write a Book Reading books with your children is always a good idea - but have you thought about making one together? You and your kids can let your imaginations run wild, creating the story and writing it down by hand. After you've got it on paper, add illustratio

The Benefits of Early Intervention Programs Written by Eli S., who is working towards becoming a phlebotomist through online classes . Imagine finding out that your beautiful new baby had a developmental problem or a congenital disease. Would you know where to turn for help? Would you wonder how you would find the money to pay for specialized care for your child? It’s a scary thought, but for some parents it’s an everyday fact of life. Luckily, there is at least some cost-free help for infants with disabilities, in the form of Early Intervention programs. Early Intervention (EI) programs are federal and state funded programs available to all infants and toddlers with disabilities. The programs came about under the 1986 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided federal funding to states who established EI programs under a certain set of guidelines. The programs are meant to help progress the disabled child’s development, aid their independence, minimize the need for