Thomas is our first born. My first pregnancy, first birth. My first everything related to motherhood. Thomas gave me my first experience in accepting something was not right with my child and it was up to me to get help for him. To advocate, obtain services, choose appropriate schools, weed out quacks from actual professional providers. It was not easy.
Alyssa arrived in our lives. Two years and a week after Thomas. Our first girl. She was simply amazing. Alyssa met every milestone as if she read an infant growth and development textbook. She was a beautiful baby who grew into a beautiful woman.
Raising Thomas and the girls was not easy. I was Thomas’ mother bringing him to multiple specialists, learned to drive in Manhattan, attending IEP meetings, navigating the world of special education and residential schools. Learning that system because everything seemed to be an effin’ secret within the Board of Ed and special ed.
My girls are alike, but also very different neurotypical individuals. I love them deeply and I am protective, as most mothers are. I’ve always been very protective of Thomas but with him I don’t dare take a step back. I did once and it was disastrous. Lesson learned.
This past weekend we celebrated a very exciting “first.” For all of us. My Alyssa is going to be a mom! I hosted my first baby shower and my girls were amazing as usual. It’s almost surreal; I’m going to have a grandson. To have our family grow in this way. To now have an additional role and title in our family. It really is the best. And I am so very blessed to be here.
