Tag Archives: Emmy

Anticipation

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Thank you so much to the many people who reached out to me after my last post, in which I shared that I had breast cancer. I’m sorry for not replying to everyone. There are emails sitting in my Inbox, which I have been meaning to reply to for months. I’ve really had an aversion to this whole cancer thing. I just don’t even want to THINK about it.

Of course, today is the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I will definitely be thinking about it. But there are just so many emotions that come up. Mostly, I feel grateful that I’m still here. I also feel sadness because the last year was REALLY difficult, and my body was altered in so many ways. I’m still dealing with the side effects from surgery, chemo, and a drug that I will be taking every morning for the next 10 years. I have a swollen arm (possible lymphedema), aching joints, and pain in my feet. My skin has had a horrible reaction to everything too. I thought my acne years were behind me! But then I feel guilty for complaining because at least I’m here on planet earth, and that’s all I wanted in the first place. My emotions surrounding cancer are complicated, and only more writing will help tease them out.

But, for now, I will tell you about our next adventure. Emmy is having kidney surgery next Monday, October 7! GAHHHHH!!! I was telling my husband, Dan, that our life is TRULY a soap opera. We’ve had more “adventures” than we’d care to mention.

Long story short: We did an MRI to check Emmy’s kidneys and discovered that one of them is barely working anymore. From what I understand, our kidneys are supposed to be working at 50/50. Emmy’s kidneys are at 83/17. We have no idea what happened or when it happened, but there APPEARS to be an obstruction. She had an ultrasound done in 2013 which revealed 2 perfectly healthy kidneys.

That was right before her heart surgery…after which she had 2 cardiac arrests and was on a life support machine for a week. Could that have caused the obstruction? No one knows…

The surgeon would like to try and repair the obstruction, which should keep her kidney working at 17%. Unfortunately, the kidney will not restore itself, but we’re trying to preserve the little function that she still has.

Emmy has not had any symptoms and is not in any pain. Her good kidney is picking up all of the slack, so her blood work has always been spot on.

You may know that anesthesia is a huge concern for people with Williams syndrome. (You definitely know this if you’re a parent of a child with Williams syndrome because every time your child has to go for anesthesia, it’s a BIG DEAL.) So while I don’t like surgeries anyway (and, boy, have we had our fair share as a family!!), it’s even more nerve-wracking when the person on the operating table has Williams syndrome.

So now we sit in anticipation of next week.

Speaking of anticipation, this surgery was actually scheduled for September 9th. So we already went through a whole rollercoaster of emotions on September 8th as we drove 2 hours to the hotel where we were due to spend the night. We got a call when we were literally a block away from the hotel. The surgeon had an emergency HIMSELF and was in the hospital. Surgery canceled. When I got off the phone and told Emmy the news, she responded, “Oh, I’m so embarrassed! I did all of that crying for nothing!”

We drove back home in shock, though I also felt a huge sense of relief. We got a call a couple days later saying the surgeon is ok now and that surgery would be rescheduled for October 7.

October is Emmy’s favorite month because it has her favorite holiday — HALLOWEEN!! This kid loves Halloween like no one else I’ve known. She thinks about Halloween 365 days a year. We don’t really know how quickly Emmy will be running around after this surgery, but I am HOPING and PRAYING that she will be able to enjoy trick-or-treating as much as she always does.

I’m also hoping and praying that I keep mentally sane on the day of her surgery. Sitting in the waiting room with a bundle of nerves is something I have done many times now, and it’s very, very challenging. Until then…anticipation…

Here’s a picture of the 5 of us at a Breast Cancer Walk/Run earlier this year. Through it all, we keep on truckin’!

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Ready for Spring

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Right now, I need to wear flip flops. I REALLY need to wear flip flops. Every year I feel the heaviness of winter and swear I’m going to move somewhere warm. I’m cold all the time anyway, so winter is a double whammy. Of course, the kids are excited about playing in the snow and drinking hot chocolate. But I want to pull the covers over my head and hibernate…

As we move from winter to spring, I’m thinking about how many things have changed over the past few years. Charlotte is 8 years old and has really grown into the big sister role. She looks out for Emmy and Theo, and she especially loves playing “teacher” to anyone who will allow it. (When Charlotte gets out her whiteboard and math worksheets on a Saturday morning, Emmy now runs the other direction. But Theo is still game.)

Charlotte has become very curious about what it means to have a disability, and she’s been vocal about the fact that we should embrace people with disabilities. Last year, she wasn’t saying the word “disability.” This year, I hear it a lot. But she doesn’t see it as a bad thing. She sees opportunities to appreciate the differences in everyone. Sometimes I worry that she’s become TOO obsessed with the idea of her sister having a disability and focuses on it too much…but then I think this is just a phase as she learns what it means to have a sibling with Williams syndrome. Charlotte is interested in everything under the sun — sports, acting, voice lessons, piano, art, gymnastics… I’m trying to narrow down the activities to our top 2, though I once read an article that kids don’t find their true interests until they’re in eighth grade. So right now, we’re still swept up in the wave of…everything.

Theo is the dutiful little brother. He seems to still enjoy being the “baby” of the family, even though he’s 3 years old. I think I cater to that a little bit because I know we won’t have any more kids, so I’m snuggling up the last of those baby feelings. Theo is active! I have a tough time keeping up with his energy. He adores Charlotte and Emmy, though all 3 kids have started fighting recently, which is torture to listen to. But, usually, Theo loves having fun with his sisters. He’s always, always thinking about them when they’re at school. He says things like, “Oh! That’s Emmy’s favorite color!” or “Charlotte likes that toy!” He brings a lot of liveliness and laughter into the family.

Emmy is truly a pleasure at 6 years old. Sometimes parents whose children are newly diagnosed find my blog and send me a worried email, and I swear they think I’m bonkers because I always sound so positive about Williams syndrome. They must think I’m living in La La Land. That’s certainly how I felt when Emmy was first diagnosed and I talked to a parent whose child had been living with Williams syndrome for years. The mom was enthusiastic and…dare I say…happy about Williams syndrome, while I felt as though my world was falling down around me. I couldn’t figure out how that parent was okay with the diagnosis and just assumed she was either on “happy pills” or fooling herself.

But here I am today, and I am completely 100% okay with the diagnosis. Emmy wouldn’t be who she is if she didn’t have Williams syndrome, and she is such a delight. The other day, I took Theo to the library, and the librarian came up to me and said, “I have to tell you something. Your daughter is such a doll. My week doesn’t start until I see her.” I hear that a lot about Emmy. She is a very kind and sweet person. Emmy always wants to know how other people are feeling. She is very sensitive. My aunt Eva died last May, and Emmy still brings her up several times a week because she misses her so much.

I also love that Emmy has brought interests into my life that I wouldn’t otherwise have. She is strangely obsessed with everything Halloween and spooky, which is so funny because her favorite color is pink, and she loves to wear dresses and makeup (!!) and is so GIRLIE. But (and this has been going on for a couple years…) she loves vampires, and skeletons, and ghosts, and zombies. I was never much of a fan of Halloween. I could take it or leave it. Now I see a pumpkin in February, and I drop everything. “Where’s Emmy??? I have to show Emmy this pumpkin!” We’ve been to multiple Zombie Walks, something I never thought I would do. And she recently went to a birthday party at a monster glow-in-the-dark mini-golf place, which brought a huge smile to her face. It doesn’t get much better than that! To see her excited about the monsters made ME so happy. I love that she has interests that are unique. I see the world so differently through her eyes, and that makes life more fun.

Of course we have challenges, and nothing is perfect by any means. But that applies to everyone. As I always tell Charlotte, “If I wanted perfection, I would’ve had a robot instead of a child.” (It makes sense in the moment…) My children are so different and, while one child may be the easiest on Monday, he or she is my most challenging on a Tuesday. It really depends on the ebb and flow of life and whatever is going on with them.

So this is us…today.

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Six Years Old

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Emmy is six years old! She was only one year old when I started this blog. Hard to believe!

Emmy is feisty, fearless, and persistent. Those qualities have remained since she was born. She actually broke her arm at the end of the last school year because she was climbing up a structure on the playground during recess and fell at the very top. (I almost passed out when the school called me. But so far, it looks like she’s healing beautifully.) After her arm was out of the sling, we walked by the school playground and she casually asked if she could climb that structure again.

“That one??” I asked. “You fell from that one!”

She smiled and started climbing. No fear whatsoever.

When we were trying to plan her activities for this year, she asked if she could take karate classes. I wasn’t sure about karate… Let’s just say that it’s not really my speed. And a friend said that it really tests your balance, so I was concerned that Emmy would have an especially tough time.

When we showed up early for our trial class, we got a chance to see the older kids sparring. Emmy sat on my lap while we watched the kids really going at each other. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I was going to sign up my little darling for this? I figured that after watching the sparring session, she wouldn’t want to do it anymore. Clearly I do not know my daughter!

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked nervously.

“Yes. I love it,” she replied, smiling.

So now Emmy takes two karate classes a week. She was right. She loves it.

It’s interesting to see the activities that really capture her interest. She’s tried dance, gymnastics, piano, t-ball, yoga, and soccer. And while she enjoys them, she will drop everything for karate and swimming.

She also loves arts and crafts, but I fear that this interest is really about being destructive. One thing we still struggle with it that Emmy likes to tear things about. I know that this can be common for kids with Williams syndrome. But for a neat person like me, there are some growing pains associated with this one.

For example, Emmy loves to use scissors. And I trusted her with scissors because she does a solid job cutting paper and has never cut her skin. But one day I popped my head into the study to see that she found a bunch of her nice bracelets in a jewelry box and cut them up. Ughhhhh.

Or she’ll take a bottle of glue and, at first, she’ll be purposeful about where she puts it. And then, it’s all over…

Or, we were watching Charlotte’s soccer game the other day, and I gave Emmy a piece of paper and pencil to keep her busy on the sidelines. The paper had interesting designs on it that you could trace. She turned it over to the back and started poking holes in it.

I can tell that she gets a thrill out of being destructive.

But I’m being nit picky here. Most of the time, Emmy is a pleasure. Her personality is awesome. She’s usually in a good mood and smiley. When she does get upset, there is always a legitimate reason behind it. I don’t think she’s ever thrown a tantrum “just because.”

Emmy still loves Halloween. She talks about Halloween from January through December. She’s actually brought a new joy of Halloween to everyone in the family. I wasn’t majorly into Halloween when I was younger. I liked the candy, but that was about it. I was much more of a Christmas kid.

But now, Halloween is such a happening in our house. We have a store nearby called Spirit Halloween with zombies and werewolves that pop out when you walk in. When we went on our first Spirit Halloween visit this fall, it was practically a sacred event. I even took a video of us walking through the hallowed doors and getting scared by the fake spiders that jump out. I think Charlotte and Theo also appreciate Halloween even more because of Emmy. When we drive by houses with Halloween decorations, everyone in the car gets especially excited to point them out to her.

While Emmy’s personality is lovely and she’s a joy to be around, my heart still hurts as I watch her struggle in different areas. She’s repeating Kindergarten this year. She actually entered Kindergarten on the younger side, at five years old. And she immediately stood out in every class picture because she is so tiny. She loved school last year and never complained, but it was tough for her. Once school started, everyone was off to the races. And while other kids progressed quickly onto writing sentences, we were still practicing how to write Emmy’s name. Thankfully, this year, she’s holding her own quite nicely. School only started a few weeks ago, but she’s with the pack much more than last year. I’ve already seen significant gains in her progress.

Emmy has a new phrase: “A little help.” The first time I heard her say it was when she was riding her bicycle with training wheels and got stuck on a dip in the pavement. She continued to push the pedals around and around, but they just kept grinding. She is a persistent kid, so she tried desperately to get herself out of the rut. Finally, she looked my way, flashed her adorable smile, and asked, “A little help?” I’ve heard her say it a few times now. It’s very gentle; very sweet.

The truth about Emmy is that she doesn’t WANT help. She wants to do everything herself. But sometimes, she NEEDS a little help. I think this is a misperception about people with special needs. I’ve heard it said that people with special needs expect things to be handed to them — or that they needlessly demand help with every little thing. I’ve found it’s just the opposite. Emmy doesn’t WANT the help. She would love to be able to do everything herself. But sometimes, she NEEDS a little support to make it over the finish line.

When she does struggle, it’s hard to watch. Every morning, as she reaches for the banister to walk down the stairs, her hand shakes slightly with an intention tremor. I think her brain is still getting in sync with her nervous system early in the morning because it’s most obvious at that time and then subsides as the day goes along. Other people would probably not even notice the shaking. It’s so slight. But I feel it in my heart. It’s that tiny, little shake that is the give away. Things are harder for her, even though she never complains.

Emmy just adores her brother, Theo. If she could smother him with kisses all day, she would. He mostly runs away from her smothering, but they have a ton of fun together. They’re little buddies.

And Emmy looks up to Charlotte, who has very much adopted the big sister role for her younger siblings. Charlotte is a caretaker, but I’m conscious of the fact that I don’t want to put too much pressure on her. We had a disagreement over the summer where I asked her to watch Emmy at camp, and she pulled the reigns too tightly around Emmy’s fun. So we had to talk about what it means to “keep an eye on your sister” versus chasing Emmy around and telling her to not participate in activities because she might get hurt. But Charlotte has always been mature and, at eight years old, she was able to embrace that concept a bit better once we talked about it.

As time moves along, we all find our roles. It’s interesting to see them sway and shift as school, activities, and friends circle around our lives.

My goal this year is to move towards Minimalism. You know these guys?: The Minimalists

I’m very, very good at acquiring STUFF. It’s somewhat of a speciality. So I’m dipping my toe in the pond of minimalism, starting with The Minimalists and everyone’s favorite declutterer, Peter Walsh. As I look over all of my STUFF, I realize that this needs to be a major overhaul. Wish me luck. 🙂

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Doing All Of The Things

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Our babysitter was telling me about how she was excited to see a friend that she hadn’t seen in a while. The friend said, “Can we do all of the things?” And our babysitter replied, “Yes, we will most definitely do all of the things!”

Every time I think of this expression, it makes me laugh. I guess it’s a new expression that means “doing everything we love to do”?? I guess??

Sometimes I’m tempted to use it in conversation, but then I think people would accuse me of trying to be younger than my years…

But I do think of this in terms of Emmy. I want her to do all of the things.

I want her to play sports, go to dance class, take an art class, participate in the various clubs at school…

She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t WANT to do. But I want her to have the opportunities that any typical child has.

Some experiences have been easier than others. We have a gymnastics studio near us, and the teachers have been awesome with Emmy. She takes classes with her peers, but the teachers will modify a little bit for her. One student might walk across the balance beam on her own, while Emmy will get a little support from the teacher. One student might do a cartwheel flawlessly on her own, while the teacher might hold Emmy while she practices her cartwheel. But she does everything that everyone else does, and the teachers have been very happy to accomodate for Emmy’s needs. I didn’t even have to ask them. They just did it.

On the other hand, we have had a doozy of a time with dance. I enrolled Emmy in ballet classes at a very strict studio. It wouldn’t have been my preference, but Charlotte really liked the studio at first, and she wanted to go there. I’m a big proponent of having Emmy try everything that Charlotte does. So I signed Emmy up for the class, but I also told them that she has Williams syndrome because I knew that the standards of the studio are more strict than others. For example, a student would have to pass a “dance test” before moving to the next level.

The receptionist gave me the side-eye and said, “We can put her in our youngest class…We’ll start her there…That’s as young as we go…”

This was one of those situations that made me very uncomfortable. I could feel the judgment. I knew that the kids would be younger than Emmy. But I also felt that this person wasn’t keen to have her in the dance school — period — and this was a way to get her in. After all, the aim of this school is to build up dancers in a very strict, professional atmosphere. If Emmy couldn’t perform the steps, how would the teacher react?

But, on the other hand, Charlotte took a practice class, and the teacher was great. I really wavered back and forth on this, but I signed Emmy up nonetheless and put her in the youngest class.

The interaction with the receptionist made me feel “less than.” It made me feel as though I had to apologize for intruding on the professional atmosphere of the school. It made me feel as though I had to make excuses for my child who was born as she was — through no fault of her own.

I should have known *at that moment* that this wasn’t the right place for us. But, you see, I want Emmy to do all of the things! I want her to wear her little ballet outfit with her hair up in a bun. Mostly, I want her to have the exact same opportunities that Charlotte does. If Charlotte is accepted into the class as a typical child, I want Emmy to be accepted as well.

Here’s the irony. The class ended up being a disaster but not for the reason I imagined. It wasn’t because Emmy couldn’t keep up with the steps. In fact, because the kids were younger than Emmy, they were totally out of control! They didn’t follow directions. They cried during the whole class and ran out of the room constantly. I don’t blame them one bit. They were quite young! But that wasn’t the class for Emmy. Just because Emmy has some challenges doesn’t mean that she should immediately be placed with younger children. It was really illuminating! Emmy surpassed these kids in maturity. I asked the teacher to move Emmy to the next level, and she declined. She said Emmy was placed correctly. I kindly disagreed.

This is a dance school that many people praise, but we ended up leaving. It just wasn’t a good fit.

That interaction soured me to dance for a while, but it was something that continued to eat away at me because Emmy loves to dance. I didn’t want to deny her the experience of a dance class just because of this one situation.

After a few months, I decided that we should try a free practice class at another dance studio near here. It’s a very popular studio, but I’ve heard that it isn’t as strict as the first.

Everyone seemed very nice — the owner, the receptionist…we were off to a good start! This time, I didn’t tell them that Emmy has Williams syndrome. I didn’t want them to put her in the younger class again. I couldn’t risk another experience like the previous one.

This class was for five to seven year olds, so both Emmy (at age 5) and Charlotte (at age 7) would be in the same class. It’s an “acro” class, so it’s like “acrobatic dance.” Charlotte would look out for her sister. This seemed like a good set-up.

I dropped the girls off in the class and was lead to an area where I could watch them. As the minutes passed, I almost cried. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could see how the teachers were treating Emmy. When she couldn’t get into a straddle perfectly, they stood over her and admonished her. When Emmy did a bridge (which is really hard for someone with Williams syndrome!! Really, really hard!!), I could tell that they weren’t impressed. They weren’t kind. I walked back in the class, picked up Emmy, and carried her out of the room. The teachers saw me and completely ignored me. Charlotte came running over and said, “This isn’t going well.” I asked her if she wanted to leave, but she said she would finish out the class. I watched the rest of the class while holding Emmy in my arms. I was fuming.

After it was over, the teachers walked out of the room and looked at me with disgust. They didn’t say anything to me and just marched by.

“What happened in there??” I asked Charlotte.

She was rattled. “Mom, they were so mean to Emmy. She did that bridge, and it was AMAZING! Emmy said, ‘Am I doing a good job, teacher?’ and the teacher said, ‘No.’ Can you believe that? I WAS SO PROUD OF HER!”

She continued. “I could hear the teachers talking about Emmy. They said, ‘What’s wrong with her?’ And ‘I thought she was supposed to be five years old?'”

Charlotte was very upset. My seven year old knew this wasn’t right.

I was appalled by the way they treated Emmy, and of course we didn’t go back. Friends told me to contact the owner and express my disapproval. I haven’t done that. In the past few weeks, I’ve heard similar things about this studio, so it makes me feel as if this is the atmosphere, and I don’t know that things will change if I speak up. But maybe they will. I don’t know. The whole experience really upset me, and I kind of just want to move past it.

But I want Emmy to do all of the things! Just because other people don’t know what class she fits in or don’t understand her challenges doesn’t mean that she shouldn’t have the opportunity to do all of the things, right? The Americans with Disabilities Act is something with which I have become very familiar. It protects my daughter. She should be able to experience everything that everyone else does. However, the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t change people’s reaction to her. While she may be able to DO all of the things, she may not be viewed in the same light  — or with the same promise — as the other students. That part is rough.

You know what? Third time’s a charm.

A mom told me about yet ANOTHER dance studio that just opened. The owner, she said, is fabulous — very kind and understanding. I pushed my misgivings aside and only saw hope. I emailed the owner and explained our situation. I told her about Williams syndrome, and I also told her briefly about our past two experiences. I told her that I don’t want Emmy to be automatically put with the younger kids, but I also don’t want her to be admonished for not doing the steps properly when she ALWAYS, ALWAYS tries her best. I asked if we could figure out a class that might be right for Emmy.

She called me right away. She told me that my email broke her heart and that she would absolutely find the right class for her. She did, and Emmy loves it. It’s another “acro” class. She is with her typical peers that are her age, and the teacher helps her when necessary. She gets some modifications. When she has trouble with a big cartwheel, she tries a small cartwheel. And her bridge has only gotten stronger and more beautiful. The teacher consistently praises her effort. It is a wonderful experience. They have made us feel welcome and included.

I don’t know why every place isn’t like this. It took us three chances to find a place that would accept us as we are. It’s not that I’m being difficult or that I’m expecting special treatment. I just want Emmy to be able to do all of the things that everyone else does. I think that’s reasonable. In fact, I know it is.

Williams Syndrome Convention

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We drove for 9 hours to get to Columbus, Ohio…with 3 kids in the car. When we first signed up to attend the Williams Syndrome Convention, it seemed like the drive would be palatable. But as the days inched closer, I kept turning to Dan with fear in my eyes and saying, “I think we should reconsider…can we cancel?” I was freaked about that drive.

Well, as Theo loves to say, “Weeee DID IT!”

And I’m so glad we went! It was worth every minute in the car and then some.

When we first arrived at the hotel, Dan and I were totally out of sorts. It took us a while to get the stroller out, grab our suitcases from the car, and chase kids around the lobby. The kids were anxious to do everything immediately!

As we were checking in and trying to calm them down, Charlotte started to notice all the people with Williams syndrome in the lobby. We had already been to a Williams Syndrome Convention in Boston in 2012, when Charlotte was only 3 years old, but she didn’t have any clue about Williams syndrome at that time. Now at 7 years old, she understands a little more about it, and she started to take in the sight of all the friendly people in the lobby.

It’s interesting to see how the week has an effect on you. When we went to the Convention in Boston, Dan and I were at first overwhelmed by the friendly nature of people with Williams Syndrome. Emmy was only 1 year old at the time, so we didn’t have a strong idea of how social she would be. Plus, we’re quite reserved ourselves. So when people started approaching us right off the bat to have a chat, we were a little thrown off. As that week went along, we totally embraced the culture and loved every second of the friendliness. There’s something so awesome about someone remembering your name and greeting you with absolute joy every time she sees you on the elevator. We missed that feeling of joy like crazy when we got back home.

Just like us, Charlotte wasn’t used to the friendliness. As she looked around that lobby, she said cautiously, “I think I’m the only person here who doesn’t have Williams syndrome…”

“You’ll see lots of people here,” I said. “Can you tell that Emmy has Williams syndrome?”

“No, definitely not,” she replied.

Charlotte just sees Emmy as her sister. She doesn’t really think about Williams syndrome.

Later at dinner that night, Charlotte seemed to really ponder the idea of “Williams syndrome.” I could see her working over it in her mind as she sat next to Emmy in the restaurant booth. She was studying her face.

Finally, she said, “Mom, I can see it.”

“Huh?” I asked.

“I see it in Emmy. I see it in her lips.”

As the days went on, Charlotte met many people with and without Williams syndrome. I could visibly see her grow more and more comfortable with everyone’s friendliness. She allowed herself to loosen up and just enjoy all the different personalities. I have a very boring saying that I tell her all the time that kind of sums up life: “Everybody’s different!” We use that one a lot, especially when kids on the playground ask why Emmy is smaller than everyone else or why she can’t run as fast as the others: “Everybody’s different!” I’ve noticed that it’s a good way for Charlotte to close out a conversation with a kid on the playground who keeps prodding her about Emmy. Who can possibly argue with “Everybody’s different!”??

During the week, Charlotte went to a YMCA camp (organized through the Convention) and made a bunch of friends — mostly typical siblings of people with Williams syndrome. She really got along with these kids nicely! Every night she was bubbling over with stories about her new friends.

Emmy and Theo also went to camp in the hotel. There were all sorts of activities for them to do throughout the week. I think Emmy’s favorite part was meeting Batman. She has no fear. Ever.

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While the kids were at camp, Dan and I attended sessions and learned a lot! I have to sheepishly admit that I thought I was pretty much an expert at Williams syndrome after 5 years with Emmy. There is SO MUCH more to learn! There were plenty of people with grown children in their twenties and thirties who still came to learn — and perhaps mostly to share their stories with others.

My favorite session was the exact same favorite that I had at the Convention in Boston: the sibling session. When you hear brothers and sisters talk about their siblings with Williams syndrome, it immediately brings tears to your eyes. It would be IMPOSSIBLE not to cry in that room. They see their siblings like no one else can. And they’ve become more tolerant, understanding, and patient people because of their siblings. Many of them go into teaching, physical therapy, or music therapy. Many of them volunteer at Williams syndrome camps, and many of them were volunteers at this Convention. Imagine learning the beauty of volunteerism as a young teenager? That has to change your life.

The siblings said that coming to these Conventions every couple of years really helped them to better understand their own brother or sister with Williams syndrome. They encouraged us to keep bringing all of our kids because it helps the typical siblings to comprehend Williams syndrome and helps to foster understanding and appreciation of their brothers and sisters, instead of frustration or resentment.

So of course Emmy and Theo had a great time at the Convention. They just played and had fun all day. Theo didn’t know why we were there because he’s too young. I think Emmy is starting to understand Williams syndrome just the tiniest bit, but it’s still very much of a foreign concept. But we didn’t know how Charlotte would react. I know it sounds silly, but being surrounded by friendly people can be overwhelming. Of course, it shouldn’t be that way. In a perfect world, everyone would be friendly! But our society is generally more closed off, so it’s like being in an alternate universe when you’re surrounded by social people who approach you without reservation.

To our delight, Charlotte had the most amazing time. She declared that it was the best vacation she’s ever been on!! She really, really loved it. Kudos to the Williams Syndrome Association for putting together an awesome Convention that had my 7 year old gushing!

On the last day, we were standing in the lobby checking out, and several adults with Williams syndrome came over to talk to us. One woman pointed at my kids and said, “They are so adorable!!” Then she looked closer and said, “Which one of you has Williams syndrome?”

I was surprised to see Emmy raise her hand right away and say, “I do!”

I’m not sure that she knows what Williams syndrome is, but now it’s official — she definitely knows that she has it.

We can’t wait for the next Convention! Especially Charlotte.

A New Twist

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So here’s a fun, new, little twist. We found out that Emmy has Celiac disease!

She’s always been petite, which we attributed to Williams syndrome. But she’s also fatigued most of the time, which we also thought was related to Williams syndrome (and the low muscle tone that comes with it). Stomach problems were only an occasional thing, so Celiac disease never crossed our minds.

I brought her to a new doctor to discuss Emmy’s growth, and she asked if we have any allergies in the family. I have a sensitivity to gluten and dairy, but other than that, no formal allergies. The doctor said, “Well, since we’re getting her blood taken, let’s check her for Celiac disease because of your gluten sensitivity.”

During that time period, our attention immediately focused to Emmy’s heart because a few doctors heard a heart murmur (which hasn’t been heard since before her heart surgery in 2013), and there was a scramble to get an appointment with our cardiologist. I was totally focused on her heart, which is ok — thank goodness, and I put the discussion about Emmy’s growth temporarily out of my mind.

On the same day the echocardiogram of her heart came back ok, we got a call from the first  doctor to say that Emmy has Celiac disease, and her numbers are off the charts! (They don’t even need to do an endoscopy to confirm the results because her numbers were so high.) I was shocked but also so incredibly relieved about her heart that I thought, Hey, we can handle Celiac disease. No big deal. Especially because I’ve been gluten-free for a while, so I already had some familiarity with what it means to eliminate gluten.

Then, as the days passed, I realized:

  1. A child going gluten-free is totally different from an adult. I’m ok with salad and nuts. Emmy wants mac-and-cheese and chicken fingers.
  2. Eating out will never be the same. We can no longer just grab something anywhere at anytime.
  3. Birthday parties are going to be a bear for her. When the other kids are having the standard pizza and cake, I’m going to have to find an alternative for her. (Incidentally, am I supposed to show up with my own pizza and cake?? This is going to be a weird situation and has the potential to alienate her from her friends. I’m nervous about this one…)
  4. Classroom parties at school are also a problem. For her St. Patty’s Day party, my husband Dan had to quickly bake some gluten-free cupcakes.
  5. Emmy has a severe level of Celiac disease, so she has to wash her hands after touching something as innocent as Play-Doh (which has gluten apparently!), and we have to read every label to make sure that the food wasn’t processed in a facility that also processes wheat.
  6. My very first blog post, Green Bagel Morning, takes on a whole new meaning. When I wrote that, I never would’ve thought that we’d have to stress about something as simple as green bagels three years later.
  7. Oh and…I’m going to have to learn how to cook. Ughhhhhhhhhh. And BAKE. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

About that last one… I’m an ok cook, but it doesn’t come easily to me AT ALL. If you want to see me pull my hair out, give me a recipe. It’s all so overwhelming. I actually go into panic mode. I will read a recipe ten times and still not know what I’m supposed to do. All the words start to blend together, and I begin to have a mini panic attack.

If you don’t believe me, consider this. The other day, I asked Dan if we have a Cuisinart. He started laughing and said, “Of course we do! We got that for our wedding!” Then I asked him to show me where it is. And because it all became so daunting (with the blades and everything — yikes!!), I asked him to just take out the Cuisinart and leave it on the counter. It’s been sitting on the counter mocking me for about a week. I haven’t touched it…

But I can throw together an ok meal (usually sans recipe because I just go for the trusty olive oil and seasonings). However, baking is a JOKE. Here’s a secret: I have not baked anything from scratch ever. EVER. EVER. EVER.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I did try once. When we were trying to sell our house, I was thinking of ways to make it smell nice for a showing, and somehow I came to the conclusion that baking brownies was the answer! Because recipes make me panic, I just casually glanced at a recipe and then threw the following in a pan: eggs, butter, cocoa, baking powder, and something else (maybe milk?). I stirred it all together and baked it! Ok, I have to say that it smelled AMAZING. It actually smelled like brownies, and even our realtor commented that the house smelled great. I thought, This baking thing isn’t so hard after all!

But when Dan came home, he made the mistake of taking a bite. I think he’s still recovering…

That was the last time I attempted to bake anything.

The picture at the top of this post was taken when I discovered a gluten-free bake shop! It’s an hour away, but I’m willing to drive. The kids loved it!

So here we go on our new journey. Hang on tight! 🙂

Four and-a-half Years Old

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Here is our sweet, funny, smart, beautiful, persistent, and loving Emmy. She is everything I thought she would be. Not at first, though. Not when we found out about Williams syndrome. I wasn’t ok with the diagnosis at first and I thought, “Please just let me be ok with this by the time she’s 8 years old.” I gave myself ample time to let it sink in.

Turns out that I only needed a year, but I’m glad I gave myself 8 because I think creating space is important.

I was ok with it after a year. I was totally accepting of the diagnosis, and I was completely in love with Emmy–just as she was.

And then she changed. Into more. And more. And more. And more. At four-and-a-half years old, she puts me in a state of constant awe.

She is, truly, as sweet as her smile shows.

She shares EVERYTHING. I took her to the library, and the librarian gave us a donut. Emmy said she wanted to save it until we got home, so she could share it with Charlotte.

She will readily give Theo a toy that she’s playing with–no hesitation. “Here, Theo. Have this.”

She says things like, “I love you so much, Mommy” and “You’re the best mommy ever.” (Which isn’t true, but I love hearing it nonetheless.)

She is also witty and sly. With a more crooked version of her beautiful smile, she’ll goad Charlotte on. She definitely knows how to push buttons, but she does it in a funny way. If we’re eating a more adult-friendly meal like pot roast, she’ll knowingly say, “Good news, Charlotte! We having mac-and-cheese for dinner!” Then Charlotte will get all pumped up…only to be disappointed when she reaches the table. Emmy finds that hilarious.

Or before Christmas, I was telling the kids that Santa brings presents to children who are nice; not naughty. So of course Emmy would offer, “Naughty like Charlotte??”

Charlotte is far from naughty, but Emmy totally knows that and loves to try and get under her skin sometimes.

Emmy is very smart, and I feel for her because she KNOWS a lot, but her hands don’t work fluidly with her brain quite yet. So while she knows all the letters, writing is very difficult for her. I watch her hands shake slightly as she struggles to hold a pencil. Drawing a smiley face is an unbelievable accomplishment. I recognize how frustrating it must be to have your mind go one direction and your body another.

But, boy, is she persistent! This kid DOES NOT GIVE UP. She gets up on the balance beam with everyone else in gymnastics. She gets scared. Sometimes she cries. The teachers are wonderful and help her the whole way along. And at the end, she always says, “I did it!! I’m so proud of myself!”

Emmy has therapists in school, and they are consistently reporting back to me that she comes to the therapy room with a smile on her face, ready for anything–even if it’s hard. It’s funny because sometimes they say, “It’s a pleasure to work with Emmy.” And I picture this 4 year old in a little pinstriped business suit, marching off to work in the therapy room. What a trooper!

Our life is quite typical…I think. Emmy likes to do everything that every other 4 year old does. She likes to get her hair braided and put on pretend makeup. She has favorite outfits, and she’ll often ask me if I washed her pink polka-dotted sweatshirt. She loves going to the park, and (naturally) she loves anything with sugar.

She also can be obsessive about things, which I think is more of a Williams syndrome trait. She might ask a question 100 times (like “Where are we going?” even though she knows exactly where we’re going). She also will become obsessed with certain “themes.” For the past year, she was into anything scary (vampires, ghosts, zombies, etc). There’s nothing quite like sitting across from an adorable 4 year old at dinner and having her ask, “What you like better? Werewolves or goblins?”

Right now, her theme is still anything scary, but she’s also introduced CANDY. So now it’s “What you like better? Skittles or Twizzlers?” We have treat nights on Monday and Friday, so all week long, she’ll ask, “No treat night tonight, right?” And then on treat night, she’ll say all day long, “Don’t forget!! Treat night tonight!”

The obsessive stuff can be rough when I’m tired. I usually just answer her questions repeatedly, but sometimes I’ll stop and say, “Emmy, you already asked that question, remember?”

And then she’ll say, “Oops! Sorry!”

She’s so cute.

In a way, I can’t believe I gave myself 8 years to be ok with this. That seems like a long time, when I have someone so irresistible right in front of me. But when you have a baby in your arms who you’ve barely met, and you’re reading about a scary diagnosis, all you can do is promise yourself that–in time–this will be ok. In time, you will accept and even appreciate the sweet gift before you.

Luckily, she is everything I thought she would be–and much, much more.

A Story About Sisters

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Charlotte wrote a “How To” story in school. The topic she chose was “How to Help Your Sister.” For her dedication in the beginning, she wrote, “I dedicate this book to Mommy because my Mommy taught me how to help my sister.” She wrote about helping her sister down the stairs, helping her get dressed, and helping her brush her hair.

My first thought was: This is the sweetest thing I have ever seen in the history of the world!

My second thought was: Have I put too much of a burden on Charlotte?

I felt the #1 Mom feeling, which is guilt. Am I not doing this right? My original intent was that I didn’t want Charlotte to feel like she always has to help Emmy because I didn’t want her to resent her sister later in life. (Though someone commented on my blog once that she, as an adult, loves helping her sister with Williams syndrome and that she would do anything for her.)

I just don’t want Charlotte to look back on her life and say, “You know, my mom really screwed things up because she made me help my sister too much, and now I have the following issues…”

But then I thought…

Wait a minute. I helped my own sister! I was always looking out for her. I’m sure my sister felt like she had 3 parents because I was always putting my nose into everything. I remember being in a grocery store with my mom and my sister and, while my mom put in her order at the deli counter, I would chase my sister around the grocery store and call back over my shoulder, “You need to watch her!!” Of course, my mom had an eye on her the whole time, but she found it hilarious that I played the role of guardian (while chastising her for it…).

My sister and I recently found some old videotapes of my 13th birthday party, and we had so much fun laughing at ourselves. The grainy footage showed the party in my house with music blasting. Our living room was crowded with friends and even a boy that I liked. But while I was surrounded by people my own age, I danced with my 7 year old sister for hours. There we were in the middle of the circle–spinning around and laughing. We both commented on it. “Wow, I basically ignored everyone else and spent the party with you!”

Growing up, I included my sister in everything. “This is my little sister!” I would call out to anyone who would listen. I always had a protective arm around her, and I loved doling out advice. When I finally got my driver’s license, we continued to spend all of our free time together–out and about. And when I got to college, I brought my little sister to parties and watched her like a hawk (reminiscent of days in the grocery store as kids).

I don’t remember if I helped her down stairs or if I brushed her hair, like Charlotte does with Emmy. But I know that I’ve helped my sister in other ways–just as she has helped me. It’s always been a give and take. (My little sister has even called a boy on my behalf, to ask him to a dance. I was 15 and she was 9. At the time, my shyness was beyond embarrassing. Now, I can laugh about it.)

With Charlotte and Emmy, I see that give and take. Some of Emmy’s greatest strengths come from her reliable company. If Charlotte needs a hug, Emmy is right there. When Charlotte needs a laugh, Emmy is happy to provide it. When we moved to a new town a few months ago and didn’t know anybody, Emmy stepped into the role of “steadfast companion” to Charlotte. They spent all of their free time together.

The other day, I found one of Emmy’s books in Charlotte’s room. I asked, “Did Emmy leave this here?” and Charlotte responded by filling me in on their morning routine.

Every morning, Emmy wakes up first. She grabs a book from her nightstand and walks over to Charlotte’s room. She knocks softly on the door and enters. Charlotte is still in bed–sometimes sleeping. The two girls don’t say a word. Emmy sits on the floor of Charlotte’s room with her book and leafs through it, waiting for her sister to get out of bed.

I said, “You guys don’t talk at all?”

Charlotte replied, “No. She just likes to be in here with me.”

Their bond is strong. There’s a give and take. For now, I think it’s equal. What role Charlotte will take on in the future remains to be seen. I don’t want her to feel burdened, and I don’t want her to resent her sister. But for everything I’ve done for my sister and for all the times I’ve been there for her, I feel zero burden or resentment. Yes, the circumstances are different. But from what I see in Charlotte and Emmy, that special bond is exactly the same.

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The Time That I Freaked Out

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It’s very bizarre to fill out medical paperwork on behalf of Emmy. Since we moved a couple months ago, we’ve entered a new school system, and we’ve had to find new doctors and dentists. We’ve also signed up for extracurricular activities, like gymnastics. This all comes with a lot of paperwork…and a lot of questions.

First, the questions ask for me to go through her health history. Gosh, this is still tough for me. I have trouble rehashing her heart surgery in 2013 followed by 2 cardiac arrests and a week on life support. She also has a lasting problem from that event, which makes me sad to think about. And then, of course, there’s the fact that she has a genetic condition. And, while I’ve completely accepted and embraced the fact that she has Williams syndrome, sometimes just thinking about that first year can bring back memories of complete uncertainty, confusion, stress, and exhaustion. Trying to grasp what Williams syndrome meant for our child along with setting up doctors’ appointments alongside Early Intervention services was just EXHAUSTING.

Next, after filling out her health history, I’ll no doubt see the following question which is phrased in many ways but most commonly: “Is your child healthy?”

I don’t even know how to answer this question. I mean, yes, Emmy has both Williams syndrome and a lasting issue from her cardiac arrests. But she certainly SEEMS healthy. She smiles a lot, runs around all day, expresses her MANY opinions loudly, and pushes herself in everything she does.

I don’t even know how to define “healthy” when it comes to Emmy. On a day to day basis, she seems healthy to me, even after everything we’ve been through.

Then we’ll have moments that will make me positively freak out.

A few days ago, Emmy ate some mango (her favorite food). Then a couple hours later, she said, “Mommy, I need some help.” I looked over, and she was practically green. She then threw up twice.

And I got nervous. I’ll tell you why… When we were in the hospital after her heart surgery, one of the nurses told me that when something is wrong with the heart, it often presents itself in the stomach first. So vomiting could be a sign of a heart problem.

I tried to put that thought out of my mind and deal with Emmy’s situation as if it were just a stomach bug. I did all the usual things that I do with stomach bugs–cleaned her up, gave her some water; tucked her in bed for a bit. But she wouldn’t settle. I brought her downstairs and sat with her on my lap, as she clung to me. She was acting differently. She could barely sit up. She kept saying, “Mommy, I’m scared.”

All this after throwing up only twice??

She seemed to be getting worse quickly. She was practically limp in my arms, and then her eyes rolled back for a second.

And that was it. My mind took off racing. What if it is her heart? That was all I needed. Without another thought, I grabbed my purse and put her in the car. She didn’t even have shoes on! I ran back in to get her shoes and then hopped behind the driver’s seat. I turned around to look at her again. Am I overreacting??

“Emmy, are you ok? Should I take you to the hospital, or do you want to go back inside?”

She said weakly, “I want to go to hospital.”

Done. I frantically drove to the hospital, peeking back to check on her along the way. She looked like she was going to pass out. Her eyes were closing, and her head was hanging down. I tried talking to her, but she would only answer in a slight whisper.

“YOU OK, EMMY?? ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT YOUR BIRTHDAY COMING UP???” I was trying to get her interested in something–anything!

When we got to the ER, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. At last, we were safe. Someone was going to help us.

I practically ran her inside, and rattled off her health history. Emmy seemed to perk up when she noticed the tvs. And then she perked up even more when they brought her some Batman stickers. And then she REALLY perked up when they brought her an ice pop.

And all of a sudden, the child who completely scared the heck out of me an hour prior was sitting up in the hospital bed, happily watching Monsters Inc., eating her ice pop, and chatting up the hospital staff. She looked great. And then the attention started to turn to mom…

“So, mom, did you call the pediatrician?”

Nooooo.

“You didn’t call the pediatrician?”

Noooooooooooo. Honestly, it didn’t even cross my mind to call the pediatrician. After what we’ve been through medically with Emmy, I didn’t want to waste a precious second. In the past, I’ve seen her situation change in, literally, a heartbeat. She’s gone from “ok” to “clinging to life” in the space of a few seconds. The doctors will remind me that it was different back then. She was post-surgery. That was 2 whole years ago. But after living through that…after witnessing what happened to her…I can’t just forget. When I see her start to fade on me, my mind goes back there in a split second, and I freak out.

I think the staff in the ER thought I was a little bonkers. My child threw up twice, and I brought her to the ER. That’s all it takes, apparently, for Mom to freak out. I was told that she’s a healthy child, and I should treat her just like any other. And if she vomits, I shouldn’t worry about her heart.

So it seems the answer is, yes, she’s healthy.

But, seriously, telling me not to worry is like telling someone else to stop breathing. Worrying is what I DO. And I’m quite good at it! I’ve actually perfected it, thank you very much. 🙂

But here’s the deal… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if there were something seriously wrong with Emmy and I brushed it off as nothing. When I feel like she’s giving me signs, it’s impossible to ignore them. I’ve witnessed things changing in an instant. I know the circumstances were different, and that was all 2 years ago. I know she was post-surgery. But after living through that, I can’t forget it.

So, yes, we may be back to the ER one day, and Emmy may get a repeat of Monsters Inc. and an ice pop. But next time, I’ll call our pediatrician on the way over…

Mrs. Personality

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When I picked Emmy up from gymnastics’ class yesterday, the teacher said, “She has such a great personality. You can’t help but smile around her.”

This is so true.

Emmy wakes up in the morning with a smile on her face and usually says something sweet like “I love toast with jelly!” or “I can’t wait to see Miss J!” (one of her therapists, whom she adores).

Her Speech therapist wrote the following in her journal: “When we finished our crayon box today, Emmy said, ‘I am so, so happy we finished it!’ It was so cute.”

The other day, she made a beeline for her teacher before school and gave her a hug, to which the teacher responded happily, “Hi Emmy! I got my morning hug!”

She’s already started getting report cards from preschool, and the comments make me smile: “Emmy always comes into the therapy room excited and ready to work.”

This has been the gift of Williams syndrome.

I sometimes wonder what she would be like if she didn’t have Williams syndrome. Would she be anywhere near this positive — this smiley? I also wonder if her interests would be different. Right now, she is really into anything that has to do with Halloween (ghosts, monsters, vampires), and she’s into superheroes (particularly Superman). She says in a wavering voice with a sly smile, “I want a spooooooky book.” And she loves the thrill of a “scaaaaary” story.

At this age, Charlotte was dressing as a princess every day. I wonder if Emmy’s interests have anything to do with her diagnosis, or if she would’ve been into monsters and Superman regardless? I’ve seen plenty of kids with WS dress as princesses…

I think about how much of her personality comes from WS, how much of it comes from Emmy, and how much of it comes from our family…

I see that her sense of humor is really starting to come through. And I think…it that us or is that Williams syndrome? Is that my dry sense of humor, or is it Williams syndrome?

People might say, “Why even think about it? It doesn’t matter now because this is who she is!”

The thing about me is that I can’t help but think about it. Curiosity gets the better of me…

From the moment our children are born, isn’t that what we do? “Are those daddy’s eyes or mommy’s?” “She gets her serious side from you…” “Oh look! She’s into crafting! Just like mommy!” “Aww! She has a dimple like daddy!”

Because I’m somebody who likes to organize and who, instinctively, puts things into nice little piles — whether in my mind or on my shelves — I think about Emmy’s traits. Will anything ever be obviously *me*? Will I ever say, “She totally got that from me!” Or will all her traits belong — in a sense — to Williams syndrome?

The truth is that I don’t know who she would’ve been without Williams syndrome. So, of course, it’s a pointless exercise in my mind — one that just raises more questions than answers. But, like I said, I can’t help it…

Regardless of its origin, her awesome personality makes her endearing, and it will serve her well in life. I just love that she’s up for anything. I could say, “Hey, Emmy, you feel like going grocery shopping?” And she’ll clap her hands and say, “Ohh I just love grocery shopping!”

Or my favorite — we went out for sushi the other night, and I ordered a spider roll.

Emmy chimed in joyfully, “I love spiders!!”

You can’t help but smile around her.

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