Top 10

[Guest guest]

Howdy Folks!

In an attempt to put perspective in my life, I decided to come up

with a Top 10 List as to why I LOVE BEING A PARENT TO A CHILD WITH

SGA/RSS? Perhaps, after you all read my reasons, you'll add a few of

your own. This list is is the spirit of the Dave Letterman show who

always has a list for something. However, rather than be cynical, I

thought I'd be ironic. I hope this brings a chuckle, may be even a

few groans from parents who have been there and done that and

designed the T-shirt. The point is, even though we do face

challenges and emotional roller coasters, happiness, I have found is

a choice - especially in the midst of caring for a child with special

needs.

Drum roll Please.....!!!!!!!

1. The clothing bill for Connor is non-existent. Since he is 15

months old but wearing only 3-6 mo clothes, I'm still opening things

we got from the shower.

2. Emeril, the chef on the cooking channel can't hold a candle to me

when it comes to (affect a snooty chef accent here) food texture!

When your child can't even swallow vanilla pudding without gagging, I

have learned to puree, saute, and pulverize all food down to it's sub

atomic level so that my darling Connor can swallow it.

3. My vocabulary has increased dramatically. I now can pronounce

and spell dysphagia, hyper-ciphosis, cryptorchidism, polymorphic

markers on Chromosome 7 and finally my all time favorite,

psedohydrocephalus. Please don't ask me to pronounce these things

when I'm drunk....

4. I appreciate more that excellent things always come in small

packages. Connor is our joy. All 14 pounds of him.

5. Name any baby food, any variety or brand and I can tell you the

nutrional and caloric content from memory! I am now learning the

caloric contents to Mac n cheese, wendy's french fries, and pumpkin

pudding bread which Connor gobbles us in short order. (No pun

intended)

6. Since just about everybody is staring at Connor now, he has

become a great conversational opener. Whether we are waiting at the

car wash or at the public library, I ALWAYS end up in some

educational conversation on Russel-Silver Syndrome and dwarfism.

Free public education and exhaustive networking accomplished for the

Magic Foundation - how cool!

7. Thanks to Connor's syndrome, I can now perform higher math

functions when I calculate the calories, centimeters or BMI of

Connor. I also have become more tech savy since I've needed to get a

new computer and load or download info from Magic!

8. Connor has a set of cheerleaders at the Pediatricians office. We

are no longer just a chart number. Due to frequent weigh in's, all

the nurses know every precious inch of Connor and his latest weight

stat too!

9. I love the movie, " Finding Nemo. " A little fish with asymetry who

could do anything he put his mind to despite his paranoid father.

Although I identify to much with the Dad, I have so much hope for

Connor thanks to that movie.

10. Finally, the number one reason I love being a parent to a child

with SGA/RSS is HE BRINGS OUT THE PERFECTION IN EVERYONE HE COMES

INTO CONTACT WITH. This is not symnpathy or pity. It's perfection.

When other children drop down to their knees so they can be on

Connor's level, that's perfection. When the nurses cry with you on a

bad weigh in day, that's perfection. When you can finally, finally,

get rid of the premie clothing and your neighborhood celebrates with

you, that's perfection. When you go to church and find your son has

been passed back nine pews because people just got to hold and love

him, that's perfection. When your seven year old says, " I know, I

know, I know, one mommy- three kids, I'll feed Connor his bottle; "

that's perfection. When you hold your precious child and know that

his love is unconditional for you and yet somehow, it completes you

as a human being, that is the sweetest perfection of all.

Grace and Peace to all,

Kearns

mother to Graham 7; Cameron 4; Connor 15 mo's - IUGR,SGA, Periactin

and Zantac.