What do you think....

I'm playing around with a new blog for Jordan:

http://www.bornjustright.com

I'd love your thoughts before I officially make the move! I'm still tinkering with possible layouts.

UPDATE: New look as of 1.11.09!!

Connecting without BlogHer

So there's this big event underway that only Mom Bloggers really know about. It's called BlogHer. It's a really cool way women bloggers connect each and every year. It happens in the summer, which makes sense. But it also happens close to my family vacation time and I haven't been able to attend... Let along AFFORD to attend!

So I've started talking to a number of mom bloggers on Twitter and they've started a BlogHer Pity Party. I'm planning to chat with some of the other moms and whine (if you see the little link to the right of this post, you'll see there's also and excuse to WINE). If you want to attend, register on mommytalk.com and join in on the fun. It will be nice to have an excuse to meet more moms out there!

29 Months Old (600th post)

In my constant documentation of Jordan, we've reached my girl's 29th month. Every month is another amazing jump in independence and personality. I'm not sure how I can properly document this little one's growth as she becomes more like a a little person every day. I obviously post a lot. This happens to be my 600th post about a 29 month old. That seems a bit extreme. I guess this mom blog thing has become quite the hobby.

Along with her growing potty skills (for those of you who know more than what I've been posting about that process, she finally let loose today), she's working on ways to get her clothes off. She's not an expert on putting clothes on, but off is turning into an impressive skill. I came up with a way to help her take shirts off: little arm out first, pull the shirt over her head and then shake her big arm out. It's going very well. These are the little things that used to worry me. But she finds solutions each and every day. I'm proud to be a part of it.

If I'm lucky, I'll find a way to stay patient as her powerfully stubborn tests try me. She will fight just about anything I ask her to do. But she and I are learning. I'm training her and she thinks she's training me.

Either way, in the last month, Jordan has picked up more words and abilities to really talk about what she wants, needs and is curious about. She's always asking things like: "What's that?" "What's that sound?" "I want that!" "I do it!" Classic stuff. It's just so fun to watch her grow.

Wow. I'm an Alltop Mom!

I've been a mom blogger since 2004 (I started with Mom Thoughts). It isn't as long as many people out there. I have this small little following and I love everyone who visits here. I've always wondered if there were ways to make sure I reach as many moms out there who have kids with differences. I work full-time and I don't have a ton of time to "pimp my blog." But a friend of mine pitched my two mom blogs to Alltop Moms - it's considered the ultimate aggregator of blogs. I'm really honored to be groups with a great bunch of mom bloggers.

I've been pondering some issues as a parent of a limb different kid lately as I watch Jordan move into a bigger girl stage - I've been wondering if I should post it but I figured this is probably the right moment. I have a couple of hours off from work. A half hour before I need to grab the kids. So I have quiet thinking time (which is rare around here).

I've moved into another fearful stage - I realize that every time I see a huge mountain that Jordan has to climb, the girl flies over it after a few false attempts to get up the rock face. But because I live in a two handed world, I can't fathom how she's going to do all of the simplest things that I do every day. I was opening a container of yogurt, and used both hands even though I tried it with one. I started buying glass milk containers and I have a hard time opening it with two hands. This potty process... Jordan has a really hard time getting her pants up and down on her own.

I realize she's going to figure all of these things out because she doesn't even know what the world is like with two hands. But I'm intimidated. I see these thousands of menial tasks as a huge challenge. And it exhausts me. Jordan's stubborn drive to learn everything on her own will get to her accomplish everything. But to get my brain to wrap around how she'll catch a ball with her new baseball glove AND throw the ball back to me is hard. I know she'll find a way. That little arm can do a lot of work. I just get into these little ruts from time to time when Jordan starts moving into a new phase of development. It's my problem and I know she'll overcome it all. Not once will I ever tell her that she can't do a thing. I just get scared when a simple challenge like getting dressed seems so difficult.

Thanks blog friends!

I have to say I'm pretty amazed by the immediate response of my blog and web friends when I announced our latest prosthetic arm problems.

I live closest to a Shriner's in St. Louis - that Shriner's does not produce myoelectric arms. So, hopefully my physical therapist will target a Shriners that would be interested in working with us... Or another shop that wants to help. Of course I'll check in with our current prosthetists and see what they have to say. My PT doesn't think it's appropriate to wait until the Fall to get a better functioning arm.

The more advice I can get, the merrier. I'll take more ideas from my blog and web friends. Talk to your prosthetists... Talk to the experts you know. Share the word. Jordan is an unusual case. She doesn't have an elbow - but the base of her arm can bend SLIGHTLY into the direction an elbow would bend. She bends it in that direction when she wants to grab something. So clearly it would be logical to try to harness a sensor in that location. So far, our prosthetists haven't been able to do that. It would be AMAZING to find a way to accomplish that feat. And the fact that Jordan already "gets" the concept of having a hand open and close means if we could get a tool that really works, we could have a tool that can actually help her when she needs it.

Once again, my girl can do just about anything with a prosthetic... But if there's better technology, let's try it on Jordan! Come on! Who wants to play?

A little togetherness

I try not to pimp this blog much... I encourage parents of limb-different kids to visit, but I rarely encourage crowds of people to visit. After Jordan's big performance, I kind of pimped it a bit because I'm really proud. Also, I kind of think it's special to see the confidence and grace of an almost-2-year-old who some might think wouldn't be able to dance so well. And shoot, it's just stinking cute to see little kids dance.

So I've shown her off more than usual, and it's so special to be able to do that and feel proud and not worried about what people think when they see our little one in the video and pictures. I feel great and proud and excited to force all kinds of people to watch a few moments of Jordan on stage. Yes. I uploaded the video into my iPhone so I can hand it to anyone to watch.

I was actually walking down a hall when a co-worker started talking to me about Jordan. This is someone who I would have never thought would be interested in my girl... But this person wanted to have a good reason to smile. I'm happy to share.

To add to the pride, we had students graduate tonight. I'm proud of them all and glad I got to hug many of them and meet their parents. It's amazing I've been working with students for almost five years and it still excites me. That must mean I'm doing something right.

Woot!

I rebuilt the page. I think it's kind of cool. I'll keep working on it... But it seemed silly that I hadn't built my own blog header. Yeehaw.

Oh dear. I'm obsessed.

So I'm falling deeper and deeper into this little blog world. I like it. It's nice to find other mommies out there who understand what's going on. Sometimes I link over to visit with BethGo and find her to be a wonderful support source. Sometimes I visit Imperfect Mommy to check on my friend's wife and kids or Sweetney who happens to be very kind to my brother. But now I've started visiting all kinds of other Mommy blogs through these two blogging groups I've joined (notice the links to the left). I feel like I'm spying, even though these other Moms have welcomed me by being a part of these groups. I'm a bit hooked though. I have a new website to help launch at work (a new and improved KOMU.com coming to a computer soon). The majority of my web crew is on vacation this week, so I should be copy editing everything that's online right now.

Anyway. That's the strange thing I'm going through right now. And a tiny sidebar to that. Every time I look at a photo of a child in these blogs. I have to be honest. I look at the hands first to see if there are any differences. It's a bad habit.

Oh! And one other thing. A friend of mine has started a new jewelry business. She has beautiful stuff. I highly recommend her work!!

One other thing that I've been pondering. I realize that I don't talk to a ton of my friends anymore. I'm so self-consumed with my little world. I worry that my blogs allow me to consume myself even more. Then there's my dear friends who don't have to call me to see what's going on... Because my life is available right here on this blog and Cam's blog. I have no idea what they're up to. So if you're a pal of mine and I haven't talked to you in a while, please leave a comment. Let me know you're okay. And I'm sorry I don't call enough. I'm sorry I don't send enough personal emails. I'm just sorry I'm not giving you the time and attention a friend should give you!!