How do you feel on your children's birthdays?

[emkana]

Ds is two today.

On the one hand it's been a happy day and it's great to see him doing so well, on the other hand I've felt a bit emotional all day because it's also a day where I realize all the things he can't do, and where I become aware of the fact that we don't really know what the future holds, as we don't have a diagnosis.

This has been made worse by the fact that I had a bit of a kick in the stomach yesterday, when I saw the lung specialist with ds and he showed me a letter written by ds's other consultant in which it was mentioned that they want to test ds for MPS, which is a group of horrible HORRIBLE degenerative diseases. Could hardly sleep all night, then phoned ped I know in Germany and also ds's consultant at our local hospital and they both somewhat reassured me, but they still want to do the test just in case. I had just so got used to the "fact" that ds has hypochondroplasia that it hadn't even crossed my mind that there might be something awful in store.

And to top it all my mum was in tears yesterday because my dad, who has Alzheimer's, has taken another turn for the worse and is in a very bad state.

So, altogether a difficult day.

Generally I feel thankful.

Sorry about your dad emkana - and about them wanting to do the test - that must be quite a shock.

so sorry to hear about your dad. must be very hard.
I always celebrate dd's birthday as I so nearly lost her.
I do hope the teast just proves to be a formality.

i feel thankful. i'm passed worrying about her future, i've come to the point where i focus on who she is, and that is such a positive thing, and what she CAN do.

you will get there, too, em.

your son is a beautiful person. his life is a gift to him, to you and to everyone who knows him.

remember how fearful you were he'd never make it all?

but he's here!

happy birthday, emkana's son! it's expat's DD1's birthday, too. she's a little girl who has dyspraxia and she has other learning delays and disabilities that haven't come out just yet because she's only five, but for both of you, 19 june is a happy day!

Happy birthday, expat's dd1!

so, has he had cake and jelly and ice cream today then, emkana?

and what lucky kids they are, because most of the time they're going to get fabulous weather for their birthday.

He did have a cake, and I took him out to a little farm nearby because he loves animals.

His favourite present was a clickclack track.

What did your dd1 like best?

He did have a cake, and I took him out to a little farm nearby because he loves animals.

His favourite present was a clickclack track.

What did your dd1 like best?

she loves her new pop up tent and tunnel for hte garden. so does the cat. and her recorder.

she had OT this morning, then went to nursery, then went to a birthday party for a classmate and she's eaten a huge amount of junky food.

she crashed out about 7.30.

My ds has SLD and is non-verbal. He has no concept of birthdays or other celebratory occasions. However, I always buy him toys that I know he will like and he always has cards too but I feel that his birthdays are celebrated by us, for us rather than being celebrated by us, for him, IYSWIM.

Hi emkana and happy bday to your DS. DD is also being tested for MPS (neurologist thought there was something on her brain that she has seen in children who have it) but so far 2 urine samples have gone missing between our local hospital and GOSH . I think it's just something they like to rule out. Neurologist said a diagnosis was unlikely in DD's case.
It's DD's birthday at the end of July and I'm not sure how I feel. I look at 2 year-olds and they seem so much older than DD and can do so much.

Emkana, I forgot to wish your ds a happy birthday (for yesterday!). I just looked at your photos and on the bottom photo, your ds reminds me of the boy on the album cover of U2's War album (a younger version at least!). He looks lovely!

I used to just feel depressed. But in the last couple of years (ds1 is 9 now) he has really started to understand birthdays and enjoy them in his own way so I enjoy them too. He loves cakes and happy birthday and the last 2 years we've hired a limo to drive around in (Sccoby Doo mystery machine this year, hummer last year) which he really likes.

I never thought I'd enjoy his birthdays- but we got there....

Happy birthday to those celebrating!

Birthdays set off flashbacks here for a week or so - but tbh i'm so fried trying to work out how best to include dd2 as the birthday girl alongside the hordes of NT kids that it's just as stressful as the rest of the year. she loves it though - queen for a day...