So there I was at home that afternoon. Abigail and Emma were still in school. This meant that I could look online and learn all that I could about blindness in infants. I know that babies are not able to see well the first few days of life. I read and read all afternoon. I did not see anything good. I saw ways to help your blind child, I saw ways to tell if your child is blind and a million other things. I kept doing the experiments suggested in hope that she would see something and I could end all of this.
So I shined a light in her eyes, I pointed her to the window to see if she would look out it. I did everything that every web site had said to do and still nothing. I cried for about 5 minutes and then picked myself up! I said, “OK so she is blind. There are worse things. She is healthy other then that! You can do this.” And there it was. Just like with the Mastocytosis (which can become cancerous), just like the cerebral palsy I could do this. It was all going to be alright. I said it again and again and again until I believed it. I started to read about what to do with children who are blind. I read all about ways to stimulate blind babies. If I could not change it then by God I would educate myself about it. 
As I called my husband and told him he had the same response that his mother had. I told him all the things I had been looking at and was, by this point, even cracking jokes. I told him that we could get another dog now because Analiese would need a seeing eye dog. He even started cracking jokes about it which are worse then my dog one so I will leave it out. We were ready for whatever was to come. I guess it is the kind of thing we had been faced with before. We learned early on to accept it, deal with it and move on! Now I was in the moving on stages by the afternoon. That is until my in laws all got together and sent a huge margarita glass filled with flowers. I cannot tell you what the card said but there I was crying again. Partly because it was all too much and partly because it is always nice to know that you are loved! Love was what I needed right now and they knew it. That is why they are so great!
All day I helped Analiese and tried to get her to track things. My father was convinced she was following a rattle. I had explained to him that she was following the noise and after about 30 minutes of trying other things he gave me a great big bear hug. This is what my daddy is best at. It was his way of saying it is not fair. You have too much. It was his way of loving me. It was his way of saying it would all be OK. Just like daddy always does!
Becca
Links to the Full Series
Baby Blind Part I
Baby Blind Part II
Baby Blind Part III
Baby Blind Part IV
Baby Blind Part V
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- National Disability Awareness Month (askbecca.com)
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- What is Cerebral Palsy and How Could it Affect Your Oral Health (articlesbase.com)
- Outside Will Get You? (askbecca.com)
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Hi Rebecca,
Because I know this has a happy ending, I’m okay…but the suspense
is still killing me!! You can’t write fast enough! Your mother-in-law is right…you are an excellent writer…I’m enjoying your blog, even though I am way past the “kid” stage. Food for thought for grandkids, though. Keep up the good work. I am a fan!
It is my hobby (and my privlage) to get to watch Abby, Emma, and Analiese and how Mommy and Daddy struggle to be good people and good parents. Sometimes the chaos is too much for me and it is time for me to say “Bye-Bye!” Lucky me to leave when they all hang in there together, as one unit, and struggle.
Luckier me that they are so willing to share the joys and sorrows, frustrations and accomplishments.
What I have learned is how much my imperfect parents struggled though raising three sons and a daughter. Maybe I am not always happy with my childhood, but I have been able to see the human side of parenthood and how to forgive Mommy and Daddy for being imperfect people.
thanks
You are an amazingly strong and courageous person. I love how you meet the challenges head on and don’t look back. I think it’s amazing that when confronted with enormous obstacles parents like you can dig deep and shoulder through. I wish that I had your strength, too.
Linda thank you so much. I am glad that you stop by! My mother in law is ALWAYS right…lol… I hope that you are enjoying the read!
Becca
Kathy just from reading you blog I know that you also have the strength that I do. I think that if you were faced with these, obstacles as you call them, you would shine in the end. Thank you so much for the compliment!
Becca
Peggie as I tell you often it is not as fun or easy as it looks. I think that we, as adults, have to look at the challenges our parents had and assume that they did the best that they could with those challenges. You are welcome.
Becca
I am just tuning in so I feel a bit lost. Is she blind or not? I wish you all the strength and encouragement regardless.
Wow Becca. What a tough time for you. Thank you for sharing your story. It must have been heart wrenching.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
D it is a 5 part story. You will have to come back all week to find out. Parts I and II were posted Monday and Tuesday on my main page.
Becca
Zeemaid thanks for stopping by!
Becca
Oh my goodness, what a drama to have to live through! How brave you are.
Becca,
I gave birth to a ‘blind’ baby. I heard so many horror stories it was unreal!
My daughter’s visual impairment was such a blessing in disguise. She received so much early stimulation that she developed an incredible vocabulary and so many other skills. She is in a mainstream school, has no social problems and no one ever guesses she is visually impaired,etc.
Your baby has twice as many brain cells as you do, so this is the time to develop her.
With your attitude you will learn a lot about infant development. I have met many parents without your attitude. Guess what? Their children have the worst problems.
Your attitude is everything and that is why your baby is going to do so well!
Keep up the research and the tracking exercises!
PS You have quite a little cutie on your hands!
TK