Dusting Off the Ol' Keyboard: A Blog Begins

Well, hello there! It’s been about a decade since I’ve blogged (and back then it was all wedding dresses and table numbers for me), so please bear with me as I dust off my keyboard and clear the cobwebs upstairs. Sometimes I think I’ve actually gotten progressively less eloquent with my words as time has passed, but you can bet your bottom dollar that’s not going to stop me from trying.

A family photo from shortly after Abrian’s birth. Photo courtesy of Sweetness and Light Photography.

Since Shaun and I got married (nearly EIGHT years ago now), our lives have certainly gotten more robust. It didn’t take long for us to get pregnant, and then pregnant again a couple of years later, and then again, and again. Three of my four pregnancies resulted in babies—each one of them a BOY. Our home is loud and chaotic, but it’s just about as controlled as I can get it. All of our boys do well with structure, so I do what I can to maintain some semblance of that.

Writing is my therapy. Whether it’s a long-winded post on Facebook, or a private note to myself on my phone—I’ve turned to formulating my thoughts into words as a source of solace time and time again. So really that’s what I’m hoping for here. In our family’s world of behavioral therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy…this mama is hoping for some treatment of her own via some good ol’ fashioned journaling.

When our eldest was born, and then later diagnosed with autism, I shut that outlet down for a little while. Not because writing lost its value, but rather because I barely knew WHAT I was thinking, let alone possessive of the ability to organize any thoughts into coherent paragraphs. Now that we’ve gotten into a bit more of a groove when it comes to our three kiddos and their varying needs, I realize that my voice can also serve a purpose, even if that purpose is to make at least ONE parent feel less alone.

Special needs parenting can be isolating and confusing. There is power in unity and comfort in kinship, and I hope to facilitate some strength and warmth around here via community—one post at a time.

So why “The Square Peg Project”? All three of my boys don’t quite fit the mold. Julian has autism, Elias has a speech delay and behavioral challenges, and Abrian will start early intervention in just a couple of days. They are three square pegs that don’t fit into the very round holes society has carved out for them—and while we work hard to help strengthen each of them in the areas they struggle, we are also doing our best to make the world a more inclusive and understanding place—a place where being a square peg doesn’t mean exclusion.

Thanks for joining me!

-MD