Fan Favorite

Okay, so we didn’t win a free entry to the pageant, but we get a head start on fan favorite! With fan favorite, each dollar donated counts as one vote.

 All you have to do is go to paypal, and login.  

Click Send Money.

Where it says “To” type in ShiningMomentsPP@gmail.com 

Where it says “Amount”, you can donate any amount, $1=1 vote.

Then click Personal and select Gift then click continue.

As the subject put Wendy Fan Favorite then click Send Money.

That’s all.

Please share this blog with your friends and let’s get this baby a crown!

Wow. Huge show of support!

First, can I just say, Wendy’s friends/followers/supporters are nothing short of AMAZING!  As you all know, Wendy is going to be in her first pageant August 25.  The pageants Facebook site decided to do a contest and whoever had the most friends like the page and comment the child’s name would get free entry or a prize. This contest started over a week ago (on the 22nd to be exact). I just put it out there for Wendy two days ago! And already she is in second place- with 145 votes and the lead only having 163. So I just had to share a blog to shout out to everyone that has liked the page and shared with your friends! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.


And the contest isn’t over. We have until 5:00 to get Wendy in first place!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shining-Moments-Pageant-Productions/294904257256253




Acceptance:  favorable reception, approval.


We special needs parents crave acceptance for our children.  We want them to be welcomed with open arms and treated like any other child, which is one of the reasons I am putting Wendy in a pageant that isn’t just for special needs kids (and yes, there are pageants out there specifically for SN kids). I don’t want Wendy looked upon as being disadvantaged. She is a strong, beautiful baby girl that just happens to be a little different.

Crazy Pageant Mom?

Everyone that knows me, knows that I have been involved in pageants since I was a baby myself up until the time I turned 18. The whole time I was pregnant, I said if I had a baby girl, she would be in pageants. But now the time has come. The new dress is in. The outfit of choice has been custom made. And pageant day is less than a month away. So why am I now feeling like a crazy pageant mom?


And when I say “crazy pageant mom” I don’t mean in the context that you’re thinking. I don’t mean the hit-the-kid-on-the-head-with-a-brush-because-they-won’t-stay-still crazy pageant mom. I mean, crazy pageant mom, as in, I’ve just entered my special needs daughter in a pageant where she will be competing with normal kids. I figure for the duration of the pageant, I will unhook her feeds. I don’t want to be dragging a feeding pump onstage. I also am hoping her costume will stay in place and no one will see her g tube button or her colostomy. I know my child is beautiful, I just don’t know how she’s going to act on stage.


For anyone who wants to be there to witness Wendy’s first pageant, it will be August 25. I will post time and place at a later date.

Top 5 Necessities For Raising A Child Like Wendy

5. A Good Video Monitor: If you have a child with special needs, they will most likely come with accessories. Whether it be a heart monitor, a pulse oximeter, feeding pump, etc., you want to be able to keep an eye on said child to make sure he/she hasn’t gotten tangled up in a cord or pulled something loose. Before I had a video monitor, I was getting up out of bed every few hours to check on Wendy. Now, I simply turn over and check my monitor.


4. Organization: This comes into play with many different aspects of Wendy’s life. I have all of her supplies in her closet in drawers that are labeled. When you need a new button or a colostomy bag, the last thing you have time for is to search for something. Also, I make all of Wendy’s food for the day every afternoon. I measure it out and put it in separate bottles in the refrigerator- that way when I have to get up at 3am to add more food, I don’t have to mix a bottle or measure it out.


3. Extras: You should never leave the house without extras. I will forget to bring diapers before I forget to bring an extra button, an extra colostomy bag, and an extra feeding pump bag. The difference in being prepared and not could mean an unneeded trip to the ER. If Wendy’s button comes out and I don’t have an extra, I’d have to take her to the nearest ER to get something put in ASAP. Also, number 4 applies to having extras. Make sure the diaper bag is super organized so you can get to what you need, when you need it.


2. Patience: There will be days when you want to scream at the top of your lungs and pull your hair out! But you can’t. You have to keep it together. That’s where patience comes in. Most days are hard. Some days are harder than others, but no matter what that’s still your child and you still have to take care of them. There are days that Wendy’s colostomy bag refuses to stay on. I’ve been through 5+ bags in one day! Wendy has ripped her button out on several occasions. On those days, I have to take a deep breath and get on with it.


1. Motherly Instincts: This may seem like a silly one, but to me, it’s the most important. I am Wendy’s voice. I am her only voice. And if I don’t think something is right I have to speak up, whether that be to an insurance company, a doctor, or whomever. Wendy is my child, and it’s my responsibility as her mother to be her advocate. If I think she is having a lot of reflux one day, I can up her dose of Pepcid. If I want a second opinion because I didn’t get the answers I wanted, I will take her to another doctor. Wendy’s pediatrician has always told me to use my instincts in raising Wendy because “mother knows best”.

Itsy Bitsy, Teenie Weenie

As I was dressing Wendy this morning, I realized I was putting her in a newborn size onesie. Most people that see her cannot believe she is 9 months old, especially since she weighs only 11lbs and is 24in long. But if you had seen her when she was born, you would see a tremendous growth!


My sweet bambina only weighed 3lbs 15oz, so she has gained 7lbs since birth! And has grown 7 inches! That’s fantastic!


I now understand why mothers start wanting another baby when their child starts getting close to a year old. (Don’t worry, I’m not having baby fever or anything! No more kids from this mama.) It’s just that these tiny creatures start turning into little people who don’t always want to snuggle anymore. They become more independent and self sufficient. Wendy still can’t crawl or walk, and she can’t yet sit on her own, but she thinks she’s grown. She wants to do things by herself and if you try to help her, she will push your hand away. My little girl is growing up.


As for an update on Wendy, she’s not vomiting anymore and I’ve put her back on formula after giving her Pedialyte last night. Her fever is also gone. I’m not sure if it was from teething or a small tummy bug, but whatever it was, she seems better today. She’s more active and not near as lethargic. I’m glad. Mommy hates seeing bambina sick.

Simple Stomach Bug?

People probably think I’m crazy when I post on Facebook that I’m really worried about Wendy vomiting for a day and running a slight fever. And most people thought I shouldn’t switch to clear liquids so soon.

But here’s the deal… Wendy has intestinal malrotation. Her intestines and bowels didn’t form in the proper place while she was in utero. She has had a surgery to help her intestines from rotating and cutting off blood supply, but that surgery only reduces her risk, it doesn’t eliminate it. Therefore, I switched Wendy to Pedialyte immediately after I noticed she was vomiting and running a slight fever. If it was just a tummy bug, she should be able to tolerate clear liquids. If her intestines are twisted, she will vomit everything.


Intestinal malrotation itself doesn’t cause any problems. However, if tissue (Ladd’s bands) blocks the first part of the small intestine or if a condition called volvulus (bowel twists on itself) occurs, it could be life threatening if not treated. The longer your intestines go with out blood supply the more they will have to remove because without blood your intestines will turn into dead tissue.


During Wendy’s g tube surgery, her surgeon noticed the malrotation. So she went ahead and preformed a Ladd’s Procedure. In this surgery, the Ladd’s bands are divided, they widen the small intestine’s mesentery (what connects parts of the small intestine to the back wall of the abdomen), and they preform an appendectomy. But this is not a fix and we will always have to watch for symptoms of her intestines being twisted and we have to make sure every doctor knows she has intestinal malrotation.


I just wanted you all to understand why I worry so much about some things that may seem minute to other mothers. Wendy is different, so I parent in a very different way than most.

Growth, Development, and Milestones.

Note: all of my information is coming from the book "What To Expect The First Year".

I know all babies develop differently. Each individual child learns to do things on their own time frame. I am simply blogging this because I was reading "My Baby Rides The Short Bus" and one of the dads did this for his son, to see which milestones he hit "on time" and the ones he was "behind". I want to see Wendy compared to "normal" babies her age.

Month 1:
Your baby should be able to: lift head briefly, focus on a face
Wendy could focus on our face and she found her hands this month.

Month 2:
Your baby should be able to: smile in response to your smile, follow an object, vocalize in ways other than crying (cooing)
At 9 weeks old Wendy could lift her head.

Month 3:
Your baby should be able to: on stomach- lift head up 45 degrees, follow an object 6 inches past midline
Wendy came home from the hospital this month. She was already sleeping through the night. When we put her on her tummy in her boppy pillow, she could hold her head up, not very steadily though.

Month 4:
Your baby should be able to: on stomach- lift head up 90 degrees, laugh out loud, follow an object 180 degrees.
Wendy had no new developments this month.

Month 5:
Your baby should be able to: hold head steady when upright, on stomach- raise chest supported by arms, roller over (one way), pay attention to a very small object, squeal in delight, reach for an object, smile spontaneously, grasp a rattle
During this month, Wendy smiled for the first time. She also learned to grasp toys.

Month 6:
Your baby should be able to: keep head leveled with body when pulled to sitting, say ah-goo or similar vowel-consonant combinations.
Wendy's sixth month of life, she found her feet and learned to roll onto her side. She can also turn the page of a thick plastic book.

Month 7:
Your baby should be able to: sit without support, feed self a cracker
This month, Wendy laughed out loud and got in her first tooth.

Month 8:
Your baby should be able to: bear weight on legs when held upright, pass object from one hand to another, turn in the direction of a voice, look for a dropped object
Wendy had been bearing weight on her legs since she was 4-5 months old. This month Wendy got her second tooth and rolled over.

Month 9:
Your baby should be able to: work to get a toy out of reach, look for dropped object
Wendy said "mama" and is learning to wave bye-bye. She is also babbling a ton.

Month 10:
Your baby should be able to: stand holding on to something, pull up to standing from sitting position, object if you take away a toy, say mama or dada indiscriminately, play peekaboo
Wendy can bear some weight on her legs but not enough stand but she will cry if you take away my iPhone. She loves that thing.

Here's my reality. Wendy is 9 months old (in her 10th month of life). She still can't sit alone and she is nowhere near standing or crawling. But she's not they far behind mentally. As long as she's happy, I'm happy, no matter the future hold or what milestones she will or won't reach.