RAISING JOEY

Four eyes

Yup, I got glasses yesterday. I went to the eye doctor for the first time in 5 years. I wore glasses in the past but hated them. My eyes could never adjust to wearing contacts, so for the past 5 years I just went without wearing glasses or contacts (pretty stupid huh?). My eye sight isn’t terrable, but it’s bad enough to need help. I have a stigmatism and have been starting to see double at night so I decided to bite the bullet and go get glasses.

Wouldn’t you know it, but this eye doctor actually took more time than my old eye doctor did and got my prescription correct and I don’t seem to mind wearing them so far (we’ll see how I’m doing in a week, lol!).

People Magazine

John McCain & Sarah Palin on Shattering the Glass Ceiling

By Sandra Sobieraj Westfall

Originally posted Friday August 29, 2008 08:30 PM EDT

Even the kids were in the dark.

Meghan McCain, 23, didn’t find out until a few hours before the rest of the nation. Track Palin, 19, an Army private on base in Fairbanks, Alaska, got the news in a text message an hour before his mother, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took the stage in Dayton, Ohio, as John McCain’s pick to be his running mate. “I said, ‘Track! Turn the TV on in an hour,’” Sarah Palin told PEOPLE. “He says, ‘What does this mean? Am I going to have to crawl in a hole?’ And I said, ‘No!’ Because he had no idea; he doesn’t even know where we are.”

Where they were was the Nutter Center college sports arena in Dayton, Ohio. And PEOPLE was there for an exclusive backstage interview with the McCain and Palin families suddenly joined in the campaign for the White House. Sarah Palin, in ruby red peep-toe platform heels that showed off a pink French-style pedicure, first ducked into a holding room to change the diaper of her just-up-from-a-nap 4 1/2-month-old son, Trig.

The two families were all smiles…

Meghan, what did you tell your father about his selection?
MEGHAN MCCAIN: It’s girl power and you know I’m all about that. She’s very smart, has a sweet family. Her son’s in the military and my brothers are in the military. We have a lot in common. This is my dream choice. I almost started crying on stage – and I am not a crier – when they were talking about this being the anniversary of women’s suffrage. I couldn’t be more proud. It’s also a reinvention of the Republican Party. She’s such a cool role model – and she’s got great shoes! (Laughs)

What does Governor Palin need to know about working with your dad?
MEGHAN: He likes to get up early in the morning and go. Seems like she likes to do that too. I guess with a baby…
JOHN MCCAIN: … she has to be. (Laughter)
SARAH PALIN: Morning person. Yup. We don’t sleep much. Too much to do. What I’ve had to do, though, is in the middle of the night, put down the BlackBerries and pick up the breast pump. Do a couple of things different and still get it all done.

As a new mom, how are you going to juggle all this?
SARAH: I am thankful to be married to a man who loves being a dad as much as I love being a mom, so he is my strength. And practically speaking, we have a great network of help with lots of grandparents and aunties and uncles all around us. We have a lot of help.

So will your husband be on leave now indefinitely to be Mr. Mom?
SARAH: I would say so, yes.

Gov. Palin, when you were 13 weeks pregnant, last December, you had an amniocentesis that determined Trig had Down syndrome.
SARAH: I was grateful to have all those months to prepare. I can’t imagine the moms that are surprised at the end. I think they have it a lot harder.
 

Continue reading People Magazine…

Here it is!

Mother backs Palin’s pro-life stance

(WTNH) — One Connecticut woman, who’s become an advocate for those with down sydrome says Sarah Palin may be able to help raise awareness.

Palin’s youngest child was born 4 moths ago with down syndrome, which is an intellectual and sometimes physical disability.

News Channel 8 spoke with Jessica Heeran of Wallingford, who has a child with down syndrome.  She says Palin could bring more light to the disability.

“With prenatal diagnosis of down syndrome, 99% are aborted.  If she could help raise that awareness, that would be great!  Our children aren’t suffering, give them a chance,” said Jessica Heeran of Wallingford.

Palin made headlines when she decided to give birth at age 44, to a child with down syndrome.

Coming to a TV near you (if you live in CT)

Patrick and I were just interviewed by our local news station about Gov. Palin and running as John McCain’s running mate. The main focus of the interview was having a child with Down syndrome and what it would mean to us to have Gov. Palin as our Vice President.

She is someone I can compare myself to. She is not only a mother, she has a child with Down syndrome. What a better advocate for our children, than the Vice President of The United States of America?!

It’s Palin!

Alaska Gov. Palin to be Named as McCain Running Mate

by FOXNews.com

Friday, August 29, 2008

DAYTON, Ohio — John McCain will introduce Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate at an event here at noon Friday, senior campaign sources confirmed to FOX News.

Palin emerged earlier in the day as the hot name in the VP sweepstakes after reports circulated that two short-listers — Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty — were out of the running.

Adding fuel to the Palin candidacy was a report that a charter aircraft from Anchorage owned by a McCain supporter had arrived at a small airport outside Dayton, Ohio, where McCain has scheduled a noon ET rally to announce his choice.

FOX News reported the jet flew to Flagstaff, Ariz., on Thursday before heading landing in Middletown, Ohio.

Palin is considered a rising star in the Republican Party. She is the state’s first female governor, the mother of five — and at 44 is its youngest chief executive.

FOX News confirmed Thursday that McCain had made his selection and would appear with his pick at the Dayton rally.

Born in Idaho, Palin moved to Alaska with her parents, to Charles and Sally Heath, when she was 3 months old.

She grew up in Wasilla, just outside of Anchorage, and played on the Wasilla state championship girls’ basketball team. She was crowned Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant.

Palin studied journalism and political science at the University of Idaho and graduated in 1987. She eloped with her high school boyfriend, Todd Palin, in 1988 to save money on an expensive wedding. She helped out in her husband’s family commercial fishing business and appeared occasionally as a television sportscaster.

Palin won a seat on the Wasilla City Council in 1992 as a new face and a new voice, and by opposing tax increases. Four years later she was elected mayor at 32 by knocking off a three-term incumbent. At the end of her second term, party leaders encouraged her to enter the 2002 race for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. Against veteran legislators with far more experience, Palin finished second by fewer than 2,000 votes, making a name for herself in statewide politics. She was elected Alaska’s youngest and first woman governor in 2006.

Sarah and Todd Palin have five children: boys Track, 19, and Trig, 4 months, and daughters Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7. Track Palin joined the Army last September and will deploy to Iraq on Sept. 11. Palin gave birth to Trig, who has Down syndrome, in April and returned to work three days later.

Palin will be the second female vice presidential candidate from a major political party. The first was New York Rep. Geraldine Ferrarro, who was Walter Mondale’s Democratic running mate in 1984.

Earlier in the day, sources told FOX News that Romney was not going to be McCain’s choice, even
though the former Massachusetts governor is scheduled to appear at the
Dayton rally.

And Pawlenty told a Minneapolis radio station that he was not going to be in Dayton for the McCain announcement.

“I’m going to be at the [Minnesota] state fair,” Pawlenty said on WCCO.

“I will not be in Dayton, Ohio, so I think that’s a fair
assumption,” the Minnesota governor said when asked if this was an
indication that he would not be McCain’s running mate.

“It was an honor to be considered,” he added.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who like Romney was a rival to
McCain in the primaries, sent an e-mail to supporters on Thursday
evening saying he would not be at the rally. Sources later told FOX
News that Huckabee was not in the running.

FOX News’ Carl Cameron and the Almanac of American Politics contributed to this report.

Gov Palin as McCain VP??

I’m psyched! Gov Palin, who has a baby boy with Down syndrome!? This could be huge to for families who have loved ones who have Down syndrome!

It is not confirmed yet, but a plane paid for by McCain supporters landed in Ohio last night from Alaska carrying a woman and 2 teenage boys. Sooooooo, could it be?!

 I’m from Dayton, so this is even more exciting for me!

http://www.daytondailynews.com/

http://whiotv.com

http://wdtn.com

http://www.wkef22.com/ 

Wordless Wednesday & Special Exposure Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays, go here and here.

For more Special Exposure Wednesdays, go here.

My newest creation…

I’ve been thinking of more things to make for my Etsy Shop and Joey’s OT gave me the idea to make sensory boards when she mentioned them a couple weeks back so here’s what I came up with! Check it out and if you have any ideas for me to add to future sensory boards, let me know!

Sweet Pea

Since Leah is teething, I figured it was time to pull out the old frozen peas on the kids tray trick, to help soothe her poor sore gums and she LOVES them!

2008 Team Joey Heeran

Dear Friends and Family

It’s that time again! Time for the Fourth Annual CSDC Buddy Walk on September 27th at Hammonassette Beach State Park. Last year, many of our friends and family walked in support of our son Joey. In our second year, Team Heeran was over 40 people strong and together we raised $1,600.00! Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and the Walk begins at 1:00 p.m. There will be free food, raffles, and entertainment

We are committed to raising awareness for Down syndrome as well as educating folks that a complete and happy life is possible for Joey and other people with Down syndrome.

The CDSC’s newest project is a prenatal diagnosis outreach committee that Jessica is chairing. Any family that contacts the CDSC that receives a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome will be paired up with a family in their area who also received a prenatal diagnosis for guidance and support. The CDSC will also be updating their website with up to date information about prenatal diagnosis and going to local hospitals to talk to the specialists about this new committee. Jessica also joined the CDSC’s board of directors and keeps herself very busy planning Parents’ Night Outs and playgroups.

Please help us by sponsoring or joining our team. Please RSVP at raisingjoey@gmail.com and be sure to let us know how many people are coming with you so we can make sure you have an official Team Heeran t-shirt to wear the day of the walk! If you are unable to join us, but still want to contribute, you can make a donation to the Buddy Walk in any amount.  This year you can donate online at the CDSC’s website,  once there you’ll see the “Buddy Walk Team/Family” tab and look for Team Heeran. Thank you in advance for your support and generosity.

Very Truly Yours,

Patrick & Jessica Heeran

More music

I meant to post yesterday and didn’t get a chance to… Joey has been having a huge surge of new language skills. Since Leah has started babbling more, he is. It’s AMAZING! Still no real words but he’s trying to hard, the determination on his part to speak, just gives me goosebumps!

Along with spoken language, his signing language skills have been increasing! He will do single signs, “all-done, eat, mommy, daddy, more, music, milk, juice, up, sit, ball, book” and there’s more but I can’t think of them right now. Anyways, the other night, Leah had just gone to bed, so Patrick, Joey and I were on the patio singing songs together and I asked Joey if he wanted “more music” and would you know, he signed back “MORE MUSIC!”

Not just “more” not just “music” but a TWO WORD SENTENCE! Joey’s first sentence! It brought tears to my eyes.

Spaghetti night!

My tomatoes are all ripening at the same time, which is a very good thing because all of my plants, along with many others in Connecticut are dying very quickly. Apparently there’s a disease of somesort hitting many gardens around here. Such a shame, everything but my flowers are dying at the same time

Anyways, with some of my ripe roma tomatoes, I made spaghetti sauce last night and boy was it good! We even gave Leah spaghetti for the first time and boy did she like it!

As a result of last night being spaghetti night, it was also bath night, which afterwards Joey decided to became a nudist…

America According to Connor Gifford

Last night I finished reading one of the books I bought while at the NDSC convention in July, “America According to Connor Gifford.” Definetly a must read! I couldn’t put it down!

It’s written (and illustrated) by a young man who just happens to have Down syndrome, Connor Gifford with the help of Victoria Harris, and is about Connor’s view of America clear back to when the pilgrims arrived until present time.

I had the opportunity to meet Clifford and Victoria at the convention and they even signed my book!

You can learn more about Connor at www.connorgifford.com.

Wordless Wednesday & Special Exposure Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays, you can visit 5 Minutes For Mom and the Wordless Wednesdays Headquarters.

For more Special Exposure Wednesdays, you can visit 5 Minutes For Special Needs.

R-Word.org

Try This Tuesday

I’m always looking for new ways to help Joey strengthen his fine motor skills. He LOVES putting things in and out of other objects. He has the Fisher Price Piggy Bank but I wanted something that would help make his pincer grasp stronger. One say while shopping at the dollar store, I found these play coins and thought to myself how great they are since they’re not small enough for Joey or Leah to swallow but thin enough to help with Joey’s pincher grasp. 

Unfortunatly, he hasn’t been as photogenic lately as in the past, so I haven’t been able to get a picture of him playing with this.

For more Try This Tuesdays, visit 5 Minutes For Special Needs.

Another reason to like Michael Phelps!

I knew I liked the guy, check out this video!

Eddie Barbanell makes the news!

Eddie has done two interviews about Tropic Thunder.

Fox & Friends

The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet

He also has a blog, he doesn’t post too often but enjoy, You Scratched My CD, You Know!

!!!

I wanted to share with you all what just happened to me!

I just got back from dropping off Joey’s poo sample at Quest Diagnosists and while in the waiting room, this lady kept looking at me and Joey. After a couple minutes, we started talking about Leah and her teething and then she said, “Were you on the news last night?”.

I smiled and told her yes and then she said, “thank you. You and your girlfriend did a wonderful job. You guys really opened up my eyes.”

That made everything we did yesterday worth it for me!

News story & clip

Protest outside theaters showing “Tropic Thunder”

Click here for the video. 

By News Channel 8’s Chris Velardi
Posted August 13, 2008
7:50 PM

(WTNH) — The new comedy film “Tropic Thunder” is no laughing matter to champions of the intellectually disabled. They’ve called for a  boycott of the movie.

Cecily Quincy’s son Cory is almost 3-years-old. He’s full of energy, loves to laugh and enjoys playing with his older brother and younger sister.

Cory has Down Syndrome and Quincy feels a great responsibility to protect him. “We really want to make his world a better place,” she said.

Quincy is a member of the Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress, an advocacy and support group made up of parents, conducted by volunteers like Cecily and Jessica Heeran, 3-year-old Joseph’s mom.

Together they are joining with other advocacy groups,  protesting the new movie “Tropic Thunder” — a Hollywood blockbuster which opened Wednesday.

What upsets them most is what they call the insensitive portrayal of the intellectually disabled and the repeated use of the word ‘retard.’

 ”It kills me even to admit it, but before I had Joey, I would use that word occasionally and now, looking back, I regret it more than anything else in my whole life,” Heeran said. “Knowing that I once said that word in that way.”

In Tropic Thunder’s movie-within-a-movie, actor Ben Stiller plays an actor who portrays a character with a disability.

On Good Morning America, Wednesday morning, Stiller (who also directed the film) says his intention is to make fun of Hollywood, not people with disabilities.

“In the context of the film, I really feel like it’s really clear that we’re making fun of actors and actors who try to use serious subjects to try to win awards,” Stiller said. “It’s about actors and self-importance.”

But, protesters say it’s about much more; it’s about being respected and not being teased.

“I think I always feel sad all the time and including when someone actually tries to be really hurtful about it,” Kirsten Saracino, of Burlington, said.

And it’s about people like Cory Quincy. “It’s community awareness,” Quincy said. “To know that there are children and adults in your community that are just like you, just like your children. And, it’s just the point of just meet them, just meet my son.”

Guess who was on the news?!

That’s right. A little before noon, my girlfriend, Cecily called me and told me the news crew was going to be at her house at 1:30 to interview her about Tropic Thunder. The kids and I headed over to support her while being interviewed. The news guy asked if he could interview me too so, I hope I don’t sound like too crazy on there, lol!

They still haven’t posted the news video so as soon as they do, I will be sure to post it too!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Wordless Wednesday & Special Exposure Wednesday

For more Special Exposure Wednesdays, you can visit here.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, you can go here or here.

Why I love the ladies at 5 Minutes For Mom

The fine ladies over at Five Minutes For Mom are at it again! Check this one out!  

Boy, would a new laptop come in handy for our family! As many of you know, I love blogging but always can’t seem to find the time to since I have my desktop computer. Having a laptop would mean that my husband and I wouldn’t have to share a computer in the evenings when he wants to work on work from home, it means I could work on Joey’s eating solid foods at the kitchen table and blog at the same time, it means when Joey’s therapists are here working with him I could sneak into the other room and blog, it means if I was to take Joey to the hospital again like last night (lord I hope not) I would be able to post an update, it means I could do more work for the CDSC away from home!

The main thing is that I could blog more than what I do now!

Heading up a parent’s night out, a playgroup, being on the buddy walk committee, starting up the prenatal diagnosis outreach committee and being on the board of directors for the CDSC takes up a lot of time and I would be able to take my laptop with me to these meetings if need be!

In my opinion, there are other families who could use the laptop worse than ours, but it would truely come in handy!

Buddy Blankies!

Check out my newest creation up for sale at my Etsy Shop! Buddy Blankies!

No answers…

The main reason we went was to check for an obstructed intestine, thankfully there wasn’t one. And of course he wouldn’t poop while we were there so they couldn’t get a sample so we were sent home with collection jars (guess what I get to do today?!).

If his poo shows nothing, then we’re going to see a GI doctor.

Speaking of poo, I smell some, but it’s Leah. With that, I’m off!