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By Jessica Watson

Life after loss with autism, preemies and a rainbow baby

Holiday Clothing Drive 2016

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This will be the fourth year I've hosted the Holiday Clothing Drive. I had to skip 2015 because life and sanity, but missing a year seemed to make our whole family even more anxious to get back to it for 2016. Plus the kids are two years older so I have more people to help me not screw up the mile-long spread sheet I'll have halfway through this. Together, we've clothed over 150 kids for the holidays and I would love to double that number this year. Here's how it works: Families who are in need of gently used dress clothes for their kids for the holidays but can't afford them this year are matched with gently used holiday clothing donated by other families. I also welcome donations of gift Continue Reading

A perfect place- Finding independence with autism

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He announced his order to the cashier. Pushing up glasses heavy on his face, rocking from side to side a bit, his voice boomed above the muffled conversation of others in line. My heart beat a little faster as I watched the exchange. Would the cashier be polite? Were the other customers beginning to stare? Could he count out his money? Wait for change? Balance his drink and popcorn without spilling one or both? I beamed with pride as he navigated the intricacies of his task. But most of all? I thought of his mother. Was she sitting next to an empty seat waiting for his return? Was she at home, holding her breath until he walked in the door? I wanted to find her, tell her what I Continue Reading

What you hang on to after losing a child

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preemie holding finger

There is an unexplainable hollowness that comes with losing a child. I've heard loss moms explain it as a hole in their heart or an empty feeling. I've searched for words to do it justice but haven't found one yet. You grow a child and birth them and before you see how their hair touches their shoulders or if their laugh turns into yours they're drifting away and you're holding the tiniest thread of what you once had. To survive you tell yourself they're holding this thread too, through pinched together fingers or a chubby fist or the growing hands you've imagined. Some days you might be the only one remembering, or at least it feels that way. On those days you need reassurance that the Continue Reading

On being a perfect parent

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Sawyer is our wiggliest sleeper. Family dinner conversations often turn into debates over what he's doing in his sleep. Votes vary but we're pretty sure he dreams of marathon running, sheet origami, soccer drills or tae kwon do. His sleep habits are in direct disagreement with his need for someone close all. the. time. Born the youngest of five, 20 months after his older siblings, this child has never been alone -- I'm not sure he realizes it's an option. When Mark was out of town last week I caved and piled the kids into our bed. As Sawyer tried to drift to sleep he began treating me like a blanket. Once my head folded parallel to my shoulder I whispered that maybe we should try a body Continue Reading

Like the boys

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I took the kids to see "Alice Through the Looking Glass." Parker had been counting down the days until its release.  Unbeknownst to me, he had also been debating on what costume to wear to the movie theater since seeing the trailer. He came downstairs ready for the show wearing an orange wig and the Mad Hatter hat he worked so hard to purchase this year. I got choked up when I saw him because I'm so proud of this kid and how he owns who he is. Growing up I was an incredibly self-conscious child and no matter how badly I wanted to wear a pink wig while imitating Jem on the sidewalk it was not going to happen-- someone might laugh. His siblings followed suit, picked out less-flashy Continue Reading

My children’s book for preemies is here!

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Children reading the book Soon.

The first time my kids emptied out their big sister's books and made small towers of their reading selections they all still fit in my lap and there was no pressure to encourage anyone to sound out anything. Looking back this was such a luxury but I'm sure at the time I was wishing someone's head wasn't smushing my nose into my face while pinning my head to the couch. They chose a book with mice climbing a family tree on the cover, Ashlyn's name listed right under the title "On the Day You Were Born." I squeezed them all close, preparing to flashback to their newborn days as I walked through their sister's. But as we turned the pages, not a single one applied to their rocky Continue Reading

What you can do during Autism Awareness Month

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If you talk to most autism parents they will tell you that they quickly tire of Autism Awareness Month. Every day is Autism Awareness Day in their homes and most of the world is pretty aware at this point, especially with 1 in 68 children affected. They will tell you that we don't need awareness, we need action. Before you buy a puzzle piece ribbon or head out for a blue light, spend some time making a difference in the life of someone on the autism spectrum. Here are just a few ideas: What you can do during Autism Awareness Month 1. Take someone with autism to lunch, a movie, a ball game, the park, a museum, wherever their favorite place may be. If their favorite place is home, hang Continue Reading

What to read next

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I had planned to write a post soon after the New Year to give all of my "what to read next" recommendations but here we are two months in to 2016 and I'm finally getting my list together. At least I've read even more books so there's more to chose from. Last year I set a ridiculous reading goal for myself on Goodreads and read like a crazy person as the year came to a close because I hate losing, even though I'm not actually competing against anyone. I have not set a new reading goal for this year and am enjoying choosing books without worrying how many pages they have and calculating my number of books read per month. Everyone does this right? I promise I did not enter them into a Continue Reading

Forgiving yourself after the loss of a child

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Looking at baby in the NICU

Eight years, three months and 27 days ago our NICU doctor and his assistant gave us a report on the babies. It was a jumble of foreign terms mingled with Baby A, B and C ending with information I still don't fully remember. What I remember is what came next, a few minutes in time I have replayed over and over and struggled to forgive myself for. I remember I took my time, I walked my recently c-sectioned body to the restroom and asked Mark to get me water and he looked at me as if I was speaking Latin. He told me, as gently as he could manage, that we needed to hurry. Now wasn't the time for water or a few minutes in the restroom and he insisted I sit in a wheelchair rather than hobble Continue Reading

Ashlyn’s Autism Gift Guide

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gift ideas for someone with autism

It took a decent amount of bribery and half of December but I talked Ashlyn into making another excellent gift guide for people with autism. Her first one was a hit and I've been trying to get her to do another ever since. Two years later we've got a new list that's just as great as her first one. Here's Ashlyn's picks for this year and why she thinks they are great gift ideas for that person you love with autism (in her own words). Cosmic Ray Wand Fidget This is good because it helps you relax and keeps your mind busy. Vibrating pillow I want one of these because I think it calms people down and it would be easy to take places with me. Slo-Mo Bumpy Balls These are Continue Reading