Last year at this time I was drowning. It was all I could do to keep my head above water. It was very difficult juggling Callie's appointments, her new tube feeds, Owen's preschool drop offs (that conflicted with Callie's therapies) and pick ups (that conflicted with Callie's naps), doctor & insurance company calls, my job, as well as keep the house together and food on the table. I had to take a leave of absence from work (I work part time for a network company, mostly from home). I was stressed and regretfully often short with Owen. :-( Right around the same time we received a huge blessing -- coverage by a Medicaid waiver that helped provide for respite care. At the encouragement of my new special mom friends who had this waiver and nannies helping care for their children, I decided to take the same step and seek someone to join our family and help with the load of responsibilities that felt quite weighty. Just days into my search I found Alecia on Care.com. Her listing indicated she had experience caring for a child with special needs. When we first spoke I asked her to please tell me about this experience. She began by saying she was currently caring for a 2 year old boy who had a rare neurological disorder... He seemed to be fine at birth, but then around 4 months he began having seizures. He was developmentally delayed and had some feeding issues. I was floored... I could not believe how similar the little boy sounded to Callie and was overjoyed to find someone who could help care for her! The rest is history. Alecia joined our family last May and the addition was life changing for me. Suddenly I could be two places at once! I no longer had to plan all of the appointments so carefully. I could concentrate while on the phone because Alecia was giving the kids attention. I was able to work again and suddenly had no problem handling the load. I added additional therapies to Callie's schedule. I spent one-on-one time with Owen. I cooked dinner without having Callie on my back and Owen hanging onto my leg. I went grocery shopping by myself (!). It was amazing. I was just as busy (there were no spa days or afternoons on the couch catching up on DVR'd shows), but my stress level dropped almost immediately. Over the last year the kids have grown quite fond of our "Miss Alecia". Callie is especially attached to her. She eats better and goes down for her naps easier for Alecia. She does better in therapy sessions when Alecia is there instead of me. She affectionately blows kisses to her every day when she leaves. Also, Alecia and I have developed a friendship over the last year and confide in each other as we go through life's ups and downs. I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have had this past year with her. Which is why last week was so hard...
Alecia is now expecting a baby of her own and needs a position that offers medical benefits. Last week she was offered a very good job that will better provide for her expanding little family. I knew she would be moving on at some point, but we went through a very sad couple of days when it was decided that time would be now. The new job requires her almost immediately, so we are spending our last week together. I will miss our daily conversations and all of her help & support. Owen will miss playing board games & Wii with her and their trips to the library. Callie will just plain miss everything about her. Luckily Alecia will remain in the area for now and while she is here we fully intend to remain in touch. She will babysit the kids occasionally on weekends and I look forward to following the rest of her pregnancy. We will all be very happy to meet her little one this fall. We wish Alecia the very best!
