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Katelyn Marie Crites. Our MIRACLE from GOD....
Welcome to Katelyn's Web page. God blessed us with Katelyn on June 19th 2000. She has been a joy ever since. Katelyn has a little brother (Wesley) whom she loves so much and they are always playing together. She loves to read and play with her babies. Her favorite place to be is outside or in my lap (especially at bedtime). She also loves to dance to music. Katelyn is so full of life and she can lighten up any room with her presence. She loves going to school and especially loves Mrs. Moree, Mrs. Tammy, and Mrs. Gena. She is doing so well in school. We really miss Mrs. Dana this year. We are so grateful to have such wonderful teachers working with Katelyn. They have been Godsends for us. Katelyn was blessed with two great sets of grandparents that love her dearly and she loves them as well. I don't know what I would have done without them over the last 5 years.
We began wondering about her development when she was 3 months old and still not holding her head up. After numerous test and trips to Dallas, we were finally told she had hypoplasia of the pons and decreased mylenation. The pons is the relay station for the brain and hypoplasia means it is small. They said this is something that will never change. We were told she would develop slower than others her age. Katelyn was also diagnosed with a swallowing disorder in July of 2004. She has to have all her liquids thickened to keep from aspirating on them. We have been told that Katelyn has an overall neurological disorder with no one specific diagnosis. Just that her neurological system didn't develop correctly during utero.
Katelyn first sat up on her own when she was 9 months old. She began crawling at 2 1/2 and took those first steps 3 months before her 3rd birthday. Katelyn still doesn't talk but she communicates through sign language. We aren't sure as to why she doesn't use words, but trust in GOD that one day she will.
In December of 2002, Katelyn had her first surgery. She had a lamanectomey of the C1 joint in her neck. She then had her second surgery in January of 2003. This was to release a tethered cord that she had. Katelyn had her third surgery in February of 2005. She had to have her C2 and C3 joints fussed together. She had some ribs taken and placed in her neck and she is fussed from the top of her spinal cord down to the C4 joints.
Katelyn has been such a blessing to her daddy and I and all the wonderful family and friends that are a part of her life. I have been told by many people that GOD gives children with special needs to special people. I truly believe this. I believe that GOD choose us to be Katelyn's parents for a reason. We will always thank GOD for her and continue to remember that HE is working miracles in her life.
I want to thank you all for visiting the web page and I hope you enjoy it. If this is your first time to visit, please read the journal history to see what's going on.
Visit Katelyn's Smile Quilt and add a square
Visit Katelyn's Quilt of Love
*HUGS* TOTAL!
give Katelyn more *HUGS*
Get hugs of your own
I decided to put this poem back up on Katelyn's page....
Welcome to Holland
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a
disability or special need to try to help people who have not shared that unique but wonderful experience to
understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...
When you are going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous trip to
Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The
Coliseum, Michelangelo's David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy
phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your
bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The flight
attendant comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say, "What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy! I'm
supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and
there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a
horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease.
It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new
language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would have never
met.
It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than
Italy. But after you've been there for a while and catch your breath, you
look around and notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland
even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all
bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your
life, you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had
planned."
The pain of that will never, ever, ever go away, because the loss of that
dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact
that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special,
the very lovely things about Holland.
Written by Perl Kingsley
Here is the second part to the poem above...."
The following poem was posted on Katelyn's website on her 5th Birthday
Celebrating Holland- I'm Home
By Cathy Anthony
(my follow-up to the original \Welcome to Holland\ by Emily Perl Kingsley)
I have been in Holland for over a decade now. It has become home. I have had time to catch my breath, to settle and adjust, to accept something different than I'd planned. I reflect back on those years of past when I had first landed in Holland. I remember clearly my shock, my fear, my anger, the pain and uncertainty. In those first few years, I tried to get back to Italy as planned, but Holland was where I was to stay. Today, I can say how far I have come on this unexpected journey. I have learned so much more. But, this too has been a journey of time.
I worked hard. I bought new guidebooks. I learned a new language and I slowly found my way around this new land. I have met others whose plans had changed like mine, and who could share my experience. We supported one another and some have become very special friends.
Some of these fellow travelers had been in Holland longer than I and were seasoned guides, assisting me along the way. Many have encouraged me. Many have taught me to open my eyes to the wonder and gifts to behold in this new land. I have discovered a community of caring. Holland wasn't so bad.
I think that Holland is used to wayward travelers like me and grew to become a land of hospitality, reaching out to welcome, to assist and to support newcomers like me in this new land. Over the years, I've wondered what life would have been like if I'd landed in Italy as planned. Would life have been easier? Would it have been as rewarding? Would I have learned some of the important lessons I hold today?
Sure, this journey has been more challenging and at times I would (and still do) stomp my feet and cry out in frustration and protest. And, yes, Holland is slower paced than Italy and less flashy than Italy, but this too has been an unexpected gift. I have learned to slow down in ways too and look closer at things, with a new appreciation for the remarkable beauty of Holland with its tulips, windmills and Rembrandts.
I have come to love Holland and call it Home.
I have become a world traveler and discovered that it doesn't matter where you land. What's more important is what you make of your journey and how you see and enjoy the very special, the very lovely, things that Holland, or any land, has to offer.
Yes, over a decade ago I landed in a place I hadn't planned. Yet I am thankful, for this destination has been richer than I could have imagined
KATELYN'S PRAYER
written by Mrs. Dobie
(One of Katelyn's special teachers)
Dear God, I can't speak with words to you
But you know what's in my heart is true.
I know I'm part of your special plan
So please help Mommy and Daddy understand.
Thank You God for my family, teachers, and friends.
With them on my side there's no battle I can't win.
And God help Mommy not to worry if you can.
I know, just tell her you are holding my hand.
For Jesus Loves Me this I know,
For the Bible Mommy reads to me tells me so.
Little ones he loves the most,
And when we hurt he holds us close.
Dear God, remember I love you,
And watch over Mommy, Daddy, and Bubba too.
And God don't worry, I'm not scared
All because I've said my Prayer.
Journal
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 12:56 AM CST Hello all,
We are doing great.... We closed on our house on Friday and have got everything moved in..... Needless to say, we have a big mess and boxes are stacked up every where.... I didn't realize how much stuff we really had....
Wesley was so excited when we got into the house.... It was like watching him Christmas morning when he was playing with his toys that have been in storage for six months..... At one point, he was missing in action for a hour and we were having to go check on him because he was so quiet.... He has adjusted well to the move and loves his new room.....
Katelyn is doing better.... The first night there, we had a hard time with her.... Any time we moved something or tried to unpack she got upset.... She would grab me by the hand and point to the couch and sign sit.... She doesn't like confusion at all.... It took us almost two hours to get her to sleep and we finally resorted to putting her bed in Wesley's room with him and she did well.... We will keep it in there until things are all put away and the house is set up and then gradually start putting her back into her own room.....
We love our new house and have already started making it our own.... Jimmy bought me a new washer and dryer and a pantry for the kitchen..... I have began making decorating plans and have a long list and things I want to do..... We are so blessed.....
Both kids are doing well and nobody is sick.... Katelyn is still doing well in school.... Wesley is learning so much and is trying to read....
Thanks for checking on us and keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers.....
The Crites Clan,
Jimmy, Krissy, Katelyn, and Wesley
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