Finding Ninee » Sharing our parenting and special needs stories with heart and humor.

Author Archives: Kristi Campbell

Kristi Rieger Campbell's passion is writing and drawing stupid-looking pictures for her blog, Finding Ninee. It began with a memoir about her special-needs son Tucker, abandoned when she read that a publisher would rather shave a cat than read another memoir. Kristi writes for a variety of parenting websites including Huffington Post Parents, has been published in several popular anthologies, received 2014 BlogHer's Voice of the Year People's Choice Award, and was a proud cast member of the DC Listen to Your Mother show. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Happy dance time!  We have a new, perfectly pronounced word coming from Tucker’s cute little lips.  “Open!”  In the past, he’s said “stuck” when he wants us to open the rear of a truck, the cockpit of an airplane or (since Halloween) a Kit Kat package.  He’ll answer with “that” or “yes” when we ask […]

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We had a follow-up appointment with the developmental pediatrician yesterday.  Before going, I was nervous and looking forward to gaining further insight as to why Tucker has a speech and language delay, and whether he’s on the autism spectrum.  While it was encouraging to hear that the doctor noticed a lot of improvements, even going […]

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When we first realized that my son Tucker has a speech and language delay, and that it may be autism, my heart broke a little bit.  I had to grieve and let go of my Imaginary Tucker.  The son that I’d imagined him to be.  After that initial sadness and grief, I wanted answers.  I […]

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It melts me to watch Tucker’s focused concentration while playing with and launching his Blue Angels.  He loves them.  He flies them from their aircraft carrier at the base of the stairs to the kitchen counter, to the table and to the couch.  Although he’ll ask for them if he can’t find them (“Bwue An-gos?”), […]

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While worrying about Tucker’s dental health, speech delay, sleep schedule and general well being, it occurs to me how focused I get on a particular worry.  Like, borderline obsessive.  I have to remind myself how quickly each moment passes.  I can remember being utterly freaked out when my milk hadn’t yet come in, crazily documenting […]

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On Halloween, I shared that I was nervous about the way in which people might react to Tucker not being able to say “Trick or treat!”  Since that post, I’ve had a few inquires asking how he did.  Here’s his Halloween Report Card. Also, I’d like to say that trying to be thoughtful backfired on […]

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