My Birth

My father, Scott, met and married my mother, Anita, while he served in the United States Army as an enlisted Military Police officer and Anita worked as an administrative assistant for a D.C. lobbying firm.  I was the first of four children and my mom made it a point to be as healthy possible.  It was an uneventful and routine pregnancy - all that a new mother could hope.  She had multiple check-ups and ultrasounds, but in the mid-eighties, technology was not as advanced as it is today, so no one really had concerns about me developing normally.
 
I was born on March 24th, 1986 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.  And when I was born, my disability came as a complete surprise to my parents who had no idea I would be born different.  Technically, my disability is referred to as congenital amputation, which can be as small as a missing finger or toe, or as in my case, all four limbs are affected.
 
My arms stop around where my elbows would be and my legs end slightly above the knees.  Fortunately for me, my relationship with both my mother and father has always been uniquely strong, which meant my disability didn't stop my parents from expecting a lot out of me - just the same as my three sisters.
 
Growing Up

Scott and Anita knew the world would not adapt and conform to my every need - especially when I would be old enough to live on my own.  With a lot of patience and some tough love when necessary, they helped me learn creative ways to adapt to everyday life and activities - like using a special spoon to eat and a "zipper puller" for my pants when I was younger.  Consequently, I learned to eat on my own, dress myself, write neatly, type 50 words a minute, drive a Dodge Durango, live independent of assistance, and use virtually no adaptations!

If it were possible for anyone to love me more than my mom and dad, my grandparents made a strong case for it!  Instead of going to daycare, Grandma Betty would babysit me during the day and we had some amazing adventures together.  Grandma Betty and Grandpa Norm let me sit on their countertop to "help" cook and paint on the walls with water.  They even used to spill rice on the ground so I could vacuum it up!
 
When I was much younger I wore prosthetic arms and legs, but they actually hindered me more than they helped.  I never really wanted to wear the "big arms & big legs" when I was at home and Grandma Betty knew it was important for me to develop dexterity using my arms.  She knew the more I used kitchen utensils and random household objects, the more adept I would be at developing the coordination I would need later in life.
 
For a brief period after I was born, my mom and dad tried to understand what caused my congenital birth defect.  And while doctors could not explain it, they were able to rule out genetics as a possible cause.  The same doctors then went on to suggest that for me to develop normally, I should have a playmate.  And two years after my birth, my first sister Amber was born.
 
Even though I pleaded for a brother, my parents wounded up having two more girls, Lindsay and MacKenzie!  As we grew up together, we became extremely close - in fact, the girls have always been way more protective over me than I am of them... especially when it comes to dating!  Even though I did not get the brother I wanted, I love my sisters a ton!