My Favorite Project

 

This is the gift I made for my mom and Jared’s mom.  I had so much fun making it, so I thought I’d share.

I love how it turned out, and now I think I’ll have to make one for me (but with a different saying than the one for grandmas)!

Daniel…8 months old

It looks like he’s shrinking!  I must have not tried hard enough to get the outfit up over his shoulders in the 6 month picture.  Or maybe he was just retaining a lot of fluid still.  I love his super flexi-feet (in the 8 month picture), and I love to see the changes in his face (and the lack of nasal cannula!) and how much his hair has grown!  This boy is just too darn cute!

Don’t you just want to nibble his neck and sit down for a long snuggle?!?!  I am the happiest mom ever because I get to do that whenever I want!  Don’t be jealous…he’s available for snuggles any day of the week!  But you’ll have to fight me for them!

Merry Christmas!

We had a very interesting day that included throwing up, Skyping, games, and lots of family time.  A memorable day for everyone!  We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

And now I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!

 

(Who cares about what’s inside, I just want paper!!)

 

(She managed a smile even though she felt super crummy all day long.)

 

(A horrible picture, but there’s no mistaking he’s happy!)

 

 

 

 

 

(Everyone looking at the camera and smiling…a Christmas miracle!!)

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

December always seems to bring an abundance of hustle and bustle, and this year is no exception!  It really is insane that we try to pack so much into a few short weeks!  Just getting all the gifts purchased and wrapped in time for Christmas is a gigantic endeavor.  Then add on all the extra stuff – gingerbread houses, concerts, church parties, decorations, work parties, family parties, drives to see the lights – and we’ve got one insanely busy month!  All I want for Christmas is to be able to spread it all out throughout the year!  (And a new lens for my camera would be fun too!)

Emily had her orchestra concert last week.  It was short, sweet, and perfect!  She did a great job and it was so much fun to watch her interact with her friends and see her play with her class.  She is growing up so fast!  I wish I could slow down time! 

 

And what would December be without a little illness to keep things exciting?!?  The poor thing just finished antibiotics for her second case of Strep in the last 6 weeks!  If she gets it one more time in the next 6 months she’ll have to get her tonsils removed.  We’re hoping we can avoid that route, and Emily has her fingers crossed tightly in hopes that her tonsils can stay put!

Rachel went to a fun princess-themed birthday party yesterday.  She was soooo excited about getting to dress up in her princess dress and to play with all her friends from preschool.

Caleb’s favorite thing to say lately is, “There’s nothing to do!”  Of course he uses his most whiny voice and practically flops himself onto the nearest surface as he says it.  He was offered a sucker by Jared’s uncle (who teaches at Emily’s school) the night of Emily’s concert.  I think he grabbed one for himself and a few more for all his friends!  I wish I could say that the suckers kept him quiet and still for the concert, but  I’d be a liar if a did.

Daniel has already had quite the busy month.  He had a trip to the ophthamologist in Salt Lake last week.  We were supposed to get his eyes checked by the time he was 6 months old, but with surgery and the doctor being booked for 2 months solid, we were a little slow to get it done.  His eyes look great, but he does have blocked tear ducts.  We’re hoping they take care of themselves in the next few months.

We had to run into the doctor’s office on Tuesday so he could be weighed before the pharmacy sent his RSV shot.  13 pounds, 7 ounces.  I’m starting to think he’ll be less than 14 pounds for the rest of his life!  He had his shot on Thursday afternoon, which made for our third trip to the same office in three days!  After another weight check – 13 pounds, 9 ounces – the nurse gave him the shot and we watched him for 15 minutes to make sure he didn’t show any signs of an allergic reaction.

(Feet, glorious feet!  They’re great for pulling and toes are perfect for sucking!)

(Mom…can you see a bit of baby Greg in that face?)

He had a routine appointment with the ENT on Friday – just a re-check of his hearing and a general exam.  This appointment was a definite tender mercy.  Both of Daniel’s ears were full of thick, icky fluid!  Aside from his almost constant congestion, he had no symptoms at all!  I felt so bad that we had no clue and he’s been living with a double ear infection for who-knows-how-long!  I’m so thankful I scheduled this appointment, as I wondered at the time if it was really necessary.

All that aside, Daniel has made some huge strides in his physical development.  Rolling has turned him into quite the traveling man.  This is a very common sight lately…

…little Mister several feet away from his blanket!  I guess we’re going to have to pull out the gate.

And lastly…Josh.  Josh, Josh, Josh.  He has a never-ending source of energy (except when it’s time to do his work) and a constant desire to play Wii.  Thankfully he has Legos to fall back on when he’s used up all his Wii time!

One Year Later

One year ago, we started the day blissfully unaware of what was waiting for us as Jared and I went to my routine mid-pregnancy ultrasound.  I was 19 weeks along in my pregnancy with Daniel.  I knew we were having a boy, and even told Jared, “Told ya!” when the ultrasound tech confirmed that the baby I was carrying was indeed a boy.

And then everything changed.  We went from the excitement of knowing we would be having another boy, to feeling devastated and broken.  A heart defect.  Enlarged brain ventricles.  Echogenic bowels.  With each new discovery, my stomach twisted and worry consumed me.  “I think your baby may have Down syndrome,” was the last thing I really remember.  Those words were like a clap of thunder in my soul.  My heart broke in that instant and a flood of tears poured from my eyes.  Suddenly, the baby I thought I was carrying was replaced by something else, someone else.  The hopes and dreams I had for this child were replaced by fear, disappointment, sorrow, anger.  I felt so completely overcome, as if someone had just thrown me into the depths of the raging sea, expecting me to swim back to shore.

But that was then.

 

And now, one year later, my heart has been healed.  Yes, I do worry about Daniel.  But I worry about my other four children as well.  I have moments of sadness…for every single one of my children.  I have hopes and dreams and expectations for Daniel…just as I do for each of my other children.  That sorrow and sadness has been replaced with an incredible love and happiness for this boy!  He has a very special hold on my heart and, dare I say, the hearts of everyone who know him.  Having a baby with Down syndrome is a great cure for a broken heart!

It has been a humbling blessing for me to be a part of Daniel’s life.  His strength is incredible, his determination enviable.  And the pure love that emanates from his is intoxicating.

To the me of one year ago, I wish I could say, “Just wait.  You won’t believe what an incredible blessing is coming to you.  You can’t begin to comprehend how amazing it will be.  You have no idea how lucky you are!”

One year later, life is good.  Really good.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

 

Mantel…check!

 

Garland…check!

 

Front door…in progress.

 

Cuteness…check,

…and double check!!

Tree…check! (and re-decorated several times by 4 sneaky little elves)

Sunday Best

Daniel tried out the highchair for the first time this week.  It’s not his favorite place to be!

Focus…

…and frustration. (I love the cheek hanging over the edge of the tray!)

Accomplishment of the Week: Emily earned a place on the Honor Roll for her first quarter of middle school.  That’s my girl!  So proud of her hard work.

Best blog: I have fallen in love with The Blessing of Verity.  This blog is about a beautiful girl named Verity, who is the 10th child born to the Musser family.  The Mussers have just returned from Eastern Europe where they have adopted another beautiful girl – Katie - who has Down syndrome.  Grab a box of tissue…you’ll need it when you read about Katie and the horrors she has endured in her short 9 years.

Friday Fun

I figured out how to get the videos from our camcorder to the computer all by myself!  Wow…I’m getting to be such a techy!

As a result, Caleb and Daniel are in the spotlight today.

First, Caleb sings the Spiderman theme song.  (Watch for the web shooting and sound effects)

 

And now, Daniel is enjoying his reflection in a mirror this morning.  The very beginning is the best part, so don’t look away!

Daniel…unplugged

Today is a happy day.  A wonderful day.  A fabulous day.

And Daniel thinks so too!  (Would you look at those eyes?!?!  Dang they’re amazing!)

Notice anything different?  Anything missing?

The cannula is gone!  The stickers are gone!  Our boy is now tube free, and we are loving it (and him)!

Daniel saw the cardiologist today, and it was a great appointment.  The doc. proclaimed that the size of his heart on x-ray was “incredible!”  He has a very quiet murmur – probably valve regurgitation – that is almost too quiet to even hear.  And his oxygen was above 90 without any extra oxygen to keep it there.  Our boy is a rockstar!!  The next time we will get to see the cardiologist will be for a sedated echo in March or April, just to make sure everything looks as it should.  And as long as it does, our little cardiology get-togethers will be only once a year from then on out!

Today is also Daniel’s 7 month birthday.  7 MONTHS!!  Can you believe that?!?!

This boy can roll, and not just from back to belly like he’s been doing since before surgery.  Last week he figured out how to get from his belly to his back.  Before that he’d get stuck on his belly and be so darn mad!  He is all over the place, and loving it.  Life is just one big happy party now!

He has made huge strides in sitting and can tripod with a pillow on his lap for close to a minute.

He has become quite the eater, having sampled avocadoes, bananas, pears, sweet potatoes, squash and peas.  I think the squash may have been his favorite.  Bananas were not his favorite.

And look at this…a sleeping boy without a thumb (or several fingers) in his mouth!  (And no tube above his nose, off to the side of his nose, or in his mouth!)  LOVE!!

I love me some Daniel!  I am so thankful for him (and the rest of my kids) and the amazing love I feel for him. 

We Found One!

We did it!  We found a formula that doesn’t make Daniel sick!  Similac Alimentum has done the impossible.  He’s had it three times now and given us nothing in return.  This is truly an answer to prayer!

(Happy to not be throwing up!)

He’s getting used to the taste of it, so he drinks about half as much as usual.  I honestly didn’t think he would even drink it.  It smells AWFUL, so I can only imagine how it tastes!

Now we have to decide whether Daniel’s issues have truly been from a milk protein sensitivity.  After he’s had more success with the Alimentum, we’re going to try Similac’s soy formula.  If he’s successful with that, we may try just regular Similac.  All of Daniel’s puke fests have happened after drinking Enafmil, so it’s possible that Enfamil’s formulation just doesn’t agree with him.

Baby steps.  Baby steps.