Day 24

Wow!  I can’t believe I have posted every day for the past 24 days!  That, my friends, is very much a miracle!  In all honesty, though…I’m running out of stuff to say!  Shocker, right?!?  Our lives are just so darn ordinary!  I have a really hard time making what we do seem exciting and thrilling, let alone something worth reading.  So, if you have any ideas about what you’d like me to post for the last 7 days, I’d love to hear them.

Daniel had his 6-month check-up on Saturday.  Who does that on a Saturday?!?  I felt a little disappointed, as he only gained 5 ounces in two-and-a-half weeks!  Seriously??  What happened to the crazy weight gain he was supposed to have once his heart was fixed?  Being 1) a mom, 2) a woman, and 3) the only source of his food, I have come to conclude that it’s all my fault and there must be something wrong with my milk, or the way I’m doing things, or all of the above!  The doctor felt like the weight gain was OK, and said gaining weight too easily after surgery signals a problem.  Fine.  I’ll take the 5 ounces and run.  So, the official stats were:

Weight: 13 pounds, 6 ounces

height: 25.25 inches

He’s hanging right at the 45th percentile for weight and height, right where he’s been most of his life.  So I guess I just need to chill and not internalize every (perceived) problem in the world, right?!!

He got a flu shot, as well as his 4-month vaccines.  He couldn’t have them on time because of surgery.  By the end of the day, he was feverish and extremely cranky on top of being super congested (which has been going on for the last couple of weeks).  Needless to say, it was a loooong night.

As far as milestones go…well who really knows?!?!  I can tell you that he is an awesome tracker, he talks a lot, he rolls from his back to his tummy (and occasionally from his tummy to his back), he is a voracious thumb-sucker, he’s getting to be pretty good at supported sitting, and he holds his head up pretty well (still a bit wobbly).  He loves his hands and feet, he loves books, and he loves his siblings.  He is the best sleeper of any of our kids…hands down.  It is truly a joy to watch him and experience the world with him.

Sunday Best

My favorite post of the week!!  This is turning out to be a lot of fun!  Without further ado…

Quote of the week: “Mom…Josh called me a tattletale!!”  (Caleb, who had been tattling for 15 minutes prior to proving himself as a tattletale.)

“That does not make any sense, Grandma!” is a close second. (Caleb, again.)

Best blog post I read this week: My Angry Down Syndrome Awareness Post at Mostly True Stuff.  Please take a minute to read this if you haven’t.  It’s definitely worth your time!

Photo of the week: Rachel climbed into bed with Caleb last night.  (I really don’t think there’s anything I love more than peeking in on my sleeping children.)

 

Sneaky Peeky

I spent the entire week getting Halloween costumes ready for our oldest four.  This is a HUGE thing for me.  Around here, costumes are usually something that get thrown together at the last minute.  I hate Halloween.  Yep…HATE it!  I hate spending money on silly costumes.  I hate dressing up.  (I even hated it as a kid, so this isn’t an adult-onset problem.)  I guess I am the world’s biggest party pooper!

I’m not sure why this year is different.  Maybe I’m loosening up a little??  Whatever the reason, I better get the “Nicest Mom of the Year” award after all the time and energy I put into these costumes!!  Really, though, the kids’ excitement is all I need.  It has been fun to get their input, and it has been equally enjoyable to see how much it torments them to have to try something on a few times!  (Maybe you weren’t aware that I lay awake at nights thinking of ways to torment them?  Hahaha!!!)

Here’s a little sneak peek at what they’ll be wearing this year…

I guess I can move on to Christmas now that I’m done worrying about costumes!

The Eating of the Pears

I had prepared myself for solid foods to be a battle.  I’m so relieved that it seems to be a hit…so far!  I guess it’s compensation for the drama that ensues every time we try to feed this boy some formula!  {I was up until 3 a.m. this morning wiping up Daniel’s vomit that resulted from a 10 p.m. feeding of 4 oz. of breastmilk mixed with 2 oz. of formula.  We decided to give it a try again now that we’re post-surgery.  Big mistake!}

The first bite…mmmm, good!

 

Maybe I can grab it!

 

This is kinda’ weird!

Pears!

Daniel started solid foods today!  We decided to wait until he was all recovered from the stress of surgery to introduce anything.  He got pears today, and LOVED them!  He did a great job of getting them from the front of his tongue into the back of his mouth for swallowing.

I’m super busy tonight, so I don’t have time to post pictures.  What am I so busy with??  Halloween costumes, of course!  We have a get-together tomorrow evening, and they need to be done by then.  So I’m scurrying around with scissors, a sewing machine, tulle, felt and all sorts of cute goodness!

Come back for some pictures tomorrow!

Wash Woman’s Wages

My mom always said that whoever does the laundry gets to keep anything extra that comes through.  She called it “Wash Woman’s Wages.”  Some people are lucky enough to get a few coins – maybe even a dollar bill!  Others might get a toy or other small item.

My wages for the week amounted to this…

An assortment of precious rocks from the pocket of my very curious three-year-old.  Worth its weight in gold!!

6 Months & 6 Weeks

As of yesterday, Daniel is officially 6 months old!!  Six months!  Really?!?!  Time flies so quickly.  It’s almost impossible to believe that we’ve had him with us for longer than we “knew” about Down syndrome during my pregnancy.

This boy is amazing and wonderful and sweet as can be.  He is getting so strong and has really started to rock the neck strength.  Just look at all this cuteness!  (I’ll wait while you give him some kisses and snuggles…)  That is just the most irresistible face I have ever seen!

He is getting to be a rolling champ too.  We get to do a lot of tube unwrapping and untangling every day because of it, and I couldn’t be more pleased!  (All that extra skin on the back of his neck is awesome for nibbling!)

Remember my little photo project?  (I’ll wait while you refresh your memory.)  I was SHOCKED at the size difference!  I couldn’t even get the outfit completely over his shoulders!  Such a little chubster!

And, as if it isn’t shocking enough that he’s already 6 months old…

Today it has been 6 weeks since he had surgery!!  Oh. My. Goodness!!  Time sure flies when you’re having fun!  And what a difference 6 weeks makes!!

I am really enjoying Daniel’s more vibrant and lively side.  It feels so good to see him have the energy to move around and explore and EAT!  (Can you see a few more rolls in that third picture??)  He’s a mover and a shaker and I can see lots of cabinet locks and mess cleaning in our future!

Right now…just enjoying his deliciousness (and his oxygen antics)!

 

Time for some snuggles and nibbles!

Paint it Black

We purchased our home nearly six years ago.  It was built as a spec home, and the builders decided to let the purchasers choose the cabinets and the countertops, as well as the color of the door.  We had come to town specifically looking for a house, and spent a good chunk of our time actually looking.  Once we decided that this was the right house for us, we had to rush to make decisions about cabinets and countertops before we had to head back to where we were living (California).  We figured the door painting could wait.

You can sort of see that lovely gray steel door – all primed and ready for paint - in this picture.  This was taken in 2005 on the day we decided this was the home for us.

Well, that door waited patiently for nearly six years to finally get painted!  Our builder was supposed to get it done as soon as we moved in, and then it got cold.  So he was going to do it the next spring.  And the next.  And the next.

After this long, I figured we’re pretty much on our own.  So I took matters into my own hands on Saturday.  We now have a freshly-painted door, and a very happy me!

It’s black (in case you can’t tell), and it’s perfect (though not perfectly painted, as I am NOT a painter, nor do I play one on TV)!!  It’s such a refreshing change that even the aliens came out to see it!

Sunday Best: Pinterest Finds

I wasn’t going to join Pinterest.  I didn’t even know what it was all about.  And then I got curious, so I checked it out.  And that’s when it happened.  I HAD to join!  And now, I may or may not be an addict.  Just sayin’….  So I thought I’d share some of my favorite finds so far.

 

I must make these!  They’re so cute…how could I possibly NOT?!?!  I already have visions of my three boys in their matching ties!!  Jared wants one too, but I reeeeally don’t think he wants me to go that far.

 

Taking a photo in the same outfit through the first year.  How fun!  This is my photo project with Daniel, and I can’t wait!!  Since I didn’t find this idea until now, the backgrounds won’t be the same.  But it’ll still be a fun little memory.  The other kids are going to think he’s soooo spoiled because he’ll end up with all the cute, fun things that I didn’t know about (or have time for) with them!

 

A marble maze for church.  I am always on the lookout for something new to keep the kiddos quiet during Sacrament Meeting.  I think this may do the trick!  I have actually found so many fun little things…if I could only find the time to MAKE them!!  Is there an app for that?!?

 

Someday I will have a house with a mudroom bigger than a shoe box, and it’s going to look like this!  Or maybe even this…

Don’t you love the ladder?!?!  I need this!  It’s no longer in the want category!  (I guess I could do without the chandeliers…if I HAVE to!)

 

I could keep going.  Really.  But for the sake of humanity, I’ll stop there.

Oh, the Places We Sleep

We like to sleep, oh yes we do.  We like to sleep and you can too!

With a mom,

With a dad,

With a friend,

And in a group.

On the edge,

Hanging off,

With no pants,

And hard at work.

With a blanket,

In the shade,

In the car,

And on the couch.

On a cup,

On a bench,

Holding food,

And holding toys.

On a chair, over there,

All stretched out to get more air.

With a book,

With a cup,

With a hat,

And with a truck.

Eating food,

On the floor,

On a lap,

No time for naps!

How we love to sleep!  We do!  We hope you have a good sleep too!