I know, I know. I haven't been very good at posting lately. I promise to update soon with everything that has been going on. Until then, here is a little video that a friend sent to me. I thought it deserved a spot on the blog.
By the way, Aiden is now going around singing his own version of "Swagger Wagon", and needless to say, I've now adopted the name for our mini-van.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Professional Family
So I realized shortly after my last post that I unintentionally left it as a cliffhanger. Sorry for the confusion. After Maddie's echocardiogram we met with the doctor and she told us that the flap in Maddie's heart had closed, there is no longer a hole and that her heart looked perfect. She does, however, have a small murmur, just like her Mama and big brother, but it's nothing to worry about. And, this morning, I heard back from the Down syndrome clinic that Maddie's thyroid levels are normal. Yay!!
In other big news, we traded our car in for a minivan. That's right, we are now the proud owners of a 2007 Chrysler Town and Country. Grant couldn't be happier about having a minivan. I, on the other hand, am still adjusting to my new "Soccer Mom" role. I mean a minivan is serious stuff. There's no joking around. We're now a Professional Family, this is what I do for a living. And, I can't really be the young, hip, Mama I want to be while sporting a minivan, no matter how many times those Toyota Sienna commercials try to tell me otherwise. I think I may be taking this harder than I did turning 30.
Don't get me wrong, I like the minivan; there is a LOT more room, so I can tote my double stroller and have room for groceries, it has heated, leather seats, the doors open at the touch of a button, there's a built in navigation system and DVD player with wireless headphones so we don't have to hear Cars playing for the millionth time on long road trips, and all the seats fold nicely into compartments within the van itself. It's made for the Professional Family, to have every possible extra thing you could need to make it easier to schlep kids to and from places. I just wasn't ready to be a Professional Family yet, and didn't see the minivan coming anytime in the near future, but here we are.
Recently, Aiden's been demanding a little more attention than normal. I think he's feeling a little neglected because we've been so busy lately. What he needed was a little time all to himself with one of us. Unfortunately for me, Grant usually gets to be the one to do this with him since Maddie still needs me so much. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a little one-on-one time with my Buddy! But, I was SO happy that Grant was able to take him out today to play in the grass by the Cathedral. Plus, it gave Maddie and I a little one-on-one time, too.
He came back covered in dirt, and clearly had a great time with his Daddy! I can't wait for a Mommy/Buddy day. Hopefully soon!
In other big news, we traded our car in for a minivan. That's right, we are now the proud owners of a 2007 Chrysler Town and Country. Grant couldn't be happier about having a minivan. I, on the other hand, am still adjusting to my new "Soccer Mom" role. I mean a minivan is serious stuff. There's no joking around. We're now a Professional Family, this is what I do for a living. And, I can't really be the young, hip, Mama I want to be while sporting a minivan, no matter how many times those Toyota Sienna commercials try to tell me otherwise. I think I may be taking this harder than I did turning 30.
Don't get me wrong, I like the minivan; there is a LOT more room, so I can tote my double stroller and have room for groceries, it has heated, leather seats, the doors open at the touch of a button, there's a built in navigation system and DVD player with wireless headphones so we don't have to hear Cars playing for the millionth time on long road trips, and all the seats fold nicely into compartments within the van itself. It's made for the Professional Family, to have every possible extra thing you could need to make it easier to schlep kids to and from places. I just wasn't ready to be a Professional Family yet, and didn't see the minivan coming anytime in the near future, but here we are.
Recently, Aiden's been demanding a little more attention than normal. I think he's feeling a little neglected because we've been so busy lately. What he needed was a little time all to himself with one of us. Unfortunately for me, Grant usually gets to be the one to do this with him since Maddie still needs me so much. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a little one-on-one time with my Buddy! But, I was SO happy that Grant was able to take him out today to play in the grass by the Cathedral. Plus, it gave Maddie and I a little one-on-one time, too.
He came back covered in dirt, and clearly had a great time with his Daddy! I can't wait for a Mommy/Buddy day. Hopefully soon!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Back to Cardiology and a Thyroid Test
Maddie had a follow-up appointment with the cardiologist today. We had to go back in February because she had some blueing around her lips, hands, and feet. After Maddie's first echocardiogram, the doctor told us she was 99% positive that she had a flap in her heart that was supposed to close after birth and that hers hadn't done that yet. She also told us that most of the time the flap fuses shut on its own, and other times it doesn't. Apparently, there are adults walking around without the flap fused shut. She wanted us to come back when Maddie was 6 months old so that they could take another look and double check that it wasn't a hole in her heart.
I was pretty positive, going in, that nothing was wrong. Since her first appointment, she has not had any of the blueing around her mouth, hands, or feet. She also has not been having any other symptoms that have lead me to worry. We have been so lucky this far that her heart has not had any issues. For those of you who don't know, heart issues are common in children with Down syndrome, and many have to undergo surgery at a young age.
While I was at the Children's Hospital last week getting Maddie's blood drawn for her Thyroid test, I noticed a sign for The Sibling Center. Apparently you can drop off siblings ages 3-11 at the playroom for up to 2 hours while a patient is being seen. I wish I had known about this service earlier. Last time we took Aiden with us and it was extremely stressful trying to keep him entertained during the appointment. This time it was wonderful! He felt like he was getting to go do something special while Maddie had her appointment, and he didn't have to sit quietly while we talked to the doctor. Even though the appointment was longer than the 2 hour playroom time limit, it made him much more cooperative to come back and sit for the remaining few minutes.
As for Maddie, she did an amazing job! She ate during the first part of the appointment and then fell asleep during most of the echocardiogram. If there were a room in the hospital that she were going to sleep in, this would have to be the first choice. The lights are low and calming, it's warm, and Sesame Street was quietly playing in the background. During the part where Maddie was awake, she patiently stayed still and smiled so the technician could get all the pictures of her heart she needed to. She is such a good baby!
As for the thyroid test, she did just as well during this appointment as she did with her Cardiology appointment. I was afraid that she would cry as they stuck her with the needle, but she just smiled at the technician the whole time. Even the technician was surprised. She told me that usually they are the most disliked people at the hospital. Due to her constipation issues, there is a higher chance of that coming back positive. However, I feel extremely confident that her thyroid is easily manageable, but we won't know the results for a couple more days.
Here are just a few fun (and grainy... sorry) pictures of Aiden being a great helper this week. He sure does love his baby sister! And I think she's pretty in love with him, too!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
6 Months Old
Maddie just turned 6 months old. I can't believe how quickly the first half of her first year has gone. 6 months ago as I prepared for Madelyn's birth, it never crossed my mind all the things that I would have to prepare myself for after her birth. I knew that she would be different from Aiden, after all, she was going to be her own little person. But, I was not prepared for the surprise I got. I'm not even sure I would have been prepared had I known then what I know now. It's been a roller coster of a journey with high and low points. It's amazing to me how different things are now, and how well we have melded together as a family. I never would have thought 6 months ago that I would have reached a point of peace with Maddie's Down syndrome diagnosis. But, really, it's not that big of a deal anymore. So I have a few extra appointments a week with her. So she doesn't do things at the same pace as other kids. So I have to go to the Children's Hospital a little more frequently. It's not as devastating as I thought it would be. And, just sayin', the new Children's Hospital is really nice. I'm lucky they moved right before Maddie was born, the old one was nothing to write home, or rather blog, about.
It turns out that as a parent you are always going to worry about your children, whether they have Down syndrome or not. And there are absolutely no guarantees that your children will always be ok. You hope for the best and try not to think about the worst. And, when you hear one of the worst sentences you think could ever be uttered, you change your view point. Down syndrome is not the worst thing to ever happen to our family. It's one of the best. It has brought us closer as a family, Grant and I closer as a couple, made us more sensitive to the needs of others, and opened our eyes to a whole new community of people. People with hearts as big as an ocean. People that I feel a sense of camaraderie, admiration, and belonging to before I even meet them. It's an amazing feeling.
It's not always easy, for instance when I think about the night she was born, I still have the intense feeling of all the air being sucked out of the room. And, even though I know it's going to happen, I can't help but be a little jealous when a friend's baby hits a milestone before Maddie, or hold my breath before a doctor's appointment waiting for the other shoe to drop, because chances are it will. But it only takes looking into Maddie's beautiful, big, blue, eyes to know that things will be ok, just as I did on the night she was born. She is still the baby I fell in love with while I was pregnant, and still my little baby girl. She fills me so completely with a love that I never knew I would be able to feel. It's like I've been waiting for her and her brother my whole life and now I feel complete.
So, with turning 6 months old, comes the 6 month well-baby check-up. We timed her appointment with Aiden's 3 year old appointment so that we didn't have to go back twice. Maddie weighed in at 12 pounds even, 24 inches tall and in the less than 3rd percentile on the height and weight chart. Other than being teeny tiny, everything checked out! She did have to get some vaccines, and they caused her to have a small fever the next day, but it wasn't a big deal. Aiden did just as well as Maddie and is in the 10th percentile for his height and weight. What can I say, we just have small children!
In other news, Maddie had her Developmental Therapist session this week and has hit all of her developmental milestones that we set out as goals for her. Which means, it's time to re-eveluate her and set some new goals. I remember when we started all of the therapy with Maddie thinking that it was going to take forever for her be able to perform some of the tasks, but here we are, and she's just moving right along!
I can't wait to see what amazing things happen in the next 6 months! It has been such an amazing ride so far, I know it will only get better from here! Happy half birthday sweet baby girl, I love you!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Hoosier Kiss
In September, Aiden starts preschool. At each school we went to look at this spring, he would cry as we were leaving because he wanted to stay. He has such a passion for learning already and eats up anything and everything we teach him. I know he will LOVE school. He is also dying for some friends his own age. Some mornings, when we wake up, we can hear kids playing at the playground near us. Aiden will say, "Mommy, my friends! We have to go see them!" I can't wait for him to be able to foster some friendships and gain some of the social skills he is craving. I am also excited that I will have some alone time with Miss Maddie while The Bug is at school. Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly sad that he is growing up so quickly and that we no longer will have our whole days together, but I think the excitement outweighs the sadness.
Anyway, one of the requirements for him to be in school is that he has to be potty-trained by the time school starts. So far, I have been trying the "wait until he tells you he's ready to go" school of thought. Well, I waited and waited and waited for him to be ready before Maddie got here, but figured I wouldn't push it too much because I didn't want to have to re-train him once Maddie arrived. The morning that I went into labor, however, seemed to be the morning he was "ready". After I realized I was in labor, his efforts were quickly squashed and the diaper was put back on him. Then we were back to waiting. I was starting to get a little nervous that he wasn't going to ever be ready to go on his own. So, I did what all good parents do, I bargained with and bribed him.
I told him that when he turned 3 that he had to stop wearing diapers except for at night, and during the day he had to wear underwear like a big boy. I also made a rewards chart for him to put stickers on every time he even tried to go to the bathroom. And lastly, I told him that every time he peed on the potty he could have a Hershey Kiss or M&M's.
After we returned from Dad and Barb's, we started. He seemed to be ok with the fact that he had to wear underwear, could care less about the chart except for the fact that he wanted the stickers, and would do about anything for the Hershey Kiss/M&M's. Too my surprise he has not had one accident, but has started to demand a Hershey Kiss every time he goes potty.
One night Grant and I went out and a friend watched the kids for us. Aiden went potty twice while we were gone. However, we forgot to tell her about the Hershey Kiss demand after he's completed the job. Unfortunately, for her, we also forgot that he can't really pronounce it that well either and it comes out kinda like "Hooshey Kiss". Poor Alyssa had no idea what he was talking about at first, but finally figured it out. When we got home, she told us she thought he was saying he wanted a "Hoosier Kiss", and just assumed it was some weird Indiana thing. Needless to say they are now called Hoosier Kisses in our house.
Since then, we have dwindled the Hoosier Kisses down to one a day if he doesn't have an accident. He hasn't missed one night! Now if I could only get him to poop in the potty, we'd be all set for preschool!
Some fun pictures from the last couple of days:
Anyway, one of the requirements for him to be in school is that he has to be potty-trained by the time school starts. So far, I have been trying the "wait until he tells you he's ready to go" school of thought. Well, I waited and waited and waited for him to be ready before Maddie got here, but figured I wouldn't push it too much because I didn't want to have to re-train him once Maddie arrived. The morning that I went into labor, however, seemed to be the morning he was "ready". After I realized I was in labor, his efforts were quickly squashed and the diaper was put back on him. Then we were back to waiting. I was starting to get a little nervous that he wasn't going to ever be ready to go on his own. So, I did what all good parents do, I bargained with and bribed him.
I told him that when he turned 3 that he had to stop wearing diapers except for at night, and during the day he had to wear underwear like a big boy. I also made a rewards chart for him to put stickers on every time he even tried to go to the bathroom. And lastly, I told him that every time he peed on the potty he could have a Hershey Kiss or M&M's.
After we returned from Dad and Barb's, we started. He seemed to be ok with the fact that he had to wear underwear, could care less about the chart except for the fact that he wanted the stickers, and would do about anything for the Hershey Kiss/M&M's. Too my surprise he has not had one accident, but has started to demand a Hershey Kiss every time he goes potty.
One night Grant and I went out and a friend watched the kids for us. Aiden went potty twice while we were gone. However, we forgot to tell her about the Hershey Kiss demand after he's completed the job. Unfortunately, for her, we also forgot that he can't really pronounce it that well either and it comes out kinda like "Hooshey Kiss". Poor Alyssa had no idea what he was talking about at first, but finally figured it out. When we got home, she told us she thought he was saying he wanted a "Hoosier Kiss", and just assumed it was some weird Indiana thing. Needless to say they are now called Hoosier Kisses in our house.
Since then, we have dwindled the Hoosier Kisses down to one a day if he doesn't have an accident. He hasn't missed one night! Now if I could only get him to poop in the potty, we'd be all set for preschool!
Some fun pictures from the last couple of days:
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Aiden turns 3 and a really big post
At the beginning of July we decided to go home to Indianapolis to stay with my Dad and Barb. We haven't been to Indy since before Madelyn was born and I was really feeling the need to take her home and soak in some of those humid Indiana summer nights. Without kids, the trip takes us 6 hours, add Aiden into the mix and we can do it in about 7 hours, so I was uncertain how long the trip would be when we added Maddie into it. I was unsure of how many times she would need to stop to nurse, or how far we could get before she decided that she had had enough time in the car and had a meltdown.
We stayed pretty busy while we were in Indy. We had lots of people to see and made sure that we soaked up every minute we could with friends and family. It never feels like we have enough time while we are there and we never get to spend as long as we'd like with anyone.
Our first night in Indy happened to be our 6 year anniversary. I can't believe it's been 6 years! So much has happened in that time. Luckily for us, Dad and Barb offered to watch the kids for us so that we could go out to dinner. After some debate, we decided to go to Noah Grant's in Zionsville. We used to work there before they redesigned, back when it was Brix, and wanted to check it out. We had a wonderful dinner and just happened to run into a few people who used to work with us while we were there. Afterward, we stopped by my friend Lindsay's house and sat around the bon-fire for a bit before heading back to my Dad's house. I know it wasn't a huge night out, but it was a perfect evening. And, really after 11 years, and 2 kids, just a simple evening together is about as perfect as it can get!
We watched fireworks over the reservoir from the boat for the 4th of July. It was amazing and beautiful. The best part was that we didn't have to fight through traffic or hoards of people to see them. Aiden was so excited to watch the fireworks and would exclaim every time he would see one begin its ascent into the air, "LOOK! FIREWORKS!", or "There's one!" The best was when he would say, "Oh Mommy, they're beautiful!" Maddie spent most of the time hanging out with Mimi, perfectly contented to stay wrapped up in her arms.
Turns out I was worried for nothing. The trip couldn't have gone any smoother. Maddie is such a trooper and would go along with just about anything we wanted her to. Much to my surprise she slept the first 3 hours, until we stopped for lunch. Our plan was to let Aiden run off some steam in the playground of Chick-fil-a while Grant ate lunch and I nursed Maddie. We would then pile back into the car and Aiden and I would eat our lunch while Grant continued to drive. While it didn't quite happen that smoothly, we pretty much stuck to our 7 hour schedule!
(Aiden really doesn't like it when I take pictures of him and will usually run away from me if he knows I'm trying to take one. Luckily, he was strapped in and had nowhere to go!)
We stayed pretty busy while we were in Indy. We had lots of people to see and made sure that we soaked up every minute we could with friends and family. It never feels like we have enough time while we are there and we never get to spend as long as we'd like with anyone.
Our first night in Indy happened to be our 6 year anniversary. I can't believe it's been 6 years! So much has happened in that time. Luckily for us, Dad and Barb offered to watch the kids for us so that we could go out to dinner. After some debate, we decided to go to Noah Grant's in Zionsville. We used to work there before they redesigned, back when it was Brix, and wanted to check it out. We had a wonderful dinner and just happened to run into a few people who used to work with us while we were there. Afterward, we stopped by my friend Lindsay's house and sat around the bon-fire for a bit before heading back to my Dad's house. I know it wasn't a huge night out, but it was a perfect evening. And, really after 11 years, and 2 kids, just a simple evening together is about as perfect as it can get!
We watched fireworks over the reservoir from the boat for the 4th of July. It was amazing and beautiful. The best part was that we didn't have to fight through traffic or hoards of people to see them. Aiden was so excited to watch the fireworks and would exclaim every time he would see one begin its ascent into the air, "LOOK! FIREWORKS!", or "There's one!" The best was when he would say, "Oh Mommy, they're beautiful!" Maddie spent most of the time hanging out with Mimi, perfectly contented to stay wrapped up in her arms.
We spent a lot of time at the pool and we were lucky to get to see my brother, Tom, his wife, Ashley, and their kids, Lainey, Cali and Levi. Aiden had a great time with Lainey and Cali and I know he is sad that we don't live closer so he can play with them more often.
While the older kids played, the younger ones did their best to nap, and Mimi and Aunt Courtney were not about to let a baby sleep without being held.
Aiden's birthday was on the 7th and we spent the day with my Mom and Dave. Aiden had a great time with Nannie and Papaw at the Children's Museum, and especially liked the Dinosphere, where he got to dig for fossils!
After the Children's Museum, we met at Rick's Boatyard Cafe for a wonderful dinner celebration that was followed with chocolate cake for the birthday boy. We only wish we could have been able to spend more time with Nannie and Papaw.
The next day we had a little birthday party for Aiden. He had requested a chocolate dinosaur cake for his birthday and not only did he get that, but a whole dinosaur themed party. I cut out dinosaur feet to make a "Happy Birthday, Aiden" sign, then used the extra cutouts to lead to the basement for the party. I also made deviled dinosaur eggs, had a dinosaur egg hunt for the kids, and had styrofoam cutouts of dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs to paint while waiting for other guests to arrive.
We prepared most of the morning for his party, baking the cake, setting up decorations, putting together gift bags for the kids, getting food ready, and setting up activities. Aiden did his part to help us get ready, too.
The weather had been great all morning, but as soon as I finished setting up everything outside, it started pouring down rain.
So we scrambled to get everything down and decided to move the party into the basement, which worked just as well.
We invited our friends Lindsay and Bryan, and their daughter Lilly, Tom and Ashley and their kids, and our friends Chad, Caleb, and Christian. I think that Aiden was a little overwhelmed, but everyone had a great time!
I can't believe my sweet baby is three years old. I am so lucky and proud to be his Mommy. He continues to amaze me everyday with his unconditional love, kindness, humor, creativeness, and zest for life. He has become the most incredible big brother and Maddie is incredibly lucky to be growing up with such a wonderful little boy. Thank you for making me a Mommy, it is the best job in the whole world! Happy Birthday, Buggy!
The rest of the week wasn't quite as eventful. We did, of course, get our teeth cleaned while we were there. Aiden got to pretend to be a dentist and helped Mimi clean Daddy's teeth, which he loved!
And he was a huge helper while getting his teeth cleaned, too! When it was his turn, he didn't want to be held by Daddy, he wanted to get right into the chair like a big boy.
Our ride home was just as uneventful as our drive out to Indy, except for the fact that I was incredibly sad to be leaving. We had such a wonderful time with everyone, it's always so hard to leave. I wish we lived closer to home so that we could see everybody more often, but it was an amazing, much needed vacation. Thanks Dad and Barb for hosting us!
While the older kids played, the younger ones did their best to nap, and Mimi and Aunt Courtney were not about to let a baby sleep without being held.
Aiden's birthday was on the 7th and we spent the day with my Mom and Dave. Aiden had a great time with Nannie and Papaw at the Children's Museum, and especially liked the Dinosphere, where he got to dig for fossils!
After the Children's Museum, we met at Rick's Boatyard Cafe for a wonderful dinner celebration that was followed with chocolate cake for the birthday boy. We only wish we could have been able to spend more time with Nannie and Papaw.
The next day we had a little birthday party for Aiden. He had requested a chocolate dinosaur cake for his birthday and not only did he get that, but a whole dinosaur themed party. I cut out dinosaur feet to make a "Happy Birthday, Aiden" sign, then used the extra cutouts to lead to the basement for the party. I also made deviled dinosaur eggs, had a dinosaur egg hunt for the kids, and had styrofoam cutouts of dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs to paint while waiting for other guests to arrive.
We prepared most of the morning for his party, baking the cake, setting up decorations, putting together gift bags for the kids, getting food ready, and setting up activities. Aiden did his part to help us get ready, too.
The weather had been great all morning, but as soon as I finished setting up everything outside, it started pouring down rain.
So we scrambled to get everything down and decided to move the party into the basement, which worked just as well.
We invited our friends Lindsay and Bryan, and their daughter Lilly, Tom and Ashley and their kids, and our friends Chad, Caleb, and Christian. I think that Aiden was a little overwhelmed, but everyone had a great time!
I can't believe my sweet baby is three years old. I am so lucky and proud to be his Mommy. He continues to amaze me everyday with his unconditional love, kindness, humor, creativeness, and zest for life. He has become the most incredible big brother and Maddie is incredibly lucky to be growing up with such a wonderful little boy. Thank you for making me a Mommy, it is the best job in the whole world! Happy Birthday, Buggy!
The rest of the week wasn't quite as eventful. We did, of course, get our teeth cleaned while we were there. Aiden got to pretend to be a dentist and helped Mimi clean Daddy's teeth, which he loved!
And he was a huge helper while getting his teeth cleaned, too! When it was his turn, he didn't want to be held by Daddy, he wanted to get right into the chair like a big boy.
Our ride home was just as uneventful as our drive out to Indy, except for the fact that I was incredibly sad to be leaving. We had such a wonderful time with everyone, it's always so hard to leave. I wish we lived closer to home so that we could see everybody more often, but it was an amazing, much needed vacation. Thanks Dad and Barb for hosting us!
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