Penny's Peeps

Monday Valentine Mystery....What is Katie's Answer???

2012-02-13T06:30:00.000-06:00

today's valentine is precious katie, another southern girl from south georgia! hopefully we will meet in real life in the next few weeks! katie's mommy and i have been facebook friends for over 2 years. donna prayed us through wyatt's open heart surgery, and chatted online with me late at night while we were in the hospital. katie and her brother have both had open heart surgery at the same hospital as wyatt's surgery, eggleston children's hospital in atlanta, i think by the same surgical team! i will never forget our late night chats as she encouraged me in all we were going through! you can follow their blog, "loving life," here!

Katie is Wyatt's "older" girlfriend, turning 4 in March. She happily attends school 5 days at week--public and private school, one being in the local school system and the other at a church based school. She has made a lot of new friends this year since starting school. She loves going to school everyday and enjoys circle time the most. Her teachers at both schools say that music is one of Katie's favorite things, she dances and sings during music time.

She loves to watch Signing Times and knows about 200 signs. She sings and signs as she watches these videos! She has also become a huge fan of Dora the Explorer and Elmo. She calls out Dora's name several times a day!

She loves to be read to, she is CRAZY about bubbles, She is a water baby! She can spend hours in the bath, pool, lake, ocean, you name it, she is in it. She loves to study Jesus, The Bible, her colors, numbers and alphabet. Flash cards are a favorite of hers, via iphone, ipad or the old fashioned way, by hand.

She spends every weekday afternoon with her grandparents who spoil her bunches. She would spend all day outside with her Nana and Papa having her swing if they would let her. (as it is, she gets at least an hour on the swing every day!) The higher she can go in the swing, the louder her smiles and laughter is. Taking walks every day with Nana is also a favorite thing of hers to do.

Mommy and Katie have a standing date every Thursday after therapy to hit Chick Fil A and the park together. She is not a picky eater and loves to eat! Having an Oriental grandmother means there is always a bowl of rice ready to eat! She loves ice cream, vanilla and chocolate are in a tie! She is crazy about Cool Ranch Doritos and Chips Ahoy.

Her favorite thing to do with her brother is watch and play wrestling. She never gets tired of playing ball with anyone who will throw, roll or kick it to her. Her favorite toy is her shopping basket. She loves to push it around the house and take her "puppy" for a ride. She also loves going to the bounce house and bouncing away.

She has all of us wrapped around her finger!!!

WYATT STILL WANTS TO KNOW....
"WILL YOU BE MINE, KATIE?"

A Southern Valentine, Laila!

2012-02-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

enjoying her yogurt!

today's lovely valentine is southern belle laila! her mama, larramie, and i are facebook and "telephone" friends! we have shared joys and concerns, and pray for each other often! the following is a direct quote from larramie! {read in a VERY southern accent!} enjoy!

what a sweet smile!

laila enjoys life!

"Laila LOVES strawberries and yogurt! She loves Yo Gabba Gabba and Spongebob! She would dance all day long if she could. She loves Justin Beiber, Selena Gomez and Adelle. She likes to play ball with her brothers and she likes to play "baby" with her sister! Laila is the funniest thing ever and she loves her some Wyatt!! Every time she sees his picture she kisses it! haha!"

worn out laila!

I THINK LAILA SAYS "YES, I WILL BE YOUR VALENTINE!"

Meet Another of Wyatt's West Coast Beauties, Ruby!

2012-02-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

ooh mommy....a Valentine? for me???

today's valentine is the beautiful ruby, who lives in washington state; VERY FAR AWAY from our home in florida! her mommy and i have been facebook friends for quite a while; ruby and wyatt have "grown up together" through facebook! they were born about 3 weeks apart..... wyatt wants me to let you know that HE is the older one! enjoy!

dress up diva!

Ruby's favorite activities with Mommy are dressing up in Mommy's clothes, singing, dancing, reading books, putting on make-up and vacuuming. She is also Daddy's little princess. She starts every morning with a call to Daddy at work and can often be seen running around the house in his baseball caps and sun glasses.

from WYATT????
he wants me to be his Valentine?

he is SOOOO CUTE!!!

i do have my family to think about, though.....

Ruby has four siblings. Hali is 18 and in college and Ruby loves to talk to her on Facetime on the iPhone. Elli is 15 and Ruby enjoys going to watch her play soccer. Luke is 11 and is Ruby's best friend. They play lots of games like catch with a ball, chase around the house or hide and seek (Ruby's version which means hide in the same 3 spots and cover your own eyes so brother can't see you).

especially grady....
i wonder if wyatt would like "baby"?

Grady is Ruby's 7 week old brother, also known as "Baby." He is Ruby's favorite new toy. She loves to hold him on her lap, kiss his head and steal his pacifiers and hats.

thinking, thinking.....

Her favorite foods are applesauce, spaghetti and whatever Mommy is eating. Her favorite snacks are crackers. Ruby is a great eater and always amazes guest with the quantity of food she can eat for such a little girl. When she is finished she amazes them with her throwing arm as she cleans all the leftover food off her tray. [you would think that she and wyatt eat together all the time....this describes out meal time to a tee!]

Ruby has a very busy schedule with Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy and a home teacher once a week. This school year Ruby is going to a co-op preschool twice a week. There she enjoys song time, free play with toys, painting and crafts. [She IS a very busy little lady!]

YES, WYATT!!!
I WILL BE YOUR VALENTINE!!!

Another Texas "Bear" Beauty! Meet Chloe Bear!

2012-02-10T06:30:00.000-06:00

today's valentine is "cute as a bug" chloe bear, who actually wrote her own post on her mama's ("as reasonable as can be expected") blog about wyatt....you MUST go check it out here! she thinks he's quite the "player!" it's hilarious! chloe and her family live in texas, and her mama and i are facebook friends and fellow bloggers!

Chloe Bear is a clever, silly 2-year-old, who is just a few months older than Wyatt.

Her favorite thing is dancing. as a matter of fact, her response to wyatt's question "will you be my valentine?" was "if you can keep up with me on the dance floor!" [wyatt's quite the dancer, but i've never been able to capture his moves on video!]

She also really likes baths, which can be with or without clothes or her sister.

She is also willing to improvise a bath in the bathroom sink (also clothing optional).

Music, Signing Times, and her two sisters are some other favorite things. She can enjoy herself doing almost anything and loves Kindermusik and story time at the library.

Her mama says she likes to pretend that she isn’t as smart as she is and will surprise you by doing something really ingenious like finding different things in the mirror and then turning it at an angle in a different spot to find something else. She is currently working on being potty trained and pedaling a tricycle for longer distances.

Chloe's favorite color is red and her favorite foods are yogurt and bananas. She is very interested in learning to read and sew and if someone is teaching anything regarding reading to her sister or if her mother or grandmother is sewing, she is right there paying close attention. The fabric for the beautiful red dress in this picture was chosen by Chloe out of her grandmother's stash! She kept grabbing it until Grandma agreed to make her a dress out of it..... she's presistent too!

The Lovely Leah.....Wyatt's Thursday Valentine!

2012-02-09T06:30:00.000-06:00

wyatt's valentine today is the lovely leah! her mama and i have developed a close friendship of encouragement and support, sharing with each other through facebook and phone calls the joys and tears that we experience with our wonderful kiddos! jennifer wrote a lovely post that i know you will enjoy! and you can follow their story here, at "journaling leah!"

Hi Wyatt!
I was super excited to get your Valentine in the mail! I thought before I give you your answer, Iwould tell you a little bit about myself.

I am a Daddy’s girl. And, he’s a real southern gentleman. He is also very protective of me. He wasn’t too happy to see your Valentine. He mentioned something about shotguns when hesaw your picture. I dunno what that’sall about though. :) I just know that he says he’s smitten withme. I think that means he loves me alot. And, I love him too!

My Mama loves me a lot, too. She always plays with me and takes me to fun places, likeplaygroup. We have lots of fun there,but the best part is that we get to go to Burger King for lunch after it’sover! Some of my favorite foods are frenchfries.

I have 4 siblings: 2 sisters and 2 brothers. Emmanuel is myoldest brother, he is 12. Hannah andElijah are the next oldest. They are 11,and Hannah is 1 minute older then Elijah! Elijah doesn’t like that too much. Sarah is 8 and she is a great big sister. They are all great. They all play with me, read to me, and singwith me. They are even learning signlanguage with me. I couldn’t ask forbetter role models!

So here are some other cool things about me:

I LOVE books! I wouldchoose reading a book over almost any other activity!

My iPad is also one of my favorite things! Tell your Mama I said thank you for all ofthe app suggestions she gave my mom! Myfavorites are Signing Times, Elmo ABC’s, PBS Kids, and Peekaboo Barn.

I really like to cook and I LOVE to eat. The only thing I really am not fond of istuna, but my Mama doesn’t like it much either so I think I get that from her.

I like to sing, dance, and play. I am starting to recognize my letters and Iknow my colors! I am even starting to go on the potty all by myself! Mommy says I am doing better with the pottythen my older brothers and sisters! Ilike to rub that in their noses! ;)

Last of all, but most importantly, I like to pray. I love to talk to my Heavenly Father andthank Him for all of my blessings. MyMama says I’m a blessing and Daddy says that it was luck that he has me. He says it wasn’t very likely to have me bornwith Down syndrome, but he was lucky that I was! When they say their prayers, sometimes I hearthem say how grateful they are that they have me. They both like me just theway I am and they say that I teach them a lot of things. I dunno though, I’m just me. I am who I was meant to be and I am happy tobe me!

With all that being said,

Yes Wyatt, I will be your Valentine…
(just don’t tell myDaddy! )

Love,
Leah

Another "Royal" Valentine....Princess Marissa!

2012-02-08T06:30:00.000-06:00

princess marissa and mommy!

the next response wyatt received was also from one of his new, in real life, valentines, princess marissa! we met her on our recent return trip from pensacola; her family lives in crestview, florida, and i blogged about her lunch with wyatt here!

coloring time!

enjoying the aquarium, maybe?

princess marissa's favorite foods are cheerios and pretzels. her mommy says, "If I'd let her that's ALL she would eat, day in and day out. :-)" [wyatt says we must work on this....there are much better foods out there that she needs to explore! we do know she likes ice cream, though, which is a good thing!]

puzzle time!

She loves Barney and Signing Time! Marissa also likes to go to the park and the aquarium. She enjoys playing on the computer, and helping mommy bake! [yay, because wyatt likes to eat baked goods!] Marissa loves puzzles, coloring, and she's learning to read too! She's a busy girl!

yummy!

enjoying a good book with a brother too!

computer time with her brothers!

Princess Marissa has 2 little bothers (twins). They love her and she loves them. Her daddy is deployed right now, but she likes to read stories about him and kiss him good night. Mommy stays home at makes sure the house is orderly, all the kids are fed, and semi-clean. [you can follow their blog, "to love endlessly," here!]

AND IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING....
PRINCESS MARISSA SAID "YES!"
SHE WOULD BE WYATT'S VALENTINE!

One of Wyatt's Newest Valentines.... Equadorian Beauty Grace!

2012-02-07T06:30:00.000-06:00

this is the first picture my mama and papa
ever saw of me! i was 2 1/2!

you might remember beautiful grace, the Ecuadorian beauty who we had dinner with a few weeks ago! if you missed that post, you can read it here! her family lives in pace, which is one of the communities that we are considering living in when we make our big move this summer! we just know that we are going to be great friends with her family!

Grace loves to eat! Her favorite foods include pizza, spaghetti, chips and salsa, guacamole and ice cream. She also loves to eat at Chick-Fil- A! [this list of favorites are also wyatt's favorites!]

this is the first time i met my mama and papa!

She loves watching Elmo Music Dance DVDs and Signing Times! Grace also likes dancing, and loves 80s music (is there any other music beyond the 80's?)! She LOVES football- "Go Gators!" [here she and wyatt part ways.....he's a SEMINOLE all the way!!]

Some of Grace's favorite toys include her pretend kitchen and her cookie monster counts cookies toy. She also love playing outside and wearing her rainbow scarf and fun hats and clothes! Her favorite color is purple and she loves her pet Great Dane!

i really am a "gator!"

She is the youngest of four siblings; Ashley 24, Nathen 22, Eric 18! She is 6 years old, and is very petite due to her Ecuadorian heritage.

i love playing outside!

Grace loves to show affection to almost anyone. It's her gift to others! It seems like everywhere we go everyone knows and remembers her and enjoys her spunky spirit and great hugs! [it sounds like she is a tremendous blessing to everyone she meets....... something else i say about wyatt all the time as well!] you can follow her family's story here!

so here's my answer!
"i'd snap at the chance to be your valentine, wyatt!"

Who is Wyatt's Valentine Today? Delightful Delia!

2012-02-06T06:30:00.000-06:00

delia obviously enjoying swinging!

today's valentine is the lovely little delia! her mommy and i have been fb friends for a long time- delia and wyatt are about the same age! wyatt and delia have both had open heart surgery, and we had the privilege of praying delia through her surgery..... you might remember delia from the post her mama wrote back in october for my blog during Down syndrome awareness month; "this child is NOT a burden!"

so gentle with her sweet dog!

Delia loves her kitty and puppies and will take time to pet them whenever she sees them. She loves her sister, Kiera, too - they chase each other around, as much as Delia can. Her balance is definitely not as good as her sister, but she tries to follow her everywhere. They hide out together and watch movies on the ipad in the castle tent in Kiera's room! (Kiera is very good about only watching movies that Delia is allowed to watch)

Mommy is the best place to get hugs, but she's also definitely in a Daddy phase - and loves it when he gives raspberries. Delia goes to daycare and has lots of friends there. Mommy hopes that kids will be as nice to her when she starts school as they are at daycare. They all love to help her, and love to ask me why she still wears a bib. :)

Delia is growing up so fast, and is playing with more of her older sister's toys now - Kiera has to share her doll house and kitchen! before long they'll be sharing everything! (i bet she would LOVE wyatt's cool new kitchen!)

so here's delia's response to wyatt's question....."will you be mine???"

oh mommy....do i HAVE to pose for pictures????

what is a "valentine??"
wait a minute.....valentine=candy?
we're talking about candy????
i LIKE candy!!!
(delia is signing candy!)

oh, you meant "eye candy?" as in my cute little friend wyatt? lol!
not REAL candy????

well, he's pretty cute....
i think i'll say "yes, wyatt....i will be your valentine!"

okay, now let's talk about the candy again.....

HAND OVER THE CANDY, MOMMY,
AND NO ONE WILL GET HURT!!! HEE HEE!!!

Wyatt's Royal Valentine....Princess Lily

2012-02-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

something's up....
mom's getting ready for a photo shoot!

we knew when we sent this valentine that princess lily (as we like to call her) was already "betrothed" to another..... but we couldn't resist! we just love princess lily and had to ask her to be our valentine! our valentine's posts would not be the same without her! her mama and i are internet bff's, and we just love their family! you can visit her mama's creative crafty blog here.....

sweet princess lily!

ian, lily's "betrothed!

Hello Wy!!! That's what my mommy and I like to call you when we pray for you. I know you're really Wyatt, but we like to shorten up names here. Anyway...thanks for the Valentine!!!! I was so excited to get it. I have to be honest with you though...while I can be your Valentine, my mommy already has me "engaged" to another. :) (that's ian over there! -->)

I know that we would be great friends if we lived near each other or if we could come visit you. We could play together for a long time while our mommies talked...for HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS!

i guess it's time to answer wyatt.....

If we played together, I would share some of my favorite toys with you. I especially love ALL my Elmo toys, my baby dolls, and my tea set. Do you think we could use my tea set on your new, totally rad play kitchen?!

Well now...If mommy and I stay for dinner, you better have some ice cream. I LOVE ice cream!!! I don't like a lot of different things to eat. That's why mommy and I go to a feeding therapist every week. I'm getting a lot better at eating though!! I might try something new if you showed me how to do it!!

i hope he likes it......

Do you think one of your brothers would read to us when we come to visit? I LOVE books!!

Speaking of brothers...I have two big brothers. They think I'm da bomb!! I love them a lot too. I have so much family that all love me to pieces. I'm a blessed little girl.

yep, mommy.....Wy is MY GUY!!!

Oh...when I visit, can we watch "Signing Time", "Sesame Street", and "Blues Clues"? I really like those shows. Do you?

While we are playing, I could give you the low-down on school. School is sooooooo much fun. You are going to love it! I started pre-school last August. My teacher and my aide are really awesome. I learn lots and get to play with all my school friends while I learn.

Well...Mommy says I have to quit daydreaming about coming to visit you and I need to go out and get a job so we can pay for some plane tickets down to Florida. LOL! She's teasing me, I think. Thanks again for being my Valentine, Wy! Mommy and I love you!!!

Wyatt's Texas Beauty Ellie Bellie Bear!

2012-02-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

are we sure about this, mama?

today's valentine has a texas connection! although she was not born in texas, she lives there now.... wyatt's daddy is a texan, and those roots go deep! meet precious ellie.........

who could resist this face????

happy girl!!!

Ellie, aka Ellie Bellie Bear and The Chunky Chicken, is a vivacious, sassy little 2 year-old girl who is full of mischief and toddlertude. Ellie Bear has a great fondness for climbing and running around playgrounds and indoor bouncy houses (no worries! she has AAI clearance). When she is not nearly giving her mama heart attacks, she can be found stacking blocks and putting together (gnawing on) puzzles while watching Signing Time! The Chunky Chicken has a great affinity for crackers and raisins. Actually, that is all she will eat-crackers and raisins. She is not real big on variety. She also loves the color purple as those are the clothes she enjoys removing from her dresser drawers and strewing around the room.

these shoes are yummy!

look at me!

What else? Well, the Bear KNOWS she is going to be Mrs. Wyatt Putman in the future so look out ladies because this little girl is not afraid to unleash her Bear-itude to keep her man! Learn more about the antics of Miss Ellie SassyPants at The Chronicles of Ellie Bellie Bear !

don't be fooled by this sweet face....there is a
fierce "bearatkkkkkk

[One of] Wyatt's West Coast Valentines.... Meet Miss Melody

2012-02-03T06:30:00.000-06:00

one of my very first facebook friends in our online Down syndrome community was darci, melody's mama. wyatt and i immediately fell in love with this air force cutie pie! we keep hoping that they will get stationed near us here in northwest florida!

sweet melody!

I was soooo excited to get a valentine from Wyatt! I've had a little crush on him since we were just tiny babies. I know we live clear accross the country from one another, but I really hope we can meet in person one day soon. I know we would have so much fun together! Here are some things about me:

connor, melody and andrew

My family is so special to me. I am a Daddy's girl and have him wrapped around my little finger. I am Mama's little helper. I help her grocery shop and make sure she does not spend too much money, by taking the groceries out of the cart and throwing them on the floor. Sometimes, I even empty out the kitchen drawers for her. : ) I have the best brothers in the whole wide world. They play with me a lot and take very good care of me.

what a helper! wyatt loves to do this too!

I LOVE to play outside, but I live in rainy Washington, so I don't get to go out to play much in the winter and spring. One of my favorite things to do outside is swing! I love to go really high. I smile and laugh the whole time, and ask for more! I also love it when my brothers and I blow bubbles together. I get so excited and run around trying to pop them and say 'pop, pop, pop!"

wyatt loves babies too!

My favorite toys are my baby dolls. I like to feed them, bathe them, put them night night, and take them for walks. I also give them lots of hugs and cuddles. I will make a very good Mommy someday.

sweet little mama!

My very favorite thing to watch is Signing Time. I love music, and am really into language and communication right now. My speech is really exploding. My Mama has lost count of all the signs I know, but estimates it at 200+ words. I also have about 75 verbal words. What can I say...I love to talk, just like my Mama!

wyatt loves rachel too!

one of wyatt's favorite foods too! YUMMY!!

Eating is another favorite thing I like to do! I like lots of different foods, but some of my favorites are, spaghetti, pizza, mandarin oranges, and peaches. Oh, and I can't forget chocolate chip cookies! Afterall, what girl doesn't love chocolate!!

wyatt and melody are
equally messy eaters!

I'm so glad I got to tell you a little bit about myself. As you can see, I really am "more alike, than different".

Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo,

Melody

Wyatt's Very 1st Valentine.... Brennan!

2012-02-02T06:30:00.000-06:00

wyatt and i are so excited to share with everyone the VERY FIRST RESPONSE he received to his "mass valentine mailing!"

imagine our surprise to receive a POEM from his very first girlfriend ever! that's right... BRENNAN wrote wyatt a poem....talk about creative! you might remember her for her boldness in kissing wyatt the very first day they met..... remember that pic? mere babes they were.....enjoy brennan's poetic response.....

Will I be your valentine?

Yes, of course! And I hope you willbe mine♥

our famous chick-fil-a kiss!

We were justone,

when ourfriendship had begun.

Do youremember that day,

we were atChick-fil-A?

one of myfavorite places,

and the lookon our mama’s faces –

when Logan, mybig sister,

took thatinfamous picture!

I leanedover and surprised you with a kiss!

I guess Ididn’t scare you off! I hope it was bliss!

a fun (and tiring) day in new orleans!

Our familieswent to Mellow Mushroom on my second birthday,

then theAquarium & beignets for a nice NOLA get-away,

My third birthdaywe celebrated at Cracker Barrel with brunch,

and all ofour fun play dates with the rest of the bunch.

see, our mamas are really great friends!

I’m so gladour mamas are really great friends.

I know wewill grow up together as our relationship transcends.

wyatt's first valentine!

Soon youwill live just three hours away,

which meanswe will have much more time to play!

I want youto know that it’s you my heart adores,

And to letyou know Wyatt I will always be yours….

All my love,Brennan

brennan admiring wyatt from afar....

brennan did not want wyatt to feel lonely while bathing...

one of the many things wyatt and brennan both love....
legos.... as well as food, playing in the kitchen, music, football, brennan's dollhouse...
the list goes on and on! sweet valentines!

wyatt's mardi-gras valentine girl!

Will You Be Mine?

2012-02-01T06:30:00.000-06:00

i'm so excited! wyatt and i have been VERY busy getting ready for the month of february..... the month traditionally associated with LOVE...... Valentine's Month!!!! the house has been decorated for weeks, and we've been busily working on a fun month of blogging! woo hoo!

we have some fun posts in store for you, so you don't want to miss any of them! you will be meeting several of wyatt's GIRLFRIENDS!!! yep, you read that correctly....SEVERAL!!! you see, wyatt is such the Ladies' Man that he simply could not choose just ONE girl to be his VALENTINE..... he chose several! we can't wait for you to meet them!

aww, mama.... really?
do i have to pick just 1 valentine?
no way can i do that!

i might can keep it under 20....
so many pretty girls....so little time!

i'm praying about it.....
this is an important decision!
we always pray about important stuff!

i'm feeling a little shy, mama....
what if they say "no"?

maybe if i flash them my pretty smile
they'll say "YES!"

you don't want to miss their answers, now do you? check back daily to see which pretty girl has given wyatt her answer!

{a special thanks to my fellow blogger and facebook friend erin for allowing me to "copy-cat" her cute valentine's post from last year! check out her son grady's valentines from last year here! they are some pretty cute girls!}

What Can YOU Do to Help? "6 Day Miracle" Guest Blogger Patti Rice

2012-01-31T15:30:00.002-06:00

my friend patti (a perfect lily), is at it again! a family desperately needs to raise a lot of money in a little bit of time, and she is doing what she can to help! read their story, as shared by patti, and give what you can!!!!

I read the words of a friend last night, and as is typical of posts written by mamas rescuing their babies from orphanages across the world, it cut me to the heart. I read it with my girl tucked safely in the crook of my arm, her golden head laying softly against my neck, and I gulped back hot tears trying to read the words out loud to Sam.

"You read it," I said, because I knew it was pointless to go on. There is something beautiful and powerful about mamas and daddies sacrificing finances, time, and energy to rescue a child who is going to require extraordinary amounts of care and effort once they are home. There is something amazing and rare about families who will put everything on the line, including and especially their hearts, for a child who by the world's standards is broken. There is something pure and noble and absolutely right about that kind of love- the love that says it doesn't matter what it takes, I am going to rescue this child, and nothing is going to stand in my way. The love that faces seemingly insurmountable costs and mountains of paperwork and risks what family and friends will think about traveling across the ocean to save a child you've never met before, one that many people might say wasn't really "fit for life" in the first place. So when I read this mama's account of the very first time she met her little girl- it didn't matter that I've read several dozen similar stories- they get me every time. I want you to read this account, that of a mama rescuing her daughter. I want you to listen to the words spoken by a five year old little girl... ...and if you're a parent, imagine your child saying them... About 5 minutes in, the door opened and someone pushed our girl in the door and shut it.

She was stunned. It seemed she had not been made aware of what was happening or why, and she regarded us quizzically at first. We were stunned. The picture had turned in to a person! My mind was literally swimming, I could not remember a.single.word. of Russian. I couldn’t remember how to greet her, or how to tell her she was absolutely gorgeous, or how to say I am your Mama. Nothing. Just complete shock.

Then I remembered I had a Disney princess doll in my bag to give her. I pulled it out, and she smiled. I asked if she wanted to sit on my lap, and she did. The director and doctor began talking again, but all I could do was stare at the sweet, brown pigtails swishing in front of me. Her little hands turning the doll over, as she began to speak a little bit. She began to realize what was happening.

We were there FOR. HER.

Our sweet little Vi.

She looked up and asked me “What is your name?” in Russian. I told her “Lora. Mama.” She looked straight to Dean, “What is your name?” He told her “Dean. Papa.” She looked to the director and smiled “Mama! Papa!”

Everyone was absolutely beaming, and perhaps had just a glint of tears in their eyes.

“I kept asking for you!! Mama? Mama? Mama? When will you come??” she said, according to our translator.

Five years is a long time to wait for this. Or this...

Or this...

I can't imagine Lily never knowing the security of having a mama to tuck her in every night, to hold her when she's hurting or comfort her when she's sad, never knowing how it feels to be desired and loved. I can't imagine what goes through a little girl's mind for five years, wondering when her mama will come take her home, waiting for the day she will walk through the doors of her orphanage, dreaming about that elusive, imaginary angel.... Mama? Mama? Mama? When will you come??

Yesterday I received an email from a friend...another amazing mama who traveled last year to rescue not one, but two children. Patti, I wanted to see if you could help me out by posting on your blog about the Dirkes family. You see she contacted me today just heart broken and at her wits end. Her faith is shaken and my heart has gathered her burden. She leaves in one week. Yes, 7 days and she still needs at least 7k for this trip. Grand total is still about 17k. I am asking for your help because I was in her shoes not long ago and it is heart wrenching. It takes all you got to get through a day. The tears seem to never end. You pray there will just be one person who hears your cry. You pray until you have no words left just hoping someone will help. Patti, financially I cannot help her, I have made donations but not nearly enough to help. I have heard her cries and I cannot just sit back and hope she gets her funds. Her daughter Charlotte holds a special place in my heart; she was the one I would of chosen if we didn't choose Varvara. So, this leaves me to contact people who I know can help. Please go to her blog and see if you can help. Post a story, anything you can think of.... Ann Plummer I went to Ann's friend's blog, and recognized a sweet little face I donated to a few months ago...and again a few days ago, in honor of another friend's birthday wish. Little Charlotte met her mama and daddy last November. They are traveling in six days to see her again, and go to court to make her theirs. Six Days.

Six days to make a miracle happen. Do you think we can do it? With God's help, I believe we can. Charlotte's mama, Kelly, emailed me yesterday, after I said I would do everything I could to help. There are no words to thank you and the others who have stepped up and spoken out for us and for my girl. I knew this journey would give me the opportunity to learn a great deal about being a momma and about Down Syndrome...but I didn't know just how strong this community is. Well, Kelly- you're about to find out. I say that not because I have confidence in Lily's blog, or in my own words, but because I serve a BIG God. And I'm part of a faithful and generous community, one who rallies around its own. Charlotte is our own, friends.

She's been waiting for her mama all of her life, waiting and hoping for someone to come and take her home. “I kept asking for you!! Mama? Mama? Mama? When will you come??”

Lily's readers have responded so many times to the needs of orphans. You've given so much to help these families find and rescue their children. Will you help me again?

Will you help us make a six day miracle happen? Will you help save a little girl? Because Charlotte is our own.

I know Lily's readers, and I know it doesn't even take a giveaway to move you beyond compassion, and into action. I know the face of one beautiful little girl who desperately needs her mama is enough to move you to give. But a giveaway full of amazing prizes is always nice too:) (and thank you, Kelly, for letting me hijack your giveaway!)

Here's how it works....

1 chance=$10 donation

5 chances=$25 donation

20 chances=$50 donation

All donations are tax-deductible and go directly to the Dirkes's grant fund through Reece’s Rainbow. They can be made using the Chip-In at the top of my sidebar on the right.

Kindle Fire

Canon Rebel DSLR camera (with lens)

Petal Knot Dress from Willow Bean Creations

Custom made t-shirt from If You Say Sew

Starfish necklace from The Vintage Pearl

Pearl, bracelet, and earring set from Kay Jewelers

Insulated Tote from 31

Autographed copy of Alton Brown’s book “I’m Just Here for the Food”

Autographed “Hopkins” from Rachel Coleman of Signing Time

$150 gift card for Kimberly Wilson's TranquiliT (an amazing line of clothing for anyone who loves yoga...or comfort)

$50 gift card for Planet Jill

$50 gift card for Scentsy

$50 gift card for Hanna Andersson

$50 gift card for Target

$25 gift card for The Adopt Shoppe

$25 gift card for Wal-Mart

$25 gift card for Starbucks

$25 gift card for Olive Garden

A jar of Renee Tam’s famous toffee

A batch of oReshki, traditional cookies from Charlotte’s country

Kelly sees who donated on her chip-in, so you do not need to leave a comment to be entered to win. She will announce winners on her blog on February 6th, the day they leave to see Charlotte.... We need that chip-in to be at $13,300 for the Dirkes family to travel on February 6th. I believe in miracles. Do you????

We Did It!! Check Out Wyatt's Play Kitchen!

2012-01-30T22:02:00.001-06:00

a couple of weeks ago, my dear friend cathy, who has the crafty blog "exploring my creative side," "pinned" a picture on "pinterest" of a play kitchen that someone had created out of an old entertainment center. pretty much the same old empty entertainment center that we have had for 17+ years, that was sitting in ethan's room collecting "junk" and DUST! i knew immediately that i had to create a play kitchen for wyatt! he loved playing with his girlfriend brennan's at Christmas, and i knew that this would be a fun project!

this is what we started with!
we were so proud of it all those years
ago when "country" was in!

as soon as i showed tim the pictures of the various play kitchens, he was IN! i could hardly wait to get started! even my dad helped out by cutting out the hole for the sink. tim was in orlando last week and made a FLYING trip as i talked him through IKEA to get the
knobs, "faucet," and handles for us!

my daddy cut the hole for the sink, and tim and i primed the unit

and the painting begins! we wanted to make the end
magnetic..... that magnetic primer was a HUGE FAIL for us!
oh well...... i'm taking it back to the "orange" store!

look at that RED! (leftover from our dining room and kitchen!)
it only took 2 coats over the grey primer!

tim drilled holes and installed knobs and handles!
he's got a little helper here!

wow! it's very cool!

all done! stainless mixing bowl is the "sink."
a garage hookfrom IKEA is the "faucet."
silicon coasters from IKEA are the"burners."
drawer knobs and handles are from IKEA too!
tim painted the doors (the oven and the fridge) metallic for
the "stainless" effect! we still need to install a shelf and
add all the fun details.... but it's almost completely finished!

what's in here?

PRETTY COOL, HUH??? tim and i had a lot of fun repurposing the entertainment center into this cool kitchen that wyatt and his friends will play with for years to come! still have a few details to finish up, but we're pretty proud of all that we got done this past weekend!

A Great Day for a Mid-Year IFSP Meeting!

2012-01-30T17:01:00.001-06:00

you can see that wyatt is very concerned!

shanina, wyatt's family service coordinator!

most of the team!

friday was wyatt's ifsp mid year meeting. it's something that i could just do over the phone with his social worker, but i prefer to get the entire team together, if i can, so that everyone can talk and share what they are doing with wyatt! since noon was the best time for everyone i decided to have a light lunch for them! they all said that i didn't need to do that, but they are such a blessing to us that i was glad to do it! we had a great time visiting, eating, and talking about our precious wyatt!

watching wyatt play with vicki's shoes!

wyatt playing with taylor's boots!

it was a great meeting! it was NOT the meeting where they give wyatt's developmental age (YAY)! during this meeting everyone talked about all the great progress that wyatt has made in the last 6 months! each therapist also talked about their goals for wyatt for the next 6 months. they were also able to talk to each other about how they can support each other's therapies and goals for wyatt. and THAT's why i like for them to all meet together if at all possible! the TEAM approach is so much better than everyone going about their own therapies.....

taylor is one of wyatt's favorite people!

as we wind down the last few months that wyatt has early intervention, i wanted to make sure that we are doing everything that we can for him! i so dread the day we transition out of this wonderful program! it has been such a blessing to us; i have learned so much through this terrific group of professionals who are like family to us.

Wordless Wednesday.....Wyatt IS A Ladies' Man!

2012-01-25T09:21:00.000-06:00

this is wyatt's greeting. he is NOT hitting (praise God);
but gently touching her beautiful hair! soooo precious!

so i told y'all yesterday that wyatt met marissa on monday..... here's their story!

waiting patiently for food? playtime?
marissa climbed right into the booth and wyatt followed!

on to the playplace!
where are you, wyatt?

i'm here!
where are you, marissa?

he made it! yay!

sweeeeet!!!

Friends....On Facebook and In Real Life!

2012-01-24T16:53:00.000-06:00

this past weekend the little boys and i drove over to spend the weekend with the older guys!   in case you didn't know, my hubby tim and our oldest, ethan are now sharing an apartment in pensacola. tim accepted a new position there in december, and ethan is in college there!   we are in the process of selling our home and all moving over there this summer! we've been mighty busy around here!

a highlight of our weekend was getting to meet and spend some time with some of my facebook friends who have children with Down syndrome as well.   friday night we were able to have dinner in pace with the wallis family. we ate at one of their favorite restaurants, la hacienda, which is sure to become one of our favorites as well!   anna, paul and grace met us there and we had a wonderful time visiting and getting to know one another. anna had found my blog several months back, and we started getting to know each other through our blogs; visit hers here, and facebook.   anna and paul adopted grace from equador about a year ago, when she was 5! she is completely adorable, and has the most beautiful eyes!   AND she did NOT want me to eat the chips in the basket!   she was quite adamant about it!   and cute as can be!   i am thankful that the Lord has blessed us with new friends who love and serve Him in the same aread we are moving to! they are strongly encouraging us to live in pace....they love it there!   after today's news report on florida school rankings, i strongly suspect we will be moving there!   the santa rosa school district is ranked #2 in the state, as opposed to the escambia school district being #44!

we were delayed by fog from coming home on sunday as we had planned, and my facebook friend, patti, suggested i stop by crestview for a quick visit on our way home. so glad she suggested it! the boys and i met patty and her precious marissa at burger king and had a wonderful visit! the kids had fun in the playplace, and were so cute together!!! patti and i actually met last year at our buddy walk, but we did not realize at the time that we were already facebook friends!   so it was neat to see them again!   marissa is recovering from her tonsilectomy, and is now doing great! she has an infectious smile that melts your heart!   we had fun sharing our Ds "stories" and getting to know each other better.   glad that we will be closer to each other when we get moved over as well!    be sure to come back tomorrow to see more pics of wyatt and marissa!   such cutie pies for wordless wednesday!   you can find patti's family blog here!

i know i say this all the time, but wyatt's Down syndrome has brought so many wonderful people into our lives that we would never have met!   we have been so blessed to meet folks in our Ds community who encourage us as well as who share our Christian faith!   blessings....

Therapy and Donuts!

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-06:00

wyatt really ROCKED his therapies today!   both joanna and stacy were so pleased with his attentiveness and focus in each of there sessions today!   joanna kept him in his room and did all his physical therapy there while i got ready for the day, which was a huge blessing!   have i mentioned lately that we have THE BEST therapists???

stacy is holding off on his therapeutic listening right now because he seems to have a little congestion, and so we did lots of ball pit work, fine motor manipulatives, and even some listening exercises!   stacy never ceases to amaze me; she is ALWAYS thinking of ways to incorporate speech, pt, and developmental therapies into everything she does as an occupational therapist!   she keeps me and wyatt on our toes!

so towards the end of occupational therapy, wyatt went over to the little table and chairs and kept trying to sit in one of the chairs. he was just a wee bit short to manage it by himself, so i asked him if he needed any help, and he signed help.   when he got himself situated at the table, he signed "ice cream." now why he thought he was going to get ice cream at OT, i have no idea!   but stacy and i looked at each other, realizing that he wanted to eat. so we asked him, "do you want to eat?" and he signed eat.   unfortunately, i had nothing to feed him, so stacy went searching for food. she came back and said all she could find was donuts.... i told her if he was going to go to all that trouble to get up to the table to eat, then we needed to feed him something!   and so she brought him half a chocolate glazed donut, and although he was a little unsure of it at first, he eventually decided it was yummy and finished it off! i was so proud of my big boy!    at home he normally asks for yogurt and goes to the fridge to get it, but today at therapy was completely different!   yay for wyatt!

Wordless Wednesday...... Transplant Worthy??? YOU BET!!!

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

just thought i'd post some pics of wyatt's friends ..... beautiful children who might be denied the ability to have a transplant (if need be) according to some medical institutions.....

one of wyatt's louisiana buds, william

wyatt and one of his (many) girlfriends, brennan

wyatt's best friend, clayton

wyatt's california buddy
river

cool dude new yorker grady

sweet georgia girl kate

another one of wyatt's louisiana buddies, remney

"No Transplant for You....If You Have a Developmental Disability...."

2012-01-13T23:49:00.000-06:00

wyatt and big brother ethan....

i'm back and i'm mad!!! I AM LIVID!!!! i had NO IDEA that my child would not be allowed to be placed on a transplant waiting list if, God forbid, he should need an organ transplant. WHY???? BECAUSE HE HAS DOWN SYNDROME!!!!!

tonight i was reading an article on the wolfhirschhorn.org website, and my eyes were opened to this atrocity. according to the genetics home reference website, wolf-hirschhorn syndrome is "caused by a deletion of genetic material near the end of the short (p) arm of chromosome 4..... and is a condition that affects many parts of the body. The major features of this disorder include a characteristic facial appearance, delayed growth and development, intellectual disability, and seizures." you can read the entire story here, but basically these parents were told that their child would not be allowed to have a kidney transplant when the need arises (which is inevitable) BECAUSE SHE IS MENTALLY RETARDED...... WHAT????? i'm talking about THIS VERY WEEK, in THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.....to be exact, at one of THE BEST CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS IN OUR COUNTRY.... children's hospital of philadelphia (chop). OH.MY.WORD. tim said, "we're not in the stone age....." but it certainly seems like it..... very hard to believe that this is the "norm" for our kiddos in this day and age.....

christopher "helping" mommy in the kitchen!

as this story is circulating online, i have read status updates from two of my online friends in our Down syndrome community who affirm the truth of this situation. these two mamas have heard THE EXACT SAME THING!!!! stephanie said "Several years ago, we were told that Christopher would never receive the transplants he potentially needed solely because of the fact that he has Down syndrome. We were told that they don't like to "waste the organs"." oh dear LORD......why does the medical community have the ability to play god????

big brother luke! you can tell eli is crazy about him!!!

our friend dayna said "A month ago we learned if Luke's kidneys ever failed he would not be put on the donor list because he has Down syndrome. We were stunned to say the least. It's unbelievable that our child's life isn't as valuable as any other child. The world needs more people like Luke who love unconditionally." i am just SICK about this. i woke tim up from his nap (yep, here at 11 pm!) and asked him if he was aware of this. he was not. i just really cannot believe that in the year 2012 children who have special needs are not given the same rights and privileges that everyone else has. this is not the last you will hear about this from me...... thinking...... what to do..... who to talk to......

i neglected to include a link to this petition urging CHOP to allow amelia to have the kidney transplant that she needs! please take the time to sign this petition now! thanks andrea for this reminder!

Lovin' My Birthday Celebrations!!!

2011-12-21T16:54:00.000-06:00

for those of you who don't know me in real life, i am like a small child when it comes to my birthday.....and anyone else's birthday too!   i believe in celebrating long and hard!!!   celebrating as much as i can!   why not???   who cares that i am a year older...it's inevitable! everyone else ages each year as well....

i turned 46 on monday, although i still feel like i'm about 22 for some reason.... anyway, since we were all together on saturday, we (i) decided that it would be my "pretend" birthday, because tim would not be here for my "real" birthday!   so we spent the entire day together as a family!   first we got to see forrest get his belt promotion to purple best, which was a fun time! then we headed out for some lunch and shopping!

we went out to the beach area and ate at "reggae j's island grill" at pier park.   we ate on the porch area, it was such a beautiful day, with a view of the gulf!   i had one of my favorites, coconut shrimp, and they were delicious!   it was a terrific meal!   the guys then took me to "jake's at the beach" so i could get a new "life is good" t-shirt.   if you don't have one....they are THE SOFTEST T-SHIRTS EVER!!!   we also sampled a little fudge at a candy shop and just wondered a bit!

then we went down and walked on the beach for a few minutes! there was hardly anyone out there, but it was such a beautiful day! about 70 degrees and breezy....NICE!!! to wrap up our fun time, we stopped at "david's sno balls" for my favorite.....red velvet stuffed sno ball!!! yummalicious!!!

anyway, we continued shopping the day away instead of opting for a late nap, and i accomplished almost everything on my list! it was a lot of fun, and we concluded the day with pizza! no cooking or cleaning for me.....well maybe a little! lol! a great day all the way around!

not that that finished the celebration.....on monday, april and clayton took wyatt and i to brunch at ihop! it was delicious!!!   i had the holiday pancakes meal with pumpkin praline pancakes....oh my!!!!   DELISH!!!   my parents took the boys and i to outback for supper, and although my steak was not the best, it was still a great dinner!    and the boys gave me new charms for my bracelet!

and today i received a beautiful red Christmas cactus from my friend, wyatt's ot, stacy for my birthday..... it just keeps going! my in-town girlfriends took me out to lunch today too! it was yummy and we laughed A LOT!!!

so this "kid at heart" had a lovely birthday week of celebration!   hope you enjoy your birthday as much as i enjoyed mine! blessings......

Kids With Down Syndrome Like Santa Too! More Alike than Different!

2011-12-14T22:57:00.000-06:00

wow....where do i start? i cannot believe that it has been almost a month since i last posted! that terrific thanksgiving adventure really took it out of me! lol! it was a wonderful time visiting with family and friends! but 9 days is a LONG time to travel! we were received most graciously in 4 different homes as we travelled through 5 different states, driving almost 1900 miles! whew! it was a totally terrific adventure!

so here we are, in the midst of Christmas preparations.....and getting ready for my birthday! i'm like a little kid when it comes to birthdays! i LOVE birthdays and celebrating them! i will be 46 on the 19th of december.....and proud of every year!!!

i have lots of catching up to do.....pics from our trip and all.....but thought i'd share some cute Christmas pics of wyatt with santa at our recent early intervention Christmas party! i have never seen a child more enamored with santa than wyatt was! on our trip he saw santas from alabama to texas...and loved them all! no fear there (yet)!!! the santa at the party was super terrific with him.....most graciously did not mind wyatt hanging out at his feet most of the afternoon! enjoy!

Thankful for Friendship!

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

today i am thankful for friendship!

what a great day to be thankful for friends!    today i get to see shirley, who i haven't seen since spring! and on monday i get to see susan, who i haven't seen since may! two of my very best friends!
unfortunately living in a military community, my best friends always seem to leave me..... i blame the government....why not? ;)

i have had so many besties through the years! i would be remiss not to make a list.....kym, april, christy, tina, missy, amy, julie, irene, melinda, renee', christine, cheryse, debbie, anita, christina, michelle, lisa, ann......the list goes on and on and on!   forgive me if i left you out!

i LOVE my girlfriends!   they are the best! they are the people who understand you....who support and encourage you! they pray for you!   they laugh with you and cry with you!   they are special gifts from God!   if you do not have really good girlfriends like the ones i am describing....you need to find some! life is so much better when shared with friends.....

and i have been blessed beyond measure with so many girlfriends throughout the years.....

Thankful for My Van!

2011-11-18T22:41:00.001-06:00

short and sweet! today i am thankful for my van! it may not be the coolest, newest, most loaded, etc, but it has taken me on many adventures in the 5+ years we have had it! today it took me to see ethan in pensacola (yay) and then to madisonville, louisiana, where i am spending the night in cassie's pool cabana, even though she is not home! she's such a sweetie....and you should see the "spread" she left for us!

tomorrow my van will take us to see one of my best friends, shirley and her family, in bossier city, louisiana!   i can't wait! it's been TOO long since we have seen each other!   on monday my van will take us to fort worth, texas, to see one of my other best friends, susan and her family, as well as susan's extended family!   they moved to texas back in may and i miss her bunches!

my van took us to the mountains of north carolina to see another of my best friends, kym and her family, back in the spring! it took us to see my childhood best friend, amy and her family, just a few weeks ago!   it takes me all over the state for conferences and appointments related to Down syndrome too!   again, i get to see lots of my internet besties as well because of my old van!

not to forget ALL THE DRIVING i do in a week just around town..... my van has LOTS of miles on it! it's taken us from texas to washington, d.c. and up into tennessee....and all the states in between!   i just needed this reminder of how very blessed we are to have reliable transportation. i'm afraid that i take it for granted all too often....

Thankful for U-Pick Orange Groves!

2011-11-17T23:09:00.001-06:00

i just finished some of the fun packing/getting ready for a big trip stuff and was so thirsty!    i had finished off my sweet tea this afternoon, and it's too late for a soda (kind of).....so i thought of the oranges in the bottom of the fridge.... so i hand squeezed two of them for a glass of fresh (and refreshing) orange juice!

so what does that have to do with u-pick orange groves? as we drove home from tampa a few weeks ago, we noticed "u-pick" orange grove signs along the interstate, and decided to stop!   it was wyatt and tim's first time picking oranges; my mom and i have taken ethan and forrest orange picking a few times on our many trips to walt disney world together!

it was a beautiful day in the orange grove, and we had the grove all to ourselves! we were able to pick delicious naval oranges, tangerines and grapefruit!   we made some wonderful memories that day....

Thankful for Therapists!

2011-11-16T22:46:00.001-06:00

today i am thankful for therapists.....i am actually thankful for them every day!   i had planned to blog about each one during october, Down syndrome awareness month, but didn't get that done! from day 1, i knew that these ladies were going to play an important role in our lives...but i had no idea how great a role they would play!

these ladies (and one young man) have become my friends! they encourage me in my daily parenting of wyatt. they teach me how to work with him from a developmental viewpoint. they teach me from their many years of experience, and i am so blessed to benefit from that experience! they remind me of things that i don't think of developmentally.   it's just a whole different life!

so over the next few days i will introduce you to each one, and tell you what we are doing in therapy these days!

Thankful for Little Boy Cowboy Boots....

2011-11-15T16:42:00.001-06:00

yep you read that right! today i am thankful for little boy cowboy boots! i have had cowboy boots sitting in wyatt's room to accent his cowboy themed room, and today wyatt noticed the smallest pair.....and then i realized that they might fit him now!   these are boots that were originally ethan's (18) and then forrest (10) wore them....

i quickly ripped off the footie part of wyatt's pajamas, put a pair of socks on him, and wrangled him into the boots..... i was so scared that i had let him outgrow them.... but they fit! perfectly!    and so he roamed the house in his diaper, while i sang "these boots were made for walking....", snapping our fingers all the way!   so cute!

so today i am thankful for the memories that these cowboy boots evoke.... of ethan dressing up like "woody" and other cowboys throughout the years..... of forrest strutting around as a rough and tough cowboy..... and now wyatt can wear them!    sweet memories.....   we are so blessed!

Thankful for Technology....

2011-11-14T15:59:00.001-06:00

today i am thankful for technology!

cell phones that keep us in touch with our loved ones who are far away.....especially a son in college!

facebook that has opened up a whole world of friends who i would have never met any other way! friends who have become best friends, yet we have never met face to face.....we share that "little something extra" in common....our kiddos have Down syndrome.   we laugh together, cry together, and encourage each other!

facebook that helps me stay in touch with "in real life" friends and family who live far away.... such a wonderful thing to know about each other's day to day life even when we haven't seen each other in years!   it has helped me reconnect with some of my best friends from years gone by as well!

email that helps us communicate, receive and pay bills, send photographs and documents.... many conveniences that we never had before! as i was talking to ethan this weekend, he mentioned that he often emails his professors if he has a question and usually receives a quick response....WOW!   that is awesome!   back in the "old days".....well, i guess we had to go to the professor's office if we had questions!   and today ethan needs some papers that are here, 100 miles from where he is, and we will scan them and email them to him tonight to save a trip home!

i know that there is a downside to all our modern technological advances..... but we must monitor technology for ourselves as well as our children to be safe!    we must accept the responsibility for appropriate use!   we must be ever vigilent that we not abuse technology.....for, in the words of peter parker (aka spiderman), "with great power, comes great responsibility"!!!

Thankful for Royal Ambassador Leaders! Men Willing to Lead Our Boys!

2011-11-13T13:51:00.001-06:00

today is the annual "royal ambassador" races! royal ambassadors is the southern baptist missions organization for boys in grades 1-5. men from our church give up their wednesday nights to work with our boys week after week as they teach them about missions around the world, memorize Scripture, help them with service projects, take them camping.....the list goes on and on! it is similar to boy scouts in many ways. for many boys these days, r.a. leaders may be the only positive male figure in their lives! i am thankful for many different men who have faithfully served in this capacity as both ethan and forrest have grown up in this program!

the boys are at the church this afternoon racing the pinewood derby cars that they have been working on for the past several weeks! i hate that i am not there, but wyatt needed his nap and would not hold out! the boys take the wooden cars and sand them, paint them, and put decals on them to decorate them as they like! they really enjoy putting their own personalities into their cars! they even have test runs with the cars to see how "fast" they are running! i am sure that there is a lot of excitement up there right now!

this is forrest's last year in r.a.'s, as he will transition into the youth program when he goes into 6th grade. but we are so thankful that year after year men volunteer their time and talents to lead our boys to serve and love God with their whole hearts! we are blessed!

Thankful for the Generosity of Others....

2011-11-12T20:32:00.001-06:00

today our local Down syndrome organization, acton up with downs, was blessed with the opportunity to have a fun day riding amusement park rides at our local shopping area, pier park. next weekend, our local marine park, gulf world, will also bless our families with free admission for our kiddos, and a discounted rate for family members! too bad we will be traveling for thanksgiving and have to miss that fun day!

for years, panama city beach was home to the miracle strip amusement park. it closed it's gates in 2004, and recently 6 of the original rides from the amusement park have been restored and placed at pier park for kiddos to enjoy while their parents shop, eat, and enjoy our beautiful beaches! the owners of miracle strip @ pier park contacted our group and offered complimentary unlimited all day passes for each child/adult with Down syndrome as well as a companion/parent for today! we had a lot of fun, even after i, ever the graceful one, tripped and fell off the carousel..... embarrassing!!! and painful.....hope i can walk tomorrow! but i digress.....

the boys and i were able to join friends on this beautiful fall day and have fun riding rides! wyatt particularly enjoyed the "balloon race" and the ferris wheel, as well as sitting on the seat of the carousel. he does not care for the horses on any carousel for some reason.... the ferris wheel was a bit scary for this mama as i held on to our little man pretty tightly! but what a beautiful view of the gulf of mexico from the top! forrest enjoyed EVERYTHING!!! particularly the spinning rides....not this mama!

so today i am very thankful for the generosity of these folks, who are two icons of tourism for panama city beach, to graciously entertain our families!

Thankful For Those Who Serve Our Country....and Their Families!

2011-11-11T21:59:00.001-06:00

today is veteran's day, and it is our family's tradition to go downtown for our local veteran's day parade. it's the least we can do to recognize those who have served our country through the years; those who have made great sacrifices to guarantee the freedoms that we all too often take for granted!

i am so glad that ethan was here for my dad's birthday party last night, and that we could continue our tradition of going to the parade today! after a yummy breakfast at the golden corral buffet, we headed downtown to settle in for the parade. there were lots of people there, which i am always glad to see. i like that families take the time to honor those who have served!

living in a military community (tyndall air force base and naval support activity panama city are both located here), we have had many very good friends who are in the military! as a matter of fact, most of my very best friends for many years are married to men in the military! unfortunately, that also means that most of my very best friends have LEFT ME through the years!!!! but i am thankful for the sacrifices that their families make for the freedoms of us all! we are so blessed.....

Thankful to Share....

2011-11-10T16:19:00.001-06:00

if you have ever seen any pictures here from inside our family room, you have surely seen the multitude of toys that wyatt has been blessed with! it often looks like a small toy store in our house! we have been blessed by friends who have shared their toys with us, particularly toys that have a developmental application! i saved many of our older boys' toys that have come in handy for wyatt, and when it's birthday or Christmas time, family and friends often ask what he "needs....." and often there is a toy that we have been "eyeing" developmentally that they are more than happy to get for wyatt! i don't remember being so specific in toy shopping with our older boys, maybe i was, but i do know that when i look at a toy now, i am thinking "what will that help wyatt accomplish developmentally?"!!!!

as we are preparing to move to pensacola next year, we are starting to get our home ready to put on the market. and so the cleaning out has begun! especially with the toys! today i was able to take a load of toys that filled the back of my van over to one of the new babies in our Down syndrome community. she is about 6 months old, such a good age to start responding to toys, and i am so glad that we were able to share with her family. i hope i didn't overwhelm her mama..... i don't think i did, she seemed very happy and appreciative of what we were able to share with them!

we are so blessed......

Even More Silly....Thankful for SONIC Drinks!!!!

2011-11-09T22:08:00.001-06:00

yep it's true.....now you know that my "secret" vice is SONIC DRINKS!!!   i am thankful for sonic cherry lime coke to be exact!    and today i REALLY needed one!!!!   the good thing is their large drinks are .99 before 11 am, and then there's always "happy hour 1/2 price drinks" from 2-4 pm every day!!!    our family LOVES SONIC DRINKS!!!   we will drive around the block waiting for the clock to hit 2 to save those few bucks!   lol!!!

so today was a little stressful as i am preparing for the dinner party for my dad's 80th birthday tomorrow night!   add to the 2 therapies, a field trip to the park, and i am one tired mama!!!!    so this morning i treated myself to that deliciously yummy (yummilicious) drink.....cherry lime coke!   oh, you haven't tried one....you simply must!   the combination of the sweet cherry flavor with the tangy lime slices....mmm, mmm!!!!

and did i mention that the way to my heart is through a sonic drink....just kidding, but my hubby does know how to bring a smile to my face when he walks in the door with "my drink!"   especially when it's a surprise!     and what about their ICE????    oh my!!!!   the.best.ice.ever!!!!!    one of my bff's introduced me to the fact that you can BUY THEIR ICE BAGGED for parties and stuff!   fun!

so if you've gotten this far, you'll know that this is a very silly post......but i needed a little lighthearted post tonight!   and if you haven't tried it....i HIGHLY recommend a cherry lime coke!!!

Thankful for Hair Color!!!!

2011-11-08T19:17:00.000-06:00

today i am very thankful for HAIR COLOR!!!   i know this might sound like a "shallow" thing to be thankful for, but, well....it's sometimes the "little things" that mean so much!   i have only been highlighting my hair for a few years....mainly because i have always been TOO CHEAP to do it!   (remember, i tell the truth!)

anyway....remember that we went to legoland a couple of weekends ago?   well, i had one of those "you've got to be kidding me" moments.....   forrest (10) and i were competing in the "junior fire academy" attraction in which we had to power our firetruck (by pumping mechanism) all the way down the track to the "burning building," jump out and pump enough water to put out the "fire," then jump back in our firetruck and propel ourselves back to the finish line! whew, i am tired just remembering how hard we worked!   anyway, i am a little competitive, and so i gave it my all....and we won!   (beating MEN too, by the way).   so throughout the duration of this attraction, the legoland ride attendant is commentating what is happening on a loudspeaker for all to hear..... and as we cruise to victory, he says "truck #5 is the winner.....woo hoo.....and i think it's all because of the GRANDMA (ME!!!!!!!)"     WHAT ON EARTH?????   since when do i look like the grandma to a 10 year old boy....   i looked at him and said "MOM!!!"    i only wish that i had gotten wyatt (2) and said "HE'S MINE TOO!!!!"

so that was when i made up my mind that it was time for new highlights! as soon as possible!!!!    and today was the day! yay for haircolor!!!    i think it looks pretty good!!!!   thinking it's time to contact legoland about the "pain and suffering" their insensitive employee has caused me.......

Thankful for Sloppy Toddler Boy Kisses......

2011-11-07T22:17:00.000-06:00

a perfect example....SWEET!!!!

today mom, wyatt and i were shopping, and she asked wyatt for a kiss, so wyatt gave her one of his sloppy, open mouth, more like a lick kisses! very cute and sweet! and WET!!!! she said "i can't wait for you to learn to kiss the right way...." and i laughed and agreed with her..... those kisses are pretty wet! but then i remembered that before we know it, he will stop giving those sloppy toddler boy kisses!

maybe this is where he learned
how to give sloppy kisses!

before we know it, we'll be lucky to get a quick "peck on the cheek" as he is off to do something else! and then we'll be lucky to get a quick hug goodnight! but maybe this is just one of the little blessings that his "little something extra" will give us..... a little bit longer with his sloppy toddler kisses......

Thankful for God's Word

2011-11-06T14:59:00.000-06:00

today i am thankful for God's Word.....the Bible. i believe that every word in the Bible is absolutely true, and inspired by God Himself. being raised in "the Bible belt," most everyone i knew growing up believed the Bible and went to church. it is amazing to me the number of people who do not believe the Bible or have a personal relationship with Christ. without that relationship, life would be very scary to me!

i am thankful that 18 years ago God called me to start a ladies Bible study that is still going....certainly not because of me, but because of the hunger for God's Word that the ladies in our church and community have! but He has blessed me so much through that ministry..... i so look forward to ladies Bible study days! i have always found my very best friends there! i strongly encourage you that if you are not involved in a Bible study, please find one to join. they are even available online! you will be blessed! it is probably one of the things that i will miss the most when we move next summer.....

i am thankful that no matter what challenges i face, God's Word is constant, always there to encourage and exhort me in my walk with God. i firmly believe God has plans for each of us! "for I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (jeremiah 29:11) if you don't have a personal relationship with Christ, please leave a comment....i would love to talk to you about Him! blessings......

Thankful for Fall Festival Fun!

2011-11-05T23:09:00.000-05:00

i so love the fall weather that we have been having! we managed to squeeze in not one but two fall festivals this week! i just love how our church and so many other churches in our area offer wonderful fall festivals for families to enjoy together!

today tim had a golf tournament for his agency, and the boys and i were on our own, so we went to a huge fall festival at the beach! we had a terrific time....the boys played games, forrest bounced in all the bouncy houses, wyatt rode a plasma car (need this for Christmas!)..... we ate YUMMY food and we rode the hayride! it was a beautiful fall day! too bad tim and ethan we were not with us!!!

Thankful for My Parents

2011-11-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

today i am thankful for my parents! they were told that they would never have any more children after my sister carla was born.....and then i came along 7 years later! SURPRISE!!! and of course now they say they don't know what they would do without me (most days!).... i am fairly confident that i have kept them "young!" my sisters were 11 (pam) and 7 (carla) when i was born! carla ran away from home because i was a girl! (she was a tomboy and wanted a brother, i think). pam has always been very nurturing, i can remember that she took care of me!

my parents have been such a huge source of support to me and my family through the years. they will do anything for you! i am so thankful that God decided those doctors were wrong, and blessed me with them as parents!

i think that they get crazier about each successive grandchild! just when you think they couldn't love one more, another one comes along and their love just grows and grows.... they say that there is nothing like having grandchildren.....

we are so blessed.....

Thankful for My Sons

2011-11-03T15:41:00.000-05:00

i have been blessed with 3 wonderful, amazing sons!     God has great plans for these 3 guys, and i am so thankful that He chose me to be their mama!!!!

ethan is a college freshman at the university of west florida, and yes .....we are following him over there! not really following him, but we will be joining him in pensacola next year!   he is funny and smart, he loves history and writing....well.....he loves school!    he is studying archaeology and can't wait to experience his "field school" hopefully next summer. he plans to travel the world....

forrest is a fun-loving fifth grader who loves LEGOS, reading, science and history!   he also loves to play with his little brother!   there is no telling what forrest will decide to do with the rest of his life.... from astronaut to archaeologist to doctor to therapist....the sky is the limit for forrest!

and then there is wyatt who is 28 months old....our little bonus baby "surprise" gift from God!   we know that God has great plans for this little guy as well..... he certainly spreads joy to most everyone he meets!

thank you God, for these boys!!!!

Thankful for My Hubby......Thankful for My Savior

2011-11-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

i tried to post last night, but blogger would not let me! i decided that if i can post daily for Down syndrome awareness, i can certainly post daily thankful posts!

so yesterday's post was "thankful for my hubby!"   tim is an amazing, godly man, who i know is my gift from God!   only tim would put up with me!   he is my best friend, he loves God and desires to serve Him in every area of his life. he is a tremendous daddy too!   he is a hard working man of integrity. i'm so glad that God chose him for me!

we have been married 23 years, and have known each other 24 years. marriage is never easy, but always worth it! i am thankful for the unconditional love and grace that he extends to me every day!

today i am thankful for the gift of salvation. i am thankful that God, in His infinite grace and mercy, provided forgiveness of our sins through the death, burial and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ. without Him, we would be doomed to an eternal death because of our sins. but through His sacrifice, we are redeemed when we ask for His forgiveness!   "redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb....."    "grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin....."    those old hymns say it so eloquently......

do you know Him and His forgiveness? if not, please leave a comment and let me tell you more about this free gift of salvation that is yours for the asking!

31 for 21: Day 31 Wyatt Rocks!!!

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

so, in case you were wondering, we think WYATT ROCKS!!!

and this about sums it up!!!!!

31 for 21: Day30 It's Sunday Again....

2011-10-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

this is sunday, and an unusual sunday for our family, because we will be traveling instead of attending worship service in our home church. with very little exception, if it's sunday, you can expect that we will be in church somewhere, if not our home church!

we have been blessed with a very supportive church family who were very attentive to our needs when wyatt was born and we received his diagnosis of Down syndrome. our church family was so excited about his birth anyway, since he was such a surprise and we were so OLD!!! (it was pretty weird having a baby at the same time those young girls i watched grow up were having babies!) they turned out in FULL FORCE that first buddy walk when wyatt was just 4 months old....we have a team of almost 60 with us that day! they have continued to support and encourage us in many ways since.

what makes me sad right now is that every time that we put wyatt in the nursery at church, within that week he is SICK!!! i know that there is no hard and fast data that kiddos with Ds are more prone to infections (or is there?), but i know that wyatt gets sick a whole lot more than our older boys did. they were in the nursery or their preschool class starting about the time they turned 1! and they loved it! wyatt just seems to pick up every little cold that is out there, and after about a week it turns into a sinus, adenoid (no longer) or ear infection. i know parents bring their kids to church with "a little cold," it's just so hard on wyatt, because he cannot seem to just get "a little cold" without it turning into an infection that requires antibiotic. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. and it's about to wear me out! and then when he gets sick, we are out of church.......again.....ugh!!!

i want him to "build those immunities," but i also want him to stay healthy and be able to hear. because once he gets sick and congested, we are never certain if his hearing is compromised. if his hearing is compromised, the harder it is for him to learn to talk. the longer it will take him....when it's taking a long time anyway..... UGH!!! poor little guy.....he wants to play with friends, too! and he needs to learn to play with kids....... but for now, tim and i just take turns with him, bringing him into worship and Bible study until he becomes restless and needs to be taken out to walk around and visit with folks....

thanks for listening......

31 for 21: Day 29 Boys With Down Syndrome Like Legoland Too!

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

one of the things that forrest has always wanted to do is visit legoland, california! well, it was highly unlikely that was going to happen anytime soon.....seeing as how we live in FLORIDA!!! so imagine his excitement when we heard that legoland would be opening in florida this year!!! add to that their recent promotion offering a free adult ticket to members of their "vip" club and we were ecstatic!!!

and so here we are in tampa, staying with my childhood best friend, amy, and her family.....and we went to LEGOLAND FLORIDA yesterday!!!   woo hoo!   major excitement here!    what a blessing to have an open invitation to stay with them anytime we want to......and they live just 65 miles from the new legoland (which is on the former cypress gardens property....beautiful lush gardens!)

and so as we waited in a VERY LONG LINE (i'm not complaining mind you....for 2 free adult tickets!), wyatt, forrest and i hopped out of the line to walk around and play instead of just WAITING..... and then i noticed the looks, the stares, sometimes the pity......   I HATE THAT!!!    DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR US!!!!!    we are like you.....a family out to have a fun day together at an amusement park!!!   but i digress....

we had a great time!   wyatt woke up around 8 am, and kept going ALL DAY LONG......until 8 pm last night when he crashed!   and he had a terrific time!   he was not the least bit grumpy....until we got back to our friend's house, and by then he was wiped out!!!!   for a boy used to napping 3 hours every day, he did great!!!

so in case you were wondering, boys with Down syndrome like legoland just like boys without Down syndrome!!!

31 for 21: Day 28 Sound Sensitivity!

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

i can definitely see a difference in wyatt when we change his therapeutic listening. whether we change to a different cd, or we suspend the therapy because of ear infection, or it's just a little longer between therapies.....i see a difference!    he is much less focused, irritable, hits more.....etc!   so, we have seen great benefits from this therapy!

one thing in particular that i saw a lot of sensitivity to recently was sound.   in retrospect, it was about the time one of his ears had either a clogged tube or the tube has fallen out (still not sure which at this point)......and we skipped a couple of therapeutic listening sessions during occupational therapy.
the day i took the boys to walk on the beach, he REALLY did not like the sound of the surf, or the feel of the sand for that matter! but the closer we got to the water, the less happy he was.....

earlier in that week, i also discovered that wyatt DOES NOT LIKE THE DRIVE THRU CAR WASH.....AT ALL!!!   i can't remember if he has never been through one, or maybe it's just been TOO LONG, but he was NOT happy while we were stuck in the car wash for what seemed like a very long time.....

so i'm hoping that we will get that sound sensitivity regulated better..... i hope that he will be able to tolerate the loud, noisy people and places someday.....   and i'm thankful for the progress that we have made!

31 for 21: Day 27 Guest Post: My Son Is Not A Baby....

2011-10-27T11:09:00.000-05:00

my dear friend bethene, graciously agreed to guest blog this week! her son josiah is amazing! and bethene says this so eloquently.....

MY SON IS NOT A BABY, BUT HE IS MORE ALIKE THAN DIFFERENT

As a mother of a child with Down syndrome, there are lots of interesting and many not so interesting events that take place quite frequently in my everyday life. A recent episode caused me great pause and reflection.

Recently, in the course of our everyday lives, I was at a very public setting with lots of parents and kids. Josiah was nicely sitting at a table (during one of his “I want to do this, not what you want me to do, Mom” moments). A lady walked by and saw him. Ultra dramatically she exclaims, “OH MY GOSH, LOOK at this BABY!”

Standing just feet away, I was totally dumbfounded and silenced. My jaw probably even dropped.

Now, Josiah has been called “baby” quite regularly, but NEVER has anyone been this dramatic. Even as a newborn few people recognized him as having Down syndrome. If they did, I knew they had some sort of personal connection. No one ever fawned over him this way. Mind you Josiah is now 10 years old, 49” tall and let’s just say bit hefty in size.

I took in a breath and swallowed. In the mean time the woman prattled on, “Oh, is he yours? Is this your baby?” I breathe out. In goes another breath. Very directly, I say, “Yes, this is my son. But he is NOT a baby.” Another breath out.

She goes on to talk to him, telling him how adorable and precious he is. She asks me his name, about his school situation, etc. The whole time she is fawning over him, even touching him, much like a person would a newborn in their family. Seriously, she could have been a newborn’s grandmother! Exclaiming over and over how adorable he is. In the course of our conversation, I find out she has school age daughter, who I believe is younger than Josiah with learning delays (I think she meant Down syndrome, though she never said).

We talk a bit more, as I try desperately and hopefully not so obviously, to get Josiah to move out of this extremely uncomfortable situation. Finally, he stands to move on.
As we are leaving, I think… “Wow, she sees things totally different than I do. Is she involved in our parent support group? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her before. Maybe I’ll get a chance to interact with her more hopefully without Josiah around! Did I seem rude and unwelcoming? Was I overly edgy? Do I say anything else? WHAT TO DO, LORD?” So I tell turn and heartfeltly say, “It was nice to meet you.”

She rapidly responds, “Yes, it was good to meet you. And I know he isn’t a baby, but he’s so precious and adorable and he’ll always be a baby to me.” I think she meant he’ll always be special, precious, cherished. At least I hope so.

I told her, “Ah, but he is 10 and he is a big boy and he likes to be called a big boy.” And we part ways.

Seriously, it has taken me a long time to process this interaction. Josiah is precious and sometimes quite adorable. I’ll admit I did not adore him just then… I was rather perturbed at his (all too frequent for my tastes) stubbornness. But I cherish him; I value his life. I love his opinions. And he dislikes being called a baby. Once he boldly proclaimed, “NO! Not baby, Josiah BIG boy!” Every since we have affirmed him in that area. In his presence we brag to each other about him. For example, “Wow, look at the BIG boy. Did you SEE that, Josiah just took initiative and fed the dog!” We even use it as a motivation to stop more childish behavior. “You’re a 10 year old boy and 10 year old boys behave like this, not like that. Where is MY Josiah? Please have him come back. This seems like a little boy.” It can be quite effective.

After taking some processing time since this event, I’ve decided a couple of things. One, as long as I have lived in the South, I am not a Southerner. People here seem to call him baby a lot. Most people don’t think twice about it. Even though it may not be just a southern thing, I do think it is more frequent her.

Secondly, I’ve decided it is okay to speak up. You see, I’ve taken a pledge to “Spread the word to end the word” (http://r-word.org/) and I will usually speak up when the “R” word it used in my presence. Education has been, and continues to be, my priority. I try not to get offended or angry. After all, I may have made similar mistakes before my personal education.
So, now I have decided that I will continue to seek to use the opportunity to kindly educate when people call Josiah a baby. Really, I do get that he will ALWAYS be my baby… so will Micah and Chairs, our other kids. But people don’t directly call them a baby. And neither do I with the exception of those rare moments like, “My baby is going off to college, sniff, sniff.” I’m still working on several possible speeches in my mind. I’m sure much like with the “R” word, I will sometimes choose to let the moment just pass. Usually I do this when I’m too overwhelmed or tired to make the effort. But if a doctor ever tells him to “Hold still, Baby” again, I think I’ll simply say, “He would prefer you say ‘Hold still big guy or big boy.” Or maybe I’ll reiterate as I’ve done in the past “Josiah, you are a big boy, please hold still”. But mostly I’ve decided I will begin to encourage Josiah to respectfully say “I’m a big boy, thank you.”

Finally, more than anything, I have had to process how differently we may view raising our child than some people. Some parents may be happy to have their child progress slowly and stay dependent. Some people have goals for their kids that involve safety and security as a top priority. Perhaps they don’t want their child to grow up. Perhaps they have given up and are tired of the battle.
However, we seek to help Josiah to grow and learn to the best of capability. I want to help him become his own self advocate. Really, it has never been different than my desires for my other kids. It takes him longer to learn. He may never be a rocket scientist, but then again, neither will my other son! Yes, Josiah can be especially huggable and adorable at times. He can melt my heart. He can infuriate me too. But we will continue to work towards his development.

You know, it isn’t that much different than the differences I’ve experience with parents of “typical” kids. Some focus on education; some focus on friendship and popularity; some allow sex and drinking and even drugs at their homes; some instill faith values; some don’t. Some choices may be wrong, others are just different. We all make choices about how to raise our children. It is part of the responsibility of parenting. We have to live with those choices and the fall out of them. It really is “More alike than different”. This National Down Syndrome Congress video says it all.....

More Alike Than Different!

31 for 21: Day 26 Wyatt's "Flak Jacket/Bullet Proof Vest"

2011-10-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

today i get to answer a question that my dear friend cory (dunn house happenings) asked the other day:

"what is wyatt wearing? it looks bullet proof! ;)"

here are pictures of what she's talking about!

wyatt is wearing a weighted compression vest! a weighted compression vest "is made to calm and provide steady proprioceptive input, as the combined pressure and weight functions as a reassuring deep hug" (fun and function). the vest can be worn either with or without the addition of the weights.

it is just another component of his sensory therapy. when wyatt is a little frazzled, frustrated, or "out of control," we have found that it helps him to refocus! and it really works, most of the time! he does not wear it all the time, not even most of the time, but it definitely helps during therapies, and was beneficial during his playdate the other day as well! he does not usually wear the weights, the proprioceptive input seems to be enough to accomplish the desired effect!

31 for 21: Day 25 Guest Post: Letter to My Daughter's Teachers

2011-10-25T14:51:00.001-05:00

a new facebook friend, jane, whose beautiful daughter also has Down syndrome, posted this yesterday in a small group that we both belong to, "smile". this is a private group for parents of children who have Ds, to share our joys and concerns! i really liked this, and asked if i could share it here.....enjoy!

jane's beautiful daughter hannah,
the day of her first communion!

LETTER TO MY DAUGHTERS TEACHER(S)

(I know that everyone has problems. This is a consideration of THIS problem.)
...
Please take a moment to imagine that my child is YOUR child.

Think about what it is like to live the life of the parent of a child with "special needs." Please understand, this life is not a bad life. It is a good life. But it is, at times, very difficult. Difficult in ways not thought of by people who don't live it.

Just for a moment---live this life. This is YOUR child. A very lovable, wonderful child. A beautiful child whom you love very, very much. But EVERY day when you send her off to school, you do not know what to expect. And sometimes, when the day is over, and things have not gone well, you have NO IDEA what to do about it.

You know you have a "special" child. A child who, in many ways, has exceeded all expectations. You also have a child who sometimes has behaviors which cause problems for her teachers, sometimes her peers, and most importantly, impede her own success and happiness.

And you never know FOR SURE if she has a real understanding of the appropriate behavior you are trying to teach.

Therefore you have no idea if you are doing the right things. You are even pretty sure that you have sometimes done the wrong things.

You have probably not done things that might have helped, maybe even done things that made matters worse. You have missed opportunities.

All you ever want is to make life better for this child. To help her reach her full potential----the same thing every parent wants for their child. But it is SO much harder to know HOW to do this---you don't even know what her potential is.

Sometimes you are afraid you expect too much. Often you are sure you expect too little.

And you never, EVER, know.

Some may say that NO parent ever really knows. ----of course that is true.

But, it is NOT THE SAME.

-------

Sometimes it is very hard for you---the teacher. That is why I ask you to try to imagine our shoes. You have her for part of the day, for the span of one year. And then you move on.

This is our life. Every single hour of every single day. Yes, even when she is with you, she is with us.

For a lifetime.

We love our daughter very (VERY) much. We are not looking for anyone to feel sorry for us.

But, we would hope that you can have some understanding.

We particularly hope that you will try to understand if, sometimes, it seems that we question EVERYTHING that you do. In fact, we probably do----it is not meant to offend.

We also, question EVERY thing that WE do.

31 for 21: Day 24 Play Date!

2011-10-24T20:19:00.002-05:00

wyatt got to have a play date with his best friend clayton today!
they have not been able to get together since clayton's open heart surgery 3 1/2 weeks ago!     we are so happy that clayton's surgery was successful and that his recovery has been uneventful!!!   praise GOD!!!!

wyatt has to miss clayton's 2nd birthday party this weekend because we will be out of town, so he took his present to him today!
they both really liked the big dump truck!

we are blessed to have clay and his family as friends..... and we never would have met without that "little something extra" that wyatt and clayton have in common!!!!

31 for 21: Day 23 Guest Blogger!!! "Down Syndrome Look A Like!"

2011-10-23T15:05:00.001-05:00

one of my dear friends, anna, has graciously allowed me to share a recent blogpost of hers! beautiful ellie is one of wyatt's many girlfriends! enjoy this awesome post and beautiful pics of ellie! you can follow anna's blog at "the chronicles of ellie bellie bear"....

"down syndrome look alike" is by far one of the most common search terms on my blog so I thought that I would write another blurb about this. Do people with Down syndrome look a like?Yes and no.Yes in the sense that people with Down syndrome have just that, a syndrome. With a syndrome come common physiologic characteristics. Children with Ds may have all or just a few of these characteristics. It is why when you look at someone with Ds, you suspect, well, that person has Ds. Common Physical Characteristics With Down Syndrome:

Almond-shaped eyes

Almond-shaped Eyes

Simian Crease aka a single horizontal crease across the palm of the hand

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Low-set ears
Shorter femurs and humerus (thigh and arm bones--can be picked up on Ultrasound)
Small hands and feet
Small mid-face (i.e. nose, mouth, cheeks)

Small mid-facial features

Sandal Gap Toe or Sandal Gap Deformity (This is also a common search term "sandal gap toe ultrasounds" or "sandal gap deformity down syndrome")

Sandal Gap Toe

"Flatten" face (you can see this on their profile)

Flat Face: Look at how her forehead, nose, and chin are almost on the same plane.

No, because each child is an individual who received half their chromosomes from Mama and half from Dad. As for that extra special chromosome, it came from either mom or dad. What does that mean? It means that each child looks like her family members. I can be hanging out with Ellie at Andrew's work event and as people walk on by they say "yep, that has to be Andrew's kid". No lie.They don't look at all alike?

Look at those chunky cheeks!

Eh, they aren't related are they?

Sorry for the older pic but it really gets the point across.

Nope, I cannot see the resemblance at all.

Ack! They even have the same hairline.

What about me? Guess which one is me?

Which one is me???? :)

Can't tell? Here is a hint, recognize this facial expression?

How about now?

Left: Anna; Right: EllieJust in case you couldn't tell :)

I wonder where she gets her spunk?

There you have it. Yes, there are common physiological traits among those with Down syndrome, but more than anything, look past those traits and see the actual person. You will recognize just how much each person is different and just how much she resembles her mother, her father, her siblings, her grandparents, her cousins.

31 for 21: Day 22 BUDDY WALK SATURDAY!!!!

2011-10-22T15:48:00.001-05:00

today was the panama city beach buddy walk! what is a buddy walk? according to the national down syndrome society, "The Buddy Walk^® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Today, the Buddy Walk program is supported nationally by NDSS and organized at the local level by parent support groups, schools and other organizations and individuals."

it's been such a blessing to our family to have so many family and friends join us in our local buddy walk! the first year we participated, we had over 50 people join us! last year we had over 20, and this year we had close to 40 registered! it was a beautiful day, and we had a great time visiting with family, old and new friends, as well as other families whose children have Down syndrome! this is wyatt's first year to actually WALK the buddy walk too! what a great day we had.....

31 for 21: Day 21 We Are Better Because of Wyatt...

2011-10-21T15:50:00.001-05:00

one thing that i have heard (and seen) over and over, is the insight that we (and many other parents/families) are better people because God chose to give us wyatt!   do i believe that God gave him to us specifically, for a reason, you bet!   "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (jeremiah 29:11)   i believe that every word in Scripture is true, and if i believe that, then i believe that God has a plan for each of our lives.  certainly sin in the world affects us, but i KNOW that God desires only great things for us!

does that include having a child with a special need like Down syndrome? absolutely!   would i have said that a little over 2 years ago....yes, but i would not have known what that good and perfect plan might be.

i know that i have seen changes in the men in our family; specifically tim and ethan, a tenderness that i had not seen before.   especially with ethan, the big brother who was 16 when wyatt was born!   to see him get down on the floor and play with our little guy is a beautiful thing!   forrest, who was 8 when wyatt was born, has grown in maturity as the "big" brother to wyatt. he plays with wyatt, works with him, and encourages him! i know that they will be great friends as they grow up together.

tim and i have grown together through the experience of having wyatt. he is our surprise, "bonus baby" blessing from God!    our marriage has been strengthened through everything that we have faced with wyatt....from his diagnosis, to his open heart surgery, to the daily therapies that we implement with him.   we need each other and we draw strength from each other as we face the challenges and joys of each day!

i know, as i have said before, that i have developed a compassion that i did not have before for people who are different. whether that difference is a physical or mental disability, a terminal illness, homelessness, divorce, or so many other life experiences that we have not have experienced before. i have become the mom who tolerates a messy boy as he learns to feed himself, the mom who lets her toddler play in the rain....because he will play in the rain!   i am a much more relaxed mom in many ways.....and i am thankful that God is growing me through the life of our little man!

God is good..... all the time....all the time.....God is GOOD!!!

31 for 21: Day 20 You're Gonna Argue With Me About This? Seriously???

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

here we are, just 2 days away from our annual buddy walk, and yesterday i was reminded why it is so important that we take the opportunity to advocate and raise awareness for our little ones.....especially when they have no voice for themselves yet..... today's post is a private facebook message that i had with a "friend," a brother in Christ. during the day i read one of his status updates and he used the word "retard." of course that word has a tremendously negative connotation to us, as i have blogged about before. so i initiated the following conversation, never anticipating that he would be argumentative about using the "r" word....

Me: Just arequest....please don't use the "r" word....I'm confident you canfind another word to use.. {i included a link to this article}

"Why I Quit Using the Word 'Retarded'"

“Friend”: Penny I am fully Aware about your sensitivityto the word. I dated "T" for 5 years and her aunt had downs syndrome. WhileI understand your sensitivity to the word, I have no intent on belittling thosewith who have a mental disability. I've used that word since I was probably 3and I've ne'er used it to hurt anyone. I'm not going to not ever say the wordagain because there are retarded children in this world. I have known andworked with many throughout my life and I have the upmost care for them. I'msorry the word makes you upset but I cannot help you with that.

Me: I also used that word for most of my life, until Iwas given this child who has the potential to be mocked and made fun ofthroughout his life by just that word. It has taken a concerted effort on eachone of us in our family to remove that word from our vocabulary. I would thinkthat you might have the courtesy as my brother in Christ to understand oursensitivity to that word, much less the multitude of people in this world whoare sensitive to that word. I would hope that you would be willing to think ofothers and change that one word in your vocabulary, knowing that there are manyother words in the English language that you could choose to use. I have neverheard (or seen you type) curse words, so I know that you have made a choice notto use those types of words, and I just hoped that you might be considerate ofus (and others) and our sensitivity to that word. I am frankly quite surprisedat your response.

“Friend”: Penny myresponse was in no way meant to be rude. My response was to basically say thatthe word "retard" was not said to make fun of any mentally challengedperson especially your son. I cannot control the idiots who may or may not makefun of your sons condition in the future. But I think you trying to send me amessage to get me to stop saying that word is just a little bit too sensitive.That is your right and I respect you for that, but please also respect my rightto say a word that isn't pointed toward your son or any mentally challengedperson. I've had this discussion with "T" and with other people many times.I will not say it around you but if me saying it on facebook offends you, thenfeel free to ignore my posts. I don't know what else to say.

Me: it may bethat if you have had this conversation with many people many times, maybe youare the one who is in the wrong....just a thought. it is a shame that your "right" touse this word alleviates God's mandate to have compassion for others. "Therefore if there is any encouragementin Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship ofthe Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being ofthe same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on onepurpose. Do nothing from selfishness orempty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more importantthen yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but alsofor the interests of others." (Philippians 2: 1-4) "But take care that this LIBERTY ofyours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." (1 Corinthians 8:9) just because you have the "right"to say what you want to, Scripture tells us that our "rights" or"liberties" must not be a stumbling block to others. you never know what your choice of words willdo to others, whether YOU intend them for harm or not.

and this is the point at which i took his advice to ignore him by unfriending him on facebook....

i cried over this conversation....why? i can only think it's because i expected more from my brother in Christ, from someone i know in real life. maybe it's because i'm exhausted and our lives are in this huge state of change right now. all i know is that i took the chance to stand up for my child, and i'm glad that i did, but i was surprised by the response i received. will i continue to "call peopld out" if they use this word? absolutely! i did just last week in person with someone. is it easy? no way! but i must be HIS VOICE.....

31 for 21: Day 19 Wordless Wednesday .... Playing in the Rain!

2011-10-19T14:20:00.001-05:00

31 for 21: Day 18 More "Big Change" Ahead....

2011-10-18T13:35:00.000-05:00

yesterday our family started telling friends that we will be moving to pensacola. my husband has been offered the position of executive director of children's home society, northwest division. he was not looking for another position; we were not looking to move. but GOD had other plans for our family! plans we had no idea were in the works! more CHANGE!!!!

although this was a tough decision for us to make, there is no doubt in our mind that this is God's hand at work in our lives. He set too many things in place for this not to be of HIM! our oldest son is in college in pensacola, a decided bonus, but not the determining factor in our decision! my parents and family are here, and it will be very hard to leave my hometown. our family has lived here 18 years, all of ethan's life!

and so yesterday forrest had to take the day off of school, because he is decidedly NOT happy about the move. we walked on the beach a bit....getting a little fresh air.....allowing him to process what's going on....panama city is all he has ever known; our current house is pretty much all he remembers. he is having a tough time with this decision..... although tim starts december 1st, the boys and i will stay here until school is out in june. we do not want to take forrest out of school in the middle of his 5th grade year; and wyatt's early intervention therapies are so awesome that we do not want to change those either!

we do not know what lies ahead for wyatt's therapies in pensacola. he has specialists already over there, and we know that as he transitions out of the early intervention program that God will guide and direct us as we make decisions for the next phase of his education and therapies! we covet your prayers during this time of HUGE CHANGE for our family!

31 for 21: Day 17 Living Life....

2011-10-17T20:23:00.003-05:00

one way that we as parents of children who have special needs advocate for them is simply by living our lives as we would if our child didn't have a special need!   we don't "hide" our children, as parents' were encouraged to do merely 30 years ago....or so i thought.   i recently had a friend tell us that when her 10 year old daughter was born.....read that again....10 year old daughter.....just 10 years ago....she was offered the option of putting her away somewhere.   I WAS SHOCKED that as recently as 10 years ago that was still considered an appropriate reaction to a child with Down syndrome.   unbelievable!
my friends doris and ray told me that when their son mark was born about 33 years ago they were offered that option. this young couple, in their early 20's, who had never even heard of Down syndrome, knew nothing about it, were asked if they wanted to "put him away."   their first born child.... they told them that "no, he is not a puppy....we will be taking him home!"   and that's what they did!

i'm sure that it was hard for them back then; i'm sure they had lots of stares and comments..... we still get stares, don't we?     and as awkward and frustrating as they can be, we must still continue to "live life" with our kiddos.   folks need to see that our family is just like their family.....we do fun things together, we discipline kids when they have fits, we comfort crying children......just like they do!

so today's pics are from a favorite pastime of ours....eating frozen yogurt!   last week we were able to have a brief visit with ethan over in pensacola while tim had a meeting, so the boys and i enjoyed a visit to the new yogurt place...... yummy!

31 for 21: Day 16 Guest Post: This Child Is NOT a BURDEN!!!

2011-10-16T16:43:00.001-05:00

my friend laima is guest blogging today....her beautiful daughter delia and wyatt would be great friends if only we lived closer! i have developed a friendship with laima as we journeyed through open heart surgery and other life "stuff" together! she is an awesome mama, is very wise, and offers great encouragement to me and many other parents in our online Ds community....enjoy!

This is Delia, a little 2 year old with Down syndrome, doing what a 2 year old does. All the same things as her peers from preschool. Yes, we are more involved in helping her reach her milestones; yes, there are delays; yes, we see many more doctors than we did with Kiera; yes, there are no guarantees about her future.

While I haven't done a pure cost analysis between Kiera and Delia, I'm guessing that we probably spend more for things regarding therapies and doctor visits. But you can't measure her life based on a cost analysis or the time we spend helping her learn things that other kids pick up on their own. You can't value her life less because she may not be completely independent as an adult. But, to many, those things make Delia a "burden".

Delia is not a burden; Delia is my life. She gives back to us in so many ways. She's a beautiful child with a bright future - even if it is uncertain. Her family loves her; her sister adores her. We're not blinded to reality - we live it every day. She's still only 2 and there are many years to go - we'll prepare as much as we can and deal with what comes. If I had to boil it down to one word, I'd call her a "blessing" - definitely not a "burden".

I am the 97% :) ...... [laima is referring to a recent article "Parents of Children With Down Syndrome Happy and Proud"!]

31 for 21: Day 15 A Slower Pace....

2011-10-15T20:10:00.001-05:00

i don't know if it just having a child at an older age....i was 43 when wyatt was born....or because he has Down syndrome, but i find that we live "life" at a much slower pace. i know that sounds funny when i talk about how busy we are with all his therapies and appointments, but i just know that we enjoy the little things more.

after wyatt's nap today, we were outside enjoying the beautiful afternoon, and he was walking (and walking and walking!!!!) on the sidewalk. he much prefers the sidewalk to the grass, by the way! but then i noticed that he was watching his shadow, which he LOVES to do..... and so we started playing with our shadows. and he was following my lead, copying what i was doing....and i was so excited! i know that i looked quite funny out there...this almost 46 year old woman "flapping my wings," jumping up and down, waving, and other silly actions as we played with our shadows.....but oh what JOY!!!!!

so i find that sometimes we actually take the time to enjoy the slower pace of our lives now.... and even take the time to play with our shadows...... peace!

31 for 21: Day 14 GUEST POST...."Advocacy"

2011-10-14T13:13:00.004-05:00

meet my friend karen; i have learned so much from her! although we live across the state from each other, she has been a "mentor mom" to me, as she is a couple of years ahead of me on her unexpected journey of having a child with Down syndrome. she is an inspiration to me and so many others....she truly is an ADVOCATE for her precious son caleb, and for all our children...

Advocate-“one who speaks or writes in support of another ora cause”

Advocate is a word that can be a bit intimating for people-forpeople like me, just a mom, someone who is really not an outgoing person bynature. I never envisioned myself as anadvocate. The word always struck alittle fear in my heart. It would mean writingletters, picketing, protesting, putting myself OUT THERE. But 4.5 years after a certain someone cameinto our lives, I find myself advocating. And it’s really not at all as I pictured it.

4.5 years ago, our son Caleb was born…with Downsyndrome. We didn’t know prenatally, butwe managed to get over the shock and emotion of it fairly quickly and got downto business. “What will it mean forhim? How will his life bedifferent? What should we expect?” These were all questions that ran through ourminds, and out of our mouths. We didn’t know a lot about “Ds”, as it is morecommonly known to us moms and dads. Sure, we knew the occasional bagger and maybe a cousin of a friend whohad it. But really, what we knew wasNOTHING about how our lives were already on the road to changing. I dovein to the world of Down syndrome-online, in person…any way, any contact, anyorganization I could find. We soonlearned that although the picture wasn’t as dark as had been painted us, we hada lot of work ahead of us, and so did our son. One thing it meant, for me personally, would be getting out of mycomfort zone on occasion, as a voice for our son. As his Advocate. Fortunatelyor unfortunately, as my husband and I discussed last night, parents withchildren with disabilities will HAVE to advocate, in some way, shape orfashion. It’s just part of the packagethat comes with your child. We will facechallenges and obstacles-in school settings, in society…sometimes even in ourown families.

The word has come to mean something different for me now-encompassingmore. There are plenty of ways toadvocate, I’ve discovered. Something assimple as a tag line in an email. AFacebook post. A bumper sticker. A blog. A conversation. Anything done ina manner of educating another about Down syndrome constitutes Advocacy for menow. Don’t get me wrong, there areplenty of opportunities for us parents to advocate for Ds the way I had alwaysenvisioned. There are times to get yourSuper Advocate hat on - for education issues, for research funding, for orphanshalfway around the world, for services, for inclusion settings. The list goes on. There are always letters you can write,emails you can send, phone calls you can make, disability days you can attend.

But more and more, I find Advocacy has crept into our dailyliving and is there to stay. The simpleact of heading to the grocery store turns into Advocacy when people inquireabout our son. I never hesitate toanswer questions, and almost seek them out now. J I figure the more people who know what ourlives are like-that they’re really not so different than that of a typicalfamily-the more people will be at ease with our son and hischromosomally-enhanced friends. I keepin mind that these kids, for the most part, cannot be their own voice. They need friends and family to get theirpoint across.

If you are reading this, you know Penny and one of herwonderful sons-Wyatt. Tuck a mentalpicture of that sweet boy in the back of your brain, especially thismonth. October is Down syndromeAwareness month. No better time than toget your Advocacy hat on and educate yourself, your family and your friendsabout our world of Down syndrome. GodBless.

thank you karen, for this beautiful post!

31 for 2: Day 13 Friends Lighten the Load....

2011-10-13T17:55:00.002-05:00

me and susan

the blessings of friendship are too numerous to count. at the buddy walk this week, i met a lady who had come to volunteer for our buddy walk. she is new to the area, and her husband works at our local base, tyndall air force base. i noticed how sweetly she kept looking at wyatt, the only child with Ds in the meeting to begin with, and i could tell she had a special place in her heart for kids with Ds. as i talked to her, i learned more of her story.

susan and wyatt!

lisa is actually from canada, and they are stationed here for a 2 year assignment, a reciprocal program our air force does with the canadian air force. i asked her what brought her to the buddy walk meeting. i think she got a little teary as she told me that her best friend back in canada has a 4 year old with Ds, and she had been with her from the beginning.

she didn't know how closely related our stories were.....one of my best friends, susan, has been with us from the beginning of our journey with Ds, recently moved with the air force, and it has about killed me!    so i understood the special place that her friend's daughter with Ds has in her heart, and i so appreciate her desire and willingness to volunteer with our kids, and give of her time and energies to our buddy walk!

friends like that are hard to find! even when they live far away from each other, they want to be involved in their friend's lives in whatever way they can!   even helping strangers' buddy walks! and if we all just help each other out in our journeys, whatever they might be, the load is just a little lighter, isn't it?

31 for 21: Day 12 Wordless Wednesday....

2011-10-12T13:30:00.005-05:00

31 for 21: Day 11 The Boy Likes to Eat!

2011-10-11T20:50:00.000-05:00

busy day today, but wyatt has been a trooper! today i had many stops to make, and he just kept on going! we got to go see his uncle rudy to wish him a happy birthday, and went and saw a friend who will be joining us for the buddy walk, then we went and saw his cousin katie at her office....whew! and of course he spreads great joy to most everyone he meets! who wouldn't smile when they see this face????

that was all after 2 therapies this morning....so i thought he'd be ready for a nice long nap this afternoon, as he does every afternoon.... NOT TODAY!!!! wyatt normally naps 3 hours! today he would not go to sleep!!! so he watched sesame street instead.... he loves those furry critters just like his big brother forrest did! elmo is his favorite!

tonight we went to the buddy walk meeting and he did pretty good to have not had a nap....we picked up a sonic kids' meal for him (and a lime cherry coke for mama) for supper while we were at the meeting! he loves hamburgers, brocolli, pizza, sweet peppers, beans, tacos, steak, spaghetti....the list goes on! the boy loves food, and will eat most anything....

and that made me think about some good friends of mine whose kids have "feeding issues," they can't or won't eat typical food that i take for granted. some of the reasons kids with Ds have feeding issues has to do with their "low tone," which affects their facial muscles as well. also, medical conditions can affect their ability to eat, such as when there are serious heart conditions which make babies tire easily, they often "wear out" when trying to suck or eat. they often must be fed by a "tube" when such serious medical conditions are present. another cause for feeding issues in some kids with Ds is that the physical size/shape of their mouth is often smaller, which can make feeding more difficult, as well as problems they might have with "tongue thrust." so in addition to the many therapists that wyatt has, some of his friends have "feeding therapy" as well!

we'll be looking at wyatt's therapies over the next week or so.....

31 for 21: Day 10 "The Special Mother"

2011-10-10T16:17:00.000-05:00

i have been blessed to meet some of the strongest, most amazing mothers (and fathers) on this unexpected journey of having a child with Down syndrome! i would love to list them all, but i am afraid that i might miss one....so you know who you are, okay? the blessings of these friendships are amazing, and i truly thank God for His provisions through these ladies! although it might offend some with the term "handicapped children," i take this poem by humorist erma bombeck in the manner in which i believe she intended it....with the utmost respect and admiration for these mothers....

THE SPECIAL MOTHER
by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth; son. Patron saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."

"Forrest, Marjorie; daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia."

"Rutledge, Carrie; twins. Patron saint, Matthew."

Finally He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," smiles God, "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it."

"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make him live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect -she has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps - "selfishness? is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a "spoken word". She will consider a "step" ordinary. When her child says "Momma" for the first time, she will be present at a miracle, and will know it!"

"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice....and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side".

"And what about her Patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid-air.

God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."

31 for 21: Day 9 "We're More Alike Than Different...."

2011-10-09T15:21:00.003-05:00

as the national down syndrome congress logo says "we're more alike than different...." that is so true! our "all boy" little boy has a new obsesssion..... let's see if you can figure it out with a few clues.... what do all these have in common?

did you guess it? wyatt's new obsession is the toilet....the toilet in our master bathroom to be specific! (tim says that is because it's cleaner than the boys' toilet! lol! true that....)

he LOVES to play in the toilet, to dip things in the toilet, to splash in the toilet, to play basketball in the toilet....you name it, he does it! OH MY GOODNESS!!!! this is a recent "thing," but you would think that i would remember and either shut the door to the bathroom or lock the toilet, right? apparently i am a slow learner! as soon as i get busy doing something like cleaning the kitchen floor, i suddenly realize that i don't hear a certain someone.....and i can pretty much bet he's in our bathroom playing in the toilet.... earlier this afternoon this happened, and as i sprinted to see what damage he had done, i see him "running" out of our bathroom with the above pictured bear that is dripping water, and the bear is still singing...."i am a bear, a happy bear..." .... a wet soggy bear..... oh my.....

so i just thought it appropriate that i point out that just like many other little boys who like to play in the toilet.....wyatt is "more alike than different....."

31 for 21: Day 8 Welcome to OUR Ds World, Baby...

2011-10-08T18:39:00.001-05:00

wyatt, just a few days old....

i just opened my email to a message of a 2 week old baby in our community who has just received a diagnosis of Down syndrome.   the friend who emailed did not think that this family had a prenatal diagnosis.   every time i have the opportunity to talk to a parent of a newly diagnosed baby, i am more than willing to talk to them.   but oh it takes me back.....

back to those feelings of helplessness, of questioning, of sadness, of grief......   tremendous grief; the death of a dream that we never knew that we had.... the dream of a "healthy" baby.... a "typical" baby. i'm pretty sure that nobody dreams of having a baby with Down syndrome.... unless they already have one!

and so although i know the many blessings that lay ahead for this family, i also know the heartache that they are likely feeling right now.   i understand that they have a strong faith, which i know from experience will carry them through the dark days ahead.   because there will be dark days.... but oh when the sun breaks through..... the blessings their baby will be to them and many others....

i will pray for them, and if called, i will share with them, and listen to them, and be there for them. it is a privilege that i do not take lightly...... peace......

31 for 21: Day 7 Wyatt Walking....Finally!!!

2011-10-07T14:16:00.000-05:00

first pics of walking!

although it happened about 6 weeks ago, i have yet to post any video of about the big event!!! wyatt is finally walking! i think he started walking right around 25 1/2 months, maybe closer to 26 months! although i knew it would happen one day....it seemed like FOREVER we waited, and waited and waited!!! and although i knew that children with Down syndrome generally walk later than "typical" children, i never REALLY thought that would be wyatt, because he seemed so strong! he has been walking supported for a LONG time....and we thought he would walk any time.....for MONTHS!!!! even his therapists thought he would have walked months ago!

love the joy on his face here!

when we were at hope haven, the Down syndrome clinic, back in april, the physical therapist recommended that we might want to pursue some "sensory therapy,"(which i blogged about here and here) including the "astronaut training program," therapeutic listening, etc. this made a huge difference! and within a couple of weeks of beginning those therapies, wyatt was walking!

pure joy!!!!!

i must say that i have never seen a child more proud of himself for walking! the joy and excitement on his face has been priceless! i just don't remember our older boys expressing such happiness when they started walking....but it has been a LONG time since then! so i just wanted to share a few pics a video of wyatt finally walking.....

and here's the video....finally!!!!