The little things that can make me a little sad...

Through having C and knowing friends who have babies who have gone through intestinal surgery, open heart surgery, leukemia and having friends who have had late pregnancy losses... well, I feel silly over something so small.

We went to the eye dr. today. C's eyes have been crossing some. I guess I was just prepped that we were going to do surgery. I was ready for surgery, I was not ready for glasses.

She really does not need them for her actual vision. She is crossing one eye and not focusing as well as she used to. The dr. is hoping that by doing the glasses (bifocals at that!), she will strengthen by learning to focus better. That in turn will stop the crossing.

Maybe it's because I didn't get glasses until I was 39, and even then, I only wear them a couple times a month when my eyes are tired at work. Maybe it's because I was just noticing how amazing the colors of her eyes really are. I am afraid that the glasses will take away from that.

It doesn't matter what my problem is because yep, "Miss feisty, I WILL not even keep a barrett in my hair or a hat on my head", needs glasses. Realistically I have NO idea how we will ever keep glasses on her. I think soon enough the battle to keep glasses on a very strong willed 2 1/2 year old will make me forget all about what my problem was after all.

See... We're Not Always Happy!

One of the things that annoys me more than any other steryotype about Down syndrome is the comment... "they're always happy." I don't know who came up with that idea, and I know any parent of a child with ds would agree, but they are far from happy all the time. C is such an expressive and dramatic girl. I love that about her. She is 2 1/2 and has full blown temper tantrums and believe me, she is NOT happy when it is happening. Wanna know what makes her even madder during a tantrum? When mean old mommy gets out her camera to have documented proof. PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME ARE NOT HAPPY ALL THE TIME!

Here is my proof. (don't mind the red tongue, she was eating strawberry fluff before the drama began)

Time marches, ok... full out runs, on

Wednesday is a big day. Only 2 more days and C will move from the early intervention program that we have known for 2 1/2 years. She started when she was a mere 10 weeks old. I can't believe how much she has grown. On that first day she met her first "friend" A. He is only 6 days older then C and he also has Down syndrome. We were very lucky to have someone else so perfectly matched up to us. Someone who understood the emotions and that we could meet and play with in real life. C & A have grown and so have us moms and dads.

Wednesday C & A move on to the next phase and become preschoolers. How in the world did this happen. Time has flown by and created this amazing little person who is going to just take in every new adventure in pre-school and breathe it right in like she does with everything in her life.

I love my preschooler so much!

The first day of school.

Walking through the hall at school last week!

Of all the darn places to meet a friend...

Miscarriage and pregnancy loss is a life changing event. We have had the "event" 8 times now and it is a terrible, heartbreaking thing to go through. In the beginning I often wondered why we were made to suffer so much. I had so many people during those times say that things happen for a reason. While it still sucks... I think I found the reason.

Through our miscarriages I made friends I never would have met. We found each other on the internet over 5 years ago. We had all had multiple pregnancy losses and all stuck together and got each other through additional losses. In addition to those losses I can also say that as a group, in just over 5 years, at last count, we have celebrated the births of well over 25 healthy babies!

C's birth lead me to more new places with new friends who I had something in common with... nothing better then someone going through what you are to be able to understand like nobody else ever can!

While I would never wish our sadness on anyone, imagine the joy of walking into a house and hearing "surprise" from your internet friends who came from all over the country to throw you a surprise baby shower! Yep, they flew in just to shower little C with love and gifts. (see some pics below)

Tonight I was lucky enough to meet one of my local mom friends for dinner. We are trying to meet every month but will have to take a month or so off because she is expecting her 2nd baby after 3 losses.

I have found some amazing people on the internet and while yes, we all know there are some creepy people out there, I have learned from all of my friends from many different areas that there are more amazing people out there then you can even imagine!

Thank you to all of my internet friends for being there!

You say that like it's a bad thing...

I hear it all the time. C is stubborn just like me. The other word used is manipulative. Many people see those as bad words. For me, as the parent of a child with special needs, I consider those words to be good words! You say it like it's a bad thing.

Yes, C is stubborn. That stubborness has served her very well. It's what made her so mad and determined to sit up, pull to standing and walk. Stubborness makes her the determined little strong willed girl that she is and personally, I don't think it's a bad thing.

Yes, she is also very manipulative. I guess I was selling her short. I am still amazed at the way she manipulates people (myself included) and many others in her everyday life. She is cute, she knows it and she uses it. I have to say, when I figured out that she was really thinking to manipulate a situation to what she wanted... I was so happy. I didn't see it the way many parents do. I saw it as a real cognitive skill on her part to access the situation and then take advantage and spin it into what she wanted.

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Yes, she is stubborn and manipulative but what can I say... that's my girl!

An Update on Gabe

Gabe is home and doing amazingly!!! 4 days following open heart surgery and he is home and looks like his perfect, beautiful self!

http://gabrielsheart.blogspot.com/

Cheerios everywhere!

What ever happened to my car. Yes, I was one of THOSE people. I had a nice neat car. Everything was in it's place. Compartments held what they were meant to hold. I had this cute little docorative $5 packet of keenex that where pink with high heeled shoes on them. There was room to fit 3-4 other people comfortably and neatly. (Well, maybe a dog hair here or there)

Now, there are Cherrios and Apple Jacks all over my car. The seats have water stains on them from those fabulous "no leak" straw cups that manage to leak out their entire contents between our house and the end of the driveway. My cute design kleenex have been replaced by a full size box of lotion kleenex and a plastic bag to try and keep all the used ones in one place. I now have 2 strollers in back, a basket full of toys seatbelted into the backseat and a bag of goldfish crackers are the snack du jour.

C has changed ever single part of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world... and don't even get me started on the mess in the house!