Catching Up! (again)

Look who's decided to join the world of blogging after nearly a week? I swear, that wasn't a planned break. But I can't promise there won't be more. I was so proud of myself for keeping up with the blog for the longest time, and I've really been slacking lately. And it definitely isn't for a lack of things to say! I've had about a million things I could write about, but not the time or energy to do it. I'll get better, I promise. Some day.

Kennedy becomes more and more of a toddler every day, and I'm absolutely loving this age. She is exploring everything around her and learning so much. Although she isn't talking in full sentences or using very many words yet, she gets her point across and she is definitely understanding what we communicate to her. If you ask her to come to you, she will. Tonight, I asked her to go see daddy and she went off to hunt him down in the kitchen. She is understanding more and more commands, especially when it comes to play time. When I ask her to choose a certain toy, or a certain color ball or block, she does. When I ask her to put the ball in the toy, she does. And when you tell her good job, she claps for herself. It's really adorable. One of her favorite games is to follow you all over the house, playing peekaboo behind random walls or pieces of furniture. It's apparently the most hysterical thing. Ever.

Our transition with Physical Therapy providers has been wonderful. Kennedy really enjoys working with Miss Holly, and mommy enjoys the fact that Miss Holly comes to our house, instead of us driving 40 minutes each way. We're hoping to incorporate speech therapy in the next week or two, and if I'm really lucky I'll find someone privately who will also do in-home therapy. After all, will I get anywhere on time once Caleb is born?

Kennedy also had her 15 month well baby appointment this week. I'm happy to report that we are holding on to the typical growth charts at 29 inches and 18lbs 11oz! She's still a peanut in comparison to most kids her age. In fact, 95-97% are bigger than her. But regardless of what size other kids are, my little girl is getting so big! She checked out perfectly and the doctor was really pleased with how well she is doing with her milestones and how well she eats!

Here's a few cell phone pics from the week. I promise, better pictures soon to come.

Mommy, I love pool days. I'm a Florida girl. Just check out my tan.



Mom!!! Don't take a picture of me eating my cookie! And I can't believe you brought me to the store with my piggies looking like this.



Sometimes you just need a late afternoon cat nap.



This really isn't the same as the big pool, but I guess I'll deal. But mom, if you're going to keep getting in, we're going to need a bigger pool!

Happy 15 Months!!!

It's almost unimaginable that it was 15 months ago I was sitting in the NICU holding my sweet baby girl, trying to comprehend the days' events. And now here we are. Life gets better every day, though I will admit, also a bit more exhausting! Kennedy has really taken off in new skills the past few weeks. Every day she surprises me with something new!

I thought to celebrate her 15 month birthday I'd share some fun facts about the little diva herself.

1. Favorite Foods: Tacos, beans and rice, chicken, mashed potatoes, Cheerios, pancakes, and meatballs.

2. Favorite Outdoor Activities: Swinging, swimming and her water table.

3. Favorite Book: You're My Little Lovebug

4. Favorite Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

5. Number of Teeth: TWO of them on their way in. We woke up today with another one that's really poked through.

6. Latest Accomplishments: Pulling up, cruising - if there something really good, that she probably shouldn't have, out of reach. Pointing.

7. Words: Mama, dada, and what we call her Baby Gaga language. It closely resembles a Lady Gaga song, and I always think it sounds like there are words in there, even though they aren't quite appropriate.

8. Favorite Store: Carter's or Toys R Us

9. Favorite Toys: Fisher Price Sing Along Stage, Fisher Price Laugh and Learn House, Busy Town cube, her musical instruments, mommy's iPad, mommy's iPhone, anything electronic or anything that she's not supposed to have.

10. Favorite Games: Peekaboo, crawling away from mommy and daddy while getting dressed or changed (and laughing as she goes).

11. Favorite Vacation Spot: Anywhere with a beach. Hilton Head specifically. Or Orlando, since they have good pools and shopping.

12. Dislikes: Long car rides, cold weather, the word no, getting dressed, sleeping and eggs.

13. Loves: Breast milk, ice cream, animals, play dates, shopping, eating out and hotels.

14. Favorite Animals: Dolphins, monkeys, and sting rays.

15. Kennedy loves to give mama kisses but when it comes to giving daddy kisses she gets shy and bashful. She turns her head away and laughs.

Happy 15 months baby girl!!!!

A lot of Randomness

I promised more updates and more photos this week, and I've once again failed. It amazes me how quickly the days fly by lately. Between chasing a toddler and getting the house ready for a new baby, I'm not sure how I have time to breathe. Especially on days like today. You know, the days when you spend 2 hours chasing a big lizard around your house. Keep in mind, I am seven months pregnant and had a cranky teething toddler on my hip. It made for quite a site. In fact, if there wasn't still a big lizard on the loose in my house, I might even find it comical. Instead I'll be having nightmares of lizards crawling into bed with us. Oh the joys of living in Florida...

It's been quite a week in our house. I'll just give the highlights, with the promise of many more details and photos to come.

- Less than a week after getting the iPad, Kennedy has mastered pointing! She absolutely loves the iPad and if she sees me using it, she usually comes after it.
(Don't mind her bed head or my lack of captions, I still have no good solution for blogging from this thing.)










- At nearly 15 months, Kennedy is FINALLY getting her first tooth! I'm not sure why I was so excited for her to get teeth. She's definitely not been her usual self this week, and I'm thankful to have figured out the reason, but I miss my happy girl! She's not completely miserable all the time, but we've had more fuss and tears in 3 days than we have in 15 months. I'm pretty sure teething has cussed more fuss than open heart surgery. However, fruit pops seem to help a little. (But the $20 worth of teething supplies from Target seem to do nothing.)





- Kennedy has also continued to take off with gross motor skills. In just a few short weeks she's started to transition from sitting, to crawling like a maniac and now pulling up on absolutely everything! Nothing is safe. Gross motor has always been Kennedy's weakness, so all of these improvements are wonderful to see! She also does a great downward dog yoga pose. I guess she's ready for that any day now.
(Excuse the poor photo quality here....darn cell phone, I never have the flash on when I need it.)









-And last but not least, we've made some big changes in our therapy services. Early Steps has finally agreed to provide us with weekly physical therapy, at the expense of our Developmental Therapy. So we've cut that back to once a month and will be taking advantage of their PT services. This will also allow us to integrate private speech therapy. I'm looking forward to utilizing some new resources o Ed the coming weeks!

That's all I've got for now....I'll post some adorable photos of Kennedy and Grandma this weekend when I get some computer time. Now, I'm off to eat some ice cream and make sure there are no lizards lurking under my bed.

Location:A Lot of Randomness

Celebrating Accomplishments

I've always been a firm believer in celebrating what Kennedy can do and not focusing on what she can't do, but finding fun activities to work on developing those skills. Kennedy is amazing. She has accomplished so much in her 15 months and she has worked extra hard to accomplish these things. I could not be more proud of her. She has overcome things that most people aren't faced with in a lifetime. She is happy, healthy and thriving. She may not be as advanced as some kids her age, but she's Kennedy. She will learn these things and she will do it on her own time, just as all children do. No matter how much I work with her, no matter how much therapy we do, she will only do them when she's ready. It doesn't matter if I have the best therapists in the world. If Kennedy isn't ready, I can't make her walk or talk tomorrow. But I can give her the tools she needs to develop those skills and when she's ready to say more than mama or dada she will. When she's ready to walk, she will. For now, she's content with her version of crawling. And let me say, she gets around pretty quick! There is nothing to feel sorry for. I have a beautiful and amazing little girl who is the light of my life. Her smile and giggles brighten every day and makes even the worst times better. My life isn't what I expected and it isn't what other people think it is, it's so much better!!

Motherhood is not a competition. It's not about whose kid does what first or who is more advanced. All children are special and their accomplishments deserve to be celebrated whether they have typical chromosomes or something a little extra. I've said it before and I will say it again. I've never seen a college application that asked at what age you were walking and talking. Call me biased, but Kennedy is one of the happiest babies I've ever known. She laughs and smiles 99% of the day and she knows that she is loved. She has touched the lives of so many people in the short 15 months since she made her arrival, and I know that regardless of how old she is when she walks or talks she is going to continue to do amazing things and touch the lives of many. We will continue to celebrate what she does do and not dwell on what she doesn't. We will use the resources available to us in the most efficient way possible. We're in the middle of big changes when it comes to therapy and I'm really excited to utilize some new resources. And most of all, we will continue to parent the way we have for the last 15 months. After all, she is healthy, happy and thriving. We've got to be doing something right!

(It's rare for me not to post photos, but I promise, I'll have a bunch tomorrow!)

Happy Mother's Day!

First, let me wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day!  I hope you all enjoyed your special day.

Kennedy and Marlon (with some input from Caleb) have had a few days of wonderful surprises for me!  They kicked it off on Friday when Marlon took Kennedy for a daddy/daughter afternoon.  Mommy got to go for a massage and spend the afternoon scrapbooking.  Daddy took Kennedy to Cracker Barrel for lunch, where he learned a few important lessons.
1) Don't let Kennedy eat off a plate.
2) Order yourself something easy to eat.
3) Don't take your eyes off the baby!

Apparently, when the food came, Marlon cut up eight pieces of pancake and put it on a plate for Kennedy.  He proceeded to cut up his food.  Kennedy, as she usually does, devoured her pancake and when daddy didn't notice and promptly replace it with more, she took matters into her own hands.  She picked up the plate and tossed it.  Not just tossed it on the floor next to her.  But tossed it through the air.  Fortunately, she missed the innocent bystanders enjoying their lunch.  And once it was confirmed that no one got hurt, everyone was quite amused.  Daddy offered to pay for the plate, but they insisted it was no big deal.  Kennedy is obviously ready for her first Greek wedding.

I had a weekend full of surprises and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband and daughter.  It's hard to imagine what life was like before miss Kennedy came along.  She has given life a new meaning and made me a better person.  I'm really looking forward to seeing our family grow in a few months.

I know I've been slacking on photos and posts lately and I'm determined to get better with that!  I just need to figure out the best way to blog from my iPad.  So if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!

Until then - here are some photos from the past two days.  Kennedy has really gotten into playing with the iPad and her Laugh and Learn House.  There are also some really funny ones of Grandma and Kennedy on my camera.  I promise, I'll get those posted in he next day or two!

Mommy, I have a secret and I'm not telling.

Mommy do you like your surprise dinner!?

I highly recommend the grilled chicken and wasabi mashed potatoes.

Mommy, how come you never put chocolate chips in my pancakes before?

 

I hope mommy doesn't mind that I've adopted her new iPad.

This Peek-a-boo Barn game is fun!

What took you guys so long to buy one of these?

Hey peeps, I'm home!

Hey mommy, I'm going to get your phone.

Who knew opening and closing this door, and crawling back and forth was so much fun?

Summer Fun!

We are fortunate enough to live in Florida, where we can take advantage of great weather pretty much all year long! We've been swimming for weeks now, and Kennedy is acquiring quite the suntan, even though she wears an SPF 70!

I've been looking for new outdoor activities, since we are somewhat limited. The swings are getting harder and harder because they get so hot this time of year! So, we hit up Toys R Us this weekend and scored an awesome deal on a water table that was recommended by one of Kennedy's online friends, Ellie.

Of course, it rained today. Almost all day. Which is rarely does in Florida, especially this time of year. So, in an effort to still get out of the house, I set up in the water table...in the garage. After all, we do live in Florida where there are snakes and gators that frequent our yard, so it's really no big deal to play in the driveway or garage.

Kennedy loved the water table! Though, I think I need to stock up on some extra toys for her to use in it.

 Well this is different...it's kind of like playing with water in the bath tub.

Hi mom!

Wow Grandma!  That water wheel is pretty cool.

I love my new toy mommy.

Can I spin it myself?

This is so cool!

These little people are funny....

Thanks for bringing my bath cups out mom.

Seriously, this is so much fun, I can't stand it!

On The Go

I'm sure no one expects regular blog posts from me any more.  That is, if I still have any followers!  The past week has shown me that Kennedy is getting faster by the day and I'm getting slower by the day.  Last night it took me 40 minutes to get her into her pajamas, and we ended up doing so in the foyer.  Which was where I finally caught up to her, and was able to hold onto her for long enough. 

I've seen a number of articles over the past couple of weeks that bring tears to my eyes.  Tears of joy and happiness for these young individuals who are experiencing a dream come true. 

Texas High School Prom Queen!
Iowa Student Crowned Prom Queen!
New York Prom King!

I love to hear stories of dreams coming true, especially when those involved, just so happen to have an extra chromosome, like Kennedy. 

I did finally get some really great family photos from our trip last month, and I have some other adorable photos of Kennedy.  But I'm way too tired to upload them tonight.  Most people are exhausted because their baby keeps them up all night.  Not me.  I'm exhausted because we have this obnoxious bird that starts squawking loudly around 6am.  It's been over a week since I've had a decent night of sleep, and I'm definitely feeling the effects.  I promise, I'll try to get to the pictures earlier tomorrow.  In the mean time, here's a really cute video of miss Kennedy playing with her stage this afternoon!

Finding Time

Now that I have a full time crawler on my hands it's harder and harder to find time to get online and actually write something longer than a Facebook status!  I'm pretty sure Kennedy was just waiting long enough for me to get really big and really slow to decide that she was going to start getting into things.  She can get around faster every day, and it no longer takes Cheerios to motivate her.  Today was Grandma's first day over since her crawling has taken off, and let's just say that Grandma is pretty worn out. 

Not only have I been slacking on the blog, I've been slacking with taking photos.  So here's a few quick cell phone snapshots. 

What?  Doesn't everyone sleep like this?

 ?

Oops...did I just dump that cup of water over the side?

 Practicing my wink!

Goodnight blog reading people.

Must. Get. Cheerios.

Kennedy has been "crawling' so to speak for awhile.  Whether it be army crawly, scooting, whatever you want to call it.  We've been working on the hands and knees crawling, but this kiddo has always hated being on her knees.  Until recently.  She's been getting on her hands and knees for brief amounts of time, and yesterday she just decided to go with it.  We are mastering the hands and knees crawl!  Of course, her biggest motivation is - you guessed it - Cheerios!

She has definitely taken off with it and has been crawling on her hands and knees with more confidence and a little less effort.  I suspect in no time, I won't be able to keep up with her!  I could not be any more proud, especially because I know how hard this little princess has been working at this!

Changing Perceptions

When I started this blog (over a year ago!) I did it with many intentions.  As a way for me to get my feelings out on paper, and to document our journey so I would never forget anything.  A way to keep friends and family informed.  Because I learned so much from reading others blogs, I had hope that mine would one day help someone else.  And although I didn't have it in mind when I started the blog, I decided that I wanted Kennedy (and her blog) to help change people's perception of Down syndrome, and to educate them about how wonderful life really is. 

It seems like that's a mission that a lot of parents of special needs children have.  We should not have to convince people that all life is valuable, or that Down syndrome doesn't mean your world is no longer "normal."  I read a post from a physician this morning.  She has a child with Down syndrome, and she admitted her fears upon getting the diagnosis, and the discovery that medical school did not provide her with a real life example of what Down syndrome was.  She's not set out to change that.  Sadly, she's met some resistance.  I know for a fact that Kennedy (and this blog) have changed at least a few people's perception of Down syndrome.  For me, changing one person's perception makes a difference.  But I'm not going to stop there.  You can read Dr. Julia Kinder's article here. 

Life really is normal for us.  Better than normal actually.  Sure, we have a few more appointments, and Kennedy may not be doing everything "by the books" but the same can hold true for a child with 46 chromosomes too.  Right now, as I sit here typing this, I'm watching Kennedy crawl around, in search of the Cheerios she left on the floor last night.  Sadly, she doesn't know that mommy cleaned up 99% of them after she went to bed.  Yes, *most* kids her age are walking.  But I'm okay with crawling.  She will walk when she's ready, just like any child. 

Here's some photos from last week's adventures on the fake grass.  I finally got around to getting unpacked and downloading them.  Maybe now that our marathon travels are over, I can get back to regular blogging (but don't hold your breath, something always comes up.) 

Mommy it's windy out!!!!!

 But I think I like it!

 This is much better.  My piggies aren't blowing around.

 Can we please get fake grass at home???

I promise, I will use it all the time!

Grandma?  Will you buy me fake grass?

 

On that note...Kennedy has given up her hunt for Cheerios and is now making a toy out of the DVR.  Guess it's time for a new activity!