Valentine Cookie Party 2011

Look at all these darling little girls wearing their Valentine colors and cute gum ball necklaces.

What a fun group these girls are!  MaryJane loved to put herself right in the middle of all of it too.

Sadie so badly wanted to invite her kindergarten friends this year.  

I love kindergarten!  I loved hearing them sing all their fun kindergarten songs.  

"Bubble gum Bubble gum in a dish..."

So cute.

I love to see their personalities come out in their decorating.

Some are creative or delicate and some just pour on the toppings.  It's quite entertaining to watch.

 Cookies-To-Go all in a decorated box.

This year I did the girl party separate from the boys.  And what I'd forgotten from last year is that Cole has out grown this Valentines party :(.  You'd think he'd be fine for a one hour cookie party and games.  His friends had fun but Cole was just to excited and rushed through everything. 

I kept this group small.  It's not a birthday party.  

 Maybe Cole was so excited because I let him invite a girl.  Elle.  Which Jack informed me that she is Cole's girl friend.  Wow!  This second grade is serious stuff.  Cole has been interested in girls since he could talk and there is no slowing him down!  Thankfully he is 7 and this girl stuff is pretty innocent.

  

One year...

 ago today, I received a phone call that would change my life.

The test results of my amniocentesis.

I remember this day so clearly. 

 

"...the test results came back positive for Trisomy 21, Down syndrome"

  Suddenly new words entered my soon to be regular vocabulary and I scribbled them across my note book as the Doctor spoke to me.  Trisomy 21, Down syndrome, Fetal Echocardiogram,  Pediatric Geneticist,  Utah Down syndrome Foundation.   

 The shock, the pain, the devastation, the tears, the mourning.    I remember it so clearly that if I think about the details of that day, it brings me to tears.  It's a kind of pain you wish you never had to feel.  I'm certain I will have moments of that pain for the rest of Frankie's life as I will be faced with the reality of his condition.  The intense love I have for him just increases that pain to a whole new level.  Wanting so much more for him.  But holding his soft body in my arms and kissing his rosy checks, the pain fades and is buried deep within me. 

I had no idea how much love I could have for him or for Down syndrome.  

 I don't know if I'll ever be able to really explain how I feel.  I love it and hate it.  But love it a little bit more.   

So far, Down syndrome in a baby is the best thing in the whole wide world!  

 At 8 months old his body just snuggles up to mine so willingly.

He definitely knows I'm his mama and is beginning to show emotion towards my comings and going.  

He loves me 

and the fact that I can see it and feel it in our interaction makes me feel like the luckiest mama in the world!

The words of one of my favorite nursery songs (by Allison Krauss) beautifully sums up how I feel about him

 Baby Mine - 

(Disney Movie Dumbo)

Baby mine, don't you cry.
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Rest your head close to my heart,
never to part, baby of mine.

Little one, when you play,
pay no heed what they say.
Let your eyes sparkle and shine,
never a tear, baby of mine.

If they knew all about you,
they'd end up loving you, too.
All those same people who scold you,
what they'd give just for the right to hold you.

From your hair down to your toes,
you're not much, goodness knows.
But, you're so precious to me,
sweet as can be, baby of mine.

Happy Love Day!

Love is in the air at our house today!

I'm so excited for our family dinner tonight to read our Love Notes to each other, reveal who our Secret Pal has been all week,  and my very favorite  "fundue".

  I hope you get to spend the day with the ones you love!

Happy Valentine's Day!

8 months

I mean, really.  

Is he just not the cutest?  I'm biased I know.  

Frankie is now 8 months old and I almost can't believe it.  

Although, developmentally I would say he is between 5 & 6 months old. 

He is more aware of his surroundings.  I love to hear the music play from him patting on the buttons.
Smart boy.

He is so cute making sounds and noises.  Waking us up every morning with DaDaDaDa and motor lips. 

Two weeks ago, Frankie got tubes in his ears.  

This will help him with hearing and speech development and will also allow his ears to drain properly so he won't be prone to ear infections.  Babies with Down syndrome have really small ear canals.

Frankie's right ear was so small that the Dr. had a really hard time even putting the smallest tube in.  Which is the circumference of this o.

Back in December Frankie saw his Hand Ortho Doc and had an X-ray on his hand.  All his bones in his fingers are not fused together (which is good news).  However his fingers are a bit shorter and are not "normal" in size.  He will have his pinkie separated in June and the other one separated a few months after that.

Here is what we are doing everyday with Frankie for Physical Therapy:

Tummy time- work on keeping those hips anchored down and pushing up on arms

Feet- play with feet like hands, bicycle legs bring feet to hands, promote leg activity-kicking

Exercises ball- Tummy time on ball, pushing up on arms, partial standing on feet, balance as ball tips

Playtime- reaching and playing with toys, laying on side reaching and playing with toys

Sitting- with light assistance, reaching for toys, visual tracking

Frankie is doing so well with these exercises!  I can see his strength improving well.  

I love that his favorite toy is the wrinkly and loud baby wipe package.  

I even have two blankets/toys with that stuff in them which he loves as well.

Thankfully his siblings are great helpers and Frankie gets plenty of activity with each one of them.  

We all just love him so!

Name Your Own Price

Hue and Hum are my hip and humble friends Caitlin and Robbie who make being cool look easy.  Check out their rockn' blog with today’s featured art by Caitlin and the best part is you get to choose the price you want to pay (click here to see all of Catlin’s “pay what you want prints”).  While you are there, make sure to download (free) and listen to some original tunes by the very talented Robbie and watch for the release of one of his songs on Valentine’s Day. 

Love to you Hue and Hum!

Valentine Invites

The invites have been delivered for our annual Valentine cookie party!

I saw this darling Bubble gum necklace idea from One Charming Party and had to incorporate it into the invite.  So cute!

I'm so excited this week is here, I love to celebrate this holiday!

It all begins tonight after dinner, first we'll draw the names of our Seceret Pal for the week and then begin our chocolate/love note tradition.  

Bring on the love!

Young Women

For the last year I have being serving in the Young Womens organization of my church.  I have been really busy with it (my reason for slowing down on crafts and sewing) but I love it!

We have done a lot of fun things and it seems like I am using Young Womens for my creative outlet lately.  

I've decided that it would be fun to keep all those ideas in one spot so I created an Our Scoop Church type blog.  Recently I have shared some fundraising ideas on Sugardoodle.  Since then, I have been receiving a lot of emails about the details so why not start a blog to share more fun ideas? 

 So stop by, say Hi, and check out my first post. 

2011 Calendar

Have you ever made a Calendar through Costco?

I have for the last 4 years and I LOVE it!

It's the best $9.99 I've ever spent.

It is a great picture journal of the previous year.  

I like to organize my photos by the month.  Then it is easy to plug in the pictures month by month showing exactly the same month the year before.

I usually buy the standard size (8.5 x 11) but this year Costco offered a premium calendar for $17.99, a size of 11.5 x14.

I just LOVE it even more!

Here it is measured next to my 2010 calendar.

It is so big!

The best thing about having a photo calendar (for us non scrapbookers) is that I at least have something done, in print.  I also like seeing what is written on the calendar from that year.  

Do you have a Photo Calendar?

Valentine Chair Back

Its that time again!  

One of my favorite holidays is near and Pottery Barn Kids has done it to us again.

They love to put this picture on their website with the cute chair backers, but they are no longer available for purchase.

(At least I've never seen them for sale in the last 3 years)

Doesn't that picture make you want some?

We'll if you haven't seen my tutorial yet, your in luck.

Make some to surprise your little ones at breakfast on Valentine's Day morning.

Click here for my original post on these Valentine pouches.

We have loved this tradition year after year!

Click here for my tutorial or link from my side bar.

Those of you who have made some, I'd love to see them!  Upload some pictures in my new flicker pool group on my side bar and share the love!

XOXOXOXOXOX

My Little Boy

 I can not even tell you how much I LOVE this little guy!

He has brought so much beauty and love into our home.

He is pure bliss! 

He's happy, cuddly, soft, sweet and the ultimate dream baby.

I would have 10 more babies if I new they'd be as adorable and sweet as Frankie.

He has been such an easy baby.  

I really mean it when I say that I can not get enough of him. 

You can't really tell in these pictures but his cheeks have been so red and chapped lately and I'm wondering if it is because of all the kisses he is getting.

I can not resist his cheeks.

 

Can I really say that I love having a child with Down syndrome?  

Because I think I do.  

Yes, I wish Frankie could have a normal life, but at the same time, I feel that his extra chromosome makes him extra special.  Every little face of children with Down Syndrome I see just melts my heart and makes me giggle with love.  Having Frankie really has opened up my heart.

Frankie is mine and I feel SO blessed that he is in my life! 

Kelle Hampton is a mother of an adorable little girl with Down syndrome named Nella.

 Kelle has been such an inspiration to me.  The way she sees the beauty in her daughter is so uplifting.  

Today is Nella's 1st birthday and it seems like the whole world is celebrating.  

Kelle has created an amazing fundraiser in Nella's behalf promoting awareness for children with Down syndrome.

Click here for her inspiring birth story.

Click here to donate.

Let Freedom Ring!

There is no doubt that this little girl is one free spirit.

Her darling Japanese kindergarten teacher really did a good job teaching Sadie all about 

Martin Luther King.

Last night as we were bathing Sadie (and to our complete surprise) she decided to educate us. 

 "Did you know, a long time ago people with dark skin had to sit at the back of the bus and go to old schools?  It is not about the color of skin you have, it is about what kind of person you are on the inside." And without skipping a beat, Sadie belts out her new song. 

"Martin Luther King, said LET FREEDOM RING!  Free at last we're free at last, lets all join hands and SING!"

Oh Sadie, we love you.  

Thank you for being so open minded and reminding us what is most important. 

2010 in pictures

for the blog book