Book

Tonight, I was putting E to sleep. Bottle, rocking, kissing of babies, etc. The usual, except I skipped reading because it was late. Now, true confession. We don't read much with E. Usually, the only reading is before bedtime because it's about the only time she's not moving. She's been looking at them, though, when she's in the pack 'n play while I'm showering and M will read to her while she's in there, so all is not lost. Anyway, I try to read a couple books. Lately, it's been The Very Hungry Catepillar, That's not my Lion!, and The Going to Bed Book. I always read The Going to Bed Book last.

Tonight, after her bottle, I turned her around on my lap to face me (like I always do) and asked for a kiss*. She gestured and looked intently at me, which usually means she's signing something and trying to communicate. I didn't get what she was signing, though, and tried to do our normal post-reading (albeit missing) routine. E wasn't having it. She kept signing (hands together at the base of her palms in a kind of V) until I realized that she was asking for her book (signed with little finger side of hand together and opening like a book)!

She asked to read! I don't know why it seems more than other stuff she asks for (food, juice, music, Signing Time, etc.), but it is. My baby is asking for reading! Woohoo!

*Must remember to a)write about her signing. It's awesome! and b) tell about the kissing (okay, licking really) game we now have.

Summing Up

It occurs to me, as I sit reading through other people's blogs that perhaps I should update all here.

To sum up:

• The big E turned 2 on January 2nd! (party to be held in March)
• Big Daddy had Meniere's and suffered through a low salt diet for 3 weeks before learning that he really has a hole somewhere that is leaking sound.
  
• Big Daddy also has a bum knee that needs some cleaning out via a scope
• We've had three "yellow" days from the M which means that she's broken class rules. This has resulted in many days of arguing and butting heads. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was living with a teenager
• I started a job! Part-time, nonprofit dealing with a preventable birth defect. I'm not linking directly because of the whole work separation thing, but if you know me is other social online areas (facebook, twitter, ravelry, etc.) you'll probably figure it out soon enough
• M is doing both dance (W) and swimming (Th) during the week
• E is doing speech (2x a month), physical therapy (2x a month), and occupational therapy (1x a month). Our PT thinks we should also add in a weekly play group. Yikes!
• For those who asked, M received a Just Like You doll (now named Rosie) that looks nothing like her. In fact her four preferred JLY dolls were: fair skin, blond, brown eyes, freckles; fair skin, brunette, blue eyes; medium skin, curly dark brown hair, brown eyes; light skin, brown-black hair, brown eyes (Sorry can't link because of how American Girls configures the dolls).
• ETA; Oh, yes, I forgot, in addition to our therapy schedule (see above), we've seen our pediatrician for our 2 year well check, had blood work done (thankfully we sync up our endocrinologist and pediatrician labs for only one draw), saw our endocrinologist, and had our teeth cleaned.
  
• Everyone was caught up on their H1N1 vaccinations (Woohoo!)
  

Some (old) photos:

Santa Baby

"Uh Santa, I am way too tall and cool to sit on your lap."
(from my friend Leslie! Hi Leslie!)

Holiday 2009 Pictures



































































(note: E has always clasped her hands together in this really delicate, prim way. I was really happy to have a picture of her doing it. When my mom saw it, she loved how it captured this characteristic of E.)

Babushkas!

Santa brought E play silks which we've loved. I put one over her head, then over mine.
Then, I put them all on her and she thought she was cooler than the other side of the pillow.

Merry Vomitus

We have been felled.

E woke up last Saturday night vomiting after sleeping for a few hours. It's always fun to walk into a room smelling of barf watching your baby/toddler trying to figure out what's happened while simultaneously trying to get them clean and safe while keeping yourself relatively puke free and stripping soiled beds. Thanks heavens for Big Daddy. The throwing up portion of the evening lasted a few hours then subsided. I slept in her room and luckily, there was no high fever. After a couple days of not eating too well, she seems to have bounced back into her normal self.

I came down with the major pukes, though on Wednesday (12/23) night. This lasted through the next morning when major fevers started. Hello 103.5! Luckily, the high ones broke on Christmas Eve, but a low grade one lasted until yesterday (12/27). Unfortunately, ongoing nausea seems to be sticking around, but that's about it. This meant, though, no family activities on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Vomit is not a well appreciated gift.

M has been punky all week and actually woke up on Christmas Eve (technically Day as it was 1:30am ish) night and threw up on our bedroom and bathroom floor. After, we had her sleep in our bed while Big Daddy slept in hers. She was super chatty and excited still for Santa. Despite numerous threats that she needed to sleep, I think the most we both got was a solid two hours or so. The rest of the night was spent arguing about needing to go to sleep.

Christmas finally commenced (a real live American Girl!) with calls and Skyping to family who were carrying on without us. M, though, has been running a little low grade temp and been a little erratic in behavior and eating since. Thinking we were on the mend, plans were made to celebrate with local family today (Sunday, 12/27).

Nope. M still had a little temp and we didn't want to risk it with her 94 year old great grandma. Bitter calls made to once again cancel and disappointed girls (who said they were fine) moped around watching videos. There was perking up later in the day with the painting of the triple bunk bed made the day before by Big Daddy. The celebratory ice cream that was enjoyed, however, made a reappearance a couple hours later.

So, here I sit, tucked into a nest of pillows of blankets on M's bed while she is finally asleep. She tried water a little too soon (I tried to tell her that it would end badly. Unfortunately, this is my trait in her that things must be experienced to be believed.), so two more episodes later, she's finally out and we'll hope this is the last of it.

ETA: She woke up shortly after posting and threw up a little. Big Daddy held the bucket and I held hair. At the end of the episode, she asked for a washcloth for her face. I held the bucket while Big Daddy went to get one. I told her to wait a minute and she said, "I'm trying to stay calm."

ETA: Also, I should note that she was a great trooper, making the bucket for about 98% of episodes (the first one caught her a little, but not totally, unaware. Seriously, she was great. After posting, though, she was too hot she said, so after the "I'm trying to stay calm," incident, she got in the tub. Then, after returning to her bed, we had cool cloths on her head. She firmly rejected any ice chips, but liked a cool cloth. Ibuprofen was successful around 11:00 and sips of water commenced around 3:00 a.m. chasing a second dose of motrin. Popsicles and water have been the order of today, so we'll hope for a measured recovery that will allow for the twice-postponed Christmas to be successfully rescheduled.

Riding on Mommy (Edited)

M, January 2005 (20 months)























E, November 2009 (22 months)


















ETA: M, October 2004 (17 months)
This was the pictures I was originally thinking of. Big Daddy emailed it to me after putting it with the Little Peeps (above) picture.

Giggles

The End

It's the end of 31 for 21. Thanks to Tricia for making it happen.

Here are things I learned/accomplished:

1. Although I didn't post everyday (doubling up these last few days), I have posted 31 times this month! Yay me!
2. I was thinking, though, of all the things still left unsaid for Down Syndrome Awareness Month and other stuff that just lurking around in my head to write about and feeling a bit panicked because I didn't get it done this month. Then I realized that I can keep posting more frequently going forward (duh!) Which is what I'll try to do because there's lots more to be said about our lives, and heaven knows that M will have many things to discuss (did I tell you we're already on Christmas lists?) and opinions to share, and there will be pictures of my girls.
3. I visited every blog on the 31 for 21 list. I bookmarked quite a few.
4. I commented on entries that I liked. This is big as normally I'm a lurker, loving what I read, but not telling the writer. I tried to make a point to do that this month for these bloggers who were sharing their stories.
5. I've really appreciated those who have commented here. Thanks!

Stay tuned for more in November!

Official 2009 Halloween Report

Pumpkins

This was the first year we carved pumpkins.

M gave me the inspiration for how each should look (click on image to enlarge):


















Note the following:

• When asked what E will be for Halloween, we said sleeping (I don't mess up sleep schedules for kids who aren't allowed to eat candy, tell me what they want to be, or walk. Maybe next year), so she drew E's pumpkin with Zzzzzzzs.
• The stencils are from the little book that Nana sent.
• Yes, there are pumpkin guts on the page.
• I did make the freckles with an awl, but they didn't show up when lit.
  

Then, while Big Daddy wrangled The Girls, I carved very carefully:

















(l-r: Mom, Dad, E, M)

We included the one (far left) that M got to bring home from school.



















Then tested for proper glowing:

















Then placed them on the porch.

Trick or Treating

Costume on (notice the layers underneath, it was cold!) and treat bag ready, M and Big Daddy set off.

Usually, they (M & Big Daddy) do the gathering while I distribute. This year, M asked if we could each do half, so they returned after 1/2 the street and M & I set off after donning my costume (sorry, no pictures were taken). My costume was a little tiara, feather boa, wings (which didn't fit), and a wand so I could be a moonlight fairy. I was lovely if I do say so myself (and because no pictures exists, you'll have to believe me!).

We did our street, plus the neighboring one where there was way more action. Our street, in comparison, was dead. We think because we don't have great lighting at the ends and the houses on the end weren't participating tonight that it may have seemed too dark. Also, because our street dead-ends into another one (versus letting out onto two major streets), I think this deters people from knowing how to manage working the entire neighborhood.

M was really funny and had a ton of comments on her costume. Of course, we thought hers was the best, but I think it's refreshing to see sweet and charming rather than some costumes proposed for little girls.

Anyway, we had a great time. M was exhausted when she got home and despite efforts to keep her up a little later than normal (grrr time change), she was in bed a little after 8:00, worn out, I think, from all the excitement and the chocolate!

Now...only 54 days to Christmas!

Recent Conversations

Yesterday (10/29/09) Morning, on our way out the door to go to school:

...somehow getting onto planets....

M: Mom, what is the further planet from Earth?

Me: Well, Pluto used to be, but now I think it's Neptune. I can't really remember the order of the planets and I don't remember the trick to do it.

M: What trick?

Me: It's called a mnemonic device and it's a way to remember the order of something. Like knowing that the word HOMES will give you the five Great Lakes of Michigan. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.

M: Ontario, I know Ontario. Why is it called that when it's in Michigan?

Me: Because it's an Indian word that's used a lot around these areas for the Indians that used to live here.

M: The white people weren't very nice to the Indians.

Me: No, they weren't.

M: I bet the Indians were sad when the white people came.

Me: Yep, I bet they were.

M: It's like white people were British.

*****************************************
this morning (10/30/09) on the way to school

background information - I bought an umbrella for M that automatically opens and closes because she has one that's too big (parasol shaped) for her backpack and the small one that I have is a manual and she has a little trouble with it. We practiced opening and closing it to be sure she could work it with the understanding that she could take it to school.

M: My new umbrella is in my backpack.

Me: Yep.

M: It has a button that opens and closes it.

Me: Mmmmhmmm.

M: It's electric.

Me: No honey, it's automatic.


****************************************
tonight, in the car (10/30/09)

M: Did you know you have a telescope in your mouth?

Me: What do you mean?

M: There's a telescope in your mouth.

Me: [no clue] That you can look at things with?

M: No, that the tooth fairy uses to see in your mouth.

Me: Hmmm...I didn't know.

Halloween Fun

First,
Was finding the right outfit to wear.....

And to have the hair done properly....






















Next,

Supporting players (e.g., sisters) must get into the color scheme of the day....

































Then,
To change into costume,

And have a Parade

Finally,
To come home and smile pretty.

The End

What It Is, Part 246549841

From another mom:

Non-offensive Language 101