tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989553982474334602024-02-17T00:49:30.072-08:00our three little birdsDon't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing is gonna be alright.
Join us as we embark on the adventure of raising 2 crazy boys and our little surprise daughter who happens to be rockin' an extra chromosome!Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-84202955519006277092020-01-23T18:45:00.000-08:002020-01-23T18:46:20.758-08:00If Something's Not Working, Change It<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Oh my gosh, I haven't posted in a really long time! Is Blogger even a valid blog platform anymore? Anyhoo, I thought I'd dust off the old keyboard and finish a post I had started to write way back in December of 2017. Over two years ago!<br /><br /> First I'd like to explain the title of this post. This is courtesy of my wise mama Barb. She has this knack of finding solutions to problems with ease, almost like she has an otherworldly insight into life’s problems. Anytime I bring an issue to her attention, without hesitation she will have an idea. It's always something simple and practical. One of her most common answers? "If something's not working, change it". <br /><br />I have utilized this advice many times over the years. When Ellie’s therapies were beginning to be too much for us, we opted to take the summers off. Therapy-free summers were renamed "real life therapy", and we have not looked back. We actually see huge gains in Ellie's development during these breaks. When my corporate job was overwhelming, my mom suggested working 4 days instead of 5. I asked my boss, and after some planning and rearranging I was able to have Fridays off. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself! And since I wrote this post, I have quit corporate life and joined Jesse at Stafford Beverage selling booze! What a huge change for me, but a good one. I'm still adjusting to this new role and am finally settling in. Being home at the end of the day to get the kids off the bus has been the biggest bonus with this change. I am so grateful.<br /><br />The whole point I'm trying to make, is that when you find yourself stuck in a rut, feeling down, and as if things are no longer working, take a step back and make a change. Try talking it out with the ones you love, lean on your mom, mother-in-law, husband, or best friend. Talking it out will help bring out alternative solutions to the surface. And hey, if it doesn't work that is OK too. You can just move on and try something different.<br /><br />But that brings me to the reason I wrote this post in the first place. Sometimes, something isn’t working right before your eyes and you don’t even realize it. Like the time we found the note in Luke’s backpack. The guilt-inducing, I seriously suck as a mom note. I was sucker-punched, right in my guts.<br /><br />It was after dinner one cold night in December in 2017. Jesse and I were cleaning out the kid's backpacks, and he happened to flip through one of Luke’s notebooks. Doodles filled the pages, Luke’s signature unicorns, detailed eyeballs and other colorful creative creatures. I like to think of this moment as a little nudge from the universe, because I’m usually the one who empties backpacks. But on this night, Jesse took on the job but he happened to flip through Luke's notebook, something I wouldn't have done. He handed the little notebook to me and nodded as if to say "check this out" with a concerned look on his face.<br /><br />In Luke’s cute little handwriting was an “attention chart”. He had drawn a pie chart where he carefully outlined how much attention each of our kids receive. Luke: 25%, Will: 35%, Ellie: 50%. That equals 110%, not too shabby, eh? In all seriousness, I felt terrible when I read it. Absolutely terrible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />I immediately called my mom. You see, I grew up with 6 brothers and over 100 foster kids in our home. Why did I not feel deprived for attention as a kid? I needed to know what the heck was I doing wrong, and how to fix it. I was crushed. She reminded me of our “hooky days”. Ahh, yes, hooky days!!! One of my most cherished memories! My mom would let me skip school and we’d spend the day just the two of us doing whatever I wanted. This usually would include trips to the mall to buy cassette singles and acid washed jeans. It was amazing and memorable.<br /><br />After I got off the phone with my mom I excitedly asked Luke his thoughts “hey would you want to skip school and take a hooky day with me?” He was thrilled. “Heck yes!" He said. "Can Grandma come? Can we go to Walmart and Chipotle?” So that’s what we did. We had a blast, we found some fun things for his art desk. We went to Walmart, and Goodwill. We took our time eating lunch at Chipotle, and didn't rush like usual. We had the best day ever.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hooky Day 2017</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And now it is two years later. Today Luke took his 3rd hooky day since I originally found the attention chart! Each of our kids get one day during the school year to take a day just for themselves and we do whatever they want. I love it just as much as they do. But man! Sometimes life kicks you in the nuts with an attention chart and it requires change to be made. I must say I'm glad we found that chart Luke drew and that we could openly talk about it with him. Today was so fun, can you guess where we went? Walmart and Chipotle, and TJ Maxx as well. We rushed home and Grandma helped get his room all decked out just the way he wanted it. It was the best day ever. :)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New bedding and loving it!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Oh, and I had another realization through all of this; my mom and I are still taking hooky days together. Every year on the day of our birthdays we go shopping and out to lunch. We always get a cocktail with our lunch and we have a blast together. This year is her big 80th birthday so we are taking a hooky weekend to Utah together. I cannot WAIT!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I wonder if my kids will still want to take hooky days with me when we are older? I sure hope so. </span>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Is there something in your life that may not be working? Take a step back and look at your situation. Even the smallest change can make an impact. Think of my mom’s words next time you are stressing out, "if something’s not working, change it”. Try it, you'll see. And you'll laugh at how simple it is. Thanks mama Barb for always having the best advice.<br /><br /> For this week's post I'm choosing a song that reminds me of my kids, because I'm a total sap for mushy love songs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/5vwd2pgSmQQ" target="_blank">Little Hands - Inland Sky</a></span></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-53294709495437291542018-04-16T06:38:00.001-07:002018-04-23T12:19:38.094-07:00Keep Your Eyes Open and Your Mouth Shut <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Saturday night Jesse and I took the kids out to dinner. As we sat there sipping our drinks and waiting for our food, a familiar song started to play. I pointed up and smiled at Jess, and he winked back at me with understanding. "Knocking on Heaven's Door" was playing. Although Jesse never met my dad, he knows when I have these little moments of recognition, or "woo-wooness" as we like to call it. I'm lucky that over time he has also come to appreciate these little winks almost as much as I do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"It doesn't surprise me he's playing songs for me" I said. "I feel him around a lot lately... 20 years on Monday". Then Luke mentioned "mom Popeye visited me at school last week". I questioned what he meant. "An eagle flew over during recess, it was pretty cool" he explained. That story lead me to retell how the eagle flew over during our wedding vows. And about the time my best friend Candice and I were visiting my dad's grave. We were talking about my dad and the eagle connection and an eagle flew right over us. We squealed with wonder and nervousness, both covered in goosebumps. This eagle phenomenon has happened a lot over the years, and we always say "hi dad" when we see one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I then told another story to Jesse and the kids, a story my brother recently shared with me. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was April 16, 1987 and my brother Kevin had just enlisted in the Army. Upon leaving for basic training my dad wished him well with these wise words...</span></div>
<em><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut."</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was advice that my brother would reference often as his Army career progressed and as he entered adulthood. He still uses my dad's advice to this day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Fast forward 11 years, on April 16th 1998. Kevin was at work and my dad's wise words popped into his mind. Out loud he said "keep your eyes open and your mouth shut". </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">"Huh?" his coworker looked at him confused. "My dad said that to me 11 years ago today, I need to go see him." He packed up and headed out for the 45 minute drive to my parents house.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">When Kevin arrived to my mom and dad's that evening, I was already there. I had just returned from a beach trip with my boyfriend. At 19, the last thing I wanted to do on a Thursday night was see my parents, but my boyfriend insisted. My dad had been battling his second round of cancer and had not been feeling well. To see him this way was difficult for me and my selfish teenage self was not feeling up for a visit. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">That night my dad passed away. He had been sick but looked good, so we were all blindsided by how fast it happened. My brother Kevin and I were there with my mom when he took his last breath. That moment changed me forever. It also instilled a belief that there is more to life than just our time here on earth. I saw his face when my mom told him it was OK to go, and to go be with my Grandma Hattie. His face washed over with peace, and I knew then that heaven exists. He was welcomed with love and we all saw it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">My l</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">oving, funny, tough as nails handsome teddy bear dad has now been gone for longer than I knew him. That is hard to quantify in my brain. He is still around us every day, his memory is alive and his essence lives on. I see him in my brothers, and now in my own children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">What his leaving did teach me is that life does go on even after a painful and unimaginable loss. It doesn't mean I don't miss him any less, but the sharp sadness does fade as time goes on. Life will never be the same without him, but it is still an amazing and happy life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">As I get older and my children grow, I know I'll continue to watch how my dad lives on in them. Will's smart ass wit and cop brain could not have come from anywhere else. My dad wasn't a fabulous artist but his creativity was unlike any other, and Luke's creativity had to come from my dad. His artistic ability is from Jesse though, that's for sure. And Ellie, oh little Ellie. I was told once that she was sent here by my dad to heal my heart. To make that statement even more unbelievable, I have a blog post titled "Ellie's Healing Hearts" that I have yet to share. It's a long and painful story and I hope someday I'll have the courage to hit "publish". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">Ellie is now 5 and she still talks about Popeye. She tells me all kinds of things, how he's at work, or over at Grandma's house. He tends to visit her at night around bedtime. As creepy as this may sound to some, I believe it to be true. All three of my kids did this with him. The boys grew out of it around age 3, but Ellie is still talking to him, blowing him kisses, giving him air hugs and keeping his spirit alive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">Almost every day I receive some sort of gift or sign from my dad. For example as I was driving to work on Thursday I was thinking about him. I looked at the car in front of me and the license plate was 416. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I will take it as a little angel wink. He may not be here in body, but his love is definitely here. My mom believes that when we die, our love stays behind. And this makes sense to me because I believe when you love someone it is on a soul level, and that never goes away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">Do you have a loved one who has passed who you feel is still around? There are so many little signs from those we love, it could be as simple as a penny left on the ground, a specific animal crosses your path, a special song comes on the radio or the lights flicker when you think about them. People have told me that they don't understand why the woo-woo experiences happen to me, but it's simply because I am always looking. It happens to all of us! It is just a matter of keeping your eyes open :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">As I edited this post Sunday night, I was making dinner, sipping a glass of wine and deleting and rewriting every sentence.. the song "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd came on. You know what is funny? This one reminds me of him too. And when I went to a psychic 3 years ago (no judging!) she told me "your dad loves when you notice he plays songs for you". So there you go. Thanks, dad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">For this post's song, I am choosing "Knocking on Heaven's Door" but the version by Antony and the Johnsons. We love this one because it actually sounds like my big brother Matt's voice. Listen to it, it's pretty awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrSLc1QYCcE" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Knocking On Heaven's Door - Antony and the Johnsons</span></a></span><br />
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<br />Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-65065370135568533032017-10-27T08:38:00.001-07:002020-02-10T06:31:41.888-08:00This Is How We Do It - Down Syndrome Awareness Month<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am not sure why, but every aspect of my life is ruled by song. Today, like many many other days, I was singing Montell Jordan's "This is How We Do It". Because I can't say those words without singing them just like Montell. I wanted to share how we do Down Syndrome Awareness Month, which if you are my friend you are fully aware what Down syndrome is! So I like to call it Down Syndrome "Celebration" Month. Because I'm annoying like that, and we have a lot to celebrate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every year as October approaches I try to come up with fun ways to celebrate. In the past I have inundated friends and family on Facebook with various facts about Ds and too many Ellie pics. I've visited the boy's school and read books. Our favorite one to give to the class is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/47-Strings-Tessas-Special-Code/dp/1942586078/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1105R4KPB6BH8Z1TT322" target="_blank">47 Strings</a>. Some other great choices are <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Be-Kind-Jenny-Levin/dp/1480837199" target="_blank">The Courage to Be Kind </a>and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Well-Paint-Octopus-Stephanie-Stuve-Bodeen/dp/1890627062" target="_blank">We'll Paint the Octopus Red</a>. We always wear our cute advocacy shirts. There are a ton of wonderful businesses who make Down syndrome awareness shirts, I'll list a few here (please note I am not getting free stuff for saying this!) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.reevestees.com/" target="_blank">Reeve's Tees</a> (Homies Shirts!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://gabethebabeandco.myshopify.com/collections/all" target="_blank">Gabe the Babe & Co</a> (Advocate, Educate, Celebrate Shirts, 47>46)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.littlestwarrior.com/" target="_blank">Littlest Warrior</a> (Be Kind ASL Shirt, The Lucky Few)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This year I decided it would be fun to do a school visit for all three kids now that Ellie is a Husky like her big bros! And I wanted to show a video in each class instead of reading a book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First stop was supposed to be Ellie's preschool class, but she was sick! So instead I sent in a copy of 47 Strings as well as the adorable cartoon called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEB2bk29AMQ" target="_blank">Everyone Counts: My Friend Isabelle</a> which I thought helped explain Down syndrome in an easy way for 3 and 4 year olds. It's so cute! I had planned on giving out multi-colored goldfish, reiterating how the fish are all shaped the same but are all beautiful different colors. Just like us, although we are all different, we are still all the same. Those are still sitting in my kitchen, I plan on making a class visit in November.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My friend Cathleen who blogs over at <a href="http://foursmalls.com/" target="_blank">Foursmalls</a> used the concept from the <a href="http://our3lilbirds.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-to-make-one-page-profile-ellie-style.html" target="_blank">One Page Profile</a> and made an awesome info sheet about her cutie Sam for school! I loved it so much so I decided to make one for Ellie too. Her teacher will send a copy home with each child so their parents can also talk to them about Ellie. Here it is, and below I'll share the template for anyone who would like to use it! If it seems odd that I'm sharing the template, it's because the One Pager received a lot of attention and I have spent the past few months walking people through making their own. I finally figured out an easy way to share the template, as you can see below. I have also updated the <a href="http://our3lilbirds.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-to-make-one-page-profile-ellie-style.html" target="_blank">One Pager post</a> with the same, if you need a template for that for your IEP, IFSP, Transition Meetings, etc.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VC_ln3OLTZMrnv1h-jEcm7UZ-wcvaRfWYyqvNIrmHD_DEx4UcFw1ZgxvVed3orCI4aHWIpbB13ejGcOYkisBtrE38lRfXzV2fSfosxnv0Uktbvf_qUgh133wxA5Rb_-9FQc0gfy4eZIn/s1600/DS+Awareness+Month+Poster+for+Class.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VC_ln3OLTZMrnv1h-jEcm7UZ-wcvaRfWYyqvNIrmHD_DEx4UcFw1ZgxvVed3orCI4aHWIpbB13ejGcOYkisBtrE38lRfXzV2fSfosxnv0Uktbvf_qUgh133wxA5Rb_-9FQc0gfy4eZIn/s640/DS+Awareness+Month+Poster+for+Class.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the link to the template (save yourself a copy in order to edit, instructions below!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DADzbmLN8JQ/share/preview?token=P-rCV8soJhPlGaGjghPseQ&role=EDITOR&utm_content=DADzbmLN8JQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton" target="_blank">DS Awareness Month Poster Template</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And instructions to save your own copy:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our first stop was Luke's 3rd Grade class with Ellie in tow. A friend of mine said "so in other words you brought her in like show and tell?" And yes, I did, and it was very impactful for the kids to meet her in person, play with her, read with her, and get to know her. I have one word for this experience... tears. I decided to let my boys choose what we would show to the class, and Luke chose the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXmaE0041Y0" target="_blank">"True Colors" by Matty B</a>. His class had already read 47 Strings, so I started off by telling them how Matty B has a sis with Down syndrome just like Luke. Many of the kids knew of Matty B, and were excited to watch the video. Once the video stopped and I turned on the lights, over half of the class was in tears. They were so touched by the message. They ended the visit by singing "If your happy and you know it" and Ellie lead the class. I teared up too many times to count.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In Will's 5th grade class, he asked that we show the video "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M--xOyGUX4" target="_blank">Just Like You</a>". This one is a longer video but was great for this age group. I started off this presentation by explaining who I was, that it was DS Awareness Month and I introduced Ellie as Will's little sis. I let them watch the video first, and told them they could ask me anything about Down syndrome and that there were no bad questions. These kids could have asked me questions all day, and they had some great thought-provoking questions. For example, one boy asked if Ellie had a baby, if the baby would have Down syndrome. I told them it's a 50/50 chance. Another boy raised his hand and said "so if her baby has Down syndrome and it has a baby, what are it's chances of having Down syndrome?" I probably looked like a deer in the headlights, and Will's teacher joked "that would make you a great grandma!". The kids loved asking "what is a chromosome?", "what is the r-word?", "is Down syndrome contagious?". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last year the boys gave their friends something that reminded them of their sis, so Will chose "Extra" gum to represent the extra chromosome and Luke chose "Sweettarts" to represent Ellie. That one makes me giggle because I always say Ellie is like a Sour Patch Kid, first she's sour then she's sweet. Boy is that the truth! So this year I asked again, and they said "something sweet!!!", so we picked Hostess cupcakes and twinkies. Costco has a box of 32 for $6.99 and they are Halloween themed so the kids were totally excited! Sorry teachers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What I have come to realize in the almost 5 years I've been Ellie's mom, is that Down syndrome is something that you don't understand until you do. Sounds silly, right? But when I first started talking to the kid's classes when Ellie was just a tiny baby, they had no idea what it meant to have Down syndrome. I'm watching first-hand as the kids are growing up, how they now "get it". I walked through that school that day and kids from other classes were yelling "hi Ellie!!" and wanting to talk to her and high five her. Down syndrome isn't scary and these kids love her for who she is. As she enters this school in the future, the kids will all know her already. They will understand why low tone makes it harder for her to hold her pencil, or talk clearly to her friends. But they will also understand that Down syndrome is a part of her and that she is awesome just the way she is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I was writing this post Jesse walked by and read the title and sang it just like Montell. So you guessed it, I have to add the song to this post for your listening pleasure, and sorry if it's in your head now! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/0hiUuL5uTKc" target="_blank">This Is How We Do It - Montell Jordan</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lgHFhZhvbT73-OyfmBnoiR0wNMLpOiFj19sZoB5NKPiNcIo7kNQpjEAz7jkr-IAgftWtAbvh51aEu2qG6nSB56p6HptzlHi28MBrIouYnarLtRDTP6QAC-wfcKPnqW_51zZgqWt8Hmv8/s640/oct1.jpg" width="640" /></span>Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-44387672405451001882017-09-15T21:45:00.000-07:002017-09-16T00:25:21.184-07:00Quit Shaming Me. A Letter From My Mama Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you guys remember that Unicorn drink from Starbucks? It was layers of blue and pink topped with whipped cream and sparkly sprinkles. It was pure fatty magical frothy goodness. One Saturday I was checking out at the grocery store with all three kids and the store clerk, a young man probably in his 20's, asked us what we were up to that day. "Oh we are heading to get a Unicorn drink from Starbucks, we are so excited!" I exclaimed. He looked at me in total disgust and said "I would never, ever let my 3 year old drink that, do you realize how much sugar is in those things!?" To which I replied, "Oh I know, but one drink won't hurt them, I'm just being a good mom!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Keep telling yourself that" he replied.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I stared blankly at him, blinking hard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Keep telling yourself that.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chip away at my mama heart will ya? Keep chipping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just this past week I've had in-depth conversations with my mom, my mom-in-law, and my neighbor (and good friend) about what I call "mom-shaming".</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> It is happening all around me. As if I couldn't second-guess my parenting any more; I'm faced with articles like "Your Kid is a Brat and it's all your Fault", or the article that started off by explaining that suicide rates are up 200% in kids ages 10-14, or mental illness is rampant in our children. Do you know why this is happening? It's all because of us, parents, US! We don't feed our kids nutritious food, they play too many video games, we don't play enough board games with them, we bribe them too much, we coddle them, or because they aren't outside playing enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chip, chip, chip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Full disclosure. As you know, our girl Ellie has Down syndrome. And there's one particular rule that I break</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, and I break it hard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Avoid using technology during meals, in cars, restaurants, malls"</i><br />I dare the author to take Ellie to a baseball game or a restaurant and ask her to sit quietly. I can bring coloring books, toys, snacks, and even a leash (full disclosure, remember?) and this girl will not stay with us. In the world of Down syndrome this is called "bolting" and it's a real thing. So I admit I let</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> her watch her YouTube videos or play games on my phone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are lucky to live in Oregon. It is beautiful here, and when it's not raining our kids are out on their bikes, on the trampoline, playing with the neighbors or building forts. Not unlike my childhood, really. And if they are in the house, we are usually relaxing, watching a movie, playing video games or talking about our day. Not unlike my 80's childhood, cough..ahem... Nintendo addict. Because with sports, art, appointments, work, and school, our life can be pretty busy. So I admit we don't eat dinner around the dinner table every single night. Wednesday night? I fed the boys mac-n-cheese with hot dogs in it. I was tired, damn it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chip, chip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I've made a decision, I've made a stand in my overly tired mom-brain. I will continue to read the articles. I will! And I'll try to incorporate some of the good nuggets of info into </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">my life. But only in baby steps. I really do appreciate the ideas, like playing a board game every night with the family. But you know what? This is </span><i style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">real</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> life. Our oldest has soccer and gets home around 7ish. We then eat a quickie dinner and check backpacks. We may sit and watch a show and then we might even have ice cream (gasp!!!) So board games? They may happen once a week, if that. And on non-sports nights maybe I'll make an effort for us to eat together at the dinner table.... I'll have to clean the clutter off the table first, though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Moms, promise me, please? As you read those articles, don't beat yourself up over them. Maybe you are doing everything in those lists like me. At the end of the day ask yourself this, are your kids happy? Are they grateful? Are they fed? Clothed? And you know damn well they are loved. You are doing an amazing job. Now take that hand of yours, put it on your back and give it a little pat. You are amazing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh, you know what? I used that Unicorn drink as bribery for my kids to be good while I grocery shopped.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chip.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And... they had sold out of the darn Unicorn Frappuccino that day. My kids never even got to experience the fatty frothy elusive goodness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So maybe I am a good mom, after all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OVKH9TkgRK_PjAEin8ZHmF2f90EuFAZ3PCOQDlbxoqciJRPJeJePMlFJdEfQK6fjVxoc8iQbzt6nU3dJmtYW0gbgNvEEbv5A91juoIsDhmgMWOxdBL3k2gezvvuasXVMmymSyQMOK1G_/s1600/unicorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="837" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OVKH9TkgRK_PjAEin8ZHmF2f90EuFAZ3PCOQDlbxoqciJRPJeJePMlFJdEfQK6fjVxoc8iQbzt6nU3dJmtYW0gbgNvEEbv5A91juoIsDhmgMWOxdBL3k2gezvvuasXVMmymSyQMOK1G_/s640/unicorn.jpg" width="558" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For this post, I've chosen a song from our Rockin' Mom Retreat Playlist that I get to compile each year. How lucky am I to get to do that?! Anyways, I LOVE this one. Listen to it. And moms, give yourself a break, this is the only time we have - enjoy it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE03tcrvg0Q" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">This is the Only Time We Have - Ryan Miller</span></a>Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-24525934334751522202017-05-26T20:48:00.056-07:002021-09-02T15:24:07.276-07:00How to Make a One Page Profile, Ellie Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKSBkP7zry52xcCwPRzfnMOOw1JkAfPzWqM4SuETkFwIU7pnPHFreaU1hLhMk7ltEv6o_BBFDMmHef_-1VtyYmZNOGuUEGNjdUI-O5otGDUVr_m30sVGl1eBvx9iAOHb1FvtAZcbr5KGo/s1600/One+Page+Profile+Ellie+Kindy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKSBkP7zry52xcCwPRzfnMOOw1JkAfPzWqM4SuETkFwIU7pnPHFreaU1hLhMk7ltEv6o_BBFDMmHef_-1VtyYmZNOGuUEGNjdUI-O5otGDUVr_m30sVGl1eBvx9iAOHb1FvtAZcbr5KGo/s640/One+Page+Profile+Ellie+Kindy.png" width="426" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Before I outline how to create your own One Page Profile for your child, I wanted to share with you why I think this concept is so important for our children.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">About 5 years ago I attended a learning session on how to create a Person Centered Plan and the One Page Profile. Roberta Dunn, the Founder of <a href="https://www.factoregon.org/">FACT</a> was leading the session and it was so eye opening for me. Person Centered Planning is a positive, strengths-based approach to mapping out your child’s future. Your child's team comes together to create strategies to help them be their best self, as well as find solutions for support in the areas where they may be struggling. And as Ellie grows, she will be driving this process of determining her future. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Roberta explained that this method can be used when your child enters a new grade, moves to a new school, if they are transitioning from Early Intervention into the school system, or even going to a new daycare. In any situation where you want your child's team to have a better understanding about your child this would be the time to use it.<br /><br />It begins with a Vision Statement. The Vision Statement I used in Ellie's One Pager was courtesy of Laura Buckner. Laura was our keynote speaker at a <a href="https://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/">DSDN </a>Rockin' Moms retreat. I remember there wasn't a dry eye in the house, as Laura explained the vision statement she brought to all of her son's IEP meetings. Her son is now an adult who lives a happy and productive life. She is an amazing advocate and mother. She told us to get out our pens and to write it down, this is it in it's entirety:<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>We envision Ellie living a life of choice.<br />We envision her having relationships she finds meaningful.<br /> We envision her spending her days at work and other places that she enjoys and finds productive.<br /> We envision her living with people she chooses to live with in places she chooses to live.</i><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A life of choice, this says a lot doesn't it? I really loved the vision statement and tweaked it a little for her One Pager, she's was only 4 when I first made it after all :) But I plan on editing it as she grows, but it will always remain that we envision Ellie living a life of choice.<br />I also wanted to share the link to the <a href="https://www.factoregon.org/person-centered-profiles#:~:text=One%20way%20to%20do%20that,and%20their%20hopes%20and%20dreams!">Person Centered Planning information</a> from FACT. It is a wealth of information and I highly suggest reading it. I poured over many One Pagers to create Ellie's, it's so helpful to see what other parent's are doing.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Another tool that inspired me was the video <a href="https://youtu.be/AFoLsYDQzzY">We All Belong</a> which was created by <a href="https://nwdsa.org/">NWDSA</a> and <a href="https://www.abicommunity.org/">All Born In</a>. I sent this video to Ellie’s teachers, therapists, and the school Principal. It’s very impactful and I believe will help to reiterate your vision for your child.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And now I will walk you through how to create a One Page Profile for your child. To create Ellie's profile I used a graphic design website called Canva. There are many other templates in there if you don't prefer the one I made. I will list below how to take the existing template I created and edit it to your child's needs. Please reach out if you get stuck or have any questions!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Step 1: Canva finally updated their system to allow for "templates" so no more worrying about making a copy first! WHEW! I have provided the template link <a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAEljwMHups/uAIdbzxBoX2kaFgH10hGHQ/view?utm_content=DAEljwMHups&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview" target="_blank">HERE.</a> I have also included a white version with black type to help reduce ink wastage if you'd rather have a white one! Find it <a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAElj8bMbho/rcwmkWWWEkiaIb4Iygz5cA/view?utm_content=DAElj8bMbho&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview" target="_blank">HERE.</a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Step 2: A new template will open, you can edit this copy as you please. And every time you log in to Canva it'll be there. So each year you can make a copy and create a new profile and only update what has changed!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Step 3: You can rename your template here:<br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9U7Ft6RfJXYFZ7JcBAXdILcf7BwgnCk3CvOmuuz5UM6fRBFZt3K6DMI07WeeBJaBaxrO3UxU-rZ7kzQm7uryHT_50IwjJYO5NBT5ftWoIcId1_KPmluTCs_iEf0IUsTdLQotiO1Lk9RZj/s640/CANVA3.jpg" /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Step 4: Start with your child’s pic, their adorable face will be looking back at you as you write down all of their amazing strengths!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To add a photo into the photo area, click on the left hand side under “uploads”.<br /><br />Once you click under “uploads” you’ll see a button for “upload your own images”. Click here and add your child’s photo. From here you can drag and drop the photo into place.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHg5tBIgqxdOaH4iUEhrj8qWKxviz_Kynh_JbC-QQQXO0LDpo0jq7seRcDThTtMwNvGtKWPgbCJAQXBPXXOCf4XA6pAsUkSACsHhg1AImAFWl9pGBGIeKLrWYLacGFlTA-X_sSWbvD8tTj/s640/CANVA4.jpg" /><br /><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeaj-QOqc4W6CwnWeomFCzCvyAX6QMzKyzalEWjJwlocOrc6LgxhE87_MhDXmr1iS-609r2Mxbqofv55GLRdm-QqqtjNq5Y9kTQrlPpDEb1hrxdA8jxrXLJ8lZqdCO7oxM-Tnp0bclXwG/s640/CANVA5.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;" /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBeGwV23EvhgJD0DMibGYlmMusebeb5VhKRhyphenhyphenCt3GupPeEZLGdoMVBQSrhflSmrVBcPa3rL5ZH1s9Znr0bxk13zfXFV0yym1r-XaBAaxeZBjXgJ_qRWPVfmX6-vg9CGPS49Xj82CAq5gK/s640/CANVA6.jpg" /><br /><br /> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Step 5: Background Color. Click on the left hand side under “background” and choose a color or pattern that you like.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-OLG1_3FfhpbZB2UxoiMF0QLPvgIBu2SB_PFzejLPK3c8NKNUT8GN8Uio8txMlhxBmIkNE4QwwDUrWLVZfcWBnWJTP7vnJVw9Ll6hQBPIS1rzlNTsJSIVLP-VHUHcfmXMsPNqhyphenhyphenDXiAk/s640/CANVA7.jpg" /></a><br /><br /> Step 6: If you would like to change the font, highlight the text you'd like to change, then the font box will pop up. Here you can edit the font type as well as size.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAdGb6wxlkB3Yuuyl3dWvc95f_KI6C7pd2zcNiKJAX90PjwqIkUH4rxKB3SJNd0JX7U_THn9VyCavqS8JV9mfPCo0AGIaMr7VhltdSpcWN2hi5gQ_bEMmhC081DMgFAIjS8A4FuODMpaq/s640/CANVA8.jpg" /></a><br /><br /> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Step 7: Edit the text. If you want to change up what the template says, click on the text and a text box will appear. Here you can go in and edit as needed:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNi2nydYAPlzPcH4Vm5jtbjdq6WmHHAhQHDJjVLa5XxZk05CVFX0l-OPDiJ9s0tigG2cE0mHF40474BdjQf48jYDocO_2NK-osGmGud7U1bogHILFiBKxBFUDxCKQyGSGj1Uy63LW1EoM/s640/CANVA9.jpg" /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Step 8: Are you all finished? Now it’s time to save off your masterpiece so you can print it! Go up to the “download” button and save as either a png or jpg. I have printed both options and they are similar in quality!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIj3b2PrDmi9RYsfodGyzdQiDsul6oEIdB-nqcE7pHrpq8F9no7ZK-_HBXXLCNNaNE-GGvuo87l67RZiFrvotsEaPfHa9FE36zYiludvm6Z5hE4JsBaGP1bfHUA06EPBs2Av6aXoM1X0Ns/s640/CANVA10.jpg" /><br /><br /> Step 9: I always end up saving the copy to my desktop so I can find it easily. I have used a printing service (I uploaded the document directly to the printing site) to make color copies, or just printed on our home color copier.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Step 10: Now you are ready to share with your team! And as I mentioned above, in Canva your template is now saved, so next time you log in you can go to File: Make a Copy and edit your One Pager each year as your child grows! It’s fun changing it up and seeing how your child has grown.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> A few helpful tips: Don't edit from a phone. A desktop is your best bet. Also, your internet browser can change the font! I prefer to use Google Chrome.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I always end every blog post with a song. There's just something about this one that fills me with all the feels, like you want to raise your hands up and close your eyes, it's one of my all time faves:<br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#">The River - Leon Bridges</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFopY53SJaGteLc0KAjDjPU2djRkyuj7odxlvMim0gK0yedMhMygPyhdcM-HKo6IsH9aECgcUCOWJTglCD3s7-qyWl55SsEaZ8StrYmq0NudBi1jf9B5mi4AJJjwgTF2uNoEu5OV4xhgy/s640/competence.jpg" /></a><br />Ellie's first day of school - age 3! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p> Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com114tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-89593886259507470492017-02-25T19:50:00.000-08:002017-02-25T22:04:04.941-08:00As Long As It's Healthy, A 77 Year Old Pregnancy<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I rummaged through the
area under the sink, my mom stood next to me nervously fidgeting with her hands.
I handed her the Dixie cup and a few moments later we saw two little lines.
Pregnant! I cried tears of joy and amazement “I cannot believe I get to
experience this with you, mom!” She gently rubbed her belly and said “I think
it’s a boy, I can tell by how I feel.” We were giddy and excited like we were sisters. I was then outside
and in the distance was a sparkling water tower with bright orange pumpkins at
the top. I made a mental note to take photos of the kids there sometime. It was
the golden hour and the sun was shining beautifully and the light was perfect. I
pulled my mom close to me and we googled “77 year old pregnancy risks”. The next thing I remember is being startled
awake by the sound of my alarm clock. I smiled to myself and thought “oh man I
can’t wait to tell my mom about this one”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That morning I did what I do every day, I called my mom. “Mom, I just had a dream you were
pregnant!” She giggled and said “I better go to the casino, maybe it means I’ll
meet a guy!” She always makes me laugh. So then we had a whole conversation
about stories of women past age 60 having babies, I reminded her to be careful.
“I wonder what a 77 year old’s risk of having a Down syndrome pregnancy would
be?” we giggled some more. As I explained the random pumpkins and the water
tower, she said “OK you know what is weird, I’ve had a reoccurring dream and
fear since I was a little girl of water towers.” Her brothers would simply walk
by her and say “water tower” and she would cry. Dreams sure are trippy, aren’t
they? I wonder what it all means.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhylSWtY5fsM6ZYdgU6q-8R5tkAMtw_0tbMm-t7laur17QBm3rfhmGafTCvSITJ6OKfXPwaqsYubepiGZ95euVspvQnUIAu085cp1VaRZMlCKax6hvvgqnRVPXKefjHkhzf0YDglT0ds1_7/s1600/13112874_10208262728277378_2207650576003130022_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhylSWtY5fsM6ZYdgU6q-8R5tkAMtw_0tbMm-t7laur17QBm3rfhmGafTCvSITJ6OKfXPwaqsYubepiGZ95euVspvQnUIAu085cp1VaRZMlCKax6hvvgqnRVPXKefjHkhzf0YDglT0ds1_7/s640/13112874_10208262728277378_2207650576003130022_o.jpg" width="546" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my mama</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can tell you exactly why I’ve
been dreaming about babies and pregnancy though, it seems that everyone at work is
pregnant. The two girls that sit next to me are pregnant and have the cutest little
baby bumps. We talk about babies every day. I was talking to one of the girls right before her gender
ultrasound. I said “so do you think you’ll have a little sis for your daughter
or a baby bro?” She looked at me and said “I don’t care, as long as it’s
healthy”. Then I could see her body language shift. She said “but, I mean, if
it’s not healthy that is OK too...” I could tell she had one of those “oh crap”
moments, like maybe she said the wrong thing to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This conversation brought me back
to when I was pregnant with Ellie. Every night Jesse and I have a routine of
going upstairs and kissing the kids goodnight before we go to sleep. Every
single night during my pregnancy with her, I would go kiss my boys and then rub
my belly and say a prayer “please Lord bless this baby, and please make sure
she is healthy”. I had a rough time throughout my pregnancy and always worried
that she wasn’t going to make it. I had bleeding for weeks, gestational diabetes,
thyroid problems, and she was in an odd position in the womb to which doctors
had no explanation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6jEt8_xbxnEGZd4buG4n5oNXGuvPWcZo6wJ-mED33SvJ-wZSV4xl8_hwriAd3rBoFdX_7CgCdJ1PKQsRvjR6NCApH-6zYduUeDRlSIoqHnjIPcoxOTCuf7TwA3BEjWY9Psyz7-krqxzN/s1600/elliebelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6jEt8_xbxnEGZd4buG4n5oNXGuvPWcZo6wJ-mED33SvJ-wZSV4xl8_hwriAd3rBoFdX_7CgCdJ1PKQsRvjR6NCApH-6zYduUeDRlSIoqHnjIPcoxOTCuf7TwA3BEjWY9Psyz7-krqxzN/s640/elliebelly.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Ellie Belly</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After the birth of our girl,
I remember crying to my mom. Through tears I said “but mom I prayed every night that
she would be healthy.” She looked me straight in the face and said “and she is,
honey.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj885ZRaZZ_nrHOPNGCL_ZdDQtLoCaSw-XAwnmp_gyA66U-BLcyfv_O_9oXlirEh5ULCtH_ISrq_6_emF40QFsBTw_J_AhjFINP02jkqBwiUAYx6ANa7tq0sCwi7r5vqvhpOXH0TNDiTGPI/s1600/momandells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj885ZRaZZ_nrHOPNGCL_ZdDQtLoCaSw-XAwnmp_gyA66U-BLcyfv_O_9oXlirEh5ULCtH_ISrq_6_emF40QFsBTw_J_AhjFINP02jkqBwiUAYx6ANa7tq0sCwi7r5vqvhpOXH0TNDiTGPI/s640/momandells.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie with Grandma</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know once you join the Down
syndrome club, and you hear other moms saying how all they care about is that
their little one is healthy, it can hurt a little. Like they don’t want a baby
like yours. But I’ve come to realize that there is nothing wrong with hoping
your baby is healthy. One thing we all have in common is that we don’t want our
little ones to hurt or suffer. We are protective and love these little beings
more than life itself. So “as long as it’s healthy” doesn’t bother me anymore.
Because I prayed that our girl was healthy too, and she is, honey. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie and I</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week's song was one that popped up yesterday on Pandora, and I immediately sent it to my brothers. Yesterday would have been my handsome dad's 80th birthday, so of course I always think he's saying hello by sending me beautiful music to listen to. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8D7MLsNAb8" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Timshel - Mumford and Sons</span></a></span></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-48045477665066168402017-01-04T18:25:00.001-08:002017-01-04T22:10:07.393-08:00Happy 4th Birthday Ellie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYt_LsaAG4XQ7VXPGmitqfeQOjO-gLIyXaY740OAYBZ9uqgDcnKHwZOOBKqKkE1C6EHAK5WIIyOXjEavOLbPJw2tKHcVq9DGvwzP8YErUumsm0R3Jy2ANwg6dyEM5iIJLrihTQi6dzhkws/s1600/march1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYt_LsaAG4XQ7VXPGmitqfeQOjO-gLIyXaY740OAYBZ9uqgDcnKHwZOOBKqKkE1C6EHAK5WIIyOXjEavOLbPJw2tKHcVq9DGvwzP8YErUumsm0R3Jy2ANwg6dyEM5iIJLrihTQi6dzhkws/s640/march1.jpg" width="544" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To capture 4 years into a 4 minute video was hard for me, especially since I take sooo many pictures! And do you know what really stood out as I sorted through the hundreds of photos? This. girl. is. so. loved. Wow!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click the link below to watch the video:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://animoto.com/play/c5oKHlFhRStgwM4T53g5vA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Happy 4th Birthday Ellie</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy birthday Ellie, our beloved one!</span><br />
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-28698957842225848212016-12-08T21:18:00.002-08:002016-12-08T22:19:15.427-08:00Shaken, Not Stirred: A Stafford Family Update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHaMRSHCGyjSRLEKoUxWodE9sd5x0sCveqZ8ebG5PQMkFNbvqqaQdgX5wqsOcl0pu-MIFHWDL0bdRzWV6sFHs3xRXnMo9g0IzzsjUk_CwQeqqTCpYqg11hoFqXtMa2aWpofuYt_uaLpZ-/s1600/december16c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHaMRSHCGyjSRLEKoUxWodE9sd5x0sCveqZ8ebG5PQMkFNbvqqaQdgX5wqsOcl0pu-MIFHWDL0bdRzWV6sFHs3xRXnMo9g0IzzsjUk_CwQeqqTCpYqg11hoFqXtMa2aWpofuYt_uaLpZ-/s640/december16c.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As I sit here on this snowy Thursday night, drinking some cheap red wine, I had the realization that I have only posted on this little ole' blog four times this year. That is a huge difference from the first year we had Ellie, I had posted 22 times in 2013. 22! That's almost 2 posts per month. And I remember when I started blogging, my whole intention of sharing our life was to maybe help one family receiving a Down syndrome diagnosis, to show them that it would be OK. I also remember thinking back then.. "there sure are a lot of blogs about babies and young kids with DS, and not many about older kids"... My imagination lead me to wonder if this was because it got harder as our kids grew, maybe it was harder to talk about? Too overwhelming to share? Is this why the blog posts fade into nothingness?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Truth? For us it hasn't gotten harder. It's gotten really "normal" to be honest. I don't have anything exciting to report on my little blog. We are a family of 5 and we are so dang busy that we've resorted to eating Taco Bell 4-5 times a week. I probably shouldn't admit that, huh? Yikes. I'm juggling work, Jesse's new adventure, Will's tournament basketball team (basketball 5 x a week! seriously), Ellie's appointments as well as trying to encourage our little artsy "cream in our cookie" Lukey Lukester.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So in regards to Jesse's new adventure. I have to tell you a story. If you know me at all, then you know I'm very "woo woo". Jesse has had a dream of owning his own liquor store since he was a kid. I'm not kidding. While we all were playing "house", "cars" or "teacher", Jesse was playing "Liquor Store". He had a cash register and mini bottles that were his Grammy and Papa's. He would sell the mini bottles to his make-believe customers. Who does that!? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He tried for over ten years to be appointed to a store. He was told no over and over again, but he never gave up. Finally this past September he opened his own store. He has been working 80+ hours a week and business is growing every day. He is truly good at what he does and watching him with his customers makes me so proud. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Leading up to this we had many little angel winks, including Luke asking the Magic 8-Ball if daddy would get a store and it said "All Signs Point to Yes", my mom found a little black cocktail recipe book that was her dad's on the day Jesse found out he got the store. The first recipe in the book? "Angel's Kiss". Thanks Grandpa Lehne for the blessing! After feeling like maybe owning a store just wasn't meant to be it finally happened. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I can't forget to mention that a psychic told me Jesse would get the store, hehehe. She nailed it. Too funny huh? Side note: she also said my dad plays songs for me and he loves that I notice. WOAH! Goosebumps! He plays songs for me all the time and you wouldn't believe the eye rolls I get when I mention that my dad in heaven is turning the radio dial. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgTFo_9gsMOG0eSO9RZblyVn47sjKUrOMd4hgLTF3sm_ng5dXJbOWT1MNFROLIPWLNgNEtskSO3dQeDMUXZTX9yLKClH-1ajIRwtTN0az-IktAcQ_Wpja72JPZdWezVlktJKeJ8Ld6Rgt/s1600/bookfromgpalehne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgTFo_9gsMOG0eSO9RZblyVn47sjKUrOMd4hgLTF3sm_ng5dXJbOWT1MNFROLIPWLNgNEtskSO3dQeDMUXZTX9yLKClH-1ajIRwtTN0az-IktAcQ_Wpja72JPZdWezVlktJKeJ8Ld6Rgt/s640/bookfromgpalehne.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Recipe Book, note the 3rd one down, LOL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttETqMIni9NGSAFosjmlBLlDypKlu76DyDhyphenhyphenzZibCHA2W9TCeQnMK_M0X2cpY1LsoQuqTG-oHHU5a4GewWY1E3K4znfpPHHCjBr5Da542jpYpNe1hLO_AXTgKu-HDfSTh4T2F1P0MxNoJ/s1600/IMG_7509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttETqMIni9NGSAFosjmlBLlDypKlu76DyDhyphenhyphenzZibCHA2W9TCeQnMK_M0X2cpY1LsoQuqTG-oHHU5a4GewWY1E3K4znfpPHHCjBr5Da542jpYpNe1hLO_AXTgKu-HDfSTh4T2F1P0MxNoJ/s640/IMG_7509.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of the Store</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatiCH_emMOA-20Dxe6gYbhK3adVy2mKwXma96p1BBYhg8dijJyFBTGKuPGHNFX7-skcYhu59PTPaMllG1JXLYUVvMdnyyvAm0ZKIAlS0tkvtoG_UUD4ZSbKH09GBcR-JytQNzw9QjtYXh/s1600/IMG_6964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatiCH_emMOA-20Dxe6gYbhK3adVy2mKwXma96p1BBYhg8dijJyFBTGKuPGHNFX7-skcYhu59PTPaMllG1JXLYUVvMdnyyvAm0ZKIAlS0tkvtoG_UUD4ZSbKH09GBcR-JytQNzw9QjtYXh/s640/IMG_6964.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Daddy's New Store</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To make it even more fateful, Jesse and I met when we were 18 and lost contact at age 19. Guess where we were when we saw each other again 5 years later? You guessed it, the Liquor Store. That was where we rekindled our love! I have a whole story about that encounter but seriously, it's where it all began!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And now an update on the kids!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Will is 9 now and is doing really awesome at school. He is drawn to all things sports and plays soccer, basketball and baseball. Right now he's on a tournament basketball team and they got first place last weekend at their tournament! He is really tall and loves to compare his height to mine. His favorite things are playing outside especially with the neighbors and being a comedian 24/7. He is so much like his uncles that it creeps me out sometimes. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jHVp-xtoZSrtvwfZffMZLMNoN63WpryV39T9j7nkqDWpcrGjkyZ3qnqN5oFnNsDS0-5VW9F-hjW7t-P8aHzwZdv6BqfPUCBbyzh63QKrhHAsHLuVOsgLeTBBoZCO1UdbMR8gZr0VyncI/s1600/willcute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jHVp-xtoZSrtvwfZffMZLMNoN63WpryV39T9j7nkqDWpcrGjkyZ3qnqN5oFnNsDS0-5VW9F-hjW7t-P8aHzwZdv6BqfPUCBbyzh63QKrhHAsHLuVOsgLeTBBoZCO1UdbMR8gZr0VyncI/s640/willcute.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Champs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipY4JC2H8_-8UY_pm4HxhqtyQY8MHDTMEs95dynnsXirKnqtYKpPQiIo9-YIeFYeV96YAWcmic-dtUS34JyEjx4iBxB1_m-kOOBHfaU-jPNCjdnzP2OP20xm_sqiEP-ed-tHf3JqYt3mno/s1600/december16fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipY4JC2H8_-8UY_pm4HxhqtyQY8MHDTMEs95dynnsXirKnqtYKpPQiIo9-YIeFYeV96YAWcmic-dtUS34JyEjx4iBxB1_m-kOOBHfaU-jPNCjdnzP2OP20xm_sqiEP-ed-tHf3JqYt3mno/s640/december16fb.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oldest and Youngest</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Luke is 7 and has been really exploring his artistic side. I'm so so proud of him! He has his own art <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artbylucas/" target="_blank">instagram </a>and has been doing the <a href="http://chappdx.org/" target="_blank">CHAP</a> art classes every month. He is so creative and amazes me with his artistic ability. He was asked to be part of an online gallery called <a href="http://www.childish.online/" target="_blank">childish</a>. I asked him if he wanted to do it, and he said he absolutely wanted to! So stay tuned to see his "Happy Trees" art being featured! He also had his first commissioned piece and made $10, he was pretty stoked!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1lwaa7XwL2r8e-41yUqqItHVQyNUj0dbnob-8V4NZxqpu6eLkQeATC4C5K33v9D3F3nEIKFlWEhKWrW6iPiedtf7YoJvHAnweX2NxovaGKp8uLxqnjfppjt1rl6_TdMkMHkZnEw7xGOc/s1600/IMG_7098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1lwaa7XwL2r8e-41yUqqItHVQyNUj0dbnob-8V4NZxqpu6eLkQeATC4C5K33v9D3F3nEIKFlWEhKWrW6iPiedtf7YoJvHAnweX2NxovaGKp8uLxqnjfppjt1rl6_TdMkMHkZnEw7xGOc/s640/IMG_7098.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7csnzDeipRF2ZTe-hM0q9UcDE-JEdtJDlV-3jnS5CQwysxffSR9xJLDWsxsIalaOdobc4AK_Z-f16KLQOCaf08WHQCM0z-7H5G8eiZFtwVAgPkQwwGYgs9Zo3PHO2RmJVcgjANl92Txp/s1600/IMG_8463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7csnzDeipRF2ZTe-hM0q9UcDE-JEdtJDlV-3jnS5CQwysxffSR9xJLDWsxsIalaOdobc4AK_Z-f16KLQOCaf08WHQCM0z-7H5G8eiZFtwVAgPkQwwGYgs9Zo3PHO2RmJVcgjANl92Txp/s640/IMG_8463.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Focused</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eWB8E_5zKFRtKvXzkfm8PUrSYYDuVCMnDD1RB_96qhMc7iw45NVKEyX0fa6Z4veCkkMRRI2pOsXIQm19eW4TTEOETxNMuW94D1SQ91TowpWvcjLM6D7mysMee8ygL1MAI6ezSZpKR_uj/s1600/IMG_8504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eWB8E_5zKFRtKvXzkfm8PUrSYYDuVCMnDD1RB_96qhMc7iw45NVKEyX0fa6Z4veCkkMRRI2pOsXIQm19eW4TTEOETxNMuW94D1SQ91TowpWvcjLM6D7mysMee8ygL1MAI6ezSZpKR_uj/s640/IMG_8504.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke's "Mother and Baby" his first commissioned piece!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie will be turning 4 in January. I can't even believe it, our baby! It's been a whirlwind trying to figure out what's going on with her legs. She still walks sideways and drags her smaller leg behind her. She's been to a couple of specialists and we are trying to determine if it could be Cerebral Palsy. Our last stop is the Neurologist and I'm just waiting to hear from them to make that appointment. She had thumb surgery in September which was a success also! </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1BLGTQ8H5fK2aullCHbi7X4mmghExw8vntiyQvo8YhlJojjOrnGPPX1VWu_lpPSa0G5optnhtXHxTnMkdDsx2eUrNmCZRN9RVjGeO5QokrH5sd-NtvPcLu_4g7awfWtwsDT6HbX0jLsg/s1600/IMG_7139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1BLGTQ8H5fK2aullCHbi7X4mmghExw8vntiyQvo8YhlJojjOrnGPPX1VWu_lpPSa0G5optnhtXHxTnMkdDsx2eUrNmCZRN9RVjGeO5QokrH5sd-NtvPcLu_4g7awfWtwsDT6HbX0jLsg/s640/IMG_7139.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">After Thumb Surgery</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She and I were in a documentary and that was fun to do together. I think it turned out pretty great and I can't wait to share that after the new year. She also had another photo shoot for Fred Meyer and looks so cute! This ad not only ran in the local Freddy's ads but in the Kroger ads nationwide! My friend Kelly in Texas picked me up a bunch of copies!</span><br />
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<tr><td><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfi3uy0hFzOhOoZLZw6VSP6PUIZnUS_pzdnnvxWzkVX4Hwik_60xZqgnRdde-Ij5kCKXGOvwwbLFQWxqpz2tTj38vucpzgLiZQ0_ztP96UswYhgYEy_fVpvHa9g6cd-Ml0x4oTXSaxSPC/s640/IMG_8722.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="552" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Latest Fred Meyer Ad</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie also did a calendar shoot for <a href="http://factoregon.org/" target="_blank">FACT</a> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">w</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">ith her Uncle Danny! He will be getting a framed copy of the ADORABLE pic for Christmas, I can't wait!! When I asked him if he could be a model with her, he said "Tiff, God answers prayers in ways we don't expect. I've been praying a lot lately and then you called me to tell me this!" Oh man he makes me smile!</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcwzi-znrSQZpPr9L2-qGHgzMpZwmvIMEYDl7TYWXpOkgPx0H7f2eY9zxupiwjwvA1Aig_-524REGrGb_mHuJaUr00BQT6vZVEvRfYcKS_LqkHK3Lfhgy43AU0cGKAPYr_pVwcMLCrVRL/s1600/dpcandellie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcwzi-znrSQZpPr9L2-qGHgzMpZwmvIMEYDl7TYWXpOkgPx0H7f2eY9zxupiwjwvA1Aig_-524REGrGb_mHuJaUr00BQT6vZVEvRfYcKS_LqkHK3Lfhgy43AU0cGKAPYr_pVwcMLCrVRL/s640/dpcandellie.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">FACT Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptlXx23VoFqIDMtSV-Qd1HvGhDP-OfV06AL2y9TSZpXnr1QptYpIs2T0y6SRf_NbI-6-5l0GR99H9U8sJwLtBewT3IU7U-xVBwmboM3ziB4paoZ4G9js_jvhgvDiKpsu-a3oVXpTV0Wix/s640/december16g.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="426" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressed up for Christmas Pics</td></tr>
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<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So really the whole point of this post was really no point at all. I just thought I'd check in and write down what has been going on! I should mention that I have been a really really really bad friend, sister, daughter and wife lately and I'm sorry for that. I am so lucky though because most of you still love me. I'm terrible about setting up dates and checking in. It will get better I promise, once we get out of "survival mode" of owning a new business. And once I can get more than 5 hours of sleep a night! I'm tired! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also have to mention how grateful I am that my mom and mother-in-law have been so helpful and loving and supportive. Cooking meals, folding laundry, even cleaning toilets. Seriously big huge hugs and loves are going out to those ladies who keep me from completely losing my you-know-what. I love you! More than you know!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fkA5Gu_PXvPY942fBTNyoiK5t-68jISbQWU83mmatP5nVN4rpQQSXOAEPxBWSZ_Exo0MZ5gAR3zL9ekLk2eL4le5UK0vtfFSfYIZBWPo9asQnnT3QzNhPFqIrKZDFhfGbBsDvwXF3-wo/s1600/IMG_8601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fkA5Gu_PXvPY942fBTNyoiK5t-68jISbQWU83mmatP5nVN4rpQQSXOAEPxBWSZ_Exo0MZ5gAR3zL9ekLk2eL4le5UK0vtfFSfYIZBWPo9asQnnT3QzNhPFqIrKZDFhfGbBsDvwXF3-wo/s640/IMG_8601.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For this week's post I'm putting a very random but special song to our family. It is one that is often playing in the background when we are cooking dinner or hanging out. Every time I hear it I just think of my sweet little crew and it makes me smile. I'm getting a record player for Christmas and found this on vinyl for $2, it shipped yesterday. I can't wait to listen to it on Christmas day. Ahhh so excited!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">xoxo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St9RvdtvLeE" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St9RvdtvLeE" target="_blank">Angel From Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt & John Prine</a></span><br />
<br />Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-20686464602612702242016-09-05T13:59:00.000-07:002016-09-05T14:13:09.475-07:00Welcome to the Club<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been watching Season 2 of "<a href="http://www.aetv.com/shows/born-this-way" target="_blank">Born This Way</a>" on A&E, a reality show about young adults with Down syndrome. It follows their everyday lives, showing their triumphs as well as struggles. Every single episode I shed a tear, whether it's when Megan expresses her desire to have babies, when Elena and her mom go head to head, or the love Cristina and her fiance' have for each other. I love Sean's parent's humor and they remind me of Jesse and I, plus my boys are constantly singing "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krHALp8yuUs" target="_blank">Shake Your Booty</a>" by cast member John. I can't help but look forward to my future with Ellie. I'm learning so much from the parents who have walked this path before me. I'm also realizing I have so much more to look forward to. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On a recent episode, Elena's mom was talking to the other parents about how hard it has been dealing with Elena's fragile emotional state. They comforted her, reassuring her that they are all there to help her through it. Then Rachel's dad said something that really hit home for me, and the tears started flowing. He talked about being in "the club". It is so true. We are in a club we never dreamed we would be in (unless you are Jesse and I and you literally <a href="http://our3lilbirds.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-girl-of-our-dreams.html" target="_blank">dream your daughter with Down syndrome into reality!</a>) And now I can't imagine not being in this club. It's something amazing that is for sure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just a little over a week ago I hosted a mom's lunch for local families. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/27327911177/" target="_blank">Down Syndrome Network Oregon</a> graciously sponsored the event and we had a huge turnout. There was about 150 people including the kids, all at my house! It was amazing! There were children from 1 month old all the way up to 15 years old. I was in awe watching the moms connecting and sharing their stories.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> All of the kids got along as if they had been playing together for years. It was a "heart is overflowing" moment for me. I also have to make a shout out to my mother-in-law Julie, my mom, and my best friends Jos and Allyn for helping me put the event together! I couldn't have done it without their help. Also, Jos took over 200 photos for me. Here are a few from the day, I had a hard time narrowing it down so I apologize in advance for the photo overload!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR13QWCQXHEVjpXgYLPAaPpgDyeWRPsyfQbdvqjaiI7CmDNmY4vRQSTffQY84ygNu2ULRPfh_FCWch66HwHu70Ze4I0DnW-vNCxjoZoFPTnRrTALxtyUBfL70BhUBVKqjoXZ5vjYMAh8vs/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252812%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR13QWCQXHEVjpXgYLPAaPpgDyeWRPsyfQbdvqjaiI7CmDNmY4vRQSTffQY84ygNu2ULRPfh_FCWch66HwHu70Ze4I0DnW-vNCxjoZoFPTnRrTALxtyUBfL70BhUBVKqjoXZ5vjYMAh8vs/s640/FullSizeRender+%252812%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helper Extraordinaires! My Mama, My Bestie, My Mama-in-Law</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpw9IyC0EzlszDCUebqFAMy6EM_jTaJ9TdtldOooiNj3b3rviHPZ_k2tBDFV_0PaV8EJAV6by0eL7_yCDbVdnnBD2_9wvOL6MKYGyl0FZsbpJobWRtQ0EsH399roP4z7VRAe8lGXjhAfB/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpw9IyC0EzlszDCUebqFAMy6EM_jTaJ9TdtldOooiNj3b3rviHPZ_k2tBDFV_0PaV8EJAV6by0eL7_yCDbVdnnBD2_9wvOL6MKYGyl0FZsbpJobWRtQ0EsH399roP4z7VRAe8lGXjhAfB/s640/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie and her new buds :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcHcsjctQxuljLoM14xM6R96lvo5KvghVmzq3JK1tft_mXRrdNRHF-T20_6Xa8WPhxrWAo9tHOexheai_Gb_D5cvb5rGnMecSBdh2bglkMGa5_gJOq6angTfbWcrWzgNZYhSE15SCMk0-/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcHcsjctQxuljLoM14xM6R96lvo5KvghVmzq3JK1tft_mXRrdNRHF-T20_6Xa8WPhxrWAo9tHOexheai_Gb_D5cvb5rGnMecSBdh2bglkMGa5_gJOq6angTfbWcrWzgNZYhSE15SCMk0-/s640/FullSizeRender+%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Babies galore!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugXhe9flC7PFbBBXOEzq3MMLnawXzGx0sUkEdZbmhow3rfTuoT9T0k5rnv6xORzdqOpV2sNyE305MW63melPPsfBkuwaJM92jgEtVcw2CafzLM_YGnkIhyphenhyphenD2XZ8KcAbWuo44rXR1GRG4q/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugXhe9flC7PFbBBXOEzq3MMLnawXzGx0sUkEdZbmhow3rfTuoT9T0k5rnv6xORzdqOpV2sNyE305MW63melPPsfBkuwaJM92jgEtVcw2CafzLM_YGnkIhyphenhyphenD2XZ8KcAbWuo44rXR1GRG4q/s640/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iris loving the pool!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibK9i6oJYTfnJm79fZjFveaImVjPFUBjEWWSmctdVv432aYUgLK_3qh4zDeF778o2ZnOeBFN95iLgSZdsIzwNZDYGRJSbsNeUBh5Dmty26JgrfRsiUSelqxO-VmTm7XoJn04myCfSdrnlk/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibK9i6oJYTfnJm79fZjFveaImVjPFUBjEWWSmctdVv432aYUgLK_3qh4zDeF778o2ZnOeBFN95iLgSZdsIzwNZDYGRJSbsNeUBh5Dmty26JgrfRsiUSelqxO-VmTm7XoJn04myCfSdrnlk/s640/FullSizeRender+%25288%2529.jpg" width="556" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two beautiful girls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqBDUYr2SnS7o4lPXcJSvzVGWMZg-geH2cK6J0B9_yWdUv84OO5-XdCjPaxZ87ZOM-8Xs3y5ayeInd7wvEWfK746eN2y1jDmqFqRdzRCjWmSQyGKjrUCJ0h4_Ewk3At0SDTJU0q4dSst4/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252811%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqBDUYr2SnS7o4lPXcJSvzVGWMZg-geH2cK6J0B9_yWdUv84OO5-XdCjPaxZ87ZOM-8Xs3y5ayeInd7wvEWfK746eN2y1jDmqFqRdzRCjWmSQyGKjrUCJ0h4_Ewk3At0SDTJU0q4dSst4/s640/FullSizeRender+%252811%2529.jpg" width="574" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paula, one half of the amazing DSNO founder duo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEcM6ambllsFXsy3oJLxQRWF4q1yywd0SIGHIJxF4ddJTz8bINvQR1ncyAfFFb1R0E1xteFTczMaHqZd4MWr630egfZEsqhg2d4PORFl4BosUuO1kbtXFqiAaermb_Ajg8eDk_WX8J__r/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEcM6ambllsFXsy3oJLxQRWF4q1yywd0SIGHIJxF4ddJTz8bINvQR1ncyAfFFb1R0E1xteFTczMaHqZd4MWr630egfZEsqhg2d4PORFl4BosUuO1kbtXFqiAaermb_Ajg8eDk_WX8J__r/s640/FullSizeRender+%252814%2529.jpg" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brothers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9V1qHocRsf1Tsi2PevWr5Vk1JUcl4XmnIJTHjKEsUIbKD2RbITSeQcRcedgEPuOBS0OM4o9MrHJMJ4WldCQlYkfWaXrQIbHJ80iJJXSlqhrMgd7ZiWs79I5-x45EYvgTBI_QrdseT_kj/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252816%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9V1qHocRsf1Tsi2PevWr5Vk1JUcl4XmnIJTHjKEsUIbKD2RbITSeQcRcedgEPuOBS0OM4o9MrHJMJ4WldCQlYkfWaXrQIbHJ80iJJXSlqhrMgd7ZiWs79I5-x45EYvgTBI_QrdseT_kj/s640/FullSizeRender+%252816%2529.jpg" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Miss Sunshine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07HqXyw7Tf-Hq3yy3ww7_FxrD6kvbsnC23GIrvaMDo88XrT_EF6m6V-4FCWlvVHOw70lHPJswlcHxNn1-GRTDhH61ZBOO_v8LjpIs7jw8shL8_WjI3Na4AfkWrGgO9cgxbFvrAY_whl3G/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252817%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07HqXyw7Tf-Hq3yy3ww7_FxrD6kvbsnC23GIrvaMDo88XrT_EF6m6V-4FCWlvVHOw70lHPJswlcHxNn1-GRTDhH61ZBOO_v8LjpIs7jw8shL8_WjI3Na4AfkWrGgO9cgxbFvrAY_whl3G/s640/FullSizeRender+%252817%2529.jpg" width="538" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuties!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5aUem2hSnRV75eh28cm3y3lVO89N-Tk-Ibe2X0tk8yu3_ENx7LFUSx19000K3fFBUmEvDIQiMUAjHXLNWT5YQ8Q9dtCn6f2IejOhXbKvotO7PwRUP-rmk1U5QfOZSd3V1ujIL-1HUnHq/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252818%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5aUem2hSnRV75eh28cm3y3lVO89N-Tk-Ibe2X0tk8yu3_ENx7LFUSx19000K3fFBUmEvDIQiMUAjHXLNWT5YQ8Q9dtCn6f2IejOhXbKvotO7PwRUP-rmk1U5QfOZSd3V1ujIL-1HUnHq/s640/FullSizeRender+%252818%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my closest local mama friends and her beautiful family</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am leaving Friday morning for a two night trip to Dallas, Texas to see over 100 of my closest friends. That sounds funny doesn't it? But it's true. We are all moms to children with Down syndrome. We have been each other's sounding board through surgeries, struggles, delays, successes, GI issues (some of you know more about this than you'd like), and navigating services, inclusion and more. This event is put on through the <a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/" target="_blank">DSDN</a> and is called the <a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/#!rockin-moms/c1ad4" target="_blank">Rockin' Mom Retreat</a>. We will have 3 days and two nights full of laughs, tears and relaxation. The goal of the weekend is for the moms to connect, inspire, and recharge. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. Here's a few photos from last year's event in Minneapolis, Minnesota.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUK4hp7dggp2ZBA7MNs04tFfolhSss8JCPdZllJvdzTCems31H7yGmY_27BwMVEWOcW3Wuqk7ZZspZuJUmGvIo-sQuzjwiYQYQuJKN9EYR4n4i8ONEjDSveVQcyj4XzdGnZNfEnir_lMWE/s1600/rockinmoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUK4hp7dggp2ZBA7MNs04tFfolhSss8JCPdZllJvdzTCems31H7yGmY_27BwMVEWOcW3Wuqk7ZZspZuJUmGvIo-sQuzjwiYQYQuJKN9EYR4n4i8ONEjDSveVQcyj4XzdGnZNfEnir_lMWE/s640/rockinmoms.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st Rockin' Mom Retreat - 2015 - Minneapolis, MN</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpORec1GM3NNhodRI2Y0h-D7I4cKEOALbIZjCgagKwauYaHbDmj-f6Inm4lMN1CaYTXfO2sPp8r_lsBxQHKVuqpwuZTn5a4yy1UQRLbXx3SGiZqBfwfqQ5ndyzvXIAF9xS2xFUK9V76Cbu/s1600/retreat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpORec1GM3NNhodRI2Y0h-D7I4cKEOALbIZjCgagKwauYaHbDmj-f6Inm4lMN1CaYTXfO2sPp8r_lsBxQHKVuqpwuZTn5a4yy1UQRLbXx3SGiZqBfwfqQ5ndyzvXIAF9xS2xFUK9V76Cbu/s640/retreat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elevator fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYF9pMsLMwr9BOQu-k3lBaqAxwC7GhnhRPKuQGPQbEnVc4p0MdyHGECnXUnXvUO_v2DD2QDWh76Vgu6-g1BVhl_I5eP1n8Y6lGZVHfBW6RN75HEOIDhMNjJTt2rNixRSEP_hIg8cDFkKf/s1600/retreat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYF9pMsLMwr9BOQu-k3lBaqAxwC7GhnhRPKuQGPQbEnVc4p0MdyHGECnXUnXvUO_v2DD2QDWh76Vgu6-g1BVhl_I5eP1n8Y6lGZVHfBW6RN75HEOIDhMNjJTt2rNixRSEP_hIg8cDFkKf/s640/retreat1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The late night crew!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0SEIkf6UFSFDRaJNHai8e2OiwMFfzxYIkfJ6KtRQgi4K9c_C7Erhu9-1NgWrUDW8thnlC2MSrDekBDY_APGyXAe-KUnmisnUo_XX57yYWZCpFyUiqt-jHT1Sw7DyFenjbGcOLcQ27lwe/s1600/retreat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0SEIkf6UFSFDRaJNHai8e2OiwMFfzxYIkfJ6KtRQgi4K9c_C7Erhu9-1NgWrUDW8thnlC2MSrDekBDY_APGyXAe-KUnmisnUo_XX57yYWZCpFyUiqt-jHT1Sw7DyFenjbGcOLcQ27lwe/s640/retreat2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There for each other. Always.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is our tribe. As our children grow, we will have each other through every milestone, whether locally connected or connected virtually. The future isn't scary or lonely when you have others who get it. Our kids may end up living together someday, like Steven and Sean from Born This Way. Speaking of Sean I get to meet his Rockin' Mom this weekend in Dallas! And I wonder who will be in the first "Rockin' Wedding", I have my sights on Mason and Ellie for that title. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't know what Ellie's future holds but I do know as her mom I am not alone, and never will be. How is it that a little extra chromosome can bring together people who would have otherwise never met? I also can't imagine not having my now-best friend Jos. Our girls brought us together and I'm forever grateful for that. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DGmmL8oitLUeBXSMR8ktyri1DAm3ar8X1nkccdT3RdQ4lA1uoPqm1BcHO1iYIxGfvTDzsagIZ7havZ0iXBTAmUK4DWOY4DPOuCSHx_NTPxuaefvSjWvp_TtUhhNd73ebC-hhvGtfaVfe/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DGmmL8oitLUeBXSMR8ktyri1DAm3ar8X1nkccdT3RdQ4lA1uoPqm1BcHO1iYIxGfvTDzsagIZ7havZ0iXBTAmUK4DWOY4DPOuCSHx_NTPxuaefvSjWvp_TtUhhNd73ebC-hhvGtfaVfe/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweaty BFF's but having fun!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have you found your people yet? The first step would be reaching out to your local group for face-to-face support. If you </span><a href="http://www.ndss.org/Resources/Local-Support/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">click this link</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, it will show you the organization closest to you. We have the </span><a href="https://dsno.org/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">DSNO</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://www.nwdsa.org/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">NWDSA </a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">local to us here in Oregon, both are amazing organizations that provide so many resources to families. And if you are new mama, "welcome to the club", you will love it here I promise. When you are ready, please find us on Facebook at the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DownSyndromeDiagnosisNetwork/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">DSDN </a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and </span><a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/#!support/c1pna" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">join one of our many private support groups</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. And remember, you've got this, and we've got you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My song for this week is one that reminds me of my fellow Rockin' Moms. I love you ladies so much and can't wait to see many of you on Friday!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JNtAtGGNRU" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Count on Me - Bruno Mars</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0yM_6SB-uAbFc6zV9ulV0yqGn_K31pD7hyphenhyphenKxEO-sGdHxehcfrOq_wCQuQBMaUUgTneMcUDxqZZIsBu-rLPdvATBX-dFBIomcOnSGQs_SSzj0s7jH92COCmzcrXTmzTOOk8LP0UpnaVsb/s1600/sept1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0yM_6SB-uAbFc6zV9ulV0yqGn_K31pD7hyphenhyphenKxEO-sGdHxehcfrOq_wCQuQBMaUUgTneMcUDxqZZIsBu-rLPdvATBX-dFBIomcOnSGQs_SSzj0s7jH92COCmzcrXTmzTOOk8LP0UpnaVsb/s640/sept1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-10892860093724654072016-04-17T15:22:00.003-07:002016-04-18T09:27:18.131-07:00How Can You Change the Face of Beauty??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxYuvDYNMXBBALLm2MLRIm-_ieFzfJkkkCVOxw3SZ3jQj4o3Ynl516AwId9tjiH66vFrhSgy69Hk9690-R2C-P3pseKYR9mtpFI0rA5KYH6RnfT8LdagVQ5lIaiQ4m1ZVZXnpuljToD11/s1600/april1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxYuvDYNMXBBALLm2MLRIm-_ieFzfJkkkCVOxw3SZ3jQj4o3Ynl516AwId9tjiH66vFrhSgy69Hk9690-R2C-P3pseKYR9mtpFI0rA5KYH6RnfT8LdagVQ5lIaiQ4m1ZVZXnpuljToD11/s640/april1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Is your child a ham? Do they light up when they see a camera? Have you wondered what this whole <a href="http://www.changingthefaceofbeauty.org/" target="_blank">Changing the Face of Beauty</a> business is all about??</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well I am being totally serious when I say, send your child's photo in to your local agencies!!!! Do it! If Ellie can do it, your child can too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />Since Ellie has been booking modeling jobs I have received a lot of messages from other parents who want to know how to get started. I thought I would list the steps I took here for easy reference.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first step I took was to google... I googled "child modeling agency" in the largest town near us. I had found two agencies that sounded good. I picked two photos of Ellie that I felt showed her "sparkle", one head shot and one full body shot. At that time Ellie wasn't walking so it ended up being a sitting photo, but it worked out just fine.<br /><br />Here are the pictures I submitted:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1aJsGzzFQCOgYeDz7tnkMBWx_dIe4sLINJiCXOpvyrGG2-c8nPcXW1JA9tQTXIpsjPr4FLgs84orFlUhLtrSrSc4reDwJXXCpWgkmEWljh1hCLfdg-NGzCOvYE7Ee-HBQF5_tMNfsoFX/s1600/jan16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1aJsGzzFQCOgYeDz7tnkMBWx_dIe4sLINJiCXOpvyrGG2-c8nPcXW1JA9tQTXIpsjPr4FLgs84orFlUhLtrSrSc4reDwJXXCpWgkmEWljh1hCLfdg-NGzCOvYE7Ee-HBQF5_tMNfsoFX/s640/jan16.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZcCcfAvGYGpwwWFrSWtbhz1Nx1yuKRzFYDacUOQtpnxF8E14ekNwwlmyLsQvj_BLwU-GbWCvl5KA41NEsIO3E8ojr8kOdS3r8ClbpkYOmO960C9hyphenhyphen0iMSXB1g-S1175LJrY3k52LYKzT/s1600/elliecolumbia1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZcCcfAvGYGpwwWFrSWtbhz1Nx1yuKRzFYDacUOQtpnxF8E14ekNwwlmyLsQvj_BLwU-GbWCvl5KA41NEsIO3E8ojr8kOdS3r8ClbpkYOmO960C9hyphenhyphen0iMSXB1g-S1175LJrY3k52LYKzT/s640/elliecolumbia1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When you submit your photos, there will most likely be an area in the form for comments. This is where I included the link to Changing the Face of Beauty, and I explained to the agencies why I am so passionate about CTFOB's mission. I also told them all about Ellie. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then I waited. I had submitted Ellie's photos in December and didn't hear back until March. One agency never called me back. But Puddletown did, and they have been absolutely wonderful to work with. You can see Ellie's talent <a href="http://talentrostermanager.com/profiles/28" target="_blank">profile here</a>. We have had a lot of fun with the shoots Ellie has done for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/hoorayharoo" target="_blank">Hooray Haroo,</a> <a href="https://www.matildajaneclothing.com/collections/HappyandFree" target="_blank">Matilda Jane</a>, and Fred Meyer. She has a Fred Meyer ad that is supposed to run this week, so keep an eye out for it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The posing. I wasn't going to add this tibit of information but I think it might be helpful. Since Ellie was tiny we have always had fun with her signature "model poses". Here she is as just a little nugget posing for me:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrZ-vZp6cmhIpprs94d-Hwbxg0s2VjmkSVHDeM4y_zLrQmD6C09M7HJfRXIeP6sTyC8kAYqvVi_hMuW9LIeca64P9aNG1MyA6YG-vsptQRWMrPaERGqSlk0und-PHXz8nkczpQlMrpXIz/s1600/kidssept3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrZ-vZp6cmhIpprs94d-Hwbxg0s2VjmkSVHDeM4y_zLrQmD6C09M7HJfRXIeP6sTyC8kAYqvVi_hMuW9LIeca64P9aNG1MyA6YG-vsptQRWMrPaERGqSlk0und-PHXz8nkczpQlMrpXIz/s640/kidssept3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just a few weeks ago my friend Joelle from Australia messaged me. Her beautiful daughter Josee Hope was asked to be a model for a company called Oobi. And not only a model, but the Unicorn Ambassador for their company - PERFECT!!! Joelle was nervous that Josee wouldn't pose for the camera. Here are some of the tips I shared with her:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The mirror: The mirror has helped us with Ellie's speech, teeth brushing, hair brushing, etc. We also would copy each other's faces in the mirror, so now she will copy any face that I do. It's a great place to start.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The iPad or phone: Letting your child videotape themselves making faces gives them instant gratification. This is another useful speech tool as a matter of fact!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Siblings/Mimicking. This one is HUGE. Mimicking and copying siblings has been a huge help in getting Ellie to do her poses. Even during her Matilda Jane shoot Ellie started to melt down, but then she watched Grandma Barb and copied her, you wonder where her sassy poses came from? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So Joelle tried these tips with Josee who had never modeled professionally before. She absolutely ROCKED IT. You have to check her out, isn't she amazing??? <a href="https://oobi.com.au/blogs/alex/115320965-the-magic-of-childhood" target="_blank">Oobi Unicorn Ambassador Josee Hope</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was worried about whether modeling would be too time consuming for our crazy life. Honestly I wasn't sure if doing this would even be feasible since I work, but my mother-in-law has been a huge help, thank you Grammee!! She has taken Ellie to both of her Fred Meyer shoots, and the Matilda Jane shoots have been on the weekend, so I was able to take her! We are taking the jobs as they come and are figuring it out as we go. We don't know how long the modeling gigs will keep coming in so we have just decided to have fun in the process. We are also saving Ellie's money for her college fund!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As always, I am here to answer any questions you may have. Seeing children and adults of all abilities in the media is so, so important. It makes my heart swell with pride and excitement when I see more and more companies being involved. My hope is that someday it isn't a big deal and that it just "is", if that makes sense. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are some of her latest photos that I love:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Her first Fred Meyer ad:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Behind the scenes at Matilda Jane:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The real deal, I think they turned out so great:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbke2s-YN-f5p_jdOs5Sh2tAsXYtGTXMljpB7cLW9Kk8D-FWVP69YcLrU5zfKJpqvP332APhWBJapn1TRhBFGKZM-e3S6AS2phl9cJkiSTz0D_u1NdF6kPXZAJopymJWaKutzmTzB6DeKh/s1600/MJC_jan1Q7A5456c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbke2s-YN-f5p_jdOs5Sh2tAsXYtGTXMljpB7cLW9Kk8D-FWVP69YcLrU5zfKJpqvP332APhWBJapn1TRhBFGKZM-e3S6AS2phl9cJkiSTz0D_u1NdF6kPXZAJopymJWaKutzmTzB6DeKh/s640/MJC_jan1Q7A5456c.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />A few I took this morning:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For this post's song I'm going back to my high school roots (thanks to my niece Karley for rekindling my love for this music). H</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ere is one of my faves from 20 years ago, and now it reminds me of my baby girl:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Beautiful, you're beautiful, as beautiful as the sun<br />Wonderful, you're wonderful, as wonderful as they come</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuD6b9JGtfA" target="_blank">Beautiful - The Smashing Pumpkins</a></span>Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-28976561871545457152016-01-04T20:20:00.000-08:002016-01-04T20:36:59.355-08:00Three. Tres. Ba. Trois. My Baby!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Three! What a magical but not too strange trip it has been! I can't believe our little girl is three today. It's been a while so I thought it was the perfect time for a blog update. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I haven't been good about blogging lately and I'll try to explain why. When I started this blogging journey I saw it as a virtual baby book; a great way to keep Ellie's milestones in one place, to have a place to look back at how she's growing through pictures, and to keep friends and family updated. But in all honesty the online blogging world is tough. Her info is out there for the world to see. There's a lot of talk about sharing our children's stories, because her story is HER story, it's not my story. Is it fair to Ellie? Will she look back and want to slap me? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So in other words, I started second guessing what I was sharing. I don't ever want to do Ellie a disservice by sharing our family's experiences. But I also still feel that sharing is important for those newly on this journey, our life is pretty normal (normal? like a setting on a washing machine?) No seriously, our life is great and we have a kid with Down syndrome. So with that out of the way, I wanted to do a little recap of the past year now that my baby girl is three. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2015 was SO FUN and SO BUSY. And Ellie's birthday is TODAY! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie had an epic year. I can't imagine that 2016 could top it. She was in the paper a few times, and even on the news! She was also in Times Square on the big screen, TWICE! She's reading like a champ!! She is even starting preschool in a month! I'll recap her 2015 in pictures, because that is how I roll (and I love going back and looking at them as the years quickly pass by) :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My last post was my <a href="http://our3lilbirds.blogspot.com/2015/09/dont-poke-mama-bear-my-first-letter-to.html" target="_blank">pissed off letter to the editor</a>, and the one before that was the <a href="http://our3lilbirds.blogspot.com/2015/07/what-is-your-super-power-my-first-ds.html" target="_blank">amazing Down Syndrome convention</a>. So I'll rewind to summer. Let's start there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our 4th of July party was the best one ever, there were lots of people and fun was had by all. I also got to meet my friend Jisun for the first time. We met online in the original Rockin' Moms group. She stayed the night at our house with her family in a tent! Yes it was that kind of party! She has a blog called <a href="http://www.kimchilatkes.com/" target="_blank">kimchilatkes</a>. She is a very gifted writer, if you haven't already you really should check her out. She's also now an Oregonian, woo hooo! Ellie and Caj are so cute together. I'll talk about them more later. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-l5HxgXnElJ_CWaz8YDBcDZfILDBjI7XAzO24LsPHBduTvD7uPDITWi7QsUtkSZ6NDcwgqvLE3SDrWhyphenhyphenVRrlfX8tAnd8xpvP7-T8EdoV2bSHMVWTguUDe9R5K_mpb-eXwsHHebuYYHM-/s1600/july18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-l5HxgXnElJ_CWaz8YDBcDZfILDBjI7XAzO24LsPHBduTvD7uPDITWi7QsUtkSZ6NDcwgqvLE3SDrWhyphenhyphenVRrlfX8tAnd8xpvP7-T8EdoV2bSHMVWTguUDe9R5K_mpb-eXwsHHebuYYHM-/s640/july18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every year our family gets together and we stay at Sun River. It is SO FUN, so relaxing, and just wonderful. Jesse's sis and family live in Vietnam so we always love to have them home. The cousins act like no time has passed. We look forward to this getaway every single year. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5lT5G1NIgwNBjTHj7OzNC7AtNbo1i59ofrNFvDHPkw9A0lCpHNsonUmA0ozMkNnhFmqw8Inagjg1G4386x_K9oegtA-MwarccBZxEqVycXUgMaLcW9IarECsb5_MwLO86__aYy3V0Obu/s1600/j7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5lT5G1NIgwNBjTHj7OzNC7AtNbo1i59ofrNFvDHPkw9A0lCpHNsonUmA0ozMkNnhFmqw8Inagjg1G4386x_K9oegtA-MwarccBZxEqVycXUgMaLcW9IarECsb5_MwLO86__aYy3V0Obu/s640/j7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our besties from Texas came and stayed with us too, it was such a fun few weeks!! I didn't know that I wanted a Sister Wife until Kelly came and stayed with me. She would have dinner ready when I got home from work, and laundry done as well. Our house never looked so good. Kel, when are you coming back again?? Ah we love you guys so much, and miss you terribly!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFzLglYuHf50AlhRGYhqUY_Y_iq_tKFcnTTVmcodToAjIErepoo4JL45BFY58ZaM4SBcuxfLyWafPjJWI0zPls7t1lTDM9ka079IcIEZybtXhQISsMl9eewmqgSJMxM7Qmf6VizkiJZqT/s1600/group+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFzLglYuHf50AlhRGYhqUY_Y_iq_tKFcnTTVmcodToAjIErepoo4JL45BFY58ZaM4SBcuxfLyWafPjJWI0zPls7t1lTDM9ka079IcIEZybtXhQISsMl9eewmqgSJMxM7Qmf6VizkiJZqT/s640/group+pic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We tried to get as much time on the boat as possible. Ellie LOVES it. We are looking at getting her and Luke into swim lessons before summer so they are more confident in the water. This is my favorite part of summer.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf-bDxjffCk2NEIHHy831Y8ImsJgaCeaRAZMbf3XeWB5v4DREk2G3fRyqxiNsuAZZWa6N71-H0d3q1v0DtdJl_wOi9ijq3hoG9LQ6bvRwxQCJIFI_4beheY_ryZBlnhDLjsI1intjWwZ2/s1600/july56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf-bDxjffCk2NEIHHy831Y8ImsJgaCeaRAZMbf3XeWB5v4DREk2G3fRyqxiNsuAZZWa6N71-H0d3q1v0DtdJl_wOi9ijq3hoG9LQ6bvRwxQCJIFI_4beheY_ryZBlnhDLjsI1intjWwZ2/s640/july56.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VoRMTfYZzSemnhLtcft1EmzcHhpLC7p0yrXohkHAOzhUY9ZGfku0GBI8u0lInsp6-qltWw0bF60QITnVZnG_XAI47USLJ345O_2FDaGnWEkrdiRMQ_ULtdZMG0Q8_ynunATuK0QBzTWm/s1600/july58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VoRMTfYZzSemnhLtcft1EmzcHhpLC7p0yrXohkHAOzhUY9ZGfku0GBI8u0lInsp6-qltWw0bF60QITnVZnG_XAI47USLJ345O_2FDaGnWEkrdiRMQ_ULtdZMG0Q8_ynunATuK0QBzTWm/s640/july58.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvIGocuUnPZ3wIB3ntzj6TyoeCDmHjDxjTOaGp2yW5CM2FgDR6Xm9lGshvFkV-5Qdx-4cBVeBrviFfPlQgW2GDQIwDyJL6b1XNT08FqDiREi7x09NOkLn4tjd0kaGS-3zj_kQxqnhPet9/s1600/july59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvIGocuUnPZ3wIB3ntzj6TyoeCDmHjDxjTOaGp2yW5CM2FgDR6Xm9lGshvFkV-5Qdx-4cBVeBrviFfPlQgW2GDQIwDyJL6b1XNT08FqDiREi7x09NOkLn4tjd0kaGS-3zj_kQxqnhPet9/s640/july59.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also go on an annual beach trip with my side of the family. My brother and sis-in-law came from Texas and my niece Presley stayed for 2 weeks. It was so wonderful having them home!! The boys get along so good with their cousin Pres. The family genetics are almost creepy sometimes! They are all so much alike, and my niece is my mini-me!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssH3EtdhrjOEsdk8r2lM6sk7BmCc2hmj4-aUSFY74U9h3MGxj7UJhi1clAONZhHP7N63O5Cpw7cFaukC0X8JmD5A4Aqxqo0o7zmKB42tV5giKS594npt7wjf4d7uBe-HC8I3DndjTRN4l/s1600/beach3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssH3EtdhrjOEsdk8r2lM6sk7BmCc2hmj4-aUSFY74U9h3MGxj7UJhi1clAONZhHP7N63O5Cpw7cFaukC0X8JmD5A4Aqxqo0o7zmKB42tV5giKS594npt7wjf4d7uBe-HC8I3DndjTRN4l/s640/beach3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also spent a lot of time with my BFF Jos and her family. We are so lucky to have them in our lives. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQXc4U0-Y5t5VGdp82Zk7FD5BFa0GdpeXPxB-cKX_YSUyjWp-4eAI1H4jgqDUdFFUsX7zEtsd0z5o8MRypsgRVHXc-nbk8QKL_HH_1-cebjW9F7fHONfwlVunFVNABahyphenhyphenG_9AQLiu4DOc/s1600/july77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQXc4U0-Y5t5VGdp82Zk7FD5BFa0GdpeXPxB-cKX_YSUyjWp-4eAI1H4jgqDUdFFUsX7zEtsd0z5o8MRypsgRVHXc-nbk8QKL_HH_1-cebjW9F7fHONfwlVunFVNABahyphenhyphenG_9AQLiu4DOc/s640/july77.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">September came, and so did our annual DSNO Buddy Walk! Ellie's team raised almost 2K- we are beyond grateful. We also had our biggest group yet!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegW2Ho2QYbG6JQuslV_Tcxx0u9Yo8Au8lPug0-B1jXjKrBjwMbihIKO70LhRLMbyNjgOWPbbPnBQhSPra3ctfo3JUy5mf8M8ekiKI41-DAzCKJp0L5cBY7o-ado2DHxtdKB4FagdZlGxh/s1600/bwalk23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegW2Ho2QYbG6JQuslV_Tcxx0u9Yo8Au8lPug0-B1jXjKrBjwMbihIKO70LhRLMbyNjgOWPbbPnBQhSPra3ctfo3JUy5mf8M8ekiKI41-DAzCKJp0L5cBY7o-ado2DHxtdKB4FagdZlGxh/s640/bwalk23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another event in September is the National Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk. They have a jumbo-tron in Times Square that plays a video showcasing people with Down syndrome. I've entered Ellie's picture every year since she was born. She's never made it in until this year. To me this was the "big one"... New York, baby, where my daddy was born. Oh he would've loved to have seen her in Times Square! And you know what? Somehow Ellie made it in twice this year. The <a href="http://portlandtribune.com/cby/149-features/269860-144921-aurora-girl-part-of-nyc-event" target="_blank">paper even did a little story about it</a>. She was in once with her buddy Caj (mentioned above) and again with her Great Grandma Margaret. Our sweet Grandma passed away in October. She got to see the photo of her and her Great Granddaughter on the big screen. She and Ellie had a special bond that's for sure. We sure miss her.</span></div>
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Another fun event in September was my "Rockin' Mom" get together. My house was full of beautiful babies and big kids too. Watching the friendships develop before my eyes was too much. There's something to this little Ds family I belong to, it's hard to put into words. But what I do know is that I'm grateful for each and every one of my Rockin' Moms, near and far.</div>
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October! October is my handsome hubby's b-day, as well as Down Syndrome Awareness Month! I warned my Facebook friends that I would be annoying for the whole month of October. But what I found was that my friends are amazing. They actually shared my photos of Ellie and are spreading awareness (acceptance) too. Here are a couple of photos I shared in the month of October:</div>
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So let's talk about Ellie's modeling for a minute. This whole thing was CRAZY to Jess and I. I'll try to explain it all as quickly as possible. Ellie was signed to <a href="http://www.puddletowntalent.com/" target="_blank">Puddletown Talent</a> in March of 2015. She had her first modeling gig in August for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/HoorayHaroo" target="_blank">Hooray Haroo </a>(seriously adorable clothing, made in Portland, OR!).. the Statesman Journal did an <a href="http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/health/2015/10/18/girl-down-syndrome-starts-modeling-career/73932666/" target="_blank">article about her modeling job</a>. They had told me the article would be in the Sunday paper. I had my sweet mama-in-law and brother John running around to find the paper for me, to see if she was in it! She wasn't and I figured maybe they decided not to run the story. As Jesse said "it was only one ad she was in- what's the big deal?!"</div>
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The next morning I woke up early and was waiting for my coffee to brew. I jumped on Facebook to check in on my friends. My friend Lisa (in TEXAS) yes we love our Texas peeps... messaged me saying that she saw Ellie on her news-feed in <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/18/girl-down-syndrome-changing-face-modeling/74200524/" target="_blank">USA Today</a>. Wait, WHAT!?!?! I'm pretty sure I ran in and woke Jesse up to tell him. </div>
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I went in to work like any other day, and around 9am my mama-in-law sent me a picture, our girl on the cover of the Statesman Journal. Then around 10am Ellie's agent (that feels so funny to say) texted me and said that <a href="http://www.kgw.com/news/ore-girl-down-syndrome-changing-face-modeling/1090421" target="_blank">Channel 8 wants to interview us</a>. WHAT?!?!? So I called Jess and he said "Cool, you should do it." So I talked to my boss, took PTO, and rushed home. I had no time to clean my house. My amazing mama-in-law came over to help me hide clutter and fake like my house was clean. It went really good and Ellie was a total ham for the camera. So then <a href="http://themighty.com/2015/10/youll-love-how-this-tot-with-down-syndrome-became-a-model/" target="_blank">The Mighty posted an article</a> about Ellie. Then I got a call from a sweet reporter from <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/this-2-year-old-with-down-syndrome-is-breaking-down-stereotypes-around-child-modeling" target="_blank">Upworthy</a>. She loved Ellie's story and wanted to do an article. She said "we only have 8 million followers on Facebook" Oh my gosh! I couldn't believe all of this was happening.</div>
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So since that one crazy modeling job went viral, Ellie has had two more modeling jobs. One for Fred Meyer (thank you to her stage Grammee for taking her!) and one for Matilda Jane. The Fred Meyer ad is supposed to be out in February and I'm not sure when the Matilda Jane photos will be live. It's been a whirlwind and so much fun. The best part for me is talking to other parents about <a href="http://changingthefaceofbeauty.org/" target="_blank">Changing the Face of Beauty</a>. It's an amazing and important campaign and is really changing the way people view those who are differently-abled. I'm so grateful. So here's my advice to parents: if your child loves the camera and is comfortable having their photo taken, get that kid an agent! Contact your local agencies with your child's photos and explain CTFOB's mission. It's really an amazing thing.<br />
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The Statesman Journal also did a follow-up on Ellie that you can read about <a href="http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2015/12/30/kissmeter-tuba-viola-stu-rasmussen-ellie-stafford-down-syndrome-model-where-now/77456900/" target="_blank">here</a>. It sums up all the craziness in a nice neat package, much more eloquently than I could!<br />
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An update on our girl as of today. Ellie is reading like crazy, she loves her flashcards and her books. Jesse and I did a count the other night and she has 130 sight words. It's so amazing! She is just starting to take more and more steps and we are really proud of her. She has a new Minnie Mouse backpack to start school in February! Health-wise she is doing awesome with the occasional sniffle and she seems to be growing out of her croup-there-it-is problems! She is on meds for hypothyroid and I also give her a handful of supplements (Nutrivene, zinc, folinic acid, and fish oil) which are all approved through her Pediatrician and Naturopath. We are lucky that we have <a href="http://www.peirsoncenter.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Peirson </a>local to us, she has helped Ellie SO much! She has her 3 year check-up this month at her Ped and the <a href="http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/doernbecher/programs-services/down-syndrome.cfm" target="_blank">DS Clinic at OHSU</a>. </div>
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Lastly are some more recent photos from Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mostly Ellie doing her signature hard hugs that everyone looks forward to! Overall 2015 was amazing and fun and I don't know where the years have gone. Our baby is a big girl now and it happened in the blink of an eye! We love you Ellie Lehne, Happy birthday sweet pea!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For this post's song we are sharing Ellie's current favorite jam (besides Let it Go, of course)...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO_3Qgib6RQ" target="_blank">WTF - Missy Elliott</a></span></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-86358592513886449612016-01-03T19:19:00.001-08:002016-01-03T19:47:07.453-08:00The Parent's Guide To Down Syndrome: Book Review Time!<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey everybody, guess what time it is? It's book review time!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Please read on for my very first book review of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Parents-Guide-Down-Syndrome/dp/144059290X" target="_blank">The Parent's Guide to Down Syndrome by Jen Jacob and Mardra Sikora</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />Full disclosure: I received a free copy of the book and offered to share my thoughts on my little ole' blog. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This book is AWESOME!</td></tr>
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I would like to preface this post with a little trip down memory lane. On the day Ellie was born it was the same day the words "Down syndrome" entered our lives. My previous knowledge of Down syndrome was shaky at best, and I only knew of the character Corky from one of my favorite shows growing up "Life Goes On". I had never really known anyone with Down syndrome before and I realized that day that I had a lot to learn. And that realization felt like a ton of bricks to be honest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On day two of Ellie's life, the Geneticist came to talk with us about Down syndrome, and with him he brought a list longer than my arm of the dreaded "potential health issues". The hospital also gave us a book (that shall remain nameless) that was filled to the rim with the same potential issues- from delays, sight issues, hearing issues, heart issues, gut issues, thyroid issues, issues, issues, issues! I didn't look at the book that day. As I gazed at my sweet bundle wrapped in pink I didn't feel comfortable thinking of her as a list of "what if's". She was my beautiful baby girl and I craved real life information. I needed to read stories about love and hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once I settled in at home I went online and ordered a bunch of books for myself, all memoirs about Ds; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Perfect-Gift-Expectations-Little/dp/0764209175/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451865087&sr=1-1&keywords=a+good+and+perfect+gift" target="_blank">A Good and Perfect Gift</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bloom-Finding-Beauty-Unexpected---Memoir/dp/0062045040/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451865740&sr=1-1&keywords=bloom" target="_blank">Bloom</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Adam-Story-Rebirth-Everyday/dp/0307719642/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451865769&sr=1-1&keywords=expecting+adam" target="_blank">Expecting Adam</a> just to name a few. I read personal blogs and connected with other moms on the internet. That original book I received from the hospital is still tucked away on the bookshelf, collecting dust three years later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So this leads me to my first ever book review. Thank you to my friend Jen Jacob (co-founder of <a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/" target="_blank">DSDN</a>) who mailed me a copy of the book so I could read it and share my thoughts. When Jen told me she was writing a book with Mardra Sikora I was giddy. Mardra is an amazing writer/advocate, and mom of Marcus who is a young adult with Down syndrome. Marcus is the author of an awesome kid's book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Day-Monster-Rock-Band/dp/1634134419" target="_blank">Black Day: The Monster Rock Band</a>. These two gals are famous in the Ds world, and writing a book <i>together</i>? Are you kidding me? I knew immediately it would be a game changer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Parents-Guide-Down-Syndrome/dp/144059290X" target="_blank">The Parent's Guide to Down Syndrome</a> covers it all. It is chock full of resources from front to back. It covers the prenatal through adulthood stages of raising a child with Down syndrome. Every single topic within the book is relevant and important. But here's my favorite part: what sets this book apart from every other book I've read about Down syndrome is that it includes hope and love. Within each topic there are real life accounts of living with Down syndrome. The commentary is from parents as well as people living with Down syndrome. THIS. This is <i>exactly </i>what I needed in those early days. THIS is what I was craving, to hear from the people who were living it. The people who were there to tell me "<i>welcome to the club</i>" and "<i>your going to be OK</i>". And now three years in, it is still what I need. I will be referencing this book for the next 18+ years I'm sure of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One other huge plus for me was the neutral way in which the information was presented. The world of Down syndrome can be controversial in the number of avenues a parent can take, whether it's neurodevelopmental therapy, vitamin therapy, PT/OT/EI/ST, schooling options, inclusion versus seclusion, and the list goes on. The information is presented professionally and leaves the reader feeling empowered with the resources needed to make decisions that work for their family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have a child with Down syndrome, or are expecting a child with Down syndrome I highly recommend you grab a copy of this book for yourself. This will now be my go-to gift for new families I encounter who are just starting out on this journey. Thank you to Jen and Mardra for creating a resource for families for years to come. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wish I could go back three years ago and read this book, to know that I am not alone and never will be. What an amazing feeling that is.</span></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-10723855760969787992015-09-02T22:20:00.004-07:002015-09-02T22:40:37.612-07:00Don't Poke the Mama Bear - My First Letter to the Editor<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_jILhE22pg6-eMUR8qQxh-f-xtWJ3lJMFJyO8Df-HBC72EUwalIdteq-fJ_EgkTQrpbitRGn-XjDWsdvAnMRS_j2erMCpnQZY6lfnchwEBNnYj7wTPKHkYWLmOb5bewoc0KfT-dFETJE/s1600/aug8edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_jILhE22pg6-eMUR8qQxh-f-xtWJ3lJMFJyO8Df-HBC72EUwalIdteq-fJ_EgkTQrpbitRGn-XjDWsdvAnMRS_j2erMCpnQZY6lfnchwEBNnYj7wTPKHkYWLmOb5bewoc0KfT-dFETJE/s640/aug8edit.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last Friday we had Ellie's planning meeting with her whole team; Early Intervention, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy. We were discussing what will happen when Ellie turns three in January. Thinking of school, learning, bus rides, and making friends makes me sweat and want to stress eat. I went into the meeting feeling nervous and unsure, but by the end of it we had a wonderful plan in place for Ellie and I felt lighter, hopeful even. The positive feedback I received about how she's doing was so reassuring. Her team believes in her and they truly think she will to rock it when it's time to go to school! WHEW!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But this leads me to a letter to the editor that I read the week before Ellie's big meeting. My </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">good friend and fellow Rockin' Mom Jenny shared it with me. Jenny lives in </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pennsylvania and</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> this article was published in Grants Pass, Oregon.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The post was titled “Special needs kids don't need to be in
classroom” and it was written by a woman named Betty. I doubt Betty expected her letter to go viral, but it did. Below you can see the
newspaper clipping for yourself, please read it and let it soak in for a
minute.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Ride the small buses?" As you can imagine, I was disturbed by Betty’s letter. Actually disturbed isn’t the right word, I was just plain pissed. Just when I feel like
we are getting somewhere with inclusion and acceptance, something like this has
to come along and punch me in the gut. I decided to contact the editor of the
Grants Pass paper with my rebuttal. My fingers were typing faster than my brain
could even work and I quickly sent off an email to him. Soon after I received a
reply stating that their letters have a 250 word limit, and my letter was
483 words. Oops. The editor said he would like to share my opinion but I would need to refine my letter, which I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also explained to him that I thought Betty’s letter should not
have been published in the first place. I think it's discriminatory. He confirmed that he agreed that it showed this woman’s ignorance but that her opinion was still just that,
her opinion. I strongly believe that had Betty singled out any other race or group of people that the letter would not have been published. I checked in on the paper's Facebook page and found that the visitor posts have been blocked. There were many insightful and some angry posts from across the world, all aimed at Betty. I think it became too much for them to manage. I'm curious to see if the paper has any follow-up on this, such as an apology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Below is my letter to Betty. I sure hope she had a chance to read it
and that she reads the other letters that have come in. I also have to give a shout out to my friends Andrea and Lisa who found me a copy of the paper- this particular newspaper is only readable online if you have a subscription. So thank you my friends for getting it for me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I realize this is just the beginning of the adventures and hurdles I'll face while raising Ellie. Seeing the responses from fellow Rockin' Moms and other parents of kids with special needs makes me realize how lucky we are. We are so blessed to have our kids in this generation, and not in the generations before it. I have a sneaking suspicion Betty grew up in a time when those who were different were either institutionalized or hidden away. I truly hope she has a change of heart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9zwi1aw60Izs4gc75PLwScfYQSSi936K0E08wxW4YbMde9-wo1q8ZcLj9zR_6qAYSepNNzX5cIsiGPIRODJtbI5iFfNmuvZpZqF0IYmP4bqIcC_Tsb1SEH1LesKI1uPd3TKdUw9LMldP/s1600/aug1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9zwi1aw60Izs4gc75PLwScfYQSSi936K0E08wxW4YbMde9-wo1q8ZcLj9zR_6qAYSepNNzX5cIsiGPIRODJtbI5iFfNmuvZpZqF0IYmP4bqIcC_Tsb1SEH1LesKI1uPd3TKdUw9LMldP/s640/aug1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For this post's song, I chose an absolutely beautiful one by the band Gungor. If you have a child with special needs I urge you to listen to it. Michael and Lisa Gungor have a gorgeous little girl with DS named Lucette, which means "light". When I first watched the video it brought tears to my eyes and a flood of memories back to the day of Ellie's birth. The emotion in Michael and Lisa's faces is so familiar to me. I can see the fierce protective love, mixed with a fear of the unknown. After reading <a href="http://www.gungormusic.com/blog/2014/05/lucette" target="_blank">their blog</a> I found out they also had a birth diagnosis. Their birth story is worth the read, and it'll surely make you cry. Ahh, it's just amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And Betty, I doubt you will ever read this but I think you should listen to this song too. All children are amazing gifts who deserve only the best in life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>And the blind gained sight</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>As we met our light</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Oh the joy and fight</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The gift of life</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Your hands, the creases</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Your feet, your breathing</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>You're mine, you're perfect light</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_uioQqW8ac" target="_blank">Light - Gungor</a></span><br />
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-19111561102701937162015-07-03T20:48:00.002-07:002015-07-03T20:49:30.171-07:00What is Your Super Power? My First DS Convention<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXZSdj-uFX-4uY2e6-D_V79vhVVVXlRtxoEXpe7qhEyNOY51_PtY6TrR4OdHiWXAo94NDBoDQIUkI7qDmlFJEP4tAhL9hiEEW3U02EMPIhKbL41Ly7CmdUdR2W7EwiuGwpkrPdsIUBLef/s1600/11202062_10205579059610559_5872692571100315593_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXZSdj-uFX-4uY2e6-D_V79vhVVVXlRtxoEXpe7qhEyNOY51_PtY6TrR4OdHiWXAo94NDBoDQIUkI7qDmlFJEP4tAhL9hiEEW3U02EMPIhKbL41Ly7CmdUdR2W7EwiuGwpkrPdsIUBLef/s640/11202062_10205579059610559_5872692571100315593_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mom, my BFF Jos and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend my first ever Down Syndrome convention, thanks to our amazing local group, the <a href="http://dsno.org/" target="_blank">Down Syndrome Network of Oregon</a>!!!! The <a href="http://www.ndsccenter.org/" target="_blank">National Down Syndrome Congress</a> was holding it's 43'rd annual meeting and I have only three words to describe what it was like...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">IT. WAS. AWESOME!! And the best part? The people. Let me explain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My first goal of the weekend was get a hug and a selfie with the famous Tim Harris, owner of Tim's Place. If you haven't watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6He0FWoFj0" target="_blank">this video</a> yet, you really should. Tim is a rock star, owns his own restaurant, started <a href="http://www.timsplace.com/tims-big-heart-foundation/" target="_blank">his own foundation</a> and could literally quit his day job to be a motivational speaker. I remember shortly after Ellie was born my whole family huddled around my phone and we watched his video with tears in our eyes. Tim is a true inspiration. He was a keynote speaker Friday night (making everyone cry tears of joy, of course) and we learned so much from him. These are Tim's </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tips for an Awesome Life, take note, they are really great:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Love people</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Work hard</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Believe in yourself</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Believe in others</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. Be happy and show it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6. Use your super power</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So that first evening, as we headed back to our hotel with our hearts full, we met him! My goal was accomplished- I was giddy can you tell?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXy2BTyFxqUJ71_sn2edn2jdXxwEZM26dpAvZTMDQ6UyQH6ecMKd6SEAuEVWXXIqbqc3BLkBJXrYDijpw8b0jE0jhhueo1J69wlgCdMDr2xxI4iztRmx73vHkTQo6gmzouTwTrTQKh5wcT/s1600/11666241_10206139784725116_8172422747225269670_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXy2BTyFxqUJ71_sn2edn2jdXxwEZM26dpAvZTMDQ6UyQH6ecMKd6SEAuEVWXXIqbqc3BLkBJXrYDijpw8b0jE0jhhueo1J69wlgCdMDr2xxI4iztRmx73vHkTQo6gmzouTwTrTQKh5wcT/s640/11666241_10206139784725116_8172422747225269670_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also had the absolute pleasure of meeting some of my Rockin' Moms in REAL LIFE. These gals have been there since our girl was born and I owe so much to them. We have been through thick and thin together, and I am so looking forward to meeting more of our Rockin' Moms in September at our first retreat. Here's a group picture from the dance on Saturday night, along with some of my dead relatives (orbs) haha, roll your eyes it's OK.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoMl-7UQY2s99-kPNwn72JuoZbtHMZ_XgehoPK0hwz9j0JoyBloke4hi2vtqNnuLdhZoltJQacO5DFUbVEMHKKkYc2XjYaYTC7n37YeglnpO6UBXMmUODIRIiw9H3mt_oIwkckNcZlzNf/s1600/11692751_10206150029341225_2602248580554626570_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoMl-7UQY2s99-kPNwn72JuoZbtHMZ_XgehoPK0hwz9j0JoyBloke4hi2vtqNnuLdhZoltJQacO5DFUbVEMHKKkYc2XjYaYTC7n37YeglnpO6UBXMmUODIRIiw9H3mt_oIwkckNcZlzNf/s640/11692751_10206150029341225_2602248580554626570_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the convention I sat in many sessions that were informative and eye opening. I learned about apps that are helpful as well as Speech therapy tips from Libby Kumin, who is wonderful. I already own her book and seeing her in action was awesome. She genuinely loves the kids she works with and she had some great tips for working in speech therapy tricks during everyday life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lastly, I have share with you about my new friend Casey. As we were waiting in between sessions, us girls decided we should sneak in a cocktail. As we sat at the bar a handsome guy with Down syndrome sat down and ordered a Bud Light. Jos immediately sparked up a conversation with him. We learned that he has a girlfriend who he is planning on proposing to, he is a proud uncle of his nieces and he was going to have a new nephew any day. Jos asked him to describe what a typical night would be like after he's married. He said he would come in and ask his wife to get him a beer. We all giggled but then he started talking about dinnertime. He said he would turn the music on while they made dinner, and twirl his wife in the kitchen, just like his dad did to his mom. Jos and I lost it and had huge tears in our eyes. So then we asked him for a picture and were laughing at how his debit card, Bud Light and his shirt all matched!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPiT2JYtC-qxZLGQpC-1SIqJ_a4YnLs2BAolgP_jgjel_HBb61Y4nxQDSrCbXi6zeqREcpD7WPeW74lzRUYD1lU6A_5wIs1cNP-GlEFWqz-GmqFSHNpRHiZYdGKgciwNhYZY5XVaO-alH/s1600/11665710_10203025516918599_6032484611968525989_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPiT2JYtC-qxZLGQpC-1SIqJ_a4YnLs2BAolgP_jgjel_HBb61Y4nxQDSrCbXi6zeqREcpD7WPeW74lzRUYD1lU6A_5wIs1cNP-GlEFWqz-GmqFSHNpRHiZYdGKgciwNhYZY5XVaO-alH/s640/11665710_10203025516918599_6032484611968525989_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I ended up finding Casey's mom on Facebook and had to share the story of how he was the highlight of our whole trip. She is an awesome lady! And now I'm friends with Casey on Facebook too! Casey's mom has a company called <a href="http://www.wordywormreading.com/" target="_blank">Wordy Worm Reading</a>. With our girl being such a book lover I am looking forward to learning more about this program! It's amazing to me how life connects us to others, I truly believe all of us were meant to skip our 3:30 session that day! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Being in a place with hundreds of people with Down syndrome was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was inspiring, exciting, and gave me hope.I am so grateful to the DSNO for the scholarship to attend this year. I look forward to sharing everything I learned at a mom's cocktail hour at my house! :) </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I look forward to being able to attend another convention someday, Florida in 2016?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> We will see!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">No other song could sum up last weekend like this one can, so here it is:</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Happy - Pharrell Williams</span></a><br />
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-74853392208432460622015-05-24T15:17:00.002-07:002015-05-24T15:22:11.751-07:00#sharethelove<div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You know that old saying "it takes a village to raise a child?" I never fully understood the meaning behind it until I joined the Rockin' Mom groups through the <a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/" target="_blank">Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network</a>. There is such comfort in knowing I can navigate through this sometimes uncertain journey, and that I will always have these moms to lean on. We will always have each other, through thick and thin. Our kids are growing up together and they too will have each other. It's a connection unlike anything I've ever experienced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have decided to raise funds to help our amazing DSDN families grow and thrive. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The DSDN shepherds kids from 0 to age 3, and provides support to the families of these children through the</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/0zD50/ab/34mCbd" target="_blank">#sharethelove Rockin' Family Fund</a>. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are one big rockin' family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who are these rockin' families? Please watch and find out in the beautiful video below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/128736800" target="_blank">#SHARETHELOVE Video</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With only one week left in our fundraiser we are hopeful that we can reach our goal of $10,000! Please help us get there by clicking <a href="https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/0zD50/ab/34mCbd" target="_blank">this link</a> and donating, every single dollar helps. If you want to read a really thoughtful post about it, my co-advisory board member and co-video planner <a href="http://kimchilatkes.com/" target="_blank">Jisun</a> explains it much more eloquently than I can <a href="http://kimchilatkes.com/2015/05/06/down-syndrome-diagnosis-network-sharethelove/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We thought it was important for you to know our kids and to have a glimpse into our lives. Jisun and I reached out to our Rockin' Moms for photos, and we received hundreds of gorgeous submissions.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My brother Joey generously donated his video creating services. After many long nights, multiple messages, lots of editing and rearranging, he had to gently tell us </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">that if he used every photo we received that the video would run for 30 minutes! It was painstaking to narrow it down into a 5 minute video. Below are some</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> examples of the stunning images we received.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Please help us fulfill our mission and give our Rockin’ Families the support, love, courage, and community they need. Are you wondering where the funds go? Your donations will enable us to help our families in the following ways:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Welcome <br />When a pregnant or new mother first hears the words "your baby has Down syndrome", it can be a time full of uncertainty for what the future holds. DSDN is there to welcome these new parents into our <a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/#!support/c1pna" target="_blank">Rockin' Mom support groups</a>. We estimate that our Rockin' groups will grow by 500-600 moms this year alone! Having others who understand what you are going through is invaluable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Rockin' Family Fund will enable us to send a small gift to each new mom and child that join our network, ensuring that every family is able to see the celebration in this new </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />2. Support</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes our Rockin' kids are sick. We have some children who require heart surgery, long hospital stays and encounter other medical concerns. It is such an amazing feeling to be able to brighten a family's day with hope when facing medical uncertainty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Rockin' Family Fund will help us send care packages to families facing medical issues and extended hospital stays.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Comfort </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sadly, we have lost a few of our babies in our DSDN Rockin' Family. It is heartbreaking to see the announcement when a child passes away. It is important for us to support these families through the hardest time of their life. Late last year we began sending memorial wind chimes to families grieving the loss of a child. Every time one is sent out, our hearts break knowing what that family is facing. The Rockin' Family rallies around these parents and we come together to mourn the loss. We have also created a loss support group so these families will have each other to lean on in the days ahead.<br /><br />The Rockin' Family Fund will help us</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> continue to s</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">end a personalized memorial wind chime to families that experience a loss.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Empower</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many times upon learning of a Down syndrome diagnosis, families will have a thirst to gather as much information as possible. There are many local and national opportunities for education through conferences, retreats and classes. But sometimes there are financial limitations keeping families from attending.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Rockin' Family Fund will enable us to empower families to seek out information and resources to best support their family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Can you help us #sharethelove? Please <a href="https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/0zD50/ab/34mCbd" target="_blank">donate today</a> and offer the gift of hope to these families.</span></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-20942468008750829472015-03-29T15:48:00.002-07:002015-03-29T21:23:41.923-07:00Fate Smiled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Oooh, I believe, fate smiled<br />And destiny laughed as you came to my cradle<br />Know this child will be able<br />Laughed as my body she lifted<br />Know this child will be gifted<br />With love, with patience, and with faith<br />She'll make her way...</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will never forget the day Natalie Merchant's song "Wonder" played in my kitchen. It had only been a week or so since Ellie was born when I really heard this song for the first time, with new ears. I almost fell to my knees listening to the lyrics and I truly believed that I was meant to hear that song, at that very moment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today as I was brushing Ellie's hair into two little pig tails I couldn't help but think back to a little over 6 years ago. I was pregnant with Luke and it was when Jesse and I <a href="http://our3lilbirds.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-girl-of-our-dreams.html" target="_blank">both had the dreams</a>. The dreams about the little girl who was ours, with almond eyes and an extra chromosome. I will never forget those two pig tails and sweet smile. I can't believe that because of these dreams we made the decision to be done having children- as if to not "risk it". I had no idea of the little soul that was waiting up there for us. Waiting for that right moment to come down and be ours, to rock our world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am a true believer in serendipity, fate, and destiny. How could I not be? It was not a coincidence that Jesse and I both had dreams about Ellie. I look at the past two years, and the journey our life has taken. I think about the people I am meeting along the way, it doesn't feel like just any other ordinary connection. I look at my existing relationships and how they are deepening to a whole new level. There's something more to it, something extraordinary that is hard to put into words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today as I looked at my daughter; a sassy, opinionated, smart, beautiful 2 year old little girl, I realize she is exactly who she is meant to be. She completes our party of five and I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't change her for the entire world. And I'm confident that she'll make her way.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvy5oq3vIkF9kFCCFZkB5nQoH0Wo7OfmqwH2d8TlGbqT05P20ong0VmGdi3FpEpbqeU9jyL9XNfnUlAgJDXmfr_LA2iiA9-0ATeA9q9Tgrh-M8nEjZxEEZb5wnCEThlTrknYY198VnY0l/s1600/march13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvy5oq3vIkF9kFCCFZkB5nQoH0Wo7OfmqwH2d8TlGbqT05P20ong0VmGdi3FpEpbqeU9jyL9XNfnUlAgJDXmfr_LA2iiA9-0ATeA9q9Tgrh-M8nEjZxEEZb5wnCEThlTrknYY198VnY0l/s1600/march13.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That face!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2h-ut6XNP_CKIDhiRUDvSaAcp0usYyn5eevm2jeiX3iXGLijjtcuj1kEKn8055k-iS57Yeb3LYKAsUcwkH6HHA6c8AAwN5-3jjckYv7axMeb3Qh-Zg_R-pV2PjNf2qlDHHvJ6TIRAt-1V/s1600/march9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2h-ut6XNP_CKIDhiRUDvSaAcp0usYyn5eevm2jeiX3iXGLijjtcuj1kEKn8055k-iS57Yeb3LYKAsUcwkH6HHA6c8AAwN5-3jjckYv7axMeb3Qh-Zg_R-pV2PjNf2qlDHHvJ6TIRAt-1V/s1600/march9.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snuggles from her big brother Luke</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But I want it now!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to include some drama queen photos!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6BTDl-w0MgEbN97syff9t3AbPNLJNRtTm0z0lqOcWee_tN-9CKkDJuhFvE88Kg56cjDtLSeEj328i_T1qE47dnf6i8KPUIlVRaBBvc4sI0jwa1FFXiiVzFCgCvUUlw9-u9GDlQ89evDd/s1600/march10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6BTDl-w0MgEbN97syff9t3AbPNLJNRtTm0z0lqOcWee_tN-9CKkDJuhFvE88Kg56cjDtLSeEj328i_T1qE47dnf6i8KPUIlVRaBBvc4sI0jwa1FFXiiVzFCgCvUUlw9-u9GDlQ89evDd/s1600/march10.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brotherly lovin'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH45qQY2O525gctLS8v29FwAAMIoQIBxquw5WS-WnAX1I0AbRId2D_zfsTPNymhgfgL06di0fXADL_xlU5-76ltuXEHwJhdsOK0g8sm8OEVQuBzV0mKbgMULQvmf_60XuQQQto0-rVu2fL/s1600/elliemommy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH45qQY2O525gctLS8v29FwAAMIoQIBxquw5WS-WnAX1I0AbRId2D_zfsTPNymhgfgL06di0fXADL_xlU5-76ltuXEHwJhdsOK0g8sm8OEVQuBzV0mKbgMULQvmf_60XuQQQto0-rVu2fL/s1600/elliemommy.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My girl</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zpYFAzhAZY" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wonder - Natalie Merchant</span></a></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-11213064883650618142015-03-21T12:19:00.001-07:002015-03-21T13:33:49.450-07:003/21/15 World Down Syndrome Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Guess what day it is!!?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's 3-21, otherwise known as World Down Syndrome Day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have so much to talk about that I don't even know where to start!! Can you hear the excitement in voice?? I mean in my typing!?!?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-UDMAi3Bld72oSnD0jZCKAK9XM5yvOhps0lazvP8O6wUQDXKYmtyh2PfVH1h1Hv3n53qRjteGVLONaL184Jy8Unxn-KqvCJR3gT0YeG9AhF8ZwrChEyRICeYkP57I6i_Riv9IduORCXF/s1600/wdsd3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-UDMAi3Bld72oSnD0jZCKAK9XM5yvOhps0lazvP8O6wUQDXKYmtyh2PfVH1h1Hv3n53qRjteGVLONaL184Jy8Unxn-KqvCJR3gT0YeG9AhF8ZwrChEyRICeYkP57I6i_Riv9IduORCXF/s1600/wdsd3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First off, <a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/" target="_blank">the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network</a> has been fortunate to team up with the amazing and talented blogger <a href="http://www.meriahnichols.com/" target="_blank">Meriah Nichols</a> in <a href="http://www.adayinthelifewithdownsyndrome.com/" target="_blank">A Day in the Life of Down Syndrome</a>. We submitted our day here: <a href="http://www.adayinthelifewithdownsyndrome.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-our-2-year-old-bookworm/" target="_blank">A Day in the Life of Our 2 Year Old Bookworm</a>. I posted a video of Ellie reading at 26 months old at the end of the post. She is just amazing us! We also posted photos to Instagram and Facebook with the hashtag #lifewithDs. I'm still new to this hashtagging business but I think I figured it out. Here are a couple of my faves:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My big bro Joey helped design a shirt that we sold to raise funds for DSDN and we ended up selling more than our goal. Check out the awesome design (and the cute kids wearing them!) I'm kicking myself now, I wish I would have bought Jess and I shirts too! My father-in-law has one he will be sporting, the kid's daycare lady Lynn bought one (we love you Wynn!!!) and my friend Megan from high school even bought one. Heart. Is. Full!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Mighty made a shout out to their contributors to submit a short video answering the question "what is one thing you wish people knew about down syndrome?" and my boys answered. Check out the beautiful video below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://themighty.com/2015/03/whats-one-thing-you-wish-people-knew-about-down-syndrome/" target="_blank">The Mighty - WDSD Video</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday the boys wore their sweet new shirts to school (yes they are wearing them 2 days in a row, and no I didn't have time to wash them) :) Mrs. Miller, Luke's Kindergarten teacher even played the Mighty video for the whole class, twice! Luke was so excited to share it with his friends, his smile was a mile wide when he got off the bus yesterday!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Mighty also wrote a story about how those with <a href="http://themighty.com/2015/03/11-people-with-down-syndrome-prove-they-experience-a-range-of-emotion/" target="_blank">Ds experience a range of emotion</a>... this isn't a surprising concept, right? Check it out and see Ellie and Lloyd (our kitty) in the article. I cannot tell you the number of times I've heard that people with Down syndrome are always happy. As a matter of fact, one day Ellie and I were in our favorite store (Target) and a gal probably in her 80's walked by and said "oh, look at her, she's so happy!" and Ellie's facial expression at that moment was like this: LOL!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh, and get this!! Ellie is going to help <a href="http://changingthefaceofbeauty.org/" target="_blank">Change the Face of Beauty</a>! I'm sure you've heard about this wonderful campaign started by Katie Driscoll. Back in December the special needs community was encouraged to call out companies to use people of all abilities in their advertising. Well I had sent Ellie's photo to a local modeling agency and found out last night that they want to use her! The night before WDSD. How neat is that!?!? They are called <a href="http://www.puddletowntalent.com/" target="_blank">Puddletown Talent </a>and are located in Portland. I'm so excited and they are too. I will keep you posted on that in the coming months! I'll never forget when Ellie's friend <a href="http://www.people.com/article/izzy-bradley-down-syndrome-target-advertisement" target="_blank">Izzy's picture was in the Target ad</a> and my boys said "mom!!! she's just like sissy", they LOVED seeing her in the ad. I can't wait for the day that seeing people of all abilities in advertising isn't a big deal anymore. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So the plan for this special day is to mow the lawn and follow that up with an afternoon nap then Red Robin for bottomless fries, and maybe big beers. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also celebrated "<a href="http://www.r-word.org/" target="_blank">Spread the Word to End the Word</a>" on 3/4. I shared the below photo of Ellie and it was shared 418 times, I was blown away. The support from friends and family as well as strangers is humbling. I am so grateful. Thank you my friends for sharing this important message!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few more photos of this cute little face:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So for this post I asked Will to pick the song. He loves this song and it's one of our top picks for our dance parties in our kitchen. :) And note we chose the Spongebob version because the actual music video is weird and inappropriate!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">P.S I dare you to play the song and see if you can keep yourself from busting a move, I bet you can't! Just try it!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ_SqUVCFzw" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Turn Down For What - DJ Snake Feat Lil Jon</span></a>Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-52285063059419978802015-01-25T11:32:00.000-08:002015-01-31T12:19:17.168-08:00The Smartest 2 Year Old Ever<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was the evening before Ellie's 2nd birthday and I was doing that "thing". The whole self-pity thing that I tell other mom's not to do. Our kids are awesome, they are on their own timeline! We can't worry about milestones! You see, Miss Ellie isn't walking yet. Just taking her to the grocery store I am asked "how old is she? is she walking yet?" Almost every single time. So I was dwelling... There's something about a big milestone like a birthday that brings all of those emotions to the forefront for me. It makes me crazy that I do the very thing I encourage others not to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On this day I was just wallowing in it. These emotions always sneak up on me it seems. But then our neighbor girl came over. She is 11, and she had her friend with her. She was excited to show her friend all of Ellie's cool tricks. "Watch, she can whistle!" her friend was shocked. Then she asked if she could get Ellie's favorite book, and I said "of course!" Ellie then read 6 words out of her book, she can sight read the words "eyes" and "toes" and she makes correct animal sounds when she sees the word "cat", "elephant" and "tiger", and she waves for the word "wave". Our neighbor's friend said "how does she do that!? She is the smartest 2 year old ever!!" I felt my heart swell, then I felt guilty. Ellie is not reaching milestones on time, she is even behind some of her peers with Down syndrome. But you know what? She is rocking it in her own way. We are so so proud of our girl. She continues to amaze us daily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie had her 2 year doc appt, and the same week had her 2 year check-up with the Down Syndrome Clinic at OHSU and all of the awesome staff there. We are so lucky to have such a great medical team that cares about Ellie! I highly recommend the Ds Clinic, it's a long appointment but SO worth it. She met with an audiologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and Dr. Pinter. After the appointment they send a packet of information with all of their notes and suggestions. It's so nice to have it as a baseline for Ellie and I plan on taking her there every year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We reviewed everything we have been working on since her 18 month appt, including the introduction to her thyroid meds. I have to mention that Ellie's Ped and the Ds Clinic are not advocates for treating her thyroid based on her #'s, as they feel they are within normal range. One other point that was brought up was that if I truly felt treating thyroid was important, then I should consider a synthetic thyroid medicine. There's a fine balance in following my mama-gut and also making sure I'm doing the right things for Ellie that is safe. So with that said, they both acknowledge she is doing great and that what I am doing currently won't harm her health. So I am getting more blood work next week to make sure everything looks good and will go from there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie has been on</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> her thyroid meds for 4 months now. Jess and I have seen a HUGE difference in her. She had 3 teeth come in within the first week of being on the medication! I couldn't believe it. She also seemed stronger and more solid, and she is on her way to walking. I had said I would do an update on her symptoms, so here is a comparison of her initial symptoms (the reason I explored thyroid treatment) and I compared them to how she's doing now:</span><br />
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<li>She stopped growing </li>
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<li>UPDATE: At her 2 year appt she has grown to 33.5" and 24 pounds since her 18 month check-up. She's in the 50% for height and a tiny nugget at 16% for weight. The docs are happy with her growth and height to weight ratio. Still a string bean but growing steadily. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the mottling on her skin here. Doesn't she look big though?</td></tr>
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<li>Mottled skin </li>
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<li>UPDATE: She still has slight mottling (all of my kids had this) but it's much much better. </li>
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<li>Cold hands and feet </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: Her little hands and feet are warm now! </li>
</ul>
<li>Constipation </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: This one is a big one for us, we have dealt with constipation since Ellie was born pretty much. She's now mostly regular. It's so nice to not worry about that anymore. Oh I bet she will love to read this when she's older...</li>
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<li>Tongue protrusion </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: Ellie still has tongue protrusion but she is better about keeping her tongue in. She also understands the concept of "tongue in" and "tongue out" so that's what we focus on now. Her OT actually noted the improvement from her first visit versus after the thyroid treatment.</li>
</ul>
<li>Swollen belly </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: Now that her poops are in check, her Buddha belly is much better. She still has a bit of a belly on her (just like her mama) :) </li>
</ul>
<li>Yellowish skin </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: She no longer has a yellow nose, but her hands and feet have a slight yellow tinge. Upon reviewing her diet we found out that most of the foods she eats are yellow/orange. Her doc says this is most likely the culprit so I'm working on that one!</li>
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<li>Tiny feet! </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: I sure wish I measured her feet before and after the meds, but I do know that she fills out her cute shoes finally. I am sure they grew, I just can't tell you how many sizes! </li>
</ul>
<li>Delayed tooth eruption (5 teeth at 20 mos) </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: 3 teeth came in within the first week of the medicine. She has two more molars coming in on the bottom so we are up to 8 teeth and 2 peeking through! </li>
</ul>
<li>Dry skin </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: She gets chapped very easy on her cheeks and chin, but her dry patches on her elbows and knees have cleared up. </li>
</ul>
<li>Puffy eyes </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: I think her eyes look less puffy, when I look back at photos and compare them to now I think this is improved. </li>
</ul>
<li>Low iron levels </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: I'm still working on this one, I need to add iron to her supplement list and have been bad about adding yet another one. This one is my fault! </li>
</ul>
<li>Low muscle tone </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: I definitely see a marked improvement in her tone. She feels so solid to us and strong, it's amazing! She can go from sitting to standing unassisted which is huge for her.</li>
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<li>Reflux (she is a spitter-upper, still!) </li>
<ul>
<li>UPDATE: This is no longer an issue. Her frequent spit up is gone! </li>
</ul>
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</ul>
<li>Delayed fontanel closure (still has a soft spot) </li>
<ul>
<li>Just checked it and it's barely there, even Jess was surprised at how small it is now! </li>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The past few months we've had a lot of fun, super busy Christmas celebrations with our family, the kids were spoiled rotten by their Grammee, Papa, Grandma, aunts and uncles and cousins. Jess and I had a fun date night new years eve which is rare since we don't like leaving the kids on new years! We even squeezed in a quick trip to see our BFF's in Dallas and so Jess and Scott could watch the Duck game (which made us realize how stinking much we MISS them!!!) we are now counting down until they come visit us this summer!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />I also went with my mom and Jos and some other neat gals to watch Famous Iris (and Jos') BIG film debut in the movie "Wild" with Reese Witherspoon. It was SO fun!! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a still from her big scene, I hope it's OK I post it here! It was so funny watching Jos sink in her theater seat as we all screamed LOUD during her scene!! Sorry Jos, but it was awesome and exciting to see your faces on the big screen! Wooo hooooo!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few more of our favorite pics from the past couple of months. I am focusing on Ellie pics since it's her 2 year birthday update. I seriously took too many (no surprise there) and need to sort them out and organize them!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking so pretty in her Christmas dress (courtesy of Grammee!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Our handsome dudes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XHpeYi9DL1KrJ8D8SKLzaXQx_s1IdZZ_QDXSnvkduLOY4-sSrV47d89zphPSbelx5RHgVper2PsuKEnzRmiCtliJOi5FzcCH23eqhbPXGFpjITQ9vRzKThM9OyzZ-jhMrMK0wBBQGbEF/s1600/dec2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XHpeYi9DL1KrJ8D8SKLzaXQx_s1IdZZ_QDXSnvkduLOY4-sSrV47d89zphPSbelx5RHgVper2PsuKEnzRmiCtliJOi5FzcCH23eqhbPXGFpjITQ9vRzKThM9OyzZ-jhMrMK0wBBQGbEF/s1600/dec2.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving her new cabbage patch from Grammee and Papa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifixEMcBQ7xBiROPQgDPOd05aVobwGpBnKYAbNVOZWVcdlmNeg12ZSKHm7x0E-h95nK7iZL_M88sVOm8j140BDi5RWG20-XtoZsS0MxLXMi9334XvrMNk4xyevmb8Hq5OQjV7LiQhy3CWe/s1600/jan26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifixEMcBQ7xBiROPQgDPOd05aVobwGpBnKYAbNVOZWVcdlmNeg12ZSKHm7x0E-h95nK7iZL_M88sVOm8j140BDi5RWG20-XtoZsS0MxLXMi9334XvrMNk4xyevmb8Hq5OQjV7LiQhy3CWe/s1600/jan26.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 2nd bday baby girl!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Wg9j-81BZeRFsfBhzhoEOsSdezzklDYAuQ4mXoQ_exxYAOVHklYccXqbzrkjiVng2U0SBhZzi5UcA-lynSVRACPoBbhJC0skGCeKkk2WqJawnhxAZuzcVdX1Rs1bjXdgaSUwJlbUuopi/s1600/ellie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Wg9j-81BZeRFsfBhzhoEOsSdezzklDYAuQ4mXoQ_exxYAOVHklYccXqbzrkjiVng2U0SBhZzi5UcA-lynSVRACPoBbhJC0skGCeKkk2WqJawnhxAZuzcVdX1Rs1bjXdgaSUwJlbUuopi/s1600/ellie.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A comparison from last year's 1st bday pic! Look at how big she is!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pdGu-RtB4qKfpOJsIDtUK5OqPA8Q6B1o-cIc9ZHTw8hsMKKfEift1mQttN34uQjYnPZdFPC1oBTFfjE7hoM1_m2Wp_IdUvgOmmJdhWU_Z4OARyCQsBm5zYdQ_1L3XqTAvkcujjxz6zva/s1600/jan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pdGu-RtB4qKfpOJsIDtUK5OqPA8Q6B1o-cIc9ZHTw8hsMKKfEift1mQttN34uQjYnPZdFPC1oBTFfjE7hoM1_m2Wp_IdUvgOmmJdhWU_Z4OARyCQsBm5zYdQ_1L3XqTAvkcujjxz6zva/s1600/jan1.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My ballerina in her dress from Uncle Matt and Auntie DiDi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mEMNryrJUGtfwkiQ-_5p1r-2g1cJI4-lzTjU1pysd_WyziAWOtVhIIus8T0CaUjVSrTu4LJGhWt_FlYKkXhVou5hdp7axR-SC1Xmtom6H2cNHcva80hQBsoLKmKQkUBKrjIaNhMX0qQ1/s1600/jan20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mEMNryrJUGtfwkiQ-_5p1r-2g1cJI4-lzTjU1pysd_WyziAWOtVhIIus8T0CaUjVSrTu4LJGhWt_FlYKkXhVou5hdp7axR-SC1Xmtom6H2cNHcva80hQBsoLKmKQkUBKrjIaNhMX0qQ1/s1600/jan20.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little doll</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPnkVbY3ZyHJYx_Zun1xHsua3Bqx2fYOry6O78-vTb5wbkzwmxA9qqLghI76T-UabrVs5nbBuzq4CeN3sglwCoe-bb9rVDgqruvNOyMQXBTG90kJVnPzekx953KaYeRb5orKSrgMmfOGN/s1600/jan16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPnkVbY3ZyHJYx_Zun1xHsua3Bqx2fYOry6O78-vTb5wbkzwmxA9qqLghI76T-UabrVs5nbBuzq4CeN3sglwCoe-bb9rVDgqruvNOyMQXBTG90kJVnPzekx953KaYeRb5orKSrgMmfOGN/s1600/jan16.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my all time faves of our girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tTPajAuypXr_iLxdI9nKMt2WU_vDCocs3WaWy40zKA9qpp9mk3tCJE_gQ4Wbgw6Fe8x_CzokUXqrF2OooJ7witDwsNz0QHi48QCnbF9X7UNgj9ViFVaIIDqT64Zh0EU6LIM0mG2ipAhg/s1600/jan19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tTPajAuypXr_iLxdI9nKMt2WU_vDCocs3WaWy40zKA9qpp9mk3tCJE_gQ4Wbgw6Fe8x_CzokUXqrF2OooJ7witDwsNz0QHi48QCnbF9X7UNgj9ViFVaIIDqT64Zh0EU6LIM0mG2ipAhg/s1600/jan19.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our neighbor Kate LOVES Ellie, and Ellie loves her too</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For this week's song I chose one from the movie Wild. Do you ever hear a song and it immediately takes you back? This one was almost haunting for me, as I had not heard it since my dad was alive. He used to sing and whistle it all of the time- but I didn't realize it until I was sitting in that theater hearing it again after all these years. After the movie I immediately found it online and listened to it, and sent it to all my brothers. They remembered it like I did. It's funny how a song can do that to you and can stir up so many emotions. This was a good reminder of how music has been such an important part of my life and has shaped many of my memories. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pey29CLID3I" target="_blank">El Condor Pasa - Simon and Garfunkel</a></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgua-WntO-eCWFrhO7SbAVCA0-zHE6ucfOjMhkoFXYSf8hrCSXn4zN5HGEqady51S5I8pGsIJAlQOL-jjI05AO0KssyzuDA6rfIOLlC4hpE07ao3OdupkqT7fTZzSoe373B7HNfhPJqtqBE/s1600/jan24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgua-WntO-eCWFrhO7SbAVCA0-zHE6ucfOjMhkoFXYSf8hrCSXn4zN5HGEqady51S5I8pGsIJAlQOL-jjI05AO0KssyzuDA6rfIOLlC4hpE07ao3OdupkqT7fTZzSoe373B7HNfhPJqtqBE/s1600/jan24.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the face she and her daddy do to each other, I love it!</td></tr>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-22934325332149423152015-01-19T22:16:00.002-08:002015-01-19T23:12:55.866-08:00The Best Advice I've Received<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's been two years already since we welcomed Ellie into our lives, with her little extra somethin' somethin'. And in these two years I have received some amazing advice; "be kind to yourself", "don't project into the future, enjoy each day", "milestones, schmilestones", "don't compare", "don't limit her", "admit when you need a break", and "follow your gut". The last one has proven to be an important one. But the one that has really stayed with me was given to me less than a month after Ellie was born. Let me explain how it all happened.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Somehow, the <a href="http://www.dsno.org/" target="_blank">Down Syndrome Network of Oregon</a> heard about Ellie's birth diagnosis and they wanted to give me a Basket of Hope. I had no idea what this meant, and I hesitantly agreed to meet a local mom. We chatted over email and I found out she had a son named Jacob with Down syndrome, he was 13 at the time. They planned on coming over to meet Ellie, and so I could meet Jacob.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meeting Jacob would be the first time I had actually talked to someone with Down syndrome. I was nervous and I asked my mom come over to meet them with me. Come to find out, in a fateful sort of way, this mother lived a couple doors down in our neighborhood just a few years before! And now they live only a couple of miles away, I love when this stuff happens! She and Jacob and his older sister arrived and were so welcoming and sweet. Jacob was tall and lanky, considerate and well spoken. I'm ashamed to say it now, but upon meeting him I realized I had some serious misconceptions about what the diagnosis meant, and I had a lot to learn. He was so sweet with Ellie. He held her carefully and he brought tears to our eyes when he said quietly "you're like me". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jacob's mom was laid back and easy to talk to. I felt like I had known her my whole life. She asked me what we liked to do for fun, and I told her our favorite things were entertaining and going boating. This was when she said "so, you like to throw parties? Keep doing it. You like to go boating? Keep going boating." It was as simple as that. It was a defining moment for me. It's hard for me to explain but I felt lighter, like a weight had lifted off of my shoulders. I kept thinking our lives were forever changed when we found out about Ellie's Down syndrome. She went on to explain how therapy is important, but to not let it rule your life. Real life, Ellie being home with her brothers, going on the boat, spending time with family and friends doing regular things is just as important as therapy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since meeting her that day I think about her words often. I get caught up (a lot) in wondering if I'm doing the right things. The list of therapies available is as long as my arm, and the list of vitamins and supplements she could be taking is huge. She doesn't just get a gummy vitamin like her bros, I'll admit that, but I really have to take a step back quite a bit to make sure I'm not spinning out of control with the research. We have a smart happy little girl who is a complete riot, who loves partying and she absolutely loves boating. Our life as we know it is pretty dang good, and I'm so glad I had this seasoned mom to remind me that <i>things only would change for us if I let them</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next weekend I get to deliver a Basket of Hope to a new local mom. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have to mention how grateful I am to the Down Syndrome Network of Oregon to give me this opportunity. Receiving that basket two years ago meant the world to me. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am so giddy to be able to meet this mom and her beautiful new baby boy. We have been in touch over the last few months and I feel like I know her already. Actually, there were two new babies born in the area on the same exact day, how awesome is that!? I just have to say it, welcome to the club new mama's!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week's song is just a random one I love, and below is a photo of our big 2 year old. I will do a 2 year Ellie update post soon. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXxcMw5PTDg" target="_blank">Where Do the Children Play - Cat Stevens</a></span><br />
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<br />Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-35913621126955482302014-11-30T21:34:00.000-08:002014-11-30T21:35:23.143-08:00A Thank You to My Brother's Teacher, 40 Years Later<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We all have one. A teacher who holds a special place in our hearts, who will forever be remembered and cherished. They may have gone the extra mile, believed in you when you didn't believe in yourself, or even pushed you when you didn't think you could accomplish something. But the impact they made on your life is something you will always remember.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mine is a woman named Mrs. West, who I am still in contact with today thanks to social media. When I was placed in her class in the 2nd grade I cried. I begged and pleaded with my mom to switch me to a different class, Mrs. West was mean and everyone knew it! My mom told me that if I still felt the same way in a month, then I could switch. Well luckily she gave me the freedom to make the choice on my own. She ended up being my most favorite teacher of all. She was my teacher in 2nd grade, 3rd grade and even for a few classes in 8th grade. That's a small town for ya! She was something special, and by the way she wasn't mean at all. Strict, yes, but she was loving, gentle, and helped instill confidence in me. She wi</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">ll forever be "that" teacher in my heart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This brings me to the whole reason I'm writing this post. My brother Danny has been talking about his Head Start teacher Karen ever since I can remember. He's 13 years older than me so it seems like from my first memories as a kid I can remember him talking about this awesome teacher of his. My brother has a memory like a steel trap and can recall things that happened when he was 4 or 5 years old that blow me away. He talks about how she was encouraging, loving, and she wholeheartedly believed in him. It impacted him in a way that stayed with him, for over 40-something years to be exact!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">About a year ago my brother picked up his phone and called the information line. Who knew that still existed!? He asked for Karen by name and the town she taught in, which was in California. He was connected to a lady on the phone. Danny giggles when he recalls how he said in his deep voice, "hello, this is Daniel, I am Karen's student from 1969, I was 4 and 5 years old when she was my teacher." The woman on the other end was Karen's sister-in-law, and she knew Karen would be absolutely thrilled to hear from one of her students. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When Danny and Karen connected over the phone I wondered if she really remembered him. This was over 40 years ago, and as a special education teacher she had taught many many students in that time. Well they started talking on the phone quite frequently. Not too long ago</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Danny excitedly told me that Karen was coming up to Oregon to see him, along with her brother. What? She is? I thought he was surely messing with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last week I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Karen in person. She and her brother came all the way from California to see my brother. Let me say that again. They came all the way from California to see my brother, 40-something years after she had him as a student!! They stopped by my house to meet me and my kids. When I opened the door Karen proclaimed "You look JUST like your mother!" It brought a huge smile to my face. It was wonderful to hear her talk about my mom and my brother. Hearing about Danny as a little boy, just Luke's age was so neat to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She helped Danny pick out gifts for my kids, coloring books, crayons, pads of paper and more. The boys knew the story behind Karen so they were showing off everything they knew, writing their letters, putting together sentences, counting, you name it. They were excited to have a teacher in the house and she seemed genuinely impressed! I got to sit and chat with her about her life, how she had been a teacher in Head Start and went on to be a speech therapist. She is now retired from teaching. I loved hearing about her students with Down syndrome who she has watched grow up into independent adults. She had such uplifting and positive information to share with me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And as to whether she really remembered my brother? She absolutely did! She remembers details such as his favorite movie as a kid. She remembers how smart he was and how funny he was, even way back then! She cares for him so much and it shows. While visiting Danny they even had dinner at my mom's with my other brother Matt and sis-in-law Diane, then went to the casino with my other brother Kevin. She got to meet part of our big crazy family and she said it was one of her best vacations ever. She said she and her brother never stopped laughing.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny and Karen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWogyaj6FR5swh7Lx-RCmjaMtuuhsG_xY16vWtI7qe6UCnu6F3HMDxHDIH9V4xieNrmFnVtbyJglie4Fb7OpsC4jcVUX4Zf2ahbRhbNuGKOpOen3Pacf2VZHC42e-twtgOi7MGXym8RKWv/s1600/dpc1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWogyaj6FR5swh7Lx-RCmjaMtuuhsG_xY16vWtI7qe6UCnu6F3HMDxHDIH9V4xieNrmFnVtbyJglie4Fb7OpsC4jcVUX4Zf2ahbRhbNuGKOpOen3Pacf2VZHC42e-twtgOi7MGXym8RKWv/s1600/dpc1.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny and Karen's brother Dave</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Danny and Ellie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole group!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Karen, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hear a lot about how I will have to fight for Ellie once she's in school, be her advocate, and that it won't come without major challenges. I have been avoiding letting my mind go there because I know at age 3 she will be in the ECSE (Early Childhood Special Education) program and will be out of EI (Early Intervention) where we are now. I feel safe in this place and so the thought of her being in school scares me. We are only a year away! Fear was creeping into my heart, but meeting you has replaced that fear with hope. I am so grateful for teachers and human beings like you. You genuinely care for my big brother and I hope and pray that Ellie has her own Karen someday. Thank you!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For this week's song I thought about my bro and his favorite music. He loves his Irish tunes and is so proud of his heritage. One of his most favorites (besides Wild Rover) is Danny Boy, hmm I wonder why? Here is a great version by one of Danny's favorite singers, Johnny Cash.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_d6d-E_DwQ" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Danny Boy - Johnny Cash</span></a></span></div>
Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-72721929595081265352014-11-16T22:13:00.000-08:002014-11-18T23:30:14.491-08:00I Missed My Flight and So I Stayed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I haven't posted in a couple of months, time seems to be slipping right through my fingers. This is going to be another pictorial recap of September and October. We have
had a whirlwind of a time I tell ya, with the Buddy Walk, a once in a lifetime family vacation to Hawaii, Halloween,
Ellie whistling like crazy and her health update! And she's going to be 2 years old in two months!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The boys started school in September, we have a Kindergartener and 2nd grader now. Luke rocked his purple shirt, tie, and purple Nikes. I still remember to this day the way I felt when I started Kindergarten. Horrible butterflies and a sick feeling in my stomach. A feeling I still get to this day when I have to do something new that makes me uncomfortable. Luke on the other hand is nothing like me in that way, he was excited for his first day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had Ellie's Buddy Walk, it was amazing. We had a big group of walkers
and it was an absolutely beautiful day. I had set a goal to raise $1,000 for
the <a href="http://www.dsno.org/" target="_blank">Down Syndrome Network of Oregon</a>. We ended up tripling it and we raised over
$3,000! I couldn't believe the outpouring of support from my coworkers, family,
friends, even some of my new online friends that I have yet to meet in person.
We are so grateful. Thank you to those who donated and joined us in our walk.
It means the world to us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In September I had a little mom's get together at my house to talk about my appointment with our Naturopath <a href="http://www.downsyndrometreatment.net/" target="_blank">Dr. Peirson</a>. Having local moms to talk to in person is so important. The kids all play so well together. We spent most of the time talking about our stories and how we received the Ds diagnosis. There's something I have noticed in many of the stories I hear. I've heard stories about years of fertility struggles and then all of the sudden they were pregnant with their child with Down syndrome. Or they weren't expecting to have anymore children and "surprise!!" there they were! Or the dream thing, one of the local moms I chatted with also had a dream of their child before they were born. There's just a little shred of magic in these kid's conception and I am always left in awe. I wonder what that's all about... hmmm...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of my mom support, I am planning to meet many of my online rockin' moms in 2015. I'm so excited I can hardly see straight. I'll be going to a conference in June and I'm hoping to go to a retreat in September. I've made so many lifelong friends thanks to Ellie and I'm so grateful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A couple of fun things that have happened recently, I had
another blog posted on The Mighty, I sure love that inspirational site!! It was
the one where I wrote about my <a href="http://themighty.com/2014/10/im-a-third-generation-special-needs-mom/" target="_blank">big bro Danny and Uncle Dave.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Mighty also made a shout out for parents of children
with Down syndrome to share their thoughts about raising a child with Ds and
somehow my quote was picked. How cool is that? <a href="http://themighty.com/2014/10/these-24-people-have-advice-for-any-parent-who-just-received-a-down-syndrome-diagnosis/" target="_blank">These 24 People Have Advice For Any Parent Who Just Received a Down Syndrome Diagnosis</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also entered Ellie in a photo contest for an awesome site
called <a href="http://www.standupfordowns.org/" target="_blank">Stand Up For Downs</a>. They use humor and comedy to raise money, awareness, and get people laughing. I can so appreciate their mission. They had</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> a funny picture contest, and we could have won $1,000 to the charity
of our choice! I was hoping I could raise funds for our non-profit (</span><a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">the DSDN</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">) and we were
SO CLOSE at 5</span><sup style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> place!! The winner totally deserved the #1 spot, </span><a href="http://sufdphotocontest.pgtb.me/wzMvMP" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">you have to see the photo that won</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> it's hilarious. Here’s the picture I submitted, it makes me giggle:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">October was also Down Syndrome Awareness Month. I did this little photo of Ellie to celebrate. I actually printed this at Costco to hang in her room. Her face just kills me, she's so darn kissable!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also went on a trip to Hawaii to celebrate Jesse’s Uncle
Jack. He turned 60, and he is by far one of the coolest dudes I know. It was a big group of us, my in-laws, Jesse’s Grammy, along with our family that moved to Vietnam last year. It
was soooo relaxing and so wonderful to watch the cousins together again. The boys were so excited for their first time on
an airplane. Ellie traveled like a champ and made friends everywhere we went. We drank lots of mai tais and ate really good food thanks to the
cooking skills of my sis-in-law Dani. There was lots of swimming, sunning, and giggling. This was a trip we will remember forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As we were exploring the island I kept thinking about the
people that live there. Everyone seems so relaxed
and friendly, it has such a laid-back vibe. I wondered what do they do for a living here? How much does it cost to buy
a home? Could we pick up and leave and come live here and never go back? “I WISH!” Jess and I kept saying. When we were sitting in Uncle Jack’s backyard (I mean back
sand.. on the ocean, not really a yard)… I told him how I completely get
why he lives there. It's paradise! He then told me that 28 years ago, he was 32 years old and
living in Oregon. He went to Hawaii to visit, and upon returning home had missed
his flight. Oops. “So I stayed” he said. Just like that. He never looked back. He just decided
to stay in Hawaii and he’s lived there ever since. See? Dude. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaJJFcCyYQ6ovsbkw7NJLOOOONpGoXzcoKTNGEXSR5ogJkwFzDGWABAI-FWp4Ldc1uBLD-ZEsiAdTo6RefRil-I9PnvPmAO_V5J7KveDftcD54o-Ov5OuV1CMI66p2aAiIcM7X5RKAuqf/s1600/IMG_6529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaJJFcCyYQ6ovsbkw7NJLOOOONpGoXzcoKTNGEXSR5ogJkwFzDGWABAI-FWp4Ldc1uBLD-ZEsiAdTo6RefRil-I9PnvPmAO_V5J7KveDftcD54o-Ov5OuV1CMI66p2aAiIcM7X5RKAuqf/s640/IMG_6529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Jack with his great nieces and nephews in his backyard :)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He’s awesome and it was so great to get to know him in his element since we usually only see Uncle Jack when he's in Oregon visiting. He took the kids for rides in his yellow car, gave lots of noogies, and snuggled Ellie up a ton. Will told me today that Uncle Jack went 90 miles an hour in that yellow car and that they almost hit a wild turkey. I highly doubt it was that fast, but in a 7 year old's mind it's something he will never forget. I’m so <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">grateful we could all go to Hawaii together to celebrate this awesome guy. I took over 1000 photos again, and surely my computer is going to explode from being over capacity at some point. Here are some of my faves:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">During our vacation I also ditched all of Ellie’s
supplements, her sure steps (braces for her ankles), her hip helpers (to keep
her froggy legs aligned). It was awesome (I said that in a singing opera voice
in my head)… I gave her thyroid meds every day but that’s it.
And you know what? I felt like she was stronger and progressing better than
ever after that. Why does that always happen?? She's now back on everything, we are following PT’s rules
as far as wearing all of her therapy gear, and we are back to our routine but damn
it felt good to be a rebel! And she loved it too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Halloween started off kind of awkward this year. You see,
every Halloween since the boys were tiny we would trick or treat in our little
town with the cousins, but that isn't possible now that they live in Vietnam.
So last year we realized we needed to find a new tradition, and we went with
our best friends and had a blast in a new neighborhood trick or treating. Well they
moved to Texas in August, so that tradition ended too. Can you sense the self-pity??
Wah waaaah. I feel like everyone we love is moving away
from us, and I don't like it! So I called our OTHER best friends and invited ourselves to hang out
with them. I have no shame. Luckily they said it was fine! It was a lot of
fun, the kids scored tons of candy, and it was fun to catch up. Jen,
you guys better not move away too!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinviTu4s6VVf90-Xcc2MJEctuKYvq-9UGyP9cpDestkdqdM0XqM2S-2jb0qk5VG_WBBrlP3iWq4GaSeasYXaREEFx_js4Gd_Rpg3krYgG7u3T4HNZbLZSdCgJepX_AnaHdfdXgu6sVqWaO/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinviTu4s6VVf90-Xcc2MJEctuKYvq-9UGyP9cpDestkdqdM0XqM2S-2jb0qk5VG_WBBrlP3iWq4GaSeasYXaREEFx_js4Gd_Rpg3krYgG7u3T4HNZbLZSdCgJepX_AnaHdfdXgu6sVqWaO/s640/photo.PNG" width="626" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our boys together</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie was Minnie Mouse, Will was a dead skater boy, and Luke
was a zombie. I found out how to do the make-up from watching youtube and
hounding my friend on facebook who is a zombie face make-up master (thank you Michelle!!!!) It was easy and the boys LOVED it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s a quick
how-to: You will need liquid latex, which you can buy from the Halloween store or in my case Amazon because I
have a sick addiction to buying stuff on there (free shipping in 2 days? Count
me in!)… anyhoo, paint on a thin layer of latex, put a piece of tissue paper
over it, paint another layer of latex over that and let it dry. Use tweezers
and pull the paper and rip it. Then you just paint over it with cheap face
paint you can get at the Halloween section of any store. Wah-lah! You have
scabby peeling sores on your face! The boys said it was their most favorite
costumes ever. And I had fun doing it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OH, and THIS! This happened:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brag alert! This is a drawing by my niece Karley, she is 15. I can't tell you how many times Jesse and I, as well as the boys, have studied this dude's face. She drew this with pencil on a piece of copy paper. I still can't believe it, I can't tell you how absolutely proud I am of her. She amazes the hell out of me. She is the most talented artist I know and I can't wait to see what her future holds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OK, Ellie’s health stuff.
She is now on thyroid medicine. She had 3
teeth come through after being on the meds for 7 days, 2 top molars and one of
her front teeth- NO JOKE. Her hair is shinier and growing faster somehow, her
tone is better. She now pulls up to stand and goes from the couch to the table
with no fear. It took her forever to get to this point but once starting the
meds I kid you not, she is a confident little stander-upper now! Everyone noticed the huge change in her, my mama-in-law, my mom, our babysitter, everyone! Walking is still a ways away, but I feel like we are heading in the right direction. I am now giving her the meds two times a day based on her latest blood work. I truly believe this is what she needs and it feels right. Although the Pharmacist at Walgreens made a snide comment "WOW, you have your child on thyroid medicine ALREADY? Isn't she a little young for that?" She's lucky there was a window in between us because I wanted to throat punch her. OK not really. Ok well maybe just a little bit. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have been waiting months for Ellie to say “mama”. One of her first words was "dada" and in the past year I've been trying to get her to say mama, but she will look at me with a twinkle in her eye and say "dada". Then it finally happened, but it wasn't the way I expected. See the below video. And note this was a month ago and she
still says it this way. Yep that’s my girl... she's such a stinker. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE_xyin3sKE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie Finally Says Mama</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Her other awesome new trick is her whistling. People freak
out over it. Her OT said “in all my years working with kids I’ve never had a
child able to whistle at 20 months old!” I think it must be genetic. My dad was the best whistler ever, and I whistle every day. And hey
it’s good oral motor therapy if you ask me!<br />
See clip:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFazoiRFAaY" target="_blank">Ellie Whistling</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0qHjkbbyPJNHPvuSSoeF0CnOGBKSDb81b1Cr7_LWkmLkEzld6i4SjaaED3oQqSOJF5_H9SPmwJGXyK_ojGSTvsnU3B6b66u9htMMprIilJGQ-RR6vZOj_K5H3S7D2i5p5oGuvMpAKOjt/s1600/septellie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0qHjkbbyPJNHPvuSSoeF0CnOGBKSDb81b1Cr7_LWkmLkEzld6i4SjaaED3oQqSOJF5_H9SPmwJGXyK_ojGSTvsnU3B6b66u9htMMprIilJGQ-RR6vZOj_K5H3S7D2i5p5oGuvMpAKOjt/s640/septellie.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also want to bring up our <a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/#!holiday-card-campaign/c1sbc" target="_blank">DSDN Holiday Card Campaign</a>. We are making a shout out to families who have children with Down syndrome to send a holiday card to their medical providers (NICU Team, Pediatrician, OB's Office, etc). Please share your beautiful families far and wide as a reminder how loved our little ones are. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6xdjc8zKxVohiwSGcydaVqmKzWzWZJaSHE0yJTxWPLN4lrV9khrLgZ-0XDrKoOKAd6bAWkpBV4AVsXNz0xulavVS-SCSsBLiKlme-pVLlYksjM5ppoWggulcmMHg9iPUL-T7OK2tcuiE/s1600/10396269_10204450960587133_7931150167908467016_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6xdjc8zKxVohiwSGcydaVqmKzWzWZJaSHE0yJTxWPLN4lrV9khrLgZ-0XDrKoOKAd6bAWkpBV4AVsXNz0xulavVS-SCSsBLiKlme-pVLlYksjM5ppoWggulcmMHg9iPUL-T7OK2tcuiE/s1600/10396269_10204450960587133_7931150167908467016_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few more photos from the past couple of months.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins0iREs603_BQ8QE8Z7C_Sn3Zwj1u4MHr9_zRLecpkIZgSlDbzgUuwljqB8I3Niaep_TtRn0ex0IGYXdeDj0llLRlOU-0cr01XDayul-w_ZsIM0HNPk4vlBk9VLFmlbQBeoUep8mAcMHJ/s1600/septkids7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEins0iREs603_BQ8QE8Z7C_Sn3Zwj1u4MHr9_zRLecpkIZgSlDbzgUuwljqB8I3Niaep_TtRn0ex0IGYXdeDj0llLRlOU-0cr01XDayul-w_ZsIM0HNPk4vlBk9VLFmlbQBeoUep8mAcMHJ/s640/septkids7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgJPHjNsoh2sj3o0SMaZ3RoMDIbRDYF-0AQ-WClh7xGflh0imB7IXYDzSzsLrihbhnBf99EckmIQxdSJxagGONDC64ZG3wt0fRFkeNeMl2BO49B1JlYXRoluasF1Clk3r8ged3PiqI1Ye/s1600/kidsspt6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgJPHjNsoh2sj3o0SMaZ3RoMDIbRDYF-0AQ-WClh7xGflh0imB7IXYDzSzsLrihbhnBf99EckmIQxdSJxagGONDC64ZG3wt0fRFkeNeMl2BO49B1JlYXRoluasF1Clk3r8ged3PiqI1Ye/s640/kidsspt6.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie's left eye is turning green and you can really see the difference in this pic. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPM05fANL2A3nPID7CEmYQkaxQhLS39RINVACMyB66FAbTAJdtKt6V873eQJMBe3ORXnYDYQ764J8B-pkeGDlWPSG5yRALid3lf7B9YvDX-iQKj3meIhgmDLGMsHiDRNK-iZdegdvyr4X/s1600/nov1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPM05fANL2A3nPID7CEmYQkaxQhLS39RINVACMyB66FAbTAJdtKt6V873eQJMBe3ORXnYDYQ764J8B-pkeGDlWPSG5yRALid3lf7B9YvDX-iQKj3meIhgmDLGMsHiDRNK-iZdegdvyr4X/s640/nov1.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, yes you are my girl.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTuF0rbK4NCau46M6poJgWIBBf6GTgHKQlJYfG2Uy1EQLLXLsgz3YZnamGE9c5gLUHNTZgLMtxv9yrWn4CkFSSA2fpCka5crw5HYpOetNVWTKywUpa5LjNrlihptdyVzXEHlwfKu_fMDRt/s1600/nov2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTuF0rbK4NCau46M6poJgWIBBf6GTgHKQlJYfG2Uy1EQLLXLsgz3YZnamGE9c5gLUHNTZgLMtxv9yrWn4CkFSSA2fpCka5crw5HYpOetNVWTKywUpa5LjNrlihptdyVzXEHlwfKu_fMDRt/s640/nov2.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my all time favorite pictures of her!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I made this shirt for sis, I think it's so cute on her. We also sent one to Ellie's boyfriend Mason, how adorable is he??</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOR2LYKDtWc8rfTkS6kEynikwH5MMOr3BWn61i75gDg-Dhkgx048QgGptPK82bIrO3BNHyZwrypwulPS7YsLSzJQQ1WTQRv1RMHAikMPkCIBdFZEFpMuCgevZrTwC5WDHxDlsfBMHgPkf/s1600/10675654_10152931136533254_9084983377079683293_n+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOR2LYKDtWc8rfTkS6kEynikwH5MMOr3BWn61i75gDg-Dhkgx048QgGptPK82bIrO3BNHyZwrypwulPS7YsLSzJQQ1WTQRv1RMHAikMPkCIBdFZEFpMuCgevZrTwC5WDHxDlsfBMHgPkf/s1600/10675654_10152931136533254_9084983377079683293_n+(1).jpg" height="400" width="318" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every once in a while I will have a shirt idea and have found Spreadshirt to be really great in regards to quality, ease of designing, and quick shipping too. This is also where I made the boy's shirts for our first World Down Syndrome Day. Luke wears Will's old one now and it's getting too small. I think I'll reorder some bigger sizes soon because they love to wear their "sissy shirts".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's my little shop with the different shirts I've come up with: <a href="http://3littlebirds.spreadshirt.com/" target="_blank">Spreadshirt Shop</a> I highly recommend them if you have an idea for a shirt!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love this photo, look at how small my babies are! Oh my heart!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpmyNp2kTSbe-_xp5lSGe8SJF4yZ81h26JS196ywbJuL8mXO3p5RonH2bsUTbM0wJVKHpQjMx3UDux3KrjusaMEWpxqqSqrPMIvta_egcLdNnI9ANgKOtd5MtQWvfmjPRDuGbHCtKhwtT/s1600/kidscollagewithtext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpmyNp2kTSbe-_xp5lSGe8SJF4yZ81h26JS196ywbJuL8mXO3p5RonH2bsUTbM0wJVKHpQjMx3UDux3KrjusaMEWpxqqSqrPMIvta_egcLdNnI9ANgKOtd5MtQWvfmjPRDuGbHCtKhwtT/s640/kidscollagewithtext.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well that wraps it up for now. We are looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving at our house again, and then Christmas is right around the corner and Ellie's birthday too. Can someone slow down the clock a little please? I can't believe it's the middle of November already. Sheesh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I always end each post with a song that is special to me. As I've said before, I always have a constant soundtrack playing in my head. For this post I asked Uncle Jack to choose the song. He is a music buff and has impeccable taste, so I knew he would come up with something perfect. Thank you Uncle Jack, I think this is a wonderful choice. I especially like this part:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>So if you're walking down the street sometime<br />And spot some hollow ancient eyes<br />Please don't just pass 'em by and stare<br />As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ85Hep0kD0" target="_blank">Hello In There - John Prine</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0O5v-pST30NKN8jmMUbX8hISlcGkVDbznUJXsebUJSsnbEUR0d-Am3WMvxAh6eIFBGmBY18FoT10lVT3kFSyocz-AMtHlwDd82719Gkffz00CLtx56urpD97JsCf3ZghfxqB0v-PD3jc/s1600/oct48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0O5v-pST30NKN8jmMUbX8hISlcGkVDbznUJXsebUJSsnbEUR0d-Am3WMvxAh6eIFBGmBY18FoT10lVT3kFSyocz-AMtHlwDd82719Gkffz00CLtx56urpD97JsCf3ZghfxqB0v-PD3jc/s1600/oct48.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-76420136195730946682014-09-07T08:28:00.000-07:002017-02-28T12:40:32.425-08:00It's Time to Try Something New<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCC3-aEcgS9wNtjKFUNpQUqdQxHjNS89vpBRB8bujftIaFoEqRJ_Cx5FtuECbUOdL4Cy-0-twhU3rZ8UKstiuLSQcIIwb6la-yE7X0pk5uCsQV2NGuSLZrNz3I7RzJ7bK7_XZWz4ZSP8G/s1600/aug50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCC3-aEcgS9wNtjKFUNpQUqdQxHjNS89vpBRB8bujftIaFoEqRJ_Cx5FtuECbUOdL4Cy-0-twhU3rZ8UKstiuLSQcIIwb6la-yE7X0pk5uCsQV2NGuSLZrNz3I7RzJ7bK7_XZWz4ZSP8G/s1600/aug50.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would like to start off by explaining why I decided investigate some alternative medical treatment for Ellie. By no means am I unhappy with her Pediatrician, it's just that my instincts were telling me to dig a little deeper. Something just isn't right with her and it's time for a change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It started when I took her in for her 18 month appointment. Ellie had always been close to the 90% for height, and in the time between her 1 year appointment and 18 month appointment she only grew 1/4". She dropped to the 57th percentile, and it happened so fast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I started researching, asking questions online, and paying close attention to her symptoms. I started hearing more and more about Dr. Erica Peirson. She is a Naturopath who is known across the world for her work with children who have Down syndrome. I even have friends in Australia who use her services. The amazing thing is, she's right here in Portland! How lucky are we? Anytime I hear about something more than 2 or 3 times I always take it as a sign to investigate it further. I knew it was time to set up an appointment. You can find her website here, it's full of great information:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.peirsoncenter.com/" target="_blank">Peirson Center for Children</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday my mom and I took Ellie to see her. We were welcomed with open arms. She is absolutely awesome. She was so great with Ellie and I came prepared with a giant list of questions. She answered all of them before I even had a chance to go down my list. I used every second of our 2 hour appointment. And she is smart, I mean SMART! She knows the ins and outs of what that extra chromosome means for our children. Some of the info she explained went right over my head but one thing that was absolutely clear to me is that she is the right person to treat Ellie. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dr. Peirson believes many people with Down syndrome have thyroid issues. I have thyroid issues, my Grandmother had thyroid issues, so poor Ellie is stuck with my genes. Thyroid problems can be genetic. I had Ellie's blood work ran before the appointment and according to typical lab results Ellie's numbers were "within range" but with a TSH of 4.4 and some other borderline numbers, she is definitely treatable. Here are some of the symptoms I've noticed with Ellie. I'm hoping some of them are improved with thyroid medication:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She stopped growing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mottled skin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cold hands and feet</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Constipation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tongue protrusion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Swollen belly</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yellowish skin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tiny feet!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Delayed tooth eruption (5 teeth at 20 mos)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dry skin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Puffy eyes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Low iron levels</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Low muscle tone</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reflux (she is a spitter-upper, still!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Family history of thyroid issues</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Delayed fontanel closure (still has a soft spot)</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHmcNSRRV4HuEl4KA_q2PXVpc0Q-U-r0_BlCAL1g0N1Pv5AIoFTXkUEx1iveKR7vUe_o4EdMc2Cd9Oq29mxl3siZ8bSBbhFsfDYGTn40J8lEQulgghIc2MOqIxSfDUXO5C7zw_Q4bVMLt/s1600/IMG_3472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHmcNSRRV4HuEl4KA_q2PXVpc0Q-U-r0_BlCAL1g0N1Pv5AIoFTXkUEx1iveKR7vUe_o4EdMc2Cd9Oq29mxl3siZ8bSBbhFsfDYGTn40J8lEQulgghIc2MOqIxSfDUXO5C7zw_Q4bVMLt/s640/IMG_3472.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I reviewed our current list of supplements with Dr. Peirson and she was fine with what we were doing so far: Nutrivene at a half dose (a good multivitamin is a good idea!), Raw Probiotic, DHA with D3, Choline, Ginkgo Biloba and Acetyl L-Carntinine, these last two I'm not totally sold on yet, so I'm still only giving her a sprinkle for now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dr. Peirson feels it would benefit Ellie to be on a natural desiccated thyroid pill for hypothyroidism. We will be picking up her prescription today and starting her on a low dose. Additionally, Dr. Peirson felt treating her low iron was crucial and that we should add Folinic Acid, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. I will be adding these after Ellie's thyroid #'s are looking better. We will be reevaluating her bloodwork in 4 weeks. I always slowly introduce any new vitamin or supplement to make sure there are no adverse side effects and so I can be sure each one works for her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will be updating this blog with the results once we've given the thyroid medication a try. Some other moms who have worked with Dr. Peirson found that their child did so much better when their thyroid was treated. One mom had marked results in 3 weeks in her son's physical development; he went from being wobbly and barely walking, to getting up and walking across the floor like a boss. His mom has video to prove it! His speech improved too. Another mom shared that her daughter grew 2" and gained 3 pounds in a little over 2 months. This is so reassuring to hear! Below is a link to the really informative article that Dr. Peirson wrote regarding Ds and Thyroid:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.downsyndrometreatment.net/thyroid.html" target="_blank">Thyroid Hormone Metabolism in Down Syndrome</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another really useful article I found was by <a href="http://dsdaytoday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Down Syndrome: A Day To Day Guide</a>, it was the original post that opened my eyes to possible thyroid issues. I appreciate how she explains how to read thyroid results in the section titled "Confused About Lab Results?" I will post it here for reference:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://dsdaytoday.blogspot.com/2011/04/thyroid-ds-go-hand-in-hand.html" target="_blank">Thyroid and DS Go Hand In Hand</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I want to mention again how I believe every child is different. What Ellie needs isn't necessarily what the next child needs. I rely heavily on my gut instinct when it comes to giving Ellie vitamins and supplements. Some kids may not need anything, their thyroid may be fine and they may be better at eating more nutrient dense food. Ellie is still eating baby food and is so picky, so I feel good about giving her some extra help with vitamins. Also, finding a doctor who is like-minded is huge. Dr. Peirson wants our kids to be the absolute best they can be, and I am so grateful I found her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie's team is rockin', we now have Dr. Peirson on our side (thank goodness), we have Ellie's wonderful Pediatrician Dr. Craft who is so supportive of my crazy ideas, her Early Interventionist Diana who has been a constant support and has been with us since Ellie was 6 weeks old, our PT Elizabeth who is absolutely amazing, and our new OT Susan who is coming to the plate with some really awesome tips. I truly feel like Ellie is going to shine even brighter than she already is. Oh and I can't forget to mention Dr. Pinter at OHSU's Down Syndrome Clinic. He is a rock star! I am grateful for the team we have built for our girl. Watch out world!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">UPDATE 2017: Ellie is now 4 years old. We have since taken her off supplements for now and she is only on thyroid medication. We are in the process of reviewing blood work with her team of doctors to confirm if there is anything she is lacking. She is now eating more nutrient rich foods and is gluten and dairy-free (cow's milk) and still eats cheese and yogurt sometimes. She is in preschool and will be starting pre-k at her big brother's school in the fall! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So for this week's song I'm actually going to post a video. This video was released when Ellie was around 9 months old and it made me bawl big ole' ugly tears but they were happy tears. And now whenever I hear this song I think of this video, and of our Ellie, and how I was a cheerleader and how she could someday be one too, but only if she wants to... of course! :) </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQsP6wR3IdM" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Roar - Verrado High School</span></a></div>
Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-46196845205138684352014-09-01T14:11:00.002-07:002014-09-18T13:23:56.667-07:00I'm a Third Generation Special Needs Mom<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been thinking a lot about this whole "special needs parenting" business lately. I've had friends say to Jesse and I that they don't think they could do what we do. I catch the tilted head smiles of mom's at the grocery store, behind those compassionate eyes I can feel them saying "I'm so glad it's you and not me." But you know what? We love our kids unconditionally just like every other parent out there. We aren't doing anything extraordinary. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll never forget the day it happened. A friend had sent me a Huffington Post article called <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-lin/special-needs-parenting_b_1314348.html" target="_blank">7 Things You Don't Know About a Special Needs Parent</a>. It talks about how we feel tired, alone, scared, and a number of other things. As I clicked on the link and started to read I related to some but not all of the points. Then I thought, "wait a second... I'm a special needs parent!?" Ellie </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">was already a couple months old and I</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> never made the </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">connection. But then I realized something pretty amazing. I had just joined the ranks of two other pioneer women in my family. My mom and my Grandma Hattie were also special needs mamas. And they were damn good at it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would like to tell you a little bit about my awesome Uncle David. He was born in 1947 and was the baby of his family, with two big sisters and 3 big brothers. He was an absolutely gorgeous boy. Our Luke inherited his beautiful brown eyes.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle David</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Without going into too much detail I would like to share the story of what happened to my uncle. It was Christmas in 1953, David was 6 years old. He asked his parents for a new bike for Christmas. They lived in the hills of Oakland, and didn't feel comfortable buying him a bike just yet, "maybe when you are a little older" they told him.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArtIep_0NIt-bKDXhsQpNkOwMY-86inLvqSndzPUYDCBy8KGY2dwwH8aEx6nePYsWE2fQKXqq3Qk3NDuVSSMb7A7u8Gv5mPSF83cA21OBY1ABFxFIZ1PPNyvzY1Lbm_UyOG8COn92w_eS/s1600/ud4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArtIep_0NIt-bKDXhsQpNkOwMY-86inLvqSndzPUYDCBy8KGY2dwwH8aEx6nePYsWE2fQKXqq3Qk3NDuVSSMb7A7u8Gv5mPSF83cA21OBY1ABFxFIZ1PPNyvzY1Lbm_UyOG8COn92w_eS/s1600/ud4.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Grandparents</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mom said that every birthday she and her siblings would receive $5 as their gift.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">David's 7th birthday came along in April and he was determined to have that bike. He went over to the neighbor boy's house and bought his bike for $5. What David didn't know was that the bike had no chain. As he coasted down the hill, his attempt to stop the bike was unsuccessful. He was hit by a car, and his head was ran over. David's life, my mom's life, my aunt and uncle's lives, and my Grandma and Grandpa's life was forever changed in that instant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My son Will is 7. I can't help but think of my Grandma and Grandpa and envision the gut wrenching pain of almost losing your child, then to have to come to terms with the fact that your child will never be the same. It's something no parent should ever have to face. My Grandpa passed away from cancer when David was 12, so my Grandma raised him alone from then on. I never sensed an ounce of bitterness or anger from my Grandma. She was an amazing and strong woman in my eyes.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh057lcI9kko1xBHt81byeZwtW_814bhBuJe8K4QxhmJljR-anfWj8oMqw24MH5v04Rih4acDMe3NkRkX-P9R1SkikwfdN0nO58sPDnZZUju0wq79QSWu9hHgIMYABIRxdha55OwBDz7vqN/s1600/ttgma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh057lcI9kko1xBHt81byeZwtW_814bhBuJe8K4QxhmJljR-anfWj8oMqw24MH5v04Rih4acDMe3NkRkX-P9R1SkikwfdN0nO58sPDnZZUju0wq79QSWu9hHgIMYABIRxdha55OwBDz7vqN/s1600/ttgma.jpg" height="602" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Me and my Grandma Hattie, I was probably Ellie's age here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYzCRgUGQjTllxptoMWaWpM8lVqLNkIWXz9sGKlXv_Ew3cSO538unwy6RGr9cmMzaErqNmI6iXZUC_IQehL2EB0Mz0ImWEntVUMiMTAdYTr7OfZ6ACW7dsAG7c_M9MPHKipbJAlWQb9X3/s1600/ud7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYzCRgUGQjTllxptoMWaWpM8lVqLNkIWXz9sGKlXv_Ew3cSO538unwy6RGr9cmMzaErqNmI6iXZUC_IQehL2EB0Mz0ImWEntVUMiMTAdYTr7OfZ6ACW7dsAG7c_M9MPHKipbJAlWQb9X3/s1600/ud7.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David and his dad.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">David grew to be a gentle and loving man. He had a huge heart and loved animals, movies, and his great nephews Will and Luke. He had a laugh that was booming and it always put a smile on your face. He was tall, at 6'6" with a signature walk. He was known around his town of Yamhill. At first people would shy away from David, with his loud voice and awkward gait. But after living in Yamhill for a couple of years the people in town grew to know and love him. He lived with my Grandma until her death in 1996, and stayed in that same house until his death in 2010. We loved our Uncle David, and I miss him so much.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUF8k-x9x0T3ScxlCJhUvbwYjiZCFRZ7YboStgvoNasJFZKxKpF14ZQI8ijoK-09wCX5yTnyzhA9EKKXOd5mDisSwugt3hEd6M79nEfzpOBdXUdoGCsllb__8lYs7rbw9pAOeidRSv6dh/s1600/momud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUF8k-x9x0T3ScxlCJhUvbwYjiZCFRZ7YboStgvoNasJFZKxKpF14ZQI8ijoK-09wCX5yTnyzhA9EKKXOd5mDisSwugt3hEd6M79nEfzpOBdXUdoGCsllb__8lYs7rbw9pAOeidRSv6dh/s1600/momud.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and her little brother</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZd6QjHK90ZMmnqKGTCPlI1ZETrNAF6MBRJTZgm_WwE-e4uoNsF91QfUQnbltUdlsyzJSmMqt53oEi2YSc498-OSV-WFEynx4kjqeaIMe42fSgrbt2pcrjKvA135TNOzkkqi_7f6BLH-X1/s1600/ud1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZd6QjHK90ZMmnqKGTCPlI1ZETrNAF6MBRJTZgm_WwE-e4uoNsF91QfUQnbltUdlsyzJSmMqt53oEi2YSc498-OSV-WFEynx4kjqeaIMe42fSgrbt2pcrjKvA135TNOzkkqi_7f6BLH-X1/s1600/ud1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David and his Great Nephew Will</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My brother Danny was born in 1965. When he was 6 weeks old he had surgery on a hernia that was coming out of his belly button. My mom thinks that he was under the anesthesia too long, because when he returned home he was a different baby. He was slower, lethargic, he had changed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At age four he had a horrible bout of chickenpox. The spots were all over his body, inside his mouth and appeared to go down his throat. At one point he stopped breathing and turned blue. My dad had to perform CPR and was able to bring him back to life. It's unknown if the anesthesia caused my brother's delays, or if it was the lack of oxygen to his brain when he was four. My parents were never able to get a solid reason from the doctors.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and Danny</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is so interesting talking to my mom about my brother, or her brother David. My mom dealt with the school systems, fought for Danny's education, promoted love and inclusion and acceptance. I never really paid attention to it though, it was just threaded into my existence. I have never felt burdened by him, ever. My brother is my brother. He is awesome, funny, lovable, and an awesome uncle to our kids. Now at age 49 he is crazy busy with church, President of a non-profit group for people with intellectual disabilities, volunteers, has tons of friends, and is an all around busy dude. He also lives on his own and is doing great, he's a role model for his niece Ellie that's for sure. His 50th birthday is coming up in April next year and you better believe it's going to be one epic party! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was born into this family, with my Uncle David (who we called "UD") and brother Danny as an integral part of who our family was. So I think when Ellie was born I had the moments of panic and fear of the unknown, but the fear was dulled. I knew we would be OK. I love my daughter with my whole heart and I am going to fight for her, and my boys. Just as my mom and Grandma fought for their kids, all of them. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Danny and Uncle Dave</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there are no guarantees in life. We don't know what the future holds for our children. We love them, guide them and help them spread their wings. I'm so grateful to follow in the footsteps of these two women who have helped to shape who I am as a mother. I can only hope to do as good of a job as they did. Special needs or not, I think every mother does their absolute best for their children. There's nothing special about it, it's just what we do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week's song came to me today as I was cleaning up the house and trying to decide if I wanted to post this or not. I have a lot of blog posts just sitting in there in "draft" form, because I don't have enough courage to post them. These lyrics spoke to me:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>My beloved one</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>My beloved one</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>My beloved one</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>You were meant for me<br />I believe you were sent to me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>From a dream straight into my arms</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxg6wWOPmi8" target="_blank">Ben Harper - Beloved One (Acoustic)</a></span></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-41055922892309417592014-07-30T22:18:00.001-07:002014-07-30T22:29:52.123-07:00My Daughter With Down Syndrome Has Changed Me <div class="MsoPlainText">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When Ellie was born I knew my life was forever changed. I
felt it, not in my heart but in the pit of my stomach. It was a fear that I
would not be the same person from that day forward. A fear that my life would be
filled with doctor's appointments, therapies, and research. That my duties as
mother to my two older boys would be sacrificed. I worried for how my marriage
would suffer because of this new journey I was about to take. I loved this tiny
being with my whole soul but I worried that fighting for her would take away a
part of who I was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those feelings in the pit of my stomach have since faded. The
fear has grown into hope, and now I feel it in my heart. I now have a full, grateful,
bursting with joy heart and it's hard for me to even put into words. I would like to try and share with you how Ellie has changed me. She has changed me in ways I never could have imagined.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Stopping to Smell the Roses. I remember wishing away
the days with my oldest son Will, pushing him to get to that next milestone and
stressing that he wasn't getting there fast enough. With Luke it got a little
better, as my second baby I found that life was flying by faster than I expected.
I wanted to soak in every phase with Luke. Ellie has helped me back up the
truck, slow down, and enjoy every minute. She takes longer to accomplish her
milestones and being the third child I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying
this time with her. I remember feeling offended when someone said "you are
lucky because you will have a baby longer", but I get that now. And to be
honest at 18 months she's already moving into toddler-hood and has the sassy
attitude to go with it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Human Rights. I have never in my life felt so
passionate before for all people; race, religion, sexual orientation or being
differently abled, I will fight for the equality that every person on this
earth deserves. I lived in a naive bubble before Ellie, I cared about human
rights but never at this level. I am now
aware. How lucky am I to have a daughter who at 18 months old has already
taught me this important life lesson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Nutrition. As silly as this one sounds, I have to bring it up. I have learned so much about nutrition because of Ellie. I have
learned that some children with Down syndrome do better when they are dairy
free, or gluten free. These are ways of eating that I never would have explored
if it weren't for her. I know more about supplementation as well and am even
taking some of the vitamins myself. I am excited to learn more about healthy
eating as Ellie grows up, and the rest of our family will benefit from it as
well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Understanding Work/Life Balance. I am a career mom, and with being a
career mom comes a lot of working mom's guilt. Once Ellie arrived and rounded
out our family of five, I was able to take a step back and look at what is
important. "Things" are not as important to me now. I am not feeling the
constant push to rise to the top of the corporate ladder. It is an amazing
feeling to get my priorities in order! If Ellie wasn't here I don't know if
that would have happened. She took me down a notch and brought me back to reality. I am lucky to have an
amazing boss who gets it, to work for a company that is flexible and
understanding, and to have the security in knowing I'm building toward a future
for my family. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. The Importance of Connections and Support. Where would I be if it weren't
for the internet? I have mentioned this before, but the connection I feel to
other families who have children with Down syndrome is magical. There is no
better way to put it. Having the support of other moms gives me such
reassurance for Ellie's future. I have these women to lean on for the rest of
my life. We will have each other's backs through it all, the hard times, the joyful
times, the scream at the sky and cry times. I make new connections constantly and
when you are on the journey of raising a child with Down syndrome, to know you
are never alone is so comforting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*If you are pregnant with a child with Down syndrome or
have a child with Down syndrome birth to age three and you are not in a Rockin'
Mom's (or Dad's) group, please go to our <a href="http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/#!support/c1pna" target="_blank">DSDN link and click"connect"</a>. You won't regret it, I promise!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6. Being Different Is Awesome. This to me is the most important lesson Ellie has taught me. As soon as Ellie was born we talked to the
boys about Down syndrome and what it meant. Even before she was in our lives we always reiterated that "if
everyone in the world was the same, what a boring place that would
be!" Because kids ask questions and they notice people who aren't like them, and even say awkward things out loud sometimes. I'll never forget the day Will asked me "mommy what is wrong with Uncle Danny?" I took a deep breath and started to try to <a href="http://our3lilbirds.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-2-month-old-secret.html" target="_blank">explain his story</a> and why he has an intellectual disability. I barely got out a "Well honey.." when Will said "He's just so shaky!" He wasn't even asking about his disability. He didn't see it at all as a matter of fact, he was noticing how my brother shakes. It brought a huge smile to my face and I was able to explain that he is shaky because of the medicine he is on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hear my boys educating their
friends about Down syndrome. I hear them being more accepting and loving because
of their sister. Now if we are out and about and they see someone who is differently abled, they will wave and say hello. This to me is the biggest part of how Ellie
has changed not only me but all of us. Our hearts are bigger because of her. I also see her changing the hearts of our friends and family.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes Ellie, you have sure changed your mama. And I am so glad you have. You are the little gift my soul needed. Thank you for opening my eyes to some of the biggest lessons I will ever learn in this lifetime. I am eternally grateful that you are mine. I can't wait to see what else you can teach me.</span><br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/36544415" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You Belong To Me - Bob Dylan</span></a></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-498955398247433460.post-5996727711732588682014-07-22T06:56:00.000-07:002014-07-22T06:56:57.542-07:00So How's She Doing? An 18 Month Ellie Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUBj5nbpX5QxA6rHdMWddO0Q37OuErkqp9zNQahNsQSvk_CUberFB3rCYwxt436T8PbL6O5MUGJLR8PsSGHj8UTnu_4rbpfNrHQOYM1-Zpe0Wk0bVodcpD86gWEkqxoJ0vW4YYs72-Y26/s1600/june29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUBj5nbpX5QxA6rHdMWddO0Q37OuErkqp9zNQahNsQSvk_CUberFB3rCYwxt436T8PbL6O5MUGJLR8PsSGHj8UTnu_4rbpfNrHQOYM1-Zpe0Wk0bVodcpD86gWEkqxoJ0vW4YYs72-Y26/s1600/june29.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our girl is 18 months old! Where has the time gone?? It's been a crazy few months around here. Ellie is learning something new every day and is still amazing us every step of the way. I also have to mention that she is so much fun, so easy going, and has developed a hilarious personality. She is also as sassy as can be. We are having so much fun with her and she's definitely our "go with the flow" kid. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">This post will mostly be a pictorial recap but will include info on how she's doing with milestones, as well as some of the fun things that have happened since March.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In June we went on a weekend getaway with our besties and it was a blast. There were 6 adults and 7 kids. We spent our days swimming and relaxing, but Ellie was sick with croup followed up with an ear infection backer, poor baby. She is a really healthy girl except for that darn croup. I think she's had it 4 or 5 times already.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigLUzdtomGxCR7cwOgFUOEdPwn8LsvWzC1-rpexAtrvJrmHBqg_xVKumfs0ZYwzENj7O-EHnxoybxl9SzwGJgkPvI1BpRSrNJQyH3wp4Mwh-Fh4vaUdRK-NlyRw7f9TIZwih05MKKZWpN/s640/blogger-image--2114968983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigLUzdtomGxCR7cwOgFUOEdPwn8LsvWzC1-rpexAtrvJrmHBqg_xVKumfs0ZYwzENj7O-EHnxoybxl9SzwGJgkPvI1BpRSrNJQyH3wp4Mwh-Fh4vaUdRK-NlyRw7f9TIZwih05MKKZWpN/s640/blogger-image--2114968983.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">At the doctor's office- what a faker!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Croup... there it is....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4_JwA-ycS0VjP1rU8_CdYpgrdhJZ9fvP4-wafMhEtE_X2hoEf2kPjHKf3CZ4jaCpXtHwDMesF1Dd8TBufs_Bh-_MRB6cdl-KNob0s8w5edjEmZdVA_H1VU-yFgiDDG-UtqS1uH7nrCZ9/s1600/june23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4_JwA-ycS0VjP1rU8_CdYpgrdhJZ9fvP4-wafMhEtE_X2hoEf2kPjHKf3CZ4jaCpXtHwDMesF1Dd8TBufs_Bh-_MRB6cdl-KNob0s8w5edjEmZdVA_H1VU-yFgiDDG-UtqS1uH7nrCZ9/s1600/june23.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom I just am not feeling like my smiley self...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz9oBLIQvfD-yIQuvQz5sps2MX6c-Hb-5PJBhBoH8Wl92uN2_xqc6vX9F0rFinzSx7FscgbZ6oeh19Gg013AQ3qMd5V9korW1FHh2m4bzjS6sgbh82Prl15hfD51F7NoNjWbxSnwx9wbI/s1600/june33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz9oBLIQvfD-yIQuvQz5sps2MX6c-Hb-5PJBhBoH8Wl92uN2_xqc6vX9F0rFinzSx7FscgbZ6oeh19Gg013AQ3qMd5V9korW1FHh2m4bzjS6sgbh82Prl15hfD51F7NoNjWbxSnwx9wbI/s1600/june33.jpg" height="404" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the kids together, looking so grown up.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also went to the beach in June with my side of the family. We had two special guests, my niece Chelsea from California and my niece Presley from Texas. We had so much fun and we laughed... a lot. And we also ate and ate and ate. There's nothing like my mom's cooking!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkCfIInsOL7fcwteXUgVINtLTe4tiknXx1UGoWK1up_BFfPnyg9dMEsKqExxRHsoTedLScvQE5UAuxqTdWPbmCxy4G7gL9oJArO8nVrqylggvFqp1MaI7O1hjd6jL0YdWBu1Wn_f7_I5h/s1600/june57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkCfIInsOL7fcwteXUgVINtLTe4tiknXx1UGoWK1up_BFfPnyg9dMEsKqExxRHsoTedLScvQE5UAuxqTdWPbmCxy4G7gL9oJArO8nVrqylggvFqp1MaI7O1hjd6jL0YdWBu1Wn_f7_I5h/s1600/june57.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie and Chelsea</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfBr1d-OjR5dfdJqLJCCM20egJxT5U6yvvMDtkT90QYfawowjby-JkJdhhmvnJviRs7B2jStXTDR4dwvejNk1dGsWkqSPEmggRwrSYKJy-5ejItmyTdkLQpAHZ4EedvUgplu4fWjIXsNa/s1600/june67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfBr1d-OjR5dfdJqLJCCM20egJxT5U6yvvMDtkT90QYfawowjby-JkJdhhmvnJviRs7B2jStXTDR4dwvejNk1dGsWkqSPEmggRwrSYKJy-5ejItmyTdkLQpAHZ4EedvUgplu4fWjIXsNa/s1600/june67.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie and Presley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie and Auntie Di Di </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFFgRLkY6MrwYw9bs_tPIGJEeoY6_k3vuIudZ6AcFkgFvKZ9N0isAyrh_FankcZugGsWLh0LIfM1Pc8oUWRdSxAyTFZofTqMOKK8n119ECW4rvd8OhEXoEPoxj_bD7wdiyAFxHQ-vl1b1/s1600/june68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFFgRLkY6MrwYw9bs_tPIGJEeoY6_k3vuIudZ6AcFkgFvKZ9N0isAyrh_FankcZugGsWLh0LIfM1Pc8oUWRdSxAyTFZofTqMOKK8n119ECW4rvd8OhEXoEPoxj_bD7wdiyAFxHQ-vl1b1/s1600/june68.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dudes.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was able to get a new photo for my mom of all 7 of her grandbabies. It's the first photo of all of them that includes Ellie, I think it turned out cute. Sorry mom, you are seeing your Christmas gift early!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC4bvBUK_VSyoB64yTiqZo3bmlnQ-H7bzaP1Fl598afYYu5LIHRDxX33oW0yJ-HqR1kA3AjBaUgXHQ_Xsq72jUcZtdldSBeVz6TX0AejKF7rr11uwoGasyyiaYpDMMwdI0gG8A4mEqL3-/s1600/june55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC4bvBUK_VSyoB64yTiqZo3bmlnQ-H7bzaP1Fl598afYYu5LIHRDxX33oW0yJ-HqR1kA3AjBaUgXHQ_Xsq72jUcZtdldSBeVz6TX0AejKF7rr11uwoGasyyiaYpDMMwdI0gG8A4mEqL3-/s1600/june55.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And we got a sweet one with Grandma...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1zHuQOgFe6XhLsNy4Z9igywHrhGqsanz_pOm3JrdGwvnVKODnrFe_GpBOEr6WZ476HP2n4Y0qQhNMolnreeFoz31i_8KUKD5OuT_P5cm8gooABhMJ-o7d7Mo5VLQWdJc9pNRDXr7FdUW/s1600/june58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1zHuQOgFe6XhLsNy4Z9igywHrhGqsanz_pOm3JrdGwvnVKODnrFe_GpBOEr6WZ476HP2n4Y0qQhNMolnreeFoz31i_8KUKD5OuT_P5cm8gooABhMJ-o7d7Mo5VLQWdJc9pNRDXr7FdUW/s1600/june58.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also welcomed home my sis-in-law and nieces and nephew from Vietnam. They are visiting for 7 weeks and we couldn't be more excited! We have been able to spend some good quality time with them the past couple of weeks. It's so heartwarming to see the cousins together again, there's been a lot of hugs and snuggles.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEXn1L78pxV4vszgrLEmfLo5H4PKEbd-vStDUrFLKRE8qEYwfBYV0FwlOC9MS8nJRfhWFz3tDUAyTjrT5ZvNogiyKylcQk3cyBwtY_eizHkvZDn1AYulTf7WT9cxj5zOTuUllsQWMZL94/s1600/10441076_10203453604492289_159879234366434431_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEXn1L78pxV4vszgrLEmfLo5H4PKEbd-vStDUrFLKRE8qEYwfBYV0FwlOC9MS8nJRfhWFz3tDUAyTjrT5ZvNogiyKylcQk3cyBwtY_eizHkvZDn1AYulTf7WT9cxj5zOTuUllsQWMZL94/s1600/10441076_10203453604492289_159879234366434431_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 months in the making!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDQ8OpIUXxUewrE2-nBOSa5elIOp8iqUEnMJd9ZfZ5kcNkK4zRSJP6BWO1fJ8AopJwP4e4GvdOQa5toHBvhSG-FRm7Pugs0lXs8FjtXBxOyHHjj5Cf58RjNJn-TAwjdsPmCCZ6zNadPqj/s1600/june74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDQ8OpIUXxUewrE2-nBOSa5elIOp8iqUEnMJd9ZfZ5kcNkK4zRSJP6BWO1fJ8AopJwP4e4GvdOQa5toHBvhSG-FRm7Pugs0lXs8FjtXBxOyHHjj5Cf58RjNJn-TAwjdsPmCCZ6zNadPqj/s1600/june74.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last time Ellie saw her cousins she was only 9 months old!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also had our annual 4th of July party that keeps getting bigger by the year. We had about 120 people I think, and roughly 20 people stayed overnight and camped. It was a blast!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaDn5QP0e_U7qwZUYABydV9-7pc1yh0ZjcBcC_BnBxdQLM7G2suhGB7_eP7JPlVW-1lhHxlmr8Fy2apuI0bSEuoJeu9RWaxOr9WQ34opJHf9WPfaazh4a3BEVk3xj3WvnDVP0h3j1FDHR/s1600/elliemom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaDn5QP0e_U7qwZUYABydV9-7pc1yh0ZjcBcC_BnBxdQLM7G2suhGB7_eP7JPlVW-1lhHxlmr8Fy2apuI0bSEuoJeu9RWaxOr9WQ34opJHf9WPfaazh4a3BEVk3xj3WvnDVP0h3j1FDHR/s1600/elliemom.jpg" height="640" width="552" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being sassy as usual</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1uaC0NuP7889xSKNcj_KcVCSrsiTHJze1mY9Cnj1G2HowDMRROyoYwZIgqvA3SbmCJd1IxB7HU3W_z98viNjPdxQnNXXAkJkPiBWf5UksH0_rx5frkXhC05gbODkHt7WHaVIP1bqvH4A/s1600/picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1uaC0NuP7889xSKNcj_KcVCSrsiTHJze1mY9Cnj1G2HowDMRROyoYwZIgqvA3SbmCJd1IxB7HU3W_z98viNjPdxQnNXXAkJkPiBWf5UksH0_rx5frkXhC05gbODkHt7WHaVIP1bqvH4A/s1600/picture.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellie and her beautiful friend Amora</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6GOMHdeH6cdH16OHMdBOAlnu12OcQgf8X1trlOJNkd45tAcRyiAeJLfs-eYZFaI4XFL-KFgVfPue9b-pWmOfwr0u_bkl9WM3SLq7EL-Bsfp9e-zE1UD2DfzRJbeLKFloSFA0PrbavgiP/s1600/july3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6GOMHdeH6cdH16OHMdBOAlnu12OcQgf8X1trlOJNkd45tAcRyiAeJLfs-eYZFaI4XFL-KFgVfPue9b-pWmOfwr0u_bkl9WM3SLq7EL-Bsfp9e-zE1UD2DfzRJbeLKFloSFA0PrbavgiP/s1600/july3.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning after...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We've also been going boating quite a bit</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">, Ellie already loves the water. I can't wait to get her into swimming lessons! This is the favorite part of our summer and the weather has been beautiful.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjkH87LMmy-RXJGMoJUbOAnat5Pm-U7BpMQYu69mvirqOXq1-sZ7se2X1AKZ2nThh-bMp1YosPjLQWR9S5wFz6voz8m_suiTEq6SDuZQoD-lsA2dOguaYYq0wk925yVMUBcYAVpqPXb_P/s1600/july24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjkH87LMmy-RXJGMoJUbOAnat5Pm-U7BpMQYu69mvirqOXq1-sZ7se2X1AKZ2nThh-bMp1YosPjLQWR9S5wFz6voz8m_suiTEq6SDuZQoD-lsA2dOguaYYq0wk925yVMUBcYAVpqPXb_P/s1600/july24.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXlMOWEL2TBJxBurG7RzkCZKnlOnYzcKS68_Tc9eGXfLhBXR9bdywe6Wmg2eZGvhmFULy3bQ6eXpNl_bOuI9bPqsTQfqn6fLCF2VGsIW6Sj3Ec1KiJh4z1VAoQZzzXCwtcA3ccHkrCAJe/s1600/10551038_10203569042818175_2705999979528492443_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXlMOWEL2TBJxBurG7RzkCZKnlOnYzcKS68_Tc9eGXfLhBXR9bdywe6Wmg2eZGvhmFULy3bQ6eXpNl_bOuI9bPqsTQfqn6fLCF2VGsIW6Sj3Ec1KiJh4z1VAoQZzzXCwtcA3ccHkrCAJe/s1600/10551038_10203569042818175_2705999979528492443_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes that's famous Iris! These two...</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7My2kIzv35uPkc0gNsr-Qd43a1ny2Pybjxx2rRvFNS76uSjlxSjxyR7Pi1euYP8LdAq2ELwllA9sKjkZFQ2zdZaN2yHWmS9sxdmIWCbtAeru5XZ_JCOdpKe3K0OwxZvm57Mu9qN12Unu/s1600/july22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7My2kIzv35uPkc0gNsr-Qd43a1ny2Pybjxx2rRvFNS76uSjlxSjxyR7Pi1euYP8LdAq2ELwllA9sKjkZFQ2zdZaN2yHWmS9sxdmIWCbtAeru5XZ_JCOdpKe3K0OwxZvm57Mu9qN12Unu/s1600/july22.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0C80mYhbSn100EX4lrnV0wWHPzwMZnGBO8ZK8ljj1uLPX32cBRm57o2TTIneddOhPiU0tR2I7z-uWneeY0J7pgvxZm5OUOBfMvRftqZa0FeLJR4yYr6mztqIVaQ40FJyrhiWd2-UzXB0/s1600/10406538_10203502056703564_7218896919044218100_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0C80mYhbSn100EX4lrnV0wWHPzwMZnGBO8ZK8ljj1uLPX32cBRm57o2TTIneddOhPiU0tR2I7z-uWneeY0J7pgvxZm5OUOBfMvRftqZa0FeLJR4yYr6mztqIVaQ40FJyrhiWd2-UzXB0/s1600/10406538_10203502056703564_7218896919044218100_n.jpg" height="536" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some other fun stuff that has happened:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie's story was posted on the IDSC Site-</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.theidsc.org/2014/05/meet-ellie.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The IDSC - Meet Ellie</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And one of my blog posts (I Have One Too) was in an online publication called Special Miracles. Below is a photo of the magazine, it's so cool! I had to order a copy to save for Ellie when she's older.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh! And the book that my amazing friends Jen Jacob and Joelle Kelly put together has been published and is available on Amazon- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Jennifer-Jacob/dp/1312077115/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1406012836&sr=8-1" target="_blank">{Unexpected}</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Jess and I bought our very own copy! Ellie's story is in the "Unique Diagnosis" section. You can read the stories online as well: </span><a href="http://www.missiont21.com/#!unique/cob9" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Unexpected - Stories of a Down Syndrome Diagnosis</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKX8J-4Eqk0ZHPkuTLtoxT2Pty9ufJfAvLE0F09ZHdLnkedzHZ-0aL77IGKlBiA2L1dOrjkWqPHRBHY400VWWviBEXEIO1AQdiNdahjRoUNB_Ry2lelTkf5qreL7pS9I3EZTkuH0PF4U8/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKX8J-4Eqk0ZHPkuTLtoxT2Pty9ufJfAvLE0F09ZHdLnkedzHZ-0aL77IGKlBiA2L1dOrjkWqPHRBHY400VWWviBEXEIO1AQdiNdahjRoUNB_Ry2lelTkf5qreL7pS9I3EZTkuH0PF4U8/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The same blog post was republished on a site called The Mighty. I feel very blessed that it was shared. Here's that inspirational site:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://themighty.com/2014/05/i-have-one-too/" target="_blank">The Mighty - I Have One Too</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also had Ellie's 18 month well baby check-up. Her doctor was so pleased with her progress! And I have to say, I absolutely love her Pediatrician. He is so good to Ellie and is SO, so so patient with me and all of my neurotic requests, emails, and phone calls. He always listens to me and supports me in what we are doing with Ellie in regards to vitamins, therapies, etc. I feel lucky he's on our team! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Her stats below are based off a typical baby growth chart:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Height: 32" (57%)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Weight: </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">21lbs 11oz (12%)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />She's still a long string bean and her doc is happy with how she's doing although she is pretty tiny weight-wise. She has fallen quite a bit in height, she was 80% at 15 months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have requested a sleep study because I've read that our kids are prone to sleep apnea. I'm not sure when that will be but I have a feeling tonsil and adenoid surgery will be in our future. Luckily many of the rockin' moms in my group have already been through this with their kids so I know what to expect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Quite often I'm asked what supplements or vitamins I am giving our girl. This part of being a mama of a child with Down syndrome is a constant struggle... it's a doozy if you ask me. There is way too much info out there. At times I want to just throw in the towel and do nothing, but something in the back of my mind tells me to "try it". I don't know if what we are doing is the right thing, so I rely heavily on my gut instinct and I read... a lot. And I stalk people on Facebook and ask them a million questions. Ohhhh the people I stalk on Facebook! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I truly feel like every child is different, and this is what is working for us right now. Mom's of typical kids probably think I'm crazy for giving Ellie all of these supplements. Mom's of kids with Ds are most likely thinking the same thing or may wonder why I'm missing x,y,z! Please feel free to ask me anything, or school me on something you think is important. I'm always open to learning more!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is the ever-growing and evolving list:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">DHA with D3- Supports brain health, and we live in Oregon so vitamin D is important!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Raw Probiotic- Gut health</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nutrivene (reduced dose)- A multivitamin that is specially formulated for those with Down syndrome. I give Ellie less than the recommended dose because I feel that is the best for her, so my supply has lasted a long time!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Choline- For cognitive function- she has been on choline since around 1 year old.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ginkgo Biloba- For memory/concentration, she only gets a sprinkle at this time.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Acetyl L-Carntinine- Boosts physical and mental energy, helps combat low tone, she is only getting a sprinkle of this as well.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also add a teaspoon of coconut oil to her last bottle of the day. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We cut out dairy and were amazed at how Ellie's constant boogery nose went away- completely! It has helped SO much. She still gets yogurt every once in a while though. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I sneak in Miralax to help with constipation but only when it's absolutely necessary. We try to combat this issue (a never-ending issue) with natural remedies like prunes, prune juice, fruiteze, etc. She also gets chia seeds when I remember. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I requested blood tests at her 18mo appointment to check her thyroid. We are going to a naturopath named Erica Peirson once all the test results are in. Her website is here: <a href="http://www.downsyndrometreatment.net/" target="_blank">http://www.downsyndrometreatment.net/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How lucky are we to have a doc in Portland who has a child with Down syndrome? She is a very highly regarded doctor among the online Ds community so I'm lucky to have her so close. I will post the results of that appointment after we go in August. Dr. Peirson feels that almost all children have thyroid disfunction so I'm curious to see how Ellie's numbers are!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Milestones:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Songs: Itsy Bitsy Spider, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pat-a-cake, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (working on knees and toes!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Crawling fast and furious</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Standing with support</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hugging and loving on her baby, giving pats and feeding her</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Signing "more", "eat", "bottle"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Saying 10-15 words: kisses, owl, what's that, up there, eyes, apple, Anna, Papa, Dada, and Ellie!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At her EI/OT/PT evaluation they said she's advanced socially. It made me laugh and I'd have to agree, she's such a HAM!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />Struggles: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie is still eating most of her milk from a bottle. I am able to sneak in a cup of juice in her straw cup every now and then, but she loves her snuggles/bottle and I'm having a hard time giving it up as well! She also refuses any foods with texture. We are not eligible for Speech Therapy yet, but our new OT is giving us some great pointers. We are also learning as we go and I rely heavily on moms who have been there and done that for advice! We need to work on her feeding herself finger foods as well as chewing foods with texture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ellie's Gross Motor is really lacking. She cannot pull to stand, and can stand if holding onto something. She can crawl, but only army crawl. She has a hard time getting her belly off the ground. Taking her first steps is in the distant future I think. At her appointment I had to fill out an evaluation form, I call it the "Debbie Downer Form"...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_JATsIpjhGyfAiJMVEFJLejSW_c4mxLtH0jyM_mKIpZd6g2h08RqFHnaAd3Ref9wgpr3ksh_qoXHOswYqHpIrHkVWI6i1_kmbwt-rdKiU8Q8olE6FyXGz09jo0QGfKZG5oTo2w4HRJyX/s640/blogger-image--1880745521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_JATsIpjhGyfAiJMVEFJLejSW_c4mxLtH0jyM_mKIpZd6g2h08RqFHnaAd3Ref9wgpr3ksh_qoXHOswYqHpIrHkVWI6i1_kmbwt-rdKiU8Q8olE6FyXGz09jo0QGfKZG5oTo2w4HRJyX/s640/blogger-image--1880745521.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wah waaaaaah!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's OK though, she's doing everything on Ellie time. I actually didn't feel too upset when I was checking the "not yet" box, because she is rocking it in other areas. We take our victories where we can get them! I'm so proud of how she's doing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Below are more photos... I think I have a serious problem. I just checked and in June and July alone</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I took over 2500 pictures. I have a hard time picking my favorites and I have this neurotic fear that if I don't photograph it then I won't remember it! Ahhhh!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />Friends trip to SunRiver...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my all time faves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie at Enchanted Forest</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More photos from the beach:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We heard this song while we were out on the boat, and I'm always paying attention to lyrics because I'm weird like that, so I thought it fit this post perfectly. Plus it's Will's most favorite singer of all time! Thanks so much for checking in on our girl. xoxo</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://youtu.be/3tFUFWke7fo" target="_blank">Feel That Again - Jason Aldean</a></span></div>
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Our3LilBirdshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13812206933910640786noreply@blogger.com3