Last night we watched Caden and Finley's School Christmas Program. It was very entertaining. Finley could barely see with the hat and nose. I must have shrunk her sparkling shirt when washing it because her little tummy was showing throughout the entire performance. Finley's class sang Rudolph. Caden did a fantastic job staying in character of the Grinch and signing to the music.
I know, I've been slacking at updating my blog. I joined Facebook (which is addicting), finished my scrapbooks through 10/31, completed Christmas shopping (mostly on-line), ordered Xmas cards, and read a terrific book (Jodi Picoult, The Pact). Therefore, I'm ready for a comeback. I am really enjoying everyones Christmas cards. I can't believe how big your kids are getting. - Does this mean we are getting older?
Halloween 2008
What a great day we had on Friday. Unfortunately I did not get many pictures because it was so warm in the day the kids did not want to wear their costumes. I actually went trick or treating with everyone this year because it was so nice outside. I love their ages right now. After about 5 houses they were ready to head home! Spidey, Cinderella and the Oklahoma State cheerleader collected a lot of loot. I need to bring some to work to give away because it is way to much for these little pumpkins.
Spidey, Cinderella and OSU Cheerleader
Go Pokes!
Let's go Cowboys
An Election Prayer to Mary O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection. Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Free us from the falsehoods that lead to the evil of abortion and threaten the sanctity of family life. Grant our country the wisdom to proclaim that God's law is the foundation on which this nation was founded, and that He alone is the True Source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new Culture of Life. Trusting in your most powerful intercession, we pray. . . Remember O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, our Mother. To thee do we come, before thee we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us. Amen. Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church - Kansas City, Missouri 2008
Today is the last day for the 31 for 21 posts. I did not come close to posting 31 entries but who says that DS Awareness is only for the month of October. Therefore, I'm posting 31 reasons I love love love Ashtin.
1. Her great big hugs
2. Her generous smiles
3. Big blue eyes
4. watching her eye brows move when she wants something
5. when she waves
6. blows kisses
7. mimics sounds
8. puts everything in reach in the sink when fixing her hair
9. watching her "talk" to herself in the mirror
10. she sings herself to sleep
11. loves to cuddle
12. pats my back when I pat hers during a hug
13. she peeks under the crib bumper to see if I'm still in sight
14. feeds herself with the palm of her hand
15. when she shakes her head no
16. rolls and pivots to follow me from room to room
17. rests her head on my shoulder
18. the way she hold her bottle
19. belly laughs
20. brushes her babies hair
21. expresses her love of sweets when eating them
22. watching her peek around a corner
23. catch her smiling at me in the rear view mirror
24. the way she lifts her arms up to be held
25. watching her splash in the tub
26. her excitement when we read books
27. the way she plays peek a boo
28. the way she signs all done
29. watching her dance
30. her curiosity
31. her laugh
Get it Down 31 for 21 ARLINGTON, VA -- Governor Sarah Palin today delivered the followingremarks as prepared for delivery in Pittsburgh, PA, at 9:00 a.m. ET:Thank you all very much. I appreciate the hospitality of the people ofPittsburgh, and I'm grateful to all the groups who have joined us heretoday. The Woodlands Foundation, the Down Syndrome Center at theChildren's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Autism-link, the Children'sInstitute of Pittsburgh: Thank you for coming today. And, above all,thank you for the great work you do for the light and love you bringinto so many lives.John McCain and I have talked about the missions he'd like me to focuson should I become vice president, and our nation's energyindependence and government reform are among them. But there isanother mission that's especially close to my heart, and that is tohelp families of children with special needs. And today, we'll talkabout three policy proposals that are going to help us fulfill ourcountry's commitment to these children: more choices for parents,fully funding IDEA, and efforts to reform and refocus.Too often, even in our own day, children with special needs have beenset apart and excluded. Too often, state and federal laws add to theirchallenges, instead of removing barriers and opening new paths ofopportunity. Too often, they are made to feel that there is no placefor them in the life of our country, that they don't count or havenothing to contribute. This attitude is a grave disservice to thesebeautiful children, to their families, and to our country -- and Iwill work to change it.One of the most wonderful experiences in this campaign has been to seeall the families of children with special needs who come out torallies and events just like this. We have a bond there. We know thatchildren with special needs inspire a special love. You bring yoursons and daughters with you, because you are proud of them, as I am ofmy son.My little fella sleeps during most of these rallies, even when theyget pretty rowdy. He would be amazed to know how many folks come outto see him instead of me.When I learned that Trig would have special needs, honestly, I had toprepare my heart. At first I was scared, and Todd and I had to ask forstrength and understanding. I did a lot of praying for thatunderstanding, and strength, and to see purpose.And what's been confirmed in me is every child has something tocontribute to the world, if we give them that chance. You know thatthere are the world's standards of perfection, and then there areGod's, and these are the final measure. Every child is beautifulbefore God, and dear to Him for their own sake. And the truest measureof any society is how it treats those who are most vulnerable.As for our baby boy, Trig, for Todd and me he is only more preciousbecause he is vulnerable. In some ways, I think we stand to learn morefrom him than he does from us. When we hold Trig and care for him, wedon't feel scared anymore. We feel blessed.Of course, many other families are much further along a similar path-- including my best friend who happens to be my sister, Heather, andher 13-year old son Karcher, who has autism. Heather and I have workedon this for over a decade. Heather is an advocate for children withautism in Alaska. And as governor, I've succeeded in securingadditional funding and assistance for students with special needs. By2011, I will have tripled the funding available to these students.Heather and I have been blessed with a large, strong family network.Our family helps make sure that Trig and Karcher have what they need.But not everyone is lucky enough to have that strong network ofsupport. And the experiences of those millions of Americans point theway to better policy in the care of children with special needs.One of the most common experiences is the struggle of parents to findthe best and earliest care for their children. The law requires ourpublic schools to serve children with special needs, but often theresults fall far short of the service they need. Even worse, parentsare left with no other options, except for the few families that canafford private instruction or therapy.Many of you parents here have been through the drill: You sit downwith teachers and counselors to work out the IEP -- an individualeducation plan for your child. The school may be trying its best, butthey're overstretched. They may keep telling you that your child is"progressing well," and no extra services are required. They keeptelling you that -- but you know better.You know that your children are not getting all of the help they need,at a time when they need it most. The parents of children with specialneeds ask themselves every day if they are doing enough, if they aredoing right by their sons and daughters. And when our public schoolsystem fails to render help and equal opportunity -- and even preventsparents from seeking it elsewhere that is unacceptable.In a McCain-Palin administration, we will put the educational choicesfor special needs children in the right hands their parents'. Underreforms that I will lead as vice president, the parents and caretakersof children with physical or mental disabilities will be able to sendthat boy or girl to the school of their choice -- public or private.Under our reforms, federal funding for every special needs child willfollow that child. Some states have begun to apply this principlealready, as in Florida's McKay Scholarship program. That programallows for choices and a quality of education that should be availableto parents in every state, for every child with special needs. Thisprocess should be uncomplicated, quick, and effective -- because earlyeducation can make all the difference. No barriers of bureaucracyshould stand in the way of serving children with special needs.That's why John and I will direct the Department of Education toclarify the statute administratively. We'll make explicit that whenstate funds are portable, federal funds are fully portable. We'regoing to make sure parents have choices and children receive theeducation they deserve.Even the best public school teacher or administrator cannot rightfullytake the place of a parent in making these choices. The schools feelresponsible for the education of many children, but a parent alone isresponsible for the life of each child. And in the case of parents ofchildren with disabilities, there are enough challenges as it is, andour children will face more than enough closed doors along the way.When our sons and daughters need better education, more specializedtraining, and more individual attention, the doors of opportunityshould be open.Like John McCain, I am a believer in providing more school choice forfamilies. The responsibility for the welfare of children restsultimately with mothers and fathers, and the power to choose should betheirs as well. But this larger debate of public policy should not bepermitted to hinder the progress of special-needs students. Wheretheir lives, futures, and happiness are at stake, we should have noagenda except to ease the path they are on. And the best way to dothat is to give their parents options.In a McCain-Palin administration, we will also fully fund theIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act. To his great credit, itwas President Gerald Ford who signed the legislation that became theIDEA -- establishing new standards of respect and inclusion for youngAmericans with disabilities. From that day to this, however, thefederal government's obligations under the IDEA have not beenadequately met. And portions of IDEA funding have actually decreasedsince 2005.This is a matter of how we prioritize the money that we spend. We'vegot a three trillion dollar budget, and Congress spends some 18billion dollars a year on earmarks for political pet projects. That'smore than the shortfall to fully fund the IDEA. And where does a lotof that earmark money end up? It goes to projects having little ornothing to do with the public good -- things like fruit fly researchin Paris, France, or a public policy center named for the guy who gotthe earmark. In our administration, we're going to reform and refocus.We're going to get our federal priorities straight, and fulfill ourcountry's commitment to give every child opportunity and hope in life.For many parents of children with disabilities, the most valuablething of all is information. Early identification of a cognitive orother disorder, especially autism, can make a life-changingdifference. That's why we're going to strengthen NIH. We're going towork on long-term cures, and in the short-term, we're going to work ongiving these families better information.Once a condition is known, parents need the best and latestinformation on what to expect and how to respond. This service is alsoprovided for under the IDEA. And we will make sure that every familyhas a place to go for support and medical guidance. The existingprograms and community centers focus on school-age children --overlooking the need for assistance before school-age.But it would make a lot more sense for these centers to focus as wellon infants and toddlers. This is not only a critical stage fordiagnosis; it can also be a crucial time to prepare the family for allthat may lie ahead. Families need to know what treatments are mosteffective, and where they are available, what costs they will face,and where aid can be found, and where they can turn for the advice andsupport of others in their situation. As Todd and I and Heather know,there's no substitute for the friendship of those who have been wherewe are now.The IDEA is also intended to serve teens and young adults with specialneeds. And here, too, there is an opportunity to reform and extend thereach of federal support under the IDEA. By modernizing a current law,the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, we can better serve students withdisabilities in our high schools and community colleges. This willrequire reform by the states as well. Just as the federal governmentexpects proven results in the progress of other students, we mustrequire results as well in the achievements of students withdisabilities. And the result we will expect is simple: that everyspecial-needs student be given a chance to learn the skills to work,and enjoy the freedom to live independently if that is their choice.As families across America know, the care of special-needs childrenrequires long-term planning, and especially financial planning. Acommon practice among these families is to establish financial trusts.These are known as special needs trusts, covering years of medical andother costs, and for parents they bring invaluable comfort.Understandably, then, many families with special-needs children ordependent adults are concerned that our opponent in this electionplans to raise taxes on precisely those kinds of financialarrangements. They fear that Senator Obama's tax increase will haveserious and harmful consequences -- and they are right. The burdenthat his plan would impose upon these families is just one moreexample of how many plans can be disrupted, how many futures can beplaced at risk, and how many people can suffer when the power to taxis misused.Our opponent has an ideological commitment to higher taxes. And thoughhe makes adjustments on his tax plan pronouncements seemingly by theday, his commitment to increase taxes remains the same. John McCainand I have just the opposite commitment. We intend to lower taxes,promote growth, and protect the earnings and savings of Americanfamilies.Not long ago, I spent some time at a place in Cleveland called theMichael T. George Center, a beautiful home for adults with DownSyndrome and other disabilities. I met Michael George, too, a boy offive with Down Syndrome. Michael is a healthy, sweet, joy-filledlittle man -- and I saw in him all the things I wish for Trig in justa few years.Michael's parents, Tony and Kris George, are advocates for childrenwith special needs in their community. They are thinking far ahead, intheir own boy's life and in the lives of others. They named the centerafter their son. It's a public-private partnership. This welcomingplace -- and so many others like it -- shows the good heart ofAmerica. They are places of hope. They are the works of people whobelieve that every life matters, everyone has something to contribute,and every child should have things to look forward to, andachievements to point to with pride and joy. As many of you knowbetter than I, it can be a hard path, and yet all the more joyful andproductive when the barriers are overcome.John McCain and I have a vision in which every child is loved andcherished, and that is the spirit I want to bring to Washington. Tothe families and caregivers of special-needs children all across thiscountry, I do have a message: For years, you sought to make America amore welcoming place for your sons and daughters. And I pledge to youthat if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in theWhite House.Thank you all, and God bless you.
So we arrived at the hospital at 12:30AM and my doctor arrived just in time. After 20 minutes of pushing Ashtin Kate was born at 2:21AM (4 hours earlier then I was to be induced). She was beautiful and crying. I was tired and very relieved to no longer be pregnant. The nurses took Ashtin to suction and examine her while the doctor stayed with me. Everything happened so quickly that we did not have our bags OR camera in the room with us. Kevin stayed with Ashtin as she was going under an oxygen hood because of difficulties breathing. I asked the doctor why my water never broke and he explained that she dropped so soon and her head served as a cork. When she was born, the water followed. Kevin came back into my room and told me the nurses asked him to come check on me (red flag). I was trying to relax so I told him to go get our bags and camera in the car. Dr. B returned to my room and asked about Kevin's whereabouts. He pulled up a chair and told me that Ashtin looked great, scored a 9 on the Apgar, and was showing physical traits of Down Syndrome. He explained that a neonatologist would examine her in the morning and a fish test would determine if she did have Trisomy 21. The Doctor continued to explain that there are 3 different types of DS, many different levels of severity, early intervention, and that she is first a baby and will do things on her own time. He explained that medically babies breathe opposite in utero and her oxygen level had nothing to do with her traits of DS. He also said that he had stopped counting the number of babies he delivered at 500 but new that he could be close to 800 and that this was his first to have DS. I heard everything he was saying but honestly my first thought was she will never be able to have children. When asked if I had any questions, I again asked if I could have any pain relievers! Kevin walked into the room and Dr. B had just told him out in the hallway. He was near tears and experienced more emotions towards the news. The week before Ashtin was born we finally put up a stencil saying in our bathroom, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Maybe not having any meds during the delivery and feeling all the pain strengthened me. I know my feelings and reactions were quite different from others who went through this experience. I also knew that God would only give me what I could handle and Ashtin was still loved. ***Ashtin was moved to another hospital the next day with a level 3 NICU. She only stayed 3 nights and boarded in our room the last night. We are very blessed that she did not have any heart defects or feeding issues.
I was scheduled to be induced on July 12th at 6:30 AM. I was dilated to a 3 for the past 2 weeks (I received my epidural with Caden at a 2). My parents were already in town to watch Caden and Finley and I remember sleeping quite a bit on the 11th. Around 10:00 PM 7/11 (Wednesday), I decided that I should take a shower and start packing in preparation for the next day. Since being induced with Caden and Finley, I really didn't know what a contraction felt like. After my shower I felt a lot of pain and took many trips to the bathroom. Kevin was already asleep. From 10:30 PM - 11:30 PM I attempted to "time" the contractions but couldn't remember for the life of me if it was start to stop or start to the next contraction. Around 11:30PM I decided that if I was timing the contractions correctly then they were 7 minutes apart. However, I really couldn't find a break from contraction to contraction. I woke Kevin up and told him to call the doctor (Yes, he did ask me for the number). Dr. B told us to meet him at the hospital and said "babies usually have a plan of their own." Drive to the hospital Doesn't every guy have a vision of racing to the hospital? We changed clothes and I went downstairs while holding my stomach hunched over during contractions. I waited and waited but Kevin was not coming. I opened the garage door and again hunched over during contractions started to get into the car. I honked the horn about 2 times at him and then he arrived. He told me that he woke my mom up to tell her that we were leaving so she would listen for the kids. I reminded him that my mom told us each night to not wake her up but just open up the door as a signal that we left. After voicing my frustration at him he had to go back into the house to get the keys. My bad mood of pregnancy was about to peak. During the drive he not only took the long route but also sat there at stop lights when it was after midnight and no cars in site. We checked in at the ER while I was still having active contractions. They asked so many questions and I couldn't understand why because I had completed all of the pre-registration paperwork. I was wheeled up to Labor and Delivery and my first announcement was that I wanted an epidural. The nurses worked quickly getting us to a room and changed. I knew that IF my water broke then I was really close to being in labor. I was in so much pain and knew from previous deliveries that I would need two bags of saline prior to receiving my epidural. After stating my knowledge of this several times one nurse was putting the Velcro baby monitor belt on me while the other was trying to get an IV started in between contractions. I was dilated to a 5. The nurse kept asking me questions again (example: birth weight of other kids, 1st date of last period - seriously was this necessary?) I refused to get the IV through my hand because it still ached from 2 years prior with Finley's delivery. I must have looked like a beached whale. I was on my right side with the bed up to high by my head and hanging on to the bed rail trying to get through the contractions. As irritated as could be I was yelling at the nurse about speeding up my epidural. She told me "mam, this is not a quick process as we have to get your blood work returned before I can receive an epidural." Kevin told me later that she was trying to hurry and put a blood pressure around the bag of saline to speed it along. I was offered Stadol which I do not like and got really loopy with Caden. I said to only give me half a dose. This was a mistake. Now I was dizzy, still having the contractions, and was vomiting. The room was about to get busy when I then announced that I felt like I had to push. I was now dilated to a 10 fully effaced baby crowned and NO EPIDURAL. I panicked. I asked for the other dose of Stadol, a spinal block, and gas. Another gal walked into the room in different color scrubs. I asked, "who are you." She was the OB on call as my doctor had not arrived. I pleaded with her to give me something which she said we can't because the baby may not tolerate the drugs. WHAT, I really did not care about the baby during the pain that I was feeling. They got me into a more comfortable position and told me that pushing would be the only way to end the pain. To be continued. . .
Since DH initiated for us to go the game, I suggested that he secure a sitter since this would be a 12 hour job. There are two girls that work at the daycare which we use on a regular basis. Well, he asked another girl that we didn't know that well. Here's a run down of events: 1. She arrived 30 minutes late 2. No time to give her the detailed instructions 3. Didn't know her last name! 4. Received a call from her 10 minutes after the bus left asking if there was anyway that she could take the kids and go to the store for a soda (enough said) 5. When we returned home the house was NOT picked up. 6. Went downstairs to find that the no lids were returned to the play dough. 7. Sat down on the couch to find 10 fruit chew wrappers tucked between the couch cushions 8. Still didn't know her last name! 9. Received a total of 8 phone calls/text messages from sitter throughout the evening. 10. LEARNED a lesson the hard way!
As you can tell, I'm attempting to play catch up on blogging. On October 11th, Kevin and I loaded a chartered bus with Stillwater National Bank and headed to Columbia for the OSU/MU game. We sported our orange and enjoyed the company. The game was great too since we won the game. Here are some pictures.
me and DH
We really had to climb over a fence in order to get to the stadium. The ladder was not there after the game. Geez, what's up with that?
Footage of the game, "Let's go cowboys!"
Get it Down 31 for 21 This link will take you to parenting.com and a gallery of photos of kids with Down Syndrome in appreciation of DS Awareness month. I've sent several pics of Ashtin but haven't seen them posted yet. http://www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Health/A-Special-Joy-Babies-With-Down-Syndrome-Galleries
Get it Down 31 for 21 I wanted to share this story which I read from another site. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by a triplication of the genetic material on the 21st chromosome. This trisomy occurs with the first division of the developing zygote, as a result there is extra genetic material present in every cell of the individual. Recently, science has discovered that this cellular abnormality is highly contagious. As result, family members (and even friends) of individuals with Down syndrome often find themselves exhibiting dramatic changes due to this "something extra" permeating their bodies at the cellular level. These changes manifest themselves in a number of ways. Something extra in the visual cortex results in parents who view the world differently. In addition to seeing things in an entirely new light, these parents also report having an increased ability to focus on what is important. Spontaneous appearance of tears of joy have also been confirmed. The section of the brain used in logical thought undergoes dramatic changes. Parents suddenly find themselves able to comprehend and discuss complex medical procedures. The ability to decipher long strings of acronyms appears almost immediately and it is not uncommon for affected parents of newborns to be able to differentiate between ASD, VSD and PDA. Familiarity with G-tubes, Pic lines and the NICU is another side effect. Over time, the entire nervous system is transformed, enabling parents to perform tasks previously thought impossible. These changes result in individuals finding the nerve to advocate before large crowds, speak to classrooms of medical students and educate the population at large about issues they are passionate about. These changes are closely tied in to dysfunctions in the verbal abilities, which makes it virtually impossible for parents to bite their tongue. Often, individuals who previously considered themselves reserved will find themselves outspoken and effective communicators. The pulmonary system is altered to a dramatic extent. Parents report having their breath taken away at the slightest prompting. The cardiovascular system develops similar vulnerabilities and reports of hearts pounding loudly and swelling unexpectedly are not uncommon. One mother reported that her heart skipped a beat when her son smiled at her for the first time. The extremities are also altered. Arms reach out to strangers for support, and in turn, hands comfort and nurture those in need. Legs strengthen and balance improves, allowing parents to stand firm in their convictions and walk without faltering, even when shouldering a heavy load. Scientists are baffled by the widespread scope of these symptoms. Equally perplexing is the response of those afflicted. Parents readily acknowledge fundamental changes in their being, however, almost universally declare a preference for their new, altered level of functioning. "I wouldn't change a thing" is a common refrain. Apparently, the presence of a little "something extra" enhances the lives of individuals fortunate enough to be infected. Wendy Holden
Caden was impatiently waiting for me so I said, "Caden where are your patience?" He replied, "I left them in the office." He ran to the office and back and then said, "Oh know, I grabbed my bad patients, hold on." Ran back and forth again and then pretended to eat them and put his patience on :) lol whatever works! Ashtin was riding in the cart at the store and spent most of the time turned around to see where we were going instead of where we had been. During the same shopping trip above she got tired and rested her head on her arms over the cart to take a nap! Where is my camera when I need it? Once again, Caden was asking if we could get donuts. When he realized he was not going to get any he said, "I have a good idea. Let's go to the bagel shop because bagels look like donuts. And Mom, you could get your coffee?" BTW- we did indeed go to the bagel shop. Finley received the the book "Pinkalicious" for her birthday and insists that we read it every night. At the end of the book the little brother turns pink and says pink a boo. Finley was playing with Ashtin and instead of saying peek a boo she said pink a boo! I took the girls to get their hair trimmed and Finley said she would go first so Ashtin would know what to do. As she climbed into the chair she stated that she wanted white hair and Ashtin wanted pink hair. Caden and Finley went to the lake last weekend with Kevin. Finley was explaining with motion everything they did on the boat. She was attempting to demonstrate Dad on the wake board and then said he went boom in the water so we went back to get him! - I had a good laugh as Kevin left out of his version of the story that he wiped out! I was drinking a Dr. Pepper and poured it over a cup of ice so much of the DP was still in the can. Finley came walking into the room and announced that she was drinking pop. She had it all over and around her mouth too. I went back into the kitchen and noticed the can was empty. I asked, "who was drinking my pop?" Finley proudly announced that she was drinking my pop. I started lecturing her that she needed to ask before taking it and that wasn't very nice. She stated in the same pose and manners that I was speaking to her and said, "You need to SHARE." She is going to be a fine teenager!
My first OB visit with Ashtin was about 10 weeks gestation. I remember when the doctor had the doppler to hear her heartbeat and it was so slow. I just knew that the baby would be a boy. At 20 weeks I had my first ultra-sound. We were so excited to find out the sex (isn't that the reason we have ultra-sounds?) We didn't find out the sex with Finley until 6 weeks prior to her birth. During the ultra-sound everything looked great and the heartbeat was again slow. Also, the placenta was not down so this would have to be monitored. I was thrilled to find out she was a baby GIRL. How lucky for Finley and Ashtin to be so close in age. Hindsight I remember thinking that I was smaller throughout the entire pregnancy. I also remember that maternity clothes were still big on me at 20 weeks. The doctor did not even ask if I wanted the triple screen test since I denied it with Caden and Finley (and would have denied it too with Ashtin). At around 30 weeks the doc had another ultra-sound scheduled since I had concerns with the size of the baby and to check on the location of the placenta. That sonogram had me a little alarmed because the baby's heartbeat was once again very slow. The placenta had moved down and the baby was measuring to scale. They wanted me to have a stress test because of concerns of the slow heartbeat. For the next 45 minutes I was monitored with the heart rate velcro band in labor and delivery. Her heartbeat range was peaking and dropping which is what they wanted and it was determined that she just had a slow resting heart rate. I believe her numbers ranged from 129 beats to 108. That evening I sat at the computer and did some searches about low resting heart rate. I did come across a few sites about Down Syndrome but the majority was about placenta privia. My intuition was that something was not quite right but medically everything looked normal. . . . to be continued
To be continued. . .
Here are some items that I really like so you might like them too. * pistachio's at Costco - I really should not buy these anymore because I can eat them all! * http://www.dandrinker.blogspot.com/ (they are all great to watch but if you only have time for one please watch Dan meets Wil's girlfriend) * photobooks at shutterfly (so much easier to create a photobook of vacation pics then to attempt to scrapbook) and also 12x12 scrapbook pages printed with the pics (timesaver) * http://www.dealcatcher.com/ - great coupons * Sonic half price drinks from 2-4 * Sally Hansen's quick dry nail polish * Mom agenda desk calendars - check them out at http://www.momagenda.com/ If you have any favorites to share please leave me a comment.
After picking Caden up from Sunday School he asked, "Mom, did God say if there was coffee and donuts today?" Caden fell when riding his bike and asked if he should have those sticks that go under your arms so he could walk easier. Caden announced last week that he was going to marry Lizzy from school. We went along and asked why. He said, "because she is so nice and pretty. And I only want to marry nice and pretty girls. But I'm not going to tell her I'm going to marry her that's a secret." Kevin and I agreed that would be a good secret. I curled my hair a couple of weeks ago (curling iron curly). Caden told me, "Mom, I like your hair like that. You look like one of the Cheetah Girls." If you don't watch Playhouse Disney then this is a very high complement coming from a 5 year old. I told Caden that made my week. He told me that my curly hair made his week too! :) We moved Ashtin into a forward facing car seat. Yesterday was her first ride facing forward and she was thrilled. She looked so small in the big seat but was kicking her legs, smiling, and doing her little giggle laugh. She was very concerned as to who was going to sit next to her and looking out the window. On the drive I would look at her through the rear view mirror and say, "Ashtin, I see you." She would eye me through the mirror and smile and wave. Oohhh so precious. Finley moved up a class at school from Savannah to American Flyers. Last night she was playing on the floor with me and Ashtin. She was talking to Ashtin and telling her that she went to American Flyers today. I said Yeah, Finley. She told me to be quiet that she was not talking to me she was only talking to Ashtin. This past weekend I walked into the family room to find torn paper all over the floor. I hollered at Finley to come clean it up. Caden was out with Kevin and Ashtin was napping. Finley denied having made the mess and said Ashtin did it. I told her unlikely since she is asleep and she started to pick up the mess and said sorry, mom, sorry. Do I get a special treat for picking up the mess? I said no. Finley then defended her statement with, I said sorry and I cleaned up Caden's mess! :) On the way home from school yesterday I asked what should we have for dinner tonight? Caden said "how about chick fillet?" I said no something at home. He replied with we could just have snacks or cookies or something? Finley was wearing a Hannah Montana shirt she got for her birthday. I told her that I was going to call her Hannah Montana. She said, I'm not Hannah Tanna I'm Penny Miller. I was tearing off the top of yogurt for a snack and Finley asked if she could tear it off because she never never never gets to do it. She also has used this never never never all through out the week.
CBS news with Katie Couric aired this segment about Down syndrome on Wednesday 9/10/2008. Down Syndrome Parents: Palin Is Role Model, CBS Evening News: Parents Say Doctors Need More Care In Counseling Expectant Parents - CBS News
Happy 3rd Birthday Finley . . .She was not going to be upstaged by big brother who had to put on his "party clothes." Hopefully we will see him on Wall Street someday :) -picture top right
Happy Birthday big girl, we love you!
So there's a funny in blogland where you are supposed to go to Google and type in "Your name needs" and see what comes up. SO I went and typed "Diane needs" and here's what comes up. I did Kevin's below too, and then one favorite for each of the kids. Diane needs prayers. (always!) Diane needs a shower. (Ok, so yes I don't shower as often as I should -lol) Diane needs a pigfoot and a bottle of beer (Can I just have the bottle of beer?) Diane needs a good affair (No way!) Diane needs to get a room (can I go to this room by myself?) Diane needs to get some sleep (If you insist!) _________________________________________ Kevin needs a liver transplant (What, I don't think so!) Kevin needs a job really soon (this would be nice especially if he could work the 3 hour workweek) Kevin needs groupies (HA, new friends are always nice to have) Kevin needs social glue (Huh?) Kevin needs to invest $100 million (Okay, does this come with the new job?) Kevin needs our help (probably in acquiring the 1 million) __________________________________________________ Caden needs to be more independent (but he can get himself dressed and go to the bathroom by himself!) Finley needs to eat (True, she is very picky) Ashtin needs toilet training (WHAT, she is only 13 months old) __________________________________________________ (if you do this please leave me a comment so I can check it out)
1. Pronounce coffee (boffey), kitchen (chichen), snack (knack). And say "do you have to go potty?" more times in a day then I actually do go to the restroom. 2. Drive a mini-van and eat at McDonalds so often. 3. Look forward to bedtime. Reading stories and getting so many hugs and kisses. 4. Enjoy planning birthday parties and decorating for holidays more then my kids (ditto Candy). 5. Feeling so wanted and loved.
Check out this site. This is great for parenting advise. http://www.empoweringparents.com/
Today was Caden's first day Kindergarten at his daycare. He is in the same class as the summer just a few more kids moved up and some went to first grade. The only difference is the curriculum AND he got to take a backpack. As I was dropping him off the backpack was the conversation among his classmates. BTW- Caden picked out Ironman after 20 minutes of deciding when we went to the store this weekend. Finley was with me too and couldn't go without a backpack since Caden was getting one. She of course picked out Cinderella without hesitation. This school year is a trial run for Caden as he will also go to the public school for Kindergarten next year. So hard to believe that he is in school and growing up so fast!
Check out this site for some book giveaways. http://readinginappalachia.blogspot.com/2008/08/shack-giveaway.html
We were watching the Olympics yesterday and Caden asked why the swimmers were wearing shower caps on their heads. I explained that it makes them swim faster. Before he responded I knew where he was headed. "Next time we go swimming I'm going to wear a shower cap on my head so I can swim faster too!"
Stop and Think…
The “r” Word.
Some people have mental retardation. While mental retardation is not a bad word, when used to describe someone or something you think is bad it becomes another thoughtless hurtful word. People with mental retardation are not bad, their condition is not bad, the prejudice and discrimination to people with mental retardation is BAD…and WRONG! Please stop using the word ‘retard’, it hurts people with disabilities.
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