"Oh No!!"

Dont worry, nothing's wrong. Its just Evie's new favorite saying...

She throws something and says "Oh No!"

She spits her food out on the floor for the dog and says "Oh No!"

She pushes her sister over onto the floor and says "Oh No!"

Apparently if you are really cute and say "Oh No" after everything bad you do, you can get away with anything! :)

The Sun Shines On

I feel like this winter has lasted for an entire year!! Sarah was born in June of last year and I barely can remember enjoying the summer at all. I guess that's just it- I was inside the house most of the time with a toddler and a newborn for the summer months. Well... after a long cold winter filled with record breaking snow storms, I am thrilled that we are finally seeing the Sun Shine On!!!

What is going to make this Spring and Summer so special for me is that Evie is really going to be able to enjoy it. It was so tough to take the kids outside last year given that Evie would just want to crawl all over the place (dirt, gravel, the street, etc.) and Sarah couldn't even sit up on her own. This year I am so excited to spend quality time outside with the kids and let Evelyn truly explore her world - ON HER OWN!!!

Yesterday I took the kids to the park to enjoy the 70 degree weather and I was almost in tears (of joy) when I could walk from the car to the park holding Sarah in my arms and holding Evie's hand.... yes, just holding her hand! It was so amazing. What makes it even greater is that she is so proud of herself. She laughs and giggles and smiles the entire time she is walking. Now of course we had a few episodes of her getting down on hands and knees and taking off crawling in the sand and on the grass because it was too uneven for her to keep her balance - but who could blame her, I can barely walk in sand! Lol. Nevertheless, she amazes me everyday and I am really looking forward to her getting stronger and faster over these next few months.

Now I know I'm really going to be in trouble when both of these girls take off on foot and I am left to chase them all over god's green earth. But I just cant wait :)

Wordless Wednesday

Sarah Bear - 8 1/2 months

A Weekend Well Spent

This weekend some girlfriends and I headed down to Roanoke, VA to attend their local Down Syndrome Conference. Its the first DS conference I have been to, and to be honest I didn't have very high expectations. Actually, I just didn't really know what to expect. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement!

Some of the speakers that we were blessed with hearing were Dr. Brian Skotko, a genetics fellow at Children's Hospital in Boston and Pat Winders, the PT guru and author of "Gross Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome." Both were amazing. I also got the pleasure of hearing Kathie Snow speak, who is a die-hard advocate of inclusion of kids with disabilities in schools. She definitely left me both in tears and questioning a lot of where I want Evie to be in the future.

To give you a little taste of some great things we heard, here are some of my favorite quotes from the Conference...

"Never deny the diagnosis, but always deny the prognosis"

"Disability is a natural part of the human experience"

"Electric lights are just assistive technology for those who have sight" (funny)

"Low Expectations are bigger barriers than our disability will ever be"

"Your children are worth taking risks to have a life well lived"

"The true value of a person's life isn't what he becomes, but sometimes what he overcomes."

What did I do when I got home.... went right into Evie's room (who was sound asleep), put my hand on her back and told her how much I love her. She honestly is AMAZING and it is my mission in life to help her be the best she can be. Most of all, to be happy, healthy and loved.

Wordless Wednesday

The countdown has begun..... until we move into our new home!!!