Tomorrow

 

Tomorrow we will be doing the Buddy Walk in San Diego.  I am excited to go with many of our friends and family.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little anxious about it.  Jocelyn has fund raised just over $500 and our group $7500.  INCREDIBLE!  Can’t wait to come home tomorrow night and share our pictures and stories from the day. 

Today has been a good day.  Grandma Liz stopped by while I ran into town for some errands.  Abby is a little under the weather so it’s been a pretty low key kind of day.  It’s nice to have those every once in a while.  I hope she is better for tomorrow and doesn’t get her little sister sick:(

Playing my little ponies with our shades on…

 

Jocelyn’s friend in the mirror.  She can spend a LONG time at the mirror in the bedroom.  She is rocking up onto her knees now too!

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Dreams

We all have dreams for our children. I dream that Abby will have a family of her own one day, have a job she enjoys but most importantly be happy.  I have dreams for Jocelyn too:)  I hope just like Abby she will be happy with her life, have good friends and be independent.  I have another “little” dream for her…..

I was so excited that the World Equestrian Games were on television.  Chris and I sat down to watch the opening of the broadcast and saw this…..

Really?  How cool is that? Maybe Jocelyn will compete in the World Equestrian Games one day.  I can dream can’t I? 

No time to waste we had better start training…..

Jocelyn’s first pony ride compliments of Flame (he isn’t an evil pony, as he appears in this picture)

I cried

Today it all hit me and I cried.   We had a meeting at our house for our sweet Jocelyn Rose.  There were 4 people here plus Chris and I. They were doing evaluations on our sweet little girl, who by the way is doing remarkably well:)  I made it through the whole meeting, then the tears came. 

On a happier note.  I LOVE the new Infant Circle Program that will be providing services for Jocelyn.  It almost seems too good to be true.  Her teacher will come to our house once a week.  If I have questions for a Physical Therapist, a physical therapist will come.  If I have questions about speech, the speech therapist will come.  They were all very knowledgeable and will have Jocelyn’s development as their top interest. 

I am so proud of Jocelyn and how well she is doing.  They used tests to measure her development.  The Early LAP and the Michigan Development Profiles.  Her level is anywhere from 6-9 months in various categories.  This is measuring her against a typical child.  I say you get an A+ Jocelyn! 

These are funny pictures…..

 

Check out this determined walk Abby has.  I wonder if she knows how ridiculous she looks?   Uhhh, standing in a kiddy pool with rain boots and underwear?  Ahhh to be a kid:)

Bath time is a favorite time of day for Abby and Jocelyn.  Before Jocelyn started taking baths with Abby it was a quiet time of night, very mellow.  Now that Jocelyn is bathing with Abby there is a lot of yelling and screaming.  Jocelyn LOVES the water and lets us know that with screaming and splashing.  Oh, and it echoes in the bathroom:)  Happy, very happy kids!

High Tech

I found a great new babysitter.  She lives in Australia but with technology these days it works just fine.  Jocelyn LOVED talking with Aunt Mimi and Uncle Clay on Skype.  They sang songs, played peek-a-boo and talked in silly baby talk.  Skype will do for now…..

Great thing #2 for the week:  We had a great time at our Down Syndrome Playgroup.  Great people, great conversation, and super special kiddies:)  Looking forward to a big day tomorrow, where we will meet Jocelyn’s new teacher! 

PS- We miss you Aunt Mimi, Uncle Clay and Olive:(

Reminders

Just when I think….yah I can handle all this, I am reminded that things will never be how dreamed they would for our family.

I am sensitive to the word retarded.  Don’t use it in fun…it’s not funny.  Don’t make jokes about, “It’s like having a retarded child around.” Don’t say things (even if it’s on Facebook) that make fun of a disabled person (especially when that person has down syndrome).  These things hurt!

I am reminded when I take Jocelyn to a new doctor and instead of skimming all the way down all the boxes and checking, no, no, no. I have to read slowly and carefully and check a whole lot of yes’. Then do a whole lot of explaining. It still hurts.

It hurts, but I am beginning to chuckle….every time someone tells me how sleepy Jocelyn looks.  NO she is not sleepy she has down syndrome and that the way her eyes look!  Seriously, wouldn’t you feel awful if you told me that my child looked sleepy and I responded, “No, she has down syndrome!” I just nod and say “Yep, she’s really sleepy.”   

All little reminders that our sweet Jocelyn Rose has Down Syndrome.  But we can handle this.  The number of reminders each day of how precious Jocelyn and Abby are make most of the hurt go away…..

 

Jumping in a big container of corn at the Harvest festival:)

Hanging out with Mama!

  

Jocelyn’s token smile will always put a smile on your face!

 

Celebrating Bis Nonno’s 89th Birthday

Jocelyn’s OBCESSION with drinking glasses!  I love that this picture captures her going after a wine glass:)

Singing Happy Birthday to Bis Nonno with a few of the great grandkids and grandkids.

The sweet calm love Jocelyn has for her Bis Nonno when he hums her a song.

 

The joy that Jocelyn brings to her Bis Nonno and Bis Nonna.

Great thing #1 for the week: I had my first appointment with a FABULOUS new pediatrician for the girls.  They were so wonderful with Jocelyn.

The Best

 

The best thing about today was that we spent the WHOLE day together as a family! 

There  are great things to come this week for our Sweet Jocelyn Rose…..

SO Big

Look how big I am getting!