Christmas Continues

Round 3-Day after Christmas
The last stop was at Tim's parents for more yummy food, visiting with family, and presents. This was their first Christmas in their new addition and had just bought beautiful multicolored 9ft Christmas tree. Brooke was a pro at the present opening. The first present she opened was a new pair of boots that remained on most of the night. Lindsey was awake for most of the present opening this time around. She loved staring up at all the lights from under the tree.

The girls received so many fabulous gifts. We are still trying to find where to put them all. The holidays are a time when you realize how truly blessed we are to have family. I have many fond memories growing up at Christmas time and I love knowing Brooke and Lindsey will have their own memories to cherish

Christmas Continues-Slideshow

Round 3-Day after Christmas
The last stop was at Tim's parents for more yummy food, visiting with family, and presents. This was their first Christmas in their new addition and had just bought beautiful multicolored 9ft Christmas tree. Brooke was a pro at the present opening. The first present she opened was a new pair of boots that remained on most of the night. Lindsey was awake for most of the present opening this time around. She loved staring up at all the lights from under the tree.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The girls received so many fabulous gifts. We are still trying to find where to put them all. The holidays are a time when you realize how truly blessed we are to have family. I have many fond memories growing up at Christmas time and I love knowing Brooke and Lindsey will have their own memories to cherish.

Christmas Day-Grandma & Papa's

Christmas Morning

Everyone had a great time on Christmas day. Brooke was really enjoying the idea of Christmas this year. I bought Tim a new digital camcorder so hopefully we will have more video on here. I was always taking it with the digital camera since our other camcorder is ancient. We had to wake Brooke up, it was getting close to 10am. I doubt that will ever happen again. I can remember waking my parents up only to hear them say, "not until it is at least light outside". Lindsey was as involved as we could get a sleeping baby involved. Brooke helped Lindsey get all of her presents open. Lindsey did peek her eyes open once Brooke did all the work. Present opening did take awhile. She would open few and go back to playing with the kitchen or open it and give it to us, "I want, I want". Once we were done with all of our gifts it was time to get ready to go to my parents. The girls are spoiled! Brooke was surrounded by toys and had the most fun emptying and throwing the bag full of wrapping paper in the air. Trying to get the annual pictures in front of my parents Christmas tree gets a little more challenging each year.

Christmas Day-Slideshow

Round 2-Christmas Day
Everyone had a great time on Christmas day. Brooke was really enjoying the idea of Christmas this year. I bought Tim a new digital camcorder so hopefully we will have more video on here. I was always taking it with the digital camera since our other camcorder is ancient. We had to wake Brooke up, it was getting close to 10am. I doubt that will ever happen again. I can remember waking my parents up only to hear them say, "not until it is at least light outside". Lindsey was as involved as we could get a sleeping baby involved. Brooke helped Lindsey get all of her presents open. Lindsey did peek her eyes open once Brooke did all the work. Present opening did take awhile. She would open few and go back to playing with the kitchen or open it and give it to us, "I want, I want". Once we were done with all of our gifts it was time to get ready to go to my parents. The girls are spoiled! Brooke was surrounded by toys and had the most fun emptying and throwing the bag full of wrapping paper in the air. Trying to get the annual pictures in front of my parents Christmas tree gets a little more challenging each year.

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Congratulations

Congratulations to David and Courtney on their beautiful little guy.

Michael Carl

December 29, 2008

10 am

5 lbs, 15 oz

18 inches long

We can't wait to meet the newest addition to the family.

Cookies and Milk for Santa

Once we were home from the Christmas Eve festivities Brooke put out cookies and milk for Santa. Lindsey was close by to supervise. Brooke felt the need to leave Santa a dozen cookies. He was sure full after he left our house.

Brooke couldn't forget the magic key for Santa to get in our house since we don't have a chimney for him to slide down.

Christmas

Round One-Christmas Eve

We have had quite a few busy fun filled days recently. Everyone has done wonderful with the travel and being off schedule.

The first stop was at Tim's grandparents for some good food, visiting, and presents. Brooke was thrilled to hear the word, "presents". She was a neat little lady and opened her presents nice while cleaning as she went. Certainly, this wouldn't last.

Playing peek a boo under her new soft blanket. They were both covered in red fuzz at the end of this game.

Lindsey with her Great Grandma.

Surfing with Elmo and Aunt Kelly.

Next it was off to Tim's Grandma O'Donnell. Once again Brooke had a great time running with the other kids. She loved all the cookies and gumdrops that were slipped to her when mom and dad weren't looking. Hey, its Christmas! Brooke was ready to dive in the pile of presents whether they had her name on it or not.

Lindsey cuddling with Denise and Leah.

Helping Aunt Kelly take pictures.

No mom, I've been eating carrot sticks all night.

I have tons of pictures to post so it will take a few days to get through them all.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Kelly and Eric on their engagement.

Brooke has mail!

Getting the mail is one of Brooke's favorite part of the day. She thinks all the Christmas cards are addressed to her and only her. She really enjoys opening them up pointing and yelling, "whoa, wow" at all the Santa's, snowmen, and personalized pictures of babies and families.

Nice Outfit

Tim and I went to a Christmas party on Friday night. The theme was ugly Christmas sweater. It was hilarious to see who found the ugliest sweater of all. I am so mad I forgot my camera so I had to get a shot when we were back home. I know, hard to believe that I wouldn't have traveled without my camera.

Snow Time

After bundling up Brooke we went and played out in the snow yesterday. She loved it! We were digging through the box of winter gear when Brooke came across this hat from last year. She wasn't going anywhere without it. She just keep saying, "hat, hoho, hat, hoho". The thing barely fit her but I managed to get it over her head.

Nala, not so much. She takes a beating from Brooke everyday. Brooke chases her around the the house laughing and yelling with her vacuum or any other toy that makes Nala run. Nala gets rewarded though as she waits by Brooke's high chair for the smallest piece of food to be dropped or the treats that Brooke is always asking to give her. Here Brooke is laughing hysterically as she continues to throw snow at Nala.

Baby Houdini

Lindsey just may be able to wiggle her way out of a straight jacket. This is what I found in Lindsey's room last week. A half naked daughter in the middle of winter. When I woke up in the morning I checked on her. She was fast asleep all nice and cozy swaddled in her blankets. After not hearing anything for a while I checked on her again and she was practically naked happy as can be looking around. Lindsey was no longer swaddled or anywhere near her sleep positioner. Her PJ's and onesie were down around her hips. All I could do was laugh for a moment and realize I needed to run and get the camera because no one would believe me.

P.S. Lindsey has slept through the night 2/3 last nights. Last feedings were around 11pm and not waking until 8am. Now if I can get Brooke to sleep through the night. The poor girl was up 3 times last night screaming.

Christmas Party

Toledo Down Syndrome Society annual Christmas party was on Sunday.

Even with a present wrapped in Elmo paper Brooke still isn't a fan.

Ok, I got my present now let me gooooo.

The Christmas party was bittersweet. We able to meet many wonderful parents and children that have felt the same feelings we have and have experienced the struggles themselves. Seeing first hand what our future holds almost made be burst into tears within minutes of being there. This isn't what we imagined our life to be. What will she be able to do? What won't she be able to do? When will she walk? How well will she talk? Sleepovers, birthday parties, driving, even school or work? How is Brooke going to feel about having a sister with Down syndrome? We were given this essay while we were in the hospital after having Lindsey and it really describes it best.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
byEmily Perl Kingsley.
c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Don't worry, Brooke will help you get your present open, Lindsey.

I never should have given her a cupcake with bright red frosting. Lesson learned.

This should make your mouth water....

Take a look at this spread. I participated in this years cookie exchange and brunch with the TPG. It was a nice Saturday morning to get out of the house without the girls and have a little adult conversation. I say adult because there are no kids but being moms, that is what we like to talk about, our kids. The group has been wonderful and all the other moms are great. There were so many good cookies to choose from. We may not have any left come Christmas time since Tim and I have sampled quite a few. I will have to make sure and hide some good cookies for Santa.

LIghts at the Zoo

Saturday night Corie and Kevin were in town. We met up with them at the Zoo. Poor Kevin was in a cast up to his thigh and still managed to wheel himself around the zoo.

In front of the big tree. An 85-foot Norway Spruce adorned with over 32,000 lights, this spruce boasts more lights than the famous Christmas tree in New York City’s Rockefeller Center!

Emily and Brooke having fun outside the conservatory.

Brooke running and laughing through the tunnel of lights.

Emily's favorite was finding Nemo.

Brooke dancing along to the "Dancing Lights" show, which utilizing state-of-the-art LED wide-angle mini lights, synchronized to classic holiday tunes.

Lindsey's ride around the Zoo all warm and cozy. Not sure she even realized where she was.

Brooke favorite animal of the week, an elephant.