Christmas 2009

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Joy

Nothing is better than the joy on your children's face that Christmas brings

I naturally have tons of pictures to go through and will be sure to get more posted.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas with family and friends.

Santa

Lindsey was happy to be sitting on Santa's lap. Well, until she looked up at the jolly man holding her and he spoke. Lindsey's lower lip curled up and she whailed. No problem, we were done and Tim was right there getting ready to pick her up anyway. Brooke? Well, we were just happy she sat on his lap. A classic ok, I sat on Santa's lap now can we go get that nail poish you promised me? Guess next year I will have to remember a smile with the bribe.

A look at Santa past

Brooke 2006

Brooke 2007

Brooke & Lindsey 2008

Happy Holidays

Update

I just wanted to give a quick update that Lindsey is doing better. We only had to do 2 treatments today and she continues with the antibiotics. We were able to stay clear of the steroids. Things have been super busy around here and it doesn't look like it will ease up till after the holidays. We have one thing happening after another and someone wanted to come look at our house Sunday. At first I was like, "WHAT, it is a mess, no way no they realize that it is Christmas time". After we found out it was a second look we just buckled down, did some major cleaning and stashing in to the early Sunday hours and finished up Sunday afternoon. My house is spotless, so I can't complain now that it is over. We did get feedback today that we are #2 on her list and #1 on her parents so we aren't holding our breath. Oh well, like I said, my house is spotless. Good news though , I am on vacation!!! No work for me until January 9th. My new washer/dryer should arrive tomorrow around 12:45. It doesn't take long for laundry to pile up around here. Lindsey has her second ST session tomorrow and we piled PT on after with the holiday schedule. I should have some pics up of the girls tomorrow.

Sweet little Wheezy

The croup monster reared it's ugly head back in our house last night.

I had cancelled her hearing test yesterday because she was a little congested. I remember them telling me with one of her initial screenings that if there was congestion there was a good chance there was also swelling which could lead to a false reading. She sounded a little worse when she woke up from her afternoon nap. I put her to bed with the humidifier running on high and the door closed. It seemed to help last time. I had the baby monitor at full volume and when 5:00am rolled around I heard her start to whine and cough. I headed downstairs to find the Motrin but before I could even get that she was really crying and barking. So much so that Tim jumped out of bed. For those of you that don't know Tim tends to sleep like the dead and it takes A LOT to wake him up. I had him start the shower and close the bathroom door as I tried to get some Motrin in her. After sitting in the steam for what seemed like forever and almost calling it quits to take her to the ER she calmed down and fell asleep on me. I tried to fall back asleep but all I could do was listen to her breathing and kept going in to check on her.

I love our doctor and was able to get her in first thing this morning. They gave her a breathing treatment while we were there and sent us home with scripts. We now are the owners of an aerosol machine (thank goodness for good insurance), has to get aerosols 4x a day for the next few days and amoxicillin. I don't think that is what Lindsey wanted for Christmas. Croup is a virus but Lindsey is just so congested she wanted to be cautious and make sure it didn't move in her lungs. I have to call in the AM and if she doesn't improve overnight we have to add steroids to the mix.

I guess Brooke's pronunciation of Lindsey as "Wheezy" just might be appropriate.

Lets just hope tonight goes better and she is feeling good for Christmas.

Rockin' Lindsey

Lindsey just loves to rock back and forth. Ever since they put her in a rocking chair for her 1st year birthday pictures we will just find her randomly rocking back and forth. Put her on something that is supposed to rock with her and she is thrilled. You can imagine her excitement when she tried out one of the rocking boats at the Art Museum last week.

Baking Christmas Cookies

What is Christmas without baking cookies?

I love them smell of the cookies baking and how warm the oven makes the kitchen.

Brooke is getting to be quite the baker. She cracked the eggs in a bowl (just in case there were shells) without a single shell falling in.
I measured everything out while she helped me count and poured the ingredients in.

By the way, have I mentioned, I LOVE LOVE my Kitchen Aid mixer for baking cookies? I love it! The first time i used Brooke asked for the beaters to lick. :( No beaters, but she wasn't going to miss out.

Ahhhh, cookie dough

Eggs, and all. Sorry Mom, we love it around here.

Watching and listening for the timer to let her know when the warm yummy cookies are finished.

Down Syndrome Association Christmas Party

Tim and his mom took the girls to the Down Syndrome Association of Toledo's annual Christmas party. One of the drawbacks to working just weekends is missing things like this. They look like they had a great time by the pictures.

Brooke and Lindsey on Santa's lap waiting for presents.

Trying to get all the kids together for a picture.

Doesn't look like an easy task.

Lindsey having fun

Brooke dance with some of the girls

Breakfast with Santa

We went to breakfast with Santa this morning. The best part, they encourage the kids to wear their PJs. Brooke has been telling us that she is going to hide when Santa comes to her house. We weren't sure how she would react (we all remember the picture from last year) to Santa so we have really been playing it up and talking about him a lot. While standing in line she was telling us her list of presents for Santa to bring her this year. Brooke was happy to stand next to him and Lindsey well she just wanted to get a hold of that beard. Brooke wouldn't let me go too far so Tim had to be quick with the pictures. Lindsey just kept staring up at him smiling there was nothing better to catch her attention.

They had foam reindeer sticker hat crafts for the kids.

Brooke loved the pancakes and orange juice.

Santa

The Christmas Tree is Up

We weren't sure when were going to get the tree up since everything has been pretty much cleared out of out house so maybe someday soon we can move. Brooke just love getting out all the Christmas ornaments and putting them on the tree. They are all at Brooke's eye level so it is a pretty funny tree. Now that it is a Christmas tree with 2 girls it is no longer about white lights and coordinating glass ornaments. Brooke was thrilled when she found some of my old Disney ornaments I bought when I worked at Hallmark in college. I actually had 4 Toy Story ornaments and you would have thought she found a golden bag of M&M's. Brooke still won't leave the ornaments alone and the tree is a little different everyday.

Lindsey gets a big smile on her face if Brooke is close right before she reaches out and grabs hold of her hair.

Lindsey just loves watching the 2 Elmo stockings dance and sing

A matter of time

The dogs are not allowed on the furniture or beds. They know this and they still jump up on there when we aren't in the same room or not home. The proof? There is dog hair on the one cushion of the couch that would give a dog the perfect window to nap and look outside. We also can hear them jump down off our bed as they hear the steps creaking while we walk up. They give you a look like, WHAT? I'm just hanging out in her not doing anything wrong.

It was only a matter of time before Nala realized how easy it would be to jump and nap in Brooke's bed with all the wonderful warm blankets. Look at her eyes, she is just staring up at me like, please, please don't make me get up. I still yelled, "Nala, get off the bed".

Nala sleeps in Brooke's bed and Brooke pretends to be a dog and fetch the newspaper as you saw in my previous Wordless Wednesday post. Geez, never a dull moment.

Speech Therapy/Feeding Evaluation

I admit it, I walked in to the evaluation thinking Lindsey was way behind in the feeding department. She takes 3- 7 oz bottles a day which she rarely finishes and some feedings seem to go on forever. No joke, we could try and give her a bottle for an hour without her finishing it. It is not that she cannot do it but simply she is too busy to sit on our lap and drink a bottle.
Lindsey has 1 jar food at breakfast and 2 jars at lunch and dinner. No problems eating stage 2 foods, it's me with the problem. I am sick of the bottles and stage 2 foods. She could last on them for a very long time.
Anyway, she is doing well with her oral motor skills considering the low tone. She closes her mouth around the spoon and takes the food off. She does chew but mainly just wants to munch and mash the food on top of her mouth or swallow it whole. That is something to work on. Lindsey closes her lips around a straw and is able to bring liquid up through it. Just not enough to make it alright to pitch the bottles. We have have been working with the honey bear cup and she gave me a sip-tip cup to try. She also gave a me a Nuk brush to do a few times a day to help "wake up" her mouth and another texture spoon. We are going to try and add wheat germ to her stage 2 foods and see if that will gradually help get her used to textures. I have rad many times that kids with low tone tend to like highly seasoned (spicy, sour foods) and high tone kids like the bland foods. Lindsey proved that point true when she gnawed away at a sour straw. Ever tried one of the those? Wow, they will make your cheeks pucker. I love sour but a baby when it comes to spicy. The ST said these types of things are good for waking her mouth up and to get her used to the idea of chewing. She said we would be surprised how much she would like salsa and ranch dressing. Since she doesn't have teeth we don't have to worry much about her biting a piece off of the sour straws and its not like she would be unsupervised anyway. The ST said that a slim jim would use the same principle. Weird, didn't think I would be letting Lindsey gnaw on a slim jim or sour straws. Whatever works! Back in 2 weeks and I guess I just need to learn that she won't be on table foods in a few days. Just something to progress to.
In other news, she is finally getting herself up on all fours. A huge accomplishment for her. It wasn't long ago that she screamed anytime we attempted to get her in a 4 point position.

Wordless Wednesday

Both girls go to the Doctor

Brooke had her 3 year well visit yesterday. She loves reading a book she picked out from the library called My Friend the Doctor so I like to think that helped prepare her. She surprised me and did amazing. Brooke stepped right on up to get a weight and height check.

Weight=27.5 lbs
Height=36inches
10-15th percentile for both. She wasn't all at concerned with the weight since it matches up with the height.
Not sure on measurement but 75th percentile for head circumference. Something has to hold that big brain of her's.

She was quite shy. Can you believe it Brooke not running and talking? When the doctor asked her what Santa was bring her for Christmas she said very quietly into my arm, "not anything". Guess that is one way to end what seemed like an easy conversation to start up with a 3 year old. Brooke sat not saying a word as she looked in her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Laid right down on the exam table so she could listen to her heart, lungs, and belly. Loved the idea that she was easily potty trained. Brooke was willing to walk right out with the doctor to pick out 2 Pooh stickers and a sucker to go.

No shots for Brooke but I had to get another MMR while we were there since I still can't seem to be rubella immune. That may have been Brooke favorite part. She wan't happy that the nurse didn't give me a Barbie sticker though.

Lindsey was off to the cardiologist that afternoon. Tim took her to the appointment so I could sleep from working the night before and not much to report.
Weight 18lbs 7 oz-she is going to catch up to Brooke in no time.
VSD remains unchanged and stable
Cardiac clearance done so we will be arranging for her tear ducts to be probed shortly

Spoke with the girls in neurophysiology to get her BAER hearing test done without sedation so that is all set now for next week at nap time. Hopefully I am the one thinking told you so and not them.

Gingerbread House Extravaganza

My mom had this bright idea that she would like to do gingerbread houses with her grand kids every year. Make it sort of a tradition. Sounds fun, right? Leah and Carrie were over to put together their house. After the roof sliding down, walls caving in, and Brooke just plain losing interest putting it together but rather eating the frosting and candy pieces I think she may be rethinking another tradition.

The end result is icing looks good but the glue gun and spray glue do the trick in half the time.

I already had one for us to do at home. Stay tuned to see how Tim does building the house with Brooke and Lindsey.

The finished project

Brooke would have been happy with just the box. As usual.

Leah looks like she was growling at the mess

Lindsey, well she is just happy anyway. Kinda funny watching everyone try and hold up a gingerbread house.

Carrie & Leah's project

Life with a 3 year old

Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?

I am running out of witty answers and because I said so never works.

Christmas Card Outakes

Trying to get 2 girls to cooperate and smile at the same time for me just may not be possible

Wordless Wednesday

Guess it was just a 24 hour thing

This was Brooke on Sunday. That morning I played a quick game of Candy Land with her before I was off to bed. I woke up and found out that she had been sick and throwing up since noon. Poor baby, I had to go back to work that night so Tim continued to take care of her and Lindsey. WTG, Tim! He never even woke me up throughout the whole ordeal and had dinner made before I went to work.
She was as happy as can be come Monday morning when she woke up and asked for tacos for dinner.

Birthday Party

I am late posting, things have just been a little crazy busy around here.

Brooke's Birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year. My sister hosted Thanksgiving at her house and my other sister made a little surprise Thanksgiving dessert for Brooke. Yes, Brooke is a dramatic 3 year old as you can see by the way it takes everything in her to get that candle out.

Brooke is at the age where she doesn't hold back her excitement.

Or know what things not to say outloud as she chucks clothes and those "just batteries" to the side looking for more toys.

Trying out her smart cycle from Tim's bother's and sister's.

Enjoying her blue frosting birthday cake. A lesson learned, no more blue fosting cakes. Everyone's tongue and lips were stained the rest of the night. Oh, the ice cream cake from Handles was so yummy.

Did you say ice cream cake? Yummy!!!