Just trying to stay cool...

After a week with heat indices between 105-115 we are roasting here.



My poor UPS man has been so hot each night when he arrives home that he hasn't even had the energy to get in the car and go to one of our pools. So, he broke down today and bought a splash pool for the backyard (it is for the kids, of course but, guess who was first in after Aidan?) Aidan picked out the turtle for Alayna. The 2 of them splashed around and enjoyed the sunny day.


Here is a video of Aidan giving Alayna a ride...note her giggling. She LOVES her big brother!

Aidan is doing well with swimming lessons, working on the freestyle now. He finishes those up midweek and as Alayna doesn't have baby classes this week (only her home OT on Tuesday morning) we will spend some time at the pool and maybe catch up with our friends we had to cancel on when Aidan was sick...

Midweek moments

This week has certainly thrown us out of our hermit zone and back into the fast and furious world we usually live in.

We started the week out right at Kaw Prairie on Sunday...then we came home and had a family day for Father's Day. We invited Pop Pop over and made he and Jason steaks & shrimp to celebrate. Jason was in heaven with the giant cheesecake sampler (I bought)...(he and Aidan finished it off last night.)

On Monday, Aidan started swimming lessons (he & Grace are in the same class, super fun to watch them become little dolphins). As there has been a heat advisory in effect all week here Grandma came by to keep Alayna in the cool while we went to the pool. When Aidan finished lessons we quickly came home, I fed Alayna and she and I were off to baby class for the afternoon. It was a fun class in which we learned about baby massage (oh the babies LOVED it) then in honor of the 4th of July they painted the kids feet red, white and blue and stamped them on paper like a flag. SO CUTE!

On Tuesday, we again went to swimming lessons, came home and re-showered because we were dripping wet from watching Aidan swim (and we were in the shade). UGH it's hot! Then we were off to Alayna's pt (her PT, Erin's daughter was sick last week so she rescheduled us for Tuesday). Alayna had only an hour morning nap and had just drifted off to sleep in the car when we arrived so I figured she would be like goo and not do much but she continues to surprise me. She gave Erin all she had.

She is sitting for several minutes on her own without propping on anything and moved from side sitting into all fours without much direction from Erin. Then she decided to reach out from all fours to get a toy! Go baby girl.

Finally, today we were able to slow things down a little and after Aidan's swimming lessons Alayna and I decided to join him in the pool. It was so hot and we were having so much fun we stayed for hours. Alayna even took a 30 minute nap laying on one of the deck lounges.

Needless to say after a few days of fast a furious we are all tired again. Alayna was counting sheep by 6:30 and Aidan wasn't too far behind her.

Jason is out tonight with the DADS group (Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome) they were going to the T Bones baseball game but as there is huge thunderstorm going on outside I bet they found the nearest pub and are staying dry!

Hermits...

Since my last blog entry we have been quarantined to the house...we feel like hermits.

Aidan woke up on Wednesday and complained of a tummy ache. For those of you who don't know Aidan he hardly has been sick in his 6 years and rarely complains of minor ailments, he also takes no naps ~which he took 2, hour long naps this week. (See picture~ if you can't beat them join them...Aidan jumped into Alayna's crib after her nap for a little snuggle time as she watched her fish swim around her aquarium.)

He had no fever or any other symptoms but, I always take the precautionary measure to avoid others when my kids are sick. Which meant he missed 3 play dates this week (bummer friends, thanks for understanding). However, we did plenty of puzzles, science experiments, games and playing together to make up for it. He even said, "Mom this has been a really nice few days to be together."

After a trip to urgent care for tummy x rays and a strep test. He is just fine. We believe he got a little irregular due to his super diet on last weekend's camping trip (Note to self...do not let Jason shop for groceries without checking that he has put something green or colorful from the fruit and veggie aisle in the cart). What is wrong with hot dogs, brats, chips, smores, trail mix and a healthy dose of McDonald's on the way home? UGH, my stomach hurts just thinking about it.

Thankfully Aidan is feeling better and the rain has stopped so we can go outside to get a little sunshine.

Tooth fairy?

We are patiently waiting to see which of our children will win the summer tooth prize...Aidan's bottom 2 teeth are really loose (which were his first teeth in, see picture of him at 6 months) ....







and the same 2 bottom teeth on Alayna are desperately trying to make their way into this world...oh but her huge, gummy smile just melts your heart.
















Weekend in review...

Jason & Aidan had a great time camping and canoeing...Aidan was sad to leave Alayna & I on Friday but, he was just as devastated to leave the campsite on Saturday to head home. Aidan paddled the whole 8 miles of the canoe trip. Jason was bursting with pride when they arrived home (and sunburn pain). Needless to say the guys didn't put enough sunscreen on Jason's back he has spots that he looks like a lobster...ouch! Thankfully the kids were well slathered.


Alayna & I had a great weekend as well. We had some quiet time where she slept and I scrapbooked then we did some girl time with grandma and took in some shopping (of which I truly HATE! I can never find what I want when I shop, therefore I just skip shopping all together). I was looking for khaki shorts (simple right? ok after shopping 2 malls we gave up...) Thankfully I had good company which made the trip worth it.


On Sunday, we enjoyed church (we are teaching the kindergarten class this month...who wouldn't have fun there eh?) Then that evening we joined a new small group and had a picnic. It was a great time and will be some really fun people to get to know better and grow our faith with and the bonus is LC and family are joining us too. Alayna and LC played on a blanket in the grass. Jason got some cute pictures of them on his phone but, I am not technical enough to get them on the blog.


Monday we had baby class which was fun, we worked on oral motor skills and movement skills (rolling, pivoting etc). At the end, the PT was trying to get Alayna to belly crawl...Alayna had other ideas like having some milk and taking a nap, she was worn out. (me too, I think the older she gets the more tired I get at class... or is it the older I get? hmmm.)


Today Magen, Alayna's home OT came and worked on side sitting, reaching across her body and continuing to move to play with toys.


We also tried giving Alayna some dry cheerios this weekend which she LOVED. She is doing really well and continues to amaze us with her skills.

I'm Vertical

Hey everybody look at me...I am sitting in the tub!

Here is a comparison shot in the same bath seat. Alayna 8 months old (check out those rolls, I think she is going to sign up for the fall sumo wrestling league, and all that hair) below is Aidan and Grace (he is 6 1/2 months and Grace is 10 months~Aidan just had blonde fuzz).

Aidan & Alayna were both so excited to try out her bath seat. Aidan washed off the dust as it has been in storage since he was little. Then we put them in the tub. As you can tell she was all smiles for not laying down in the tub and being able to play more with Aidan while they were in there.

Alayna slept in until 8:20 this morning after her long day yesterday with family. She was all rested to show her new stuff to Erin at PT this afternoon.

Erin was really impressed with Alayna's sitting. We didn't have PT for the past 2 weeks because of conferences and Erin being sick so she hadn't worked with Alayna in 3 weeks. She just couldn't get over how well she is sitting and even catching herself before falling over. Alayna is sitting for about 10 seconds without support on her own.

Alayna even got onto all 4's over the Boppy pillow without any support from Erin. She remained on her hands and knees for several minutes. Then Erin had her rock back and forth which Alayna loves, she beams her big, gummy smile at you which you can't help but smile back.

Alayna then topped it off by showing Erin that she knows the routine of getting from laying down to moving to her side and pushing herself up into a sitting position (although she can't complete it without support she definitely knows the pattern and as soon as her strength is built up enough she will be able to do this alone).

Our homework for the week is to continue working on sitting, work on side sitting, and transitioning in and out of sitting.

We are having a girls weekend this weekend as Jason & Aidan are going to southern Missouri camping and canoeing with some other dads and kids from church.

A visit from the U.P.

"How do you do Auntie Carol? Nice to meet you may I chew on your finger, I am working on some teeth here."

Today my Auntie Carol (Grandma's sister), Cousin Dawn and 2nd cousin Gia drove down from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a visit. Carol hadn't seen Aidan since he was a year old and Dawn and Gia had never met him.

He was up before 6am (not to mention the nightmare at midnight that woke him) to get prepared for the day...he cleaned his room, did laundry, vacuumed the hardwoods, set and decorated the table all before 8 am (without being asked). AHHH! Then he waited and waited and waited (and kept asking..when will they be here?)

I had just gotten Aidan convinced that he needed to take a much needed rest when our visitors arrived.

Aidan was as wired as a greyhound chasing that rabbit around the track.

Aidan woke Alayna up after only a 30 minute nap so I had one child bouncing off the wall because he was so tired while the other was just a sweet little lump of goo who couldn't muster the energy or excitement to truly enjoy the party.

Uncle Ed & Aunt Jane stopped by along with Aunt Elise, Uncle Scott, Grace & Rayne. The kids all played well together and were corralled in the basement thanks to Gia!

So the adults and Alayna got to spend a few hours chatting. Alayna was SO tired she gave Auntie Carol a few smiles then couldn't do anymore. I took her back to bed to try round 2 on the nap just as Aunt Jane arrived. Once Alayna heard more voices her eyes popped open and she was NOT going to take a nap. Thankfully even exhausted she is still a sweet baby, she finally got a second wind for a few minutes while we ate dinner and chatted, laughed and cooed for them.

It was great to see our family as we haven't gotten up north since 2004. Any of you other Yoopers out there that feel the urge to roadtrip down we would LOVE to see you. (Especially you Uncle Ray!)

Month 8

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It has been a wonderful 8 months. Here are a few pictures from the last month that highlight our sweet Alayna.

ALSO...

Weekend happenings

On Friday, Aidan, Alayna & I went to IDC for a performance by the Tasty Pear Percussion Group. Of course, I forgot my camera sorry no pictures. Miss Erin's husband (Alayna's music therapist) was one of the performers. They played several different types of percussion instruments and explained to the kids all about each one. Aidan loved the marimba and steel drum and got to play around with the instruments afterwards. Alayna was loving the beat and even though it was during nap time they were way too entertaining to sleep, she clapped right along. On the last song they handed out shakers and sandpaper blocks for all the kids to join in. The gym was rocking with all the beat going on in that place.

Today we went to the DSG for another new parent breakfast (& Grandma and Pop Pop attended the grandparent breakfast). It is always nice to catch up with folks we have met in the past 7 months and meet new ones. I got dibs on our sweet friend, LC. It is so fun to see she & Alayna together. They are two, super cute girls!

The executive director said that in the past 9 weeks there have been 19 babies born in the KC area that have down syndrome (Two families were there with their 3 week old babies). Praise God for these blessings (some parents shared their stories of doctors asking them to terminate their pregnancy after learning of their diagnosis).

We are SO thankful for this Guild, they not only support Alayna and our family but also the medical community and legislative bodies with accurate and appropriate information on down syndrome. These children, like all children are a gift from God. If you have met Alayna or any of our friends that share an extra 21st chromosome you know what I am talking about.

Tonight we are all going to root on Jason as his soccer team has its playoff game for the season. Alayna hasn't been to a game yet as they have all fallen after bedtime or the weather was too cool. But, it is a sunny day and his game is early so we will slather on the sunscreen and cheer him on. Hopefully his girl can bring him a little luck (they didn't have such a winning season this year.) Even if they don't win I bet the little princess will have a BIG smile for daddy (boy that melts his heart every time she gives it to him) then he won't care if he won or not!

A few pics from the winning game...Alayna and Aidan cheered daddy on to a 4-0 victory (Daddy scored one of those goals! YEAH!!!)

Jason is #8 on the red team. Here he is going to goal!

Getting a little break time in with his biggest fan. Oh how Alayna adores her daddy.

Random thoughts

Lately Alayna has been all smiles (for familiar faces). She definitely is getting into the stranger anxiety and is very cautious when she meets someone new, or even someone she hasn't seen in a few weeks. She even takes a few moments to warm up to Grandma and Pop Pop when they haven't come around for a few days.

Alayna is definitely teething...the drool and constant chewing on anything and ANYBODY kinda gives it away. I swear I see a little white tooth bud on her bottom gum but Jason thinks I am making it up.

Magen (Alayna's home OT) came and gave us some great tips to continue moving Alayna along in meeting her milestones. Alayna is really close to sitting on her own, she does NOT want to prop sit at all but, rather wants to sit without support. Alayna got hungry while Magen was here so she asked if she could stay and watch her eat her cereal. Trust me she didn't have to stay long...my child has mastered eating... it only takes her a few minutes to woof down a whole bowl of baby cereal and top it off with some fruit. Alayna knows the signs for eat and milk and responds happily when I show them to her. She is also starting to lift her hands when I say "up".

After Magen's visit Aidan went to hang out with Pop Pop & the puppies while Alayna, Grandma and I went to visit Great Grandma. As you can see Alayna wasn't much into making conversation she was too interested in eating Grandma's thumb...Does it taste the same as MY yummy thumby?

Tomorrow Alayna will have her regular, individual PT session with Ms. Erin (maybe I can talk Aidan into remembering the camera). Then we will be celebrating Grandma's birthday!

Happy Birthday Grandma (can I still chew on your thumb?)

New baby class

Today was the beginning of Alayna's new baby class.... check out LC's blog as her mom is a much better blogger than I am and always brings her camera so she has cute pics of our new friends (and one really blurry picture that I took, sorry Courtney I promise to do better, would help if I stood still while taking photographs...note to self).

She got all prepared by taking a 3 1/2 hour morning nap. She didn't want to miss meeting any new friends. We are SO thankful and excited for our new class. Alayna & LC are still together (YEAH) also joining them are two handsome, young, 3 - month old boys. It was so nice to meet these boys and their terrific mothers who brought them.

The group is going to be a great fit for us and we are excited about being the BIG girl in the group instead of always being the youngest... LC is definitely going to keep Alayna on her toes as she is quick to get the fun toys if you don't move fast enough (hee hee hee, we are SO proud of our best buddy's accomplishments. LC is a fun loving, social girl who is constantly on the move).

In class we will be having music, ot/pt every other week, speech each week and swimming once a month too. We meet 7 weeks this summer until the end of July, then have a big break before starting up in the fall again on Aug 17th. (Just in time for us to hit Disney!)

Thanks to all of you who helped us pray for a class that would more closely match Alayna's age group. We grew rather fond of our friends in our old class and will miss them dearly.

Also, a big thanks to Grandma and Pop Pop for hanging out with Aidan so he doesn't have to endure that much therapy time per week. He is good for the 30 minute pt session but, really
1 1/2 hours of watching Alayna do therapy would bore any 6 year old...although he is so sweet and said he really does want to go once just to see what all she does.