Down syndrome Awareness Month--- 31 for 21

I knew October was Down syndrome Awareness Month. I knew about 31 for 21, meaning in October you blog every day (31 days) to support/spread awareness for T-21 (Down syndrome). Hence, 31 for 21.

I wanted to write something special today. To support this campaign to spread awareness about my daughter's syndrome. BUT my day has gone like this....

Dropped of Jaden and Naomi at school.

Took Kamryn (with Brynn) to speech Therapy group. (This is new to us, I will share later).

Home w/Brynn and Kamryn we baked some chocolate cookies. From scratch. They are great.

Clean up the baking mess. Check my work emails to make sure there is nothing pressing, it's Friday and the weekend has really started :)!

Quick Lunch for the three of us.

Off to school, taking Fudge bars to Jaden and Naomi's class to honor the 90 degree weather we had all week.....

Home with an additional 3 kids, because we LOVE playmates.

Soccer practice.

and now, Diondray is waiting, as we have a date.........


So, I HAD to post something today. It is Down syndrome Awareness Month.


Be Aware, it is a beautiful life......................













I will be back every day (I hope)!

Soccer Stars

I never loved soccer before I had children. For some reason it has become one of our sports. This year three of our four girls are playing. This means we spend all day Saturday at the soccer filed, which I love. We are outside, we are all together and it is just simple fun........(except now Jaden "cares" about her team record).

Saturday we had unprecedented 100 degree weather. I still loved it! :)

This girl plays all positions, but she can block some amazing goals!!!!!!!!!!!! (the ball siting in the picture was not the play ball)


#10 ROCKS!!!!



My Naomi, she plays forward....she scored about 5 goals and truly dominates on the filed. This is so funny to Diondray and I. At home she is sooooo sensitive and super sweet. But she will use her elbow on the field! We just have to giggle! The first game she played, we looked at each other like "WHO IS That GIRL?" ;)


Watch out for #7


Brynn plays in the mommy/daddy and me program. She doesn't get the "team" concept. Hence, she NEVER passes - I think she gets the "team" concept, but she wants to be the only one to score :)




IT WAS HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Soccer star in the making....she can kick the ball, but I couldn't get a picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!




After spending 5 hours in an open filed in excruciating weather...we hit Grandma's pool. I LOVE THIS PICTURE: Jaden is holding Kamryn's hand. Jaden loves this litter sister of hers and it is so heart warming to watch...as she will tell you, "my other sisters get on my nerves"- I bet one day this one will too!:)





It was another GREAT day!



NOTE for me: From June 12-Aug 5, I broke three (yes THREE) digital cameras. One, was dropped while I was taking a picture of Naomi riding her bike for the first time w/out training wheels. One, was slammed in the door of the car...don't ask. One, I took to the beach, who knew sand could ruin a digital camera????????? I haven't had the courage to buy another one, so the iPhone it is. Even for Kamryn and Naomi's birthday ! I know one day I will look back and wonder why these pictures are just blah....that is why. The reality is, I am no photographer anyway......:)

Melting my heart

On the way to school, before we sing as loud as we can to Barney (or Mary J. Blige-which if I new how I would have some of her songs playing on my blog), the girls and I discuss the day ahead and what activities they have after school.

I the middle of my monologue, "Jaden and Naomi, you will go to drama club right after school today, Brynn I will pick you up from preschool and we have....." Brynn interrupts me-

"Mom, mom"

I pause mid-sentence, "Yes, Brynn"

"Mom, I love you."

Driving, my heart starts to melt. Before I could say anything Jaden says "Mom, I love you too."

I look at them in my review mirror (all 4 of them), I can't stop smiling and the feeling is incredible!

It was one of those moments. You just feel all warm inside and you can't stop smiling.

Then, Jaden says, "Naomi must not love you , because she didn't say it"----it didn't ruin my moment, but it sure made me laugh.

the everyday

I enjoy the every day in life. The simple things that occur in the midst of all the chaos. The things that really matter. I find myself taking time to really notice. To stop.

So today, when Naomi and Brynn wanted their nails polished, and I needed to be making dinner, I polished their nails (mine too). I have become very conscious of the moment and being present. It's strange because I always thought I was. However, I had no happiness for a year after Kamryn was born. I don't like to type that, but it's the truth. I faked happy and that was hard and exhausting. I never thought I would be grateful for that first year of my journey. The struggle to get up, the struggle to smile, the struggle to feel. But I am. Because I find I appreciate being happy even more. And it feels so goooooood to be happy!


Today after school, these two decided to "surf"-I didn't try it, but how fun is that?!








and last night they put on a "show" for me. I giggled inside because they set up all those chairs for the audience and it was just me. :) (Diondray was at work and Kamryn decided to sit on the couch.)



This made me smile too. Now I am not obsessed with being neat. As you will see from picture one: The play room. But I have four girls, so some organization is required. Every day after school I say the same thing, "Empty your back pack and put it on the bench, hang your jacket, put your shoes in the closet, empty your lunch and put your lunch box on the counter....." for some reason those things don't always happen?! But today, one did. And I JUST SMILED:)!






This is just exciting! She drinks from a cup and look at that face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time

I know I am not the only mom who needs more hours in the day. I'm definitely tired by the end of the day. I'm using every minute I have, yet it is still not enough. The days feel like they are slipping through my hands and I don't have a chance to grasp them. I can't stand it.

I can't stand that Jaden and Naomi seem to be gone so much. They are still so little, but gone so much. Monday - Friday in school for 6 hours. Once home, it's homework, at least one of them has an activity to get to-by the time we are back.....dinner, baths, story, bed. Sometimes, I feel like I barley get to "see" them.

We are busy. School, homework, dance, soccer, swimming, PT, OT, ST, work(the job that pays me :), playing, laundry-(is there a trick to this?), cleaning, stopping at the park-just 20 minutes mom?!, reading, dinner-that would also mean cooking. The list goes on and on and most of us have the same list.

Maybe I don't need more time in a day, maybe I need another day added to the week? I just wish I had more time to soak them up.....these four girls of mine who are growing way to fast. Who make me smile (and frustrate me too:). Who have made me such a better person and made my life so much more exciting. Who continue to teach me new things and transform me. These girls, who I am so lucky to have in my life. And I am so grateful for.

More time might be good, but we had today and it was a beautiful day....And I'm looking forward to all of tomorrow too!

Naomi Bear

Naomi Bear, I can't believe you are 7!!!!!!!!! It was two weeks ago today we had your "Barbi Bash" birthday celebration......the actual day of your birthday you and I had pedicures together (what a treat for me!) and a scrumptious birthday dinner-per your request: breaded pork chops, large green salad, garlic bread and broccoli-cheese rice casserole. You have taste when it comes to clothes and FOOD!!!!!!!!!

You are growing up way to fast and amaze me daily. You were a calm, easy-going, bundle of joy as a baby and haven't changed. You are constantly putting a smile on my face! I am sooooooooo glad God gave me you! I love you!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday Naomi Bear.

Birthday Morning
B


At the "spa"





"Barbi Bash"



Sister love......at the end of a great party

Kamryn is TWO! Me at 2!

OK, I can't believe I haven't written in a month!!!!!!!!!! I find myself reflecting so much more since I had Kamryn and since I started to blog. I lay in bed and reflect about the great day we had or the new adventure we took and I want to get it down. To remember that moment and what I was feeling. I write it in my thoughts, but I am always to tired to actually sit at the computer and "post". I really wanted to blog as a way for me to capture moments and memories for me (and one day my girls) to look back on. In blogging, versus just writing in a journal, I also hope someone could get a glimpse into our lives and see a child with Down syndrome, as just a child. I hope that maybe, like tossing a stone into a lake and causing a ripple, one person who has never met someone with Down syndrome will "meet" Kamryn though my blog. That any stereo types they had, or fears, or misunderstandings would be shattered. Like the stone, I hope that one person would share with someone else and the world will be a better place for my little girl to grow up in. It sounds crazy, but it's what I hope for.

There is so much I need to share, as we have had a wonderful summer!!!!!! Not only have we had some great vacations and adventures, but.........

Jaden graduated from the Jr. Life Guard program through the state beaches. Which had us at the beach daily for three weeks. (I have to say I was a little beached out after that).

Naomi learned to ride a two wheel bike (she just asked Diondray to remove the training wheels and then road off, there was no teaching involved)!

Brynn, well she just continues to crack us up with her not so 4 year old responses....the other day she said,
"mom, my head hurts"
me, "what does it feel like?"
her, "I just told you, like my head hurts"
OK, silly question on my part.

Kamryn, well she is growing so fast and tomorrow she is TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had her birthday party on Saturday and it was such a relaxing evening with family and friends. Pizza, blue berries and strawberries were served, as those are some of her favorite foods! She also loves Barney and enjoys singing times w/Alex and Leah. She loves books (just like all our girls) and will sit and flip though a book on her own or in your lap while you read to her. She loves to open drawers and pull everything out, cabinets too. Her receptive language is, well, she has it and understands everything I would expect a two year old to. She is very verbal too.

Words she says:
mom
daddy
Brynn
hot
cold
up
down
duck
dog
cat
hat
no
Barney
sauce
grapes
on
bath
that
stuck
tight
eat
hi
bye
sock
shhhhh-that might not be considered a word
Auntie
chips
goose
book


Words she says, but not clear:
please
Naomi
Jaden
grandma
strawberry
blue berry
cake

sings: only signs when asked, she is more verbal
apple
cracker
cookie
eat
candy
more
cereal
ice cream
cat
cheese
cold
hot
bath
mom
dad
please
thank you

She walks, kind of runs.

She loves "duck-duck-goose"

Loves to take a bath-we don't even say the word or she will say and sign until you just give her one!

She will go into the kitchen, get a sandwich bag out of the drawer, go into the pantry and call me to come and fill it.

She puts her purse (or any purse) over her shoulder and will kiss me good-bye, then is "off" somewhere in the house.

I could go on and on.

..............................................


The first year of Kamryn's life was, to date, the hardest time in my life. It brought me to the edge of the cliff. I stood there and much of me wanted to jump. The pain was horrible. I wanted a "go back"..........I wanted to go back to who I was before her diagnosis. I wanted to feel like I did before my life had shattered. I wanted to go back so BAD the hurt was excruciating. I wanted to take Jaden, Naomi and Brynn and run. I knew there was no "go back" and I didn't want to go forward. It was a tough year.

The second year of Kamryn's life, I have grown and transformed more in one year, than I have my first 34. I have learned more about who I "thought" I was and who I want to be. I have experienced unconditional love in its purest form. I have discovered the beauty of truly living in each day, which can require constant effort-that is so worth it. There is so much I have learned and discovered, however I'm at a loss for words to express it. I know the minute I lay down to go to sleep the words will flow. For now, the only thing that is running through my mind is the song I sing to my girls at night before bed (I am no singer, but they love it:)....the words are:

I'm the luckiest mommy in the world, because I have four of the most amazing girls. My Jaden, Naomi, Brynn and Kamryn.