My Christmas Gift

I wanted for Justin to be able to sit up on his own for my Christmas present. It wasn't really all that impossible, but I still really hoped it could happen. He was doing SO well, but I couldn't get a picture for fear he would fall when I was looking through the camera. And then I got this picture:




He's kind of leaning on the toy, but not really. He is doing FANTASTIC! Don't ask him to watch you move an object over his head because then he falls for sure, but if he just sits, he's good. And it's not just balance until he falls. When I am holding him to practice, I can feel his muscles "firing" (a favorite therapist word!) to correct himself when he begins to fall. It's very cool! I am not sure what the exact time limits would be to claim sitting, but he is darn close! And he almost has the second tooth in front too! Sitting AND two front teeth! Who can't claim a Christmas miracle?

And here's the boys Christmas Eve, on the hearth. There are some pictures of them looking at the camera, but I thought this one was better. It kind of looks like they are plotting to catch Santa Claus! (Did I mention that Justin LOVES his thumb??)

A Different Kind of Christmas

Since the boys are sick and we don't want to infect anyone else, we had a low-key Christmas at home. It was the first time in a long time that I haven't been with at least some other family, even if it was just nearby family. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was really nice. Travis went CRAZY when we finally let him open presents. It is fortunate that there weren't many other presents under the tree because Travis didn't take much time to read the names on the presents. And Justin didn't seem to mind the help to have his presents opened. It took us a while to open everything because we had to take time out to play with each thing as it was opened. It's probably a good thing that there weren't more people here. They might have lost interest after a while!

Of course, here are the expected pictures from the holiday:

This is one of Travis's favorite gifts. It is meant to be an outside toy because he always wants to take his trucks outside. This one can take the abuse. But, it turns out that it can also be used to open other presents...

Justin got into the fun a little, although he couldn't really rip the paper. He got his first car...

And it was tasty!

In fact, most of his presents were tasty...

Travis got a BUNCH of tools. He loves them. Daddy taught him how to use the battery operated drill to drill his wooden screws into the workbench. Great. And now I hear things like, "Mommy, I am cutting the table!" Great. And he has learned what a reciprocating saw and jigsaw look like. Great.

(It's ROOT BEER thank you very much!!)

Travis got a tractor that I thought was for outdoor use, until I read the box. I am breaking the rules. Tavis is enjoying it, but his feet don't quite touch the pedals all the way around. The story of my life.

And of course, a tractor with a trailer and a baby means...

Haul the baby! (With adult supervision of course!)

It seems we had quite the vehicle Christmas. Justin also received a rocking horse. The little support circle is the perfect size and shape to keep him on. He seems to like it.

It tastes good anyway...

Randy and Travis took a long nap together in the afternoon. And Justin and I delivered the food we had cooked to our family who was gathering without us. I can contain Justin enough to prevent the spread of germs. Travis, not so much. The day went by quickly, and now the 2 youngest are in bed. Being the only healthy one, a lot of chores have fallen on me and I think I am ready to fall myself. It will be an early night tonight, but a happy and fulfilled one.

Justin and I took a walk when the other 2 were sleeping and there were several neighbors out walking as their children and grandchildren played with their new scooters and bicycles. It is such a joy to see everyone together. All the cars were parked in front of other homes, instead of at grocery stores and office buildings. I like that. It doesn't happen often, but it's nice that it happens on Christmas. Even if it's not always for the right reasons. God can work anywhere, anytime. I like that.

Christmas Blessings

I have been thinking this week about the babies who will be born in the US this year with DS. There will be about 5,000 of them. That breaks down to about 14 per day. Given that very few of those diagnosed prenatally continue with the pregnancy, there are about 12-13 whose parents have no clue that their child has DS until he/she is born. Each day. Including tomorrow, Christmas day. There will be about 13 babies born on the day that we celebrate as Jesus' birthday whose parents will have their lives turned upside down. The day that they planned and anticipated for months. I am sure they will be excited as they head to the hospital, or maybe are already there. They know their child will have a special birthday, but they don't know how special their child will truly be. I have been praying for these 13 families. I pray that they find out in a good way. That they are strong and that this diagnosis draws them closer as a couple and as a family. That they would not think they did something wrong or blame themselves. That they would not doubt God's love or his plan. That their family would embrace them and their new baby and celebrate. That the family wouldn't say, "It's okay, don't worry." That God's love would shine in each of those labor and delivery rooms. That they experience the joy that everyone should feel welcoming a new baby into their families. That they feel the true blessing of Christmas.

It Doesn't Even Matter

I prayed before I looked in each store for something to wear for the Christmas/Not-Christmas family picture. It seems silly I guess, but God says to pray for everything, so I do (I try anyway...). And nothing. No shirts, and I was getting frustrated! Then, last night:

We were up cleaning, etc. late last night and 30 mins. after we went to bed Justin woke up coughing. That horrible, croup-like cough. Fortunately (?) Travis had woken up with a fever from nap yesterday, so I had already made doctor's apts. for them BOTH this morning. So it turns out after no sleep last night, Justin and Travis have an RSV-type virus. Of course it's contagious, so that rules out Christmas and the picture too. So, God really did take care of me when he urged every other person to buy all the red shirts sized 9 mo. and 3T. Now I don't have to return them.

Failure

I have given up on sleep. Mine, that is. Naps aren't any better after my sleep intervention, but Justin has been good at therapy so I think I will just stick it out for another what, 3 years? 4? I think the tooth may have been part of our problem. So now we only have 15 more to go, and then molars? Whoo, hoo!

And we have been working on Travis and his numbers so he knows when to get up in the morning. We spray shaving cream on the wall in the bath for him to practice writing numbers.

But still all he does is open the door and yell, "Is it 6-3-0 yet?" And if I say no, he goes back in and cries until I say it is. He won't even play with his toys! BUT, I just got an e-mail from a fellow mom who has heard of my plight and she recommended this. OH MY GOSH! I am SO on the waiting list for this!

Tagged

So, apparently you have to read your friends' blogs to find out when you get tagged! So sorry about that! It's Christmas time, that will be my excuse!

First, from D'Lyn: 8 Things...

8 Shows I watch:

1. Cold Case
2. Amazing Race

3. Heroes

4. Lost

5. 24

6. ER

7. Numbers

8. Higgletown Heroes

8 Favorite Restaurants (How can they ALL be favorites??)

1. Chick-Fil-A (Good food AND a play place)

2. The Melting Pot

3. Chili's

4. Papa John's

5. ANYTHING Chinese

6. Sorry, we don't eat out very much...

7.

8.

8 Things That Happened to Me Today

1. 9 Loads of Laundry

2. Justin's Therapy Evaluation

3. I went to the GYM! So great!!

4. Travis had a potty accident 5 minutes after the last load of laundry went into the washer.

5. I talked my neighbor through HER day- 6 phone calls

6. I tried to find something to wear for a family picture Friday: something red, black, or white that is NOT Christmasy. For me and the boys. Does not exist in my price range.

7. I grilled hamburgers for dinner. Outside. In December.

8. I saw my sister in her wedding dress for the first time. She looks beautiful!

8 Thing I Look Forward To

1. All my kids' "firsts", and a few of their "lasts" (the last time I get peed on comes to mind particularly...)

2. Randy's return from work each day

3. Being wrapped in God's arms

4. Our 50th wedding anniversary

5. Seeing the boys grow up and their relationship form

6. Sundays and seeing my church family

7. Having the time to read

8. Snuggling with my boys

8 Things I Wish:

1. That my parents would not have gotten divorced

2. That my kids wouldn't wake up until 6:30 am (okay, maybe just after 6 am!)

3. That I lived closer to my grandmother

4. That I was a better witness for Christ

5. Can you believe that it took me until now even to think to wish that Justin didn't have DS?

6. That I trusted God more

7. That my sister and her fiance would decide ONCE AND FOR ALL to move to Texas, and then do it!

8. That Patrick Stewart could dance...this goes back to college...right, April?

And here is Erin H.: Decorations

You have already seen our tree:

And here's our front door:

But I refuse to show you our mantle because...well, then you would know I am a bad parent. We have 4 stockings (good!), but they do not match (bad). I believe that Christmas stocking were meant to point right, but ours point left, because one of them has an "M" on the other side. "Why?" You may ask, because NONE of our names start with an M. Well, that would be for my sister, who spent Christmas with us one year, and I bought her a stocking to hang on our mantle. So how could I buy a stocking for her, and not buy one for MY OWN CHILDREN?! Well, that would be the bad parent part. I REALLY want nice matching stockings with our names on them, so I went to look on line, and I could not find any that had 4 that looked like they were meant for our family that weren't sold out, so NEXT YEAR, I PROMISE, will be better! I will start looking in October...

A Sweet Gift

I was an exchange student in Mexico during high school. I made lots of friends and I still have one friend in particular with whom I continue to exchange "snail mail". She is a graphic designer and she does a lot of print ads for conventions and other programs. She always sends me post cards and other things of her work, especially at Christmas. I received a letter yesterday and she included another Christmas present for me. It is two little notebooks with each of the boys' pictures on them! The one she still has from when Travis was first born. I cannot believe that she still has that picture, and that she thought to do something like that for me! She is so thoughtful! Travis is on the left, and Justin the right. It is hard to see in the picture, but the border of each picture is baby items: bottles, safety pins, a stork, etc. It is so cute and oh, so sweet!