Baby Signing Time

Best Buy is having a sale on the Baby Signing Time collections today:

Volumes 1-3 This is normally $59.98 and is on sale for $14.99

Volumes 4-7 This is normally $99.95 and is on sale for $14.99

Shhhh...don't tell Ainsley, but I picked up Volumes 4-7 for her Christmas present. Mimi Julie got her volumes 1-4 for her birthday this year. She's been watching them & learning signs very quickly. Her speech is delayed and these have been great! She is communicating with us a little more each day. These DVDs are her favorite thing to watch, especially while we're making dinner. The songs are catchy and most of the signs are pretty easy to pick up. (I know, we've already got one of those DVDs, but it was a package deal...so I guess I'll have a DVD to give away.)

Skylar & Gavin enjoy watching them, too. Gavin is always anxious to use the signs he's learned and practice with Ainsley. These aren't something that are made specifically for children with Down Syndrome, but they have helped our little lady a lot.

Hooray for football!

There was a story that was featured a couple weeks ago about a football player in Austin, Texas that scored a touchdown. The cool thing is that this player has Down Syndrome.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/down-syndrome-football-player-ike-ditzenberger-scores-touchdown-11797819

I don't know who I'm more proud of: Ike, his teammates, their opponents, or the coaches. Everybody worked together to help Ike fulfill a dream. His dream of scoring a touchdown is one more example of how people with Down Syndrome are more alike than different.

Hooray for football! And congratulations on the touchdown, Ike!!

Down Syndrome Pregnancy e-book

We found out a month before Ainsley was born that she had Down Syndrome. This was obviously pretty late in the pregnancy and had started a month before that. If I had the option, I wouldn't change the way that everything happened.

This website (http://downsyndromepregnancy.org/) is for anyone receiving a diagnosis of Down Syndrome for their baby or even for medical professionals. There is a free e-book available and it looks great!

There is a lot of information to process with this diagnosis, and it can sound very scary and overwhelming at the time. Ainsley is awesome, and we are so thankful for everything that she's brought to our lives. Adrian & I know that God moved in our lives and made us better people through her.

31 for 21!!

It's October, so it's time for 31 fo 21! For the next 31 days, I'm going to try to blog each day (big stretch for me, I know...) about our lives with Ainsley. There's so much more to Ainsley than her diagnosis of Down Syndrome.

So for the next month I'm going to make a real effort to share a glimpse into how "normal" our lives are. Or as normal as it is with 3 kids ages 6 & younger. But it is what it is, we love it, and I'm more than happy to share it with you. :)

If there is anything you would like to know, please leave a comment. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I will do my best to find an answer. And I'll learn something new, too!

Father's Day 2010 at OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! We love you sooo much!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A good night

I'm amazed by my kids. I love to watch them play together, help each other, volunteer for the occasional chore, figure out how a toy works or how to take it apart, or anything. I just love hanging out with them. I love the way they pile on Adrian on the sofa. And I love the way it makes him happier than anything. That's a good night at our house. Dinner, baths, jammies, and 4 of my favorite people all together.

Of course, if you know my kiddos (or have any of your own), you know that these moments can be fleeting. It usually starts by someone being silly, or jockeying for another spot, or some unwanted assistance. Skylar still gets a little overwhelmed when Gavin & Ainsley start being silly and loud, so she's usually the first one in tears. But it all works itself out. These kids are awesome, and we're so blessed to be their parents!!

New year, and half a year

We couldn't believe how fast 2009 went by. Adrian & I became and uncle & aunt and Gavin & Ainsley got their first cousin in March when Chase was born. The best part of the year was when we welcomed Skylar into the family in July. Ainsley learned to walk. Gavin learned to play soccer. Ainsley lead our biggest team yet at the Buddy Walk. Gavin started Kindergarten. Adrian continues to grow his business and took over as V.P. of the Litchfield Chamber of Commerce. It was a very good year!!

We all had great birthdays, though some of us handled it better than others. OK...everyone handled it better than I did. I turned 30 and didn't enjoy it at all. A few months in, it's not such a big deal anymore. Though I miss being able to say that I'm a "twenty-something," turning the big 3-0 hasn't been bad. Ainsley had a rough birthday as that was the day that we discovered her allergy to cashews. She had half a cashew and her little body blew up like a balloon. Poor girl! After some tests, we found that she also has allergies to walnuts and egg whites.

Today, Skylar is 6 months old. Half a year. Having 3 little ones is keeping us busy. For now, we've settled into a new rhythm of life with a kindergartener, a toddler, and a baby. And life is good!!