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Love this.

A friend of mine and I were talking at work the other night. The difference in ages between her oldest and youngest is 10 years. She said, " the best part about the kids and their age difference is the gift the younger one has been to the older one. It is like the older child gets to feel the love that a parent has for a child when they are still so young" Pretty cool.

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Gosh you are growing up fast.

You have an iPod (I don't)

You have two big teeth!

Your smile and your laugh are contageous.

You are so handsome.

Love you, my boy.

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P.S. Head over here to see pics from Jeff's big homecoming.  Not a dry eye in the house I tell you.....

When it comes to special needs children

Sometimes it's so hard to find people that really "get it."  I'm not blaming the rest of the world for not understanding, all I'm saying is that when I find someone out there who really gets it, I just want to hang on to that person.  Sometimes you don't even get it yourself until talking with others in the same situation.  This was said to me today.  I haven't heard words this true in a long time.

It's just different and people don't get it.  You're running around and doing all these things for your special needs child, taking them to endless appointments, researching and calling and finding new therapies, seeing doctors, meeting with teachers.   You sort of  become more of a manager of that child.  It doesn't leave much room for forming a relationship with them.  Sometimes they just need to be the child and you need to be the parent.  

AND, on a really positive note, I met Breanna's new Speech therapist today....in the 10 mins I Talked with her I already know I'm going to love her:)  Breanna now oficially has the most amazing group of people working with her, people who would give their right arm to help this little girl.  It has taken a while to get here, but it was worth it!

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the funny things you do right now.

I love how you put your finger up and say, "Lucas have idea"

I also how you love to play, "throw chase", golf, and you  love to mop the floor

I love how you can count to twenty with help.  

You are a cutie!

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Welcome home soldier!

We missed you so much and can't wait to catch up....Talk to you soon!

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Happy Easter!

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Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for our new Easter shirts!

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just drawin'.....

Tiny dancers...big hearts NBC nightly news

Watch here...and here .....and here......

I can't wait until Breanna can be a part of something like this!

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winter's end.....the VERY last little patch of snow in our yard.

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On Parenting.

Whenever one of our kids has an "issue" Josh and I usually get together after they go to bed and talk about what to do.  Usually the resolve is figuring out how we can do better as parents.  Usually, what the problem child needs is more love/attention/one-on-one time OR more limits.  With her, We are trying the first, first--she deserves at least 1/3 of the attention right?  Josh and I concluded that we weren't living in reality just thinking that someday Breanna will just wake up talking, it's going to take ALOT of hard work.  TIme for us to work harder and be better parents.  Time for more routine in our life.  This morning Josh got up with her and involved her 1:1 in all the morning chores---making breakfast, feeding the dog, etc....  hopefully her cup was full with that today and things will get better.  I'm so glad that we can see parenting as a team approach and that one of us doesn't always have all the answers.  I'm so glad we can let some things go to be mindful of what they need.  And that, well,  it fills my cup:)

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A two year old's day out.

drop off sister at preschool

grocery store

kids' second hand clothing store

Doctor's appointment (25.2 lbs, 33 1/4 inches tall-1 shot) where he just HAD to press the elevator buttons

Lunch (egg and cheese bagel sandwich from Dunkin Donuts)

Toys R Us for gifts (fell asleep in the cart)

Staples for more printer ink (asleep on Mom's shoulder)

Snipitz for more girl hair stuff.

Pick up sister from preschool

home.

snacks, outside, playing with toys (dumping, throwing, fighting with sister etc...) "helping" with dinner, pick out "cozies", read books...bed.  (phew!)

Lessons from children.

Breanna is sick again today. WE had a REALLY difficult weekend with her. To the doctor today and she's on a albuterol nebulizer and an antibiotic now . Hopefully she gets back to herself soon. So Scary to think about what has happened to some other children I know with DS who have gotten pneumonia. Their little lungs (with the low muscle tone) just couldn't handle it. Inspiration for today here. Looking forward to summer.....

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The fist time I ever really danced (and it was just about the cutest thing that I have ever seen!)

and look who slept through the night last night for the very first time (I'll dance to that!)

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Egg coloring day.....

(and TRevor was BEGGING to do this from the moment he woke up this morning!)

Egg coloring Day

Enjoy!

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Just our usual pre-bedtime wrestling time.....

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I'm grateful to be starting our morning together, no matter where the day might take us. AND today, we're celebrating Lucas sleeping through the night for the very first time!!!

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B. D. Gulledge : I used to sit on the banks with a raft and watch the water roll lazily by. One day I pushed my raft into the shallows of the water and found the water moved swifter than I thought. My raft was actually a boat. Then, after some time, I rowed my little boat into deeper water. There were great storms, mighty winds, tremendous waves, and sometimes I felt so alone. But I have noticed my little rowboat is now a mighty ship manned by my friends and loved ones; and beautiful calm seas, warm sunny days, and nights filled with comfortable dreams always double after a storm. Now, I could never go back and sit on the bank. In fact, I search for deeper water. Such is life when lived.

Ali's post yesterday about Autism really made me pause and reflect on OUR journey and where we have been and how we have changed. I can't believe how different my life is from what I expected it to be. Even though it still resurfaces at times, we can celebrate the fact that we have conquered the grief of not having the child that we expected. And we CAN have high expectations, but also keeping in mind what is REALLY possible. The great thing is though, the people we have come into contact through our journey. People we would have never normally met. We share the vulnerability we each inherited when our particular child was born to us. The automatic humbling that came to us, every one and out of it was created a kinship unlike any other but that pain can bring. The final proof of our humanity is in the non-comparing love we can show for our children and for each other. (**excerpt from DS News 2009#2). We are there to help each other out of that deep water.

What I really can't wait for is the day, Breanna, that you are fully talking. I can't wait to see how your mind works and all the thoughts that occupy your time. I can't wait to hear your questions and I can't wait to explain things to you and see your mind working to digest them. I can't wait to tell you about why the sky is blue and the grass is Green, I can't wait to hear your thoughts about the world and the things you love to watch. I can't wait to get to a place where your speech skills catch up with your obvious need to communicate. Until then, I can only be grateful for how far we have come to get to today, and how you have taught me patience. Good things come to those who can wait.

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Dear Lucas,

Tonight you are asleep in your crib by yourself for the very first time. The crying was heartbreaking, but please know that we still love you with all our hearts....so much so that we need to give you this greatest gift. The gift of sleeping through the night and waking up rested, well and ready to play!

Love,

Mommy