The Little Holt's

Ski trip 2012

2012-02-10T15:04:00.001-06:00

Never a dull moment...
We were worried about driving all the way to Boone, NC to enjoy some skiing but then to possibly be disappointed by finding grass patches on the mountain. We were partially correct with our worries.
Thursday, we packed up the kids and parents (entire Barfield family) into 2 van/cars and began our long drive to the mountains. It has been 4 years since we had made this trip and we weren't going to let a little thing like- no snow- mess up our ski trip.
(That is the problem with us being in Florida and trying to plan a weekend trip to the mountains for some much needed skiing (quick weekend trips = Boone, NC). Sometimes it is a hit or miss on what you will find. We love Sugar Mountain but sometimes that area doesn't get as much snow as other parts of the North.)
Thursday afternoon we began driving to Atlanta where we made a stop for the night. With children, we have learned to break up the trip for easier traveling... we hear a few less "are we there yet??" Can you tell who I was sitting by during our road trip??

Ms. Flexible holding tight to a gummy worm

She can't figure out what to do with it! Don't worry... I was close by and only allowed her to taste it.

Nana needed a little extra loving!

Then we made a quick stop in Montgomery to catch up with Chad and Steph and then back on the road to ATL.
The kids love hotel rooms. I am not sure if it this is a universal thing for kids but mine hear hotel room and they start jumping for joy!
The first thing Ian needed to do with get some loving from Isabelle. She is good at dishing out the love!

Then Izzy tried out her new bed for the night...

Just kidding!! We made her a pallet on the floor and she slept like a champ. Ms. Thing likes her beauty rest!
(Don't worry, the boys really are on the trip with us. They are just harder to pin down for pictures. Ants in their pants!)
Friday morning we were back on the road headed for Boone. I have been experiencing some lovely car sickness the last few long trips we have taken so I was so ready to get out of the car by the time we hit the mountain roads.
We arrived Friday afternoon to the hotel and learned that the pool was out of order during our stay. This might not seem like a big deal to most but hotels and pools go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other according to my children. And so begins the meltdowns...

Please look closely in the picture above... (don't mind the feet in the bottom corner) The closets became the hide out zone for my children during their pout fests. It began with Aiden and soon Papa joined him until he was ready to emerge again. In this picture, I believe Ian or Ethan were enjoying their pout fest time. Nana joined in and they finally decided to rejoin the rest of the family.
Saturday morning, we got up bright and early to hit the slopes. We ignored the weird smiles we received as we were all dressed in our snow gear to walk outside to notice the rain falling down. We still made the trek to the mountain and then sat in the lodge to decide what our next move would be. Surprisingly, there were people already on the slopes.

I can't move Mommy!

Walking up to grass and slush!!

Can we still go?!?

Right after we told them we might not be skiing.

A little more pitiful!

Ryan was just a little upset as well.

After seeing all of the sad faces and tears, we decided that we drove all this way and we should just go for it. It definitely wasn't the most ideal skiing conditions but the kids didn't care. We were glad that we made that decision because those sad faces turned into happy faces!

An hour later and sweating, we are almost ready to hit the slopes!

Ryan isn't really pushing him, Ethan is hanging on for dear life. I had just yelled to make him try it by himself. Well... that is what Ethan thought of that.

Riding up the lift on the bunny slopes.

Who is that man in the red cap?? That is our Papa.

Yes, they are standing in slush but look at their smiles!

Aiden trying a new move! It didn't work.

Oh and did I mention that it was raining while we were skiing?!? If we didn't pay attention to the fact that we were getting so wet, we could imagine that it was snow instead of rain.

Mommy and Aiden playing with the camera on the ski lift.

Add in a little ~~slush~~ snow fight

This is a cute picture but it took about 30 minutes to get this shot. Totally not joking here! Get one kid in the spot and another starts sliding backwards down the mountain.

Izzy spent her day in the lodge with Nana. It looks like she enjoys the snow as well.

Nana is the official baby keeper when we go skiing. Nana doesn't ski so she enjoys watching the current baby of the family while everyone else is skiing. Aiden informed me that I am not allowed to have anymore babies so Nana can actually ski next time. I said- no problem here but you will have to take the part about Nana skiing up with her.
We decided to go ahead and head back to Atlanta on Sunday morning and figure out something fun to do since it was still raining in Boone.

Izzy getting her learn on.

We arrive back in Atlanta and decide to hit up the local Dave and Busters. We ate in the restaurant first (food was good!) and then headed back to the big kid/adult play area.

These are the only 2 pictures I got that night. The boys were playing hard while Izzy was hanging out in her sling.
We got some more ~~junk~~ prizes and then headed back to the hotel for the evening. Mikayla was so sweet and got Isabelle a lamb with her tickets.

I laugh when I see this picture because Isabelle looks so tiny compared to Mikayla. 2 beautiful girls!!

Overall, we had a great trip and spent some quality family time together. We would have loved for there to have been more snow but we made do with what we were given. The kids had a blast and we went directly to the laundry mat to clean the mud off of our snow suits.
Memories were made!

Update on Isabelle's chest Xray...

2012-02-09T22:33:00.000-06:00

We received a call from our nurse with the results of Isabelle's chest Xray. It showed that the bottom wire (there were wires put on Isabelle's chest bone after her OHS to keep her chest bone together until it fused) is broken. This is making the bone heal incorrectly. Our doctor is making some calls to her surgeon at Arnold Palmer as well as her cardiologist to find out what our next steps will be.
Hopefully, we will hear something tomorrow so we can put our minds at ease.

Now, she is sleeping soundly and resting up for a new day tomorrow.

Isabelle's well check and new Pediatrician

2012-02-09T16:11:00.000-06:00

Well... Dr. K isn't new to our family but he is new to Isabelle. We finally got her switched over to our original Pediatrician and we love, love, love him. We switched doctors out of convenience but we learned, once you find someone you love... you stick with them.

Isabelle is a whopping 14lbs and 7.5 ozs. She is growing! We learned that we can start giving her a little Zyrtec each morning to help with her congestion. I am hoping this helps her as much as it does her big brother. She loved Ms. S. (the nurse) until the very end but she forgives easily. We didn't have much time to explain to Isabelle that Ms. S. would be giving her 2 shots (1 was the flu shot) or that she was going to have to get a crazy chest X-ray. She likes a little notice so she can prepare herself!

Chest X-ray is to check out the bone that sticks out near the bottom of her incision. Can you see it??

We took her down to get a X-ray and she had fun entertaining the other patients until it was her turn. I took her back and I so wish I had brought my cell phone. I laid her down on the table just as I had done in the past for her X-rays but not this time. Instead, she was put into a crazy cylinder type contraption. (Just imagine... a table with a circle cut out of the center and your baby sitting on a little saddle with her feet dangling and then a clear cylinder tube placed around her from her waist up with her hands placed above her head and her little nose and eyes sticking out of the top. Did you get that?!?) I told the tech that I didn't mean to sound insensitive but I wish I would have brought my camera because that thing is ridiculous and I needed to be able to show Ryan. (I have made a mental note for any future X-rays to pack my camera.)
She looked so pitiful and definitely didn't like this type of X-ray. The only thing she could move was her little hand and she was waving it like crazy for me to help her out. It took her a little while to calm down and on our way out, an elderly gentleman said, "well we know her lungs aren't the problem." He is correct. Sister has some lungs!

She was so upset with us that she didn't talk to us at all the entire trip back to daycare. Miss Princess can be sassy at times!
We also now have our prescription for her speech evaluation so we will be starting another therapy soon. Can't wait to see what all we learn!

Weekend wrap up...

2012-02-01T14:42:00.001-06:00

Friday, we had a lazy night with the kids to unwind from our busy week. So we put on our pajamas, ate some pizza and watched the movie Dolphin Tale. Good movie... but an even better night just relaxing with the family.
Saturday, Ethan had another basketball game. He scored 10 points his last game. He is doing great and his height definitely helps at this stage.

That evening we took the boys to Fat Daddy's. I sure wish I had come up with this idea. Where else can you go and spend $40 and leave with approximately $5 worth of ~~junk~~ prizes?? We all played a while and Izzy hung out in her sling.

Who is that creepy guy in the background?!?

Daddy winning lots of tickets!

Time for the prizes

Bored out of her little mind.

That evening, I rented another movie and who knew that renting the movie The Help could clear a room of boys and men!! I enjoyed the movie but of course the book is so much better. It didn't take long before Izzy was uninterested as well.

Oh well... I was able to enjoy a rare moment of Mommy time.
The boys did end up making good use of their prizes. Every time I turned around, I found one of the boys like this...

What?!? Doesn't every little boy need a paid of handcuffs?

On Sunday, I woke up to Isabelle yelling for Dada. I go in to check on her and she is stuck, but happy.

Don't worry... she isn't hurt. She was talking away and having a good time minus being able to get her legs back out.
Sunday evening, we enjoyed some bowling, pool and my all time favorite... air hockey. Mommy is still the reigning champ!

I love weekends like this- a lot of relaxing and family time!

Ski trip...

2012-01-27T15:52:00.000-06:00

We are planning to take a quick trip up to Boone, NC next week to ski. We are hoping to ski on some snow and not the patches of grass and ice that are currently showing on the lodge's ski cam.
As you can see, it has been quite a few years since we have gone skiing. Ethan was 4 and Aiden was 2 our last trip. They were small enough to ski with me down the mountain and they had a great time but I quickly found out that I was out of shape.

Ryan and Ethan learned a hard lesson that year as well. Ryan "learned" to ski on our honeymoon. (Ryan was so sick on our honeymoon. He ~~was near his death bed~~ had a bad sinus infection and slept the majority of our trip.) He did venture out of the condo long enough to take a lesson and then make a few runs with me. So on our last ski trip, Ryan took Ethan up the mountain and soon found out that they had gone too far up and now had to figure their way down with Ethan skiing between his legs. Needless to say... I didn't see them for a few hours and Ethan stuck with me for the rest of the day.

I swear he is having fun!

This year, the boys are both taking lessons so then we can all ski down the mountain together as a family minus Isabelle (she will have to wait a few years). I have this mental picture of us skiing happily down the mountain ~~holding hands and whistling~~ but in reality, it will probably be more like something seen on America's Funniest Home videos. Oh well, we will have fun!

Pneumonia plus more

2012-01-25T10:35:00.000-06:00

Our house has been sickly for the past week or so. Fingers crossed, knocking on wood and walking around with Lysol, I am the only one who hasn't come down with anything ~~yet.~~. Ryan has been sick and is heading to Urgent Care today. Hopefully, they will give him some antibiotics and a shot in the biscuits. Ethan has had the sniffles. Aiden had an appointment with his allergist yesterday due to his sickness. Right after Aiden's appointment, Papa came to rescue Aiden so Isabelle and I could make a visit to the Pediatric ER. Isabelle is in between Pediatricians so of course, she gets sick. Switching back to our original Pediatrician is a longer process than I had anticipated and once the Urgent Care found out she had OHS, it was recommended we go straight to the Pediatric ER. It is a good thing we went last night because after a nose swab to check for RSV and a chest X-ray, we found out Isabelle has the beginnings of pneumonia. I am so glad I took her in and they caught it before it got too bad because much longer and she would have been sent to Pensacola. So now, she is on antibiotics again and hopefully this kicks everything out of her system for good this time.

Isabelle getting some rest after her long visit to the ER

Everyone needs to get better and I better not get sick so we can all enjoy our trip next week.

Tooth fairy

2012-01-25T10:13:00.001-06:00

Ethan and his tooth fairy are breaking the bank these days. Yesterday, he had to get 3 baby teeth pulled to make room for his adult teeth that are trying to come in but have no where to go. He has a big fear of the shots so I ~~bribed~~ promised him $ for each tooth they pulled. He is excited and reminded me at least 20 times last night that I owed him. Well... I forgot to hit up the bank for some cash so he has an I.O.U until this weekend. His tooth fairy apparantly forgot to hit up the bank as well before her visit last night so Ethan woke up to find a role of quarters. Tacky you might say but also way more than the normal payout. Lesson learned for Mommy... always have a few dollars on you in case of emergencies.

8 mouths later...

2012-01-23T12:08:00.000-06:00

Isabelle, you are 8 months old today. Can you believe it?!?

*You are weighing in at 14 lbs. (no one has measured you lately so no accurate update now) and you are wearing mostly 3-6 months clothes except for pants, those are still 0-3 months.
*You love all of your food except peas and all the meats. You refuse to open your mouth if she see something green coming your way. I have to sneak the green beans in your diet so you don't turn orange. You might look a bit silly with an orange face to go along with your strawberry blond hair.
*You are now saying Mama, Dada, baba and a bunch of other things we can't understand. You started out with Mama but once you learned Dada, I have yet to her my name again. I am kind of missing it (hint, hint). You love to babble all the time and we love to listen to you. You definitely are a happy baby.
* Your brothers adore you and you might start to think very highly of yourself pretty soon because they are constantly telling you how beautiful you are. (which of course you are!) Soon you will learn to slap them when they get right in your face but until then, they enjoy being nose to nose with you.

Isabelle, you can look back on these pictures of you with your brothers and always know that they will love you and protect you:

* Aiden prefers you in dresses and bow/flowers in your hair while Ethan prefers you to have nothing in your hair. He thinks they are silly looking but with two against one, you normally have a bow/flower in your hair.
* You are still sleeping through the night. You begin to get sleepy around 8:30 and normally begin to stir around 6:30am. Some mornings, you will even play quietly so Mommy and Daddy can get a few more minutes of sleep before we start the day.
* You are getting a lot stronger and love to roll over onto your tummy. We are still working extra hard to get you to sit. Once you conquer that, then we will move onto the crawling. Your legs are ready but since you had OHS, your upper body needs a little extra time to catch up.
* You are now getting physical therapy ever week so we look forward to meeting these milestones soon. Plus you will begin speech therapy soon. We are excited to see what we will learn with this new therapy.
Each day we notice you doing new things and we are excited for you to reach some of your current goals and milestones. We are so proud of you little sister!

Rest in Peace...

2012-01-19T15:57:00.000-06:00

It is a sad day in the Holt household. Our dog Brodie, has passed away. He had been sick the last few months and he and Ryan had come to terms that they would need to part. Although this was the hardest decision for Ryan to make, Brodie is no longer suffering.

When I married Ryan, Brodie and Tucker came with him. I didn't grow up with dogs so he and Tucker are my first and although we have had a rocky relationship at times (stealing our food and getting in the trash)... I do truly love Brodie and will miss him (especially for the relationship he had with Ryan and the boys).

I will be letting the boys know the sad news when I pick them up from school today. They will have a hard time (Brodie was their favorite) but hopefully they will realize that he is in a better place now and is no longer hurting. Isabelle on the other hand, doesn't have a clue...both Brodie and Tucker became outside dogs right around the time she was born so she just looks at them strangely when they sniff her feet. She isn't sure what to think of all that hair!

We love you Mr. Brodie Alowishus Holt!

Out cold...

2012-01-18T09:43:00.000-06:00

Look what Izzy got...

2012-01-14T21:20:00.000-06:00

No... not an attitude (although she does look like she is going to tell me what she thinks right about now)

She got... Earrings!! She was such a big girl. I explained to her that we were going to get sparkles in her ears and she gave me a huge grin so I knew she was down for the idea. Ryan said he wouldn't go since he didn't want to watch her in pain so we recruited Nana. Ethan and Aiden were big helpers and kept her attention while she marked where to put the earrings. Then they both hid behind the counter once she started crying. That's my boys!!

The boys told her approximately 20 times how beautiful she looked so I think she is going to love her new bling!

Lost tooth and more...

2012-01-12T11:48:00.000-06:00

Aiden got a special visit from the tooth fairy a few nights ago! He lost his first tooth Tuesday morning while brushing his teeth. I am so glad that thing is finally out. My stomach would flip every time he would come around wiggling and twisting that loose tooth. He asked me a couple of times to help him wiggle it but I just couldn't.

It is hard to tell but it is the bottom tooth. The adult tooth was already poking through by the time it fell out.

Isabelle received a visit from Big Giant Monkey. She didn't know what to think about him at first but then they became friends until she took a bite out of his arm.

What is this thing?!?

I don't know but he looks tasty!!

Yesterday, Ethan began phase 1 of his orthodontist visits. His mouth is over crowded so in a couple of weeks he will be getting some teeth removed. Five to be exact... Ouch!! Don't worry, I have bribed him with money for each tooth pulled. Phase 1 includes braces on the top teeth along with spacers and a special contraption on the roof of his mouth to help spread his teeth. Yesterday, he got 4 braces on his front 4 teeth and the rest will follow next week. He is doing really well so far but is overly worried about what foods he can eat. (This is our chance to cut out a lot of the candy he consumes since he can't eat most kinds.)

He says he now has 2 smiles.

So far, he is really excited about having braces. I was worried about his first day at school with them because you never know what kids will say but his friends think it is pretty cool. Plus, there are a few other kids in 2nd grade that have them as well. I know when I went to school with braces for the first time, it was not a pleasant experience. I had just gotten a lovely perm, add braces and my big, thick glasses and that is a combination for disaster.

And just because she is cute... here is a picture of Izzy passed out on the couch.

She must have had a rough day.

Another doctor's visit and more...

2012-01-05T16:13:00.000-06:00

Isabelle had to make a visit to her pediatrician this afternoon. She has been getting sick after some of her feedings so we were cautious and decided to make an appointment. Good thing we did because her left ear is starting to get infected and she has a little rattle in her chest. It is amazing how quick an ear infection can start especially since we went to the ENT on Friday and she was clear. So... we are back on antibiotics, nebulizer and saline drops. Hopefully all of this kicks in and clears everything up quickly. She of course, is still her happy and laid back self and you would never know anything was wrong.
We did prop her up in her boppy last night to sleep and she slept all night without getting sick. Mommy on the other hand, couldn't sleep a bit. Oh well... sleep is over rated!

She is pretty cute though!

Last night, I finally got motivated enough to get on the treadmill. I started off slow with a mile but hey...at least I started. The treadmill is a big deal in our house. The boys love it and ~~annoy~~ ask constantly when I am going to get on the treadmill (or treademill according to Aiden). If I were overly self conscious I would begin to think they were trying to give me a subtle hint. So, I snuck downstairs so I could start without the constant asking of "are you almost done, is it my turn yet??" and soon I begin to see little eyes peeking around the corner of the stairs. A few minutes later, I see 2 boys coming down the stairs in the newest workout wear. I thought I would let you take a glimpse in case you wanted to follow their trend...

Nice, huh?!? I think I will pass but at least they were comfortable during their workout.

My Isabelle

2012-01-01T20:43:00.000-06:00

Isabelle had an ENT appointment on Friday. We got up early and headed an hour away to see if we could get a solution for some of her congestion. We arrived and 10 minutes later, we were done with our appointment and headed back to our car.
Isabelle got a great report and her ears and nose are all clear and he was able to see into her canal without any issues. He was surprised that they were not as small as most babies with DS. But, no solution to her congestion and we may just have to deal with until she gets bigger or out grows it.
Although we got great news in the office, I was torn during our appointment. The doctor was great and very loving with Isabelle but he called her or children with DS- Downs at least 15 times during those 10 minutes. It completely caught me off guard and the first few times I made excuses for it (in my head). I left without saying anything and made it to my car before bursting in to tears. It broke my heart and I couldn't stop the tears. I haven't cried like that for a very long time and I think it was good to get it all out. It hurt my heart because Isabelle is not Downs... she is Isabelle- my Isabelle.
If this happens again, I will be better prepared to speak up. I don't think this doctor meant any harm or tried to offend me. I think he is misinformed on the proper way to address someone.
Isabelle isn't Down syndrome- she has Down Syndrome. She will always be Isabelle first but she just happens to have an extra chromosome. However, it doesn't define who she is or who she will become... only she will do that.

Isabelle's first words

2012-01-01T20:14:00.000-06:00

The last couple of days Isabelle has been very vocal. She has been babbling to everyone who will listen. Mommy is listening and guess what I finally heard?!? Mama... She said her first word and it was Mama! Now she has added baba to her vocabulary as well.
I remember just a few weeks ago, I was so worried because she wasn't making much noise and now she is babbling non stop.
She has been a busy little girl. She is also rolling over and over. I can no longer lay her down and expect her to stay put. I come back and she is in a different spot. I love it!
She amazes me each and every day!

Christmas day pictures

2012-01-01T20:04:00.000-06:00

I realize I am a bit late but that is how I roll these days.
We had a great Christmas morning and the kids were wonderful and very thankful for their gifts. We slimmed down a lot this year and I was happy to see that the boys either didn't notice or at least were kind enough not to mention it. We have really been talking a lot about other children who don't get much during Christmas and how we need to be thankful for what we have. It seems like it sank in at least for now.

Isabelle was happy with all the ribbon

She really likes looking at the pretty girl in her new mirror.

Isabelle and Papa taking a nap before the craziness begins.

The 3 Angry birds

Isabelle is excited about her baby oil from her stocking.

After Christmas over at Nana and Papa's, we headed to the movies to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. In my opinion it wasn't as good as the first but we enjoyed some family time.

Isabelle got Smurfette from one of Ryan's coworkers and she loves her. It is about as big as she is but she enjoys a good snuggle every now and then especially when she is tired.

We hope everyone had a great Christmas like we did. Now we are looking forward to the new year.

Battle of wills

2011-12-29T19:40:00.000-06:00

When will these kids ever learn?!?
We learned today that Aiden has been testing his teachers at daycare the last few days. The boys are completely different when it comes to getting in trouble at school. Ethan will run to us and explain what he has done before we can find out from the teacher. Aiden, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. His expressions let us know he has gotten in trouble but he never will speak up first. After we hear from the teachers and question him, he says "I don't know... I can't remember."
Well... that is what we heard tonight. When he got home he was sent to his room and Daddy also told him that he would be going to bed early tonight (8:30). That was a little too much for him to handle. He decided that he was just going to stay in his room for the rest of the night until his Daddy changed his mind and moved his bed time back to 9pm. And so begins the battle of wills.
We go about our normal routine and Aiden stays in his room making as much noise as he possibly can. Every squeaky toy he can find is making their sound all at once. After about 15 minutes he decides to rejoin the family but with a lot of pouting and stomping so he gets the warning that additional time will be taken from his bedtime if he doesn't turn his attitude around. Shortly after dinner, I turn the corner to find this...

Aiden put himself to bed (on the couch) 2 hours before his bedtime. I guess he wore himself out caring around the extra attitude.

Battle of wills: Daddy 1 Aiden 0

Our visit with Santa

2011-12-29T16:02:00.001-06:00

Note to self... don't wait until the last minute to meet up with St. Nick.
The line was long, the kids were restless, Isabelle fell asleep and then Mommy got a stern talking from Santa because the boys didn't send him a letter and now it was too late. Bad Mommy... but at least Santa is quick on his feet and came up with a great alternative. The boys were told to leave a letter for Santa under the tree and he would take care of everything. Although, by the time we got home the boys had forgotten what Santa said and I didn't remind them so... life goes on. Don't worry Santa, they don't remember what I say either.

Isabelle didn't even make it to Santa before falling asleep.

Next year, we will visit Santa earlier and also remember to send our wish lists.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-29T15:47:00.001-06:00

This year we changed things up a little bit and had the Holt's over to our house for lunch and presents. Ryan and I (with some coaching from Mimi) cooked the Christmas lunch and Mimi prepared the dessert. Everything tasted yummy- if I do say so myself!!
Next up were the presents...

Walking in to see their ginormous basketball game set thing

We will be rearranging the play room to make it fit but we are all enjoying the basketball hoop.

After our lunch and presents we headed to the Christmas Eve candlelight service with my family. Then over to my parents for some chili and dessert. It was getting late so we had to hurry home to feed the reindeer, make sure Ollie was prepared for his trip back to the North Pole and then get to bed so Santa could make his visit.

Isabelle after the Candlelight service

Ian and Isabelle. She sure likes him!

The boys putting out the reindeer food and Daddy is doing some sort of stretch. Whatever makes him happy!

Daddy and Isabelle

My little family

And... this is how they really are- crazy!

Isabelle couldn't wait any longer to meet Santa

The last sightings of Ollie for 2011...

2011-12-29T15:12:00.000-06:00

Ollie has returned to the North Pole for the year. He was waiting for Santa under the Christmas tree and caught a ride on his sleigh.
Before he left, he made sure to keep us on our toes.

Ollie... our time with you this year has been memorable. Until next year... our little elf friend!

One year ago today...

2011-12-27T10:45:00.003-06:00

One year ago today, we got THE call from our high risk doctor/genetic counselor. The call that would forever change our world and we would enter a new world as parents of a special needs child. A world that was so unfamiliar to me that I was instantly lost and overwhelmed. As I think back to that day, it seems like yesterday and the emotions easily come flooding back to me.

It was a Monday and I went to work and tried so hard to keep my mind from thinking about the "what ifs". I watched the clock and as each minute passed, it seemed like hours. I left a few minutes early so I could get home for the phone call.

I had asked that they call me at home so Ryan and I could be together. They finally called and even though we knew what we would hear, the moment we heard that our baby girl would have Down Syndrome, time stood still. I couldn't breathe or think but the tears started flowing and I don't recall when they finally stopped. We started making phone calls to our parents and my SIL and through the tears we explained what little information we had learned. Our family was devastated yet supportive. That night my Dad called and through his tears all I heard was "I need to see you" and I ran to my parents. Ryan understood... we had cried together and now I needed my parents to hold me and let me be their little girl again (if only for a little bit) and that is exactly what they did.

That day began a roller coaster of emotions for the rest of my pregnancy and beyond. I was angry, sad, full of fear and also experiencing grief for the daughter I thought we would have. I prayed a lot but now I admit that I was praying selfishly and I thank God everyday that those prayers were not answered. I felt guilty for the emotions I was experiencing and I prayed that I would be able to accept Isabelle's diagnosis even though our future was unknown to me.

However, now I have my "special needs" baby in my arms but all I see is my Isabelle. I don't see her as "special needs or a baby with Down Syndrome". She is just Isabelle... the baby girl we were meant to have. Sure, she learns things at a slower pace but the point is... she learns things and I am learning to accept this and not compare her to other children. She is and will continue to do everything my boys did as babies and on into adulthood. Just a small brag (even though I just said I won't compare... don't judge- I am still learning), she rolled over much earlier than both of her brothers.

Had I known then what I know now... I would have enjoyed the rest of my pregnancy. This was my last pregnancy and the last 5 months were anything but good. Trust me... we have had both good and hard times in these 7 months of Isabelle's life but we have made it through. Isabelle has taught us so much in this short amount of time that I am excited to see what the rest of our life has to offer. I have learned that I am a lot stronger than I thought I was. When it comes to my children, I can and will do anything. It may be hard and I might struggle but I will always protect them and stand by them. In these short 7 months, Isabelle has started therapy, had OHS and blown us away with her progress and her strength. My baby girl is my hero. I love her and I am so thankful she is a part of our family.

Isabelle- 7 months

2011-12-22T15:26:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow Isabelle will be 7 months old!

*She currently weighs 13lbs 7ozs. She is gaining weight slowly but surely.
*She can still fit into majority of her 0-3 months clothes but we are slowly transitioning into the 3-6 months.
*She is loving her fruits and vegetables (Stage 1) but has snubbed the meats. She is not a fan!
* We are still working with her on sitting up. She has a little ways to go before she masters it on her own but she will get there.
*She wakes up smiling and goes to bed smiling but we have yet to hear her giggle. She is so close and looks like she is ready to burst but then nothing.
*Next Friday, we will be heading to Pensacola to meet with an ENT. She is still congested and we have tried everything recommended so now on to the next step.

So... what has Isabelle been up to lately???

Daddy is teaching her how to use the remote.

She took her first ride in a bye-bye buggy. She might look a little unsure in this picture but I can almost guarantee that as soon as we walked away, she threw her hands in the air and let the breeze flow through her hair.

She has been sitting around with this silly mustache lately.

She fits perfectly into our silly little family!

Bonfire

2011-12-21T11:41:00.000-06:00

Ryan finally put our fire pit together this week and we have been making up for all the time it has been sitting around in the box. The last few nights, we have been enjoying some family time around the fire. One night we roasted hot dogs for dinner and then had smores for dessert. Delicious!!

Then Aiden turned to us and said- "Mommy and Daddy, this is the most perfect day ever!" Moments like these make everything feel right and reminds me to slow down and cherish these times with my kids. They grow up way too fast.

Latest happenings...

2011-12-21T11:12:00.001-06:00

Last Friday- the last day of school before winter break- the boys had Pj day to enjoy a day full of movies and parties. Izzy didn't want to be left out so she wore Pj's to daycare also. If only I could have worn Pj's to work, all would have been perfect.

That evening, we had our Holiday party at the Hotel. The boys look forward to this party all year and this one was the best by far. They had their face painted, got some balloon animals and filled up on cotton candy, snow cones and popcorn. They did manage to eat a bite of something healthy at one point during the evening.

Izzy receiving her gift. Really all she cared about was the shiny bow!

The boys waiting patiently for their balloon animals from the nice Elf.

Alien- I think they get the same things each year.

Santa

Rudolph

Santa with the beginnings of a tummy ache from all the sugar! Look how fast Mrs. Amy is moving behind them distributing all of the toys to the kids. (Mrs. Amy and I are the work Elves and we distribute toys to all the employee's children.)

This is the last picture I was able to get before they starting pinging off the walls.

Then, I was feeling a little spontaneous or maybe just a bit crazy so the kids and I decided at the last minute to try and make it to Chipley for the Barfield Christmas get together (1 hour and 15 minutes away). We finally made it and I was able to fill up on oysters while the boys played and Izzy was passed amongst our family. On the way home, Santa and Rudolph passed out.

I wonder if Rudoph minded having Izzy's feet in his face the entire drive home??

Sunday, we took our annual Christmas pictures around the church Christmas tree. I am pretty sure this is torture in the eyes of our kids but it is a must- you can't break tradition!

Cousins

Nana and Papa with their grandkids

Aiden picked out Izzy's flower- he was a proud big brother.

Ian and Izzy

Do you think they have enough???

2011-12-19T16:13:00.000-06:00

Not if you ask them... This is what I found when I turned the corner to go to my room. Nice, huh??

What has Ollie been up to these days?!?

2011-12-19T15:07:00.000-06:00

Ollie has slowed down a little bit these past few days mainly because Mommy has been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. But that doesn't stop Ollie from still getting into to everything.

Hanging out in a stocking

Coloring to make the time go by at night while waiting for the boys to wake up.

He caught himself a reindeer.

Reminding the boys to be good because Christmas isn't too far away.

Just hanging out

Doing some more hanging.

We definitely have enjoyed having Ollie around this year. The boys have really gotten into it and can't wait to see where he is each morning. We had a slight mishap on Sunday morning. We don't follow the book exactly and the boys do play with Ollie during the day. They know he doesn't turn into the "elf" until they have gone to bed. So they had left Ollie on the floor in the dining room and since I went to bed a little earlier than everyone else, guess who was still lying on the floor in the morning. Sunday morning, I had a little boy in my face a little worried that Ollie might be sick since he was in the same spot. Oops!! I won't let that happen again. Lesson learned!

What's happening in December...

2011-12-13T10:56:00.000-06:00

Our December has proven to be just as busy as usual. Every weekend is packed all the way up to Christmas.
Isabelle has been doing a lot of this...

She likes the nebulizer but trys to eat it. Plus she is still on antibiotics but I am beginning to wonder if she might have allergies. This is the second round of antibiotics and she is just as congested as when she started. All I know is that I am trying to keep her well since we have been warned that any hospital stays would take place in Pensacola (1 hour away) since no hospital around here will admit her.
We went to the Christmas parade and parked way too far away. I thought I was going to pass out since I wasn't feeling that great but we made it to our final destination just in time for the parade to start.

This is what Isabelle did for most of the parade

It is starting!!

Mikayla looking as cute as possible in her band uniform. Why must band uniforms be so unattractive?!? I never have figured that out.

The boys had already discussed that Isabelle had to be front and center at the parade so they could get more candy and possibly stuffed animals. Everyone knows that they throw more things when they see a baby!! They have learned quickly to use Isabelle to their advantage whenever possible.
Then we enjoyed some family time at the Annual Sasser Christmas party. We went on a hayride with Santa and then Santa handed out some gifts. I really messed this one up. The kids were with me when we purchased the gifts that Santa was going to give them and they saw me wrapping them...oops! There was no way to recover so Santa was actually not the "real" Santa but his nice helper.

Meet Isabelle's newest BFF- Aunt Gloria.

Look at the excitement on Aiden's face... even though he knows what the gift is. That's my boy!!

Isabelle brought home her first art project from daycare. We are so proud of her!

Then on Sunday, the boys participated in the Children's program at church. They decided to participate at the last minute so they tried their best.

Can you tell Isabelle is excited to watch them?!?

Isabelle and Papa

Hurry mom and take the picture, we have people to see!

School of Rock!!

2011-12-11T22:31:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when my boys watch School of Rock.

Wow! Add some gel, eyeliner and ripped jeans and they would have fit right in with the movie.
Then we went from School of Rock to adding some mustaches for some family pictures.

It is the simple things in life that make us laugh. I do love my kids!!

Possible Christmas card photo??

2011-12-07T16:02:00.001-06:00

We normally don't send out Christmas cards but I am almost tempted since I got this great picture of the kids.

The boys had just watched School of Rock so they fixed their hair "rocker style". (They don't normally go around with that much gel in their hair, I promise.) Isabelle just happened to be an innocent bystander.
Who knew the purchase of $2 mustaches would come in handy and occupy them for so long.

Christmas time...

2011-12-06T21:23:00.000-06:00

Last year around this time, I was praying for a Christmas miracle (see here) and although at the time I didn't think my prayers were answered exactly as I had been praying, I did get my miracle - Isabelle Claire.
Christmas time last year was a rough time for our family and I am looking forward to a more relaxed holiday season with my boys and our new addition, Isabelle. Although she is too young to know what is going on, we will be dragging her to all of our Christmas events so she can learn all the Holt/Barfield traditions at an early age. While the boys are unwrapping their gifts, we will place a piece of foil paper in her hands and she can go to town. Her PT shared with Ryan the magic of foil paper during her last appointment. Since then I have been searching high and low for this magic paper so I can share in Isabelle's excitement.
Isabelle has already experienced her first Niceville Christmas parade (post to follow) and this weekend she will attend her first Sasser Family Christmas party. Trust me if you could see her right now... she is jumping for joy at all of our upcoming events.

See... can't you tell?!? She is so excited!

Our big girl...

2011-12-06T21:18:00.000-06:00

Last night we finally put Isabelle's crib together. We tried to put her crib together a few weeks ago but discovered that during our move, the hardware had been misplaced. So after ordering the replacements, the crib is up and she spent her first night in her own room. She slept the entire night without waking up! Over the past month since she hadn't been feeling too well, we were no longer getting a full nights sleep. We were spoiled for the first 5 months of her life since she slept through the night from the time she came home from the hospital. So... it was hard getting used to waking up a few times a night due to her major congestion. I also wonder now if she might not have been comfortable in her Play pen/bassinet.
Now, she is a big girl in her big bed and much more comfortable. Here is to more nights full of uninterrupted sleep!!


Izzy in her big girl bed.

Ollie's happenings...

2011-12-06T09:17:00.000-06:00

Ollie took a little break over the weekend from his naughty behavior. He just flew to a different spot each morning after his long trip to the North Pole (he was a little under the weather). But he is back and in rare form the past few mornings.
First, we woke up to find Ollie watching some cartoons and eating a snack. He eats like the boys... leaving his evidence behind for Mommy to clean up.

This morning we woke up to this...

How rude!! The boys really liked this one until they each were trying to erase each others markings off their face. Then, a fight started and I had to threaten to send Ollie back to the North Pole for good. Hopefully Ollie didn't catch the big fight and report it to Santa.

Our own little rudolph...

2011-12-01T15:06:00.000-06:00

Look who is a little under the weather...

How pitiful does she look?!? Izzy has not been feeling well for about a month now. She has been so congested especially at night and bright and early in the mornings. She is still our happy and easy going baby but tends to save all of her fussiness for 2am. (lucky us!! I saw myself in the mirror this morning and lets just say... Mommy is beginning to look rough.)
Ryan took her back in to the doctor yesterday and she was tested for RSV. Thankfully, she tested negative! She is currently taking the round of shots to prevent RSV so we are happy to know up to this point, it is helping. She is back on antibiotics and Tylenol around the clock. Hopefully this will get her back to her normal self really soon. Although, even when she is feeling horrible, the kid never cries!!
Saline drops and the Nose Frida have become staple items that go where ever we go. Izzy is not a big fan of either one of these. I have to say that I am not either but they do seem to work.

I made this purchase about 5 months ago and I have finally worked my way to actually using it. It looks really gross and makes me want to gag at the very thought of it but whatever works, right?!? Ryan has even broken down and used it- which is saying a lot. He thought I was crazy and refused to use it when it arrived on our door step.
Izzy is currently weighing in at 13 lbs. She is not interested in her bottles (due to the congestion) but eats her food like a champ.
Praying my baby girl gets better especially before the weekend so we can enjoy our local Christmas parade and other fun activities we have planned.

Ollie the Elf

2011-12-01T14:39:00.001-06:00

Let me introduce Ollie. He is our Elf that came for a visit last night. He was found on our door step with a special letter from Santa explaining his purpose this Christmas season.

Ollie is our new Elf. Our previous "Elf on the Shelf" took a leave of absence to tend to a personal matter.

Finding Ollie and the Santa letter.

Santa's letter

Ethan and Aiden have had a lot of discussions these past few weeks about whether they still believe in Santa. They are leaning towards the idea that Mommy and Daddy actually buy their gifts and just put Santa's name on the presents. I would never do such a thing!! The only reason they haven't fully jumped ship on Santa is because they don't want underwear for Christmas.
Seeing their faces when we drove up the driveway and they noticed a package was priceless. Aiden opened the box and pulled Ollie out and screamed "he is real... he is real". I don't think I am ready for them to stop believing just yet. This time is just too fun and it seems like they are learning that Santa might not be the real deal earlier these days.
Well... Ollie wasted no time with his mischievous behavior this year. To our surprise, we woke up to find this:

Just waking up to find they are stuck in their room.

But not for long!

Mommy found out during the night what Ollie had been up to because Aiden had one of his coughing fits so I had to get up to give him his inhaler. Of course, I didn't want to mess up his handy work so I had to crawl through the tight spaces and I am not as small as I used to be. Thankfully, there wasn't a camera around to capture that sight!
We are anxiously awaiting Ollie's next move tonight but he better watch out because the boys are prepared to let Santa know about his mischievous behavior.

Charlie Brown tree...skirt

2011-11-30T11:05:00.000-06:00

I was in need of a tree skirt for our family tree and was thinking about using fabric but on Black Friday I found a tree skirt for $5! What a great deal!! Of course, I bought it and was so excited to get home and put it around the tree. Well... you get what you pay for.

I opened the package and immediately thought... what happened to the rest of the fabric?!? I put it around the tree and it barely covered the legs. However, it made me laugh every time I walked by the tree so I left it for a few days. Then I went to the store and purchased my fabric. Moral of the story... just because it is on sale doesn't mean it is a good purchase!

Tummy Time!

2011-11-29T16:14:00.000-06:00

Ryan sent me a picture of Izzy doing a little tummy time to help me get through the rest of the day. I miss that little peanut and her big brothers too!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T13:16:00.002-06:00

I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I feel very blessed. This is the first holiday season with Isabelle and now our little family of 5 is complete. These kids light up my world and keep me on my toes.
We had a great Thanksgiving with our families this year.
On the way to Nana and Papa's, Aiden learned how to pump gas. I think this is a good lesson for the boys to learn now especially so Mommy doesn't have to get out in the cold to pump anymore. (Wishful thinking!)

We spent the afternoon with my family and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. I know the saying that turkey makes you sleepy is supposedly not true, but I do need a nap after every Thanksgiving lunch.
After lunch and a little playtime, we headed back home to rest. Then we got down to the good stuff... preparing for Black Friday!

As you can see, Isabelle really got into the spirit!

I headed out to Walmart with the other crazy people for the beginning of Black ~~Thursday~~ Friday at 10pm. Had it not been for the boy's main Christmas gift being half off, I would have been tucked snug in my warm bed. Instead, I was in the midst of pure craziness! However, I did get their gift so mission accomplished.

Izzy is 6 months!

2011-11-28T15:47:00.001-06:00

I can't believe that Isabelle has been with our family for 1/2 a year now. Time seems to be flying by way too fast! I am sure I have said this statement as each month passes but it is true. I wish I could slow things down just a bit.

How do you like her 80's leg warmers??

6 months stats:

*Weighs 12.7 lbs and is 24.4 in. (the nurse didn't measure her at her last appointment so the inches might be a little off.)

*She is eating all stage 1 food with cereal. So far, we haven't found anything she doesn't like.

*She is still drinking around 6 ozs. during each feeding.

*She is sitting up with help and loves her tummy time.

*We have some new exercises we are learning from her PT to help strengthen her left side as well as learning to sit independently.

*She is now rolling over from her back/tummy and tummy/back. She had her back/tummy mastered a few months ago but in the last week or so, she began rolling over completely.

*She still prefers her thumb over a pacifier.

*She still doesn't have any teeth but we can see that her gums are white and puffy so one might break through any time.

Happy 6 months Izzy!!

Quiet Weekend

2011-11-21T13:47:00.001-06:00

It has been a long time since I have been able to say that... quiet weekend. Friday we decided to take the kids to dinner and a movie.

Isabelle sitting nice and quiet during dinner at Johnny Rockets.

We saw Happy Feet 2 and we all loved the music. (Even Isabelle- it put her into a deep sleep.) Saturday was a pretty lazy day for us. We are finally finished with soccer games and early morning obligations. I can't say I slept in since Isabelle is still getting adjusted to the time change. We were up at 5:45am. So I was able to catch up on few of my shows and do some snuggling. Then the boys and I put up some Christmas stuff around the living room. Well... I put up some Christmas stuff and they played with their ornaments. I thought they were awfully quiet...

A tangled mess

I should have known they were just a little too quiet. It looks like I will be purchasing some new ornaments this year.

Then we decided to watch Cars2 until Daddy got home from work.

Isabelle really enjoyed the movie.

Saturday evening, we enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner at Mimi and Poppy's. Isabelle and I were really tired from getting up so early so we headed to bed as soon as we got home. Just as we were drifting off to sleep, 2 boys come running in the room and woke us both up. So, guess who had to put Isabelle back to sleep??

Ethan tried to sing her a lullaby

Then it was Aiden's turn

I am thankful for our first quiet weekend in a long time. We have to enjoy it while we can since Ethan is starting basketball in just a few short weeks.

Time Change

2011-11-16T14:50:00.000-06:00

Little Miss Princess can't seem to get back to her normal schedule since the time change. Mommy is not a big fan of the time change anymore. Isabelle has always slept through the night from the time she came home from the hospital so I am not used to getting up nor do I want to get used to getting up at all hours of the night.
So, instead of sleep we have been playing and taking pictures. No pictures of me since I don't look near as pretty without sleep... you can thank me later.

And look... she falls asleep right when it is time for me to get up for work.

Another night... still wide awake.

Doing some exercises at 5am.

2011-11-11T08:27:00.000-06:00

You talking to me?!?

Isabelle is trying out the big girl table at church. So far... not a big fan!

Field Trip!

2011-11-10T14:20:00.001-06:00

Ethan had his 2nd grade field trip this morning and they went to see a play at the College. A note was sent home for him to dress nice to promote good "theater" behavior. So... I picked out his outfit last night but the only problem was, his "worker"shoes (nice, dressy shoes) were already handed down to Aiden and were not replaced. *Insert drama... from myself and Ethan.* He ended up wearing his tennis shoes but was not happy. We added some gel to his hair, a little of Daddy's cologne and sent him off to school.

(Thankfully, Angie went as a chaperone and sent me a few pictures)

I see the kid next to him has a blazer on... hopefully Ethan wasn't under-dressed.

Well... we can dress him up but he still is the silly boy we all love! Hopefully he calmed down and showed good "theater" behavior during the play.

Phone- Photo dump

2011-11-07T14:50:00.001-06:00

Aiden likes to dress himself these days. I have to admit, he is doing a great job. It kind of makes me wonder who is dressing up for??

Isabelle- snug as a bug at Destin Commons

Peek-a-boo... I see you!

A little playtime before bedtime

*Aunt Stephanie pointed out that Ethan seems to be without a shirt in most of his pictures while at the house. That would be because he strips down to his boxers the moment he steps into the house. For a child that is so modest, he does prefer to be without clothes. I know... I can't figure him out either.*

Isabelle's cute little feet

Aiden giving Isabelle a massage before bed

Nana let me borrow her sewing machine. I tried my first project- baby leg warmers. Needless to say, I will be stopping by the store tonight to pick up a few needed materials so I can fix my first project. Oh well, I will keep trying.

Ryan asked me to fix a pocket in a pair of his pants. He said that I can't really mess that up... does he know me at all?!? At least no one will be able to see the end results.

Therapy time!!

2011-11-07T13:46:00.002-06:00

Not for me... even though some days I don't think that is such a bad idea! Isabelle had her physical therapy this morning. I made sure she was full of cereal, fruit and a bottle all before her therapist arrived. Good thing because she surely worked off some calories today!

Look who has found out that her toes taste yummy!

Hmmm... do I like my toes or thumb better?? At this point, I hope she sticks with her thumb.

Our flexible baby

Yummy! At least I gave her a bath this morning so they are clean.

I can't take it anymore! I am just going to lay here until you leave me alone.

Nope, still here... then I will scream really loud and see if that works.

I want my Mommy...

Isabelle was a great sport today. She did a lot of hard exercises and we can tell she is getting stronger.

Isabelle's Cardiology update

2011-11-03T13:35:00.000-05:00

Isabelle and I headed to Pensacola on Tuesday for her echo cardiogram and checkup following her open heart surgery. The echo seemed to last a lot longer than usual. I think Isabelle had ants in her pants. She was not cooperating and not interested in the Baby Einstein playing in the background. Thankfully, the tech was patient and was finally able to get all of the shots she needed.
Everything looks great with her heart so Isabelle has been cleared for 6 months. Our next visit will be in April 2012. (A month before her 1 year birthday!)

Current stats:
Weight -12.2 lbs
Height- 24.4 ins.

We were happy to finally see some weight gain. She has gained 2 lbs since her surgery!!

Fun times in October

2011-11-02T14:22:00.001-05:00

We have done a lot this past month. It seems like we didn't spend any lazy nights at the house. I am beginning to miss those nights! Our home is also being neglected in the cleaning department. Oh well, we are building memories.
We visited the Corn Maze on Aiden's birthday. It was extremely hot so we didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked.

Aiden birthday wish was to play glow-in-the dark golf. So, his wish was granted.

Isabelle glowing...

Mommy trying to golf with Isabelle in the sling. I am talented!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T13:02:00.000-05:00

Our fighting Ninja

Vampire

This is Izzy before we even got started.

Izzy woke up for all of about 5 minutes

Crazy kids

It is impossible to get them to all smile at once so this is as good as it gets.

Happy Halloween!

Soccer games and more

2011-11-02T12:07:00.000-05:00

Saturday was freezing!! (At least for this Florida girl) Aiden had a game at 8am and we didn't bother checking the weather before we ran out the door. Once we go to the fields we realized how cold it was and that we didn't dress properly. At least I grabbed a long sleeved shirt for Ethan but... he had to hand it over to Aiden for his game.

Thankfully he doesn't have to use his hands for this sport!

The boy's cheerleader

Ethan trying to stay warm

So, we have learned this soccer season that Aiden isn't all that interested yet. He runs around but isn't aggressive with the ball. We even gave him a shot of his inhaler this last game to see if that would do the trick. Not so much so we will discuss and see if he is interested in continuing next season or trying something different.
Next was Ethan's game. He is doing great! He loves soccer and has progressed a lot this season.

Soccer is coming to an end for this season. I will be happy for a short break. Ethan has decided he would like to try basketball so we are hoping to sign him up this week. At least we should have the month of November off with zero practices or games.
After the games, we headed to the pumpkin patch. We were not able to get out there this month for good pictures so all I got are ones with uniforms.

Then, after the pumpkin patch we went home to "rest" for a bit then headed to Destin Commons for some fireworks and trick or treating.

Ethan the Ninja, Aiden the vampire and Isabelle the butterfly.

Izzy watching the fireworks

We had a long but fun day on Saturday.

5 months old...

2011-10-24T21:49:00.000-05:00

Isabelle is now 5 months old. Time is flying by way too fast!!

* Isabelle currently weighs 11lbs.
* She recently started eating cereal.
* She is rolling over from her back to front.
* She smiles often and is very curious.
* She loves her brothers and watches their every move.
* In therapy...She is learning how to sit up and roll from her back to front and then front to back.

Isabelle is our strong little girl. Just 3 weeks ago, she went through open heart surgery and she is recovering like a champ.
We love you baby girl!! You make us so proud and you have completed our family.

Buddy Walk

2011-10-24T15:14:00.001-05:00

Saturday, we participated in our first Buddy Walk. We I decided at the last minute that our family would participate so I signed up and raised as much money as I could in 2 weeks. Saturday came much quicker than I had expected. I realized I was more scared than excited. These past 4 months our Down Syndrome world has only consisted of Isabelle. As we got closer to the park, I became more quiet and anxious. In all honesty, if I wouldn't have had a van full, I might would have passed our destination and landed at Pier Park for a day of shopping.
But we arrived, signed in and found a spot to set up for the day. Shortly after our group picture, all of the children with DS were called up to the stage. I sat on the stage holding Isabelle amongst the other children/adults and began to tear up. At that point, I was thankful that I remembered my sunglasses and had learned to count to 10 as a child.
I am now part of a new family that I had never anticipated belonging to. I felt so welcomed but at the same time, I was in system overload. I don't know that I was quite ready yet. Ready to see a snap shot of what the future might hold. Ready to embrace this new life completely. Up to this point, I was still in our little bubble. The bubble that I had put around Isabelle and even myself. I didn't realize I still had some very raw emotions to work through.
Although Ryan and I were having an emotional time that day, the boys had a blast. They bounced and danced the day away.
Ryan and I were not emotionally prepared or ready this year but we will get there and we will join again next year to celebrate Isabelle and all the other children with that little something extra.

Mikayla and Izzy

The kids trying out Zumba

(We are thankful for Aunt Stephanie, Mikayla and Ian going with us. We aren't sure if we would have made it through the day without them!)

Cereal time...

2011-10-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

Look who ate cereal for the first time last night...

Izzy!!

Isabelle loved it and ate every last bite. Hopefully we will start to see some weight gain now.

If Isabelle looks scared in this picture, it is probably because she is. Her Daddy is dancing in the background and trust me... it is a scary sight!

Isabelle looks a little out of it at this point. I think she is dreaming about her next bite.

We are starting off with a little cereal at night and then we will add the morning as well. My baby is growing up way too fast!

Our little man is growing up!

2011-10-18T11:31:00.000-05:00

Aiden turned 6 years old on Sunday. This year he wanted to have a costume party so Saturday, he had some friends over to the house to celebrate.

Mean Vampire

Things to know about Aiden:
* Aiden started Kindergarten this year. He is doing great and is already reading on a first grade level.

* He started playing baseball and soccer this year.

* He loves playing with all different toys. He is pretty much into anything Ethan is- Legos, DS game and more Legos- (which of course Ethan loves because he thinks it means more toys for him).

* Although Aiden has a lot of food allergies, he loves to try new foods. Surprisingly, he isn't our picky eater in the family.

* He loves being a big brother. It has taken a little longer to warm up to Isabelle since she took his role as the baby of the family. However; now that she has gotten a little personality of her own, he is spending a lot more time trying to make her laugh. He did carry her around the house all by himself a few days ago and he loved it (this is a big step for him). He takes his role as big brother very serious now.

* Aiden is very funny and keeps us laughing each and every day.
* He has a nervous laugh and often laughs at inappropriate times (when he is in trouble/most serious moments).

We love you Aiden and we are so glad you are a part of our family!

Quality Time.

2011-10-11T16:56:00.000-05:00

Ethan spent some quality time with Isabelle last night and read her a bedtime story.

Strong girl!!

2011-10-11T16:49:00.000-05:00

Isabelle has been amazing us at how fast she is recovering. As soon as we brought her home from her surgery, she started rolling over onto her tummy again. We thought for sure she would hold off on that for a while. Her neck has gotten so much stronger so we decided to pull out the bumbo chair and give it a try.

Aren't you going to help me?!?

No seriously... help!

I did it!!

On Monday, Isabelle had her first physical therapy since her heart surgery. We had been warned to expect her to take a few steps back while she recovers. Once again, Isabelle proves us wrong. Not only had she not take steps backwards but she progressed further.
She doesn't seem to mind being on her tummy so we can start tummy time again. She is also learning some new exercises.

We are so proud of you baby girl!

Isabelle- Open Heart Surgery

2011-10-11T16:18:00.002-05:00

On September 28th, Isabelle Claire had open heart surgery. In that week- that seemed to last a lifetime- I learned that Isabelle is my new little hero. She is stronger than I could have ever imagined. Isabelle has always been a fighter and seemed to want to prove everyone wrong about her. At 16 weeks, I was told that my baby might not make it through the pregnancy... she did. When I was told that there were too many things wrong with my baby... she fought and proved the doctor wrong and she hasn't stopped amazing the doctors ever since. As a Mommy, I never imagined that I would face such difficult times with my baby but she is helping me realize, I am stronger than I thought. I am so blessed to have Isabelle in my life. It has only been 4 short months but she has changed me and I am excited to see what our future holds together.
We left for Orlando on Sunday, September 25th for what would be one of the most difficult times I have faced (and I wasn't the one going through the surgery.) I am so thankful that we had family that came to be with us. The prayers and support of family and friends is what held us together. It is humbling to know that so many people were praying for Isabelle and our family.
Monday morning we arrived at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Isabelle's pre-op testing. She started out with a sedated echo cardiogram. This little girl is feisty and decided she had had enough sleeping so she woke up before the echo was even completed. At least she cooperated so they could finish everything they needed to do.


Waking up from her echo

One test down and next up was her blood work. As you can see in the picture, Isabelle has some great veins in her head. This is a nurses dream come true... not so much for Mommy. But we knew pretty quickly that Izzy would be getting her blood drawn from one of those nice veins in her head. We were asked a lot of questions to prepare for the surgery and then it was time to get her blood drawn. Surprisingly she didn't cry too much. I can't say the same for me. She was definitely a lot more brave than I was.
Last but not least...the chest x-ray. This one was short and sweet. Once we got into the room, we were in and out within 5 minutes.
After the x-ray and lunch, it was the waiting game (4 hours of waiting). We had to meet with the surgeon so we could ask our questions and find out all of the details of her surgery. In reality, I didn't mind waiting because if he was working on my baby, I would want him to take his time, do everything right and not rush out to meet someone else. So I was just fine waiting our turn. But once the meeting started I realized I didn't really like these types of meetings because the Doctor has to tell you all of the worst case scenarios and my worries and fears multiplied by 100.
After our long day at the hospital, we packed up and headed back to the condo to meet up with family that drove in. It was nice to be able to sit around with family to help take our minds off of what was going to happen the next morning.
That night, we took the boys for a swim (in the rain) and then spent some good quality family time.

Can you tell I am excited to be sitting in the rain?!?


On a side note... A few people had a run in with the sliding glass door. Come to find out, Papa, Nana and Aiden all ran into the sliding glass door Monday evening. I guess the resort cleaned the glass doors a little too well. Thankfully, Aiden was the only one with a goose egg.

Everyone spent a little extra time loving on Isabelle that evening.

The boys aren't wearing dresses, I promise! They are wearing their Daddy's t-shirt after swimming.

The boys were having a hard time understanding exactly what was going on. We had told them from the beginning that Isabelle would have to get her heart fixed. From the time they learned about Isabelle's heart defect, the boys added into their prayers... we pray for Isabelle's broken heart. Even though we had talked a lot about Isabelle's heart, it was still hard for them to comprehend such a big surgery at their age.
We had taken them out of school for the week because I needed my family to be together. But...everyone knows that you go to Orlando for vacation - Disney World- so trying to get the boys to understand that this trip really wasn't a vacation was hard work. I was thankful that everyone took turns keeping the boys so they could do some fun things to help keep their mind off of what was happening with Isabelle.
I can honestly say that I got maybe 2 hours of sleep Monday night. I just starred at Isabelle all night. I watched her sleep and realized that my baby had no idea what she was facing the next morning. I had held in my tears until that night. While I was watching her sleep, I cried for what she was facing and selfishly, what we were facing. I tried to prepare myself as much as possible but I didn't know how to prepare for something like this. I had read blogs and boards but until you are in that moment and it is your baby, it is hard to comprehend the emotions.

We got up the next morning and spent some more quality time with Isabelle. We arrived at the hospital at 6am to get checked in. They got us back into our room pretty quickly and the nurse started getting Isabelle's vitals (well, tried. Isabelle was on strike since we didn't give her any milk). At this point, we were all holding it together pretty well. Then the head nurse came in our room and told us that we are going to be put on hold for a few hours due to a newborn born on Monday that needed emergency surgery. We were able to feed Isabelle which meant that we had an automatic 2 hour hold on the surgery. About 30 minutes later, the head nurse arrived and gave us the news that Isabelle was getting bumped and we would have to wait to hear from the surgeon's assistant later that day to find out if she would get in on Wednesday.
I had mixed emotions at this point. My heart ached for the newborn that needed emergency surgery. I could relate to that new Mommy that has her baby taken right after birth. We were blessed that Isabelle's surgery wasn't considered an emergency but I had prepared myself for this day the best I knew how and now it wasn't happening. Which meant, that I would have to go through this entire process again the next day. I just wanted this entire event to be behind us so she could start recovering. However, I do know that everything happens in God's timing. Tuesday was not Isabelle's day. This little newborn needed the surgery more than Isabelle on that particular day.
So, instead of surgery we had a family day of swimming, playing and eating (and getting lost for about an hour but that is another story). Although this wasn't what we had planned, we did enjoy one last day together before the surgery as a family.

After seeing this picture, I now understand why so many people say Isabelle is so pale and needs to get some sun. Ryan and I just realized that no one ever says that when Ryan is holding her.

Love the face, Izzy!

Tuesday night, we went through the same process and gave Isabelle a good bath, fed her one last bottle of formula and then went to bed. I had deja vu- no sleep for me but instead I watched my baby girl sleep.
We woke up bright and early again and headed back to the hospital. We got checked in, were sent back to our room and the nurse came in to get Isabelle's vitals. We saw the head nurse from the day before and we prayed that she would keep walking (which she did). Wednesday was Isabelle's day.

See what I am talking about... those veins!

There was no turning back now. My Isabelle was going in for heart surgery. The hardest moment of that morning, was handing my baby to the nurse and watching her watch me as she is carried through the doors. I was doing so good until that moment and then I broke down. We walked out into the waiting room where our family was waiting for us. I so needed to see them! We waited in the surgery waiting room for updates. First update was that she was now prepped and surgery was about to begin. Next, we learned that her heart was stopped and on the heart/lung machine and the doctor was doing the repairs. Then, we found out that her heart was pumping on its own and they were finishing up. The surgery took about 4 1/2 hours and they were done by 12:30. Looking back on it now...it was a lot faster than we had anticipated. An hour later, we were able to go back and see our baby. You can't really prepare yourself to see your baby that way but she made it and now we had the surgery behind us so we were encouraged.

Poor baby girl had to have her arms restrained. Even being sedated, she is a mover.

Special thanks to Allison and Lila who kept the boys busy during the surgery. The boys made a new friend with Lila and were talking about her for the rest of the week. They made Isabelle a poster and had everyone sign their names so we could hang it in her room. Isabelle couldn't say it at the time but I know she loved it! I am sure she had the coolest room ever- filled with a poster, a special picture from Aiden (he drew a picture of a thunderstorm since she is always sleeping during them) and a turtle from Allison, Mark and Lila.

Those next few days were a blur. Everything seemed to move fast but at the same time, things moved so slow. By the second day, Isabelle's breathing tube, chest tube and pacemaker wires had all been removed. And this would be the day the boys would be able to see their sister.

We knew the boys were not handling things very well... especially Ethan. They were really missing Isabelle but I knew that they were not quite ready to see her with all of the tubes in. The hospital has a great program that helps siblings understand what goes on in the PICU and specifically what Isabelle is going through after her surgery. We meet Lauren, the child life counselor, and she set up a room with a large "Isabelle" doll that has all the tubes and wires that our Isabelle has. She explained in detail and in a way the boys were able to understand what they would see when they went in to visit with Isabelle. She explained that all of the tubes and wires do not hurt Isabelle but help her get better so she can come home. Lauren was so good with the boys and helped ease some of their worries. After the meeting, with the help of Lauren, we decided that the boys were not quite ready to see Isabelle until the breathing tube was taken out. Thankfully, the breathing tube came out on Thursday afternoon so the boys were able to see Isabelle after a day and a half. That is the longest they had been apart.

The 3rd day of recovery was the hardest for Isabelle. At that point, the doctors were lowering her medications which included the medication that kept her sedated. She seemed to be in a lot of pain or at least very uncomfortable. I wasn't able to hold her yet so it was very hard for me to stand and watch her be so uncomfortable and not be able to really do anything. She just wasn't herself. I wanted to see her smile and look at me and recognize me- her Mommy- and that just wasn't happening yet. After a few hard days, she started coming around and I finally got a little smirk out of her. I think she won over the nurses as well. I wanted to be with her 24/7 but that wasn't possible and the nurses made me feel so comfortable and I knew Isabelle was taken care of. There were a few times towards the end of her stay that we would come in and Isabelle was hanging out at the nurses station. That made me feel good like she was getting lots of love.

(Arnold Palmer Hospital had the most friendly staff and we couldn't have asked for anything better. We felt welcome from the moment we checked in at the front desk to get our badges to each and every person that came in contact with Isabelle. We knew Isabelle was in good hands during her stay.)

Once she was able to, we took strolls around the unit (which she loved... she is like her Mommy, can't stand to be cooped up). We met some new friends and we met that little newborn that needed the emergency surgery. We said a little pray for her as we strolled that day.

Getting out of the hospital for a much needed break (play area outside the hospital)

This is as close to Disney World as the boys got... the lobby of the hospital.

On Tuesday of the following week, Isabelle was released from the hospital. It is hard to imagine after 6 days, we were heading home.

Isabelle can hardly believe it herself!

Isabelle ready for the ride home

She has been recovering so well. She is still sleeping through the night but the day time naps are over for now. We are lucky if we can get 30 minutes in. Each day that passes, I see my little girl slowly coming back to us. She is amazing!!

Isabelle learned to take a pacifier while she was in the hospital. Her thumb is still her first choice but she is learning.

This sling has been our best friend. If she is uncomfortable or fussy, she gets right in and falls asleep.

These days are forever etched in my mind and heart. I am now and forever a heart Mommy and she is a survivor. September 28th will always be Isabelle's heart day.

We're back...

2011-10-06T13:01:00.000-05:00

We are back home after Isabelle's open heart surgery. We are getting adjusted and learning to be more gentle with Izzy as she recovers. I will update soon on the surgery and all the emotions that came with that as soon as she gets settled and back in her routine.

Phone photo dump...

2011-09-20T18:37:00.001-05:00

Aiden has been a "spy" the last few days. Not sure if anyone else knows this but a spy wears his hair slicked back. Well, this is what happens when the hair dries. I had to take a picture because it reminds me of Uncle Chad's kindergarten picture.

Isabelle getting ready to watch her brothers play some soccer.

No pictures please!

Isabelle loving on her pink rabbit

Isabelle trying on some hats while her brothers played laser tag

Big giant monkey is back... He wanted to surprise Aiden with a little cuddle time.

Our morning routines

2011-09-20T18:33:00.000-05:00

I have really gotten used to our morning routines and have come to look forward to them. Although most mornings I am tired and can easily become cranky, I secretly love my special time with Isabelle. At around 6:30am, (that's right... I finally have a child that likes to sleep) I start to hear a little tiny grunt from Isabelle's bed and I peak over the side and this is what I see...

We start the morning off with a little play time of singing (quietly since Daddy is still sleeping) and conversations and then she is ready to eat.
Shortly after Isabelle eats, the boys begin to wake up and the first person that run and find is their little sister. They love her so much!

Isabelle is mesmorized with the boys just as much as they are with her. She lights up when they come into the room. I am excited to see their relationship grow as they get older. I am a blessed Mommy!

Ethan's 8th birthday party...

2011-09-20T18:32:00.000-05:00

I am just a few weeks late with this post, but things have been a little crazy lately.
Ethan wanted a football (Seminoles) party at the house so we invited his friends over to help celebrate. I got a little worried when I kept getting RSVP's even on the actual day of the party and at that point I had already lost count. So I made a few extra goodie bags to make sure we were covered and then said a little pray for my sanity before the party began. Our house was packed with screaming kids and parents but Ethan had a blast! Thankfully, there were only 2 toy casualties and a few cupcake mishaps so I would say that is pretty good!
Ethan is such a great little man! He is so smart that at times I feel like I need to go back to school so I understand what he is talking about. Yeah, and he is only in the 2nd grade... I think I am in trouble. He loves sports and plays soccer and baseball. He would love to try a few other sports but we are wondering how to fit it all in. He has such a tender heart and loves his little brother and sister.
Lucky us...he has already started with the little sassy attitude. I thought we had a few more years but I guess kids are starting a little earlier these days. But overall, he is a big helper and has great manners (well... minus the typical boy stuff).
We are so proud of him and the person he is becoming! Happy 8th birthday Ethan!!

Isabelle in her own little FSU attire

See... I wasn't kidding about the amount of kids.

Aiden and Ian

Isabelle and Aiden's dedication

2011-09-14T21:53:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, we had Isabelle and Aiden dedicated at church. We wanted to have Isabelle dedicated before her open heart surgery which is scheduled for September 28th and Aiden wasn't dedicated as a baby (bad Mommy!) so we thought it would be special to combine them both.

Ethan and Isabelle waiting to go to church (she looks so big in this picture)

This was a good picture of Isabelle (but she is scratching Ethan- which explains his face)

Aiden and Isabelle's certificates and Bibles.

During church, Ethan was looking through Aiden's bible and asked me if when I was dedicated as a baby, did I get the New or Old Testament? I explained that they normally give you the New so that is what I got as well. He replied, the New Testament was around at that time? Really?!? How old does he think I am??

*more pics to come... I promise I did get a picture of Aiden as well.

Soccer pictures

2011-09-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

Saturday, both boys had their first game of the season. This was Aiden's first game ever. He only had one practice so he wasn't too sure what he was supposed to be doing but overall, we were impressed. He is pretty fast and likes to get right in the middle of the action. We look forward to watching him learn throughout the season.

Ethan has his soccer pictures this Saturday so I will steal a better shot. Thankfully, the summer is coming to an end and hopefully we will have some cooler temperatures for the upcoming games. It was a little too hot for Isabelle to cheer on her brothers.

Isabelle's newest hairstyle...

2011-09-13T16:23:00.000-05:00

Loving the hair Isabelle!!

I wish we could know what Isabelle is thinking during times like these! At least I was able to get a good laugh, Mommy really needed it.

Weekend get-a-way

2011-09-10T20:51:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we took a quick trip to Atlanta to see a Braves game. We left early Saturday morning and made a few extras stops since we were traveling with 5 children. Once we arrived, we attempted to go to the Aquarium but being a holiday weekend plus the first game of College football, we scratched that idea quickly. Instead, we took the kids to Imagine It- Children's museum. The kids had a blast. We easily spent a few hours of play time before heading out for dinner.
The kids loved playing with the moon sand. My kids have learned that this is the only place they will be playing with moon sand. Don't believe those commercials that moon sand is zero mess and so easy to clean up. It is currently off limits in our house!

Aiden and Ian making their creations.

Mikayla and Ethan making their masterpiece. Mikayla made a great flower but they were quick to destroy it. That is the best part.

Another thing the kids can't do at home... paint on the walls.

After dinner, the ladies minus Mikalya took a trip to Ikea- I love that place!! Papa and Chad took the kids swimming in the pool and then they had fun jumping on the bed (the kids... not Papa and Chad).
On Sunday, we spent the day at the Braves field. It was rainy but we still managed to have a great time.

See Nana and Isabelle way up in the stands?!? She wanted to make sure Isabelle didn't get hit by a foul ball during batting practice... but actually, it had started raining so we think Nana didn't want to get her hair wet. That's our Nana! :)

The Georgia Tech- Buzz was at the game as well.

The kids took a break before the game started to play in the kid's zone.

Ethan went all the way to a Braves game and still found time to play video games.

Mikayla and Ethan dancing - trying to get on camera.

Aiden had to take a quick nap

Ian and Isabelle having a conversation

Isabelle checking out our neighbors

Isabelle's turn for a nap

Papa and Ian discussing the game

Did I mention that I loved Ikea?!? Well, Stephanie and I had to make one more trip on Sunday night just in case we missed something.

One last picture of Isabelle just being silly.

More soccer...

2011-09-01T16:29:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, Ethan started soccer practice. He goes twice a week and we are excited about his team this year. His coach definitely looks like she knows what she is doing. She is going to whip these boys into shape.

Shower time!!

And we don't want to leave Isabelle out... She has been enjoying watching her brothers run the fields. She is cheering them on and can't wait for their first game. Although we already have conflicting schedules the very first game. Isabelle and I are supposed to be a different fields at the same time. We are still trying to figure that one out.

See what happens when Isabelle tries to sneak in a nap. The boys are such pranksters but she will remember all of this and get them back one day soon!

Upcoming heart surgery

2011-08-30T20:38:00.001-05:00

We received the call we have been waiting for... Isabelle's heart surgery is scheduled for September 28th. We will be heading down to Orlando on the 25th so we can arrive bright and early for her pre-op and echo cardiogram on the 26th. Hopefully, we will get a tour and meet everyone so my fears can be eased a bit. I am having mixed emotions about the surgery. I am excited for her heart to get fixed so she doesn't get tired so easily. She is doing amazingly well and progressing daily but I can tell she gets worn out easily. But... I am a born worrier. I try to lay my worries down but I end up picking them right back up. This is a problem I have always dealt with and going through such a huge surgery, it is a bit overwhelming. I thought that my pregnancy was the hardest thing I had ever gone through (and it was at the time) but heart surgery is now quickly stepping into 1st place. I can’t grasp the thought of handing my baby over to a doctor in order for him to open her chest and repair her heart.

Somedays, I am holding myself together by a very thin thread. It seems like even the smallest tasks are beginning to takes its toll. I got choked up when I had to talk to the receptionist at the doctor’s office (I am sure she is used to that) and when my family was discussing hotel arrangements and I appologize now if you happen to be the person who just simply asks – “how are you doing?” You may end up with a Mommy whose tears won’t stop. I know we will all get through this but it is a very stressful time.

Today, Isabelle had a follow up cardiology appointment. We found out that she has lost a few ounces and is down to 10lbs 5ozs. She is still growing though- she is now 22 3/4 in. long. The doctor wasn't too happy with her weight and she felt that her liver was a little enlarged. So, she decided it was time for Isabelle to be on a diuretic. She will take this each morning and this should help prevent the fluid from building up in her lungs and keep the pulmonary pressure down. Also, this should help her to not have to work so hard to breathe and eat.

We have a lot of prayer and support from friends and family and that means so much to us. Keep the prayers coming as we prepare for Isabelle's broken heart to be fixed.

*All pictures were taken by Robin Tutwiller Photography

Our little soccer champ

2011-08-29T20:57:00.000-05:00

I guess he is trying out a new look with his hair

Aiden started soccer practice tonight. It is finally his turn to get out on the field and show us what he can do. No more standing on the side lines watching his brother wishing he could run the fields.
Aiden has a big year ahead of him... soccer, Kindergarten and who knows what else he will accomplish. Don't worry, I will be sure to document it all!

Weekend wrap up...

2011-08-29T20:52:00.001-05:00

What a weekend!
Friday morning, Mr. Brodie decided to run away from home and go on a little adventure. He was missing for a day and a half and he is very old and not supposed to go on walks in the heat so with that combination, we weren't sure if we would see him again. The boys didn't quite understand that he was really gone until late Friday night when he didn't come home. Aiden was very worried about him being in the wild all by himself and Ethan was worried about his Daddy. He didn't like seeing his Daddy sad.
Luckily, Saturday afternoon, Daddy found him about 3 miles from our house. The boys were so excited he decided to come home.

Mr. Brodie had to rest up from his long adventure!

Saturday, the boys and I headed to Big Kahunas for the first and only time this season. The water park was an every weekend occurrence last summer but with baby Isabelle, that was impossible. So, the boys were very quick to pack their sister up and send her to Nana's for the day. We enjoyed some Mommy- son time.
Then we headed to Ian's 4th birthday party for some more swimming and kabobs. He is the first kid I have met that requests kabobs and cheese puffs for his birthday dinner. But it worked!


Can you tell the theme?? Kung Fu Panda... Birthday boy-Ian, Ethan and Aiden

Even Daddy and Isabelle got into the spirit.

Then Sunday, we headed to church.


Isabelle Claire

After this weekend, Isabelle was ready for a good night's sleep.

and this is what we woke up to this morning... rough night sleep Isabelle??

Poor Isabelle...

2011-08-22T15:26:00.002-05:00

Isabelle has not been feeling well the last few days. She is very congested and has a horrible cough. This is the first time that she has been sick. We have been blessed that she has been so healthy especially going to daycare. I was hoping she would hold off on getting sick at least until after her heart surgery. We still need her to gain weight in order for the surgery to get scheduled so hopefully she will get over this quickly.
We have defnitely been spoiled since she has slept through the night since she came home from the hospital. Last night, she was up every couple of hours with a major coughing fit. So today, I have toothpicks in my eyes so I can make it through the day.

Isabelle sleeping in her bouncy chair to get a little relief.

Thankfully, we were able to get her in to see her doctor this afternoon. I am still waiting to hear the final results. I do know that she has gained a little weight since her last appointment. So we are moving the in the right direction. She is currently 10lbs 9 ozs. I pray the doctor can give her something to help with the congestion and cough so she is back to her happy little self.

Update:
I got the final word from Daddy, Isabelle has the beginnings of an ear infection. The boy's didn't have ear infections when they were younger so this is all new to me but it makes sense now. She is such a easy going baby and the last couple of days, she would start screaming one minute and then the next moment she was happy again. Glad to know she wasn't just being sassy.
The doctor said that he is going to be extra cautious and put her on medication because she doesn't need to have any infections in her body since she has a heart defect. Plus he also mentioned that children with DS tend to have more ear infections so we now know to watch for this. Time to stop by the pharmacy to get her medicine started and praying for a quick recovery.

First day of school 2011

2011-08-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Ethan- 2nd grade/ Aiden- Kindergarten

The boys had a mixture of excitement and nerves this morning. At first, Ethan told me I couldn't walk him into class but then he decided at the last minute that I could. I am not ready for the year to come where my boys are embarrassed to be seen with me. Maybe we have a few more years before I have to worry about that. Aiden was not himself this morning. He was so nervous. I am used to him talking non-stop and smiling from ear to ear. You can tell in his pictures, he is nervous.
I am thankful that Aiden didn't have an allergic reaction going into the school like he did during the Orientation.
I have been thinking about them all day and I can't wait to hear how their first day of school went.

Ethan- 2nd grade

Aiden- Kindergarten

Isabelle reporting for duty...

2011-08-22T15:06:00.000-05:00

This is what I came home to on Friday. The boys (with a little help from Daddy) put Isabelle in a build a bear outfit. She doesn't look too pleased with them!

School Orientation

2011-08-18T16:05:00.001-05:00

The Holt family had a very busy morning. We dropped Isabelle and Ethan off at daycare just in time to get Aiden to his kindergarten orientation. As soon as we walked in the building, Aiden started coughing...the cough. Uh Oh!! Anyone who knows Aiden, knows that this could be a sign of his allergies. But, he stopped before we made it to his class so all was forgotten and we went about our morning. The parents stayed in the class to learn about the school year while the kids went on a tour of the school. Aiden was very excited but I could tell he was nervous as well (he just didn't want to admit it). When he returned, he was extra quiet and then we noticed he had hives on his face. What?!? Is Aiden allergic to school?? This reaction stumps us because we know he didn't eat anything so what could be in the air that is causing the hives?
We were actually surprised when the teacher asked which kids had allergies and we were the only ones to raise our hands. Allergies are much more common these days so I thought there might be at least one other kid. Nope... just Aiden. I didn't want to scare the teacher during our first meeting with all of his allergies and what he does when he has a reaction but this Mommy is a little worried now. So I did what I do best and sent an email to explain what she might expect. If Ryan knew, he would think I am crazy for emailing already especially since school hasn't even started but I have to make sure Aiden will be ok. My worst fear (and probably Aiden's) is that he will get sick in the classroom and then the kids are mean to him.
After his orientation, we stopped by the nurse's office to introduce her to her new little friend and to pick up all of his medication forms he might need.
So, next stop was to the grocery store to pick up some Benedryl then back to daycare to switch kids.
Next is Ethan's turn. He is going into the 2nd grade so he wasn't as excited as Aiden. He knows school ='s homework. We go to the wall and search for his name and sure enough, he is in a portable. Mommy is not happy but Ethan thinks it is the coolest thing ever. So I pouted for a few minutes and then got over it. If he is happy then I am happy.
On a quick side note, as we were walking through the cafeteria to get to the portables, 2 girls came running and screaming up to Ethan and gave him a huge hug and then started talking to him while twisting their hair around their little finger(What?!?). I felt the need to question their every move- find out their full names, parent's names and life history but I didn't want to embarrass him anymore than he already was. Boy, they start young these days!
So, both boys were returned to daycare, peeked through the window- Isabelle was sound asleep and then I was off to work.
We better get used to days like today. School, homework and soccer season are all about to begin. Fun Times!

What a night!!

2011-08-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had one of these kinds of nights?!?

Clothes in the fan, dinner all over the floor and a wonderful gift left by a dog?!? And that happened all within the first 30 minutes we arrived at the house. Later in the night, Brodie -Ryan's dog :) decided he wanted to take a stroll in the neighborhood for a while (unattended). About an hour later he decided he would grace us with his presence panting for some air conditioning and water.

And the night had obviously worn Isabelle out. She had had enough!

I am sure I looked like this by the end of the night as well, but I just didn't have anyone over me taking pictures.

Update from Cardiology appointment

2011-08-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

Mommy, what did they do to me?!? (This was right after her EKG so her skin is irritated)

Isabelle went for her last echogram and EKG before her heart surgery. She enjoyed listening to a little Baby Einstein during her testing. Her favorite song was by Mozart (she told me so).
She is currently weighing in at 10lbs 2 ozs and is 22 1/2 in. long. She needs to be around 5 kilos (which translates to approx. 11lbs 2 ozs) before she is ready for the surgery so we are now looking at the end of September for her OHS. She is doing great and she will have one more checkup in Pensacola at the end of this month. The physicians in Orlando should be discussing her case this week or next so we look forward to hearing from them soon.

We are ok

2011-08-05T16:09:00.004-05:00

I think I am finally coming to terms with Isabelle and Down Syndrome. I know that sounds crazy but it just hit me. It only took me 5 months during the pregnancy and then 2 months after her birth but I think I am finally coming to terms. There are still a lot of unknowns that we will face but I now wonder if a lot of my worries were not only for her but for myself. Not knowing what the future holds for her effects our entire family. Down the road, when kids are grown and out of the house, most people go through the empty nest stage. We might not experience that and I wonder now if I was being selfish.
I began to realize that when people would ask me questions or when I was talking about Isabelle, I always would throw a “but” into the conversation. But- she seems to be doing great, But- maybe it is just a mild case, But- she really doesn’t look like she has DS. All of these “buts” could very well be true because she is doing great and she has amazed all of her doctors up to this point. However, it doesn’t change the fact that she does have DS and that is ok. She can have DS and still achieve everything she is meant to do. Having DS doesn’t change the fact that Isabelle is special, beautiful and perfect.
In the past, I have had a rough time accepting compliments with Isabelle. I would get upset if I felt someone was looking just a little too long at her. But now I know that they are looking a little longer because she is beautiful. I won't be ashamed that my daughter has Down Syndrome.
Just in these few short months, Isabelle has changed my life. I can't imagine my life without her just the way she is. She has just now started smiling and she lights up my world. Isabelle isn't suffering and for that we are so thankful. She is going to have a happy life and I have the privilege of going through this journey with her.

I am sure that I will still have my days where I feel like I am missing out on certain things or wish my life were more simple and normal (whatever that means) but I now know that we are ok… I am ok.

Great new purchase

2011-08-03T11:32:00.001-05:00

I recently ordered Isabelle a sling- the Balboa sling- and she loves it. I was having a hard time finding a sling that works for her since her neck is still a little floppy. This one works perfect for her and sometimes we just like to walk around the house like Mommy/baby kangaroos. Isabelle will instantly fall asleep once she is in the pouch and gets settled.

You can't tell but she is trying to give you a thumbs up!

Isabelle's accomplishments

2011-08-03T11:13:00.002-05:00

Isabelle has been doing great and working hard to gain some strength in her muscles and especially her neck. And look at what she did all by herself...

She rolled over!! Now, I think this might have been on accident (because she is way too young) but we will still take it. Her therapist showed us some new exercises to help her figure out how to roll over and I think they are working. Trust me... she didn't know what to do with herself once she got on her stomach but at least she got there.
We have been doing all of her exercises every night and we can definitely see a difference. We love that she gets some extra workouts at daycare too. They spend a lot of extra time with Isabelle and that makes us so happy.

Daddy doing some exercises with Isabelle. Don't worry, he isn't hurting her. Her neck was going crazy for a bit.

We have learned very quickly that Isabelle likes to cheat on her neck exercises but don't worry, we are on to her.
We have been working really hard to get Isabelle to take a pacifier but look at what she prefers...

That's right... we have a thumb sucker. Like mother- like daughter (although, I did finally kick the habit a few years back.) This is what she decides to take from Mommy?!? Not my hair, eye color or facial features... nope- thumb sucking.
I think thumb sucking is cute and all but I can't chop her thumb off when it is time to get rid of the habit. I remember how hard it was for me to stop. Plus, the doctors really want her to take a pacifier. She will need to self soothe after her heart surgery and the pacifier is their recommendation. From our understanding, It might be hard for her to get her thumb to her mouth with the IV and any other contraption she might have going on.
So, I went out and purchased every pacifier every made (or at least the ones they sell at the local Walmart) and have tried non stop to find the perfect one for her. During her last therapy session, I laid them all out and had the therapist tell me which one would work the best. She made her choice and then even started training her with it. Our therapist has the magic touch... Mommy not so much. Pacifier= 0 Thumb= 1
Oh well... we won't give up!

2011-08-01T13:39:00.001-05:00

Ethan found a creative way to carry Isabelle around the house (in a pair of his shorts). Althought she was a good sport, we weren't too sure how well she likes it.

Pictures

2011-07-19T22:03:00.001-05:00

When I was pregnant with Isabelle, we had some great pictures taken by my friend, Robin. (Check her out on facebook ...Robin Tutwiler photography).

We never claimed to be a models but I think they turned out great!!

Ryan and I have matching tummies!! I think he gained some sympathy weight (wasn't that sweet of him?!?). However, now that Isabelle has arrived, we are working on getting these tummies to disappear.

Robin also took some pictures of our little princess. Here are some preview pictures. I can't wait to see the rest.

Isabelle finally fell asleep and Robin was able to get this great shot. I love it!!

2011-07-19T21:46:00.000-05:00

My mind has been wondering a lot lately and mostly focusing on Isabelle's up coming heart surgery. The worrying about her surgery combined with the lack of sleep is beginning to take its toll. Isabelle is by far my best sleeper out of all the kids. She has slept through the night most every night since she came home from the hospital (thank you NICU for getting her on a sleep schedule!). So, my lack of sleep has more to do with me not being able to get my mind to stop racing long enough to fall asleep. I end up staying awake until midnight every night catching up on some shows and wondering if Isabelle might want to wake up one more time for one last feeding. Then throughout the night, I strain to hear her breathing so I don't feel the need to get out of bed and lay my hand over her chest. Even with her heart monitor, I still need that reassurance that she is ok. We will find out in a few short weeks when Isabelle will have her surgery. I am nervous and afraid but I know that she will feel so much better after the surgery.

Sleeping beauty!

We are beginning to get into our routine of therapy and doctor's appointments but most importantly- everyday life with our new little girl. She had therapy again yesterday and she is doing great. I found myself smiling throughout the session especially when Isabelle was lying on her tummy and held her head up nice and strong. She reminded me of a baby turtle with her neck stretched out and looking around requesting praise for her accomplishments. I enjoy watching the therapist and I try to soak up everything she is doing with Isabelle so we can practice our "homework" every night. She is such a strong little girl and doesn't complain at all during her session. She makes me proud!!

This is how Isabelle likes to sleep. I think she is spending too much time around the boys!

Last night, we were in the living room and I watched as Ryan was lying beside Isabelle, holding her hand and watching her sleep and after about 10 minutes, I asked him what he was doing and he replied "I am just looking at our beautiful daughter." It took a lot to hold back the tears. Isabelle definitely has her Daddy (and brothers) wrapped around her little finger. Isabelle has blessed us so much already and we are lucky to have her in our lives. I am learning very quickly that all of my worrying and sleepless nights are worth it.

The kids early morning routine- cartoons. Ethan is starting her early.

We made it!!

2011-07-09T22:38:00.000-05:00

Isabelle and I made it through our first week apart. I was definitely more lonely than she was. She has a lot of ladies loving on her all day. She might end up extra spoiled but at least I know she is getting lots of love while I am at work.

Who couldn't love this sweet face?!?

It took a few days and a few alarms but daycare is getting used to the heart monitor although we broke the connecting wire on Friday so she has been without the monitor for the last day.
Thankfully, I have been extra busy at work trying to catch up so the days have gone by fast.
I sure do miss my little ones during the day but it is back to reality. Maternity leave has officially come to an end.

4th of July

2011-07-09T22:22:00.000-05:00

The kids and I went to the beach on the 4th and we ended up staying all day. We had a nice, relaxing day and then chilled for the night. We decided not to go to the fireworks since I was starting back to work the next morning and we needed to get our beauty sleep.

It is that time of the year again... seaweed everywhere!

Isabelle relaxing in the shade