Daven Tate

Jumping Ship

2007-02-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

After two days of searching the ins and outs of blogger, I have decided to jump ship. I cannot see any way of fixing the comment problem and I am simply not willing to revert back to the old style. So I give up. Maybe blogging just isn’t for me. It is time for me to say my goodbyes.

Okay, so that is only half true. It is time for me to say goodbye, to blogger that is. I have moved to a new blogging system and we seem to be getting along just fine. Please come on over and check it out. I think you will learn to like it.

http://www.daventate.com/

And for my final goodbye…

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

2007-02-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

As with most beginning projects, we seem to be having a few technical difficulties. Either nobody likes the new layout/design or comments are simply not being allowed. I choose to believe it is the latter. While not exactly sure what is wrong, we are looking into it.

This leaves me with three options.

1) To revert back to the old design.
2) To leave an email address for all of those of you who wish to send me an email with your comments.
3) And finally, to simply ignore what everyone thinks all together and continue to write.

While option number three is enticing (just think of what I could say without hearing any back talk!), I don’t think that is the best best way to go. I am not so thrilled with the first option considering the beauty of this new design, the old design is simply blah to me now. So that leaves me with option two. So for now, if you have anything to say about the new design (one way or the other) please send your comments to #############

Darn that faulty template! Just when I was getting so excited about the new flashy page. What a let down!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Along the Journey...

2007-02-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

TA-DA! This may not be exactly what you had in mind for the big surprise. Sorry to disappoint you. Back in early January I decided that for the new year, I would like a new blog design. So with the help of my brilliantly talented friend Sarah, here it is! I am exceedingly pleased with how it turned out and was so anxious to show it off. Sorry for those of you that were hoping the surprise was much more extravagant. HA! Jokes on you.

So here’s to a new year and a new start. I hope you will continue reading Daven Tate’s blog and travel along this journey with me. It has been an amazing two years and I hope this year will be full of growth, development, and hope for my precious son.

Thanks for all your help Sarah. Your talent is remarkable!

Along the Journey…

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Bath Time Fun

2007-02-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Daven is a major bath time lover! We have to keep the bathroom door closed because our little explorer will wonder on into the bathroom and try and get in the bath tub. A while back when we went to see a WS specialist they mentioned that learning for a WS child comes best in three ways, music (obviously), water, and language. We obviously work with Daven and music. Singing to him all the time, dancing to the music, and so much more. It has only recently hit me that I should be teaching Daven in the water during bath time.

GranZ for Christmas gave Daven some bath cut out toys. The ones that cling to the tile on the shower wall. He has now mastered them and knows exactly what to do with them. He will put them in the water to get them nice and wet…then reach up high to stick them to the wall. He will do that over and over during his bath. He has also learned to “pour” water from a cup. To me when I demonstrated this to him, he was always so blank faced and never seemed to care. Just this week he would start scooping the water into the cup then pouring it out. It is so fun watching him in the bath. He could play in his bath for hours.

In other news, Logan officially starts his new job today. We have been waiting for this day for almost four months now. We are both excited about his new endeavor and look forward to the set schedule. He is the Project Coordinator for a company in town called Clovis Metal Buildings. It is a company that is on the rise and has major growth possibilities for Logan. Thanks for everyone and their prayers. We are finally going to be settled and get back to a routine of work and home life. The idea of Logan having the exact same schedule as me is incredibly exciting.

No, that is not the surprise. But it will be coming soon. I promise. And no Lisa…I am not pregnant! HA! Happy Monday!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Retard, Retarded, Retardation

2007-02-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

Excuse me while I vent. I present to you three words that should be abolished from the English language. Retard, Retarded, Retardation. And/or any form of the word. Hearing these words in ANY context is simply unbearable to me. While out to lunch with a friend today, I overheard a conversation from the table adjacent to ours laughing and joking about one of them being “such a retard.” As I tried to contain my anger and continue on with the conversation at my table, I couldn’t help but feel the anger building inside. I feel that this word is not a word that should EVER be used in a jokingly way. It isn’t a joke and should never be used as a joke. Bottom line, IT ISN’T FUNNY!

When I hear these words, I picture MY CHILD coming home from school one day crying because somebody has called him a Retard. When I hear these words, I picture a doctor looking me in the eye to tell me MY CHILD will be mentally retarded. When I hear these words, I can’t help myself from cringing and wanting to bust into tears immediately because I know it is reality for MY CHILD.

I have to be honest with myself and imagine that I must have at some point in my life laughed at somebody and said such horrible things like “you’re acting like a retard” or “such a retard.” I guess I could use the excuse that I didn’t know any better. Now that I do, I will never utter those words again.

[Side note: The big surprise is not complete yet. It needs a bit of tweaking before it is reveled. HA!]

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Overwhelmed?

2007-01-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

Now that I am officially free from Jury Duty…I have nothing to say. Oddly enough, sitting quietly for five straight days has left me speechless. I am thinking it is more related to the fact that I am simply so overwhelmed that I don’t know what to do, say or where to even begin. My desk is piled high with work that has been waiting for my return, my house is overflowing with laundry that I haven’t seem take care of all week long, and my brain is working so fast and running a million miles an hour that I can’t seem to stay focused on anything.

Once I get a bit more settled and relaxed I will update with new pictures and possibly even a big new surprise! So, maybe that will tease you just enough to keep on comin back. I HAVE MISSED YOU!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Out of Sorts

2007-01-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Being out of touch for so long now, has left me with a serious case of writers block. The snow is finally starting to melt away, however still pilled up in front of my house. I was excused from work for two full days which meant a nice long four day weekend! As soon as I returned to work, I was summoned for Jury Duty again. And I have been there ever since. I cannot tell you anything about the trial yet, I can only say that I feel so out of sorts! The trial is expected to last another three days. Then I vow to stay on top of Daven’s blog and get back to posting regularly.

I did want to tell you that I miss you all and I am trying my hardest to read all that I can in the little time that I have. You and this blog are my sense of reality and comfort. Just as Nancy mentioned, the feeling of isolation has been haunting me for over a week now. My connection to you and your children turn that loneliness into companionship.

A few updates on Daven. He is now giving “High 5’s,” putting things “in” all the time, slowly eating a little more (applesauce, papaya, mixed berries and such), and is pulling up to stand all the time. Once we get the standing position down, I hope that walking will be close behind! Though, however, still a ways away.

I will be in touch soon. I love and miss you all.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

♪ Snow, snow, snow, SNOW ♪

2007-01-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

We have been hit hard this weekend with snow! I will make an uneducated guess and say we have almost accumulated 12 inches of snow. Yes, there is a blanket of snow outside and we are snuggled under a blanket inside!

I do love this time of year when it is so cold and the snow is so beautiful! I love to stand by the nice warm fire and get that warm fuzzy feeling all over! However, I am so over it this year.

You may or may not know that New Mexico isn’t known for all its snow. Yes we get our fair share usually to help fund the ski resorts, but Clovis NM isn’t one of those places. Snow tends to shut down this area for a few days because we simply don’t know how to manage driving in this stuff!

I have threatened to throw Daven out in the snow to see what he thinks about it. It would be a great photo op. But I inevitably stop myself thinking that it isn’t worth the risk of him getting sick. We did indulge in a small batch of homemade ice cream. It was quite tasty! But that is as far as we got in snow celebration mode. Not even as much as a snow ball fight.

Who knows, I am sure this foot of snow plans on hanging out for a few days. I suppose there is still plenty of time for snow ball fights and maybe even a snowman.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

In and Out

2007-01-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

With the help of Daven’s therapist we have been working on “IN” for almost 2 months now. After we were held up in our house all weekend long due to a major ice storm, Daven finally got it. He was putting balls “in” a toy all weekend long! After the balls would end up getting thrown out, he would chase them down and carry them back to put them “in” his toy! Once he has lost all the balls, he starts throwing all kinds of things “in.” Paci, other small toys, remote...etc.

It was so fun watching him all weekend. I never once prompted him, I never once helped him…he simply did it all on his own. Like everything else with Daven, once he “gets” something…he gets it and runs with it. It is like he has an AH-HA moment about once every 5 or 6 months. We can work and work but until he actually gets it, it seems like all is lost. All the hard work, all the therapy session only to see no change. And then, suddenly we have a weekend like this. When he just does it all on his own.

Here he is with his toy that is so annoyingly loud that I had to cover the speakers with some duck tape. (It helped muffle the sound a little at least.) Daven and Luke are having so much fun. How is it that children always have a way of loving the most irritating toy?

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Back Support

2007-01-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have been told a time or two that Logan and I are “towers of strength.” While not sure I totally agree with that statement, (hence a few minor melt downs last week!) I do think that we are handling things as best as we know how. We obviously couldn’t do it without some MAJOR support from family, friends, and our faith in God.

Last week was a long hard week for me. It was almost as though things regarding Daven and his limitations were haunting me. I couldn’t seem to get away no matter how hard I tried. By the end of the week, I just wanted to run as far away from my life as possible. But, I managed to carry on and survive yet another week. The point I am trying to make is that I don’t survive times like last week without so much support from my family.

GranZ and PapaT, you are my rock! Thank you for loving Logan, Daven and I the way you do. Your willingness to do any and everything we need is un-matched. It is because of you that we continue to survive day to day. There will are no ways to repay you for what you have done over the past two years for Logan and I. Perhaps Daven’s extra hugs and kisses is enough.

To the rest of my family…you will forever be in my heart for the love and compassion you have shown. Daven is lucky to be loved by so many. It makes my heart feel heavy when I think of other special needs children that don’t have half the amount of love that Daven is shown on a daily basis. So, thank you. Thank you to all of you for your support and love.

For those of you out there who are the support system for others…Thank you as well. The love you give to these children will be given back to you ten fold!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Jury Duty

2007-01-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a full day of emotions, long waits, and deliberation. I was, for the first time on this panel, chosen to sit on a jury for a one day trial. Oddly enough, I love sitting on a jury. I love watching the ins and outs of the court, the process that goes into finding evidence and deliberating guilty or not guilty. Yesterday, however, wasn’t the best experience I have had as a jury panel member.

This particular case was an “Aggravated Assault with a Deadly weapon.” However, the victim was a special needs person. The odds of ME getting this particular trial have to be slim to none. But there I was, face to face with a reality that I was not ready to participate in. Not mentioning anything about a special needs victim in the jury selection process, I had no idea what I was just thrown into. Out of nowhere the State attorney presented to the jury that we needed to understand the victim was a special needs person and may or may not have a hard time answering questions throughout the day…the world stopped around me. My palms started to get sweaty, my heart was racing like I had just run a marathon, my face turned red, and I was smack dab in the center of the jury box with nowhere to run.

In the back of my mind I just kept thinking, I must be dreaming right? This is all a dream? How could I be the one stuck in the middle of a trial including a special needs person? Once the victim finally took his seat in the witness box, I tried to force myself not to be bias and do the job I was called to do. We listened to his testimony and a few others including an officer.

Joe (we will call him Joe) lives on his own and works to pay for rent and bills. He met “defendant” (not even worth giving a name) and became friends with him. Joe eventually invited the defendant to rent a bedroom from his house. Joe does not understand bank accounts and money, so he had been giving the defendant cash to pay his utility bills while he was at work. After four months of not paying rent and taking Joe’s money that was supposed to pay the utility bills…Joe confronted him. The defendant then blew his top and went to his room to get a gun. He then pulled a sawed off shotgun on Joe saying that he was going to shoot him.

Joe then left his own home called his boss who then took him straight to the DA’s office to file a report. This is the shortened version.

Once the entire jury went back for deliberations I found myself wanting to jump up and speak my voice. I thought the defendant was trash and deserved to be put away for life for trying to take advantage of this poor man! However, I contained my rage and kept quiet, anxious to see what everyone else thought about the case. Inevitably the jury found the defendant GUILTY! While, still a long hard exhausting day...I almost felt relieved.

I also wanted to say a short THANKS for everyone’s nice comments. This week for no concrete reason, has just been a hard week. They have gotten farther and farther apart…but I do still have bad days. Your comments and sweet notes were all instant pickmeups! I love each and every one of you in different ways. Thanks for your support and comfort.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Babyland

2007-01-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

As much has Daven has grown over the past few months, he is still terribly behind in every aspect of development. He isn’t standing independently. He isn’t even close to walking. Words won’t be coming anytime soon. Potty training hasn’t even been in my scope of thinking yet. And don’t even get me started on eating. The more I have thought about this the more melancholy I feel. He is slowly getting farther and farther behind. I try not to think about it day in and day out…but the more I watch other children grow and thrive, the more aware of it I am.

Will we be stuck in Babyland forever? Will Daven forever wake up two and three times at night to take a bottle? Will I always be trying to communicate with my child by using the sounds of cries instead of words? Will I be feeding my child out of a bottle until he grows out of that and into a G-tube? I know I know, maybe I am exaggerating a tad…but I have to be honest with myself. We aren’t getting anywhere fast! Granted, nothing with WS has been a fast process. I do understand this. However, others seem to be growing and making progress in spite of WS. But Daven…just isn’t.

Indulge me a minute to vent. I am starting to take all of this personal. Are other babies thriving because the parenting is better? Am I the common denominator here? I do work with him and I do feel that Daven is a happy boy…however, happiness isn’t going to get us very far when it comes to growth and maturity. Am I really a good mother?

Logan and I had a date last night. It was so great to spend some one on one time with him. The night was perfect and then…we had the conversation. The “are we ready for a second baby” conversation. I could feel my body tense up and tears immediately started to fall. I am honestly panic stricken about baby number two. I trust that God will give us a perfectly beautiful child. And I don’t have fears (well not too many at least) of having a second special needs child. My fear is that I, as a mother, won’t do a fantastic job. I could manage and do “okay,” but by no means will I be as amazing as the mothers I have seen. The examples of “mommy-hood” that I see on a daily basis leaves me in awe. I fear I will never be that mom. And that is what scares me.

“I don’t really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.”

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Planes Trains and Automobiles

2007-01-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

Finally I get to Daven’s birthday party. Like I said before, we had an amazing birthday party for Daven’s second birthday. I still can’t believe that my little man is now officially 2. I truly believe that he knew that Thursday, December 28 was his day. He loved being the center of attention and opening still more gifts. He is such a lucky little boy to be loved by so many.

He received gifts like an Elmo chair that vibrates and giggles, books, a walk n’ ride car, spin and pop table (have to admit this is the most annoying toy of them all! Thanks Kristen and Uncle T), and a very special TMX Elmo from Monga. And so much more! He looked over and played with every single gift.

After fretting parties like this for at least a month long, it was nice to finally have it over with and be so happy with the final result. Daven was GREAT, the cake was perfect, the guests were all amazing, and the toys yes…were toys. Each annoying in their own special way.

The party was complete with cake, confetti, balloons, noise makers (which he hated by the way, can scratch that off for next years party.), and a juggler. Well, not an official circus clown, my Cousin Christian did excite Daven with his amazing juggle act. Each guest was given a set of beads to wear because of Daven’s LOVE for beads. This was our secret ploy to get Daven to love on each and every body in the room!

I wish you were all there to join in the fun with us. Maybe next year he can have a few of his WS buddies to join in the party with us. Oh what a dream come true that would be! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVEN! May your next year be as fun and exciting as this year. We love you.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Planes Trains and Automobiles

Christmas 1950’s Style

2007-01-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Starting where I left off…

As soon as we had packed the car so tight that we barely had room for Daven, we headed home from Oklahoma. While on the five hour drive home, I couldn’t help but miss the Marshall family already. However, I was so anxious to make it to Portales to see Autumn and the rest of my family that I couldn’t sit still! When we finally pulled in to Clovis, we dumped all the packages and gifts out of the car only to fill it up with the packages that needed to be delivered in Portales. (are you confused yet?) Then we headed towards Portales. I finally got to see my brothers, my sister, my sister-in-law, my nieces, and so many aunts and uncles and cousins…TOO many to mention!

We immediately started preparing for our Christmas Eve festivities. Keep in mind, we planed for 30 to participate in our Christmas Eve festivities revolving around our 1950’s theme. Festivities include singing carols, Chinese gift exchange, Elvis impersonation contest, hula hoop contest…and so much more. We had an amazing evening with so much laughter that tears were streaming down my face. You will see in the pictures a few examples of our Elvis impersonation contest. First is PapaT showing off his lip singing skills and second is Ponga and Monga (my grandparents) as Elvis and his “smoking hot momma” singing I’ll have a blue Christmas…Ah, the memories! You just thought you would get away without these pictures being published. HA! I owe it to myself to share this amazing experience with the rest of the world!

Daven’s favorite part of the entire evening was the singing. The look on his face when all 30 of us belted out Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer and Silent Night was priceless. He was in awe. After that, however, he was not feeling so well. We rocked and bounced and walked…all night long simply trying to keep him calm. Traveling, strange faces, and too much commotion had finally taken its toll on him. He needed a break. I anticipate many more Christmas’s like this. Daven simply does not do well in situations such as this. Don’t get me wrong, he LOVES my family and loves being the center of attention…which he is. He just gets so overwhelmed so quickly. I hope things will get better as time goes on.

After the fun and games we each claimed a section on the floor to crash, grabbed a chair at the table to play poker, or ran to a local gas station for a quick midnight snack. And we all settled in for a long winters nap. (Or a long night sleeping on the floor!)

After we celebrated our Christmas morning with so many packages and ripped wrapping paper that made a mountain in the middle of the floor, we looked over all our gifts and exciting treasures again. Once again, we were blessed with such a generous family. Daven had calmed down a bit enough to play with a few toys, we all ate Monga’s amazing cinnamon rolls (we wait all year for those!), and slowly one by one found an empty shower to revive us again from a long night.

Once we finally sat down to eat a fantastic Christmas dinner I looked around at my family and knew there was no other place I would rather be. Little did I know that I would get to spend lots of time with my family. You see, a winter storm blanketed most of New Mexico and Colorado with snow. This meant that most of my family would be snowed in for an extra 4 days! We played poker, stayed up way too late, and laughed so much that it made me sick. I still haven’t recovered from my head cold and now it is making its way to Daven. Too much fun and lack of sleep gets me every time!

Okay, I have officially said way too much! I will save Daven’s birthday party for yet another post.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

By the way, the beautiful woman holding Daven…is my Auntie Alowetta that I have mentioned before. One of the smartest people I know!

So much to say, So little time…

2007-01-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Where do I even begin? After being away from you all for so long now, I feel as though I have to start all over. We had an amazing time off for Christmas (twice over), Daven’s birthday (twice over), and a New Year. So many stories to tell, so many pictures to show off, and reflective thoughts are pouring into my mind so fast that I don’t even know how to compile them all into one post.

I supposed I can start at the beginning. We spent almost a week before Christmas with Logan’s family in Oklahoma. We had an amazing time. Like I said before, it is so nice just to get away from it all for a while. Enjoy some true quality time with the family. We played cards until the wee hours of the mourning, ate until our pants didn’t fit any longer, and laughed until our faces hurt.

Amongst the traveling, full house of company, and lack of routine…Daven was amazing. He played with all of GrandMama’s goodies around the house and gave so many hugs and kisses to everyone that was willing to accept them. When Cousin Luke finally arrived, he really jumped into action. He knew present time was coming fast! On Christmas Eve, we allowed the boys to open all of their gifts except Santa’s gifts. (He obviously hadn’t arrived yet! It was only Christmas Eve.) Both Daven and Luke dove into their packages and opened until they were exhausted. They naturally wanted what each other had. Even when the same exact toy was given. Neither one wanted it unless the other had it. HA!

The next morning we all jumped in and opened packages from Santa. Wow, he gets better and better every year. Just when we thought the festivity of opening packages was done, we learned that a birthday party for Daven was in the wings. WOW! You men to tell me there are more presents and toys for this boy?

Sure enough, it was a birthday party made for Daven. Complete with Elmo decorations, party hats, and yes more toys. The best part about the party was Daven’s birthday cake. The entire week Daven wouldn’t seem to eat anything other than Cheerios. (Except for the one jar of “Hawaiian Delight” that turned out having milk. Threw it up for the rest of the night, it wasn’t pretty!) So, his GrandMama wanted to give him a cake he could 1) eat and 2) LOVE! An entire Cheerio cake. It was fantastic and you can see how Daven LOVED it.

We had an amazing time and hated to leave. Thank you Marshall’s for an amazing Christmas! We are so lucky to be loved by such an amazing family. We love you more than you will ever know.

Sorry for my rambling thoughts, but again…I just have so much to say and tell that I don’t even know where to start and where to end.

Part II tomorrow.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

BIRTHDAY BOY!

2006-12-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

It started in the late afternoon. Contractions started coming every ten minutes or so. We knew our little man would be on the way soon, but we were in for a long night. So, after consulting with my sister we went to the mall for a little mall walking. Yes, that is true. We walked the mall for a good two hours. I then went home enjoyed a nice dinner made by my mother in law (fajitas if I remember correctly.)

After dinner, I could feel the contractions coming on strong. After a nice long bath, I called Logan and told him it was time for him to come home from work so we could make the ten minute trek to the hospital. We checked in on December 27 at 10 pm. Two hours and two pushes later, our precious Daven Tate had arrived. December 28 at 12:24 am he was finally placed in my arms after nine long months. He was beautiful in every sense of the word. Itty bitty, but perfect!

Looking back now two years later, how the time has flown by. Our life has changed in obviously more than one way. Daven is still as precious as he was on that memorable night.

Tonight we had an amazing second birthday party for this very special boy. It was a giant success. Last year my memories of his birthday include, Daven screaming after his hands touched the icing, trying my hardest not to curl up in the corner and cry, and simply trying to keep Daven calm. However, this year was an absolute different story.

Daven was amazing. He LOVED every single toy. He LOVED all the guests at his party. He LOVED (okay well not loved per-se but licked his lips) when I gave him a dab of dairy free ice cream. I feel as though I will always have anxiety about throwing Daven a birthday party, but overall, this year was a huge success!

Again, I am sorry there aren’t any pictures yet. I will get to those as soon as they are downloaded onto my computer. I am currently working off of Autumn’s laptop (YES AUTNIE AUTUMN IS HERE!!!) and haven’t even been to my home in about 10 days. (Oh how I miss my bed, but I must spend every second possible with my family even if it means sacrificing my own bed.)

So, happy birthday my son. I am so proud of your huge growth this year. You are surprising more everyday. We love you more than the entire world…and back again. Happy birthday to our BIG BOY!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Back to reality…

2006-12-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

We have made it home from our week long trip to Oklahoma. It was a fantastic trip and Santa was so generous to all of us! I have been out of commission for a week now and I feel a bit out of sorts. The one great thing about traveling to OK is how easy it is to run away from reality. No TV, no internet, no phone…it was nice to have a breath of fresh air. Just a little time to enjoy games food and fun.

We have so many pictures and great stories to tell and show off. However, we only have one minute to spare before we rush off to enjoy Christmas with my family. As soon as we get a break from all the Santa and fun, I will be sure and tell all.

I hope everyone had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. I have missed you all so much. I will be spending lots of time catching up on everyone’s holiday stories.

Merry Christmas to all…and to all a good night.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Winter Wonderland

2006-12-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

A winter storm has hit our part of the world hard the past day or two. Last night was bitter cold so we were sure to bundle Daven up from head to toe when we went to Monga’s for dinner. Every time I start dressing him for a cold outing, I always remember that scene in “The Christmas Story” when the mom is dressing the boys. And Ralphie (if I remember right) says “Getting ready to go to school was like getting ready for extended deep-sea diving.” HA! He did so well keeping his mittens on. I was impressed that he didn’t try and pull them off immediately. He was a champ and stayed warm from head to toe!

He also spent a little more time at the piano with his daddy. I am so anxious by his LOVE for it. He could very possibly sit at a piano for hours on end. Playing and banging and listening. The pure joy in his face was undeniable. I have decided to push for piano lessons for him. Like others have said, once he masters the piano, he can master almost any other instrument.

We are headed out to Oklahoma today for Christmas. Internet connection will be limited so I may not be able to update. I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and we take to the road. I anticipate some ugly weather and even uglier roads. We will be coming home Tuesday after Christmas to spend a few days with my family. I am looking forward to it all. We will be enjoying many card games, tons of food, and even more laughter!

I hope everyone has a happy holiday and enjoys time with your family and friends. BE SAFE!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Santa Baby!

2006-12-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

It was a nice and productive weekend in my household. Friday we all went out and finished my list of Christmas shopping. It is so fun buying things for Daven. Envisioning smiles of joy as he unwraps his amazing gifts from Santa. Okay, so maybe not smiles of joy because they are pretty boring gifts. Jammies, Coat, and a few odds and ends. I also finished wrapping all of my gifts. Daven has been googly eyed over the boxes bags and bows! I finally had to put them up on the guest bed to keep him out. HA!

We also decided to make one final stop to visit Santa! I was anxious to see how Daven would react to jolly Santa. When we put Daven in his lap he looked and stared for a while and just wasn’t sure what he thought about this Santa thing. Then once he relaxed after a few minutes he smiled and started to enjoy Santa’s company. We ended up getting the best shot of Daven. I was so pleased and am happy to say it was worth every penny! The scanned copy doesn’t do this picture justice. But he is still so cute. Logan wouldn’t let us take his hat off because he needed a serious haircut. Looking back now, I think the hat adds character.

We did finally end up giving Daven his third haircut. It is amazing what a little haircut can do to make him look like such a big boy! I think I am still a bit in shock that he is almost 2. He is really starting to look like the big boy that he is.

One final side note. I have gotten some amazing things in my mail box over the past week. A beautiful ornament, pictures, and Christmas cards. Again, I am so lucky call all of you my friends and Thank you for your love and support this year. Here’s to family and friends, Christmas can’t be very far away.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

All Things Music

2006-12-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Daven is starting to show signs of his LOVE for music. While watching him lately, everything he has been doing seems to revolve around music. A while back, Logan went to Monga’s piano and clicked around on it a bit. Daven instantly stopped what he was doing sat up (prairie dog style) and looked around to find where that beautiful music was coming from. Then he crawled as fast as he could to the piano to sit in his daddies lap and play along with him. These boys sat at that piano for a good 20 minutes playing and listening to the beautiful sounds. You can tell by Daven’s face he is LOVING that music and can’t get his ear close enough to the sounds.

This picture was also taken a few days ago while Daven was playing with a Christmas toy. This toy sings an Elvis Christmas song. (our Christmas theme is 50’s you know!) He loves to push the button and make it sing then he just puts it to his ear so he can listen more intently. SO CUTE! I love watching his face light up when he hears music and can’t get to that music fast enough. Or pushes it up to his ear as close as he can get it.

And finally, here is Logan strumming his guitar. Daven has now figured out what a guitar is and wants to strum the strings ALL the time. He will crawl and search from room to room until he finds that guitar so he can strum the strings. Ah sweet music. The second he does…his face lights up more than I have ever seen. The face of pure joy and excitement.

I am anxious to start Daven in a music program. Guitar, piano…not sure which. Or maybe both! I wish we lived close enough to my aunt who is a brilliant pianist and has a piano school. (Which by the way, if anyone is near LA get with me to get her contact information. You won’t be disappointed!) I cannot wait to see all the music abilities that Daven has stored away inside his tiny little frame. Coming from a musically inclined family anyway, I know that his talents will far surpass mine. The Marshall household is going to be full of sweet music.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Christmas and Birthdays and Breakthrough's OH MY!

2006-12-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

I suppose it hasn’t hit me that Daven is almost two until…oh, lets say 10 minutes ago! I was working on his birthday invitations still not thinking much about it, then I typed in “to celebrate Daven’s SECOND birthday.” I just stopped frozen in the typing position. Wait, NO that can’t be right. I remember typing “to celebrate Daven’s FIRST birthday,” it can’t already be time for a second birthday?!

Wow, how this year has seemed to fly by in some ways and slowly creep by in others! He has met some of my goals for him before his second birthday, and hasn’t met others. I will say that I am pleased with the growth I have seen in him over the past year and anticipate the next year ahead of us still!

Daven had an amazing eating session on Monday night. He ate almost half a jar of Gerber’s “mixed berries!” I know he swallowed at least 10 bites! I was so excited I could hardly stand it while jumping up and down cheering on every bite! I even called Logan in to watch because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had to get another witness. We tried again last night with “fruit medley” and it didn’t go as well, but I know he still got some down him. Maybe this is a start to our eating breakthrough! Okay so this might be the 4th or 5th start to the eating breakthrough that I am hoping will come soon!

We had a nice lazy weekend. Logan went pheasant hunting so Daven and I got to enjoy some more one on one time with each other. Now that Logan is home with us on the weekends Daven and I don’t get much alone time. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Logan being at home on the weekends, but it is nice to enjoy a little mommy and son time. Those are when the precious moments happen. And yes, it usually involves lots of pictures.

Daven has only recently been interested in this toy. We have had it almost a year now and lately he has LOVED it and wants to cruse around on it, spin it and make it sing. How can you go wrong with this toy?! Granted, I see DANGER written all over it when he rides it like this. I foresee bonked heads and possibly broken bones. As much as I love watching him play like a big boy it does make me a bit nervous. Therefore, I watch him like a hawk when he decides that he wants to go for a ride.

Wait, is it already December 12?! I guess that means I better start Christmas shopping! When is the last day to pay for express shipping? Yikes!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Glimpse of Williams Syndrome

2006-12-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a holiday brunch. (Thanks B for the invite!) It was so fun, light, and great just to sit around a table and giggle with an old friend. It did get me to thinking on my way home. I am not a social butterfly like some and I don’t tend to smile at any and all passerbies. However, during the holiday season…I tend to hold my head up high, walk a little taller, and greet all that walk by with, at the very least, a warm Christmas smile.

Thinking about my actions and about the holiday season I started to wonder. Is this what it feels like to have the personality of a Williams Syndrome person? I find myself during this time of year wanting to love everybody and spread holiday cheer to everyone around me. Is that not what a WS person feels on a daily basis? Is the Joy around the world at Christmas time what a WS child wants for their own life? After all, there is no such thing as a “stranger” to any WS person. They know no strangers!

While considering this and wondering all morning long…I made a vow to myself. I promise to be social, kind, and loving to all people no matter the time of year. The kindness of the world should not only last one month. Let it carry on for an entire year. I make that vow to myself today.

One More Sleep Till Christmas
By Kermit

There's magic in the air this evening
Magic in the air
The world is at her best you know
When people love and care
The promise of excitement is one the night will keep
After all, there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas

The world has got a smile today
The world has got a glow
There's no such thing as strangers
When a stranger says hello
And everyone is family we're having so much fun
After all there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas

'Tis the season to be jolly and joyous
With a burst of pleasure we feel it arrive
It's the season when the Saints can employ us
To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive

There's something in the wind today
That's good for everyone
Yes, faith is in our hearts today
We're shinin' like the sun
And everyone can feel it, the feelin's runnin' deep
After all there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas
After all there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas
Day

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Now and all year long.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Buttons Galore

2006-12-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an amazing day for Daven. He had two GREAT therapy sessions while learning lots of new tricks. He actually signed “MORE!” We have been working on this sign language since March. So to finally see that he is grasping the concept of sign language is amazing! He also walked about 6 feet holding on with only one hand. He stood by himself for 4 seconds. I could go on and on. He had one of the best days that he has had in a very long time! Development is really starting to progress and I am anxious to see more and more changes. I am also so very proud of him. He has been working hard with little to no fuss. He is starting to grow up and be such a big boy. The baby years are almost over. If we could only get the eating under control, he would officially be a BIG BOY!

Daven and I both called in sick on Tuesday. We decided it was a perfect day to play hooky. We just hung out in our jammies, played, sung, and cuddled all day long. It was such a great day to make a “connection” with my son all over again. Every now and then I have to remind myself why being a mother is so fun. It might sound horrible for me to say, but I get so wrapped up in work and just the every day life…that sometimes I don’t stop myself to actually enjoy motherhood. But, Tuesday…I was reminded! Here we are enjoying the day together. Yes, this is me trying to take more self-portraits. HA! Keep in mind I had to take about 10 of these pictures to get one that was half way decent. HA!

Daven has also mastered the art of “buttons.” He has learned to crawl to the entertainment center, open the doors, and push the button on Logan’s Xbox. He knows that by pushing this button, it will open and close…open and close…open and close. (You get the picture!) I have watched him do this for a full 10 minutes. So funny! Logan finally ended up unplugging the Xbox. It is now only a matter of time before he learns to do that on the DVD player. Sigh. I have to say, I love every second of it. So fun to watch!

Friday is finally here! I made it though the week without any jury duty. Except for Tuesday when I called in sick. I was supposed to have jury duty that day…but completely forgot! Opps! They are probably making out the warrant for my arrest as I type. If you don’t hear from me next week, you might find me in an orange suit at the local detention center.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Best Buds

2006-12-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Because we spent a lot of the weekend with Micah, we got to spend a lot of time with Cousin Luke as well. Daven and Luke have been such great buddies lately. They love to chase after each other while crawling, they love to wrestle (Luke is usually the champ by crawling on top of Daven), and they just love playing with each others toys.

On this particular evening, Daven and Luke were playing quite nicely. Now that they are both pulling up on things, they ended up at Luke’s walker. We watched peaking around the corner while they were playing. No words were being said, but you could see all over their faces they were having a conversation. Daven reached up to show Luke how to spin the toys as fast as he possibly could. Luke simply stood beside him watching. Next Daven pulled away and looked at Luke as it to say…okay, you try. Sure enough Luke grabbed hold and started spinning away! Here is Daven congratulating Luke on his progress. I know he was saying "way to go Luke, you are a great student!" HA! We laughed about it the rest of the evening.

We also ended up putting them in the bath together. They loved splashing each other and playing in the bubbles. I know these boys are going to grow up and be such great friends! Luke is going to be a big boy! So I figure if Daven needs any help pushing away all the bullies, Luke will be right behind him protecting him. That is my hope at least.

We haven’t made any more strides on eating however. I haven’t seen any swallowing since last Wednesday, but I will continue to try. What else can you do but try…right? We did try the peanut butter and it didn’t go over as well as I had hoped. He didn’t hate it, but he sure didn’t love it. I think the peanut butter sticking to his fingers was a bigger problem than in his mouth. He was much more concerned about getting it off his hands rather than eating it. Sigh. I tried, I honestly tried.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Bragging Rights

2006-12-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

Indulge me a moment to brag…

It was a busy weekend packed with holiday fun. Each year in our little community we enjoy an event called the “Holiday Happening.” Tables are elaborately decorated by very talented women and a crowd of over 500 comes to enjoy the function and to spread holiday cheer. Last year, I took Micah along with me for the first time. After talking about it for months, we decided that this year we might take a stab at decorating our own table. So, we did it!

My mother and grandmother have been decorating tables for YEARS now. Nine years to be exact. And every year, they have decorated at least 2 or 3 different tables each. A much bigger task than Micah and I were willing to take on. The theme we came up with was “Merry Christmoose!” Including a Moose Santa, Merry Christmoose sign, and Micah’s homemade Moose Munch to tie it all in. By putting our heads together, I would have to say that our table was one of the cutest tables there! (Other than mom and Monga’s of course!) We nervously decorated the table on Friday afternoon in hopes that it would all come together for a great presentation. While putting on the finishing touches, we took a step back to admire our creation. It was perfect!

Watching the talent flow from my mother and grandmother for so many years now, I was afraid that I had inherited NONE of that talent. After this weekend, I believe that I see a ray of hope in the talent department. Will we take on the task of decorating a table next year…NO! Okay, so maybe…ask me in a few months after I have forgotten all the stress that comes with the fun.

It was such a fun event and fun to enjoy the time with Micah. Love you Micah and thanks for all your help. It wouldn’t have come together without you!

MERRY CHRISTMOOSE EVERYONE!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Eating and SWALLOWING

2006-11-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Last night while I was cookin-up some dinner, I decided to try a different technique with Daven and food. I sat him up in his high chair and gave him some Gerber food that seemed to be very thick. Oatmeal, applesauce, and bananas. Everything I have tried up until this point has been thin in hopes of it somehow getting down Daven’s throat. But he still easily spits it back out.

So on this night, I thought we could try the opposite. I almost pulled out the peanut butter…but I thought we would start with the oatmeal. After one bite, he seemed to like it! Didn’t end up swallowing it, but you could see in his face he was pleased with the taste/texture. I gave him another spoon full and he had the same reaction. Finally, I decided to dump it on the tray like I have done before. As soon as I did this, we had a BREAKTHROUGH!

Daven took his hand, scooped up a bite and fed himself. THEN, he actually swallowed. It was like I was frozen in time. Um, did I just see that? Surely not, I probably just wasn’t watching close enough. THEN he did it again right before my very eyes! Daven actually took a bite and swallowed three times! THREE TIMES! I know, this doesn’t sound like a true breakthrough…but with Daven I can assure you…THIS IS HUGE!

We have been trying trying trying to get him to swallow any form of food. Last night was the first time (since he was 6 months old) that he has actually swallowed anything other than formula. Yes, he puts food in his mouth, yes, he plays with it a bit…but he has never actually swallowed anything until last night. We had a great time playing and eating. This may possibly be the secret, make it a fun time…not forcing the food on him. Granted, once he was done with food, he was DONE! I couldn’t get him cleaned up and out of that high chair fast enough.

We will be trying again tonight with possibly peanut butter. GranZ said he ate two bites of a cracker this week too! What about peanut butter and crackers? Hum, we could make all sorts of combinations! Oh the possibilities!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

A Friend for the Journey

2006-11-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

It has been a hard few days for our tight knit WS community. News of a sick little boy has made our hearts skip a beat and reminded us how fragile our precious children can be. (Please see Nancy http://www.heartofafamily.blogspot.com/ or Lisa’s http://emmaandtatum.blogspot.com/ blog for further details.) While thinking about all the “what if’s” I was remind of a story that I read not too long ago about God being right beside us through thick and thin. I am lucky to have such amazing friends to talk with, ask questions to, and simply to share wonderful stories. I will forever be grateful to them for that.

I am also blessed to have a friend and supporter by my side each and everyday. No matter where I am or what time of day it is, HE is there. No matter what Daven is going through, HE is there protecting him. I know that my hope for Daven’s future gives me power to get through the present. Putting Daven and his health in Gods hands is the only way I can make it through today. That is what gives me peace.

God is Cheering for You
by Max Lucado

God is for you. Not “may be,” not “has been,” not “was,” not “would be,” but “God is!” He is for you. Today. At this hour. At this minute. As you read this sentence. No need to wait in line or come back tomorrow. He is with you. He could not be closer than he is at this second. His loyalty won’t increase if you are better nor lessen if you are worse. He is for you.

God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you.

God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. “I have written your name on my hand,” He declares (Isa. 49.16).

May God put his hands over each and every WS child. Keep them safe, keep them healthy, and give the weak strength. May He be with my dear friends and protect their families.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Kicking and Screaming

2006-11-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Now that the decorations are up and the house is full of breakables, Daven has been wide eyed and on the prowl. At first he didn’t try to touch the tree at all, he just wanted to look at it and stare at all the twinkle lights. However, the new has faded a bit and now he wants to touch, grab, and pull on any and everything that mom doesn’t want him to.

(Here he is at Monga’s house while we were decorating her tree. Our theme this year is “50’s Christmas.” Every year we have a new Christmas theme, but that is a longer more detailed post about tradition. HA!)

I have always been a person that has said I will not be afraid to discipline my child and he/she will NOT be throwing any temper tantrums. Lately, however, I seem to catch myself giggling and smiling inside when Daven throws a fit about something. Just last night, he was crawling as fast as his little legs would allow getting to the tree before I caught him. As soon as I saw him, I scooped him up and said a stern NO! With that, he instantly started kicking his legs and screaming in anger. I have pictured this day in my head so many times. Child does something bad, mom says no, child continues to misbehave, mom disciplines child. Nevertheless this particular day I did not get angry, I just smiled and held him while he threw his fit.

To me, this one tantrum made it seem as though Daven was a “normal” toddler trying to get away with something he knows he shouldn’t. Temper tantrum by definition is a disruptive or an undesirable behavior or emotional outburst displayed in response to unmet needs or desires, or an inability to control emotions stemming from frustration or difficulty expressing the particular need or desire. Temper tantrums or "acting-out" behaviors are natural during early childhood development. As children learn to separate from their parents, they have a normal and natural tendency to assert their independence.

Watching Daven try to assert his independence is a beautiful thing! The terrible twos are rapidly approaching and I am anxious to watch and discipline each and every tantrum. It is funny how I always imagined what kind of Mom I would be long before I ever had children. Now that I have been blessed with Daven, my mothering/parenting style has changed 100%.

No matter the parenting style I end up having, I am confident Daven will grow up in a home full of love and care.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Christmas Came Early

2006-11-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying that I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I have not updated for a few days because the internet at our house has been very sporadic over the past few days. I got tired of fighting with it!

We had a great Thanksgiving Day at our house. Yes, I ate plenty of cinnamon rolls, watched the parade and the Cowboys, and put up the tree. We also had a great time putting up the famous luminarias. It ended up being a BEAUTIFUL day outside! Daven even joined us on the lawn for a little outside play time. We had the exhausting chore done in almost 2 hours. I’d say that’s pretty good for only 5 of us! Here is Daven enjoying his thanksgiving dinner. Mashed potatoes, a pinch of turkey, some bread and it isn’t a thanksgiving meal without a few cheerios. (Of course he didn’t actually eat any of it…but we tried!) I, on the other hand, ate so much turkey and dressing that I had to loosen a notch out of my belt. (I am running out of notches!)

Friday Logan had a full day of surprises for me. He started out by saying that he had arranged Daven to go to GranZ’s house for the afternoon so we could catch a nice lunch and a matinee. I was shocked by this! So we put on our best jeans and dropped Daven off at his GranZ’s for an afternoon of fun! However, that wasn’t the surprise. Logan drove right past the restaurant and the movie theatre explaining that he thought we might like to go to a nicer restaurant in Clovis for a really nice dinner. I was shocked once again! After that, he changed his mind once more. Saying that he thought maybe we should go to Lubbock (about an hour and a half away) for a very nice evening and a small “get out of town” trip. Again, I was shocked! Once we finally got to Lubbock and enjoying our dinner we were discussing what movies we might like to catch there…and he had one final surprise! He informed me that we weren't going to the movies because he had purchased tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for a Christmas concert.

You can imagine my surprise by this. I had no idea this was coming. We had an amazing time watching an amazing show. If you have never heard of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra you should check them out at http://www.trans-siberian.com/ Picture “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” meets “Motley Crew.” It was a bizarre combination, but strangely it works. The arena was packed leaving no empty seats with a mixture of people and clothes. Some were dressed as if they were going to the symphony while others were dressed in cut off flannel shirts. We were somewhere in the middle. As we watched the Christmas green and red laser show, I couldn’t help but wonder if we would ever be able to take Daven to a show like this. Would he love the music or hate it? Would he be able to handle the loud music and crazy lights? Maybe next year we can attempt a smaller version to see what he thinks and possibly sit a bit father back.

Here we are as soon as we found our seats. This is our sorry attempt at taking our own picture. As you can see, I am excited and still in shock while Logan is a bit annoyed that I actually had the camera in my purse. (Yes, I carry that thing around everywhere!) Soon after, an “Event Staff” attendant came up lecturing us about having a camera. We apologized and promised that it wouldn’t come out of my purse again.

We had a great evening and I am still not sure how he pulled off such a surprise! I can honestly say I had no idea this was coming. Thanks to GranZ and PapaT for keeping Daven so we could run away and enjoy an evening together.

Christmas is officially on the way! It will be here before we know it.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

The clock today seems to be moving slower than most days. The College officially closes up shop at 4:30 this afternoon, and that time just cannot come fast enough. NO, I am not hoping to rush out so that Logan and I can get on the road. (I know you are all shocked!) We will be staying in town for the Thanksgiving Day festivities. For once, I am actually looking forward to staying at home. We have zero agenda for Thanksgiving. However, there are a few Thanksgiving Day traditions (yes, more traditions!) that I will not let slip by. Monga’s cinnamon rolls, the Thanksgiving Day parade, and putting up the Christmas tree to name a few.

There is also one Thanksgiving Day tradition that I am NOT looking forward to…putting up the Christmas lights and luminarias outside Monga and Ponga’s house. I am in fact, DREADING this tradition. For those of you “Non New Mexicans,” luminarias are Christmas lights that you put on the ground, not on top of the house. (See picture) While they are beautiful and highly loved in the New Mexico area…they are simply a PAIN to put up. With the help of the entire family and beautiful weather, this agonizing process can be done in only a few hours. Although it is never that easy! This year for instance, half the family will be away visiting others for Thanksgiving and I anticipate cold, WINDY weather. I will put on my happy face, coat, and gloves to help with this project. It is, I suppose, a tradition.

Thanksgiving Day is a day for TRADIITIONS, family, food, parades, and football. It is also a time to give thanks for all our blessings. Each and every one of us have been blessed with so many different things. My list of blessings stretches out for miles. I realize more and more everyday what “blessings” actually look like. While most blessings are obvious sometimes blessings can be disguised.

My family is obviously a blessing. Logan is clearly a blessing. Daven is, of course, a blessing. Would I consider Williams Syndrome a blessing? Maybe! Had it not been for Williams Syndrome, I would not have met so many amazing people. I would not have grown as a woman and mother. I would be ignorant and possibly cold to the world of special needs. And I would never have felt a love that I didn’t know existed.

Through the trials, heartaches, tears, and sadness…there have been mountains of blessings. And for that, I am thankful! My wish is for you to have a BLESSED thanksgiving. Stop and think of each and every blessing. There might be more than you realize.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you…” Philippians 1:3

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Daven the Explorer

2006-11-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Now that Daven has finally mastered the art of crawling, his curiosity has hit its peak. It is just a joy to watch him go from room to room checking out what it has to offer. The guest bedroom is great to hunt out the computer cords. The guest bathroom is great for the cabinet full of cleaning supplies. The kitchen is full of good stuff! (Mini-blind cords, hot stove, tables to pull up on, drawers to pull open, etc…) The laundry room is great for the dryer sheets that have fallen on the floor. Then there is my bedroom and bathroom that seems to have a wealth of excitement. And finally, Daven’s own room. Now this room is Daven’s least favorite. This room is FULL of actual toys and a complete safe zone for him, so it is much too boring for our little Curious George.

It is so great to watch him travel from one room to another. Following after him pulling him away from the “bad” only to follow him to the next room and pull him away from the “bad” all over again. I never thought the day would come when I would say NO in a discipline manner to him. (Other than the occasional NO as he tries to snatch away eye glasses or earrings.) Since the exploring has started, I have held his hands saying a firm NO when he is near all the bad things. Yes, I have childproofed the house as much as possible. However explorers with little fingers and hands tend to find everything they are not supposed to have.

I have said before that I will happily keep him away from things when the time came. Now that that time is here, I can honestly say…I do enjoy it. Watching him travel around the house and losing him from room to room is something I never thought possible. Looking at his face and all but watching is brain work, it is obvious that he just wants to know everything that this newly found world has to offer.

Dora’s got nothing on our little explorer!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Cling-on

2006-11-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a busy weekend trying to keep up with Daven. And Daven was busy trying to keep up with me. For the first time in Daven’s short life, he actually tried to follow me through the house. It started Friday morning as I was getting ready for work. I was frantically trying to fix my mop into some form of a sophisticated style for work. That’s when I noticed him peaking around the door frame; Daven was all smiles because he had found me! Which then instantly made me full of smiles and laughter! My son actually came looking for me; he just wanted to be next to me. I couldn’t stop myself from tearing up. It was one of a handful of times that I have felt his love for me. I was glowing thinking about it for the entire day, longing to see him again.

After that, it was like something changed in him instantly. I was in the laundry room trying to get some of the mass amounts of laundry done, and around the corner Daven came in search of his momma. I was in his bed room trying to pick up the toys that were pilled high (oh I can’t wait for the day when he can put away his own toys!), and sure enough…I hear the little stomps of a crawling monster. I was cooking in the kitchen, when he came crawling around the corner to find me and once he finally got to me…up went the hands. His way of saying, “Hold me mommy! Hold me!” Of course, I would scoop him up every time!

This continued through out the weekend. It started to become a game. He was playing hide and seek with me! I was hiding and he was frantically trying to find me going from room to room searching out the place. I LOVED every single second of it! Even at bed time, he didn’t want to be out of my arms. I would lay him down in his bed and he would wake up crying because I wasn’t holding him. I have never once felt like my child was clingy to me until this weekend. It almost made me swell with pride knowing that he actually does need me.

I am not expecting this to last. I think part of his clingy actions this weekend were due to a cold he has been fighting. Logan and I were scheduled to attend a symphony concert and dinner Saturday evening. After a long night before hand and noticing how clingy Daven was throughout the day, we called off the night away. I just didn’t feel comfortable leaving him knowing how cranky he had been. (Sorry Monga! Daven will make it up to you with tons of kisses!)

Even though he wasn’t feeling too well, I have to admit I loved the uncharacteristically snuggly Daven. I am however bummed that we didn’t get to attempt any food this weekend. Daven was already grumpy and I didn’t want to make him any more upset than he already was. Sigh. Maybe that can be a priority again over the Thanksgiving break.

Is it Monday already?

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Code BROWN

2006-11-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

A few evenings ago, after I attempted to feed Daven, I threw (not literally threw, but you get the picture) him into the bath. It is starting to be an evening ritual…attempt to feed Daven, wipe excess food off face, and throw (again not literally) him in a bath.

This specific night, I was picking things up around the house and going in and out of the bathroom checking on him. Now wait, I know the cardinal rule of parenting…”NEVER, EVER leave your child in a bath unattended.” In my defense, he does have a chair that restricts him to the seated position, making it almost impossible for his face to end up in the water. Second, I would only step out of the bathroom for seconds at a time within an ears shot of all the action that was taking place in that bath. But back to my point…

On my way out of the bathroom the last time, I heard what sounded like a…how should I say….gas bubble? You know, breaking wind except for this time it was more like breaking water? HA! After I returned to check on Daven I stayed to play and splash with him. When I got a closer look, something odd was floating around in the tub with him. Picture a loud GASP and a sudden scream…”LOOOOOGGGGAAAAANNNN!!!!”

Yes, Daven had taken care of his business in the bathtub! I instantly went into panic mode. After Logan came running to see what the problem was, he just laughed when he realized what the emergency actually was. Daven’s bowel movements have always been a huge part of our life as parents. It can make or break any day. If he has had one, Daven is usually in a great disposition! If he hasn’t, he can be a bit cantankerous. (To put it nicely) However, I prefer to watch for these bowel movements IN his diaper…NOT in the bathtub where he is supposed to be sparkling clean and smelling of fresh baby powder.

Once we got Daven out of the soiled bath water, I scrubbed and bleached the tub to perfection. Meanwhile, Logan is holding him wrapped in a towel constantly saying how stinky he still is. Well DUH! After we finally got him in the bath and cleaned up properly, I quickly snapped this picture because you could see all over his face he knew what had happened. The mischief on his face said it all.

Maybe this was his way of warning me about leaving him alone while taking a bath. Trust me, I got it! Who knew that “filling his DIAPER” had such a specific meaning?!

On that note…Happy Friday!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

This Day in History

2006-11-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

This day in history…November 16 is a very important day for many reasons. First: In 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union. (Not exactly sure why this is important to me or you directly, but it is important to this nation.) Second: In 1959 the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “The Sound of Music” opened on Broadway. (This one is for you mom!) Third: In 1975, my brother was born. HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE T! WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU! (Yes, just to verify…he is MUCH older than me!) And finally: In 2005, we got a call confirming Daven’s FISH test results. Our son was officially diagnosed with Williams Syndrome on this day exactly one year ago.

It was a brisk evening, the fireplace was burning one of the first fires of the season. I was frantically doing laundry, cleaning the house, and packing getting ready for a weekend trip to visit my aunt in Colorado. I had actually slowed down long enough to grab a bite to eat when Logan’s cell phone rang. He looked at the caller identification only to notice an “unavailable” call; this is a good indication that it is Daven’s doctor calling. As soon as I could tell by the one sided conversation that it was in fact Daven’s doctor, my heart began racing. It was a short conversation; the doctor simply and bluntly stated that the results were back and Daven in deed had Williams Syndrome. Logan hung up the phone and looked at me and said, it’s confirmed.

This specific evening while any other night would not have been as memorable, will forever replay in my mind. I will remember very specific scents, events, and emotions of this day for the rest of my life. Today, while a quiet somber day, has gone by quickly. Daven had a great session this morning with his speech therapist and is awaiting one now for his occupational therapist session.

After reflecting on the past year all day, I have come to realize that I am honestly very lucky. Would I have said this a year ago? NO! Still not sure I could say it on a daily basis today. But, thinking about how supportive Logan has been, how Daven has grown and developed over the past year, and now that I can look back and say that I believe the worst is behind us…I can today on this day say I am a lucky woman!

The Luckiest
By Ben Folds

I don’t get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

What if I’d been born fifty years before you
In a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I’d be outside as you passed on your bike
Would I know?

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you

Next door there’s an old man who lived to his nineties
And one day, passed away in his sleep
And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away

I’m sorry, I know that’s a strange way to tell you that I know we belong
That I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I love both you boys with all my heart! I can’t wait to see what the future years have in store for our family. Thanks for this year, through all the good and the bad…I have grown to understand that I am “The Luckiest!”

LOVE LOVE LOVE

"Not that bad," is Not that bad!

2006-11-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

As I was running out for my lunch break today, I got a call on my cell phone. It was a representative from the Medically Fragile Waiver program here in New Mexico. She just happened to be in town and asked if we had time to meet with her to discuss Daven and is eligibility for the Medically Fragile Waiver. When a call comes from a governmentally funded program, you take any chance you get. I was worried that if I told her I didn’t have time today, then it might be months before she got the chance to meet with us again. So I said a loud “SURE!” in reply.

She gave me an hour and a half to prepare. I immediately called Logan and GranZ to make sure they got Daven back at the house in time. All the guidance I have received over the past year from my brilliant Auntie Alowetta was to exaggerate Daven’s condition making it sound worse than it is in reality. Thinking this in the back of my mind, I wanted to be sure and have Daven dressed and ready to go…BRACE and all. ;-)

Logan and I pep talked each other with the understanding that we would not “brag” on Daven but rather downplay his abilities. We both went in ready to go…yes Nancy, brown lipstick and all! After our hour long consultation and observation, she informed us that Daven did not necessarily qualify in the Medically Fragile bracket. Meaning, he will not qualify for any government funding.

As soon as she left, I realized how exhausting it can be telling all that your child cannot do. Pointing out all his flaws, medical concerns, and delays...can be overwhelmingly sad!

I did however; appreciate the fact that the denial of the program was good/bad news. No, we won’t be getting the funding (however she did give us another road to try!), but it is nice to hear that your child is really… “Not that bad.” After visiting so many doctors and hearing all that is wrong with your child, it is honestly nice to hear that Daven is doing very well!

We will keep trying for governmental funding and keep knocking down doors. What do we have to lose right? But for today, Daven is actually a very healthy boy! I would much rather take the healthy side of him as opposed to the medically fragile side. So, we shall travel down other path in hopes of help there. Wish us luck!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Tongue Twister

2006-11-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

I spent all weekend covered from head to toe in some form of pureed food. I tried my hardest, over the weekend, to get Daven eating something. I am confident that, with the exception of any milk product, I sat anything and everything in front of him to see if he would take a bite. With little to no luck, I can successfully say that I, uh…tried.

I do feel good about how he is taking to the food. He didn’t gag, scream, or freak out at any taste or texture. For that, I am pleased. I feel that the problem now is that he won’t swallow. I honestly believe that he doesn’t know how to work his tongue, chew and swallow. He allows me to put a mouthful in, tastes it, and then spews it back out; forcing the food out with his tongue. Maybe if he knew how to move his tongue and work his mouth, he might be swallowing.

Now here lies the problem…HOW DO YOU TEACH A CHILD TO USE THEIR TONGUE? This will be my first question for Daven’s speech therapist on Wednesday. Is it possible to teach him how to use his tongue and swallow? I can see some change in his texture sensitivity; he just doesn’t seem to grasp the swallowing concept. He crunched cheerios in his teeth, nibbled on some gram crackers, and even played in the applesauce with his hands. (Before, he would have a complete melt down when anything touched his hands.) So, I can see some progress.

As you can tell by the pictures, Daven was a complete MESS! I decided to dump all the applesauce on his highchair to see if he would just play with the food. (Who teaches their child to play with their food? HA!) He loved it! I loved watching just as much. Consequently, we BOTH ended up needing a bath after each feeding. I think Daven had a total of 8 baths over the weekend. And more than that in change of clothes. I am happy I tried and happy to see some change. Daven is nowhere near close to actually eating, but I am feeling optimistic with the progress that has been made.

Here we are at yet another Monday. To lighten the Monday ugliness, I have been singing my heart out to some good ol’ fashioned Christmas music! Ah, I am feeling better already!

Hark! How the bells, sweet silver bells
All seem to say throw cares away
Christmas is here, bringing good cheer…

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Dinner and Dancing

2006-11-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

Wednesday after we returned home from a full day of doctors appointments, I found a nice surprise in my mailbox! It was a CD from a dear friend that was made especially for me. I LOVED it. It couldn’t have come at a better time or day. Immediately, I stuck it in the computer to listen to all the amazing songs. Daven and I sat and listened to every song on the CD. We just laughed and danced along. He even once or twice put his ear to the speaker to hear the music more intently. I can already see his love for any and all music.

As you can see by the pictures, he was having an amazing time. I loved watching his face listening to the music and dancing along. Especially realizing that just four hours earlier, he was being stuck by needles and screaming out in pain. His smile is without a doubt the most beautiful sight in the world to me. When he smiles, his face can light up any room instantly.

Now that the weekend is finally here, I plan on enjoying the relaxing days ahead. My biggest task for the weekend will be to work with Daven trying more and more foods. Our biggest concern now, is feeding issues. We can only seem to get formula down him; he simply refuses to eat any real food. I will be playing with him and letting him feed himself in hopes that amongst the mess, he actually swallows a bite of food.

As a mother, there are some things that you wish you could go back and change. Daven’s food issue is one of those. When he was 6 months old, we started him on Gerber baby foods. He took to them right away and seemed to enjoy the different flavors and textures. When we went to the doctor for Daven’s 9 month check up the doctor started to see a lull in his weight gain. So through doctors orders we nixed all baby foods and put him strictly back on formula. Keep in mind; this was long before we knew anything was wrong.

Hindsight is always 20/20 as they say…and in this sense, I agree! If we would have realized that weight gain will always be slow, I would have kept Daven on the baby foods. Now that he has been on formula only for so long, he has a taste and texture preference for his formula. I am confident that someday Daven will be eating foods, but there is a picture engraved in my brain of him when he is much older, drinking out of a bottle. I understand this is a slow process (what part of WS isn’t a slow process!), but I am desperate to see some change in his eating habits. So wish me luck this weekend!

Come here Daven…an airplane full of green beans is headed your way!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Warning...LONG

2006-11-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

We made it back from a full day of doctors visits, and amazingly…came out unscathed. Daven was a true champion yesterday! We dragged him around from one end of the facility, to the other and then back again.

We started out bright and early with his well baby check up. After the doctor looked him over, he ordered a urine sample to check his calcium level, a blood test to check his kidney function, and a flu shot. We put a “urine bag” over his man hood and were on our way over to the orthopedic doctor. Once we got there, they ordered an Xray of Daven’s spine. Once we got the orders and paperwork needed for that, we rushed off to the Radiation center. (naturally it is on the opposite side of the building) Once we finally got the snap shot they needed, we rushed back to orthopedics to get our report.

Round 1 (ding)

Doctor: Is he wearing his brace?

Me: Well, actually no. We have done some research and it showed that children with Williams Syndrome don’t normally do very well with a brace. It fixes one problem while causing another. Muscle Atrophy to be exact.

Doctor: Well, uh…..Williams Syndrome, I have never heard of WS?

Me: SHOCKED! Really, never? (rolling eyes)

Doctor: How is he diagnosed with WS, is this a genetic test?

Me: Yes, actually a blood test called the FISH test.

Doctor: Wow, well who exactly diagnosed this WS?

Me: Dr. Golder Wilson a genetic specialist in this facility.

Doctor: Ah, uh well yes he is a very highly respected doctor. Well it seems like you have done your research and know what you are talking about. I still however feel that it is a priority to keep his brace on to help realign his spine.

Me: Okay, that sounds great! Are we done here?

Doctor: I guess so, lets have you back in about 6 months.

HA! That was the shortened version of Round 1. I expect Round 2 to come in 6 months. ;-) His spine overall, has not gotten any worse. This to me was great news! It doesn’t prove that the chiropractic work is helping, but things at the very least…aren’t getting any worse.

As soon as we said our goodbyes to the Orthopedic doctor, we had to run back to the pediatricians office to get his flu shot and to literally “rip” his urine bag off. (I won’t go into too much detail here, you get the picture) Once we got that taken care of and eyes full of tears, we rushed Daven off to the lab for the final stop of the day. The dreaded blood work. DAH DAH DUMMMM!

We knew we were in trouble when the nurse turned the corner calling for “Davin.” Once she figured out it wasn’t Logan or I getting the blood drawn, she outed with “Uh, ohhh, um…” Logan and I looked at each other and knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Daven was happily playing in Logan’s lap while she got everything ready. The entire time picture her nervously talking saying “oh, well um this won’t be all that hard…I have a very small needle” “Oh, hu…look how wiggly this little guy is” And other nurses yelling out across the way, “Do you need any help” Annoying nurse yells back..”Um, no, uh…I think I’ve got it.”

Once she finally got her things in order the process began. Poke once, no vein. Poke twice, yet still no vein. Third and final poke, yep…NO vein.

Nurse: “well, um, I can’t seem to find a vein” (trying to speak out over Daven’s SREAMING!) “It looks like were gonna have to prick his finger. Is that okay mom and dad?”

Me: “Whatever you have to do…just get this over with!”

After much fighting and screaming and many tears, we were finally done. I see it as a pretty good day when after a full day of running around the hospital, you only want to punch one nurse in the face. I figure that must be pretty good odds. HA! I held it together until we got in the car and headed out of the parking lot. I cried a bit and Logan just held my hand. We didn’t have to say a word; we both just knew we had survived.

All of Daven’s lab work came out great! Daven’s weight wasn’t as good as I had hoped for, but it never will be. He will always be competing in the light weight category. (20 lbs 10 oz) Calcium was great and kidneys seem to be functioning great. All in all, it was a GREAT day yesterday. We have a healthy young boy!

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts yesterday. Knowing that we had so many supporters and teammates backing us…made that day so much easier! I love each and every person reading this. Thanks again for sticking around.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Orthopedic vs. Chiropractic

2006-11-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day. We head out bright and early for a full day of doctors appointments. We start out with Daven’s well baby check up and possibly a flu shot. Yes, more shots! I am also sure we will have to have a calcium check and possibly other blood work.

We go straight from there to his orthopedic doctor. Which is where I expect the battle to begin, Round 1. (Not sure how many rounds I should expect.) Doctors are very skeptical of chiropractors and Daven has been seeing one now all his life. Daven’s first visit to the chiropractor was at 2 months of age. Now, in light of his scoliosis trouble, the research I found said that chiropractic work on a scoliosis child can do wonders! So, for the past 5 or 6 weeks, we have been taking Daven to the local chiropractor for a weekly alignment.

We won’t know if or how it is working until we get an xray done. Even then, it could be months or years before we know how the chiropractic work is doing. I am not sure how Daven’s orthopedic doctors will react to me mentioning his weekly chiropractor visits, but I am sure they will give me ugly looks as soon as I say the word chiropractor. I am going with my game face on!

It is also the big anniversary day. (One of them at least.) My goal is to go all day without having the urge to throw up in the corner. Wish me luck! I will update you as quickly as I can. Which means probably Thursday morning. Here goes nothing…

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Happy Birthday to ME!

2006-11-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was my 27th birthday. I was so spoiled on my special day. I am spoiled everyday, but Friday I was especially spoiled. I received flowers from my long time friend Janae, from Lisa, and from my amazing husband! I also got a few gift cards, Mary Kay goodies, clothes, a beautiful “Mother and Child” necklace, and so many other things. (Even some unmentionables!)

The best part about my birthday was this weekend. It started Friday night with a girls night out on the town. Logan gave me the night off to spend some quality time with a few of my girlfriends. Oh we had a blast. It was a long night of pure laughter! By the end of the evening, our faces hurt from laughing so hard and had a perma-grin on. We missed you Amanda and Sarah, but we will catch you on the next girls night out! Thanks Blanca and Micah for helping me celebrate and for sharing the evening with me. I love you both!

Saturday Logan and I had a great day just relaxing and enjoying each others company. We ended up calling my good friend Amanda over to see if she could sit with Daven while we went out and enjoyed a nice quiet dinner and movie. After we thought about it for a while, we figured out this was one of the only times we have left Daven with a true-blue babysitter. Every other time has always been with family. I would have been fine all night long, had I not remembered this little fact. I would start to get worried and ask Logan if we should call home and see if Amanda and/or Daven were okay? Every time he assured me things were fine and if they weren’t she would be sure to call. Sure enough, when we got home…all was well. They had played all night long and watched lots of Daven’s movies. I apologized to Amanda for not having any snack food in the house. (One of the only reasons I loved babysitting so long ago, was to raid the family’s house for good snacks!) I was so proud of Daven for being such a big boy and not giving the babysitter too much trouble! YAY, that in itself is a huge success. Thanks to you Amanda for coming at such short notice. We had a great night and felt stress-free when leaving Daven with you.

And finally, Sunday was birthday lunch with my family. Monga (my grandmother) made her famous enchiladas and all the fixins that go with it and a giant German chocolate cake for dessert. Oh it was heavenly! What a great way to end my birthday!

I just wanted to say Thanks to everyone for making this day so special! I needed a great birthday and it ended up being not only an amazing day, but an amazing weekend! We could stretch it out to a week long celebration! Who needs a birthDAY, how about a birthWEEK?

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Doctors on Call

2006-11-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

I took a big gulp and called Daven’s doctors today. I have been stalling, (for reasons I do not know) but knew the time had come to book his next appointment. After I looked through my book, I realized that we hadn’t gone to any doctors appointments in almost 4 months. That has to be a record time span in Daven’s young 22 months of age.

We will be taking Daven to see his orthopedic doctor next Wednesday, November 8. I can already feel my body tense up and my stomach turn. I know they will be asking me how Daven has been doing with his brace. They will want an xray to see if his back has gotten any better or worse. They will also be looking closely at his feet to see if orthotic braces are needed.

We will also be seeing Daven’s pediatrician for his 20 month check up. (only 2 months late) There, I will once again be faced with so many questions that I will have to answer with, “No, not yet.” No, he isn’t eating solids yet. No, he isn’t saying any words yet. No, he isn’t walking yet. YES, he IS crawling! This, however, isn’t what is causing my anxiety.

The time is rapidly approaching that we will have to schedule an appointment to meet with his Genetic Specialist. The doctor that diagnosed Daven with WS almost a year ago. Our famous date for actual FISH test results was November 16, 2005. However, the day we met with the genetic specialist was November 8. Yes, a year ago next Wednesday.

I can feel my body go into that infamous panic, scared to death, sick to my stomach – mode in anticipation of next Wednesday’s appointments. A year ago on this exact day, I was given some of the hardest news of my life. You think my son has what? What does William Syndrome mean? How did he get WS? Was it something I did when I was pregnant? How could this happen to my child? NOOO, he is fine…just a little weak and delayed, that’s all!

My how a year has flown by. So many questions answered from that day to today and yet so many more questions left unanswered. Daven's doctors appointments are only beginning. My days of tensing up and stomach turning are still inevitable. Anniversary’s of these famous dates will be still be hard to swallow. BUT, I have officially survived one full year. I have met so many other brave moms and seen pictures of their beautiful angels. Thanks for riding this roller coaster journey with me. I LOVE YOU all!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

HAPPY HOW-O-WEEN!

2006-10-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

I have always called my little man…Tater Gator. When the Halloween season started to roll around, it hit me that he had to be a Gator for Halloween. So the race was on to find the perfect Halloween Gator costume. After many online searches resulting in only Gator Mascot costumes…I started to get worried. Then finally, I found the perfect one!

We had a small Halloween event here at the College on Saturday morning. Daven was a bit grumpy so I wasn’t sure how the whole costume thing was going to be…but he did great! It was so funny watching him with it on! It was like he wasn’t even fazed by it and just “went along for the ride.”

We will be putting the costume back on for one more outing tonight. A small Trick or Treating session to GranZ and PapaT’s house, Monga and Ponga’s house, and to see a few other close friends. It is predicted to be pretty cold tonight, so I am sure we won’t be venturing out too late. So, without further ado….drum roll please…I present to you my little TATER GATOR! [insert grunt, hiss, or roar – whatever sound an alligator makes here] GOOOO GATORS!

Cavities anyone?

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Ring of Fire

2006-10-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying Happy Monday to you all. Not that I am having a good Monday particularly, but my wish is for you to have a good Monday. Anywho.

Our weekend was pretty busy. We spent a quick minute or two at the College’s Halloween Carnival. Daven was SO CUTE! I will be showing off those pictures tomorrow for the official HAPPY HALLOWEEN post. (insert evil Halloween laugh here)

Friday night we ended up running out to get a few rentals so we could spend the evening together. The movie was okay at best, but the night was fantastic. We built our first official fire of the season. It wasn’t all that cold outside, but Logan thought it would add to the ambiance of the evening. It did! The best part about the fire, however, was Daven’s reaction to it.

He LOVED that fire. He crawled up to the fireplace as close we would allow and just wanted to sit and watch. His eyes were glued to that fireplace. He was fascinated by every part of it. When he would hear the wood pop and crack, he would jump slightly and then turn to look at us with a huge smile on his face. It was so precious just watching him watch the fire.

I do however see the negative in all this. I highly anticipate fighting to keep him OUT of the fireplace all winter long. We have an extra gate over the fireplace, but I know how sneaky he can be…we will have to keep our eyes pealed for those little fingers trying to reach for the fire. Scary to even think about!

♪♪ Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…

LOVE LOVE LOVE

HAPPY HALLOWEEN (in honor of Autumn)

2006-10-27T16:27:00.000-06:00

I was sitting in front of a co-workers desk this afternoon and noticed some great Halloween finger puppets. So I proceeded to try them on. As I did Sarah (the co-worker) remembered a specific scene when Autumn did the exact thing and they snapped a picture. After we laughed about it…we knew, it was a must to take my picture in the same pose.

Ta…dah!! I am ashamed to admit, my picture is much scarier than Autumn’s. Hump! (Must be the dark makeup.) I did however, have my festive holloween shirt to top off the beautiful experience.

So all this to say, I'm not exactly why we took these pictures, but almost a year to the date Autumn and I were at the exact same spot doing the exact same thing. Ah, that sisterly connection will never go away. No matter how many miles may separate us. I love you Autumn! Here’s to you…

Autumn in October 2005

Me in October 2006

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Goodbye vs. Hello

2006-10-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

Could it be possible for the “Hello” to be just as painful as the “Goodbye?” Yesterday, I finally saw GrandPa and GrandMama’s car pull into the driveway carrying my precious Daven. I was so excited I could hardly stand it. As I rushed out to the car, they were pulling him out of his car seat. I ran back to help them inside and as they pulled the blanket off, shielding his face from the bitter cold wind…I finally saw the face that I had missed so much!

I instantly started talking to him and telling how him much I missed him, only to get a blank stare and zero reaction whatsoever. As I put my hands out to reach for him, he simply looked at me like “can I help you?” After I had to grab him away (he certainly wasn’t just going to come to me) he then looked down and saw a few toys. After that, he squirmed and wiggled his way out of my arms so he could get to those toys.

I try not to take it too personal, but it is so hard. I am his mother…how is it possible that he doesn’t know his own mom? Does he know me, but simply doesn’t want to have anything to do with me? There are so many variables with Daven, he could have been sleepy, he could have been so anxious to just get down crawl around after being strapped in the car seat, he could have been mad that I left him in the first place…I will never know.

I can only hold on to the dreams of someday…having him run to me saying how much he missed me and loves me more than anyone else. Ah, someday.

On another note. Logan and I did get to go out and have a nice dinner with some friends. Here we are happy as can be to be eating out enjoying a nice quiet dinner and conversation with our friends. That is hard to come by when Daven is actually with us. He is always so restless and anxious in restaurants that we always spend the majority of dinner trying to keep him calm. It was nice to have adult conversation without having to manage Daven at the same time.

Rumor has it as well, that Daven is on the verge of actually saying “HI.” I have heard him once when prompted to say Hi. GrandPa and GrandMama insist that he said Hi to three different people. This is exciting and I know Daven’s language skills are literally on the tip of his tongue. Maybe soon, I will be reporting back that Daven is officially TALKING. I have a sneaking sensation that it will be soon.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Chest Pain

2006-10-24T10:30:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, Logan, Daven and I tried to surprise Logan’s family by going to see them in Oklahoma. (Yes, yet again…more road traveling!) We made it to Oklahoma by about 7:00 pm in huge surprise fashion. Daven’s GrandPa and GrandMama couldn’t have been any happier to see him. And I think he felt the same. They sat and played on the floor with him, while bringing more and more new toys out for him to play with. He was loving every minute of it. We also, of course, got to show off all his new tricks! Those grandparents love new tricks! Daven’s Uncle Billy and Aunt Shayla were also surprised. They too seemed to bring more and more toys out for Daven to play with. Aunt Shayla also got to rock him to sleep while giving him as many hugs and snuggles as she possibly could.

Logan’s parents have been asking to keep Daven for quite some time now. So after many discussions we finally decided that maybe now would be a good time for Daven to stay a few days. After we had an amazing weekend spending lots of quality time with his family we packed our bags to go home. Except this time, we packed Daven a separate bag to stay. After we left instructions on medication, bottle making, emergency contact information, and repeated once more NO MILK…we said our good byes and were off.

Never in my life have I felt such a sense of pain in my chest. I have left Daven many times with my mom but I have never felt the sense of gasping for air. Maybe because it is my mom, maybe because she keeps him on a daily basis, maybe because last time I left for DC Logan was also around. I simply don’t know. But what I do know, is that I have never felt such a heaviness on my chest. I cried the majority of the way home but have only cried once or twice since then.

I have absolute faith in Daven’s GrandPa and GrandMama. I don’t question their parenting or nurturing skills for one second, I think my heart simply aches from missing him so much. The time that Daven is now sharing with his grandparents is such a special time for them both. I am thrilled that we are close enough to make that possible. Daven is so lucky to have both sets of grandparents love him so much! He needs to share as much time with them both as possible.

The plan as of today, is to have them drive Daven home tomorrow. (Wednesday) I know, without a doubt, that I can make it through one more day. Logan and I are going to try and have a date night tonight. Enjoy the time while we can, which I am looking forward to. We don’t get to do that often, so when we do…we try to make the best out of the time we have.

The aching my heart is feeling now, is only natural for a mother to feel. I am sure by the end of his stay, GrandPa and GrandMama are going to be sick of me calling and checking up. HA!

My Sacrifice by Creed

When you are with me
I’m free, I’m careless
I believe
Above all the others
We’ll fly
This brings tears
To my eyes
My sacrifice

We’ve seen our share
Of ups and downs
Oh, how quickly life
Can turn around
In an instant
It feels so good to reunite
Within yourself and
Within your mind
Let’s find peace there

‘Cause when you are with me
I’m free, I’m careless
I believe
Above all the others
We’ll fly
This brings tears
To my eyes
My sacrifice

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

2006-10-18T15:12:00.000-06:00

Daven and I have been busy singing many songs over the past few months. He simply sits on my lap and watches my mouth, hands making the motions, and of course listens to my horrific voice as I belt out songs.

His latest favorite has been Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. We have a list of so many that we sing, but this song is sure to bring a smile on his face. Here he is as I point out where his mouth is. He always loves to move his mouth down trying to touch my fingers with his tongue while I am pointing out “and eyes, and ears, and MOUTH, and nose…”

I am hoping that some day, he will be able to sing so many of these songs along with me. ABC’s, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle, Row Row Row Your Boat, Jesus Loves Me, Patty Cake, and so many others.

I encourage all moms of Williams Syndrome children to sing with your child. For that matter, sing with ALL your children. They don’t care how horrible that voice is. (Not until they are old enough to tell you at least!) WS children obviously gravitate to music so use that to your advantage. Take a few minutes out of your busy schedules to sing. Consider it an extra therapy session. Speech therapy helping their language skills.

I am not trying to toot my own horn here in anyway. I just wanted to show off these precious pictures of Daven and me as we sing our little hearts out.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Focus on the Family

2006-10-16T16:25:00.000-06:00

We had an amazing weekend in Denver. Daven was a champ through all the commotion and loved playing with Tia. Once Auntie Autumn got there, he looked at her and with bright eyes gave her a huge smile and reached for her. I know he was saying “Where’ve you been all my life?” (I’ve looked for you forever and a day. Where’ve you been…I’m just not myself when you’re away.) It was so great to see him light up. He knew exactly who she was and just wanted to be with her. Once we started making our way to the hotel room, Autumn was talking to everyone (while holding Daven) and explaining how her flight and trip was. He then grabbed her face and moved it so she was looking at Daven again and just smiled and kissed her. Very precious moments!

When time is spent with my family like this weekend, I am reminded how lucky I am to have such a supportive and loving family. We didn’t do anything spectacular, we didn’t go out and have big parties; we simply hung out (in the hotel room) and enjoyed each others company. That has to say something about our love for each other.

Auntie Autumn got all the Daven and Tia and Raney time she wanted. He did show her all his new tricks and Autumn was as excited to see them as Daven was to show her. There aren’t many things that rank higher on Autumn’s priority list than Daven time. I was so happy to see him love on her as much as he did. He knew that his time with her was limited…so he took every chance he could to just look at her face. Here they are enjoying every minute of the day together.

It was great to see her and I only cried from Denver to Colorado Springs. Pretty good I thought.

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU ALREADY! Christmas is coming soon…

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Cyber Cafe

2006-10-13T08:40:00.000-06:00

As I sit down and have my morning coffee and read all of my girlfriends’ blogs, I started to feel so emotional. I already have such a deep emotional connection with all of these amazing women and their children that when I read about growth, I swell with pride! I just want to yell it from the mountain tops "Hey, have you heard…"

Tatum, itty bitty Tatum, just got up on all fours! She will be sitting up and cruising along very soon!

Brady turns 1 today! What a year it has been for Brady and Kerry and the rest of the family!

Avery officially says “HIIIEEE,” to all the people close by. She has also started to put objects “in” the bucket. (Amy, can you and Avery teach Daven to do that?)

Erik just had his second birthday and is starting to break out of his shell. And now with his new braces, seems to be walking better as well.

Along with these growth spurts, there are so many more I haven’t mentioned. I am fighting the temptation this morning to literally tell everyone I see about all the changes we are seeing in our precious angels. I know every child has huge milestones such as these, but it seems to be more special when it happens to a child with WS.

I love you all and thank you for your friendship. I am honored to be in this special group.

We are headed off to Colorado! Just can’t wait.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

44 hours and counting...

2006-10-12T13:21:00.000-06:00

Yes, in 44 hours or less, I will once again be reunited with my long lost sister. Okay so that was a little dramatic. But this has been the longest that Auntie Autumn and I have ever been apart. 10 weeks to be exact. She is flying into Denver to see new Baby Raney and the rest of the family. Naturally, I couldn’t imagine her being this close without driving to meet her. So we are once again headed off for a road trip.

I am starting to get this packing thing down. (Note to self: it is COLD in Colorado!) I know the essentials and quick tips to cram baby loot into small spaces. We will be headed out by midday tomorrow and headed back late Sunday. Total time spent with Autumn will be about 24 hours. Driving 16 hours (round trip) is a small price to pay to see her.

I am also excited about showing off Daven and all his new “tricks!” Let’s just hope that he does some of those tricks for her. Such as standing up and crawling. Daven is so unpredictable when or if he does these things. I know he always looks up at me as if to say “I AM NOT YOUR CIRCUS FREAK, MOM!” I am just so excited about his growth that I want to show it off to everybody!

It has been a quiet week. Logan and I have been busy trying to help with PapaT and GranZ’s remodeling project. We spent the evening with them last night painting and painting. With my messy painting style…I was covered from head to toe in paint. Luckily it seemed to wash off fairly easily with only minor scrubbing.

This week I also got to see an old friend that was in town for a few days. She has been one of my BFF’s since way back in our high school days. We haven’t seen each other since before Daven was diagnosed. I think we both understand that we are truly two different people now, but there will always be a deep connection between us. Here is Daven playing with her daughter Abbi. I have loved Abbi since she was born and it was amazing to see her as such a grown up girl. (Almost 4 now!) Daven seemed to love playing with her. I think he was born with a flirting gene, because that boy sure can flirt with all the beautiful girls! (Notice how he is leaning in for her kiss!)

I hope everyone is having a great week!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

My Son Grows Up

2006-10-10T16:16:00.000-06:00

My Son Grows Up

Author: Unknown

Life is fleeting, years rush past...

and little boys grow up so fast!

Let me take time out to be

thankful mine is still here with me.

And though I'm busy through the day,

let me take time out to play...

Let me take time out to smile,

to sit with him for just a while...

Let me take time out for walks,

for swings and sports and quiet talks,

for sharing giggles, tickles, and hugs,

for patching knees and catching bugs...

for running races, climbing trees,

for helping with is A-B-C's...

For hatching plots ond planning schemes,

for listening to his toughts and dreams.

Let me tuck him in at night,

hear his prayers, turn off the light.

And when my busy day is done,

let me thank God I have a son.

I LOVE YOU DATEN TATE!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

The Mother's Connection

2006-10-06T15:23:00.000-06:00

I have felt it coming for almost a week now. It has been a while since I had one last and knew that I was due. Yes, I had one of so many melt downs last night. I spent the evening with Micah and Luke; I was using her for her DVR and its recording of Grey’s Anatomy. The evening was smashing. Great dinner, great girl talk, great loves from Luke, and a perfectly fantastic show. I left feeling happy and satisfied.

This particular cry-fest didn’t hit me until I got home. Logan and Daven were both fast asleep in the recliner. I should have taken a picture, but I couldn’t seem to move. How could such a beautiful site, make me feel so sad? After I picked Daven up and curled him in my arms my melt down started to surface. I slowly put him in bed, kissed him goodnight, and walked back to Logan with tear filled eyes.

WHAM, there it was. No time to try and push it away. I simply sat and cried with Logan for almost an hour. I had watched Luke all evening cling to his momma and when I got home I observed (like so many times before) Daven hadn’t even noticed I was gone.

Other moms of Williams Syndrome children may have felt this before, when your child seems to have no care or concern if the “mom” is around or not. Logan tried to point out to me that Daven is just learning to communicate with us and show his emotions. I can even get a smile out of him when I pick him up after work, but only once in a blue moon. There just simply seems to be no connection between Daven and “his momma.” There are so many heartaches that come with a WS diagnosis, but for me…this seems to be one of the hardest for me to swallow. I know deep down inside Daven knows who I am and thrives to be by my side, he just doesn’t know how to express it yet.

After I filled a box of Kleenex with my tears, I started to feel my anxiety fade away. Something about a good cry always seems to give me a new burst of energy. I think EVERY woman can agree with me. A good cry always seems to help.

My series of melt downs are farther and farther apart now. However, I do expect to have a few good cries every so often.

The weekend has finally arrived! Get out and enjoy it.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

And...HE CRAWLS!

2006-10-05T16:11:00.000-06:00

I took these great pictures last night as Daven was yet again, attempting to crawl. He was trying to get to me because he knew I was running his bath. He just loves his baths and was ready to jump on in!

As far as crawling goes, it has been a slow learning process for Daven. He is like (as Auntie Autumn says) slow and jerky like a newborn kitten just learning to walk. The movements are uncoordinated, erratic, and inconsistent. You can see in his eyes that he is concentrating so hard on what he has to do, all he lacks is sticking that tongue out as far as it will go.

On another note, this is officially my 100th post. Wow, that is a lot of talking on my part. I have to admit that I never thought (100 posts earlier) that I would ever be writing to say that Daven was crawling. Now only 100 more posts to go before hopefully I can announce that Daven is talking.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

The Turtle Crawl

2006-10-03T16:18:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. I have been so scatter brained lately, that I didn’t even know where to begin putting my thoughts down in words. I had an amazing weekend with my husband and Daven. Logan and I spent Friday evening pushing Daven to crawl as hard as we thought he could handle. Once we thought he had enough, we put him down to try one final time. And before we knew it…Daven was crawling! He officially crawled about 4 feet. We ended up coaxing him with his bed time bottle. He was ready for bed and ready for that bottle, so he knew he had to crawl and get it!

As I was watching him, I could feel every single emotion run though my body. I instantly got hot and my face went red trying to hold back the tears that I knew were just below the surface. I was so physically motionless just watching in awe, that I didn’t even grab the camera. I held myself together until I crawled into bed myself. Then the tears poured down my face as I relayed the images in my head over and over.

What a joy to see that I never thought possible! Granted, it is a very jerky and raw crawl, but it is a crawl. He knows what he has to do and he knows how to do it. He is simply trying to get his weak body strong enough to handle the movements of crawling. After Friday evening, we haven’t seen much improvement in his crawling skills yet. Last night he did crawl and shimmy his way to they toys he wanted, they weren’t however but a foot or two away. I am still counting it as crawling! I call it the Turtle Crawl. Slow and steady.

On Saturday, we went to help the local University celebrate Homecoming by watching the parade and going to the football game. I was really worried and almost sick thinking of how Daven would the sights and sounds that come with a parade. He did wonderfully! The sirens didn’t bother his ears one bit! At one point a giant red fire truck blew a horn and Logan and I both jumped. I knew in my gut that Daven was about to FREAK out. I reluctantly peaked in his stroller and he had a grin on his face from ear to ear! We didn’t take him to the game however I knew that would be too much for my little man. So he stayed and played with GranZ and PapaT while Logan and I went to cheer the team on.

And finally, Sunday we all went to church. PapaT was the preacher on this specific Sunday…so it made the day even more special. We Love you PapaT and are so proud of you!

Logan still hasn’t heard from any jobs yet. We have however put things a bit on hold. He is currently helping my parents remodel their house a bit. So he has been super busy with that. It is going to be great when it is all said and done! We keep joking that on HGTV they never show the “in between” stage. Always the before and after pictures…but never that in between stage. When it gets worse before it gets better. HA! Logan sure has made a mess, I hope he knows what he is doing.

Happy week to you all!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Last Years Clothes

2006-09-29T16:27:00.000-06:00

Lately, I have been using Daven’s clothes from last fall to dress him for this fall. I feel myself getting that blue feeling every time I dress him in last years clothes.

It all started when I was going through his closet getting ready to purge clothes and put things away in storage. After I started looking at different outfits and checking the sizes, it hit me…Daven can still wear these clothes! Sure enough as I slipped one pair of old pants on him, they could barely stay up. Between his itty bitty waist and lack of bottom, it is a constant battle to keep pants on him.

I have tried to think on the positive side, such as “he will get more use out of them” or “I won’t have to buy any new clothes.” Though, I just can’t seemed to get excited about Daven wearing 12 month, 9 month, and even 6 month clothing. It makes me terribly sad to think of my 21 month old fitting into clothes that he should have long since grown out of.

Now, if only I could fit into last years clothes…that is something to get excited about! HA!

On another note, Daven is SO close to crawling. Last night and today at lunch he took about 4 steps crawling. Cross your fingers people…I may have a crawler on my hands here in the next few days. I am hoping to push him hard this weekend to see if he will crawl even more. Once Daven realizes what he is doing, I know that he will love it and want to crawl more. Let’s hope at least.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Black Canyon

2006-09-28T09:46:00.000-06:00

Let me start out by apologizing to all those avid readers out there. Between work, traveling, Daven, and my blah feeling…I have simply not had anything constructive to write about. I am hoping that today is the beginning of snapping out of my funk.

We had an amazing trip to Colorado. Baby Raney is beautiful and Tia is one heck of a big sister. She wants to hold baby Raney and loves to kiss her. And always yells out “GranZ is holding baby Raney” or “Uncle Logan is holding baby Raney.” So very cute.

Tia also seems to have a giant sized crush on Logan. All weekend long we heard “LOOOOOGAAAAANNNN.” In which Logan would respond “TIIIIIIIIAAAAAA.” Then Tia would get giggly and shy. She just loves her Uncle Logan. You can see her here holding a fish chasing after him. Long story, but we got a good laugh out of Tia chasing after Logan with her fish. Precious times.

As for Daven, well he actually was a rock star all weekend! He traveled perfectly, dealt with all the commotion brilliantly and only had one minor melt down. He was great! It is remarkable to me how when any child cries, Daven just cries along with them. He will be happy and laughing but the moment he hears a child cry, he will instantly change moods to a terribly sad boy. The more I see it, the more I realize that Daven truly has empathy for any child crying. You can already see that boys loving heart.

As we were driving over Black Canyon on the way home, we saw one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. We turned a sharp corner and looked ahead to see beautiful white puffy clouds floating along through the canyon. Once we found a spot to pull over, we all jumped out to take in the beautiful scenery. It was a strange feeling being above the clouds without being in an airplane. Once we got through the canyon Logan noticed yet another beautiful site. A big horn sheep. (Or a Ram as I like to call it) We once again pulled over to watch this beautiful animal. When we finally got back in the car Logan shouted out “That’s it, I have to move to Colorado.” HA!

We have finally made it home and reality is settling once again. Logan still does not have a job, I still am not thrilled at my work, the house is still a giant mess (I was sure hoping the cleaning fairy would come while we were away), and Daven is still not crawling, talking or walking. However, we are still truly blessed on a daily basis with family and friends.

It’s almost Friday!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Destiny Janelle Baccas

2006-09-24T08:26:00.000-06:00

For those of you that have been reading this blog for a while now, you will remember me talking about a friend at work that was 20 weeks pregnant with a downs syndrome girl. (Refer back to the “Words to Say?” post) An update for you that has been on my heart for two weeks now…

The doctors (a week after she got the downs diagnosis) told Ashly and her husband that the baby’s brain did not develop and she had water on her brain. The doctors explained to Ashly that her head would continue to grow as more and more water fills it up. Their concern being that this precious baby would not survive outside mommy’s tummy and would endanger Ashly in the process. The doctors asked Ashly and her husband to choose to terminate the pregnancy.

About 4 days later I went to Ashly’s office to stop in and say hi. See how she was doing. I would have never guessed what she was about to tell me. In all of my 26 years of life, this conversation was one of the hardest I have ever had to participate in. Ashly was scared, heartbroken, angry, and just wanted to run away and never have to make this decision.

To make a long exhaustingly heartbreaking story short, baby Destiny Janelle Baccas’s funeral was yesterday. It is terribly upsetting for me being away and having to miss the services. We got the word Thursday afternoon as we were headed up to Colorado; there was simply no way we could make it.

All I ask is that everyone reading this, take a minute to appreciate all that you have. In Ashly’s own words, who would have known that the downs syndrome diagnosis would have the great news? Yes, Daven will struggle for the rest of his life. Yes, we will have to jump over a few hurtles. Yes, times now seem bleak…BUT I do have him and he is the joy in my heart.

Dear Heavenly Father I come to you now asking that you hold your hands over Ashly and her family over the next few weeks. Please help them understand that you are holding that precious baby tight in your arms. Thank you for all that you do for us. In Jesus Name I pray….AMEN.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Snow in September?

2006-09-23T20:40:00.000-06:00

Well, we are having a great time here in the big city of Crawford Colorado. (And by big I mean, 350 residents.) First and foremost, Baby Raney is beautiful and sleeps like an angel. I have only gotten to see her eyes open for one short second. She is a big snuggle bunny and loves to be held.

Friday morning we woke up to a beautiful snow storm. It snowed for about 5 or 6 hours and tured out to be such a beautiful day! I however, did not bring clothes for a winter snow storm! In our part of the word we are still getting 85 degree weather. Snow in middle September is foreign to me. So my suitcase was packed full of short sleeve shirts and heels. Yet, another fashion problem…Colorado is not made for heels. I have been here a million times so I can’t even say I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But, I will make due. I did bring warm clothes for Daven luckily.

I better run…it is time I KILL the boys in yet another poker game. Break out your wallets boys, I need to empty them out!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Colorado: Fresh Air and Fond Memories Served Daily

2006-09-21T11:13:00.000-06:00

Off we go to introduce ourselves to baby Raney. It will be a terribly long day. The trip is a total of about 13 hours and we aren’t getting started until almost noon. So, we have a long road ahead.

PapaT, GranZ, Logan, Daven and I are all going to pack like sardines in the car and drive until we can drive no further. We will be taking a mini van but taking a baby AND going to see a baby…involves LOTS of baby loot.

I am so excited to get out of town for a few days. Not only will I get to meet the new baby, see Cousin Tia, my brothers, my sister-in-law, my aunt and uncle, my cousin and so much more…BUT I will get to spend the weekend with my husband as well. When I take long trips like this with my family, Logan doesn’t usually get to go because of work, but since he no longer has a job…he can easily take off and enjoy the time away too! This is very exciting to me. Who cares if we can’t pay the bills when we get home right…at least we have each other. HA!

I am a bit concerned as always about Daven. Trips such as these sometimes get a bit exhausting and overwhelming for my little homebody. I am confident he will love seeing his Cousin Tia and even Cousin Raney, but I still worry that he will panic about his unknown surroundings. However, I am not going to let this get me down. I have faith that Daven will do great and travel like a pro!

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. I will try to update while I am away.

And their off…

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Picture Frame Perfect

2006-09-19T15:58:00.000-06:00

It was such a beautiful evening yesterday that Logan, Daven and I were outside enjoying the fall air. I found that Daven walks REALLY well in the grass. He didn’t like the feeling of the grass under his feet (even with socks on!) so he was picking up each foot one step at a time. I might try this therapy again tonight when I get home. It was so precious walking along with him. I know passers by were watching us with a smile on their face. They could tell I was trying to help my (I am sure 11 month old in their minds) son walk. But in reality, he was simply picking up his feet because he HATED the texture of the grass. They will never know.

In the midst of all the fun I grabbed the camera once again. We ended up with some of the best pictures! This one reminds me of those pictures you see in picture frames. Of a father and son enjoy the fall day (which is exactly what we were doing!) and you can’t see faces too close, but you know they are truly a happy family! Also a little like Mary Tyler Moore throwing her hat up in the air. Daven is WAY up there. Almost as high as those trees! You best be catching him Daddy!!

This picture Auntie Autumn and I laughed at. We couldn’t decide if Daven was throwing out his local gang signs “WEST SIDE!” or if he was putting his pinky up to his mouth like Mini Me in Austin Powers saying “a million dollars!” HA!

Oh my boys. Aren’t they simply delightful? I just love them to death! I couldn’t imagine life without them.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Monday "Mourning" Madness

2006-09-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

It was a nice quiet weekend. Got to see an old friend, got to hang out with current friends and of course stalled doing the regular weekend chores. As Daven and I were hanging out on the floor last night he decided he would show off a bit. His famous walker that Lisa got for him was next to him and he just grabbed it and stood up before I could stop him! Luckily the walker was against the fireplace so it couldn’t roll out from underneath him. I was so pleased that I ran and grabbed the camera! Look how proud he is of himself.

Last night he didn’t seem to sleep as well. At first I wasn’t sure why but around 5:00 am I figured out why. He suddenly exploded out of his diaper! (Yes, Sarah…this is still a mystery to all moms!) As he was laying in between Logan and I, we both woke up in a daze saying “What in the world is that smell?!” We both turned to Daven and he simply looked up at us both and smiled.

I quickly scooped him up and took him to his room to clean him up. His brace was on, so naturally this didn’t just fill up his diaper, he was covered from head to toe! As I was ripping his grey wife beater shirt off…it even got in his hair! I am sure I don’t have to tell you that this was WAY too much for me to handle at 5:00 am!

I promptly started a bath to try and wash the stink off of him. After I scrubbed him for over 30 minutes, I pulled him out and got him dressed in some warm clothes. By the time I got him cleaned up and dressed, it was my turn to get in the shower. I put on a movie so Daven would be content for the at least the next 30 minutes and jumped in the shower.

I got in the shower only to find I had used all the hot water for Daven’s bath! I know what you are thinking…either I have scorched my child in a HOT bath or I am exaggerating. I can assure you that neither one is true. Daven does like his bath’s warmer than most children…but hot water in my house is simply nonexistent. (Autumn can attest to this!) After I finally got myself cleaned up and Daven cleaned up and sent off with GranZ I looked over at Logan and he was fast asleep. He hadn’t even been fazed by the craziness of the morning, go figure!

I am not exactly in "mourning" but I sure do need a nap! It has already started out to be a crazy and hectic week.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

IT'S A GIRL!

2006-09-17T08:48:00.000-06:00

IT’S A GIRL! My second niece arrived yesterday morning. As of today, Mom and baby are doing very well. We haven’t seen her yet, but plan on traveling to Colorado very soon to see how beautiful she is. From what we have heard, she is a “ball of fire” and Cousin Tia has her work cut out for her. I just wanted to share our good news with you.

*I am proud to introduce Baby Raney Lee Moore. Born on September 16 at 11:07 am. Weighing 7 lbs 1 oz, measuring 20 inches long.

We LOVE you already Baby Raney! Your Uncle Logan, Auntie Aspen, and Cousin Daven can't wait to meet you!

*Just a little reminder for those of you that don’t know me…Baby Raney belongs to my brother and his wife; Mom and Dad to Cousin Tia.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

A little bit of this...A little bit of that

2006-09-15T16:21:00.000-06:00

I have been so BLAH this week. Zombie like with no emotions to speak of. It has been a good week, just rather boring. Maybe that explains why I have had a serious case of writers block all week.

Daven seems to be getting stronger here lately. He is now so proud of pulling himself up that he is doing it all the time. However, I haven’t seen him do it anywhere other than his crib. He has tried to pull himself up on the couch but failed many times. With our wood floor, he can’t seem to get his feet stable enough.

When we put him in his crib for nap time, he simply spends his time pulling up and down. He just wants to stand up and smile at everyone looking around. So precious! I am so excited to finally see some new development emerging from somewhere in developmental delayed lala-land.

On the other hand, we can’t seem to get him to crawl. Daven’s OT is really working with him to try and crawl. But when we do this, he simply screams out. The thought was that the crawling position may simply be hurting him. I just don’t know…

We have been in a doctors appointment lull lately. It has been very nice! However, these nice quiet months will be ending soon. We will be hitting the doctors offices hard and fast once October gets here. Frankly, I am dreading these appointments. They will be wondering how Daven has been doing with his back brace. I will have to then explain why he has not been wearing his back brace. Which I am sure, in return, will cause much grief and confusion on their part. Sigh. We will cross that bridge when we get there.

I am sorry for the randomness of this post. Again, just simply not sure what kind of phase I am currently going through. Maybe I will figure things out over the weekend.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

We Danced Anyway

2006-09-12T02:20:00.000-06:00

There is simply no reason as to why I am sitting here at my home computer at 2:15 am wide awake. Maybe it is still the haunting memory of 9-11 maybe the fact that I took a Clairton before I went to bed...I simply don' t know.

However, I keep singing a song in my head that has been stuck there for almost 5 days now. I was flipping through songs while working on a project for Daven's second birthday and this one said a different message to me than I am sure the writer meant for it. As I listened to the words, tears started streaming down my face.

Most moms of special needs children have read the "Holland Story" before. It tells about landing in a foreign place not knowing the language and or landscape. But, when you finally have the chance to look around, it is a beautiful place and a place that you will enjoy being. You learn the language and the lay of the land and feel a love that most people never understand.

This song will be my version of that story and I hope to play it and explain it to Daven when he gets older...

"We Danced Anyway" by Deana Carter

The summer air was heavy and sweet
You and I on a crowded street
There was music everywhere, I can see us there
In a happy little foreign town
Where the stars hung upside down
A half a world away, far far away

I remember you were laughing
We were so in love, we were so in love

And the band played songs wed never heard
But we danced anyway
We never understood the words
We just sang oh la la la la la la la
And we danced anyway

They say you can’t go back, baby I don’t believe that
Come along with me, come on and dance withme
Maybe if I hold you close
Baby we could just let go
Of the things that tie us down, well come back around

Do you remember we were laughing
We were so in love, we were so in love

And the band played songs wed never heard
But we danced anyway
We never understood the words
We just sang oh la la la la la la la
And we danced anyway

I love this dance, Daven. It may take me years to learn the steps and words, but I shall always cherish our secret quiet dances. May I have this dance?...for the rest of our lives.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Useless Trivia

2006-09-11T13:35:00.000-06:00

Today through a random trivia question, I found out that a human has 46 chromosomes verses 94 chromosomes in a goldfish. Maybe it is only me, but I was SHOCKED to find out that a goldfish had 48 MORE chromosomes than humans. I found this to be very odd and a bit confusing.

As many of you know Williams Syndrome is a genetic disorder. Daven was born without the #7 chromosome and because of ONE missing chromosome it will cause medical and developmental problems for the rest of his life. Funny how a few little chromosomes can make such a BIG difference. As my sister-in-law so brilliantly stated…”I wonder if there are many goldfish with disabilities.” HA! And that is why you are my friend Micah! I LOVE YOU.

On another note…I am feeling the heaviness of September 11 today. This year, unlike the past years seems much worse. Partly because of the 5 year anniversary and partly because I have seen Washington DC first had. I feel however, that for the most part, the tension I am feeling is because my sister is now there in the middle of it all. Saturday evening as I watched all the documentaries and recaps of that horrific day, I found myself cringing at the thought of it happening again.

I am sure every person in this country feels the same, but I suppose this is the first time I have truly had any connection to anyone or anything that close to all the action. (So to speak.) Having a sister that works at the Capitol Building is as comforting as it is terrifying to me. When we spoke earlier today, she said that it is probably the safest place to be and she is probably right. I do still feel a little unsettled as the day goes on.

I still feel a little motherly instinct knowing that she is more than a thousand miles away. Luckily, because of modern technology…I talk to her on a regular basis. Sometimes I actually forget that she is so far away. I think I would have ulcers in my stomach if it were not because of instant messaging and cell phones. We are lucky to have such great amenities at our finger tips.

We love you Auntie Autumn and miss you tons! (Only 104 days till Christmas!)

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Ramen Noodles Anyone?

2006-09-08T16:08:00.000-06:00

Logan and I have been struggling lately trying to find a balance between family life and career life. We have most recently been having a few serious conversations about trying something new. A new job for him and possibly a new job for me.

This past week was the breaking point for Logan at his current job. Logan currently has a great career, but it takes up so much of his time and energy that he misses a lot of quality time with Daven and me. We had to make one of the hardest decisions we have ever made as a family.

Wednesday, Logan turned in his two weeks notice. There is nothing out of the ordinary about turning in your notice other than the fact that we have no black up plan. We are taking a huge step of faith in hopes that God will provide. We are both at peace with this decision and know deep down in our hearts, that everything will work out for the best. However, that doesn’t mean we aren’t scared to death!

We have been scared about our careers before but that was long before we had a mortgage, car payment, and most importantly a family. Logan is the man of the household and his main priority is to provide for his family. The fact that he (currently) no longer has the means to do that is very unnerving to him.

So please keep us in mind as you send up prayers. We trust and have faith that things will work out for the best, but extra thoughts and prayers are always needed and appreciated. We may also be taking a few suggestions. HA!

Heavenly Father I come to you now with nothing to give. We put our future in your hands trusting that you will provide. Provide Logan with a job, provide the funds to help us get through the next few months, and provide the love and support that this family needs to survive. Guide us as we hunt for the perfect fit and help create a working environment that is family friendly. Thank you for the blessings you give us every day. In Jesus Name…Amen.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2006-09-07T16:17:00.000-06:00

Yes, that’s right…football season officially starts tonight! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Neither one of the teams will I be cheering for particularly…but football is football!

I suppose my love for football started many years ago. My two older brothers were football stars back in their prime, and I had always joked that unlike most mothers, I would much rather my son play football than basketball or baseball. I have just never had a love for those sports. Logan on the other hand, was a brilliant basketball player in high school. Coming in at almost 6 feet 6 inches, I guess you can’t help but be great at that sport.

Before Daven was diagnosed, we would banter back and forth if he would be a basketball star that Logan had always dreamed of or a football star that I had always dreamed of. Bets were more and more for a basketball star considering how tall he was.

Now that we know the ins and outs of what we can expect from Daven and Williams Syndrome, I find myself letting the “sports star” dreams die along with so many others. I do hope Daven can at least learn to love football as much as his daddy and I do. But who knows, maybe I will get to cheer him on as he is marching in the band out on the football field. ;-)

Football also means that fall is here! I am not sure that I would say fall is my favorite season, but it is at least number two on the list. “It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils…” – Joe Fox from You’ve Got Mail

And I don’t need to tell you how much I LOVE the Quaking Aspen trees changing to their brilliantly orange, yellow, and red colors.

All this to say…Goodbye Summer, WELCOME AUTUMN!

DOWN – SET – HUT HUT

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Chew on This

2006-09-05T17:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, Amy (mom to Avery) suggested giving Daven some Beef Jerky to chew on. She said that it would be something for him to chew on while waking up his taste buds. Sounded good to me, so I thought I would give it a whirl.

Saturday, Logan handed Daven a small piece of Beef Jerky to try out. He wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. Then he stuck it in his mouth like he does everything else, and threw it away. Then he picked it back up to try again, and threw it away. You catch my drift.

After about 4 or 5 times going up and down, he finally decided that this wasn’t such a bad taste. He started to really gnaw in it then. Here he is with his slab of beef hovering over it as if he was a scavenger that hadn’t seen any food in months.

I have since learned that it is best to try this with the jerky called Slim Jim, but for now…this is working. It just seems so wrong to me throwing some jerky at my child like I am saying…”Here kid, chew on this for a while.” HA!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Labor Day Tradition

2006-09-01T12:50:00.000-06:00

The Thomas family has had a Labor Day tradition for many many years now. All my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, parents, siblings, and a few family friends load up in trucks and RV’s and meet for the long weekend to go camping in Colorado. We have had a total of almost 25 people before. This picture was taken last year.

Activities include anything from playing horse shoes, cards, looking at catalogs, fishing, hiking, planning future traditions (usually Christmas!), but mostly…we EAT! There is nothing better than eating in the mountains. A running joke in the family is that somebody is always pealing potatoes for the next meal. We also take a night (usually Sunday night) to have a small bible study and we even include songs. Keep in mind we are a Church of Christ family, instruments are of no use to us. HA!

This year, however, we will not be going on our yearly “Labor Day Family Retreat.” Jody, my sister-in-law, is expecting baby #2 here in the next week or two. This means, that she (along with my brother and Daven's Cousin Tia) would not be free to travel. For this reason along with many other concerns such as, “Why spend money traveling this weekend, when we will be going back to Colorado as soon as the new baby arrives;” we will not be trekking to the mountains for the long weekend.

I say all of this, simply because my heart is a bit sad that a long time family tradition isn’t happening this year. Don’t get me wrong, I am so excited for the new baby that I can hardly stand it. But because tradition is such a huge part of my life, I will terribly miss our trip this year.

Yes, abide any unforeseen reasons…we will pick the tradition back up next year. So, to get me by this weekend…don’t be surprised if you smell a cedar candle burning in my house and see me standing by the gas stove trying to make the perfect smore.

I LOVE YOU ALL and will miss our Labor Day Family Retreat. Just better be ready to party at CHRISTMAS 2006!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Thank God I'm a Country Boy

2006-08-31T10:31:00.000-06:00

I took this picture this morning before I sent Daven off with GranZ. He looked so big and tall in his overalls and I noticed how much he looked like an ol’ country boy, headed off to the farm for a hard days work. All he needed to wrap up the look was to have his Justin boots on. Sorry Chyanne, next time I will be sure to get them in the picture, along with his working gloves!

♪ Well life on a farm is kinda laid back
Aint much an old country boy like me can’t hack
It’s early to rise, early in the sack
THANK GOD I’M A COUNTRY BOY! ♪

As soon as I got done taking the picture, he fell to his bum and instantly started crying. It didn’t hurt him a bit, so I had to giggle at how dramatic he was. He doesn’t get that from his momma at all. (Insert sarcasm here)

Last night was the first time I heard Logan explain Daven and Williams Syndrome to an old high school friend of his. It was one of those conversations when an old pal calls that you haven’t talked to in about 3 years. He knew we had a son, but had no idea about the recent diagnosis. So at first, Logan dodged the questions and topic in general. But as the friend kept asking if Daven was talking and walking, Logan finally had to tell him about WS. Logan simply said, “No, he was born with a syndrome that affects his development.” Then that obviously brings on more questions from the friend. Logan did a great job explaining WS and how it will affect Daven in many different ways.

Listening to him explain things made me sad, proud, encouraged, along with so many other feelings. I tried my hardest to let Logan describe WS in his own words, without whispering what to say in his ear. I also had to hold back the tears because once again, hearing him say it…made it all real to me. I imagine we will be describing WS many more times to friends that will call out of the blue. Maybe with time, it will get easier for me.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Lullaby

2006-08-30T10:03:00.000-06:00

After Daven put himself to sleep last night, I went into his room to check on him. I simply smiled and chuckled to myself when I looked at him. He was so tired, this was the position he fell asleep in within ten minutes of putting him down in his crib. While watching him sleep, I couldn’t help but notice how peaceful he looked. He had no cares or worries in the world.

As I worry about Daven’s future and his dreams that may or may not come true, I hold his peaceful times so dear to my heart. I am terrified that Daven will have many trials and heartaches in his lifetime. While there is nothing I can do to prevent every trial and heartache, I shall do my motherly duty to protect him as much as possible from the great bully’s of the world.

But for now, sleep tight my precious boy…sleep tight.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

"Lullaby" By, Dixie Chicks

The didn’t have you where I came from
Never knew the best was yet to come
Life began when I saw your face
And I hear your laugh like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I’m never, never giving you up

I slip in bed when you’re asleep
To hold you close and feel your breath on me
Tomorrow there’ll be so much to do
So tonight I’ll drift in a dream with you

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I’m never, never giving you up

As you wander through this troubled world
In search of all things beautiful
You can close your eyes when you’re miles away
And hear my voice like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved
Is forever enough
Cause I’m never, never giving you up

Words to say?

2006-08-28T16:58:00.000-06:00

Today, rumors at work started rustling around about a fellow co-worker of mine that is pregnant with her third child. At a routine scheduled doctors appointment today, they were given the devastating blow from the doctor that they baby has Downs Syndrome.

This news gives me a pit in my stomach. It brings back every raw emotion I have ever felt with Daven. The words; diagnosis, specialist, mental retardation, genetic, syndrome, doctors, testing…are all flying in and out of my brain. I try to think to myself, when I was in that situation, did I want somebody to come talk to me and try and comfort me? Should I go to her and say something? Should I pretend to not know anything? If I do go and try to offer support, what do I say? My words are all so insignificant. What if the doctors are wrong and the baby is perfectly normal?

I want to help in every way possible, but I don’t want to smother her with words that all seem so irrelevant. Please God, guide me in the direction I need to me. Help me say the words that will give comfort and support in a very needy time. Be with my friend as they are dealing with this heartache and watch over this precious baby tiny.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

A Magic Touch

2006-08-28T11:47:00.000-06:00

In the world of toys, there are a handful that make Daven laugh and smile every time he sees them. He has a toy called the Busy Ball Popper. Lately, he has been so enamored with this toy. When you hit a button, it shots balls up in the air and mommy has to run all around the room trying to catch them. I think this is the part he loves the most and why mommy likes to hide the toy about every two days!

After last weeks crib diving fiasco, I was happy to pull out the Busy Ball Popper to see if he would have the same happy reaction. While he was, sure enough, happily planning with his toy, I was franticly taking pictures to make sure I had a timeline of events. Meaning, I wanted to check the swollenness and redness of Daven’s head as the time went on. (Oh that sounds so terrible!) When I went back through all my pictures I cracked up laughing at how funny this picture looks.

Not only is Daven Houdini by getting out of his crib…he also has some of David Copperfield’s talent. Watch now as he makes this ball levitate. Notice how it is floating in MID AIR!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Much Ado About Nothing

2006-08-25T15:13:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I guess it really was much ado about SOMETHING. Last night, I was cooking dinner while Logan was watching some high quality TV show such as CSI and Daven was in his crib playing his little heart out. As I started to wrap things up and put dinner on the table, I heard a giant crash and a huge cry! I knew instantly what had happened.

Yep, Daven fell OUT of his crib! I am absolutely ashamed to say that we haven’t lowered his crib yet (on the husband’s to-do list, the uncompleted side obviously), but had really planned on doing it this weekend.

After I heard the crash and scooped him up, I completely fell apart. I literally wanted to throw up but knew I couldn’t be away from him long enough to actually throw up. After we comforted him and looked him over, we didn’t see any signs of broken bones. Simply a “skid” mark on his forehead.

After I called GranZ freaking out, she came rushing over. We watched him play and kept a VERY close eye on him for the next three or four hours while never letting him sleep. Once we finally let him crash out (okay bad use of words) for the night, I decided to wake him up every two hours. Just to make sure he was still alert. GranZ stayed the night with us so she could help ease my fears and comfort ME because I was a mess!

As we all began to stir around this morning, we did another examination of Daven. I am happy to report that he is perfectly fine! He has a small “rug burn” on his forehead from the fall, but no sign of swelling, concussion, broken bones, and/or funny behavior.

This has been a day of bitter sweet feelings. I am thrilled he pulled and crawled up, but I will never forget that feeling in the pit of my stomach that something has just gone terribly wrong. I know this will be one of many “spills” he will have, I am just hoping that with a few guardian angels and by being an attentive MOM I can keep them down to a dull roar. I just hope he decides that sky diving isn’t a sport he is interested in again for a long time!

Thank you GOD for protecting my angel and his tiny body last night. YOU have reminded me how much he is a fighter! He is a little guy that packs a powerful punch, no matter what (floor, in this case) he is faced with.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

**On a side note, within an hour after it happened…Logan lowered the crib mattress.

***You may notice the cross Daven is chewing on in one of the pictures; this was leftover from me saying few HAIL MARRY prayers. They must have worked. ;-)

Canine Wonderland

2006-08-23T15:27:00.000-06:00

Daven has a new baby to play with. No, no, no…it isn’t our baby nor is it our puppy. My Uncle Don and Aunt Suzanne have gotten a new puppy and Daven has been so enamored with him. “Copper” is a bit overwhelmed by Daven’s loves. I am not sure that he considers tail pulling, leg pulling, and ear pulling… "loves" but so far, Copper has been very patient with him.

GranZ sent me these pictures yesterday and I just had to laugh out loud when I saw them. You can see all over Daven’s face, how in love he is with the new puppy running around. I am worried that it will only be a matter of time, before he comes running to us begging for a puppy. However, I won’t be running to any pet stores until I hear the words come out of his mouth. HA!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Love him first, Work him second

2006-08-22T14:05:00.000-06:00

As I am sure everyone is aware, Daven’s snail pace development has been a sour topic for me over the past few months. I was talking with my Auntie Al (who has been a total life saver over the past year!) about how hard it is not to be consumed by the fact that Daven is behind almost every Williams Syndrome child I know.

I was once again questioning everything from being a working mom, to how many therapy sessions he gets a week, to wondering if his scoliosis issues have something to do with the delay. As I was crying to her, she said something so profound that it has stuck with me. She stopped me and said, “Aspen, you love him first, and work him second.” Everything else just suddenly made sense to me.

She is absolutely right, as long as I love him with every fiber in my body first and foremost; all the doctors appointments, therapy sessions, milestones, and fears suddenly fade away. They fall a distance second to the smiles and giggles he gives me on a daily basis. That should be all the affirmation I long after.

As I read about all my other WS babes, I am reminded how amazing these children are. They truly have such a charm and charisma that can’t be beat by any other “normal” child. Seeing the sparkle in their eyes (literally the called “starburst” iris pattern) and the big mouthy grins…is simply a magical experience.

In my dreams last night, I dreamed that Daven suddenly started drinking from a straw (oddly enough) and then looked up at me and said “I a big boy now!” Even seeing his face and hearing his words through my dreams, I felt a sense of calm. I woke up today knowing that someday I will hear Momma, I love you, more food please (HA!), and so many other words. Until that day, I will settle for hearing his voice through my dreams.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

The Freshman Experience

2006-08-21T13:44:00.000-06:00

What a busy weekend we have all had. A lot of my family came down to help move my Cousin Marc Andrew to Portales for his first year of College. Ah, the good ol’ days. He will be living with my grandparents (Monga and Ponga) while he attends school.

With a few family members in town we spent most of the weekend in Portales. Because the rain has been non-stop here for about 4 or 5 days now, we didn’t go out to do much. We simply sat and watched the rain, ate at a few local eateries (load on the grease please!) and enjoyed each others company. We also had a few discussions about Christmas. It is almost September you know, only 124 shopping days left. (Just a reminder to those who drew my name. Micah and Uncle Marc)

Daven loves having Marc around. He spent most of the day Sunday at our house playing and loving on Daven. Marc is surprisingly great with children (most boys at that age run from crying babies) and loves spending time with him. He made Daven work hard yesterday by trying to make him stand, walk, crawl and talk. I loved watching them both play and laugh.

I figured he could help me out a bit if he comes over on Sundays by keeping Daven company. I could cook, clean, grocery shop…all of those things without having to manage Daven at the same time. Giving me a few extra hours on Sunday would be a huge help. He hasn’t officially agreed yet, but I am sure he won’t mind. (Anything to dodge homework!) Thanks in advance Marc!

In other news, um let me think…well I guess I don’t have any other news. I still haven’t seen Daven stand up again, but he did take half a step trying to crawl on Saturday.

It was nice to see you all this weekend! We promise to take care of Marc. At the least, we will keep him busy!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Kissin Cousins

2006-08-17T13:52:00.000-06:00

Last night Garrett and Micah invited us over for dinner and games. We didn’t get to the games, but I am sure you know we weren’t about to miss dinner. We actually splurged and let Papa Murphy cook dinner and all I can say is he sure knows how to make a good pizza! Yum!

Daven was a bit grumpy so we didn’t stay very long. Not sure if he needed to have a “poppy diaper” (I know you are loving this post already!) or was just wanting to be antisocial. Either way, he was happy as long as he could play with Cousin Luke’s toys! Here are both the boys playing. Daven is standing/leaning on Luke’s walker and he is trying to show Luke how to really spin a toy. Daven is the spinning champ so he was giving a few hints to his cousin.

Luke, as you can see, is much more fascinated with Daven and just wanted to touch him and talk to him. This is usually the reaction we get from Daven, but again for some reason…he just wasn’t interested in any fun last night.

While Daven was happily being a loner in Luke’s crib…Auntie Micah gave Luke a bath. Look at the rolls on this boy! What a tank! He is going to be all grown up before you know it, Auntie Micah.

No sign of Daven pulling up to stand again. GranZ said that he has tried a few more times, but hasn’t succeeded like he did that very first time. He will get there, I can feel it. He is getting much more curious about things now and that is all it takes. He isn’t going to do anything until he WANTS to do it.

Is Friday here yet?

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Standing Tall

2006-08-15T14:43:00.000-06:00

GranZ just called me to inform me that earlier she watched Daven go from a lying down position, to a sitting up position. But the kicker is that from sitting up, he pulled himself up to a STANDING UP position!

This is a HUGE accomplishment that I did not see coming. I have watched him sit up time and time again, but he has yet to even try to go from sitting to standing. So, you can imagine my surprise with this great news!

She also told me that after he did this he has been very active. Not wanting to take a nap, just wants to keep sitting up. He hasn’t pulled up to standing again, but is at least working those muscles. KEEP IT UP BOY!

Guess it is time to move the crib to the lowest level. I thought the day would never come! Logan, you better get the tools out…I have a chore for you!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Hair Affair

2006-08-15T12:04:00.000-06:00

Well, it was way overdue, but we have successfully given Daven a hair cut. Daddy did a great job while Mommy held him down trying to keep the squirming to a minimum. I don’t think he minds getting his hair cut; it is the part where I have to hold him down that he gets pretty grumpy about. His haircut was completely done within 15 minutes. Then we threw him in the bath and sent him to bed. He was pretty grumpy after the whole ordeal. HA!

So without further ado…I introduce Daven Tate Marshall looking so dapper with his new du.

Looking great and all grow up don’t you think? I just wish it wouldn’t grow so fast. I swear that child’s hair grows at the speed of light. He will need another haircut in two weeks I am sure. Now if he could gain weight that fast…we would be set!

I hope you all are enjoying your week. I am already wishing for Friday again. Hum, I wonder how I can call in sick for the next month or ten? Something to ponder.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Laundry: 5¢ Per Load

2006-08-14T19:54:00.000-06:00

The weekend is officially over and all I have to say about it is that I have more laundry than you can shake a stick at. (“Shake a stick at,” what exactly does that mean?) What I am trying to say is that I had dirty laundry coming out of my ears. (“Coming out of my ears,” what does that mean exactly? And EWE!)

Anywho…I think I am finally all caught up on laundry. I never wish to see any dirty laundry again. Well, at least for another week. Sigh

I did get to sneak in a few raunchy movies as I had hoped, and even some cookie dough! Daven and I had a great weekend together too. Catching up on what I have missed while I was gone to Washington.

He always knows when to make me smile and when I need a little laugh. Sunday, he was taking a nice nap in his crib. When I heard him starting rustle around (over the monitor) I went in his room to check on him. Sure enough, he had pulled up to a sitting position (more like a kneeling position) and was looking down at all his toys. Just thinking to himself…”Which one can I reach from here?” Oh I melted!

I ran to grab the camera as fast as I could. When he saw me, I just got a huge smile and I couldn’t help but laugh. We just laughed together. Those precious moments only come once in a while, but when they do…I am reminded why I love being a mother!

Well, I hear him now. It is almost bed time. I am hoping to have his Daddy give him a much needed hair cut tonight. Wish us luck! That is never a fun task to take on.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

TGI Friday's

2006-08-11T16:16:00.000-06:00

I have nothing life shattering to say on this day. (Looking back now, I suppose I never have anything “life shattering” to say. Hum.)

All I can seem to think today is…Thank God It’s Friday! Whew, this week has seemed to drag on and on. I am finally starting to see an end in sight. (16 minutes and counting!)

Logan will be working most of the weekend, so I am sure Daven and I will be spending some quality time just “hanging out.” I might, however, try to sneak in a few chick flicks and cookie dough.

I hope everyone has a supercalifrgilisticexpialidocious weekend. (I say that hoping that my weekend turns out to be as long as the word supercalifrgilisticexpialidocious. Hope it works!)

LOVE LOVE LOVE

While You Were Out...

2006-08-09T15:07:00.000-06:00

So now that I am getting settled from being gone for so long, I have noticed a few things while I was away…

Daven has 3 molar teeth! (Now if he would just learn how to use them.)
I suddenly HATE my job and just want to be at home with Daven.
Logan thoroughly cleaned the kitchen and installed a microwave above my stove. (I’m loving not having my microwave take up so much counter space!)
Autumn’s old room is slowly starting to look like a guest room again. (Ah crap, here come the tears again!)
I think that Logan AND Daven missed me a little!
The paperwork on my desk has suddenly tripled, not sure if it is because there is more work to do…or if I have just stalled too long??
I didn’t realize how nice dry heat actually is. (The Humidity in Washington was almost unbearable!)
The laundry basket didn’t get emptied even once while I was gone. (Big shocker there!)
How many things, songs, and smells remind me of Autumn.
I have such a great support system with my parents, they kept Daven almost the entire time I was gone. THANKS GranZ and PapaT!
I have another great support system with all my fellow WS moms. Nancy, Lisa, Amy, Teresa, Kerry, Karen, Kati, and Pam…I love you!
Seeing Washington DC, made me even “prouder” to be an American Citizen!
And finally, I didn’t realize how much I could miss my two favorite boys! It is good to be home!

It sure is nice to be home again.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Experiencing Turbulence

2006-08-08T16:12:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking for about three days now what I would say in my first post back from the big road trip to Washington. I am overwhelmed with so many emotions and stories that I don’t even know where to begin. We saw so many amazing sites that I know it will take me a week to digest all that I have seen. We saw the Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, WW II Memorial, Georgetown, the National Cathedral, Vietnam War Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Union Station, The White House from a distance…and so much more.

We had a safe drive from Clovis, New Mexico to Urbana, Maryland. The official time was I believe somewhere around 24 hours and 37 minutes. Give or take a few. (And with two time zone changes…sheesh, I really don’t have any idea if that is accurate or not.) All I have to say is thank goodness I didn’t have to drive home!

Nevertheless, I am so thrilled that I had the opportunity to spend that precious time with Autumn. I will miss her terribly, but at least now I know exactly where she is and what her daily routine is like. It is all so amazing and she is in her element there.

I held strong all weekend until I got on my flight going home. We had been going 100 miles an hour and I hadn’t even had a chance to stop and think about what I was actually doing in DC. Things were great I was eating my Turkey “Samich” (as the flight attendant called it) then out of nowhere…tears started pouring down my face. I realized that I was leaving my sister to go back home nearly 1600 miles away. I had no other solution but to cry.

Suddenly I herd a few giggly girls behind me, then WHAM…they had pushed my chair. They seemed to find it quite amusing to watch my head bob back and forth while they hit the back of my chair. I know if it would have been little kids, I would have been much more tolerant to this behavior. HOWEVER, these were not 6 or 7 year old kids. I know they had to be 18 or 20 year old women. I could feel the flames brewing as I thought to myself…OHHH, today is not the day to be pushing my buttons, my friend. Finally, I had had enough. I sat up, turned around, and proceeded to shoot lasers at them out of my tear filled eyes. They looked terrified and never touched my seat or giggled again! HA!

I LOVE YOU and will miss you more than you will ever know, Autumn. We all give you hugs and kisses, and will be sending tons of prayers and good vibes in the northeast direction. I just hope you get them before somebody else snatches them up. (It is a long ways from Clovis, NM to Washington DC you know!)

It was however, so nice to get off that plane and see Logan and Daven waiting for me. I haven’t felt such a warm at home feeling until I saw those precious boys! I had forgotten how beautiful Daven was. He is truly one of the most beautiful boys in the word. (I know; I just traveled around the world.)

Okay, I have said more than enough for one day. There is always tomorrow to tell more…

LOVE LOVE LOVE

New Faces and Exciting Places

2006-08-05T16:27:00.000-06:00

I am sure you already know, but we are having an amazing time here in Washington and the metro area. I am starting to have anxiety about leaving Autumn behind. But I do know that she will be in good hands.

We have moved her into her new apartment and her house-mates are super nice! I know that they will take great care of her. They have a brand new baby boy, I guess Autumn just can't seem to get away from baby boys (especially ones that don't sleep through the night). Here we are getting her room all set up. What a great place!

I am also officially leaving the big sister duties in Lisa's capable hands. I know she will be a great big sis (away from home) to my little sis. And in worse case scenario, she will always have food for Autumn when she is desperate!

We have already done so much that it is hard to put in writing. We have toured the National Cathedral, shopped in Georgetown, and of course gone to Target. (I think it is impossible to go inside that place and leave without spending at least $100.00)

I have attached some pictures to show off the great time we are having. I haven't even said a word about Emma and Tatum, because I don't even know where to begin. I love them more than I knew possible. Same for my dear Lisa. I will be back later with more.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Hotel Ridgley

2006-08-04T07:50:00.000-06:00

Well, we have officially checked in to Hotel Ridgley. It is AWESOME! I don't have much time, so I just wanted to let everyone know that we are in Washington and had zero trouble with driving and directions. I know you are all shocked!

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts over the past few days. I know that is why we have made it here safely.

Lisa, Emma, Tatum and of course Chris are all amazing people. We are headed out now to do some serious shopping. Maybe you should keep praying for us as we break our bank accounts! HA!

Thanks again...I will write back later with more news and maybe some pictures.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Slower Traffic Keep Right

2006-08-02T22:03:00.000-06:00

Ah, we have finally made it to our goal. Memphis, Tennessee. Sigh. The trip seems to be going great so far. Autumn and I are both a bit exhausted and beat…but we will get a good nights rest and be refreshed and ready to hit the road again bright and early.

We are keeping an extensive journal of the trip. Such as *5:43 pm, played Name That Tune: Failed to stump Autumn. *7:33 pm getting a bit tired, stopping for a break at “Where are we again?”

Ha! Thanks again for the prayers. Keep em up. Gods hands are protecting us all the way to Maryland, I know it!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Washington D.C. or BUST

2006-08-01T16:54:00.000-06:00

Today is the big day, we are officially off. The drive will start at 10:00 am today and will end (if all goes by the plan) by 10:00 pm on Thursday night. I will be sure to take tons of pictures documenting our wonderful and crazy and exciting trip. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we hit the road hard and heavy. (Or maybe you should keep every other driver in your prayers as we will be flying down that interstate! Shhh, don’t tell the authorities!)

I had so many things to say, but I can’t seem to get my thoughts together today. I am sure it is a bit of anxiety, nervousness, exhaustion and excitement about the trip. Maybe by the time I can give you an update, I will be better prepared to talk.

This will be the longest trip that I have ever taken without Daven. So I am not sure what my mood will be towards the end of my stay in D.C. I will be leaving him here with Logan and his GranZ & PapaT. (I am worried that the hardest part will be actually coming home to him. When I see that he hasn’t even noticed I have been gone. That to me, is heart wrenching.) Please also, keep GranZ, PapaT, Logan and Daven in your prayers.

I will, however, have Lisa and Emma and Baby Tatum to spoil while I am there. And yes, I will be doing some serious spoiling and buying pink dresses! ;-) No need to worry, I can give short updates while I am gone. Possibly even add a few pictures to show off.

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts everybody. Now break out the IPod, conversation questions, and portable DVD player…Load em’ up and lets roll!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

No-Whey Mom!

2006-08-01T09:07:00.000-06:00

At Daven’s last well baby check up, the doctor asked that we try to feed Daven PediaSure to boost his calories from 24 to 30. Sounds easy enough right? Wrong!

For a while now, we have known that Daven is allergic to Whey protein. It is a milk based protein, which essentially means he is allergic to all milk products. When we gave Daven yogurt once, he threw up for 3 hours afterwards. He also threw up for hours after we tried a different formula. When we mentioned this to the doctor, he really pushed us to at least try the PediaSure and test it out. “You never really know when babies are allergic. It could have just been coincidental” he tells us.

So for weeks now, I have been pondering the thought of giving Daven a shot of PediaSure. My gut told me to NEVER put a milk based product in that child’s mouth, but I kept hearing the doctor say that we really needed to try it. Logan also talked to me saying that it might help beef Daven up and it would be a cheaper option than his current formula. After arguing for weeks, I gave in to Logan and the Doctor’s advice.

We added one ounce of the PediaSure to Daven’s regular bottle last night around 6:00 pm. After an hour of a truly happy child, I thought…wow, this might actually work! Gave him a bath, got him ready for bed and started rocking him to put him to sleep. Then at 8:00 pm out of nowhere, Daven started violently throwing up.

As I ran to grab towels and bins I immediately got sick to my stomach. Not because of the throw-up, but because I was the one that did this to my child! The feeling that he would be a happy and healthy boy if it wasn’t for something I had done, was haunting! I burst into tears and held him so close while he continued to throw up all over me and everything in our path. (I figure that was the least I deserved!)

Needless to say, it was once again…a long night at my house. Again, I figured that was considered paybacks for what I had put him through. He seems to be doing much better this morning. He ate a bottle and seemed to be much more contented when he went with GranZ. I am sure he was just glad to get out of my arms!

Please forgive me for putting you through that misery. I promise to keep your tummy free from any Whey/milk products and to NEVER again let anyone else convince me otherwise. I give you permission to throw up all over me any time that happens again. I love you, my angel.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Family Ties

2006-07-31T12:23:00.000-06:00

Whew, we made it to Denver and back again…all in one piece. I didn’t realize how truly exhausted I would be today. But, when I think about the great weekend we had, it was all worth the drive.

We got to see, (my) Uncle Marc, Auntie Al, (Daven’s) Uncle Tucker, Auntie Jody, Uncle T (Trevor), and finally Cousin Tia. We had a great time. When it comes to family, time never seems to be long enough. We could have been there for a month, and I would still dread the “goodbye.”

We weren’t there long enough to do any amazing things to brag about. We simply enjoyed each other’s company and watched the babies play. Speaking of bragging…I did learn to play poker. Yep, I single handedly smoked everyone that played! I guess my next impromptu trip will have to be Las Vegas. [evil laugh]

Here is GranZ getting all the love she can from Tia. Nice wet applesauce filled kisses!

And this is Uncle T. We are so glad you are officially back to this side of the nation, sure is easier to make a fast trip to Denver as opposed to Atlanta!

And, GranZ helping Daven walk to Aunt Jody. (Jody is expecting Daven’s next cousin in September! We can’t hardly wait!)

Auntie Autumn enjoying her time with Cousin Tia. She just gets bigger every time I see her! (Let me make myself clear – Tia gets bigger, not Auntie Autumn)

And finally here we all are. This will be the last time we are all together until Christmas. Autumn, you best be making your way home for Christmas! If only Logan and PapaT would have been there, we could have been an episode on TV Land. (I am pretty sure this picture isn’t flattering to anyone of us in the group!)

We head off for the next road trip on Wednesday. Better break out the “conversation starter” questions because it will be a long drive!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Spur-of-the-moment Road Trip

2006-07-28T13:21:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I talked for a minute with Uncle T and he mentioned Autumn. She had planned on ridding with a group of friends to Denver and was going to see both our brothers, sister-in-law and Cousin Tia. I started to sulk because I was the only sibling that wouldn’t be in Denver this weekend.

I then started to think…why am I not going? Was I simply not invited? Do I have somewhere to be at this weekend? When I couldn’t come up with an answer for any of the questions I was pondering, I decided, THAT’S IT…I am going to Denver!

Subsequently within the past hour, I have conned GranZ and Auntie Autumn to get in the car with Daven and I for an impromptu road trip. From Clovis, Denver is about an eight hour drive. The plan is to throw clothes in the car (literally), throw Daven in the car (not so literally), and drive halfway tonight. We could easily be in Denver by mid morning on Saturday. Spend about 24 hours with the family then throw everything/everyone back into the car and head home mid day Sunday.

It will be a fast and furious trip, but I am getting excited. Not about the driving (I already have a 24 hour drive ahead of me next week!), but to see all my siblings. I can’t even begin to tell you the fun that we always have when we are all together.

Keep us in your prayers as we head towards the mountain state. We will be there and back before you even knew we were gone!

Ready, Set, Go…and we are off!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

The Count Down

2006-07-27T14:35:00.000-06:00

Well, there is no turning back now…I will be driving with Auntie Autumn, helping her move to Washington DC, in officially 5 days, 19 hours and 30 some-odd minutes. Sigh. Autumn has been keeping track of this count down for about a month now…but I have been in denial. It hit me yesterday, that the time I have with my sister as a roommate…is limited.

So, Logan and I took advantage of the time we had …and went out on a date. HA! Yep, we left Daven with Auntie Autumn babysitting. We figure, might as well take advantage of the free in-house babysitting one last time. And when we arrived back home, Autumn just raved at how good Daven was the entire night! He even got to flirt with a few pretty girls that stopped by. (Have I mentioned how much he loves the pretty girls?)

Here is Daven and Auntie Autumn playing on her bed. She had him giggling and even bursts of belly laughs. If I could figure out how to add video clips on this darn thing…I would. The picture shows Daven talking to her saying how much he wants her to stay!

Also, here he is holding on tight to the strings from my dress. As if to say “Giddy up, Mom!”

You will miss us Autumn! (Okay so maybe not Logan and I…but you will miss that little boy!) Are you sure you want to go that far away from home? Wait; don’t actually change your mind until we are in Washington DC. I have already geared myself up for the road trip of a lifetime! NO TURNING BACK NOW! But once we are there and I have done all the sightseeing possible, I would be happy to drive you back home. ;-)

LOVE LOVE LOVE

LOOK MOM!

2006-07-25T15:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I witnessed one of the most precious moments I have had since becoming a mother. When I got home from work, I went to see Daven in his crib. He was laying on his back munching on his bottle. When he saw me; he instantly rolled over to his belly, pushed and pulled himself up to a sitting position, and looked over to me with the biggest smile. I knew exactly what he was saying…”Look what I can do mom!” Oh how I will cherish this moment for years to come!

Daven spent the day and weekend with his GranPa, GranMama, and Auntie Shayla. There were down from Oklahoma to see those precious grandsons of theirs. And we were happy to show them off! Saturday was a big Marshall family reunion. So we all loaded up and headed down to the local memorial building to meet and greet as many old family members as we possibly could. (And I mean nothing when I say old…we spoke to all ages!) This is Daven enjoying a scooter ride by Logan’s cousin Janette. How precious is this? He loved her and she loved him! I think they were both having the time of their lives!

On Sunday we went to church and like always, he didn’t think the preaching was worth sitting still for. So, we spent the hour in the nursery play room. I sat Daven by the box o’ toys just to see what he would do. Much to my surprise, he reached in and started emptying out that box. I was thrilled watching him empty something, anything out! I have watched a “normal” developing child do this many times, mostly annoyed…but when Daven did it, I was overjoyed! He emptied that box out until he found every “spinner” in the place. I was lucky enough to bring the camera along (only because grandparents were there) to catch this exciting feat!

Needless to say, we had a super busy weekend. There are too many good pictures to share with you at once. I don’t want to overwhelm you with amazingly cute pictures of Daven…so I will only share some for now. One of Daven looking up at his GranPa is so great. You can see all over his face how much he loves him!

We love you and miss you and can’t wait to see you again; GranPa, GranMama, and Auntie Shayla!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Good News Alert

2006-07-24T14:49:00.000-06:00

This just in...

Daven's GranMama (Logan's mom, my mother-in-law) just called and informed me that he officially went from a laying down position to a sitting up position all on his own! What great news this is. A huge accomplishment for my little angel! No pictures were taken, however, because they didn't want to distract him. HA! This happens to me so often. I get excited about what he is in the process of doing and start cheering him along. But in the end, he stops because I have simply distracted him. I am so proud of my little man and I wanted to share our good news with you. I have been anticipating these growth spurts for a long time now…maybe this is the beginning of what I have been waiting for!

GO DAVEN, I will be crying tears of joy as I chase you around the house pulling things out of your grip and keeping your tiny fingers out of the electrical sockets. I LOVE YOU Bubee and am proud of you for working so hard!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Ahhhh, FREAK OUT!

2006-07-24T10:08:00.000-06:00

As I was closing up some things at work on Friday, I started going through some old emails. I came across an old email that I had sent out to the Williams Syndrome list back in February asking about scoliosis and bracing Daven. A fellow WS mom emailed me back cautioning me about bracing Daven. Strongly suggesting that we NEVER put him in a brace.

Apparently her son also had the same issues and luckily they came across a doctor that had dealt with scoliosis and Williams syndrome. She said all it does is fix one problem, but creates an even bigger problem. Studies are starting to show some complications with “muscle atrophy” in kids with WS who have used braces. Meaning that yes, the brace might straiten out his back, but once we take the brace off…he won’t have the muscle tone to hold himself up. This in return means that in the end Daven would have to have back surgery anyway.

I wouldn’t really think much about this email, except that the nice woman knew exactly what the doctors were going to tell us. (Keeping in mind this was sent to me back in February, long before we got the final diagnosis) “The doctors” she said, “will want Daven to be in a brace for 23 hours a day, until he stops growing.”

As I was reading these emails I could feel my heart racing and my blood pressure rising. I started to think, yes the doctors are probably doing the right thing for Scoliosis, but are they doing the right thing for scoliosis in a Williams Syndrome child? And the FREAK OUT had started. I didn’t know what to do next, but to cry. I just want there to be one simple answer for once! I want to know 100% without a doubt that I am doing the right thing for my child, and he will be bigger and stronger because of it.

As soon as I picked Daven up that day, I stripped that brace off and just held him and cried. Not knowing what is best for your child is crushing. I called all the family, friends, PT’s, OT’s and doctors that I knew to call to ask their opinion. The consensus that Logan and I came up with was to keep Daven in the brace during the night, but keep it OFF during the daytime when he will actually be using those muscles. At least until we get further instructions from the doctors.

Other than that, our weekend was great. I have said enough for one day…so I won’t bore you with the weekend details until tomorrow. But I do have this AMAZING picture to share with you. Here is Daven pushing up to the sitting position. I am elated to see this accomplishment. Also, here is Daven talking up a storm with Cousin Luke! So precious those boys are.

Thanks for letting me vent it out yet again!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

This N' That

2006-07-21T15:00:00.000-06:00

Last night, Autumn and I decided that we should go out and enjoy the beautiful New Mexico evening. So, we packed Daven up, grabbed a bottle and went shopping. ;-) (Being bored cost me way too much money!)

After we shopped for a while and decided Daven was shopped out, we stopped by Sarah’s house. While we were checking out some amazing hand bags from Pakistan (Sarah is from Pakistan), her mom picked up Daven and instantly started loving on him. And he was loving her back as long as she let him watch their giant TV. As far as Daven is concerned…it doesn’t get much better than a big screen TV. Just put a Baby Einstein movie on that tv and he will be wide eyed for the next hour. (not that I have ever done that!)

As soon as we got back in the car to drive home, the doctor called to give us the results of Daven’s calcium test. The news was a bit unexpected. Daven has had two calcium tests before the most recent blood test we took last week. The first came back in the normal range, high normal…but normal. The second test was normal. And finally the test we took last week was ABnormally high. So, we will need to go back to Lubbock and have it checked again. He said no rush on having this test done, but he would like to get another blood sample from Daven so that he will have 4 tests to compare. Sigh…

On a good note…he had a great Speech Therapy session yesterday. The ST said that she thinks Daven is truly shaking his head “no” with a real purpose. Meaning that he is trying to communicate with us by shaking his head saying he doesn’t want something. This is a great sign! Also, (speaking of sign) he is motioning the “more” sign that we have been teaching him for 3 or 4 months now. This is also another form of communication. YAY Daven!

These are very small and subtle things, but when I consider how long we have been working on these small things…it is very exciting to see progress on the horizon. Rumor also has it, (GranZ said she has seen him do this twice today) that Daven is trying to push up on all fours to get from the laying position to the sitting up position. Again, this will be major progress!

I will keep my eyes peeled this weekend and if I see this, I will be sure to take pictures! We do have a busy weekend planed; Daven’s GranPa and GranMama are coming in from Oklahoma to see Daven and Cousin Luke. We are all so excited to see them and show off their two grandsons. I assure you there will be lots of pictures to share with you Monday.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Balloon Fiesta

2006-07-20T11:34:00.000-06:00

After a long exhausting day yesterday, Auntie Autumn and I were playing with Daven in the floor with balloons. He hasn’t been around any balloons for a few months now so he wasn’t sure what to do with them at first. He first tried to bite one, but we quickly stopped him from doing that knowing what the final outcome of screaming would be. And then finally, he tried to spin the balloons. After allowing Daven to explore the balloons Auntie Autumn started playing with him.

Here he is scantily clad in his wife-beater t-shirt playing. I thought the picture was too cute not to pass along.

The evening otherwise was pretty quiet. Logan was working late last night, so Daven and I went to Auntie Micah and Cousin Luke’s house. As usual, we (Micah and I, not Daven and Luke) had plenty of girl talk and giggles.

Once I got home and put Daven fast asleep in his crib, I picked things up a bit then crashed myself. Then about 11:30 pm he woke up just screaming in pain. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I hate these nights. Not only is it exhausting, but terribly frustrating for me to not know what the problem is.

We have dealt with the pains of colic for the first year of Daven’s life. What an arduous year! Now that the colic is MUCH better, nights like last night bring back so many raw memories of that first year. I revert back to colic relief mode in an instant. Consisting of running through the cycle of what may or may not work. It usually goes like this…

1.) Holding him close swaddling him while humming a soft gentle tune
2.) “...” + bouncing him up and down or rocking
3.) “.............” + static TV
4.) And finally swinging him in his car seat or a blanket

This is obviously the last resort because it is so hard now that Daven is getting bigger. Nineteen pounds doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you start swinging dead weight back and forth for long periods of time…it gets to be grueling. But 9 out of 10 times this works!

I just hate that feeling of not knowing what is wrong with my child. I feel that every other mom knows instantly what is wrong with their crying baby and can fix the problem within a minute or two at most. Granted, most of the time I know the difference between a hungry cry, a sleepy cry, a “hold me mom” cry, but I am baffled with colic cries.

I got Daven settled down when I finally got to the swinging part of the cycle and he fell back into sweet sleep. Was it a bad dream, a tummy ach, a stuffy nose, or a scratchy throat…I may never know. Maybe soon enough, he will be able to tell me what the problem is, or at the least…point to what hurts.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

♪ Sisters, Sisters There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters ♪

2006-07-18T14:57:00.000-06:00

Today marks the day when my baby sister arrived 25 years ago. I think I will always refer to her as my baby sister. No matter how grown and/or independent she gets. However, even considering her as my baby sister, I look up to her in so many aspects of life. Autumn has been such an amazing support system for me throughout the past year and so many years before. I truly don’t know how people make it through life without a sister.

She is one of the bravest women I know. No matter what life throws at her, she takes it all in stride. (And life sure has thrown her some doozies.) Such as…Her apartment being broken into, only to turn up that there had been a man living in the attic of her apartment. I still am not over this drama, but Autumn simply brushes herself off and makes another mark in the “stories to tell” category.

She is getting older and older as the years go on. (I guess we all get older as the years go on, with the exception of Monga. She has been 29 for as long as I can remember; how does she do that?) I read somewhere once that “a sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.” Oh how profound that statement is to me. No matter her age, she will always be that little girl that I remember growing up with.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUTUMN! Thanks for being the great sister that you are!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Adios Blanca

2006-07-17T10:37:00.000-06:00

Friday was Blanca’s (a coworker and confidant of mine) last day in my office. Not until this very moment did it hit me how terribly sad this makes me. As I came to work today, I was thinking about my weekend and ready to give a re-cap to Blanca, as was the Monday morning ritual.

Only now did I remember that Blanca isn’t coming to work today. She is officially no longer an employee at Clovis Community College, Blanca has moved on to bigger and better things. This is devastating to me because it seems like my life, lately, is being taken over by icky, stinky, coodie filled BOYS.

For those of you that don’t know me, I am your all American girly girl. (Such as: I never leave the house without make up, I love big gotti jewelry and high heels, and there is nothing better than a good chick flick staring Matthew McConaughey) I have worked for a woman for the past 7 years and now I have to change my mind to a mans way of thinking.

When my old boss (Beverlee oh how I miss you too!) left, my only reprieve was Blanca as we would gossip and giggle throughout the day. Now, my once beautiful office is going through a transition. The beautiful expensive art has been replaced with trout fish and ugly man art, and great girl talk has changed to men grunting and gloating about shooting things. All that's missing now is camouflage as the office color scheme. Sigh

So, I just wanted to say how much you will be missed Blanca. Your girl-talk and gossip that was once a daily occurrence will now be a fond memory of the days when estrogen used to rule this office.

Wait, I just remembered that Autumn will be leaving my house in 2 weeks. Oh I might as well learn to use one of those guns; I might have to shot myself!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

I Take it Back

2006-07-14T09:16:00.000-06:00

So, I have to renege on what I said about Daven and not being mobile. Last night, I had Daven in his walker as I was busy cooking dinner. I was cooking away not thinking about anything else in the world when I hear Daven starting to move around in his walker. Still not thinking much I then hear him crash into something. So I peak around the corner to check on him and his fingers were red. I panicked thinking he was bleeding and couldn’t figure out what it was coming from.

As I am franticly searching for the source of the blood, I noticed a strong cinnamon smell??? “What in the world?” I was saying to myself. Then I started looking around and he had gotten far enough to reach the end table. On that table I have a warming plate that heats up wax to fill the room with a sweet smell of…cinnamon.

Sure enough, my inspection lead to this…

Unfortunately, I didn't grab the camera before I had him all cleaned up. That would have been a great picture!

Thank goodness that I did not have the warming plate on and wax hot. I guess I really need to start paying more attention to my now somewhat mobile child. I forget that he isn’t just a baby that plays in the floor without going too far.

My big boy will soon be getting into many more things that I will be chasing after him saying “No, Daven…” Again, I look forward to this day. What little I already do makes me smile on the inside.

Happy Friday everybody!

LOVE LOVE LOVE