Introducing Baby Paige!

On Friday, October 17th, miss Paige Elizabeth made her way into the world at 11:28 am - right on her due date!

Our little peanut weighed in at 7 pounds 4 ounces, and was 19 inches long!  So petite and beautiful.

Today Paige is already 10 days old!  We spent almost her entire first week in the hospital, as she underwent phototherapy for jaundice.  Thankfully, technology has allowed phototherapy beds to be small and portable now, so Paige was able to sleep in the room right next to her Mommy while she got her treatment!  It was a long 5 days not being able to cuddle with the little princess who we had been waiting to meet for 9 months, but being able to finally bundle her up and bring her home for the first time was very much worth the wait!

Our baby girl is such a love.  She will happily be snuggled all day long, and loves face rubs and kisses!  (Night times have been a bit of a different story as it took a little while for Paige to learn nights are for sleeping and days are for playing!)

As for Ty and Brady, they could not be happier to have baby Paige in their lives!  They both love to sit as close as possible while Paige eats, and they ask frequently throughout the day, "Where's baby Paige?!"  Brady discovered that Paige has a lovie (or a "Lully") just like he does, and makes sure that she has it by her side every moment of the day!  Ty is very much the biggest brother now, and asks to hold "it" every chance he gets!

As exhausted as we are at the moment learning to juggle three between the two of us, I couldn't be happier having a house full of kids and lots and lots of love to go around.

31 for 21: Day 3

Speaking of becoming a mom, it's hit me recently that my days as a mom of two are very quickly coming to an end!  I remember feeling this same way in the last weeks before Brady was born, a little sad that the routines and "rituals" that had become so familiar with my Ty were going to change as we learned to split our time and attention between two little guys instead.  Of course, as soon as Brady arrived we naturally adjusted and have created new routines and "rituals" that I can't imagine any other way!  So as the clock ticks away before baby girl gets here, I've been trying to soak up every minute snuggling with both boys on the couch every night before bed, and singing to Brady before he falls asleep, because I know these familiar routines will be changing once again.  (Though for the life of me, I can't figure out how you snuggle with THREE babies on a couch at the same time, or how Eric and I can corral THREE kids into their beds at bedtime, or how grocery shopping will ever happen again in the next several years...but that's a post for another day!)

So in the spirit of enjoying being a mom of all boys for the very last time, here are some pictures of our last adventures as a family of four!

Brady loved ripping the apples off of the tree...

...but had way more fun picking them up off of the ground.  We paid a pretty penny for some rotting, bruised apples, thanks to my star apple-picker! :)

Ty, on the other hand, has a future after-school job as an apple-picker at Mack's.  He learned to choose only the biggest ones, and twist them carefully before putting them in his bucket.  That's my boy!

Of course, throwing them into the bucket super hard is the most fun part of all!

The boys, right before discovering a big animal hole in the ground behind them - the perfect target for throwing apples into!

  These pictures next year will be sprinkled with a little pink on the side - can't wait! :)

31 for 21: Day 2

Ty's arrival in our world in 2010 was full of surprises and unexpected news - the words "Down syndrome" included - but when I think back on Ty's first days in my life, Down syndrome is not what comes to mind.  Instead, I remember how Ty made me a mother.

I don't think any new parents fully comprehend how drastically their lives will change the moment their first baby arrives.  Of course, you prepare by buying all of the right equipment and perfectly decorating the new baby's room.  You sort through the oh-so-tiny clothes and imagine the little cheeks that will fit inside the minuscule diapers that fill the dresser drawers.  Mornings spent sleeping in are knowingly numbered, and you nervously laugh at how little sleep you anticipate getting in the coming months.  But the overwhelming and instantaneous love that you will feel for that little person is something you can't yet comprehend.  Becoming a parent for the first time is a life-altering moment that no one can prepare for or even fathom until the moment it happens.

Despite the months of worry and fear for our little boy's life during my pregnancy, Ty's presence in my life brought nothing but elation the moment I laid eyes on him.  I remember staring down into Ty's blueberry-colored eyes, as he stared right back at me.  Even though he was minutes old, we had an instant connection, like I had known him my entire life.  In that moment, Ty made me a mother. In a matter of seconds someone's life became more important than my own, and a tiny 6-pound little boy stole my heart and held it in his pudgy little hands.

Even though our first months together were filled with doctor's appointments and research as we learned about the extra chromosome that accompanied our child, those details have faded in my memory.  What I do remember, however, are the small moments that we spent bonding as a new family.  Ty was such a snuggle bug.  Both Eric and I spent hours with Ty propped up on our legs, waving around his little arms and legs, as we stared at his precious face and made every effort to hear his little giggle.  Ty was (and still is!) a very early riser, and we would take turns sitting in the dark hours of the morning snuggling with our boy on the couch until he was ready for his (and our!) morning nap.  Watching Ty discover the world around him and experience all of his firsts - first walk in a stroller, first time playing with a toy, first trip to the beach - for us was like discovering all of these things for the first time all over again.  Ty brought us excitement and unconditional love - things we couldn't have ever prepared for before he came into our lives.

So while Ty is special to me for many reasons, and has taught us a tremendous number of life lessons, above all Ty gave me a gift that only he could give - Ty made me a mother.        

Down Syndrome Awareness Month is Heerreeee!

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  For the first few years of Ty's life I participated in the "31 for 21 challenge", writing a daily blog post for the 31 days of October to celebrate our guy and raise awareness for Down syndrome.  Last year was the first year I bailed; between being in grad school full time and going back to work as a teacher for the first time in two years, I didn't have a second to spare that wasn't dedicated to one of my full time jobs as a mom, wife, teacher, or student!  This year, however, I'm back and ready to take on the challenge again - though being 38 weeks pregnant at the moment may put a wrench into my 31-day plan!!!  Instead I'll accept the challenge to commit to posting as many days as I can - however many that turns out to be, I will still consider it to be a success!  :)


That being said, as I'm sitting here trying to come up with 31 days worth of Down syndrome-related topics to write about I'm drawing a blank!  Nearly 5 years into this journey, I'm not sure there's much more I can write about Down syndrome that our friends and families haven't already heard (probably more than once!).  Instead, I am deciding to dedicate this month to Ty (okay, and probably his baby sister who will share his special month!).  My ideas for Down syndrome topics are limited, but when it comes to my oldest little peanut, I can definitely write for days and days! 


So there you go - Day 1 of the challenge complete!  My goal is set and I'm ready to go!  Stay tuned for Day 2...

Surprise!  Down Syndrome Awareness Month is here!!!