Update on Ben

I know many of you know already if you follow my updates on FaceBook. Ben was admitted to the hospital on Monday morning after leaving the peds office in an ambulance in respiratory distress. He tested positive for RSV & has been fighting so hard these last few days. He was moved to the PICU early Thursday morning. Since then he has been improving & we are hoping to move back to the step down PICU today. He is on quite a bit of oxygen but they have been turning it down little by little. I am praying that we are on the upside of this virus & that he will be home in time for Christmas.

Thank you to Julie & Kate for making him a prayer button. We are so amazed at all the outpouring of love & prayers for our little guy.

Forever Grateful

I feel like I can't say "Thank You" enough! Since the day Ben was born, we have had great friends & neighbors open their homes & hearts to us. They have walked along side us in this unexpected journey. This past year has been such a rollercoaster with Ben in & out of the hospital but when you have great love & support from people who you trust it makes it easier.

Last year Dan & Sarah Parisi and Pam & Kevin Martin opened their homes to our other 3 children..no questions asked. They both have 2 children of their own, so adding 3 more was a lot to take on. They did everything they could to make it as "normal" as possible for the kids. For this we are forever grateful!

This year is no different. Julie & Brenden McGlinchey and Kate & Jeremy Walser have opened their homes to our children. The McG's have 4 children & the Walser's have 5, so adding 3 more is huge. They didn't even bat an eye! For this we are forever grateful!

It is an amazing sense of relief to have people you trust take care of your children when you can't. It is a huge responsiblity & yes I would do it for them in a heartbeat! Having great friends/neighbors is priceless.

Thank you to all our friends/family who have done other things to help us out. Whether it was bringing us a meal, praying for us, a ride home from the hospital, taking care of Daisy, letting us borrow baby items, offering to help in any way they could or simply letting me vent to them..it means more than you know. For this we are forever grateful!

To all of our friends & family..Thank you so very much! We love you guys!

Wordless Wednesday

Thank you Kate, for capturing this moment :)

Better Late than Never..Right ;)

Being the slacker that I am, I didn't get around to posting some Halloween pics. We had a fun night even though it rained. We did a little trick or treating & spent the rest of the night (& into the next day!) with great friends!

Ben the Monkey..one of the few pics of him in costume..it was hot..go figure!


The one & only Taylor Swift..aka..Kaylea ;)


Emma the Cat


Zach the Chicken..he also lost half his costume in the first 10 mintues!

Praying for Stellan..

Update..11/12
He is an amazing little miracle & a fighter!

He is not doing well. If you could spare some prayers for this sweet baby boy.

A little bit of color & something new!

Just a little..

It's hard to tell by the pic but I painted the girl's room a deep purple. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it (I tend to stick with neutral colors) but I LOVE it! The girls really like it too!

Next up..

The front room (supposed to be our dining room, but it is alas a playroom). I finally got this painted..ahem..a nice neutral color..

And finally..
the downstairs bathroom..a nice silver/blue..silverberry to be exact!

I still have a bit more painting to do. Next up is the boys room. I wanted to get it all done while I had 2 extra hands here this past week, but couldn't squeeze it all in. I am determined to get most of the house painted. Afterall, we have lived here for 4 years!!

Everyday brings something new with Ben. He has fully mastered going from his belly to sitting up. So what's next you ask...




Yep, that's right..he pulled himself to his knees tonight in his crib! Not once but multiple times & thought it was so funny! He is going to be running circles around me before I know it!

Brotherly Love

Zach & Ben..
They are 2 peas in a pod! The way Ben looks up to Zach already is so sweet. I just love watching them play together. I was never worried about Zach when I was pregnant with Ben. I knew he would be a great big brother. He is that & so much more. We talk about Ben having Down Syndrome & have talked to the kids about it but I don't think Zach really understands yet. All he sees is his baby brother & he just loves him and that is all I can ask for.

I have been thinking lately about when Zach will go to school next year. I think it will be hard. I know I will be a mess..always am on first days, but mostly for Ben. We will see. Still have a little while for that.

My Lil' Pumpkin

Just a quick pic post ;)

Please Forgive Me

for not blogging in a few days. I have failed the 31 for 21 miserably! I usually blog at night but have been so tired lately. Add to that Ebay ending pretty much all of my 400+ lisitngs because I hadn't revised them yet. Well guess what I have been doing every night..editing & relisting them all. What a royal pain! Ebay & I have a love hate relationship!

I have also been doing something else lately that has been keeping me busy as a bee too. Will share more of that with pics later :)

We are off to the pumpkin patch today with the kiddos. Bill is on vacation this week & today is supposed to be a really nice day, so we kept the girls home & are going to spend the day together. Hopefully will get some good pics!
I will try to be better about blogging ;)

Smile :o)

We had some professional pictures taken recently, thanks to a very talented neighbor of ours Kate She is amazing! I highly recommend her. We had so much fun & I think the pics came out great. Here are some of them..enjoy :)

p.s. Thanks again Kate!!

Does the "List" ever get shorter?

The dreaded "to-do" list..it gets longer everyday! I see no end in sight! I haven't blogged in 2 days BUT I did get somethings on my to-do list done. I am finally painting some walls in this house! Thank you Julie for the motivation! Cleaning, laundry, dishes, kids homework, paying bills, grocery shopping..the list goes on & on. Some days I wish I had nothing to do but then I know I would be bored out of my mind. Maybe there could be more hours in a day?? I would still be tired :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my Dad!! The best Father & Grandpa anyone could ask for!! We miss you so much & wish we could have been there to celebrate with you! Love you!

Meeting Ben for the first time..sorry Dad, only pics I have on this computer ;)

Just My Luck!

Emma woke early this morning throwing up..needless to say we had to cancel Ben's party :( It is a good thing I know how to procrastinate. I hadn't bought the food or cake yet, so no loss there. Hopefully next weekend & hopefully no one else gets sick..story of my life!

A Night Out

As I left the house tonight, to have a night out with friends playing Bunco, Ben was screaming & the kids were fighting. Ahhh..to get away for a little while was great! I came home to everyone fast asleep. My hubby is the best! I so want to go get Ben & snuggle him but I won't for fear he won't go back to sleep.
I didn't win or lose but had a great time with great friends! Thanks Nora for hosting & your pumpkin cobbler was very good..remind me to get the recipe ;)
See you next month ladies :o)

Big day tomorrow..Ben's Birthday party! Will post some pics then ;)

This Summer...

We didn't do much of anything. We usually make a trip to Florida to visit family & friends, but we didn't make it down there this Summer. We hung out & enjoyed the pool with friends.
Emma had a Birthday in May, she turned 7 & she started the 2nd grade! She is doing good, she loves her teacher this year!


Kaylea also had her Birthday in July, she turned 9 & started the 4th grade! She is doing good too. Her math is getting harder & she is getting a little frustrated but she is dertermined.


Zach is well Zach..lol We didn't put him in preschool this year, but he will be starting Kindergarten next August. It will be my last year to have him home with me :( Trying to enjoy it while it lasts.


Ben is doing awesome! We are a little nervous as the cold/flu season is here but with him being older, hopefully he won't get sick like last year. Fingers crossed!

Long Day!

Laundry, Dishes, Painting & a fussy baby have made for a long day & I am tired! This is my post for today. Hopefully I'll have a more exciting post tomorrow :)

How is it possible..

that it has been a year!?! Wow that went really fast! My baby is growing up so quickly..his stats as of today (yep, took him to the doctor on his birthday & yes he got shots..bad mommy) Weight is 20 lbs 4 ozs! He can sit up by himself, go from sitting to tummy, he can get up on his hands & knees, he army crawls or rolls to get places, can almost go from tummy to sitting up all by himself (he has done this a couple times by himself), says dada, baba, mama (only when he cries) and he has one tooth on the bottom with another getting ready to pop thru any day now!

Ben is such a good baby & can light up a room with his smile. We love him to pieces & are just amazed by him everyday! He is a very determined little guy. Not much is going to hold him back. He is definitely a momma's boy & I love it!

Health wise Ben is doing awesome. He had a 24 hour flu last week but has fully recovered. His respiratory issues are under control. He has pulmicort breathing treatments twice a day, zantac twice a day & singular. It has been working really well for him. Hopefully as he gets bigger, he won't need that much.

Last year at this time I felt like my world had been flipped upside down. So much had happened in a matter of hours. We didn't get to see Ben but for a few minutes & then he was taken to the NICU for just over 24 hours. It was a difficult hospital stay & I have a lot of bad feelings on things that happened, but that is for another post ;) What a difference a year makes!

Here are some pics..

Then
One of the first pics we got of him..


He still has a scar from that nasty scratch he gave himself in the NICU :(


Now
This was today..happy as a clam


Eating his Birthday cupcake :)

Peas Please..

All of our kids have loved peas when they were little. It was Kaylea's favorite baby food to eat. Ben's is no different. He has gotten to the point where he doesn't want me to feed him anymore & would rather do it himself. So here he is wearing..I mean eating his peas :)

Buddy Walk 2009

A big Thank You to all of our friends who came out & walked with us today. Thank You everyone who donated to a great cause! It was such a beautiful day today, you couldn't have asked for better weather! Here are a few pics from our day..

Daddy & Ben


Buddy Walking..or Riding :)


Ben's Buds


Our Buddy Walk Team :)


Thank You everyone for supporting Ben & the Down Syndrome Association of Charlotte!

31 for 21..Day 3

Can the Carolina weather get any better? It is so nice to sleep with the windows open! We had a fun day going to garage sales & our neighborhood Fall Festival. The kids are exhausted..I am exhausted! Tomorrow will be another long day out & about. Church in the morning & the Buddy Walk in the afternoon. It's the first time we have participated in the walk, so we are very excited!

We're on day 3 & I am doin good! Will post some pics tomorrow from the Buddy Walk :)

31 for 21..Day 2

I first read this on a forum I belong to a few years back. I remember thinking it was beautiful. Of course at that time it did not have the meaning to me that it does now. This is awesome & I still get tears in my eyes when I read it!

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome To Holland".

"Holland?!?" you say, "What do you mean "Holland"??? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy"

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills...Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned".

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things...about Holland.

31 for 21..Day 1

October is Down Syndrome awareness month. Last year at this time I did not know this. I do now. Last year I didn't know what an amazing gift would be given to us in a matter of days. I do now. It is hard to believe that almost a year ago our lives changed forever..in a good way.

To help raise Down Syndrome awareness, I am going to attempt the 31 for 21 challenge One blog post each day for the entire month of October. This is definetly a challenge for me as I tend to put off blogging..a lot. Since I took a small leave from from blog this Summer, I have a lot to catch you up on.

Also, Sunday the 4th is the DSAC (Down Syndrome Association of Charlotte) Buddy Walk. We have a team set up, so if you are interested in walking with us or supporting us in the walk here are the links..

Donate/Support Ben
Join Ben's Team

Let the Blog Challenge begin :)

It's the First...

but more than likely not last time. Stitches! It was bound to happen & with Kaylea turning 9 this year we were doing good. Until today..

It started with a great morning at Church (other than leaving Ben in the nursery for the first time & me being a blubbery mess)..anyways, we came home & are getting lunch for the kids. Zach wanted a candy bar on the counter, I told him no because he hadn't eaten lunch yet & that I was going to eat it..1st mistake. He proceeded to have a meltdown yelling & screaming at me..I just walked away & sat down with Ben. About 30 seconds goes by & he comes in & starts slapping me & hanging on my arm. I am trying to get him off my arm, so that he doesn't accidentally hit Ben, & asking him to please stop. I move my arm out from me & he lets go, steps back & trips on a bag full of Ben's toys sitting on the floor & smacks right on the edge of the end table. He is screaming & Bill comes running & there is blood everywhere. Shockingly Bill was more calm then I was. When we saw where he had hit we knew he would need stitches. So 2 hours at Urgent Care & 4 stitches later..all is somewhat well...other than I feel like a horrible mom today :( It is going to be a long week!



My poor baby :(

Wordless Wednesday

Baby Love

Spring has got to be the best time of the year..well except for these darn allergies! I love that everything looks so pretty & feels so fresh & new. There is also all the new babies! Bill was mowing last week & happened upon a bunny hole in the yard. He ran over it without seeing it, when he was coming back on another pass he saw a baby bunny go running. Unfortunately one did not make it out of the mower fight..Bill felt so bad:( But he did find the other little baby bunny..I naturally wanted to keep it..he was so cute! He ended up running to the neighbors yard & we haven't seen him since. Here are some pics of baby bunny foofoo!

Just like his Daddy!!

What can I say..he drives like his Father..LOL!!


Mowing the yard together :)

So much to blog about..

so little time to do it! The days just seem to zip by me lately. Bill & I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary..doesn't feel like it has been that long. Ten years ago I never would have guessed we would have 4 great kids & be living in North Carolina! Can't wait to see what the next 10 years hold for us!

Ben went to see an allergy/asthma doctor last week. He tested negative for the most common allergies & he seems to be doing well on the Singular & Pulmacort(sp?). He is eating new foods every week & he LOVES it! I have been making his baby food & I can't believe I didn't do this for the other kiddos! It's so easy & so much better for him. He is seeing the Cardiologist tomorrow..will update asap!

Everyone else is doing great..girls are excited for Summer to be here..so am I! Bill is working hard as usual and Zach is funnier than ever! He is such a goofball..he'll probably end up being the class clown! Emma will be 7 on Saturday the 9th. WOW! Where does the time go!

Happy & sad news from my little sis Stef. My brother in law is going to be a doctor in the Airforce & they are moving to Louisiana in July..it's about 13 hours from me :( I am so excited for their new adventure but sad it's so far away. They also have to put their dog Winnie down. She is such a sweet dog & will definitely be missed. The happy news is...they are expecting another baby in December! Stef is an awesome Mom, J is a great Dad & they make beautiful babies together! Congrats guys!!

I think that is all the updates! I know..I need to do more blogging..I'm working on it!

Hanging at the hospital


Check out my Baby Legs!!


I can reach my feet now..and they taste good!


Emma & her crazy hair!


Kaylea :)


Zach..he needs a bike to go with his cool new helmet!


Check out my new hat!