Thursday, March 29, 2012

Progress..

I finished piecing Leights quilt today. I'm so happy it's ready to be taken to the quilter! 
I know blue isn't very girly, but the blue reminds me of her beautiful eyes!
-JS

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

disabilities.

Since having Leighton I have been made aware of things that I never put much thought into before.  I never thought much about what happened to Disabled babies, and children years and years ago.  Do you ever remember reading about it in school?  I know that Disabilities aren't something new to the world.  People born with extra or deleted chromosomes have always happened.  They told me when I had Leighton not to long ago people wouldn't even consider keeping their babies, and they were actually not given much of a choice in keeping them.  I can't imagine the pain of leaving my baby at the hospital never to see her again.  The sad thing is that in other countries this still happens.  Just because their babies are born with an extra 21st they are given up, and kids born with cerebra palsy, and any number of disabilities are abandoned too.  They live their lives in orphanages with a slim chance of being adopted by someone from America. If their not adopted by the time their 4 or 5 they are placed in mental institutions where the conditions are horrible.  They are sometimes tied to their beds, they don't get the chance to learn or be loved.  I place Leighton is that place a lot, and it breaks my heart.  I've gotten to meet some Mom's who adopted a child. It can be a challenge emotionally, and financially, but I'm so happy it happens.  I've been talking to husband about us maybe doing it, and hopefully we will be able to some day.  I see a lot of Mom's who have a Ds child, and they adopt another.  I never really thought about  people born with disabilities, until I got to see it.  I never really knew about adoption of kids with disabilities from other countries until I met people who did it. I thought I would write a little about it in case you might want to be aware of it too. I just think if Leighton was born to me somewhere else, and It was unheard of to keep my child.  What would I have done? I know how much those parents, and children are missing out.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  She's a huge blessing to our family. She needs our love, and even more we need hers.

Learn more about adoption here...

-JS

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Catch up

We have been super busy.  Well Mom has anyway.  Daddy went out of town, plus hasn't had a day off in 2 weeks.  So I've been missing my business partner.  He went to New Orleans for 3 days.
LC's Gift from her Dada.
 She likes Sisters gift a lot too.
Plus I've been working on this for baby's 1st Birthday next month. It is taking all my spare time.
 I love this toy company (maileg), and I've had this in the box debating which little girl should get it for about 6 months. Finally decided Leights might like this toy best, and I was right! 
 She LOVES it, and got it for 3-21 day too, Ha!  She played it for an hour, and big Sister couldn't care less about it. Leighton loves the princesses gold shoes, and always touches them (see top middle pic?).  
 When she will keep shoes on,  I'm going to have to get her some gold ones. 
-JS

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

3-21

Did you know that today is a special day.  It is 3-21, world Down syndrome day! To raise awareness of this Extra Chromosome of cuteness/awesomeness/perfectness, I thought I would post a few pics of my cute, awesome, and perfect little Leighty baby (taken on her first Ds day of course).


She is absolute perfection. 
We will celebrate the rest of this day as a family. I think we will eat our dinner on China, and make a toast (with juice, don't worry) over our stroke of luck.  We are so happy we got this baby girl.
-JS

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

biRthDaY!

I had a Birthday...I was so spoiled.  
I can't believe all that has happened since My last birthday.  Ha! I was so pregnant this time last year  and I never would have imagined what God had in store for me with this new little one. I was talking to someone today, and She made a good point.  She told Me how she came to the realization that sometimes things we think might be a trial are actually huge blessings.  God knows us, HE REALLY KNOWS US. He wants to shape us, mold us, make us grow into better people.  That's the short version, but it was a very good talk. I waited so long to get pregnant between Leighton and Sister. I wasn't ready.  Plus deep down I felt I was going to be dealt a blow with My next one.  I knew My life had been a little cushy, and I was in for one. We were so blessed to have two healthy children.  I think a lot of people take if for granted, and I never have.  I knew it was a miracle from the start of their lives with both their crazy births.  I know some people might not understand this, but Leighton is the hugest blessing I have been given.  I know when you find out your baby could have Ds you pray it isn't true. You pray for God to let them be healthy, strong, and "normal."  Now I always think about that Garth Brooks song that says I thank God for unanswered prays.  Leighton coming to Me with Down syndrome was an unanswered prayer, and I am so thankful He knows Me better then I do. He ignored my pleas. She 's just what I needed. I felt from her Birth that she doesn't need to be here.  She is a perfect spirit, but We need her.  She is the light, and center of our family. We all gravitate to her because she puts joy, and peace into our lives.  Now that I look back to that time with  the perspective of what almost a year can bring. I know She came just how God intended. I'm so thankful every second She is in our lives.  He knew it was going to be the best thing to ever happen to our family. Leighton's has been My best gift this year.

Gardner's Village:

Some of My gifts:

birthday dinner:
-JS

Friday, March 9, 2012

get the camera anyway.

 I noticed yesterday that I seem to miss those truly great pictures.  
 The ones that have to be saved in my mind..... 

Which isn't a great place, pretty scary actually, now that I have "MOM BRAIN".  Oh wait, I've had Mom Brain for 9 or 10 years now! Shouldn't I be used to it now? At least most of my friends have it too, and their pretty tolerant. 
 Back to point...They are those snapshots we miss, that actually inspire us to go grab the camera.  That happened to me yesterday.  Leighton was being so adorable with the dog.  They were being so cute together that I ran for my camera, and while I was gone the whole scene changed. I was mad yesterday because they never went back to that cute encounter.  When I was looking though the shots today I started thinking how sometimes your pictures will take on a funny scene.  I didn't know this was going to happen I was waiting for that cute moment I ran for the camera for, it never came, and I got this instead....
I call it the Toy Snatcher!

Which was pretty fun because Leighton doesn't really go snatch things from people, but apparently she does from the dog!

I was waiting for the dog to get mad, but He didn't.  He's actually a really awesome dog with kids and we're pretty lucky. He's brothers, but He shares. 

Leighty baby got a new chair this week. Since She seems to be my "reader" and when I saw this chair for cheap. I had visions of her sitting in it with a little book shelf next to her, and she can brows through them when she's a little bigger.  For now it makes a good photo prop, and TV chair. 
I'm not a photographer. I don't get how to make my shutter speed, aperture, histogram (is that the right word?), and lighting work in my favor. I don't know the correct way to edit My photo's either.  I just mess around until it looks alright to my eyes. Photography is to complex for me and I don't like to think that hard with My hobbies. 

This is My one "photo rule." I want to make the point that if your like Me, and you think you might have missed "the moment",  you missed the perfect shot. Don't just sit there. Go pull the camera out anyway.  You might just capture something pretty great, even if it isn't the photo quality, but the photo quantity (my term for the content of the image). 
Like sister being sneaky, and then trying not to be found out.
This wasn't the plan for the pictures at all, and I LOVE IT! I always look at my pictures in order, and I love how the story sometimes plays out.  So pull out your iPhones, and cameras anyway people!
-JS

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Fact or Fiction?

I was digging through Leighton's socks. Yes, I'm still going to try and get her to keep some socks on. She has waged war on feet covers, since the weather turned cold.  Anyway this is what I came up with..
So I started contemplating the mysteries of life (because I'm deep like that), and I came to the conclusion that a sock monster truly must exist!

Eek and the scariest part of all is....
 She lives with me. Don't worry She's one of those cute kind of Monsters (like Elmo.
But seriously where do the socks go?
-JS

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Friday, March 2, 2012

in the NEW..


New this week?  
 Been sick (sore throat, runny nose, cough.  Doc thinks it's RSV, but her oxygen levels are at 100%, and no fever so he thinks the shots are a success, yes!)
Getting stronger,  she folds in half to reach a toy, and comes back up. 
She has been Dancing (rocks, and wiggles when there's music).

Clapping!
 She has been wanting to do it forever.  She has always loved to clap with my help, and 2 weeks ago she started moving her hands in the "all done" for sign language, for her first attempts. I had quite a few Moms tell me that was the sign, and ask if she knew sign.  Nope I would say, she's just trying to clap, and now she does it.  I haven't taught her any sign yet. I have learned drink, thank you, all done, and more thanks to her funny clap. 

TV watching 
(don't know how good that is, but I guess signing DVD's here we come).
 She loves Blue's Clue's.  I think it's because they talk to her.  She hears blues little ber ber burr, and she is all attention for the next 10 or 15 minutes.  

Ponytails??
 Her hair is growing and she can have some cute funny ponytails now.  
 She's such a fun little Leighty.
-JS