adventures in babysitting...

Grandma watched Leighton basically all day. Here's the pictures she sent me of my baby girls adventures. 

I have an amazing mother! 

After  (the first 2 hour block) she was answering my questions so well with nods and signs. I said did you have fun with Grandma, and she nodes yes then signed Grandma. Then I asked her if we should go home and eat lunch and she nodded yes and signed eat. She also blows the best kisses and then yells bye (like a Southern debutant). After I buckled her in she grabbed me and said Mawm, I luv ya!  She's communicating so well now.

this was tonight...

Hubs and I went to this. It actually was pretty fun.

-JS 

Because...

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She looks cute today & it's a big deal she wore 

her boots the whole afternoon (she mostly hates shoes)

-JS

a stellar spirit..

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A quote from a talk given during conference (Russell M Nelson, Sunday Afternoon) has been going around my friends with special needs children. It is fun to have a Apostle of the church recognize what we all know. 

Here's some of his talk from where I liked it.

"God gives unto men weakness that they may be humbled, for if they humble themselves and have faith in him,  then He will make weak things be strong unto them" 

Stellar spirits are often housed in imperfect bodies...

This is a picture of Leighton as she was trying to jump yesterday. She has an imperfect body. She can't jump yet, but oh does she try. She does little hops and she knows what her feet and legs should do. She has older siblings as an example.

Right now she just doesn't get that far off the ground, but I know she will.

She has extra genetic material that effects her life in every way. She is what the world would consider weak. A Weakened immune system, weakened imperfect heart, a weakened mental capacity, and the one we see most as a family is weakened muscle tone, but Oh does She have a strong will! She has from birth developed a strong will to live, move, and do what she wants in her life. I realized when I was teaching her to move that I just had to convince her that it was all her idea, it started when I convinced her she wanted to roll. I put her between two cords (she loved cords) and rolled her from one to the other over and over. Once I convinced her how great her life would be once she did this, she accomplished it soon after. Her strong will over came her weak body. She will jump soon because I can see now she has decided that she wants to.

"The gift of a special body can strengthen a family as parents and siblings willingly build their lives around the child born with special needs"

I often tell parents of new children with special needs and friends that our family has somehow made Leighton the center. I describe it as this...

She is the sun and we are the orbiting planets. She is the strongest force that our family naturally gravitates too. I realized we willing have built our lives around her. She humbles us all, and strengthens our family.  She has become the light, and strength we always needed. She turns anger to happiness with a word or smile. She makes an ungrateful attitude quickly shift to a grateful one. She brings the focus to what is truly important. 

-JS

a picture day...

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We had to make a quick trip to Hubs Dads farm and here is a few pictures. 

We didn't stay long so I didn't get much (I usually take a hundred because its a picture paradise).

-JS

I'm going to...

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Disneyland 

Well, I'm to excited to think of much anything else, so I'm writing about our future trip to Disneyland. I'm so excited to take Leighton to see Disney Jr. Live.  Her very favorite show is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  She watches a show every night before bed, and don't even think your going to get away with putting her to bed without it (unless your out of town she forgives you there).

Brother told me he can't wait to take Leighton on Ariel. She really loves that movie. I've watched it a million times now in the car, but when I look back and she's this cute belting out the AHH ahh Ahh ahhhh part when Ursala steals Ariels voice its worth it.

-JS

check up.

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October is our yearly check-ups for Leighton. The stressing one is cardiology for her heart check up. I get anxiety the second my scheduling card shows up in the mail. Leighton had OHS (Open Heart Surgery) for a VSD repair, and also a artery repair (which had narrowed from her VSD).  Everything I've read says you should be fine after a VSD repair so I know I shouldn't worry, but I do.  I had Stomach pain all morning, and couldn't sleep last night.  Lolly was nervous too...She woke up at 6 which she never does, and had a hard time falling back to sleep. I always explain what were doing the next day when I put her to bed, and I couldn't lie. She got nervous when we pulled up, but I told her we would hold her and she would be fine, and said OK and she nods yes.  She understands so much just like a typical 2.5 year old, and actually a lot more when it comes to this kind of thing. She was really good for her appointment and we received good news. Normal lung pressures, normal blood pressure her growth and activity is perfect.  First time we have received good news at the cardiologist.  After surgery she had a small leak at her patch, we caused us to have to take "precautions"  but she couldn't hear it at all today!!

She also had to do her yearly blood draws. They check for Leukemia, Thyroid problems, Celiacs, and I think Diabetes ( I know I should remember it exact).  I told her what they do, and that if she was brave I would buy her a laptop (toy one), and she said Yes that would be a good idea. She didn't cry at all. Usually we have to hold her down just as they put the rubber band on her upper arm. Not this time she sat on her dads lap all brave only grimaced when they put the needle in, and watched the whole draw. 

Hubs teased me when we were walking out that she doesn't need a lap top (He's cheap like that) she didn't even know what I was saying...He said all mocking- yes and mom will buy you a pink lap top and when he said pink she was like ugghh naah then he's said... not pink, How about purple?  she paused with a Hmm let me think face and then say ahh ya and nodded yes.  She is one smart cookie and I love when I get to tell him see I'm right she knows!! Which happens all the time so you think he would just figure it out already! Sigh of relief with the heart for a year, and hopefully the blood work too.

-JS

this water baby...

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Leighton has always LOVED the water. 

The past few months she has learned to turn on all the faucets. 

The worst of all is she knows how to get water out of the fridge dispenser. She stands on her tippy toes and pushes it. It used to be cute when she would hold the cup up to it, but now it's water everywhere because she fills her cups and runs and that leads to a soaked 2 year old.  She really keeps me on my toes these days!  These are some things that make me realize I really do have a normal mischievous 2 year old on my hands and can count my blessings. 

-JS