Eva's Chaos

The Green Boots

2011-04-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I was doing a really great thing for our son - and it turns out that I did! I brought home some green "frog" rubber boots for Brogan a week or so ago...

When we go outside, Brogan always wants to join us BUT if he doesn't have shoes on he's not supposed to come outside! No SHOES no outside! So began our son's LOVE of shoes. He has a lot of shoes!

His feet have been getting wet and cold. I thought a nice pair of rubber boots would be just the thing.

Brogan quickly learned how to put on his new boots all by himself, and how to take them off too. He is so fast at putting them on now that no one can go outside without him right behind them.

Did I create a MONSTER? Yes -- BUT I created a very very happy monster! He has been spending more time outside helping daddy and playing in the yard.

Brogan is Daddy's best helper!

This is great for his parents, since he seems to be wearing himself out enough to go to sleep at bed time! YaY! Mom and Dad go to bed shortly (like 15 minutes after) the kids are all tucked in for sleep!

Brogan with his super awesome GREEN boots

Super awesome super FAST green boots! Catch him if you can!

Happy New Year - Frozen to the Ground

2011-01-01T10:36:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve and the Power went off at around 2:30 in the afternoon.

We played Candyland. We snuggled, the kids played in the hallway with toys. Then at around 6 we decided to go to town for a warm dinner out.

All of us loaded into the Jeep and it had been warming up too. Dusty put it in reverse and guess what!? The tires were frozen to the ground!

Audrey being as emotional as she is freaked out. I told her to take it easy and daddy would fix whatever it was that was keeping us from moving.

Guess he's had experience with vehicles being frozen to the ground! We got going eventually and had a nice filling and warm dinner at the local mexican resturant.

When we got home, the power was still out! So we all cuddled into our big bed and daddy read the first two chapers of Audrey's new book: How to Train Your Dragon.

Then we turned the portable lights out and snuggled down all 4 of us in bed to sleep. Brogan was out first. Audrey wiggled and wiggled and whispered and wiggled and finally SHE HAD to go to her own room to sleep because she couldn't sleep with all of the noise of everyone breathing! Wasn't too long ago when she couldn't go to sleep without the sound of everyone breathing.

Daddy helped Audrey get to her room with Brittney as a bedmate, THEN mom and dad were able to go to sleep.

We woke up around 1:00 am and the power was back on. After turning off the tv in the living room and lights - checking on Audrey and turning on her nightlight, I crawled back into bed and said happy new year to my husband before falling asleep again.

Happy New Year... the power's on and it's warm in here today!

Beware Ye' Service Men

2010-12-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

My rule is "Call me before you come over". That way I'm on the look out. Also - PLEASE don't knock or ring a doorbell.

I know that sounds kinda strange and you may think I'm a recluse or just anti-social but we have our reasons! We have a volitile home!

Scenario:

"Knock, Knock"

Romeo - Moluccan Cockatoo starts Screaming like a banshee! It's ear piercing.

Pandora - Sulfur Crest Cockatoo starts barking like a little terrier dog and screaming like a banshee!

Harley - 90 pound American Bulldog with a big scary bark!

Brittney - 45 pound red Cattle dog with a snaggle tooth growl and a big bark!

By the time one of us gets to the door to answer it, it's CHAOS and the poor guy on the other side of the door looks pretty worried.

And if you wake the BABY - my husband can look pretty scary too!

Daddy Pig Pile! Scary hu!?

Stone Fox

2010-11-15T07:11:00.000-08:00

Audrey and I finished reading Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner last night. It was an exciting book.

All up till the finish line. Audrey and I were in shock when after all that had happened, Searchlight's heart burst 100 yards from the finish. Geez - this is an 8 year old I'm reading to, and she understands death quite well, but geez!

We enjoyed the book and the message it had, but I sure wish Searchlight would have surived.

Just like sissy!

2010-11-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Brogan's gotta be a big boy!

Got his own plate, ketchup and spot at the table just like his big sister. This is one happy guy!

Harley

2010-10-29T07:41:00.001-07:00

Harley, originally uploaded by Eva D.

Harley is going to the Vet today to be neutered. Poor guy. I told Dusty to have them give him some doggy Valium 'cause he is so attached to Dusty that he cries when he's gone - the WHOLE TIME he's gone.

Separation anxiety big time! Harley is a big love, 85 pound American bulldog.

Old Cougar

2010-10-28T17:56:00.001-07:00

2010-10-28 17.20.14, originally uploaded by Eva D.

Power windows & doors. Power seats - kind of amazing for an old '77 cougar.

She's kind of old, but still pretty :)

Audrey's hair

2010-09-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

For a long time now (like forever), Audrey's hair has been down to her bottom it's so long. It's a nightmare for her to brush in the morning when she's getting ready for school. It's hard for me to always braid it at night so the tangles are minimized. It's just been tough for everyone - even the poor dogs who seem to ingest long strands of hair and that ... well, that doesn't come out so great!

After much pleading and begging I finally gave in to Audrey's request for a haircut. She looks fantastic! She loves her hair and it's easy for her to take care of. The added bonus is that her brother can't reach out and pull it as easily as he did before.

I am glad I let Audrey get a hair cut - I did save the 8 inches or so of hair that was cut off and it's in her "baby box". A treasure.

MMMMMMMMMMM YUMMMMY

2010-09-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

When I reach for the chip bag, Brogan says "MMMMMMMM" as in YUMMMMMY. When he sees string cheese, he says "MMMMMMMMM"! When he sees anything he likes to eat that's his response! He's a great snacking buddy.

One night Dusty put hot sauce on his food and Brogan really really wanted some. It did smell good I said. Dusty gave Brogan a little bite and Brogan got so mad at daddy! How dare he wreck something that smells so good with hot sauce!

When Brogan wants more juice/milk/koolaid in his sippy cup, he asks differently, depending on who he's asking. If he is asking Dad, he just shakes his cup and hands it over. If he's asking Mom - he grips the cup tightly, makes a "grrr" noise (imitating me trying to open a sippy cup) and expects me to know what he wants! I figured it out and thought that was so funny, I couldn't believe it - Brogan sign language.

Picture day 2010

2010-05-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Audrey, 1st grade - Picture day!
My Gorgeous Girl!

Harley in the Box

2010-05-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

So we took the kids to Chuck - E - Cheese today to celebrate Brogan's birthday with G-Pa. Dusty took the kitchen trash can out of the house - just in case - Harley was feeling like being a bad boy.

We came home, and Dusty unlocked the door. Then Dusty saw Harley laying down, not jumping around to get out or anything. So Dusty took a closer look. Harley had his head stuck in a box! Dusty lead Harley out of the house, because no one would believe this - I had to see it too! Poor guy had a box stuck on his head.

He's such a lucky dog, because Audrey took the box off after we all had a good laugh... but I swear the poor boy is worn out from the ordeal. He's just been mellow and sleeping most of the afternoon. I think he was so grateful that he could see again!

Talk about your funny stories, we're still laughing - but we are still sorry for poor Harley. What were dad's words "You didn't get into any trouble did ya?"!!

Well we don't have a picture of that, but we do have a pretty cool picture of Harley's "talents" - his LIPS... (my friend at work asked me what he did, and I said he let the baby stretch his lips over his head). That's his great talent!

Sweet Harley and his talented lips!

My favorite guys

2010-04-27T19:47:00.001-07:00

Hey that should be me?

Look at that precious sleeping baby without a care in the world. All is as it should be. Dad is the most wonderful guy ever - and Brogan is feeling loved and safe (always). My guys, so sweet.

And... yes, Dusty is built - huge arms and strong everywhere. My husband, my love. My husband and son have matching muscles - hey can you see how huge and strong Brogan's legs are? He's a very muscular kid! Just like his dad. Oh and BTW - he has Down Syndrome.

Sneaky hu?

2010-03-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

Brogan eats really well, and most of my friends know this. He has a great appetite. When he gets full though, he likes to throw the rest of his food off of his high chair tray.

We always tell him "NO", and try to take away the food before he has a chance to throw it all - which is quite a race!

Last night our son looked me in the eye...

He took a noodle (Swedish meatballs), and he...

HE had the audacity to look me in the eye and...

take the noodle under his high chair tray, put it through his legs and drop it onto the floor.

What a SNEAK!!! Somebody tell me that this kid is not a Mr. Smarty pants? Well instead of getting mad - I just calmly told dad (and Sissy) that our boy is a super sneaker now!

Funny boy - he's been down with allergies for a week and a half, but he is feeling better (maybe I am too, yikes). He ate like a champ today trying to make up for all those lost carbs and calories.

Solid our boy is, and very strong. We sure are proud of him but that doesn't make our worries any less.

Someone asked me wow how do you work with your son now that you know he has Down Syndrome? I told that person that Dusty and I treat Brogan like a regular kid. We talk to him, we play with him, we interest him in books and toys. Why would we treat him any different?

Years ago, our precious son would have had a life span of about 9 years. That's when they took your Down Syndrome baby and put them in homes ... homes? (Insane Asylums) - for lack of a better place, and those poor kids were left to fend for themselves with poor nutrition and health care.

I am so happy that modern medicine and health care, and knowledge ( acceptance ) of our beautiful kids has advanced so that my boy can have a long and healthy life. I cried my heart out thinking that he was going to die by the time he was 7 years old when they told me he had Down Syndrome, but I know more now and statistically he will live a long and healthy life. That I am so happy for because someone as awesome as Brogan should be with us for a long time to teach and love us all as we are.

Outside!

2010-03-19T17:00:00.001-07:00

Outside is GREAT DAD!

Brogan is so funny - he's been walking for quite some time, but whenever we take him out of the living room - even down the hallway - he refuses to walk.

He decided that walking outside was really really cool, especially because Brittney the dog was out there.

Big Boy Bath

2010-03-19T16:58:00.001-07:00

Big enough for his first bath in the BIG TUB!!

The sweetest little boy, my boy. After enjoying his spaghetti & meatballs, Brogan really enjoyed his big boy bath and the boats in the bathtub.

Brogan the super cool boy!

2010-02-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

It took so long to log on to Blogger I almost forgot what I was going to rant/rave about...

Or not...

Brogan went from our precious baby to a ruffian "BOY" in one hair cut, I swear. I guess it's all about perceptions. As much as we saw Brogan as our baby, it seemed that right after he got his super cool crew cut, we started seeing him as the ruffian boy that he really is.

Well Audrey would have told us that a few months ago when her brother started walking and pulling her hair.

Wow. What a difference a simple haircut makes. Geez - ladies - we all know that's a fact too. So here's to our sweet son, who says "Hi, Mommomma, Dad Dad". Brogan you are super cool!

His skin, normally so clear and perfectly olive is a little inflamed by the spaghetti sauce in his dinner tonight. Yikes - but then I pamper him with "Aquaphor".. Dusty loves to say what's the aqua for??? I am always looking for the Aquaphor, it's great stuff. It is awesome for helping sooth any kind of rash.

Audrey - PLEASE EAT!!!

2010-02-22T06:37:00.001-08:00

The nightly battle is getting Audrey to eat her dinner...

Dusty knows how much she likes Teriyaki so made beef Teriyaki just for her.

"It won't kill you"

Brogan's new 'Do

2010-02-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, well the gorgeous baby curls had to go... :( Lots easier to comb out now!

Brogan's busy day

2010-01-28T18:46:00.001-08:00

I can always tell when Brogan has had a busy day when I walk in the door after work. He likes to throw all of his toys over the back of the couch... that's where the entry way is. He's a stinker! We tell him "no! Don't throw your toys", but he just thinks it's great fun.

We have a new puppy that thinks it's great fun too! Luckily, Harley hasn't destroyed more than a handful of Brogan's toys. He did chew the wheel off of the little monster truck Brogan got for Christmas - 'Donkey Kong' - AND this really upset Audrey!

So here are a few shots of our busy guy AFTER he's emptied his toy box.

We've started NOT giving his toys back after he throws them. They are mommy and daddy's toy now and we put them into a box. Audrey actually is the one who takes those toys and puts them back in his toy box. She's an awesome big sister.

Popcicle Boy

2010-01-23T23:28:00.001-08:00

Adventures in Bus Riding... Rural

2010-01-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

So - we had my blazer towed to the shop...

(they won't work on it)

We had my blazer towed home...

MSD Ignition system needs to be replaced. Think ordering online and waiting for it to ship? Waiting for payday to order... may be 2 weeks until it is fixed.

Eva riding the bus.. first day - ok. Second day, missed the bus, got on the wrong bus, got off that bus and walked to a bus stop. Got on the bus that stopped there, it was the wrong bus too. Waited for 30 minutes in pouring rain - ok - hood on, rain jacket zipped up. Now know the true meaning of a rain jacket.

During lunch I walked over to Kohl's and bought myself a proper rain/wind/warm jacket. I LOVE this coat. It was very sweet of the Kohl's employees too to take all the tags off for me when I said I wanted to wear it!

Ordeals abound. Monday - Martin Luther King Jr day - I admired the man, have no problem with him UNTIL holiday schedule for the bus. I waited an extra 45 minutes for the bus - so an hour altogether, but in the cold wind, rain and cars going by that swept dirt into my eyes.

One of my friends from work drove past, then had to come back some time later and mentioned they saw me still waiting!

I'm tired, worn out and really want my car fixed. It will be a few tiresome and difficult weeks until we get the blazer back on the road and I just hope my energy and optimism can hold out that long.

I DO KNOW - when I come home, and snuggle/hug love my kids and get them all tucked in and safe, and when Dusty and I can finally go to bed and hold each other while falling into delirious sleep - that it is all worth the hard times. We - together, Dusty and I, take care of this family and of each other, with love. Being married to your best friend is the greatest gift I have ever been given.

Brittney and Harley

2010-01-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

Talk about a HUGE contrast, yeah?

Brittney and Harley: Brittney is about half Harley's size. Brittney is about 200% more experienced and more dominant. Harley is so happy with his new doggie friend, he'll do anything she says.

She's had a few occasions to get grumpy at him. He is a puppy after all! But these two dogs are getting on wonderfully. Brittney is showing Harley the ropes, the yard, the pecking order. She would never hurt him. Glad to see and know that Harley would never dream of hurting her either. He is a gentle pup... and a puppy he is for all his size, he's still clumsy and growing into himself yet.

Our family (Dusty, me, Audrey and Brogan) are so happy to have this guy in our lives. He is just great! We are very lucky to have been given the opportunity to adopt him and we will be forever grateful to his previous owners!

Covered

2010-01-06T20:00:00.001-08:00

Looks like the kids got Harley covered on both ends!

Harley - Wants to PLAY!!

2010-01-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

Oh YES YES YES - Can we Play??? HU? HU?

Sweet Boy - Needs a Haircut??

2010-01-05T18:47:00.001-08:00

Sweetest boy in the WORLD. I love my son!

Long Doggin' It

2010-01-05T18:45:00.001-08:00

Don't worry - Brogan and Harley play back and forth with this ball! Harley loves it and Brogan loves throwing it!!!

100 % Devotion

2010-01-04T21:02:00.001-08:00

Who LOVES Who MORE? What a pair!!

Vacation time fun

2010-01-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

The kids are having a blast getting to know Harley our new puppy!

I've been busy doing mountains of laundry and cleaning house - picking up anything the puppy could possibly find fun to play with that isn't his.

Today, I'm making bean soup w/the leftover Ham from Christmas (we froze the bone and meat for soup). I'll bake some potatoes and make cornbread for a nice homey meal. Reminds me of my childhood.

Hope everyone has had a happy and safe New Year celebration. I was the only one that made it to midnight and that's only because I was playing games online!

So Audrey and I are getting ready to go back to school/work on Jan 4th. Vacation is over till next time!

Our newest family member

2009-12-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

We've been waiting and finally we have been lucky enough to adopt Harley, the American Bulldog. We took a ferry ride today - that was the big fun thing of the day as far as my daughter knew. When she found out that Harley was going to be ours forever and ever she just couldn't stop talking about how much she loves him.

There was also a cute comment about the Dog Cloud in the car! A window open seemed to help! What a good boy, we are so happy. We took him to Pet-Co when we got into Redmond and got a new collar and some toys. Plus more dog food. His introduction to Brittney (our cattle dog) went better than we'd hoped! She ran all over and played with him so much that she's feeling her age tonight. She likes him, and Harley really likes her too.

Bears repeating - My song for Dusty

2009-12-23T01:04:00.000-08:00

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true...I was (Eva edit: meant to love you) made for you

I climbed across the mountain tops

Swam all across the ocean blue

I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules

But baby I broke them all for you

Because even when I was flat broke

You made me feel like a million bucks

Yeah you do and I was (Eva edit: meant to love you) made for you

You see the smile that's on my mouth

Is hiding the words that don't come out

And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed

They don't know my head is a mess

No, they don't know who I really am

And they don't know what I've been through like you do

And I was (Eva edit: meant for you) made for you...

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true...I was made for you

Oh yeah, it's true... I was (Eva edit: meant to love you) made for you.

It took my mom 4 marriages to get it right - and Dusty is my 4th husband. I sure didn't want to be like my mom, but I did find the right man. I love him so much and he is a man. The ladies will know what that means. Dusty is precious and gentle, loving and wonderful - he's a grown up and he is a man I can count on. He's my best friend. I can make a mistake and my best friend won't beat me down. We figure stuff out together.

Brandi Carlile really belts this out with heart... I love her; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EgHF_SnsLQ

Brandi Carlile, The Story. My song to/for/with Dusty.

All Clean!

2009-12-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Brogan had a bath. He loves his baths. He splashes and plays with the toys. Then I use baby oil while he is still in the tub to soften him up and he smells so wonderful!

Naked boy - I'm just waiting for the moment he escapes from me and runs down the hallway laughing and naked. Coming soon! Maybe even on video!

More cool JavaScript accomplilshments this week

2009-12-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

I know it's not so interesting for my family that reads my blog, but it sure is cool to me.

I've had a wish for a long time now - to be able to trigger a function from within a popup window function (that is quite complicated itself).

I've tried running one function after another from the main form, but that doesn't work because it doesn't let the first one finish before it fires off the second one.

If you want to make it a common script library, you have to be able to pass in a variable as the function name. What if it's a function with arguments? Then you need to pass in the arguments.

Well, here is what I came up with and I am very please that it works. Here is the gist that will give you the syntax:

//set up the variables ... onClick event:

runFunction = "manyNames";

runFNArgs = "1";

ThisisMyfunction( runFunction, runFNArgs);

//run an add on function passed by a variable not a string

if (runFunction != null && runFunction != "" && (runFNArgs == null || runFNArgs == "")) {

window.opener[runFunction ]();

} else {

if (runFunction != null && runFunction != "" && runFNArgs != null && runFNArgs != ""){

window.opener[runFunction ](runFNArgs);

}

self.close();

}

So anyway, I did it and I am quite proud. The real secret is in the square brackets [].

What a relief today!

2009-12-04T17:04:00.000-08:00

It's Friday - what a relief!

I've been working on a special maintenance feature for a web application at work. I have an entry form and a display form. The user enters an order for copies of a document with paper style, color, covers and what not. The people receiving the order view it with the display form.

Well all of the "select" type fields were translating fine using selectedIndex.text, but NOT the checkbox fields. Seems I couldn't get the text out of those no matter what I did. I didn't want the value - that's only used to add up the order estimates.

I finally figured it out this morning - and wanted to whoop and holler!

So for any techies out there - and poor non-techies can try to muddle thru, here is a code fragment that gets the basic concept across:

docfinishingField = "finishing_" + (f-1);

docStorefinishing= "doc" + f + "_finishing";

//save values for display form

ftype = document.getElementById(docfinishingField).type;

if (ftype=="checkbox"){

for (var c = 0; c <>

if(document.forms[0][docfinishingField][c].checked){

// alert("test nodeValue: " + document.forms[0][docfinishingField][c].nextSibling.nodeValue);

frm[docStorefinishing].value = frm[docStorefinishing].value + document.forms[0][docfinishingField][c].nextSibling.nodeValue + ",";

}

I am so happy to have THAT figured out. Then someone on my team overheard me discussing the solution and wanted the code too as they had been having the same trouble!

So - whoopie!!! It was a pretty good day, but I am so thankful for the weekend!

Routine and more Routine

2009-12-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

What a lovely Thanksgiving weekend we had. I give thanks for having such a beautiful family.

Audrey was worried Thursday and Friday and Saturday --- will we ever have our Thanksgiving dinner? She loves the tradition of waiting for everyone to sit at the table and tell all what we are most thankful for.

Well we didn't do Thanksgiving on Thursday. Dusty and I carried out the broken Range and carried in the new Range on Thursday. By the time we got done cleaning and changing out the plug, we were very tired. My sister Fawn called around 11 and we chatted a while in the rain - my stupid cell phone doesn't get good reception in the house... geez.

Friday: We all went to whole foods and bought our Thanksgiving dinner at a discount. That was cool with me. My first time at that store - and we cruised aisle by aisle until I saw the beautiful vegetables! Wow.

So - hey we finally started cooking on Saturday. Dusty made a lovely crown roast of lamb. I was so excited about having leftovers that I wanted tzatziki sauce - if you have never had it I Feel for you.

Not to be defeated - Dusty made it a mile up the road on Sunday. He nursed Pearl home and cleaned connections

, worried about vacuum hoses and checked my girl out. Nothing that daddy did

seemed to make a difference though - except for the fact that I really wanted tzatziki sauce! Well

I love Greek cuisine.

I'd like the world to know that not only did Dusty go to the store and back in my ailing vehicle,

he made a very luxurious dinner that night - homemade tzatziki sauce - with lamb, pita and salad.

NEVER have I enjoyed my life so much. Dusty thinks it and I say it... I think it and Dusty says it...

we are of the same mind, same loving cloth. I am blessed to have married my best friend.

Audrey as a big sister

2009-11-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

I want all the world to know that Audrey is a wonderful big sister. I also think they should know what an ordeal bringing her brother home was.

Audrey's first introduction to her new brother was scary. Dusty and I tried to prepare her and she was ready. We told her that her little brother was born a little early and he had wires and tubes measuring and feeding him.

This WONDERFUL girl (my Audrey) learned the ropes very quickly. She was such a darling that when she saw new parents come in to the NICU, she took it upon herself to put them at ease by telling them what every wire and tube was for. We really didn't want her to do that, but she felt it her new job to help parents just like she was helped to understand that her brother would be ok.

Now, as Brogan has grown older, and stronger and it's 18 months later... Brogan may fall, Audrey might be playing with him at the time (12-18 months). Brogan might get hurt and cry.

The hardest thing for us as parents is to hear our baby cry. But then to hear Audrey cry. She may have had nothing to do with Brogan getting upset (dirty diaper?), but she sure takes it seriously. I feel so bad for her because she saw her little brother clinging to life, wires taped to his body and tubes in his body that she still fears for him these days when he cries.

Lucky for all of us Brogan is a tough guy. But if he does happen to cry you can count on his sister crying alongside of him because she is so worried about him. She cares for and loves her little brother. There is no better gift to a parent... and I now know there is no better gift to a big sister than having a new wonderful being in your family to love.

I love Audrey for her wonderful caring spirit. She is exceptional in her love of others.

Living with an ADHD Child... more...

2009-11-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows Audrey understands how bright and intelligent and very articulate she is. She is wonderful and I've always been very proud of my girl. My co-workers are always very impressed when they meet her or get a chance to see her once again for a visit in the office. Audrey is very bright and very articulate in her speech which is quite an accomplishment for one so young.

We had an appointment with her doctor on Monday re: ADHD. I swear she decided to be the worst kid she could be that day. She was overexcited, hyped up out of control - you name it. I couldn't believe it. She's usually able to straighten up after some reminders when we are out in public. I know daddy packed apples for her snack, so I wasn't ready to blame it on sugar.

I wonder if she was being super ADHD on purpose? I felt that she was. I know her better than that, she doesn't seem that deviant, and she did do a word find with me, but she was just so wacky. What do you do. So the doctor finally came in after 30 minutes of us waiting and we discussed side effects, the fact that there was no change in behavior and we will need to double her dose from 5mg to 10mg. Still a small dose.

I am hoping that in the next 2 weeks we see some improvement. Audrey is bright, sunny, lovely, smart, caring and so wonderful. I don't know what else to say. I'm at my wits end with her ADHD, since she is failing in her schoolwork and in remedial reading all because she can't focus her talents. Her parents are working with her as much as possible to get through to her and explain the mysteries of math and reading. She is good at math, so I think it must make more sense to her than some of her other subjects.

Hi Mom, you're home! Weaning, ugh!

2009-11-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

For months and months and months, the greeting I receive from my boy goes like this:

Hi Mom, you're home - where's the boob! No cuddle or hug or anything else. Just a fussy boy wrestling his way sideways and pulling at my shirt.

Of course I try not to let it hurt my feelings - or my self esteem. Am I just a cow for this boy, geez! Makes a mom feel extra tired after putting in a full day at work too and a little down.

I've already weaned him off of nursing at night, in the middle of the night all night. He doesn't nurse in the morning either, because I am getting ready for work. Usually in the mornings I make sure to spend a little extra time with diaper changing, getting him dressed and maybe a book if Brogan is in the mood.

So, since Brogan has teeth now, lately he's really been hurting me when he nurses. I'm feeling so done with this and then I can't take his fussing, so end up giving in nightly while trying to get him to go to sleep. Grin and Bear it eh?

I showed Dusty my injuries, and my husband, reading my mind last night, brought me a sippy cup with Milk in it when Brogan started his fit. I told him, wow I was just thinking of trying that! It worked too! Brogan and I sat in the rocking chair, he had his sippy cup with milk, then I read him a book and he didn't fuss or crab at me at all.

So tonight - what a relief it was, to get this from my son: Hi Mom, you're home! Let's play!

Makes my day.

Cool Dude

2009-11-03T19:09:00.001-08:00

Here is Brogan - I am trying to get a picture of how cool he looks in his tennis shoes, jeans and sweatshirt! So here are a few shots - and he is just the sweetest most gorgeous boy ever!

Brogan is taking more and more steps for walking. This picture is awesome!

Not so happy to show off his outfit, but what a darling face! I can't help myself - I have to kiss his sweet soft cheeks.

I love my boy.

Corpse Bride Makeup

2009-11-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

Audrey is so beautiful.

Audrey after having her makeup done. Good job Dusty!

A Chuck E Cheese Birthday

2009-11-01T15:29:00.001-08:00

15 kids and a great party at Chuck E Cheese - I highly recommend it if you want a stress free party. Those folks have a good system. The kids got to the table, then we set them loose to play the games. They had their pizza and a fun show and everything went well. It's a little expensive, but well worth it!

Brogan's first Haircut!

2009-10-29T19:41:00.001-07:00

Business up front, party in the back! Heck, I couldn't cut off his pretty baby curls.

Before his haircut...

Girl Style

2009-10-29T19:38:00.001-07:00

Audrey enjoying her Hat and Gloves. We went shopping - always a favorite for the girls! Not so much for the boys!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Audrey as the Corpse Bride. She is getting ready for her big birthday party at Chuck E Cheese this weekend by having a practice run at a friend's house!

Will he ever sleep through the night?

2009-10-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

Brogan WAS sleeping through the night, I swear - a few months ago. He's 17 1/2 month's now and he hasn't slept through the night for at least 7 months!

I know he's not hungry. The past 7 month's he wakes up, I lay down and nurse him and after 2 minutes he is asleep again - for an hour. So night after night, every hour on the hour it seems, this kid wakes up and nurses for 2 minutes and goes back to sleep.

Well this kid has teeth now! I'm tired. I want to sleep all night. I don't want teeth marks on my boobs anymore.

So here's the new approach - Brogan "wakes up"/stirs or sleep walks or thrashes or whatever it is that he does. I hold him in my arms and shush, rock, pat him back to sleep with no nursing. For a week we have done this. Guess what - after that first week, he is sleeping through the night!

Hooray!

Mighty Mini Avalanche?

2009-10-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

"No..", Dusty says, "Corn dog Mayhem!". Oh do I ever know what he's talking about.

With a freezer full of kid food; Popsicles, Corn dogs, chicken nuggets and more, I can envision the freezer avalanche and everything sliding out all over the floor!

Dusty and I just laugh. Those are the consequences of having kids!

Sadly, the refrigerator is just as full - and there's hardly room for a coke or a beer. Grownups are reduced to snacking on string cheese and drinking capri sun. We love our kids.

Camp Corey Fall Festival

2009-10-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

We went to a local pumpkin patch Saturday morning and had the pumpkin pancake breakfast, went on a hay ride and wandered through the corn maze.

Then Audrey and Dusty took a wheelbarrow out to pick pumpkins while Brogan and I stayed under cover (it was raining a bit). Brogan is hard enough to hold onto and hold an umbrella at the same time! He was done being in his stroller.

Saturday also happened to be a record breaking day for rain - but we were brave! Interestingly it stopped raining hard when we got there and didn't start up again till after we left!

Here’s where we went:

http://www.campkorey.org/FallFestival-Cornmaze.html it’s a cool place!

Audrey carving her pumpkin! Her first!

All of the pumpkins together... Spooky! Audrey's is the Kitty.

Trebuche

2009-10-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Commonly known as the Pumpkin Hurl! So much fun for a family and wow the weather couldn't be better either. Our little family really had a good time. It was just amazing!

The Tre Barbaric

The Gourdinator

This is a great time for families. There were food vendors so no one went hungry. There were also wonderful displays of wool weaving and yarn spinning. I think Audrey just liked seeing the dogs that accompanied the people - it was hard to keep her away from those dogs for sure. She has a kind heart and animals can sense it - whether mommy approves or not. Hmmm, it's tiresome. I am trying to teach her good manners - every day.

Audrey is in the first grade and she is having a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. Her first offiical birthday party with invitations and classmates. I'm excited too, and I just hope I have the energy to get through it! Wow.

What ya doin' Brogan?

2009-10-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Looking at all my books mom!

Life is hard

2009-10-03T00:45:00.000-07:00

Another one of my favorites from the '80s. Hey everyone knows you can't buy happiness no matter what you do... can't take a taxi cab to timbuk 2.

Sorry folks it's a full moon tonight:

Love you all... Eva

Good 'ol 80's

2009-10-03T00:35:00.001-07:00

Halloween in India?

2009-10-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Ritesh and his family (Sandhiya and Daksh) are on a plane to India as I write this.

Ritesh and Daksh

I've been trying to get Ritesh hired on at my company since about a month or two after I met him. He's such a talented developer. He also became one of my very closest friends.

Of course Ritesh is a fellow biker, so we seem to have the same attitude/soul/belief/forgiveness... whatever you want to call it. I sure do think the world of him.

So - I KNOW Ritesh loves halloween. A few of us were outside (smoking) and teasing Ritesh a bit about Halloween in India. One of his friends (Manish) said that he would be stoned in the street if he went trick or treating there (this is some kind of native saying ok?). I said maybe the people would be very confused about a beggar man dressed in weird clothes going from house to house asking for candy. Ritesh laughed.

It's really been a hard road for me since I found out that my company wouldn't be keeping Ritesh on. He is really awesome and we need more people like him. The economy, the times - it all sucks and we are all happy to just have jobs at the moment, right?

I will miss Ritesh, his beautiful wife and his son. They are such good friends. I hope to go visit India, and I know we will at least keep in touch.

Zoo trip! Happy birthday to me!

2009-09-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

We had a great time on Saturday! We went to the zoo and our friends Ritesh, Sandhiya and their baby Daksh joined us. It was the nicest birthday!

Awesome 1st Grader

2009-09-10T19:12:00.001-07:00

1st Grade and Piano lessons here we are!

First grade started last week. Audrey's been doing well and having pretty good days. The days are a lot longer than they were for her in Kindergarten, but she seems to be enjoying school.

We found a piano, now that we have time to think, we'll be setting up lessons for Audrey! I hope that after her 2nd counseling session with the pediatrician and help from some medication, she'll actually be able to focus on lessons. ADHD is nothing to laugh about.

People always remark about the terrible two's. Audrey was just an awesome 2 year old. When she turned 3, that's really when the terrible two's began and I think she's still there. Kindergarten was hard. When I talked to her first grade teacher about it, she told me that if Kindergarten was hard the 1st grade will be even tougher.

I'll have more observations and rants about ADHD as time and her pediatrician continue on with their assessment. I love my girl though. She is bright, smart and funny. She cares about people and shows a lot of compassion. It would sure be nice not to repeat myself 20 (200) times in a row to be heard.

Cognitive deterioration associated with Down syndrome.

2009-09-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Brogan is sweet and happy and showing a lot of promise for a baby that got some REAL bad news and has had a very tough time since birth. I'm proud of our guy! He is strong and he is

making milestones! He charms his parents every day.

Here is the down side of Down Syndrome. What I was worrying about, I finally got more info about. Well let's fight this too, but how oh how? Guess when you put deterioration into your search query it makes a difference, hu. Why can't they say this stuff up front instead of trying to placate the worried parents?

They tell you that your child will learn and will be able to do stuff like any other child, but may just be slower about it. REALLY? Did I buy into that? Yes I did. I think the hospital didn't want to break my heart more or take the fight/love out of me for this boy. But I'm not a delicate flower and the facts are what I need. They don't have time to get all the facts though so that is just what they tell mothers who have found out about their DS baby.

I have a fierce love for my son. Doctors want you to have amniocentisis to be sure your child doesn't have defects. Morally wrong, the doctors are giving women a choice to abort their baby based on test results. I could never have aborted my son, I was too bonded to him at 12 weeks when they offer the tests, so I declined. For me, it wouldn't have made any difference.

I don't think I've ever looked at Brogan with limited expectations. His dad doesn't and his sister wouldn't dream of it. He really is exceptional and surprises his doctors everytime they see him.

Gimme more Lasagne!!!! (please)

Can't we have a little hope that our guy who is so bright and muscular and charming and sweet will be able to retain his brain function as he goes along in life? It's my worry that he will lose the gifts that he has now. I'm ready to intervene with nutrition. I only hope that it is enough.

http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/ymehy/article/PIIS0306987704004979/abstract

Check out those muscles!

Still no ear infections. Muscle tone of a little wrestler... this guy is strong. He does have nystagmus and we are going to learn more about that. I see it more when he is tired.

I do swear by the targeted nutirional intervention program on this website though. He's been doing so great, and we've had him on this since early infancy.

I guess the real message is - I KNOW what doctors are going to tell you. I know you're going to be heartbroken and you are going to need to see your little baby as just fine. I cried for what I thought my son was going to lose until I figured out that my son won't lose a thing because he has parents that will make sure he has the best. This boy will be more special to us, and I am hoping that he never wants to move out. Geez, how selfish is that mom? Wanting to keep your babies forever with you?

Whatever they tell you, just give your best to your baby - give him the best and then watch the doctors exclaim in amazement because your intervention has made a real difference. Never give up on your child. Don't let a worrisome thing like a diagnosis change your attitude or love as a parent. I have so much love for our son, and I am very proud of him. I do have a worried underlying sadness when I look at my bright, beautiful sweet son and think of his brain deteriorating.

I'm ready to fight against this worry. Let's go.

Grrrrr...

We've created a monster!

2009-08-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

Here is Brogan enjoying his popscicle.

Here is Brogan after he realized Daddy is taking pictures!

Little camera ham already! Oh wow, just like his sister. Now we have two kids to try to sneak up on to get real shots of! He's only 15 months' old, but he KNOWS he's getting his picture taken!

Popsicle Pirate

2009-08-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

Brogan was so MAD when he saw his sister eating a popsicle! We gave him his own and here is the result!

Popscicle Pirate!

So Beautiful

2009-07-17T17:50:00.001-07:00

Ah, this is our son. We "tease" him when he gets tired that he's got his bags packed (dark circles and tired eyes), oh but he is just so pretty here.

Such a lovely person, a sweet baby. Brogan is a very determined person. He is also very sweet and loving and happy as a general rule. Dusty and I are both so happy he was born to bless us. Audrey is the super lucky one - the sun rises and sets for Brogan's sister. He adores her!

7/17/2009

Pretty Girl in the Pool

2009-07-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Not only does Dusty take wonderful photographs, Audrey is exceptionally photogenic.

We've been having some wonderful weather - 80's and 90's! This summertime is shaping up very nicely!

Happy Meals, Cheeseburgers, Bananna Nut Cheerios! Wow!

2009-06-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

Our boy has suddenly become a bigger eater than before... if you can believe it! He was a big eater, now he is eating even more.

Dusty and I are on the lookout for more energy outputs (yes, yes he's been very energetic) and more growth! Wow! He is so solid!

Brittney is "WAITING...", oh please drop something?

Hey, what's that? Oh wow a huge piece of meat? Our baby loves meat. He's been a meat junkie since he started eating solid foods. He actually hears the baby food jar go "pop", and gets very excited!

Love you all.

Kindergarten Graduate!!!!!

2009-06-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Check it out!

Our girl has officially graduated from Kindergarten! This sweet certificate came rolled up with a ribbon tied around it. I'm putting this in Audrey's "baby" box! She has a keepsake box I've been putting special items in since before she was born (ultrasound pictures, videos and more).

We are so proud of Audrey! Good job sweetie and we're going to go to Chuck E Cheese this weekend to celebrate her graduation and FATHER's DAY! Lots of fun and games to play!

Mommy Asks Why

2009-06-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

Wow... having a 6 1/2 year old is a challenge. Actually since the day Audrey was born I have been in trouble.

Audrey believes that she can question everything that mommy says. I say the sky is blue, she will disagree. Why oh why is that? Is it a mother daughter dynamic thing? I just know that I've always been wrong in her opinion. I also know that she values me, trusts me and believes in me. So why Audrey why do you have to argue with every thing mommy says?

She's intelligent. I love that. I just told her tonight: (she's lost two teeth, and others are wiggling) honey you will lose your teeth in the order you grew them in. I remember that you grew the right top tooth in before the left, so you will lose that one first. Do you think SHE believed me? Of course not. She had to argue.

The arguing is not limited to such that facts can prove. They are about anything I say to that girl. I told her it would be hot today so please wear short sleeves. She is wearing a fuzzy sweater. I begged her to at least wear layers in case she got hot!

I love my daughter, but I can't believe how she has to argue with everything I say. I say it's black, she'll say it's white. It seems as if she has a personal vendetta against me, but maybe it's just because she is my daughter and wants to establish herself as a powerful force. Well - I just hope she learns from this powerful force - her mother.

I know my mother was at a great loss when I finally decided to challenge her. I had been kept down and felt so unsuperior. So I should be so happy that I have given my daughter the feeling that she CAN make her opinons known. That was one thing I was robbed of. I was hoping so much to give Audrey the freedom to express herself, that now she is expressing herself into driving me crazy.

Oh, but I love her, she is strong and I am proud of her. If only she would listen to me once in a while :)

Kids having fun on Free Swingset

2009-06-01T18:22:00.001-07:00

One Cool Dude!

True Love - Sissy and Bro

Daddy's hard work pays off. The kids love the swingset! I love the swingset too! Dusty created a nice swing that can hold 350 pounds max, so all us adults can get on there too!!! Awesome!

Free Swingset!

2009-06-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an awesome swingset - for free. We'd been looking for one for the kids.

So, Dusty being the wonderful dad he is; planned about 3 hours to go dissasemble and dig up this free swingset (it had concrete).

Oh about 4 hours later I got a call from a number I didn't recognize, but I thought it could be Dusty just because... he had forgotten his cell phone.

Calling from a nice neighbor across the street, Dusty said he had the swingset loaded in the truck. Due to the pouring down rain all day long though, the truck sunk and was stuck in the mud. I was to pick Audrey up from the bus stop (40 minutes from now) and then please go pull the truck out of the mud.

Up until that time, the vote was still out on

my pretty Blazer with all the transmission issues. I didn't know whether to love it or hate it yet. But when I pulled up and hooked up to the truck and was able to pull it out of the gunk with ease, I think she finally redeemed herself.

Dusty was covered in mud, wet sore and cold. I felt so bad for him - he is such a great dad and just works his butt of for this family! It was so amazing that he loaded this swingset into the truck himself, I had to post a little of the ordeal and the photo of ol' Babe loaded down!

I'm so proud of old babe (truck) for hauling this load home too!

Starry Starry Night

2009-05-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

Song of love and of heart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dipFMJckZOM

Don McClean. My heart breaks. I love these words.

Later Mater

2009-05-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

Brogan is ready to go cruising! His balance is a little shakey, so we have to be ready to catch him, but he REALLY LOVES his new Mater!

Happy Birthday Brogan!

2009-05-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Brogan's Birthday party with cake and fun! Audrey and Dusty made the cake, Dusty decorated and cleaned off the kitchen table (of all Audrey's coloring stuff!), whew!

Pictures of the fun!

The Cake!

And Brogan's piece of cake w/Spoon!

Audrey and Brogan - the Party progresses... (aka Sugar high)

Cleaning up the Chocolate Cake!

... and finally, crashing out from the chocolate cake!

The Blazer is back and strong!

2009-05-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

After much ado - finally the Blazer came home. Seems like a combination of everything took it's toll on the poor transmission. The computer was actually fried on one side, there was a crack somewhere in the housing, the pump and some valves needed replacing and a whole bunch of other stuff.

I have to give credit to Mike's in Issaquah for standing by us and going above and beyond what his obligation was. He told us he would fix it, and he did. I would not hesitate to take another vehicle there or to recommend a friend there. He was just so nice to us.

Glad to have the blazer home!

Springtime Sunshine - finally

2009-05-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

Brittney soaking up the sun!

Finally some warm days. It's been a pretty hard winter. Since we moved up here from the Auburn area which doesn't really see a lot of snow to Duvall that seems to get every flurry that passes by, we've been asking ourselves if we've moved to Alaska!?

This is a family of sunshine people. We love the sun and it's warmth. Even the dog is happy.

Still no Blazer

2009-04-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

So - the transmission shop (reputable shop too - our family has had 7 transmissions redone there!) - so this is what we've been through since we got stranded on the side of the road to Oregon:

Transmission pump blew. They replaced that and the fluid pressure was pretty high. That would make the pump blow again.

We had a check engine light - error code 43 which is the knock sensor. Well after researching knock sensor issues - seems like that can retard the timing, make the whole engine sluggish and put extra pressure on the transmission. We had that fixed. It turned out to be a piggy tail thing off the back of the sensor that was broken, so that didn't cost too much.

We took it back to the transmission shop after having that work done, because they wanted to see if that was the cause of the high pressure in the transmission. Turns out that wasn't it.

We took the Blazer back in on Tuesday, April 14th. It was nice that Don was in Seattle because Dusty was able to call him up and ask for a ride back home. I didn't have to interrupt my work at home day for this errand. I am not being callous, I am being responsible. It's hard for me to justify having a telecommute day when I'm not there to get any work done, right?

So now it has been a week and a half or so... and still no rig. Apparently, they think there may be a crack somewhere. Mind you - we've been told we need a new computer, a new chip, a new valve in the trans and everything else in between. So the shop is going to check for a crack on Monday.

Monday starts a busy week for us. Brogan has follow up doctor appointments for his lungs, and then on Wednesday for his heart for a cardiogram and an ultrasound. He was born with a hole in his heart, so we are very concerned and anxious to find out if it is closing itself up like they thought it would of if there is a problem. He is a strong baby, but I worry when he gets super active. I don't want anything to happen to my little love.

I'm remaining optimistic - what else can I do? All will be fine and work itself out and we will get our Blazer back, and our son will be fine. Our daughter is feeling so much better too. I am blessed with the gifts of love and family like I never had when I was a child growing up.

Still no teeth and sick big sister

2009-04-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Brogan is a hearty eater! He wishes he had teeth so he could eat some real steak. We get him Earth's Best Organics and also Gerber meat. He loves his meat. He eats a good balance of fruits, veggies, entres and meats AND he eats well!

He's such a strong baby, he will demand you give him your hands when he is on the floor - from his tummy he will grab your hands (with you grabbing his and keeping him secure), and he will walk himself up from a laying on his belly position to a full standing up position. From there, the huge smile appears and he takes good steps, then wants to push back and forth with his arms and have loads of fun!

This was so cute: He got ahold of one of his socks yesterday. He draped and pulled his sock around his foot. He KNOWS where his sock is supposed to be. It was awesome.

So - SISSY is really sick. It started Saturday night with a temperature. Sunday was worse, and Monday was no better. Her temp was up to 104 by Monday night. Tuesday I took her to the doctor and with a urine sample, determined that Audrey has a bladder infection. Her temperature was still on the rise - up to 105.7 this morning. She had a dose of the perscribed medication Tues night, and Wed morning (this morning). The doctor did tell us it would take about 24 hours for the medicine to start working. We have been giving Audrey tylenol of course to keep the fever down.

Poor girl. Last night, Dusty asked her if she wanted to roast a marshmallow - she LOVES this. Dusty had the barbeque going, and that's where they roast them - Audrey said no thanks, she just didn't want to get out of bed. Dusty came out of her room saying "that girl is really sick". Yes she is. She didn't eat the ice cream I gave her for "dinner". She didn't have more than 3 sips of the milkshake that came with her happy meal and she didn't eat any of that - Tuesday after the doctor's visit.

We've all been worried - Brogan has been extra grumpy - to show his worry about big sis. He loves her so much, and is upset that she's home and not happy/playing with him. Mommy and Daddy have some worry bothering them - and Brogan is an extra perceptive child.

Things seem on the mend. Now if I can only get my blazer back from the transmission shop! Then we'd have at least more than one vehicle!

The Road Trip That Wasn't

2009-04-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sweet Baby Boy

Packing for our trip - two adults, one 6 year old and a baby. Oh and a dog.

So we had 3 sets of pajamas, at least 3 changes of clothes (5 for the 6 year old and extras even for the baby), dog food enough for 4 days and tons of BABY FOOD... cereal, fruit, vegetables, dinners (like risotto with vegetables & cheese) AND meat. Brogan is definitely a carnivore.

Diapers, can't forget the collapsible bowls for dog water & food, chips to snack on, a brownie, and of course Audrey's MP3 player, portable DVD player and the handheld Leapster II game system.

... and - that's not even the half of it. All boxed and bagged and packed in the Blazer, away we went Thursday morning on the road by 10 o'clock. That's pretty good considering all of the beings we had to get ready for this adventure to Grandpa and Grandma's house!

The morning journey went well. Brogan slept (he had a full tummy from breakfast), Audrey watched a movie. Dusty and I visited, and listened to music. The Blazer has no radio, but at Audrey's request, we had brought along my iDog - and we had everyone's MP3 players - so I plugged in Dusty's and we got to listen to music. NICE.

We stopped just a bit past Toledo, WA for lunch. Brittney had her potty break and water. Brogan had a big lunch and a cookie. Audrey ate almost all of her huge cheeseburger and we all got a chance to use the restroom and generally took our time. Dusty went over and gassed up the Blazer, let Brittney out again for a potty break and then we all loaded up to continue on. We were all quite happy.

Then, just as Dusty was getting up to speed, merging on the Freeway - NOTHING! No GEARS. No transmission! He steered us over to the side of the freeway safely where he tested the other gears. No reverse. Nothing in 4x4 mode. Just nothing. The engine was still running, and we both thought this was a nice thing, a bright note.

The two of us (parents) were ready for tears. WHAT DO WE DO NOW? I don't know. "Call the insurance company?", I said. I thought we had some kind of roadside assistance or towing on the policy for the Blazer.

We were both thinking, would a tow truck be able to take us all? Is Dusty going to have to hitch hike home? Will there be a seat for Audrey? Will she have to get home somehow with Dusty? What about the dog? Then - what about our VISIT with grandpa and grandma? They haven't seen Audrey in two years, and have never seen Brogan. We were so disappointed and very very WORRIED for our little family.

At least we found out that in the state of Washington, you CAN ride in your vehicle that is being towed as long as you have your seat belt on. I wouldn't feel too comfy, but I did know that Brittney was safe and OK.

Before Dusty called the insurance company, he called his Step Dad to find out if he was in Oregon or Seattle (like, can you come get us?). Interesting enough I heard Don's voice through the phone raise a few octaves; "I thought you just had that fixed!". Yes, so did we dad. I just understood everything you've said without having speakerphone on! Wow. UG. Well he was down in Oregon, way way south so no help there.

The insurance company - after fumbling around a bit and dropping the call during the transfer to the towing company - did come through. Only they would cover just hookup and towing to the nearest shop which was 22 miles away. Oh and now there's a whole other bucket of worms - but at any rate, our warranty is only good at the shop it was fixed at in Issaquah. Normally, our warranty would get us fixed in just about every state. BUT - since the man that sold us the Blazer went and drove off with the Blazer using his extra set of keys, without paying Mike, and now Mike is trying to honor a warranty , but he never got paid the first time around.

To put everyone's mind at ease - I just signed us up for Triple AAA.

So 457 dollars and change got us to Issaquah. I have to say the tow truck driver was a really wonderful guy. There was also a "back seat", thank goodness so we could all sit in the cab. Brittney was fine in the Blazer. The driver had six grown daughters and some grandchildren and really was sweet with our kids. He didn't use any foul language either. He was just so nice. So the ROADTRIP back was pleasant.

HOW do we get home then? I called my wonderful friend from work - Ritesh. He has often told me if I need help, please call him. I felt bad taking him away from his family, but was so kind when he rescued us and got us all home (even the dog). We were tired, and the kids were hungry and he was so kind to come get us and take us all home. If he ever needs help with anything, we will certainly be there. We've always been there. He has a beautiful 5 month old son and is the happiest dad ever (next to Dusty that is). So his boy Daksh has inherited a few toys from Brogan.

Well, the 457 dollars and change took our trip money away. You know, we just don't have money laying around to waste so we will have to plan to make the trip again in a few months after saving up.

I do have to say that the transmission shop's owner was very sad for us. When he found out the whole story - the whole family stranded, he was very apologetic and he fixed the transmission for parts and didn't charge labor. I picked it up today and am very glad to have my baby home. He said it is mechanically sound and will be fine now. I hope so.

Is it 5 o'clock YET?!

2009-03-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it's got to be 5 o'clock somewhere! What a Doll!

Brogan and the Noodle

2009-03-23T18:22:00.001-07:00

Brogan is going to get THAT noodle!

My babies

2009-03-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

So sweet together... I am so proud of my babies.

Audrey has been more interested in her baby brother as he becomes more interesting. He moves, he looks and smiles and squeals in delight at the things she does. Oh, this big sister has declared her love for her baby brother and no one in the world will be able to call him names, hurt his feelings or upset him in general without dealing with HIS BIG SISTER.

And now for something I think you'll really like...

2009-03-10T17:04:00.001-07:00

Hmm, or not.

Scrambled Eggs! Wow Mom!

Isn't that how it always goes.... after the initial shock though, he seemed to really like his scrambled eggs!

Snow Day for Audrey

2009-03-10T16:56:00.001-07:00

Brittney and Audrey playing in the snow together.

After daddy ran over her snow dog with the Monster Blazer on accident, here is Audrey being bossy and saying "Can you make sure this doesn't fall off of here?". She did remember her manners, but bossy as ever.

Stinker Faye - bossy as ever.

Taking Brittney's ball away... AGAIN.

What a stinker and what a sad dog. Brittney's just waiting for that ball to drop!

More Snow fun!

2009-03-09T18:18:00.001-07:00

Dusty couldn't resist - he remembers driving his ol' Toyota up hills.

Looking good here.

Daddy Help!

2009-03-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

Well he's playing... and he knows daddy will help him out!

He was mad, then daddy did help him out! I don't know if that made much of a difference, altho it did get Brogan closer to the balls that he wanted to grab hold of.

Great Smile Baby!

2009-03-03T20:05:00.001-08:00

Such a sweet heart! He loves mommy.

Stay a baby as long as you need to

2009-03-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

I've got a friend whose daughter had a baby a week before Brogan was born. When I saw the beautiful pictures of her granddaughter, and the cute toothy smile and wow she was sitting up and wow standing (cruising) up... I was so surprised to find out my son is so far behind! To us he is just a normal baby, doing baby stuff. It's been 6 years since I had my last baby.

My friend's granddaughter has 6 teeth and my son has no teeth. My son can't even sit by himself unassisted but he is very strong and is doing things his own way. I'm so proud of his accomplishments and so proud of him every day! He really cruises around and even though he isn't crawling, he devises a plan of "rollovers" to get to where he wants to go. I think that shows great intelligence and forethought. My son has Down syndrome.

I love my baby son and I think he is so beautiful and I am very proud of him for all that he does. I feel very blessed to be graced with this extraordinary soul. I do believe that Brogan was sent to me as a gift. He is a special soul and mother earth or father, or some power knows that I will cherish this child no matter what.

His sister grew up so fast and Brogan is taking his time. He's my baby son, and maybe he is getting spoiled extra because he is our last baby - and his sister spoils him extra because he is her baby brother... and he is my son - my SUN, my love.

Boys are a little slower than girls I've read, but this boy - he is special and wonderful. His family will adore him and help him - we will help him work hard; exercise and get those muscles moving! Sissy and mommy made up a cute little baby exercise song too.

He has great facial muscles, heck look at the dimples when he smiles. I worked for a week AFTER we finally got him home from the hostpital and the NICU to breast feed my baby. This is great oral therapy. It was hard, because he may have been drinking mommy milk - but idit didn't matter what nipple it was coming from at the time in the hospital. We wanted him feeding well and at home. I figured we could work on the rest, and we did. Brogan likes his boob, and his milk and even now when he's eating 5 solid meals a day, he always wants to nurse when I come home... and always wants to nurse when it is bed time. Come on moms just don't give up. It may be hard, but try. It is a special time when you can put the whole world on hold because you are feeding the baby. It is a closeness you will never feel in your lifetime after this baby is weaned.

LOOK at his long pretty hair curling over his ears! He loves his mom too.
I Cherish my beautiful son.

At any rate Brogan is a baby and he will be a baby longer than other babies. I've accepted that. I think I am enjoying this lingering in babyhoodland for my own selfish reasons. I am a working mom and missed out on so much of Audrey's babyhood and she just grew up so fast. Brogan is just giving mommy a chance to enjoy every little thing that I missed, right? OK I'm not delusional here, but I can put a positive spin on my son's developmental delay, can't I? I just love Brogan and will forever and he has a great and loving family. He is so sweet and wonderful, I wouldn't wish him to be any different than he is.

I love you son - your Mom.

Early Support - Helping Every Child Succeed - UK

2009-03-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

A UK Site: http://www.earlysupport.org.uk/decMaterialsZone/modResourcesLibrary/HtmlRenderer/Dev%20journal%20Downs.html

I think the UK must be leading the way in Ds... or I'm sadly not finding the latest interesting info on the internet for Ds. I did like their website very much and I've found some other UK sites with more caring information than could be found in the US. Please see their Early Support News:

http://www.earlysupport.org.uk/decNewsZone/modResourcesLibrary/HtmlRenderer/News1.html

I downloaded the entire 11 step Journal, I'm excited about using this, I hope others will be.

Gentle Brittney

2009-03-02T16:55:00.001-08:00

We have this wonderful "mutt" reddish cattle dog type DOG that I swear will purposely come over and sit on you making sure to place her little doggie elbow right in the center of your bony unprotected foot.

This is the same dog who will step lightly around the baby and not ever even bump into him or harm him in any way. She is very cautious with her little friend. Brogan loves Brittney and he smiles whenever she comes to lay down beside him. She lets him touch her fur, play with her ears and grab her tail. She kind of draws the line when he touches or grabs for her feet and will get up and walk away.

My husband took this picture of a tired "played out baby" in his play area and his gentle guardian Brittney. You can tell she's not sleeping, just sucking up some "baby love".

The View from Our Kitchen Window

2009-02-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

From my kitchen window I see - a steep hill covered with brush staring back at me. Every once in a while though, I get the pleasure of seeing these guys napping and eating on the hill.

Here you can see the "arm" of my kitchen faucet...

Here is one of the babies taking a nap on the hill.

From my kitchen window you can see how close they come to the house. It's a surprise some days to look out and see a deer grazing right next to the house!

Finally - a new rig

2009-02-18T18:15:00.001-08:00

So we thought we bought a Dodge Durango two weeks ago, until the bank decided not to approve of my loan. What?! I sent them all of the information they wanted - but the GAP insurance company would take 30 days to take care of the claim. Even though they faxed the Dodge dealership the information they requested, even though.... blah blah - just didn't matter in the end.

I thought we were approved when we drove off the lot with the Durango. Apparently I was mislead. So, today I had to take it back to the dealer.

We'd been looking on Craig's list for a vehicle to buy when we found out about all of this. Dusty got ahold of the person selling a Chevy 4x4 that I liked.

I asked Dusty last night to please get the deal done and get me into the rig today! Otherwise, he'd be driving me to work early in the morning and then dropping Audrey off to school. That's a whole lot of inconvenience for my kids and my husband. More than I want to put them through.

Dusty got the deal done today, and I have this beautiful monster truck to drive. It goes right up our driveway with no problem! I love it! I think it's gorgeous too.

Goodbye old friend

2009-02-17T09:05:00.001-08:00

Roscoe

We lost Roscoe this last weekend to intestinal cancer. He was a great dog, and the family loved him and all of his quirks. Audrey is sure that his soul is sitting on her shoulder. The vet was very gentle with him and he passed quietly.

Goodbye Roscoe, I will miss your wheezing at night, I'll miss your excited "talk" and your hard head when I stepped over you.

Always and Forever

2009-02-05T20:01:00.001-08:00

I was probably 14 years old the first time I heard this song. It was probably at the skating rink. I thought to myself if I could find a person to sing this to with all of my heart I would be happy forever. It's taken me forever, but I've finally found that one person - Dusty. Now, because of Dusty and my children, I can sing it to my heart's content, and no one boos. I'm not the best vocalist, but my husband and my children do love it when I sing to them. I love this song. I have loved this song since I heard it the very first time so long ago.

One of my most favorite and the best loved songs in the world, this is the Original and the ONLY version worth hearing:

Johnnie Wilder, Jr. (Johnnie James Wilder Jr. 3 July 1949 – 13 May 2006)^[1], was the co-founder and lead vocalist, of the international R&B/funk group, Heatwave. Heatwave wasa a popular group during the late 1970s, with hits such as "Boogie Nights", "Always and Forever" and "The Groove Line" on which Wilder sang co-lead vocals.

In February 1979, a van struck Wilder's car, paralyzing him from the neck down and hospitalizing him for a year.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Wilder went on to record other albums with the group and later began a gospel career, singing a cappella on albums My Goal and One More Day.

He died in his sleep on 13 May 2006 at his home in Clayton, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton at the age of 56. The cause of his death is unknown.

Forever and Ever Amen

2009-02-05T07:12:00.001-08:00

Just Us

2009-01-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

Here's our average every day fun evening. We play with the baby and we play with Audrey. Audrey, Dusty and I read a lot of books together too. We're pretty boring, but I love this video. It's JUST US.

Then MY car crash - a miracle

2009-01-22T18:08:00.000-08:00

As if Saturday's shake up was not enough, fate decided to pay our family another visit. On my way to work Monday morning I encountered black ice on the road. The first patch I navigated successfully through, and I was going fairly slow when I hit the second patch.

I was terrified as I made the decision to head more to the center of the road instead of the right side where there was an extreme drop off down into Cherry Valley and no guard rail. I thought I may be able to right myself again and slowly make my way to work. I saw that I wasn't going to get out of this. So I put my foot on the brake, braced my other foot and gripped the steering wheel. Then I said "Oh, Dusty this isn't going to be good".

I slammed into the hill on the left side of the road immediately after that.

The ride wasn't over YET as the car rolled over onto it's top and spun around. After I hit the embankment and the car started to roll over, I don't know what I thought - my survival instincts must have kicked in. When everything stopped moving I found myself hanging upside down with the seat belt holding me in place.

Frantically I tried to figure out which side of my body the seat belt latch was. I was upside down and couldn't find anything. When I found the seat belt latch, I braced myself with my hand on the roof and my knees under the steering wheel to keep from falling on my head. I released the seat belt and still bumped my head, but not too bad.

Next thing to do was to get out of the car. I couldn't believe it, but the car was still running! I turned the key off, but couldn't figure out why the keys wouldn't come out of the ignition so I left them there. I got to the door and tried to open it. It wouldn't open. I looked to the back of the car and then a flash of memory helped me understand that the doors were still locked. The car was still in gear.

I had pounded on the glass when I saw 2 men standing outside of the car, kind of watching and wondering what they should do. I mouthed, "I can't get out", but before they moved an inch I unlocked the door and was so relieved when it opened freeing me from the trap.

The bystanders were stunned! They didn't expect me to come crawling out of that wreck unscathed. But sure enough, I was just shaken and not seriously injured. I had some sore muscles the next day for sure. I got out of the car and looked back inside of it very much wanting to find my purse only to remember that I'd left my cell phone at home that morning. I did eventually find my purse - it was on the other side of the car looking like someone had picked it up and put it down in the road for me. It had been open on the passenger seat and every time it has tipped over everything always falls out of it. This time though, everything was still tucked inside. It was amazing.

This was not the end of the ordeal by any means. Now the Fire truck, EM Ts and police needed to be called in. A sweet bystander let me use his telephone to call my husband. I told him "I'm OK sweetheart, but I've been in an accident and the car rolled". He was on his way with the kids. I knew Audrey would freak out when she saw the car and she did. I assured her when they got there that mommy was OK. Mommy was so OK she was strict and grouchy and bossy and then sorry and hugging her. Audrey did feel much better after all of that because she could see that her mommy was indeed OK!

The accident happened at about 8:10 in the morning, and we got all done and finally home by 10:30. Let me tell you - accidents take a long time.

When the King County Sheriff finally arrived he was very upset/excited. He saw the kids in Dusty's car and thought they had been with me in the accident. They weren't thank goodness! When I let the sheriff know it was only me, he got very stern and told me he was going to give me a citation for driving too fast. I had a confused quizzical look on my face, because I knew I hadn't been driving very fast at all! It turned out that after the sheriff tried to move his car up the road and couldn't get any traction he decided not to give me a citation. Oh thank heavens! I heard the firemen and the Duvall police talking about the call they just made to the sanding trucks to get out to Cherry Valley road because of the ice danger. People were very surprised - they didn't know who the "victim" was simply because I was standing there and looked as O.K. as any of the witnesses.

I was cleared by the EM Ts, the Sheriff declared it a no-fault incident, and the tow truck arrived to clean up the mess. I called my boss, and called my co-worker to get the news out that I wouldn't be coming to work that day. Then I spend the rest of Monday and all of Tuesday hugging my kids and my husband and thanking my lucky stars to be walking around and OK.

I only hope we can get another car for me to drive to work. Dusty is working on fixing his truck so I can use that until we find out what the insurance company says.

I was back to work today, and when someone asked "How are you?", I said "I'm so happy to be here" and I meant it.

Audrey's Eye Exam

2009-01-20T17:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday - after the ordeal of the tree hitting the truck (and knocking out power). We did continue on with the plan of the day. Get Audrey to the eye doctor.

So it turns out my beautiful daughter has the eyes of her father. She'll be in glasses all her life with 20/50 in one eye and 20/80 in the other and astigmatisms for both.

Looking at frames for her glasses was very exciting for Audrey and she loves the ones that she picked out. She had her choice of any kind she wanted of course.

That brought back memories for me... I saw the row called "Youth". They were in the 10 dollar range. Those were the frames you could pick out if welfare was buying your glasses. Those were the frames that I had to choose from when I was a child. I would just die if I had to do that to my daughter. She is fortunate to be able to pick out the super cool Hanna Montana purple frames that make her look like a movie star! I'm so happy that I can give her that - and even if I couldn't afford it, I would just make it happen. I'm so sick that I would give it to her anyway.

I can't subject her to the attitude that my parents had toward me. Audrey is beautiful, she can have any glasses frames she wants to make her feel like a superstar. I wouldn't want to destroy a beautiful girl's dreams by telling her she has to choose UGLY frames, and oh by the way - the super unpopular girl in school already is wearing those frames, so don't even try to fit in.

Well my parents moved a lot of times. After suffering welfare glasses and suffering with going to school and seeing the other girls with the same frames I vowed I would never let my child be so mortified, humiliated or embarrassed as I was. I guess I was too sensitive - but HEY - if you want to criticize me, walk a mile or two in my shoes OK?

I know it sounds ungrateful to my parents and I must have been some vain shallow teenager (I was actually their slave, housekeeper and babysitter and a straight A student), but it hurt me a lot - I should be happy I even got glasses to begin with. But as a girl there should be something that lets us be selfish about our looks. As a parent, I know that I am trying to instill confidence for Audrey in how she looks - how she wants to wear her hair this way or that and how she wants to wear some weird clothing combination. She is my darling and I won't hold her back by telling her she has to wear ugly glasses!

I just refuse! Wait till you see the pictures, she is so cute in her new glasses!!! Come on - money is money and it spends on Ram en noodles just as well as it spends on something your daughter wants very much. I can't deny my kids the GOOD stuff. I'm seriously fucked up because of my childhood, but I really want my kids to have all of the normalcy's, to be spoiled rotten, to not be held back by "my mom (dad) can't afford it, or won't let me because they can't afford it". ACK, that is the worst thing for a Kid!

I guess I am shallow. I got hurt, and don't want my kids to be hurt by monetary descrimination.

My priorities are my kids' happiness and well being. My kids always look their best and feel great when they go out. This confidence builder has no price tag. I only wish my step dad had the common sense to see that it didn't matter if we lived in a tent as long as our clothes were clean and our style was cool. I could care less about how he felt about feeding us - because in all fairness, he didn't feed us, the state did. I thought and still feel that he was a very selfish man. That is a WHOLE big can of worms... that I may write about sometime.

The season of accidents

2009-01-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

This has been a terrible last few days for us.

First Dusty was clearing trees from the property that were hanging low over the power lines. He'd made great progress too. Then as I was coming down with the kids in the car to help him out - he was working on a very dangerous tree.

Before I had the words... "it's going to hit the power line" out of my mouth, there it went. The tree hit the power line. And where DID that white F-150 truck come from? The tree landed on the truck's windsheild, jarring and startling the woman driving it.

It was a foggy day, cold and still. Dusty called 911, and aide cars, firetrucks and the sherrif all arrived.

It was all very scary - and I'm sure especially so for the woman in the truck. We were so worried and scared. She was checked out by the aide car and seems ok. Thank goodness.

For us - another financial obligation to be met.

Joy Boy

2009-01-16T23:21:00.000-08:00

Brogan is so dear to my heart and so loved by us all that there really is no seeing him as having a disability. I call him my joy boy and above all else I love my Joy Boy, just love him so much and wouldn't want him to be any other person than who he is.

I didn't know how I would feel about having a child with Ds... but I would challenge anyone in this universe to tell me that he is not beautiful. I love him, and I WOULD never wish him to be any different than who he is. We really don't know what the future is for Brogan. If being "normal" would inhibit his natural social abilities, then I need to say no thank you. This community has wrapped him up in so much love and support that he doesn't ever need to live anywhere else.

Thankfully Santa Claus was good to us this year. We were skeptical and afraid, but that lovely Elf gave us a holiday to remember. Mrs. Claus came to visit with us while we were at the Duvall Tru Valu store and had many kind words to say to and about both kids. People love to talk with us about the kids. It seems they are so charming - Audrey is something else! Brogan is a charmer with his baby smiles. I do feel blessed.

Where were you hiding these!

2009-01-14T17:25:00.001-08:00

Brogan goes after his cookie with gusto!

I was feeling like maybe I was rushing it a bit when I brought home the box of teething biscuits, but Brogan didn't think so! I'm sure he thought I was holding out on him.

Since we've introduced "solid foods", he's lost interest in bottle feeding. He only nurses at night now or before naps. No more bottles mom - boob or food for this kid!

More please!

Ambulances and Firetrucks

2009-01-11T10:54:00.001-08:00

Getting people out of Duvall to the hospital

I found out why I saw so many ambulances and firetrucks on the Woodinville/Duvall road when it was closed due to the flooding: They were meeting the boats that our fire department have for just such an event and taking people out of Duvall to the hospital. Article at Komo News.

Racing the Water

Trying to get into Duvall before they close the Woodinville/Duvall road

The Road is Broken!

2009-01-11T10:47:00.001-08:00

Flooding in Duvall Jan 9, 09

No way out!

Stranded Cows

Audrey was very worried about the road being broken!

Duvall/Woodinville Road - after the water recedes, we found this picture of the damage. The road was closed for another 2 days while they fixed it.

We're hoping that Safeway has eggs, soda pop, water, coffee, bread, chips... food in general! Dusty got the last two bags of Ruffles.

Today's Doctor Visit

2008-12-22T19:39:00.000-08:00

What a day! Duvall has at least 2 feet of snow on the ground.

Audrey's climbing toy - snow art

The plan was that Dusty would take Brogan to the doctor today and I would stay home, work and keep Audrey occupied. We all know about plans!

Everything started out ok – then I got a call from Dusty. “Bring a shovel”. He was at the bottom of the driveway, and wouldn’t make it out onto the road. Our driveway is a challenging .10 mile steep hill. I ended up pushing him on the 3 wheeler up a bit of it on Sunday after he and Audrey came back from the grocery store.

After puttinng the snow chains on our trailblazer, Dusty was frozen and wet. We all got into the car, since we were there and frozen too, except for the baby who was hot and sweaty in the car! Daddy - so worried about him had the heat on full blast. Ok, so after I unzipped Brogan's jacket, and dried his hair, we all got in the car and went to town. We got to Brogan's doctor appointment 40 minutes late, but not bad. They still got us in ok. While Dusty waited, Audrey and I walked 2 blocks to the QFC to get her something to eat. She was "STARVING"! She's also a mega drama queen. We've decided that visits to Brogan's doctor should be accompanied by survival foods because no matter what it always seems to take 2 hours.

Brogan was just supposed to get his shots today, but his breathing still hadn't cleared up from the last time we took him to the doctor, so we made sure they checked him out for that. A little sinus infection, plus his chest is tightening up (spasms) similar to asthma, so besides the inhaler we have been using more frequently this week, they prescribed a nebulizer and amoxicillian to kick this crud! Thank goodness. It's been a very fretful few weeks 'waiting' for him to get over it himself. A very sleepless few weeks too. I know doctors are very reluctant to prescribe antibiotics at the drop of a hat these days, but he really needed it.

Today was very challenging, bad snow, crazy drivers, sick baby and a rambunctious 6 year old! Dusty and I are just worn out, but thankful that we got through it together.

Brittney the snow dog - 9 years old

A puppy again!

Visit with Santa

2008-12-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Santa visiting Duvall is a big deal – the guy taking the pictures was a volunteer from A-1 roofing, and Santa was awesome. We think he’s the dad of the owner of the hardware store. Then “Mrs. Claus” came and visited with Audrey and talked to Brogan too. It’s really cool living in this little community! The line was huge, I think everyone from Duvall was there.

Duvall gets 12 inches

2008-12-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

Lots of snow here! Accumulated totals are up to 12 inches! I'm so lucky Dusty can drive in this stuff. We've got a 2004 2 wheel drive Chevy Trailblazer and he makes us all feel so safe like riding in a jeep 'round here!

Breastfeeding Brogan

2008-12-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

I've read a lot about how hard it is for a baby with Ds and low muscle tone to latch on and breast feed. Brogan had a tough beginning being on oxygen, and having low Oxygen saturation levels when he fed. His stamina just wasn't up to the whole feeding thing, plus he was just learning all of the breathing/swallowing coordination and I understand that that can be a lot for a newborn to learn in the first place!

The nurses ended up tube feeding him and we fought like crazy to get him through one full day of nipple feeding to get the tube taken out. By nipple feeding, I mean - ANY kind of nipple. I knew the sooner we got him feeding, the sooner he could come home and I'd work on breast feeding him later.

We got Brogan home, and I was reminded of the newborn days with my daughter, trying to get her started breastfeeding. It was tough, but we were able to get the hang of it. Brogan breast feeds quite well and has no trouble latching on.

Brogan is very lucky to have good muscle tone. His pediatrician commented that his tone was a lot better than he expected.

Since I work, I pump and bring home milk for him and when I am home I breast feed. Now he is eating solid foods (baby food) in addition to the breast milk and supplemental formula. I feel like all we do is "stuff" the baby. With his vitamins and all of his varied foods, he is doing very well for a 7 month old. I'm proud of our boy! I'm so thankful too. I love my baby so much, I'd do anything for him. He is so beautiful and so sweet. I can't imagine life without him now.

Brogan a little mad, but doing the Army Crawl!

Brogan has been doing the "Army Crawl" for a month or so now. He really gets around and now Brogan's just started bouncing up on his knees. He'll be crawling very soon! Look out! He's on the move!

Ewww Banannas!

2008-12-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

What the heck was that Mom?!

Brogan loved Sweet Potatoes, and really eats his cereal well, but Bananas?! That was the ewwwiest face I've ever seen, complete with shivers! Dusty and I couldn't help but laugh like crazy, then we got him something else to eat.

Adventures in food are fun! For both the parents and the baby!