A Night With My Girls

On January 31st, I headed into Pittsburgh for a night out with Lexie and Lily!

Our destination?  The Byham Theater to see The Little Mermaid the musical. 



Lexie and Lily were so excited to go and I was so excited to take them.  For those who don't know, I grew up performing in musicals and plays.  It's how I met Grant!  We were cast as Adam and Eve in the musical The Apple Tree, we started dating, and got married a year and a half later!  I couldn't wait to share something I was passionate about with my girls!

When we walked into the beautiful theater, Lexie was awestruck.  She went to musicals before, but never in a big theater, and never in the city.  Lily had never gone to a musical, so this was her first experience!



My friends, Steph and Tracy, got tickets, too, so we all decided to sit together.  Our friend, Amy, was there with her mom and ended up sitting two rows ahead of us.  The girls were very anxious for the start of the show, and luckily, they didn't have to wait long!

Lexie and Lily were amazed by the lights, the live music, and the scenery!  Lexie kept telling me, "I LOVE THIS!" and every time the lights dimmed between scenes, Lily said, "Let's see what happens next!"  I have to admit, I teared up several times over the fact that they were enjoying it so much!

The musical was really cute and followed along closely to the movie.  The leads were fantastic, and the big musical numbers were entertaining.  Lexie and Lily were captivated the entire time!





The girls loved the show, and I enjoyed spending time with just them!  I'm so glad they enjoyed their first (big) theater experience so much. I hope to attend many more with them.  Who knows?  Maybe one of them will walk in our footsteps!







By the time the show ended and we got out of the theater, it was really late.  The little girls were very tired, but Lexie was still grinning ear to ear!

However, the fun didn't end there!  The girls had a chance to meet some of the main characters, get their autographs, and get their pictures taken with them!





Lexie was the only one who cooperated for pictures with Flounder, Sebastian, and Prince Eric.  Lily was tired, and popped her thumb out of her mouth long enough to say hello to them.  But...when we got to Ariel, she sure perked up!!!



What a great experience!!!  Lexie and Lily are still talking about it!

We headed into the lobby to get our coats on, because January weather in Pittsburgh is usually COLD.  It was obvious that (most of) the girls were tired, but we attempted a quick group photo!





Even though it was already 11:30, everyone was hungry, so we stopped at nearby restaurant for a quick meal.  By the time we headed home, it was 12:30 AM, and everyone was exhausted!



I had a wonderful night with my sweet girls! We had a great time at the theater, and we can't wait to go back. I really hope they remember this night forever.  I know I will!





*I'm so thankful I have friends who love to take pictures as much as I do.  Steph captured the shots I didn't get a chance to capture, such as the front view of the theater, and the first picture from the musical.  It's hard to take pictures while a toddler is sitting on your lap through the entire show.  Thanks for sharing the pictures, Steph!  XOXO

Love Week

Happy Valentine's Week!

Holidays are a BIG deal in my house.  Even the little ones. My family will be celebrating Valentine's Day all week!

Lily has a Valentine's Day Storytime tomorrow, Dylan and Lexie have their class parties on Thursday (I'm a parent volunteer for Dylan's party), my parents will spoil the kids with goodies and treats on Friday, we are having a special Valentine's Day brunch on Saturday, and that evening, Grant and I are going out to dinner.  It's going to be a fun week!

Here's how we're celebrating Valentine's Day:

Around the house...



We don't have nearly as many decorations as we do for Halloween and Christmas, but I try to add some Valentine's Day decor throughout the house.  I've been picking up a few things every time I go shopping.  Today, I switched to a Love Story Scentsy Bar.  My house smells so good!!!

Eats and Treats...



We're snacking on Conversation Hearts and Hershey's Kisses.  I'm packing Little Debbie Snack Cakes and Iced Brownies in Dylan and Lexie's lunchboxes every day.  I'm using my favorite mug, which was my Christmas gift from Dylan.  We're using all the heart shaped plates, Valentine's Day cups, and Valentine's Day bowls. 

We're wearing...

The girls are wearing heart-covered clothing all week, and Liam has quite a few adorable Valentine's Day outfits.  Grant, Dylan, and I are just wearing red! 




Top Left: Levi Strauss & Co.
Top Right: Elle (Kohl's)
Middle: The Hairbow Company
Bottom Left:  Urban Pipeline (Kohl's)
Bottom Right:  3 piece suit (Target), Bow Tie (Lolly Lu Designs)



Hello Ladies/Love pajamas/Major Flirt






We're creating...



Dylan and Lexie are working on their Valentines.  They each picked something they are really into this year.  Which would be WWE and Ever After High!

We're watching...

 

Love Actually!  I love this movie, and didn't get a chance to watch it before Christmas.  Now seems like an appropriate time!

We're reading...



Just a few of our favorite Valentine's Day/Love books!

We're snuggling...



This heart blanket is from a lady my mom knows.  She made a blanket for Lily and Liam, and now we have this one.  She makes all the blankets in memory of her grandson, who passed away just after he turned 2.  She sews a little patch into the corner of the blankets with his name, date he was born, and date he passed away.  Even though we never met him, we think of the little boy who is loved and missed so much every time we use these blankets.

I'm planning... 



A special Valentine's Day brunch for my family.  Valentine's Day doughnuts will be involved, and I already purchased new plates, cups, silverware, and a treat for the kids (everything is from Target).  I hope it makes our day extra special!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~            

I hope you all have a great week that's filled with love! Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend!

Here are a few things that I love right now:

{ONE}

Liam is a brand rep for Lolly Lu Designs! I mentioned it briefly, but didn't want to give details until I took pictures.  Her bow ties are THE cutest! They are a quality product that I'm proud to stand behind.  She has so many designs to choose from!  I decided to start with the Valentine's Day Bow Tie.  It turned out to be the perfect accessory for his 17 month blog post/Valentine's Day pictures (coming soon)!  I love putting him in bow ties, and I can't wait to share the rest that she sent for Liam!  And can I just say that I'm thrilled that she's helping in #changingthefaceofbeauty ?!?

{TWO}

The Wet Brush.  I put this in my amazon cart after hearing everyone talk about it last Fall. I never made the purchase, but after a particularly awful scenario involving Lily's rat nest, I caved.  I immediately went out to Target and bought this supposedly magical brush. Um. Yeah.  It really is magical!  It's the ONLY brush that Lexie, Lily, and I use.  It detangles quickly and easily, without any pain!  It works great on dry hair, too.  I wish I would have known about it long ago! If you are a girl, or have a girl, go buy this. Now.

{THREE}

On Saturday, the girls and I had a night out together.  I took them to see The Little Mermaid the musical at a theater in Pittsburgh (post coming soon), and they had the best time!  They loved the show, and they got to meet the main characters after the show!  It was a night I will never forget!

{FOUR}

I just discovered the most delicious salad.  I walked past it so many times at Costco, but finally decided to buy it.  I tried it at dinner tonight, and it was so good that I didn't even eat the main course! The kit contains kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and a poppyseed dressing. I'll definitely be buying it again! 

{FIVE}

Lily had a half birthday on Tuesday.  I can't believe she's 3 1/2!  I have to register her for PreK tomorrow morning.  THAT is not my favorite (I'm in denial!), but she is one of my favorites!

{SIX}

I love snow days with my kids!  I love the fact that we can sleep in, and enjoy a morning that isn't rushed!  Dylan and Lexie had a snow day on Monday, and they were so excited.  I was grateful for a (somewhat) lazy day at home!

{SEVEN}

Matching sisters are the cutest!

{EIGHT}

My new favorite organization method is using mesh laundry bags.  They come in a pack of 3 for $1.  They work great for holding wooden puzzles, tiny dolls and accessories, magnetic activity books, and more!  I made a bunch of activity packs that the kids can grab when they are bored, and clean up is a breeze!

{NINE}

Lily loves painting, but I hate the mess!  Enter Paint Dabbers!  Lily got them for Christmas, and uses them all the time.  They aren't messy and they are so easy to clean up.  You can find them at Target!

{TEN}

Liam's face when he wants something that he can't have is the best!  Seriously, it's so hard to tell him no!

I hope you all have a great weekend!  We have another busy one ahead of us!

I'm linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika for Friday Favorites!

My So-Called Special Needs Life

I'm often asked what life is like with a special needs child.  The truth?  Life isn't that much different than it was before Liam.  Liam isn't that much different from a typical child.

This answer, of course, is going to vary from parent to parent, because EVERY child is different.  Honestly, parenting a typical child who has a severe food allergy could very well be more difficult than parenting a child who has Down Syndrome.  Parenting a child who has Down Syndrome and a heart defect is going to present more challenges than parenting a child who has Down Syndrome but no other health issues.  We all have something difficult in our lives to deal with.  It's just a matter of HOW we deal with it.

When the pediatrician at the hospital told us what he suspected, it felt like life as we knew it had ended.  It felt as if Liam's suspected diagnosis aged us 50 years and removed all the fun from our lives.  I envisioned the rest of our lives spent in our home, keeping Liam hidden away from the world.

As the fog cleared, I vowed to give Liam the best possible life and present him with every opportunity I possibly could.  Once we were home from the hospital, the busyness of life took over.  Liam was officially along for the ride.

During his first week of life, we visited his pediatrician, welcomed many visitors into our home, toured Dylan and Lexie's schools, went out to eat, went shopping, went out for ice cream, visited both sets of grandparents, and went to a big end of summer party. Liam fit in so easily with our family and our busy lifestyle.

We simply stopped thinking about the genetic tests that were being studied in a nearby lab, and focused on the boy who belonged with us.



One morning, when Liam was just a few days old, he started fussing.  Dylan, Lexie, and Lily raced into our room.  They had been waiting to see him, and they were so excited that he was finally awake.  They snuggled up around him and stayed there until he drifted back to sleep.  The love and pride they had for their baby brother took my breath away.  For the first time since those dreaded words were uttered in the delivery room, life felt perfect. 

In that moment, I knew that my husband's words in the delivery room were true.  We COULD and we WOULD do this.

Life isn't easy.  It never is.  It's not supposed to be.  Parenting a child with Down Syndrome was a hurdle I never thought I would overcome, let alone accept.  Yet, here we are, almost 18 months in, and we did it.  We survived.

It wasn't all rainbows and unicorns. But every single day was filled with smiles. Every. Single. Day.
I never understood what it meant when parents of children with Down Syndrome would use the term "The Lucky Few."  I get it now. 




There were a few moments filled with tears and frustration, but Liam always had a way of making everything okay. All it took was one look at his incredible, contagious smile! Most days, I even forgot that my son had that dreaded condition that really isn't as bad as it's made out to be.

So, how is life different?

He has more appointments than a typical child.  Liam doesn't have any health issues, so for him, it's all preventative.  He has a handful of appointments and tests every 6 months, in addition to his regular well checks with his pediatrician.  It may seem overwhelming, but very soon, it will change to yearly.

Early Intervention was the biggest change for us.  Liam isn't very far behind developmentally, but he does receive one hour each of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy every week.  Having strangers come into our home was so weird at first, but now his team of therapists are his biggest supporters, and we are so thankful for them!

One difference, which turned out to be a really good thing, was all the new people we met. The Down Syndrome Community is simply amazing.  Without Liam, we would have never met these wonderful people!

Despite a few worries over the past 18 months, Liam made our family and our lives better. His diagnosis brought some incredible people into our lives, made our family stronger, brought us closer to our friends, and made us all more aware.  Liam changed the way we think.  We don't take things for granted anymore, and we enjoy the everyday moments more than ever before.

Although there have been some changes, our lifestyle hasn't changed one bit!  We're still having fun, and Liam is living life to the fullest with everyone he loves!

We still spend lots of time with family and friends.

We still go shopping.

We still run errands.

We still go out to eat.

We still go to sporting events.

We still attend school functions.

We still attend social functions.

We still go to storytime at the library.

We still go to community events.

We still go to parades.

We still celebrate holidays.

We still go for walks.

We still go to the zoo.

We still go swimming.

We still go to parks.

We still have playdates.

We still go to countless birthday parties.

We still pick pumpkins, pick strawberries, go on hayrides, go to splash pads, and play in the sand.

We still dance around the house.

We still sing.

We still laugh.

We still smile.

We still have fun.  So much fun.

The life we are living now is the complete opposite of what I envisioned in the hospital.  It may be difficult for some people to imagine or believe, but we are truly happy.  We love Liam every bit as much as we love Dylan, Lexie, and Lily, and that love we have for him will never change. We are so proud of all four of our children, and so thankful we were given the opportunity to love and care for them.

This So-Called Special Needs Life merged perfectly with normal life. We embraced it and made it work!

The months flew by, and here we are, nearly 1 1/2 years into this journey.  It's a journey that I never imagined we would take.  It's a journey I never would have chosen.  But now that I'm here, I would choose it again.  A million times again.

Snow Much Fun!

Winter is in full swing in Pittsburgh, and the snow is falling!

We had a snowy January, and on several occasions, there was quite a bit of accumulation.  The kids were so excited to go outside to play in the snow!

On January 7th, Liam got to experience his first real snowfall.  He was too little to take outside last winter, so he only caught glimpses of it through the window or from his car seat as we ran errands.  We finally had enough accumulation, so I bundled him up, and sat him in the snow.  He reacted exactly how I expected!









He is so happy and content!  I just love his sweet personality!

A few weeks later, Dylan and Lexie had the day off from school.  It was a great day to be off, because it ended up snowing a lot!  It was the first chance we all had to go outside together.  Our dog, Bailey, ran around with the kids, and Liam went sledding for the first time!  We had so much fun!












 




Last week, the kids had another snow day!  Liam napped while I took Dylan, Lexie, and Lily outside.  We were only out for a few minutes, because it was freezing and the snow was coming down hard!






We got even more snow since then, but we haven't had a chance to go outside since the last snow day.  The way this winter is going, I'm sure we'll have many more opportunities!