31 for 21 Day 31, Happy Halloween!

We didn't take too many pix tonight of Halloween but I will upload them tomorrow. Long story, will fill everyone in later! Here are the pix of Addy's photo session at Portrait Innovations! Thank you Sarah!

31 for 21 Day 30

I haven't been very good about always talking about Down syndrome during this month, however, I have posted everyday! I'm taking this from Michelle I read her post about Kayla the other day and wanted to keep it real too, however I'm not going to say these are things Addy can't do, just .... things she's not doing yet! 1. Addy doesn't stand on her own. 2. Addy doesn't walk. 3. Addy doesn't use verbal words to communicate. 4. Addy doesn't eat. 5. Addy doesn't drink. 6. Addy isn't potty trained. 7. Addy isn't into everything :) 8. Addy isn't coloring with purpose. 9. Addy doesn't run on the playground. 10. Addy doesn't go to school. 11. Addy doesn't pretend play. 12. Addy doesn't run away from me at top speed! 13. Addy doesn't throw temper tantrums. 14. Addy doesn't dress herself. 15. Addy doesn't know her colors. 16. Addy doesn't identify all major body parts. 17. Addy doesn't follow two-step directions. 18. Addy doesn't tell you how old she is (but she's close!) 19. Addy doesn't tell you her name. 20. Addy doesn't know what a gift adoption is. 21. Addy doesn't know that she has Down syndrome and is the most amazing little girl, but she will! :)

31 for 21 Day 29

Oh my goodness what a day! Last night after church Cooper was throwing some things in the dumpster for the pastor and something got into his eye! When we got home I had him rinse it out but he wouldn't stop complaining and crying! It was so sad! I gave him a cool washcloth and some motrin and told him it should help going to sleep. It didn't! Poor thing was up three times just bawling in pain! I felt horrible! So this morning I got him in to the ophthalmologist this morning. Cooper's eye was all red and swollen, it looked awful! The dr. was able to see that he had something stuck in his eyelid underneath! He was able to take these tweezer like things and get it out! It was the tiniest little speck of something! We could barely see it but it wreaked havoc on Cooper's cornea! He had many scratches on his poor eye! He felt so much better after it came out though, thank goodness! The doc said that every time he blinked he was scratching his eye and that is why it felt so much better when he kept it closed. I didn't get a pic of it this morning, he was NOT happy and he couldn't really open it anyway. However, here are the pics tonight after we've had steroid drops and antibiotic four times, MUCH better! You can barely tell which eye it was now! I so wish I had taken a pic this morning, I cannot describe the change! They said by tomorrow we'll never even know!

Tonight was the last football game so the seniors were presented before the game. We were supposed to go on the field and all that good stuff, however, we are having a torrential downpour so we spent over an hour in the gym waiting for the lightening to pass. It didn't, so we were presented in the gym after we had been soaked, the pics are going to be great! I thought I'd get a little teary but I was fine, I guess because I know that Jarika still has quite a bit of cheering left! While we were there my best friend, Susan, and her kids came over to watch Addy. She had so much fun reading and playing with Caroline, who's 7. Here they are doing little hand games, Addy thought they were a hoot! She is so more alike than different!

31 for 21 Day 28

I'm exhausted, no news on my mom's bone scan but found out that there was a "hot spot" on her right foot. That's interesting since her pain is in her back, left hip, pelvis and left femur!!! Praying we get news soon so we can make her better! I missed the kiddos last night but it was a nice little break, Addy and I caught up reading her favorite book, Llama Llama Red Pajama!

31 for 21 Day 27

A pic of Addy and her buddy Riley at the Buddy Walk, I am at my mom's house until tomorrow so I didn't get a chance for a new pic today. My mom fell out of a moving car a couple of weeks ago and is having major complications, poor thing can barely move! So I came to Springfield for a sleep over and I will be taking her to have a bone scan performed tomorrow. It looks like it could be a number of things causing all of the pain. Please pray for her!

31 for 21 Day 26

I've read other posts and decided it's time for 21 things about Addy! I have no idea where last year's post is, I'm not that tech savvy to go and find it! So here goes:

1. Addy laughs A LOT! She cracks up all of the time, it's awesome!

2. Addy "stims" on little things that she won't let go of, here are some of her current favorites: pretzel sticks, little books, blocks, puzzle pieces and a pretend potato chip.

3. Addy LOVES to brush her teeth, hated it last year but now wants to do it all of the time.

4. Avery will probably always be Addy's favorite!

5. Addy can now crawl with some speed!

6. Addy learns new signs everyday! She is amazing when it comes to her vocabulary, now if we could just turn her spoken words on!

7. Addy thinks it's hilarious to pull to a stand with your hands, especially if you sing "She likes to boogie, she likes to party, she likes to get down" Why? I have no clue!

8. Addy refuses to shake her head no or sign stop. She much prefers to SQUAWK at the top of her lungs.

9. Addy only had to be hospitalized twice in the past year!

10. Addy thinks the wind is hilarious! She learned the sign for wind and uses it most every time you walk outside!

11. Addy's favorite daily routine is bath time! She gets pretty ticked when it's time to get out! However, Addy still is in a blow up tub! I only have a huge tub upstairs and it scares her and Jarika's bathroom downstairs is frightening!

12. Addy has the cutest crooked little pinkies!

13. Addy rarely if ever is fussy!

14. Addy thinks PT is the worst thing ever!

15. Addy has discovered that swings are loads of fun!

16. Addy has overcome so many health obstacles, she is truly a miracle!

17. Addy totally uses her cuteness on purpose!

18. Addy throws a lot of things but is much better! Unless it's a baby doll!

19. Addy has learned to tolerate foods so much more! She LOVES spaghetti sauce and just about anything salty!

20. Addy has the tiniest ears!

21. Addy is a gift from God who we cherish everyday!

31 for 21 Day 25

Very busy day today! We had our fall festival at church this afternoon and had so much fun! Jake invited his best buddy Drew to come along and they had a blast! Addy even wore her Halloween Costume, isn't she the cutest Pebbles ever???? She got her face painted for the first time and tolerated it pretty well! We got a lot of cute pix afterwards too, Addy eating a sucker, stealing Jarika's cell phone, Jarika taking back her phone, and tormenting the kitty, enjoy!