Happy Birthday Simon!

Three years ago today. I can't believe it. 3 years old.

I was so nervous towards the end of my pregnancy with Simon. He just didn't seem to be moving so much. We went into the doctor and he gave me one more ultra sound. Estimated weight - 10.3 lbs! No wonder he wasn't moving as much. The doctor asked if I wanted to schedule a C-section. I asked if I could at least try to go as planned. That was on a Friday and he wanted to induce labor on Monday. Monday we headed into the hospital. At that point we still didn't know if we were going to have a boy or girl. He came out a whopping 9 lbs 14 oz.

He as grown into an amazing little boy. I looked back to my post when he turned two and was surprised how much is still very true. He is so loving and kind, shy and tender hearted. He is also all boy. He loves to jump and run and throw. He loves cars, trains, puzzles and books. He is becoming quite the helper. The other day he said, "I love sweeping the floor." I considered getting it on video so that I could save it for a later date when I'm sure he will no longer love sweeping.

We've had quite a week. Simon and Ian have been a strange kind of sick. Every once in a while they throw up and don't have much of an appetite but other than that they are acting perfectly fine. For example, Simon has thrown up at least once in the past 3 days. Monday was at McDonald's. I decided to be brave enough to take all three of them to McDonald's playland by myself. We were just starting to eat and it happened. I had to rely on the kindness of a stranger to help me clean up and gather them into the car. It was one of those days when you are like.. "They are being so good. I bet I can do this." Then it all seems to fall apart so quickly. The second time was at lunch yesterday (at our house). Then last night was while he was sleeping. I was afraid last night would be a long night but it was just once and he woke up wanting to eat. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we make it through today.

Snow Much Fun!

Once the fridged temps finalliy broke and before it melted away Simon and Lucy were able to enjoy the snow while Ian napped. One of Lucy's favorite snow activities is making snow angles. As you can see, she also loves snowmen.

Vanicream

This is my second product endorsement. Lucy's cheeks are very sensitive. During winter she always used to have cheeks that looked red and chapped. We tried lots of different lotions and creams. Our pharmacist suggested Vanicream. It has worked wonders. It has helped to prevent chapped skin and if we didn't apply it before she she was out it works quickly at restoring. If we apply it twice a day it seems to do the job. She doesn't even fight it anymore. Which make me pretty sure it is providing relief.

Posting Marathon

Well, my computer and blogger and finally friends again. I've finally been able to update. Enjoy!

Madi, Lucy and the Boo Boo

Here were are in Chicago waiting in the train station to take a ride down town. Aren't these two so cute!! You can also see Lucy's over bandaged hand.

Today we went to our doctor to have him remove the stitches. It was worse than our ER experience. The ER doctor told us not to mess with it and the gauze had clotted to her finger. To say the removal was painful would be putting it lightly! Good news- the doctor said it looks like it will heal well and he thinks that most likely her nail will grow back.

Thanks Aunt Susan and Uncle Jose!

Chirstmas Day!

On Christmas we always try to spend most of the morning together at our home. This year we had a little bit of a shorter time than usual because we were able to travel to Dayton to surprise our good friends James and Kelly with a special gift. Then it was to Pataskala to spend the day with my parents and my sister's family.

Here's more unsuccessful attempts at a picture by the tree!

Christmas Celebrations

I can’t believe the Christmas season is over. Most decorations are down and it’s back to work. We have really had such a wonderful season this year. Simon and Lucy were so excited about presents and traveling to visit family and friends. I’ll just do a little recap with pictures.

This was Christmas with Grandma Marcum. Simon got a Thomas set that he insisted on sleeping with and as you can see Lucy is loving her new doll.


On Christmas Eve we celebrated with Kevin’s parents. It was so nice to have some one travel to us! This was our attempt at getting a picture by the tree.

Later that evening I made an attempt at a new tradition. We made a birthday cake for Jesus, and took some time to reflect on why we celebrate.

No Pictures

I have this post all set up and ready with our cute Christmas pictures but for some reason I can't get a picture to up load.

Anyway the newest news in our house is that Lucy had a little mishap on New Year's Eve and we found ourselves in an ER in Chicago.

We had gone to visit our good friends Ben, Carey, Madi, and Luke. We had had a great time. Our kids play so well together. Madi and Lucy would have tea parties and Simon even shared his Cars cars with Luke. We had a crazy lunch at the rain forrest cafe and rode the train into the city.

All four of them were in a bedroom and then we heard a painful cry. Lucy's finger got shut in the closet door. We weren't sure how bad it was and if we needed to go to the ER but the bleeding wasn't stopping so off we went.

After a long wait and x-rays we learned that it wasn't broken but that the nail had just come out of the nail bed and that the doctor would need to do some stitches and try and put the nail back.

Our job was to try and keep her calm. We sang and told stories. Unfortunately because her nail is so small the doc wasn't able to get it back in place. She said that most nails grow back but it's not a guarantee.

I'm a little worried about the nail. It's on her right hand and what if she wants to paint her nails when she gets older? I really hope it grows back.

She has a huge bandage on her hand right now. I'd post a picture but stinkin' blogger.

The Littlest Chirstmas Tree

We've had a busy Christmas break. I came here to blog about our family celebrations but as I was looking through the pictures I noticed I hadn't mentioned Lucy's preschool program.

This year instead of just songs Lucy's class did a little play. One of the teachers read a little story while the class acted out the motions. Guess who was the lead role? Our Lucy. The title of the program was The Littlest Christmas Tree. So, I'm not sure she was cast because of her acting abilities or because she is by far the littlest in her class. Either way she did a great job!

After the program we all went back to the classroom for cookies, punch, and a visit from Santa. Both Simon and Lucy hopped right up on his lap. I was pretty surprised.

More Christmas stories to come...

Ian's B-Day Party

This post is about a month late. We celebrated Ian's b-day back in Nov but I haven't down loaded pictures since then. Yikes!

This was a before and after shot of him demolishing his cake. It was quite a sight. Most in attendance thought it was a great baby destroying cake event. I guess he only missed being perfect because the cake didn't end up on his head. I think he enjoyed playing in it more than tasting.

It was a great time and we were so thankful for the family and friends that made the trip. He is such a sweet little boy.

Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Well, there are so many new things to post. I've just taken the time to finally down load some pictures from our camera. Today's post is our tree cutting adventure.

Ever since we've been married we have gone to the Cameron Christmas Tree Farm and cut down our own tree. Once the kids came along, they've joined in on our tradition. This was the first year since they came along that we were stroller free! (Sarah was kind enough to watch Ian for us- it was a little too cold for my baby.) Simon and Lucy spent most of the time chasing each other around. It was great to just let them run.

Every year we think about getting a fir tree but they are about $45-$50 so once again we decided on a spruce. Kevin likes to get the tree as big as possible. Our choice this year is probably one of our smaller ones.

Right now it's in the corner of our living room. Simon and Lucy really got into decorating this year. They both helped. I left the ornaments off the bottom third because I knew Ian would get them. They have slowing migrated their way up the tree. The top half is beautifully decorated.

Now that my Christmas break has officially began I'll try and post some of the things I have miss. Ian's birthday party, hair cuts, and Lucy's preschool program.

Doris Kemp

I met a beautiful woman tonight. She is 87 and has a son with DS. She gave an inspirational speech at a Christmas banquet I went to. Thanks to her and many other parents who fought the schools and those with the power so that our Lucy has so many more doors open for her. Thank you Doris Kemp! I pray that I'm brave enough to continue the fight.

Wondering

Jennifer has been talking some about "the wonder pill" and things like that on her blog. If there was a pill I could give Lucy that would take away the side effect of DS would I? I would love to save her from the bumps in the road she will have as she grows. Especially as she get older(30s-40s-50s). In all honesty I probably would like to save myself from some of those same bumps too!

Then I think about how on most days I've been able to view our experience as a gift. I've connected with some wonderful people. My eyes have been opened to people who I may have never noticed before. It's really helped to shape my world view.

I've noticed that when given this option some parents would love for their kids to have an easier time but would hate to "change" who they are. That's what I'm wondering about. How much of Lucy's personality is connected to DS? Would she love to sing, dance, and perform just as much if she didn't? Would she not pick on Simon so much? Would she need less guidance when it comes to following my directions. ie "Lucy come back here."

I'm convinced that DS doesn't define who she is. I'm as sure as I can be, that with or without it she would love music, singing, picking on her brothers and ice cream. I'm sure that DS puts a spin on all of these and how they are expressed.

Would I? I don't know. That's a very complicated question.

Thanksgiving

Our computer seems to be running slower and slower these days and I'm needing it to go faster and faster. Kevin also does a lot of work from home so when I'm ready to post the computer is often busy. I haven't been sticking to my atleast once a week rule.

Anyway-

For Thanksgiving we headed up to Cleveland to gather with Kevin's family. It was such a nice time. Susan, Jose, Austin, and Zach made the trip from Texas to be with us. We were so excited. Especially Ian- it was his first time meeting his aunt, uncle, and cousins. We had a great time and yummy food. We even got to visit the Cleveland Zoo on Thanksgiving day. It was free! I'm sure Grammy enjoyed the lack of distractions while she cooked.

Trick or Treat

I know this is a little behind but I still wanted to share my cuties.

Ian= Lion Lucy= Ming Ming Duckling Simon=Rintoo Tiger

For those of you who don't have toddlers. Simon and Lucy were inspired by cartoon characters.

Glee

After a day of chasing kids, working, and cleaning up the house I love to curl up on the couch and enjoy some brain candy-TV. One of my new favorites shows is Glee. It's quirky and great! There's a lot of good things about the show. It has a lot of diversity- kid in a wheel chair, diversity of races, a teen who is gay, and tonight two people with Down syndrome. When the beautiful young girl came on to the screen I felt so nervous. How would this be handled? I actually started to cry. I'm not sure why I cried.
Moments like this I wish I was better at expressing my thoughts with words. I just can't seem to figure out what to write. Anyway...
The show ended great. I was impressed.
Maybe I got emotional because it just brought forth things I've been thinking about lately. Maybe even some fears about the road our family will walk. I don't want to be on any other road. Let me make that perfectly clear. I don't want to be on any other road. But, I am on a different road.

Happy Birthday Ian!

Every time one of the kid's birthdays roll around I'm taken back to the day they were born. Today Ian turned 1. A whole year has passed since...

I'm not sure if it's that my ob is very cautious or what but as I got closer to my due date it seemed like I was getting a weekly stress test. They never really found anything but Ian's heart rate just wasn't beating in the pattern they wanted to see. I also had 7 ultrasounds with him. I'm not sure if they were concerned because of Lucy or because Simon was 9lbs 14 oz. It was a Thursday and I went to see the doctor in the morning. He sent me for a stress test and an ultrasound and they decided they would induce me that evening.

I eventually made my way back to the hospital. Kevin and the kids dropped me off at the door and I checked myself in at about 7pm. Kevin joined me when Grammy and Grandpa took over Simon and Lucy.

They started the process and I was fine until about 1am. From 1 am until he was born it was intense. The labor was harder and longer than it was with Simon. All three or my labor experiences are very similar. I had back labor with all three. Tail bone pressure, standing, and calm control during contractions is what got me through. I know when it's getting close because I puke. (Never once during pregnancy but always during labor) Soon after that it's the weirdest feeling in the world. Like your body is taking over and you have to push and you have to push now!

Ian was born at 6:22 am. He was 8lbs 14 oz and 21 1/4 inches.

He loves to smile, laugh, and to climb! He's more daring than Simon or Lucy ever was. Right now he's still Mommy's boy. I find myself letting him do more than I ever did with the other two, with three so close I'm thinking I don't really have a choice. He's a good eater and a decent sleeper. Naps wells- Goes to bed at a good time- Wakes up too early! We are working out the kinks of him and Simon sharing a room.

Ian we love you and are so blessed that you have come into our lives. Happy Birthday!

Always Happy?

A few months back Lucy and I were at the grocery store together waiting in line. Because Lucy is so friendly and says “Hi” to just about everybody we struck up a conversation with the lady behind us. I’m pretty sure she realized Lucy had Down syndrome and said, “I bet she is always this happy.” Let me just say that line always make me giggle.

I think it was the next day that Lucy and Simon officially got in their first fight with arms swinging at each other, lots of screaming, both crying, and Daddy putting them both in timeout with more screaming and crying to follow. But of course there were sorry’s, hugs, and “I love you’s” to follow.

Lucy is quite the pleasant kid. She can make friends with just about anybody and gives the best hugs, but she isn’t always happy. I’m amazed by the myth out there that people with Down syndrome are locked into this state of perpetual happiness. People with Down syndrome are human and experience all the same emotions that every other human in this world experiences. They are, like the new Down syndrome slogan says, “More Alike than Different.”

But to make all of you happy right now, here are a few pictures of my kids being happy and loving each other:

Virus

It seems that our computer may have caught some virus because we are having trouble up loading pictures from our camera. I have some great pictures of the kids playing in the leaves and of our day at the Pumpkin Show.
We have really been enjoying this season, and we are all pretty healthy. Simon has been coughing at night but not during the day. We got a note from Lucy's preschool that a child at the school has H1N1. I don't think they are in her class. Lucy and Kevin have gotten the flu shot but our county ran out before the rest of us could get them. We are still waiting for the H1N1 shot. The medicine that Lucy takes for her JRA is an immune suppressant so she is more likely to catch things. We just want to give her the shot as soon as we can.

Grandma Lucy and Children's

I really am regretting not having my camera with me today. I wish I could have captured a picture of my grandma playing with my kids.

Today we took Lucy to Children's for a JRA appointment. In the past we have always taken Simon to Carey's but since they now live in Chicago that's out of the question. It's so much easier to handle 2 instead of 3. Thankfully my grandma (who my Lucy is named after) was free and Simon got to spend the afternoon with her. I just kept thinking how lucky my kids are to be able to have a relationship with their great grandma. She is an amazing woman.

Good news! Lucy is officially in clinical remission with treatment. In 6 months, if no symptoms come back, we will begin to wean her off her meds. It is a very slow process because there is a chance that if the JRA comes back that it could come back stronger and may not respond to the old treatment. We are keeping our fingers crossed that everything says good even through the cold weather.

We also got to see a friend today while we were at children's. We are so thankful for them and are looking forward to seeing Elli very soon!

Legend Hill Orchard

This was Lucy's first field trip of the year. I was lucky enough to be able to switch my work schedule so I could go with them. Lucy's favorite part is usually the bus ride but for some reason she wanted to ride with me. Some days she's just fine and goes into school like it's no big deal and other days I have to leave her in tears. Thankfully there are more smilie days than teary days.

Buddy Walk 09

We had a great time! We were so thankful that our friends and family were able to come and gather around us and Lucy. My parents and sister did so much to make this event run smooth. We just brought ourselves, the tent, and the banner. The banner was made by a friend. It was awesome. It's canvas so we should be able to use it year after year.
Thanks to everyone who made the trip!

1st Day

Preschool year 2. The first day was much smoother than day one last year. She went right to circle time and was very happy. When Kevin picked her up the teacher did mention that she got a little weepy around snack time and was asking for us, but overall good day! I was feeling so good. So proud of her being such a big girl.

Today was a different story. She wouldn't let me leave. HUGE tears and just wanted to be held. I snuck out during a song. I could hear her beginning to cry as I walked out the door. It felt horrible. Last year it took about a week. We are keeping our fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Madi and Luke

Carey and I were freshman roommates at MVNC. We got married the same year. Lucy and Madi are 3 months a part. Luke and Simon are 5 months a part. We were so excited when the moved back to central OH from CA a little less than 3 years ago. Saturday we celebrated Luke's 3rd b-day and said goodbye again as they move to Chicago. We will miss you so much!

Time is flying by these days. I'm back to work so I've gotten a little behind on the blog world. This past week we have been getting ready for Lucy to go back to preschool.
She had a doctor's apt. with Dr. Rick. He is an amazing pediatrician. He takes so much time to sit and talk with us to make sure we have all the info and direction we need. We are so lucky to have him close. He is so informed. It's probably because he has 2 children with DS himself. We called and cancelled our yearly at Children's and decided to just see him.
After the doctor's Lucy got shots and a blood draw. Glad that's over!
We also hit the dentist this week. Hopefully some time she will let them get a good look at her teeth. We sat in the chair and her mouth was sealed shut. She didn't want to play with their tools and wasn't up for any of their games. Some fun sunglasses and Kung Fu Panda helped and they at least got to look at her mouth from afar. They should treat her like a princess. She will make some dentist very rich!
Preschool starts Tuesday. I'm nervous about this year. Her teacher will be on maternity leave and we have some things that we want to update on her IEP. I'm not too nervous though. She loves it and is loved on. I'm also excited that our neighbor Ella gets to be in her class. I hope it helps to make Lucy seem more like a 4 year old to her. Kids Lucy's age never seem to treat her like she is a peer. I totally understand. She's tiny and can't quite communicate like they do. Sometimes it's hard to see girls I wish would want to play with her choose to play with Simon.
Good luck to everyone else out there starting school.

Brownies

Lucy and I love making brownies together. This was when me made them for Ben and Sarah to celebrate the birth of their baby. She does such a good job at helping. She's starting to remember the ingredients and steps on her own. I think the eggs are her favorite part.

Big Girl

We're always trying to encourage Lucy towards independence. We try to give her that nudge or sometimes push that she needs. One area that we just do too much for her is dressing. We are usually in too big of a hurry. She can put pants on and can get most shirts on- when I give her the chance. She can put shoes on as long as they are loose (which most are- skinny feet) or sandals. If she wears her tennis shoes I always put her socks on and the shoes. They are more difficult because of her braces and JRA.
The other day I threw her clothes in the room and started getting Simon dressed. When I turned back to get Lucy ready she had unfolded her socks and put them on all by herself! I was beaming with pride. She was too.

Buddy Walk 2009

Friends and Family,

A little over four years ago our beautiful little girl, Lucy, was born. Soon after she was born we were told for the first time that she might have Down syndrome. Let’s just say that was a pretty tough first night! The hard thing about hearing that diagnosis is that you have so little information and tons of fear.

Four years later we have tons and tons of information and most of the fear has now been replaced with hope. Hope because we see this girl’s potential. Hope because we know how much love she has to give. Hope because she has blown away all the “experts” expectations. Hope because we know she is perfect just the way she is. Hope because we see the fingerprints of God all over her.

This past year she started preschool here in Mount Vernon. She thrived in her classroom! We wish you could have all been at her Christmas program where she performed so well. Watching her take a bow was just priceless! Her tutor has been making remarkable progress with her as well. She is in the beginning stages of reading some books and has started to learn to count to fifteen.

Her Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is now in what they call clinical remission, which means while on her prescribed drugs they can no longer see any affects of her JRA. This fall they are going to start working on getting her off of all medication. You should see her run, jump, and dance in ways we only prayed we get to see a year ago!

Lucy loves that she has a new little brother, Ian. She loves talking to him and playing with him. She is a great big sister to both Ian and Simon. Though you should see the things she does to make Simon mad when she wants to!

Well, that’s an update on Lucy. For all those who have been of any support or have said any prayers for her we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! For more updates go to www.beautifullucy.blogspot.com

Below is the information about this year’s Buddy Walk that goes to support an organization that has been such a support to our family, The Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio. If you want to walk with us or donate financially keep reading…

With much love,

Lucy, Simon, Ian, Mandy, and Kevin

Every year the in the fall the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio holds its annual Buddy Walk as it’s major fundraiser and celebration. And yes it is a celebration! In the words of one of Lucy’s walkers last year, “I pulled up to Crew Stadium and tears just came to my eyes.” When asked why she was crying she could only talk about what a beautiful sight it was to see over 3000 people gathered for the simple purpose of celebrating and supporting those with Down syndrome.

This year’s Buddy Walk will be held at Crew Stadium in Columbus Ohio on Sunday September 13th. Registration starts at 9 AM and the walk will start at 10 AM. There will be entertainment and activities and our team will have a tent where we can tailgate (i.e. sit around, talk, and eat.) One of the highlights is when we walk around the stadium as Lucy leads us.

If you want to join our team and walk with us all you need to do is register by September 13th. If you sign up by August 22nd you get a shirt with our team name on the back (that is if we get 24 walkers). If you just want a guaranteed shirt, without our team name on the back, the registration deadline is August 29th. If you aren’t worried about t-shirts or even walking and just want to donate some money to the cause you can do so any time before September 13th.

Individual Walker- $15 (includes 1 shirt)
Family - $25 (includes 2 shirts)
Extra shirts can be ordered for $10.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call us (740-392-3197) or email us (peterkevinson@yahoo.com) at any time.

Lucy’s team name is “We Love Lucy!”
Buddy Walk Website: www.columbusbuddywalk.org
Lucy’s Team Website: http://buddywalk.kintera.org/dsaco/welovelucy
(You can go through either of the above to register or donate)