This might be hard to follow. So you'll have to focus. Are you ready?
We have a three bedroom house. When we had Ashley, we made the back bedroom into her room and the other was for storage and kind of an office. When we had Emily, the two girls shared the back bedroom and the other became a playroom (and a darn cute one). When we had Abby, we tried every combination you can think of between the three girls and the two rooms. When we decided to adopt and had a homestudy, all three girls went to the back room (its the larger of the two), and we cleared out the other for two boys. When just Micah came home, we didn't want him to be alone so it was he and Abby in that room and just Ash and Em in the back.
Still with me? Ok, good.
When MABRY came home, she slept in our room for QUITE a while so we could keep that arrangement. But alas, she needed to be out of the pack n' play and into a crib, so in with the big girls she went. Then we realized, Micah and Abby were not getting much sleep because one would wake up the other around 2am and they'd turn on the lights and play together. Also we were still having some "intestinal issues" with Micah, so between the two problems, Abby needed outta there. So in she went with the girls, making Micah all by his lonely self, and FOUR girls in one room.
So then, Abby started wreaking havoc in the girls' room. She was keeping the girls up at bedtime, which we tried to solve by putting her to bed first and putting all the others in after she was asleep. And then the BIG problem: every day for weeks she was waking up at 4am like it was morning and would NOT go back to sleep. We'd hear: "MABRY!! UUUUP!!" Not cool. We tried SO many things to solve this issue. It was really wearing on the other 3 girls not getting any sleep. We even tried bringing her in bed with us. But because she couldn't go back to sleep she'd toss and turn, flopping her limbs around, beating the snot out of Jake and I. I MIGHT still have bruises.
So as last ditch effort, we moved Abby's bed into our room. Miraculously, she started sleeping through the night again. I have no idea why. Maybe she was so excited to be with the girls that when she would roll over in the middle of the night, she'd see them and want to play? I have no idea. I just knew it was working and if that meant a little white toddler bed in my room, so be it. We all needed SLEEP!!!
Then thursday, I went to lay Micah down for a nap and notice the window was slightly cracked. I assumed Jake opened it and didn't close it all the way. So I closed it and locked it but left the top half of Micah's door (its cut in half, like a church nursery door) slightly cracked so I could watch him. Once he thought I wasn't watching, he took a toy bin and moved it over to the window to try to unlock it. He wasn't quite successful and gave up and went to sleep. Friday while napping, Jake was home and we were in the living room. All of the sudden we see Micah on the front porch!!! NOT OKAY AT ALL. Micah figured out how to unlock, open and climb out of his window.
So now what the heck do we do?????
Clearly we're going to try to find some kind lock for the window but until we do (and there is literally no time for that this weekend) we're having to move Micah to Abby's bed in our room (where we will be with him so he can't get out of the window) and move Abby to Micah's room (because she's neither strong enough nor bright enough {God bless her} to figure out how to unlock and open the window). But Micah (some of you who have kids with DS will understand this) is more active when he's SLEEPING than while he's awake. So my room is filled with the sound of thumping and snoring and blankets rustling and BOOM- falling out of bed. Which as a mom, you know how every little sound wakes you up? I'm getting NO SLEEP in there with that kid. I'm seriously considering moving into Micah's room (his real room) with Abby. Let the snore kings work it out together.
Meanwhile the three girls in the other room, who previously blamed Abby for keeping them up at night are laughing and giggling at bedtime, keeping Mabry up. Now, Mabry is used to this and will usually go to sleep anyway, but all of this leads to one major conclusion:
WE NEED A BIGGER HOUSE. Like, three kids ago.
Special Needs night @ Peek-a-boo Playtown!
Attn parents of kids with special needs in the middle Tennessee area!! I just got this email forwarded from a friend. If you've never been to the Peek-a-boo Playtown, check out the website below. What an awesome thing to host this night for our special families. You bet we'll be there! Come join us!
Hi All -
I am reaching out to you in hopes that you may have some contacts with organizations that help families of children with special needs. At Peek-a-boo Playtown we want to begin offering a special evening of play for children with special needs and their families every month, and our first event is Nov. 15th, 5:30-8:00 PM. Cost is $3 for children with special needs, and $5 for siblings. If you know anyone who has a special needs child or who offers services to them, would you please forward this email to them? I would really appreciate it! I have attached a flyer with all the info.
As a parent of a child with special needs myself, I understand the need to communicate with other families facing the same challenges. Sometimes just talking to another parent in the same situation can be hugely helpful. There are times when it's tough to take your child to a facility because other people may not understand your child's behavior, or the environment might not be comfortable for your child. It's nice to have a chance to let your child play and not worry about any of these things. Also, sometimes siblings with typical development cannot attend event for children with disabilities or special needs, meaning families have to split up to provide play opportunities. We invite all family members to attend this event, just let loose, and have some fun.
If you have any questions, please let me know!
Joy E. Nguyen
615-495-4965-cell
Co-owner/Marketing Director
Peek-a-boo Playtown
www.PeekABooPlaytown.com
For all my non-FB, blog reading friends and family, I promise to post pictures from our vacation soon! Actually I'm working on a montage. :)
Hi All -
I am reaching out to you in hopes that you may have some contacts with organizations that help families of children with special needs. At Peek-a-boo Playtown we want to begin offering a special evening of play for children with special needs and their families every month, and our first event is Nov. 15th, 5:30-8:00 PM. Cost is $3 for children with special needs, and $5 for siblings. If you know anyone who has a special needs child or who offers services to them, would you please forward this email to them? I would really appreciate it! I have attached a flyer with all the info.
As a parent of a child with special needs myself, I understand the need to communicate with other families facing the same challenges. Sometimes just talking to another parent in the same situation can be hugely helpful. There are times when it's tough to take your child to a facility because other people may not understand your child's behavior, or the environment might not be comfortable for your child. It's nice to have a chance to let your child play and not worry about any of these things. Also, sometimes siblings with typical development cannot attend event for children with disabilities or special needs, meaning families have to split up to provide play opportunities. We invite all family members to attend this event, just let loose, and have some fun.
If you have any questions, please let me know!
Joy E. Nguyen
615-495-4965-cell
Co-owner/Marketing Director
Peek-a-boo Playtown
www.PeekABooPlaytown.com
For all my non-FB, blog reading friends and family, I promise to post pictures from our vacation soon! Actually I'm working on a montage. :)
Rosemary or bust!
In 48 hours I'll be waking up in Rosemary Beach! I haven't been to the beach in 2 1/2 years nor have we had a vacation at all this year so I couldn't be more excited!! This trip is one huge unexpected blessing. We're going for practically free, staying the whole week with some close friends... what more could you ask for?? (Thank you doesn't seem enough to the people that are making this happen- you know who you are ;))
Abby was only a year and a half old last time we were there... and Micah and Mabry obviously haven't been to the beach with our family... ever! Micah's orphanage (if you can believe this) actually took his grouppa to the beach once a week. They were right on the Black Sea and had a little bus that they would load up and take. They told us that Micah LOVED it. In fact, the very first time we met him he was coming off of that bus. Anyway it'll be really interesting to see how he reacts to seeing the beach for the first time since then.
Ashley and Emily will have to miss a week of school but I feel like we can get away with that more while they're still in younger grades like this. Ashley's teacher gave me a packet of stuff for her to work on while we're there which is actually great, she loves stuff like that and it'll give her something to do.
We're leaving tomorrow after church. Which means I have a LOT of packing to do today. And some serious cleaning out of the Suburban. (If anyone wants to know, almond milk DOES sour when left in a sippy cup in a hot car. You wouldn't think it would, but I can verify that it does. SICK.)
And I'm so happy that I got to sneak up to the hospital last night to meet baby Ben before going out of town. And I have to say- D'Arcy, you KNOW I had to say it!!- :) he had been awake since he was born but while we were up there, I swaddled him up tight and bounced him around for a bit and I got him to sleep for the first time since he was born! Thats good bragging rights for the rest of his life! He's a sweet, strong, hungry, feisty little thing!! And did I mention he's adorable and looks just like Mindy?
So off I go to move some laundry through. And pack. And clean. And pack some more. Please pray for a safe road trip and a peaceful relaxing week! Rosemary Beach or bust!
Abby was only a year and a half old last time we were there... and Micah and Mabry obviously haven't been to the beach with our family... ever! Micah's orphanage (if you can believe this) actually took his grouppa to the beach once a week. They were right on the Black Sea and had a little bus that they would load up and take. They told us that Micah LOVED it. In fact, the very first time we met him he was coming off of that bus. Anyway it'll be really interesting to see how he reacts to seeing the beach for the first time since then.
Ashley and Emily will have to miss a week of school but I feel like we can get away with that more while they're still in younger grades like this. Ashley's teacher gave me a packet of stuff for her to work on while we're there which is actually great, she loves stuff like that and it'll give her something to do.
We're leaving tomorrow after church. Which means I have a LOT of packing to do today. And some serious cleaning out of the Suburban. (If anyone wants to know, almond milk DOES sour when left in a sippy cup in a hot car. You wouldn't think it would, but I can verify that it does. SICK.)
And I'm so happy that I got to sneak up to the hospital last night to meet baby Ben before going out of town. And I have to say- D'Arcy, you KNOW I had to say it!!- :) he had been awake since he was born but while we were up there, I swaddled him up tight and bounced him around for a bit and I got him to sleep for the first time since he was born! Thats good bragging rights for the rest of his life! He's a sweet, strong, hungry, feisty little thing!! And did I mention he's adorable and looks just like Mindy?
So off I go to move some laundry through. And pack. And clean. And pack some more. Please pray for a safe road trip and a peaceful relaxing week! Rosemary Beach or bust!
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