My husband just forwarded me this article and I thought it was too cool not to share. Love the awareness that its raising for Down syndrome... I hope our kids are able to participate in sports and community activities like this and that some cool coach and sweet teammates let the kids make a great play when the opportunity presents its self! So cool.
Special play: boy with Down syndrome runs for TD in HS game
Puddle jumping
Yesterday on our way home from getting Ashley from school, Emily from school and Abby from therapy, we decided it would be no fun to go sit at home and wait til Daddy got off work, so we decided to go walk a lap around the walking trail on our street. I love this trail, its safe and beautiful and makes me so happy that I live in Tennessee. :)
But apparently when it rains for days at a time the way it has been, its gets massive puddles.
It started with, "Yes, Emily, since you have flipflops on, you can tiptoe through the puddle... but be sure to lift up your pants so they don't get wet"
Then, "Ok Ashley, you can take your socks and shoes off and tiptoe through it too."
Then, "Alright Micah, you can get out of the stroller and run through like the girls."
Finally, "Since everyone is soaking wet, Abby might as well get out of the stroller too."
Before I knew it, all of my kids were practically swimming in this huge puddle, I was sitting back laughing and taking pictures with my phone. But as the sun started to go down, I realized it was time to call someone to bring us some towels! So Papaw to the rescue! And of course he had to join in the fun before we could dry them off and head home.
We never did make it even a fifth of the way around the trail (its 1 mile) but it was an unexpected little experience that all the kids very thoroughly enjoyed. Sometimes you just gotta stop, let kids be kids, and enjoy a good puddle. :)
But apparently when it rains for days at a time the way it has been, its gets massive puddles.
It started with, "Yes, Emily, since you have flipflops on, you can tiptoe through the puddle... but be sure to lift up your pants so they don't get wet"
Then, "Ok Ashley, you can take your socks and shoes off and tiptoe through it too."
Then, "Alright Micah, you can get out of the stroller and run through like the girls."
Finally, "Since everyone is soaking wet, Abby might as well get out of the stroller too."
Before I knew it, all of my kids were practically swimming in this huge puddle, I was sitting back laughing and taking pictures with my phone. But as the sun started to go down, I realized it was time to call someone to bring us some towels! So Papaw to the rescue! And of course he had to join in the fun before we could dry them off and head home.
We never did make it even a fifth of the way around the trail (its 1 mile) but it was an unexpected little experience that all the kids very thoroughly enjoyed. Sometimes you just gotta stop, let kids be kids, and enjoy a good puddle. :)
Spencer Baby Watch 2009
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I feel like its been a little while since I've given a baby update. And there really isn't too much to report. Besides the heavy duty pressure, the baby kicking my ribs, the heartburn, the nausea (yes, its back), the dizziness (probably still from the anemia), the irritability and the psycho dreams... everything is pretty good. :)
I'm 36 1/2 weeks... almost to that point of being considered full term and as of my doctors appointment last week I'm 1 cm and 60%. Not too shabby. :)
The really funny thing this week has been that I have these bouts of energy and then near narcolepsy the very next minute. Like I just have all of this energy and rush around the house cleaning up and organizing all morning long and then I'll lay the kids down and BOOM: its a good thing they're asleep because I'm as dead as a doornail. Then as soon as I wake up (and I don't usually sleep for long) its like my heart starts racing again and I'm completely compelled to start running around cleaning again! Its nuts! lol But at least I'm getting things done and can still say that I'm "resting". :)
Despite the utter lack of room in this house for another child, its actually coming together pretty good. I've rearranged both of the kids' rooms, making more room in Micah and Abby's for toys and play space, and room in Ashley and Emily's room for the crib as well as toy space. In our bedroom the pack n play/bassinet is all set up, the changing table has been cleaned, stocked, and is ready to go. (Thats where most of Mabry's stuff "lives" for now.) My only real task left is to go through the bins of baby clothes in the attic and pull out whatever will fit her for this season... and then wash it so its fresh. :) I've already even packed my bag for the hospital and packed everything but outfits in hers.
I have such amazing friends and family. Yesterday one friend came over and cleaned bathrooms, vacuumed and did dishes for me. Tomorrow another friend is coming over to help me organize (we'll probably work on the clothing task). My sister-in-law is organizing meals for after Mabry's born (and a few before!). Two of them are going to help get Emily to and from school, and another family at church has offered to pick Abby up and bring her home from therapy on Wednesdays! I'm so blessed. And so grateful. I'm definitely NOT the person who's too proud to accept some help! I gladly welcome it! And hope that I'm able to bless others back by scrubbing a toilet and folding clothes before someone's baby comes. Because I know how much it means.
The picture above is one that my friend Audra took a few weeks ago. (This was the same day as all the others of my family on the sidebar.) I never really got any good prego pictures with my other pregnancies, so its really fun to have these. And also a new friend of mine at church (our little girls are in Kindergarten together) is a photographer and has offered to take more pictures (she took the picture that is on my profile last week), so I'm supposed to go to her house Saturday for that. Its so fun to have pictures taken... makes you actually feel pretty even though almost every part of you is swollen and hurting. :) Just kidding.
As my doctor says, I'll update more "if anything magical happens"! :)
As my doctor says, I'll update more "if anything magical happens"! :)
Dinner and a show... for the whole family!
AND its supporting the adoption of a little girl with Down Syndrome! Whoo hoo!! It doesn't get any better than that right? :) Jake and I are planning to go and take the two bigger girls. Anybody wanna join us???
Click here for details!
Click here for details!
My life as a...
vacationing tourist in Chattanooga, Tennessee. :)
A couple of weeks ago our family (as in just the SIX of us, which is still crazy to think about) had our last little pow-wow before Mabry is born. We drove down to Chattanooga for a long weekend and had SO much fun. We went to the Aquarium (of course), the Adventure Science Museum, saw an IMAX movie, and did a hike down through Ruby Falls. The kids loved every bit of it. And if it weren't for the fact that Jake and I didn't sleep a wink all weekend because all six of us played musical beds all night, we would have really enjoyed it too! :)
The highlights were Ashley posing for 4 bzillion pictures so she could show her class at school, Emily trying to "hug" all of the fish flying by her face at the IMAX and Micah and Abby running as fast as their fat little unstable legs would take them, LAUGHING, through the caves at Ruby Falls! Oh if I had just captured those two on video!
So here are some pics from our trip. I couldn't condense it down to just a few, so here's the whole sha-bam. Its long but enjoy! (Be sure to hit the little speaker in the top left hand corner of the slide!)
A couple of weeks ago our family (as in just the SIX of us, which is still crazy to think about) had our last little pow-wow before Mabry is born. We drove down to Chattanooga for a long weekend and had SO much fun. We went to the Aquarium (of course), the Adventure Science Museum, saw an IMAX movie, and did a hike down through Ruby Falls. The kids loved every bit of it. And if it weren't for the fact that Jake and I didn't sleep a wink all weekend because all six of us played musical beds all night, we would have really enjoyed it too! :)
The highlights were Ashley posing for 4 bzillion pictures so she could show her class at school, Emily trying to "hug" all of the fish flying by her face at the IMAX and Micah and Abby running as fast as their fat little unstable legs would take them, LAUGHING, through the caves at Ruby Falls! Oh if I had just captured those two on video!
So here are some pics from our trip. I couldn't condense it down to just a few, so here's the whole sha-bam. Its long but enjoy! (Be sure to hit the little speaker in the top left hand corner of the slide!)
Adoption post and Giveaway!
My fellow RR friend Christine is doing a giveaway for an Adoption decal on her blog and this post is my entry to win! :)
And as stated in her rules, I'm going to reference one of my favorite posts from her blog. And hands down (so far :)), its this one:
You can fall in love
For some background, the Reeds are an amazing family with 12 kids... some biological and some adopted. (Their youngest two were "other" angels from RR... also from Ukraine.) She is a wealth of wisdom about adoption, disruption, attachment, parenting, cooking and whatever else comes into her head that day! Christine isn't afraid to say it like it is and that is absolutely what I love about her blog. Her life isn't always perfect but she's a real woman walking out real faith. I'm proud to have "met" her online and walked a part of our adoption journey's together!
In this post, she addresses attachment issues after adoption... and I have found myself going back to it again and again since Micah came home. We haven't had any major issues adjusting by any means, but in all honesty- it hasn't been the easiest thing we've ever done either. I think so many people believe that when you adopt that it will just be heavenly... that parent and child will bond instantly because why not?... child needs a parent and parent has love to give. But sometimes it takes a little time. This is the reality of adoption. But it can and will happen if you hang in there. Thanks for the advice, hands-on tips, and encouragement Christine! Keep those posts comin!
And as stated in her rules, I'm going to reference one of my favorite posts from her blog. And hands down (so far :)), its this one:
You can fall in love
For some background, the Reeds are an amazing family with 12 kids... some biological and some adopted. (Their youngest two were "other" angels from RR... also from Ukraine.) She is a wealth of wisdom about adoption, disruption, attachment, parenting, cooking and whatever else comes into her head that day! Christine isn't afraid to say it like it is and that is absolutely what I love about her blog. Her life isn't always perfect but she's a real woman walking out real faith. I'm proud to have "met" her online and walked a part of our adoption journey's together!
In this post, she addresses attachment issues after adoption... and I have found myself going back to it again and again since Micah came home. We haven't had any major issues adjusting by any means, but in all honesty- it hasn't been the easiest thing we've ever done either. I think so many people believe that when you adopt that it will just be heavenly... that parent and child will bond instantly because why not?... child needs a parent and parent has love to give. But sometimes it takes a little time. This is the reality of adoption. But it can and will happen if you hang in there. Thanks for the advice, hands-on tips, and encouragement Christine! Keep those posts comin!
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