tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60308232801536888432024-03-14T09:55:43.328-04:00Little Leightyn Love BugTikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-5077563437323926922010-08-14T01:26:00.004-04:002010-08-14T01:49:16.399-04:00A Fresh Start<div style="text-align: center;">Finally!!!</div>I know it has been a very long time since I let you peek into the lovely life of Miss Leightyn. When I first started this blog it was my goal to do the 30 posts in 30 days for Down syndrome Awareness Month. With that being said I felt like I NEEDED to include Down syndrome somehow in every post I made. I had visions of The Little Leightyn Love Bug Project, which focused on helping families who received a new diagnosis. I quickly realized I did not have something insightful about Down syndrome specifically to post every day, so I just stopped trying. You see Leightyn may have Down syndrome but it most definitely does not define her. It is only the tinniest portion of her being. I am turning over a new leaf with our blog and I know it will be even better. With this fresh start I can write more freely and you will see the love I have not only for my princess but for life itself! It would be impossible to keep Down syndrome from being a part of this story but it most definitely will not be the focus. We truly make the most out of every single day and I hope we can encourage you to do the same. I look forward to sharing our life with you all again soon. I hope to be able to catch you all up on Leightyns progress as well as all the adventures we have had since getting settled here in Cincinnati. So please stay tuned :)<div>I leave you with this!! ENJOY!</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFzVtcWu_KTk0GE3aVUAF0Bz67Cyfk8sOGL_tcNdcAq_VR98hyphenhyphenDwC51zMMLGZAHUAAIuuB4SfmvleHXTi14ervAZ1U79CqS-02us8mtjR8O1YmSZBshjj0uuLzQ19-RuUzLjnL4f0WRun/s400/Leightyn15months+093.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505137484933367842" />Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-31630913198749684932010-05-05T23:47:00.002-04:002010-05-05T23:48:16.792-04:00Happy Heart Day!Happy Heart Day to my little princess, Leightyn celebrates one year with a "healthy" heart today!!! On this day last year she had her open heart surgery. Thank You Nationwide Childrens, Dr.Wheller, Dr. Galantowicz, all of our friends and family for your thoughts and prayers, and especially God for blessing us with our precious girl!!<br /><br />Look for a ton of updates and pictures coming very soon, Thanks to Heather for giving me the motivation I need to get back to the blogging :)Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-34910959441386963922010-01-15T00:12:00.004-05:002010-01-15T00:22:41.310-05:00Lazy Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyrCN7kbpuXbWZGKA05N8veEaybpOPYYpL4hxCvj0moKpy8qRHbWSf-kWrY7S3O33IaKUapuz2Od9nXWjRfu07WklyXvR9a611fG91O4eY03dEdeBp6opNFIl8ypbQJmWFeLpj17LxkV3/s1600-h/DSC01680.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426832051384724050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyrCN7kbpuXbWZGKA05N8veEaybpOPYYpL4hxCvj0moKpy8qRHbWSf-kWrY7S3O33IaKUapuz2Od9nXWjRfu07WklyXvR9a611fG91O4eY03dEdeBp6opNFIl8ypbQJmWFeLpj17LxkV3/s400/DSC01680.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiBK1puv8HVRfSB7PRh16J9BgQWZjH2BD5IwxnkSn5olQh_kqn-OUL6si6t4UJAhqEHknOpdogUHz1aYs4ONvynXbyYM0g_BRE41lWcLTiBAD0_2Iqz8ITHCFeONUKpCeH1QB-eQ9z-fJ/s1600-h/DSC01664.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426831681506101346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiBK1puv8HVRfSB7PRh16J9BgQWZjH2BD5IwxnkSn5olQh_kqn-OUL6si6t4UJAhqEHknOpdogUHz1aYs4ONvynXbyYM0g_BRE41lWcLTiBAD0_2Iqz8ITHCFeONUKpCeH1QB-eQ9z-fJ/s400/DSC01664.JPG" /></a> Afghan Pics<br /><br /><div>I made a bunch of phone calls today so for a minute I felt like I was getting somewhere on my never ending to do list. I am still trying to get all of Leightyns paperwork taken care of and switched over since the move and finally set up the rest of her appointments down here today. She enjoyed a lazy day and this morning switched from last nights jammies to another pair of clean jammies and spent some time trying out a few more of her Christmas gifts. I decided to get a couple out of the boxes at a time so she has something new to occupy her every week or so, of course she was busy trying to eat the coupon sections of the last few weeks papers which I keep promising myself I am going to go through and begin to use lol. Of course the one she ate was one I might have actually used for hair color :)</div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-33276549356417954562010-01-14T14:57:00.006-05:002010-01-14T16:39:56.391-05:00Fun in the Snow!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69EYCh1aT4BeZktgbWGg_tBTpjPti7D8gdw84L_BhhpFFC8X-KNm_XnAF6yJmeo2kvVphuDVxoDiQh7D6K5jlJYBta5X-qGSjnrb2QFu_Tl_7OkoD0hlfxuB3CxRtMwKNFwu0TwOqZ-6e/s1600-h/DSC01661.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426700216332932402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69EYCh1aT4BeZktgbWGg_tBTpjPti7D8gdw84L_BhhpFFC8X-KNm_XnAF6yJmeo2kvVphuDVxoDiQh7D6K5jlJYBta5X-qGSjnrb2QFu_Tl_7OkoD0hlfxuB3CxRtMwKNFwu0TwOqZ-6e/s400/DSC01661.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRhVyA2RoFJ9E1At-3a86hABus7EX5_NL9mEl4TPuvRQjcbywaNsj4iuigBYaLc-y2Q0Z6emO0OI1Bsj_pGGpQw2uh6WuU-tkBAf2fglPhynCVwDQUFmil4jthij7BR_M8dhNriTM-EiN/s1600-h/DSC01662.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426699343619222226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRhVyA2RoFJ9E1At-3a86hABus7EX5_NL9mEl4TPuvRQjcbywaNsj4iuigBYaLc-y2Q0Z6emO0OI1Bsj_pGGpQw2uh6WuU-tkBAf2fglPhynCVwDQUFmil4jthij7BR_M8dhNriTM-EiN/s400/DSC01662.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlD9NB1u-jIUF9oEt2fmqjuWJKVgf8f0Z5i0WDzlR2bzkoC65MvLsaw19S6IKoNlHZuP1E-1o8SGCxLN1JswP5_heZ4D9qlpMJAVdmOngU6FFLsTYIv0S3VkNII__dOo-_TWDyelaaPll/s1600-h/DSC01663.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426687505709516962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlD9NB1u-jIUF9oEt2fmqjuWJKVgf8f0Z5i0WDzlR2bzkoC65MvLsaw19S6IKoNlHZuP1E-1o8SGCxLN1JswP5_heZ4D9qlpMJAVdmOngU6FFLsTYIv0S3VkNII__dOo-_TWDyelaaPll/s400/DSC01663.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Tuesday was a fun and busy day, we had speech therapy in the morning and finally got our honey bear to work on drinking from a straw. I will let you know how it works out for us soon. We have had snow here for a while and so we decided to take Leightyn and the Afghan out to play. She got a little baby sled for Christmas with a back rest and buckle so I bundled her all up, Christmas Story style, she couldnt even move and fell over under the weight and restriciton of all her layers which she was none to happy about. Once outside she was all smiles and loved the sled ride. Since it is still really cold out we were only able to do a couple laps around the front yard but I cant wait until next year when she is a little bigger and can really get outside and enjoy the snow. We brought a bowl of it inside so she could play in it and of course she had to taste it too. We also had the opportunity to meet the Early Matters coordinator for the local Down Syndrome Association, she is a Grandma to a handsome young man who happens to have a little something extra :) It was a lot of fun getting to know her and bounce some of the many bits of information and ideas we have off of someone down here. I am hoping to help her find a local therapist willing to do some therapy once a month on our side of town, so if anyone is in East Cincy and has a therapist who they use and love let me know and I will try contacting them along with Martha to get this going for us. I learn something new everyday and from her found out if we would have went about 10 more miles south into Kentucky Leightyn would automatically have been eligible for Medicaid resources based solely on her diagnosis and her income ($0) , go figure :) When I was doing all my research about moving I didnt even think to check the other states close by. I guess I was trying to keep it "easy" by only moving counties. It really is such a shame the differance a few miles can make in the resources and services available to our children. If you are ever thinking about a move and would have the option of possibly switching counties or states and not really sacrificing distance to work, family, etc. I would highly reccomend checking the resources available in the other areas nearby. We found something similar when we first moved from one home in Columbus to another and found out the next county over could have really made a differance in resources, and I said I wouldnt make that mistake again. So when we knew we needed to be in this area for Billys work I looked into 3 counties down here before making my decision since I learned my lesson or so I had thought lol. Here are a few pics of sledding :)</div></div></div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-63222187827271079602010-01-11T23:51:00.006-05:002010-01-12T00:37:11.928-05:00Afghan goes to Play Group!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd30kGFLiZMvcyZ4NvNTy47pL1IpxHU-wvxFyjr_0aDeqF8Bz8gypR9qInHVUh3AX5VYnMGd5PcAEiEDTE3v9PThfHOVe3scZ4blsZcLYp7jUCbqaIEHuH0q-vn0CxD4PPdJYljv3StlFq/s1600-h/DSC01677.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425715702545846242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd30kGFLiZMvcyZ4NvNTy47pL1IpxHU-wvxFyjr_0aDeqF8Bz8gypR9qInHVUh3AX5VYnMGd5PcAEiEDTE3v9PThfHOVe3scZ4blsZcLYp7jUCbqaIEHuH0q-vn0CxD4PPdJYljv3StlFq/s400/DSC01677.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kv1mN2zAwDE5KS9vhTHOLeVZq-TLCTx8YGf7iu-F5iQw5kq-MzpDFdH8MXBYcdMkQnamywNRoOuMY8Ku5uGY2w_h02-Hq7BBtnmZpGtyvWT_5bl_86bJXz6iZ3JMWFaxXGIfNsgp9pH4/s1600-h/DSC01670.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425715253791861394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kv1mN2zAwDE5KS9vhTHOLeVZq-TLCTx8YGf7iu-F5iQw5kq-MzpDFdH8MXBYcdMkQnamywNRoOuMY8Ku5uGY2w_h02-Hq7BBtnmZpGtyvWT_5bl_86bJXz6iZ3JMWFaxXGIfNsgp9pH4/s400/DSC01670.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNtT3WegJJDB6AVPCDJIiSfcR7m5BHk3yDpEDHgYj1fjilfc0S8glTJFO_7Z2jdXhgWXOyRWAcUBz_YnSokPuKrW2P-68P8EhWoRRJUeJC-rivjTVsjgHl_P8IHI9vMF_ETYOozUrUd9A/s1600-h/DSC01673.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425714786600963634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNtT3WegJJDB6AVPCDJIiSfcR7m5BHk3yDpEDHgYj1fjilfc0S8glTJFO_7Z2jdXhgWXOyRWAcUBz_YnSokPuKrW2P-68P8EhWoRRJUeJC-rivjTVsjgHl_P8IHI9vMF_ETYOozUrUd9A/s400/DSC01673.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>We got to take the afghan to our local playgroup today, this was our first time attending, last month <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> had Chicken Pox :( We were running about 5 minutes behind, those of you who know me think nothing of this common <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">occurrence</span>, and then the GPS got us slightly lost. Yes, you read that right, I have a love hate relationship with my GPS. It was only a couple minute turn around but pair that with the running behind and 15 minute drive already and you get one happily sleeping baby. She of course woke up once inside but decided to be quite shy at first and kept climbing on Mommy, showing of her new skill, kneeling. The other kids all have siblings so unlike <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> are used to being around the other kiddos and even being "bullied" a little. By the end of the hour I think she was starting to warm up though and even joined in the band to play some music, one <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">piano</span>, two xylophones, and an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Elmo</span> guitar, music to your ears :) It was really great to meet some of the other local Moms and their precious girls. How neat is it that they are all girls here? <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> was the youngest one there but it is always exciting to me getting to see the older ones doing signs, motioning with songs, and walking/running around, all things I look forward to. I hope the other families get signed up to receive the afghan as well so we can see it again soon! None of them had heard of the project previously so I think we have done our part in getting the word out and plan to continue to do so the rest of this week. I also found a yahoo group for the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">families</span> in the area with an enhanced little one. I am really getting excited about the connections we are making and being able to share resources, tips, and everyday fun with the other <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">families</span>. Here are a few of the pics of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> and the girls, quite the challenge trying to get 4 girls under 3 to sit still and all look at once for a picture, are they adorable or what?</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-47910352464015054882010-01-10T22:57:00.006-05:002010-01-10T23:17:38.780-05:00T21 Traveling Afghan!I am really excited to announce we have in our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">possession</span> the <a href="http://www.thet21travelingafghanproject.com/">T21 Traveling Afghan</a>!!! If you have not heard about this project yet, I highly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">recommend</span> going to the site and signing up. Basically one afghan is traveling the world visiting children with Down Syndrome and spending a week in their lives. The family then writes an entry into the journal which is mailed with the afghan and blogs about it if possible and the pictures and their adventures are added to the traveling afghan website. The motto is one common thread :) It will be hanging out with us this week so check in daily to see what we are up to. This week I will be focusing on sharing our adventures with the afghan and then next week be ready for a ton and I mean a ton of posts and pictures to catch you up on the last 2 months and all the excitement and craziness as well as more on our move and adjustment to Cincinnati. I know I know I have been really bad but I finally have something to get me focused again and part of my new years resolution is posting at least 5 times a month but I really hope to do more. If you catch me slacking please please by all means call me out!!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-39482154358658589092009-12-11T00:55:00.001-05:002009-12-11T00:57:47.375-05:00Time Off :(Okay after almost a month off I have returned and promise to keep up on the posting! Things are still very crazy and we have been doing so much back and forth between Columbus and Cincinnati and preparing for the holidays! I have a lot to catch you up on so be on the look out for many many posts in the next month :) Hope you all are well and have not given up on us!!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-32040639346840220602009-11-16T23:21:00.003-05:002009-11-16T23:38:13.290-05:00Big News!In case you have been wondering why I have been such a slacker the past month and a half...... we bought a house! I didnt want to share the news until it was final, but we closed last Thursday. I have been so nervous and stressed out about the move mainly because we will be leaving our county so will be getting all new service providers for Leightyn. I have been doing endless research and as much preperation as possible, but now we know for sure when we will be moved and where, I still feel like I am starting from scratch. It really is amazing the differance in services between one county and another, but I knew this going in just from speaking to other parents in the local DS group when Leightyn was first born. My main priority was to make sure that she does not lose any services. Where we are moving is a smaller county then where we are now but the services seem to be close enough to the same. I am hoping since the providers have a smaller case load that the interactions will be more personal rather than just a number on a wait list or a family seen once a month for an hour. There are some areas where the resources are not quite what we had here but we are close enough to the "big" county that it should all work out. Off to get some packing done while the little one sleeps but I will keep you all updated on the move and how the transfer of her services goes. Look forward to much frustration in the beginning stories but hopefully the resolutions will be helpful to any other parent preparing for a move. One good thing that has come out of our move so far is that the county we are moving to is looking into educating local real estate agents on at least the basics of what services they have to offer familys. I had to do all of this research on my own, which I would have done anyways, but it would have been nice to know the big differances when looking at the homes in the area regarding school district and such and who better to know this info than the realtors. Thanks to a suggestion from us it will hopefully be a little easier for future movers to at least get the basic info about services offered and contact information so they can get all of their questions answered! Again I apologize for not posting as often lately but unfortunately it will probably take me a couple more weeks still to get back to a "normal" posting schedule!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-30721771646315403342009-11-09T23:51:00.003-05:002009-11-10T00:23:27.810-05:00Fall Fun<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaHr5tiugtlYqYrvlikT2XsNYk-6D3Yny3LXhadEiDrHwUL2NL5_5SpUyQn-WHlDuZds2oDnKfM5STcOaZ5CH_d-IEJmbnlR4u5yEPuDEkMdVyVmawqYqnWRghwzqaer_hiqzhX3nkNPM/s1600-h/DSC01339.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402336165099210850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaHr5tiugtlYqYrvlikT2XsNYk-6D3Yny3LXhadEiDrHwUL2NL5_5SpUyQn-WHlDuZds2oDnKfM5STcOaZ5CH_d-IEJmbnlR4u5yEPuDEkMdVyVmawqYqnWRghwzqaer_hiqzhX3nkNPM/s400/DSC01339.JPG" /></a> Scarecrow!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTBVFq7tuYHIofnMjLln7oM1rW9vixaf6ukSQr6BRkISu23MEoaQ3ZgccnWDPwxTapmW3ceT0rzPoNvG5QXINZNLGbEfgCIkRlpOUm3rwtqCN7LjjGOPfYWFEa1sAqLvwKZ_iQ1gib6Kc/s1600-h/DSC01333.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402336158442535298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTBVFq7tuYHIofnMjLln7oM1rW9vixaf6ukSQr6BRkISu23MEoaQ3ZgccnWDPwxTapmW3ceT0rzPoNvG5QXINZNLGbEfgCIkRlpOUm3rwtqCN7LjjGOPfYWFEa1sAqLvwKZ_iQ1gib6Kc/s400/DSC01333.JPG" /></a> Pretty Little Pumpkin<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzZ6mwsw__I6u7HetTzLpNvoQib2yXRw-Xi2yRb7IZ8jKQ4NNmqUNsjTvYaiXZgzYaWiiKjFuAAYNYwU_qXqo1Ey3LLHLEWxC8dGT1rw-GbLMDvYWaJBH74cRzhmfNqfSbPIzQm7oES5i/s1600-h/DSC01330.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402336154754383074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzZ6mwsw__I6u7HetTzLpNvoQib2yXRw-Xi2yRb7IZ8jKQ4NNmqUNsjTvYaiXZgzYaWiiKjFuAAYNYwU_qXqo1Ey3LLHLEWxC8dGT1rw-GbLMDvYWaJBH74cRzhmfNqfSbPIzQm7oES5i/s400/DSC01330.JPG" /></a> Can you find Leightyn?<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFueM4C2SUbWa8D6V8VvP6a02HDByT2rgW_xPVgw6rKRT1CMKBJfCVuNCFQjqUEhfNIAGSvSiBVBlgU2nZBBOKmAIYZ7tHgXancIXpBtDlPLVQ5oQrbFlvwUqQ3c1c4kjcAgKG0gXiwGk/s1600-h/DSC01318.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402336152439336642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFueM4C2SUbWa8D6V8VvP6a02HDByT2rgW_xPVgw6rKRT1CMKBJfCVuNCFQjqUEhfNIAGSvSiBVBlgU2nZBBOKmAIYZ7tHgXancIXpBtDlPLVQ5oQrbFlvwUqQ3c1c4kjcAgKG0gXiwGk/s400/DSC01318.JPG" /></a> Dressed up for the Pumpkin Show<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>I wanted to share some more of the pictures we captured the last couple of weeks but my computer is being slow for who knows what reason so I am only sharing a few more to come later! Enjoy!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-61979515937751036682009-11-07T23:04:00.003-05:002009-11-07T23:18:17.936-05:00Leightyn has a Chomper!Watch out, she bites! I am so happy to announce <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> has her very first tooth aka chomper. We have been working on it for a couple months now with lots of drooling and everything going into the mouth. Our poor OT has been trying to get <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> to pick small blocks up out of a bucket and drop them back in. Well the picking them up is going great but once she has them they go straight to her mouth <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">lol</span>! I am not entirely sure if she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">doesn't</span> know how to drop it back in or if she just wants to chew on it so bad she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">doesn't</span> care to drop it back in :) I hope to get a good pic of it very soon but it may have to be when she is sleeping. She is very proud of her newest addition to her mouth and has been constantly rubbing her tongue over it. I really have not even got a good look at it myself yet but I could feel it in her mouth so I know it is there! She refuses to stay still long enough and move her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">tongue</span> out of the way for me to get a peek. That sucker is all hers and she is not sharing. On a totally unrelated note we had <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">KFC</span> for dinner tonight and I gave Lay Lay a bite of my biscuit with honey and of course she wanted another and another. Well little <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">missy</span> actually threw a kicking and screaming fit when after 5 bites there was no more left and then followed up with dirty looks and raspberries. It was the most adorable and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">hilarious</span> thing I have ever experienced, I really wish I had captured it on camera. Man am I in trouble as she gets older!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-59652484877843533412009-10-31T23:45:00.003-04:002009-10-31T23:48:45.732-04:00Do you smell something?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelCpgE73OATlAd5HKHf400vYWbRi1lh9Ocw2Hczyr09T3t2kko4_rQoMK-s-oVUvCNZFgjsrBoKygadSSPALj-_4AXvqRSJfUbriGXwR3OJ7z1eiMSiryxArvy34wwSxPIgaqqbnMysQN/s1600-h/DSC01371.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398976926627665330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelCpgE73OATlAd5HKHf400vYWbRi1lh9Ocw2Hczyr09T3t2kko4_rQoMK-s-oVUvCNZFgjsrBoKygadSSPALj-_4AXvqRSJfUbriGXwR3OJ7z1eiMSiryxArvy34wwSxPIgaqqbnMysQN/s400/DSC01371.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center">I will share more tomorrow but just couldnt wait to share my little stinker with everyone!</div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-68817094460755295002009-10-31T00:08:00.006-04:002009-10-31T23:53:22.642-04:00Big Girl Bath!<p>Now that Leightyn is able to sit up on her own we graduated from a baby bath tub to a tub seat. I wondered what she would think about the water and well I should have known she would love it! She spent 30 minutes in the water yesterday, as you can tell from her raisin toes in the picture! At first she was a little unsure when her splashing and kicking caused the water to get in her face but by then end she could care less and was cracking up at herself when she really got to kicking and splashing. The only downside is now I must figure out a way to keep her from trying to drink the water. I have a feeling I will be fighting with her over who needs a bubble bath now for the rest of my life, and I dont think I will be the one winning the relaxing bath any time soon!</p><p> </p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2m34XgHFbVhQM-Czw-1cAzRE4nxtwLCfKcjdegtOxEOo1gexBYNOKRBkCEevSfRir9_iITDicjw7bFFlL9Pinbnk9nYol4G7NEUg3QbXhaHIv99HT8-I4Iw0CkhExn15Yx-z3e-YpoXPo/s1600-h/DSC01324.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398977601085724290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2m34XgHFbVhQM-Czw-1cAzRE4nxtwLCfKcjdegtOxEOo1gexBYNOKRBkCEevSfRir9_iITDicjw7bFFlL9Pinbnk9nYol4G7NEUg3QbXhaHIv99HT8-I4Iw0CkhExn15Yx-z3e-YpoXPo/s400/DSC01324.JPG" /></a></p>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-6285177593156868562009-10-29T00:05:00.002-04:002009-10-29T00:07:39.867-04:00So its 5 minutes overdue but here is Wordless Wednesdays Photo!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkex4bnSbyjePRTMbodyZtlhDR-OXA7u_QJpBa-SN2NkSZ8Xw6Z9uKrKvxq4xvCf7Yo6CSL7btnn0VaSX5mILqXJm3nsQkC5FHfU7laxD5YCTcHxOe00nyN5wyp2RPoYB4BTqEXhA_omx/s1600-h/DSC02517.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397868715573084162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkex4bnSbyjePRTMbodyZtlhDR-OXA7u_QJpBa-SN2NkSZ8Xw6Z9uKrKvxq4xvCf7Yo6CSL7btnn0VaSX5mILqXJm3nsQkC5FHfU7laxD5YCTcHxOe00nyN5wyp2RPoYB4BTqEXhA_omx/s320/DSC02517.JPG" /></a><br /><div>A favorite of mine, Leightyn and Jayleigh!!</div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-60929762828070601022009-10-27T23:24:00.002-04:002009-10-27T23:28:31.321-04:00So True!<div align="center"><span style="color:#663366;">"The central struggle of parenthood is to let our hopes for our children outweigh our fears." (Ellen Goodman)</span> </div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-21160132016511441812009-10-27T00:04:00.000-04:002009-10-27T00:04:51.228-04:00The Pleasant Valley Varsity Cheerleaders & The Spartan Sparkles: Persons of the Week - ABC NewsThis is one amazing group of young girls! I think there is great potential for this to expand nationwide especially at Leightyns future school ;) Check out the video and story, I just love these little glimpses of hope for the future!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/WN/PersonOfWeek/pleasant-valley-varsity-cheerleaders-spartan-sparkles-persons-week/story?id=8847280">The Pleasant Valley Varsity Cheerleaders & The Spartan Sparkles: Persons of the Week - ABC News</a>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-30768008740538072742009-10-27T00:01:00.003-04:002009-10-27T00:29:18.480-04:00Pumpkin Show!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2aIqaUvYZo9yqxUbXzt8GstArJHXmcGmLyLdm71uor14UXIgwXt3DWLSw9JMzjVwH44zBq6dyAPBNLY9TT76lA5EF9WrwBtNeKvMAOAsdeTaHnJUxyq6Lbf6s2KzNBUdcJCzz1nM-s3X/s1600-h/IMG00005-20091022-1956%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397132097299865490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2aIqaUvYZo9yqxUbXzt8GstArJHXmcGmLyLdm71uor14UXIgwXt3DWLSw9JMzjVwH44zBq6dyAPBNLY9TT76lA5EF9WrwBtNeKvMAOAsdeTaHnJUxyq6Lbf6s2KzNBUdcJCzz1nM-s3X/s320/IMG00005-20091022-1956%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Fall is one of my favorite times of the year! Of course I take any opportunity I can to show off my little cutie. The Pumpkin Show is a local carnival and is a huge deal where I grew up. It is the one time of the year everyone is back in town to see old friends and of course eat all the yummy fair food. Last week on Thursday evening we went for dinner, On the Menu : Fried Veggies, Italian Sausage, and my all time fave Pumpkin Pizza!! I dressed <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> in a little pumpkin bunting I found at a yard sale this summer for 50 cents new with tags! I was so excited it still fit considering it was 3-6 Month size and she is almost a year old <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">lol</span>! One of the benefits that comes along with the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">DS</span> and Heart Condition I guess, she is still my tiny baby, although each day I cannot believe how big she is getting, that is until someone with a "typical" child her age reminds me how small she is still! Everyone kept saying "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aww</span> look at that little pumpkin", she was ADORABLE!! It felt good to get out and about especially since we will be pretty much confined to the house now flu season is here and the H1N1 is spreading like mad. We debated even having her out at the Pumpkin Show but I guess you cant live life in a complete bubble. I got me thinking back to last winter when <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> was not allowed out in public places and not even allowed around family or close friends unless they had received a flu shot. Even then we had to bombard them with sanitizer and hand washing requests when they came to the door, Dr's orders!! It was so hard since one of us had to be home with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> at all times, meaning all jobs and errands were run by one parent or the other. You know you need to get out more when you and your husband are fighting over <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">who's</span> turn it is to go to the grocery store, trust me it happened! Although <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> has had her heart surgery and we do not need to be as cautious as last flu season, we will still be on high alert and need to take extra precaution. Thankfully that will not include $1500 Monthly shots this time around, as we were cleared by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">cardio</span> to not receive <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Synagis</span> for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> this year. We did all get our flu shots last month and are waiting for the H1N1 vaccine to be widely available. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Here's</span> hoping for a healthy winter for our family!!</div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-79074943565638257382009-10-21T23:37:00.001-04:002009-10-21T23:43:35.414-04:00Wordless Wednesday! Over the Summer on PawPaws Harley!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhicYOk8pfXe0BVkuSUrCrpAYfs0lM-havHxjSk20zB8-bRMabpoHpt34EBo4N1vHb_EtJiw3yuAKS-gCqe3zKebgc0do-3_JjJVKczrDTK2mgMfmQGzjVug-LKCNRTY-zSlFrJ0ksE29Bf/s1600-h/DSC02828.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395264779744413010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhicYOk8pfXe0BVkuSUrCrpAYfs0lM-havHxjSk20zB8-bRMabpoHpt34EBo4N1vHb_EtJiw3yuAKS-gCqe3zKebgc0do-3_JjJVKczrDTK2mgMfmQGzjVug-LKCNRTY-zSlFrJ0ksE29Bf/s320/DSC02828.JPG" /></a><br /><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395264026870737330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3z_d39JaQihrse7w-Fv7aL4Qm_hJXKZ2l77r0FcuG4AYiuELp6mcj8TnpC0DHf5ssbd6qTuQi9vvqK0u3jZvdilyPqbh6CLsQI-m8mJbJJjXbN5xfFeJLR9AlzoC0j5ejH8b_Ox7OJV3/s320/DSC02831.JPG" /></div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-30048833967753665532009-10-20T23:44:00.003-04:002009-10-21T00:19:00.321-04:00She can sit!!!!!Today I was talking on the phone with my Mom and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> started <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">squeeling</span> and laughing I turned to find her sitting up. She has in the past 2 weeks been able to sit for a minute or two at a time before crashing over but only when she was placed in the sitting position. I started saying <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">YAY</span> and Good Job and clapping to let her know it was exciting while holding back tears. I watched her then move several times in the next hour from her tummy to sitting and back down. It is so hard because although I see this as a great accomplishment her therapists see this as a bad habit that must be broken right away. Let me explain, in their minds there is a right and wrong way of doing almost every milestone sitting, crawling, walking, eating, drinking etc. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> had just taught herself the "wrong" way to get into a sitting position. She was pulling her legs one to each side until she was in the splits and then using her hands and arms to push up to a sitting position from there. Now I know bad habits are hard to break, but how could I not be excited when she so obviously was? This is a constant battle I have with myself. I always try to ask "If <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> did not have down syndrome would I care if......." For example if....... she crawled by using both feet and both arms at the same time rather then right left right left arm leg arm leg or if she gets into the sitting position by doing a middle split first would anyone even care if she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">didn't</span> have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">DS</span>? If my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">answer</span> is no and honestly it often is I just let things be and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">don't</span> worry about it! I know there are many things I do that I have adapted to work for me and people could care less, all they know is I can do it, the "how" is insignificant. Here are some examples: I rest writing utensils on my 4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> finger when I write, I do a mix of pick and peck and keeping hands over the keys when I type (I think there is a name for that but I blanking), and I snap by rubbing my 1st and 3rd fingers together over my folded down 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> finger (easier to explain by showing you in person). Those are just 3 off of the top of my head. NO one has ever even attempted to get me to it the "right" way because it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">doesn't</span> make a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">difference</span>. Okay maybe my high school computer teacher tried to get me to do the typing thing correctly but gave up after a week of my complaining and proving over and over I was faster my way <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">lol</span>! I could care less the exact technique <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> uses, only that she has learned a new skill! That is not at all to say that I do not respect and listen to her therapists and their advice but I take it and use it when and how I see fit and best for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span>. I will not encourage her to continue getting into a sitting position this way and I will continue working with her on moving over one hip/leg or the other to get up and down the "right" way, but I will also not discourage her because to me the important thing is she can sit on her own regardless of the steps she takes to get there! I am so glad to have this place to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">announce</span> my joy over <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> learning a bad habit <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">lol</span>! Especially since the people I talk to most about her developmental milestones are her therapists and I can assure you they will be no where near as enthused as I am about this one!!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-20115570305760191462009-10-19T22:50:00.004-04:002009-10-19T23:31:59.102-04:00New Beginnings: Part 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VhK6qevF5sd-S9Lq8klxeBhbmmkPxpCUy_LIP6B1ou8i2d7inkCPpJtxR9HGb3cBlsGxhXggExfjXRtYLg4VKsJ18DEkZMHmAca4JzgmoOW0biDvff-xakgBK-reeOzdDhXOKPzxn7WW/s1600-h/DSC01201.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394519229303087954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VhK6qevF5sd-S9Lq8klxeBhbmmkPxpCUy_LIP6B1ou8i2d7inkCPpJtxR9HGb3cBlsGxhXggExfjXRtYLg4VKsJ18DEkZMHmAca4JzgmoOW0biDvff-xakgBK-reeOzdDhXOKPzxn7WW/s320/DSC01201.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH599N_ThD5gborscbIOwTV1ffj8LBgrAeFCsoWh7cfuiKuXj9KpGK5_w6hrNS4M-WOavO48k2T8EX5DUZ2kwyFHlKSFXHRU4o7D4LCy8LlOwJ7iOaKvCaSiEysMrYXtckkuHvUZ2HH8I/s1600-h/DSC01199.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394518983614211042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH599N_ThD5gborscbIOwTV1ffj8LBgrAeFCsoWh7cfuiKuXj9KpGK5_w6hrNS4M-WOavO48k2T8EX5DUZ2kwyFHlKSFXHRU4o7D4LCy8LlOwJ7iOaKvCaSiEysMrYXtckkuHvUZ2HH8I/s320/DSC01199.JPG" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div>I know I have been leaving a lot of time in between these posts describing the early days of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyns</span> life. They are a lot of typing for one and it is hard to honestly go back to that place in my mind. There was so much going on I have to really think about what I was thinking and feeling at that time. It breaks my heart to say this but a lot of it was honestly such a blur, I wish I remembered every detail, but I honestly cannot. </div><br /><br /><div>The last post left off with me finally getting to hold my precious girl! We were moved to a much smaller post-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">partum</span> room and I was able to watch the nurse give <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> her 1st bath right at my bedside. Once that was through they took her to the nursery to do some of the other necessary new baby stuff. She was gone for four hours but it seemed like an eternity. In that time I was able to scarf down two Turkey sandwich dinners. At least the nurse got a laugh in! After I finished the first meal she asked "do you felt better now that I had ate" and I said "well, NO I am still hungry", so she brought me in a second meal, I was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">definitely</span> still eating like a pregnant lady, such a hard habit to break! Once they brought <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> back I was finally able to try breastfeeding. I had decided before having her I wanted to do it and was even more sure that was the right thing once we found out about her possible heart condition. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> was having trouble maintaining her body temperature so we did a lot of kangaroo care, it felt good to be close to my baby again. Her nurse was very sweet and told me not to worry, she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">didn't</span> hear a heart murmur or see some of the physical features typically found in children with Down Syndrome. She assured me many <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">babies</span> have all the physical features and end up not having <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">DS</span>, but also said she had saw some <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">babies </span>who had no obvious features who did. I liked that, encouraging but still honest! When they took <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> the next morning to draw blood for the testing her stats were dropping and they were having trouble getting enough blood so they moved her into the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">NICU</span> and out of my arms reach. This was so hard, I wanted so bad to have my baby at my side, to hear her every noise and cry, to feed her on demand. I secretly hated the other Moms who did not keep their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">baby</span> at their bedsides. How could someone voluntarily send their new baby to the nursery so they could rest when all I wanted was mine at my side even if it meant I never slept again. Now that I think of it I also hated the ones who kept their babies in their rooms near me, each time I heard a cry it was a reminder my baby was in another part of the hospital without her Mommy close by. A couple friends stopped by to visit and I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">didn't</span> know what to say at the time, it could take weeks to get any official results back, so I said nothing about our concerns of Down Syndrome and only that the nurses had taken her to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">NICU</span> and they were just monitoring her for now b/c of a possible heart problem. I think that was the hardest part really, knowing the "unknown", and waiting for them to tell me what deep down I already knew and had accepted. The first day I had them wheel me back and forth to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">NICU</span> as often as possible and would have moved right in down there if they would have let me, of course they <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">wouldn't</span>! I was able to continue trying to breastfeed so I made sure I was down there every 3 hours so we could keep trying. They told me it would be harder for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> to do if she did have Down Syndrome but would help in the future with speech and oral motor development. I was determined to make it work and everyone was getting on me since I was practically getting no rest at all. Now we just had to wait for her test results to come back and for a cardiologist to come from the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Children's</span> Hospital the next day to look at her heart. More to come tomorrow! The pictures are of us holding her for the first time!</div></div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-17816295431095878812009-10-18T23:44:00.003-04:002009-10-19T00:00:49.598-04:00Starting The Love Bug Project!This project has taken off so quickly and not without a ton of help from some great friends new and old. Many of the items we will be including were donated from my friends at <a href="http://wishuponahero.com/">Wish Upon A Hero</a>! This site is such an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">amazing</span> place and serves as my daily reminder that there really are good people in this world. This is a site where people can come to make as well as grant wishes. Their motto is "No wish too Big, No hero too small"! I encourage anyone and everyone to check it out, make a wish, and grant a few. People wish for everything and anything both wants and needs. I really loved volunteering and when <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> was born I just <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">didn't</span> have the time or connections to do as much of it as I would like. Through this website I have been able to choose when and how to give back and it just gives you that good feeling and often has me in tears (happy sad tears). I have been able to provide a prom dress for a girl in Kentucky, a box of gifts and decor for a little girls 1st birthday, a crib set for a baby boy in Texas with a heart condition, and many many other smaller wishes like birthday cards, stickers, and other little pick me ups! I made a wish on the site for items to include in the tote bags we are making for The Love Bug Project and was so overwhelmed by the response. Thanks to my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">WUAH</span> angels we have adorable customized totes, journals, blankets, hats, snacks, tea, and a copy of 4 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">different</span> books and that is just the beginning! These lovely heroes encouraged me to seek donations and items elsewhere which has brought an amazing outpouring of love and support beyond my wildest dreams. I am so excited to be able to offer up these beautiful bags later this month. Still more details and pictures coming this week! To all of my sponsors, Thank You Thank You Thank You! This is just one small way for my family to provide hope and encouragement to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">family's</span> in the early days of receiving a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. I can only help it will help shed a positive light on their thoughts and expectations for their loved ones future!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-41321556069554427962009-10-17T22:32:00.003-04:002009-10-17T22:45:50.425-04:00The Love Bug Project!So I believe I mentioned the project in passing previously but wanted to fill you all in a little bit more. I have been so blessed to have a great support system and wanted to find a way to give that to someone else. In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month we decided to make up some tote bags to leave at the local hospital with the request that they be given to mothers who are blessed with the birth of a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">child</span> with Down Syndrome. When <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> was born we had no idea of her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">DS</span> or heart problems until she was here. We had no information to go on except what the doctors and nurses told us and some info I had from being a psych major in college. The doctors and nurses mainly covered medical concerns which only makes sense. Unfortunately there are a lot of scary things to be concerned about in the beginning medically. The worst part I think is just the unknown. With these tote bags I hope to first remind them to celebrate the birth of their new baby. It is after all an amazing blessing, they have a baby first and foremost and should always remember that Down Syndrome is only a small part of this child and their future. I know I personally wish I took more time in those early days to just celebrate the birth and simply love on my baby. I now know many of my initial fears were unfounded. I also hope these tote bags shine a positive light on having an enhanced child! Last I hope to inspire others to give back in some small way in honor of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> and their child. I have named the project The Little <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> Love Bug Project: Catch the love Bug! I call <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> my little love bug, she loves to cuddle! The rest of this week and weekend I will be posting and commenting on some of the items that will be included :) I will also be sharing with you the projects that have inspired me to give back! I really hope that the tote bags are something we can do every 6 months and I already have a grand idea for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn's</span> Birthday project next month. I cannot believe my baby will be one!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-32850440424004273752009-10-16T23:52:00.003-04:002009-10-17T00:03:46.061-04:00Happy Birthday Billy (Daddy)!I do not know what I would do without my husband Billy, he is my rock and is always reminding me how much all my hard work has paid off for Leightyn. He works so hard so I can stay at home with Leightyn and the benefits of that are so obvious. Today is his birthday and after driving this morning for 2 hours from Cincy so we could be back in town in time for Leightyns therapy he went into work. Me and Leightyn made him a homemade card and some brownies with extra walnuts and we had plans to go to his favorite Mexican restaurant tonight as a family. Well as those of you with kids know plans are always changing. Miss Leightyn Decided to nap from 5 to 9 and Billy insisted we not wake her and just let her sleep so instead we had a $5 pizza from Dominoes! I cant wait until she is old enough to actually help me in making his cards, cake, and planning a "party"! Tomorrow is my little sisters birthday party and she is having a costume party so I will post pictures of Leightyn in her costume, she is one cute stinker ;) Billy I hope you know how much you mean to me and Lay Lay, you are the most amazing father and husband and I could not ask for anything more. I love you with all my heart!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-52206424485608750102009-10-11T23:11:00.002-04:002009-10-11T23:23:18.810-04:00Awareness NeededI have really been getting myself worked up lately about the lack of coverage and attention Down Syndrome is getting this month. Everywhere I go and everything I read is talking about October being Breast Cancer Awareness month and I have not seen a mention of DS anywhere except on some of the fellow Mommy blogs I follow. Do not get me wrong I strongly believe in creating awareness for all causes but I think it is so sad that one so close to my heart is being so overshadowed and overlooked. The NFL has been wearing pink all month in support of breast cancer, if these guys can wear pink you would think someone at some point would at least mention October is DS awareness month as well. Every sunday in the paper there are pink items for sale and yet I have to search long and hard online to find a single item referencing Down Syndrome. I have been working on some ideas I can get going here locally at least but really hope to have the time and support to get involved on a much bigger level next year now that I know there is such a minimal amount of coverage. I am hoping to contact some of the local papers and maybe get them to do a write up or maybe a letter to the editor before the end of the month? Me and Leightyn are also working on a project, The Little Leightyn Love Bug Project: Catch the Love Bug!, to be exact! I will post more on this tomorrow and in the near future, we are very excited to be able to do a few things to give back and can hopefully offer some encouragement and support to familys dealing with a new diagnosis. I will also keep everyone updated on some ways you can help us to spread awareness and maybe with that reduce some of the negative stigma associated with Down Syndrome. I know I say it all the time but to me Leightyn is like any other child and we treat her no differantly than we would have if she wasnt born with a little something extra!Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-506753049702222902009-10-10T17:02:00.003-04:002009-10-10T17:16:32.180-04:00Hope for the future!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpkGgm78RceyRlMd5aiBAdCamlleSHqdZef9leHH-f-Zntga8jHqIINunHxBhrPmfng0bPOfxvnYsqmxweNPGOwX3Q-aKoi66_YPQx5qoOTtJGwp2JCqHAA_J6cmAtaOnO2NwQUZGLo38/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 140px; HEIGHT: 105px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391083137675021042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpkGgm78RceyRlMd5aiBAdCamlleSHqdZef9leHH-f-Zntga8jHqIINunHxBhrPmfng0bPOfxvnYsqmxweNPGOwX3Q-aKoi66_YPQx5qoOTtJGwp2JCqHAA_J6cmAtaOnO2NwQUZGLo38/s320/images.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Just more proof our little angels can do anything with the support of friends, family, and the community! I truly believe the world is a good place and is still full of really good people. Get your tissues ready these stories are sure to inspire and bring the tears! I found <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=6025166&page=1">this</a> first story of a special homecoming queen when Leightyn was first born! Here is another similar <a href="http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/oct/18/local/chi-down-syndrome-queen_18oct18">story</a>! </div><div> </div>Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6030823280153688843.post-78427963376687356412009-10-09T23:24:00.004-04:002009-10-09T23:54:41.358-04:00Going Back!Tonight the high school I graduated from asked the alumni cheerleaders to come back and cheer for the homecoming game. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cheerleading</span> was something I loved growing up and I was so excited for Billy and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> to come and see me out there making a fool of myself. I was running late as usual but got my 12 minutes of fame when we finally arrived (we only cheered the 1st quarter). <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> got to wear a cheerleader outfit of her own passed down from my niece and she looked absolutely adorable! She was the star of the night, everyone wanted to know how she was doing as this was the first time many of them got to meet her! Again I did not have my camera but as soon as I can steal a picture from someone on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">facebook</span> I will post it here. Bad Bad Mommy, I know I know! One of my old All Star Coaches made a comment which might have caused a break down in those first few days after <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyns</span> birth and diagnosis. "Bring her on into the gym as soon as she is ready, they start coming at 2 or 3 now! We would love to have her on the team!" she said. When I heard her comment I thought that is exactly right, when she gets old enough and has the clearance of her doctors to do gymnastics I will take her. I know how strong and determined <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> is and have no doubt she could <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">excel</span> as a cheerleader, <strong>IF</strong> <strong>SHE</strong> so chooses. She loves being the center of attention, can out yell anyone already, dances as soon as she hears music, and has developed a tremendous amount of leg strength. There are 2 gyms in the area that even have All Star <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cheerleading</span> teams for special needs children, <a href="http://www.step1allstars.com/">Step One</a> and <a href="http://www.integritycheerelite.com/index.php?componentName=Section&action=sub&scid=50803&sectionid=18998&offset_Section=0">Integrity</a>. At the Buddy Walk this year there was a stop where High School Cheerleaders stood and cheered as the walkers went by and I noticed one of them had Down Syndrome as well. I hope that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Leightyn</span> will find something to love like I did cheering, and whatever that may be that she will be accepted and treated like any other member of the team/group. She has an amazing following and support group already and I know it will just continue to grow! Tonight felt just like it always did yelling at a crowd that is more interested in the game than anything the cheerleaders said or did but still lots of fun :) It was really great to be home, see old friends, and show off my family! The only draw back was I again felt old, which seems to be a recurring theme lately :0/Tikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13507298184045776952noreply@blogger.com0