so, i skipped a day.

I was SO tired after Craig and I got home from a great date last night, that I decided to just go to bed early. I had forgotten all about blogging, as it is not at the forefront of my mind. ha. BUT, i did think about it as I was falling asleep and debated getting up to say a little something. I had no desire to pull myself out of my warm bed. But, I will try to continue this 31 for 21 challenge.

This week has been weird. I have been OVERLY tired, and just want to go back to sleep every morning. Craig and I have both been feeling a little off physically, him with some sinus things, and me with headaches and sore throat. so something must be going around. But, this morning I woke up feeling awesome. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. I went to sleep feeling that way too. :)

Its funny how we can feel this 'good' when we are dealing with some personal things. I have lately been dealing with some personal issues and some fears and insecurities. things I NEED to be praying about and trusting God with. In defense of these feelings, I throw up a wall of excuses and avoid dealing with the issues.
When God needs to "work on us", it sorta sucks. He has to often remind us to continue trusting Him daily, and He has to often take things out of our lives that are not of Him. Does that make sense? Anyway, its not a super duper fun process, but it is for our best. But, when He does get our attention, and we talk to Him about what He is doing, it just feels SO much better! I know as I continue to learn more and more about parenting, I will learn more about our Heavenly Father and the way He "works". He knows what is best for us. I read this this morning:

"But as parents, we don't always say "Yes" to our kids. Neither does God. Does God know that you love Him even when he says No?"

Anyway, Here is some more Down Syndrome info, from Wikipedia this time...

"History

English physician John Langdon Down first characterized Down syndrome as a distinct form of mental disability in 1862, and in a more widely published report in 1866.[76] Due to his perception that children with Down syndrome shared physical facial similarities (epicanthal folds) with those of Blumenbach's Mongolian race, Down used the term mongoloid, derived from prevailing ethnic theory.[77] Attitudes about Down syndrome were very much tied to racism and colonialism until as recently as the 1970s.

By the 20th century, Down syndrome had become the most recognizable form of mental disability. Most individuals with Down syndrome were institutionalized, few of the associated medical problems were treated, and most died in infancy or early adult life. With the rise of the eugenics movement, 33 of the (then) 48 U.S. states and several countries began programs of forced sterilization of individuals with Down syndrome and comparable degrees of disability. The ultimate expression of this type of public policy was "Action T4" in Nazi Germany, a program of systematic murder. Court challenges, scientific advances and public revulsion led to discontinuation or repeal of such sterilization programs during the decades after World War II.

Until the middle of the 20th century, the cause of Down syndrome remained unknown. However, the presence in all races, the association with older maternal age, and the rarity of recurrence had been noticed. Standard medical texts assumed it was caused by a combination of inheritable factors which had not been identified. Other theories focused on injuries sustained during birth.[78]

With the discovery of karyotype techniques in the 1950s, it became possible to identify abnormalities of chromosomal number or shape. In 1959, Jérôme Lejeune discovered that Down syndrome resulted from an extra chromosome.[79][80] The extra chromosome was subsequently labeled as the 21st, and the condition as trisomy 21.

In 1961, eighteen geneticists wrote to the editor of The Lancet suggesting that Mongolian idiocy had "misleading connotations," had become "an embarrassing term," and should be changed.[81] The Lancet supported Down's Syndrome. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially dropped references to mongolism in 1965 after a request by the Mongolian delegate.[82] However, almost 40 years later, the term ‘mongolism’ still appears in leading medical texts such as General and Systematic Pathology, 4th Edition, 2004, edited by Professor Sir James Underwood. Advocacy groups adapted and parents groups welcomed the elimination of the Mongoloid label that had been a burden to their children. The first parents group in the United States, the Mongoloid Development Council, changed its name to the National Association for Down Syndrome in 1972.[83]

In 1975, the United States National Institutes of Health convened a conference to standardize the nomenclature of malformations. They recommended eliminating the possessive form: "The possessive use of an eponym should be discontinued, since the author neither had nor owned the disorder."[84] Although both the possessive and non-possessive forms are used in the general population, Down syndrome is the accepted term among professionals in the USA, Canada and other countries; Down's syndrome is still used in the United Kingdom and other areas.[85]
[edit] Society and culture"


I am SO THANKFUL how far we have come with knowledge and awareness.

Caramel Chocolates

Craig came home from the grocery store the other day with a bag of Dove caramel filled chocolates. SO delish! One of my favorite thngs about Dove is the little sayings inside the packages. Craig,on the other hand, was opening them and quickly crumbling that little foil wrapping. I gave him a hard time about it of course and reopened them to read them. One of them said, "Set your goals high, but not your expectations." That's my favorite one so far.

We are really looking forward to this coming weekend! Craig's mom is coming to town, which we are so excited about. It will be busy with a garage sale at our house and the Buddy Walk. I am really praying the weather is as nice as it has been! :)

Prego

I'm just gonna say it.
Prego is a spaghetti sauce.


we've all got our peeves, this is one of mine. When i get pregnant again someday, i hope im not called spaghetti sauce. :D

Today was Aannabelle's 6 month appointment. I dread these appointments cause I know that means shots. :( I hate to see my poor baby girl cry. Craig had to work, and my dad had the day off, so I brought him with me for support. she did calm down pretty quick this time, which is good. I am thinking that I had a harder time than she did. ha. we have been doing a little extra cuddling today, and will continue to.

not enough time.

there is often just not enough time in the day. this day went by way too fast, and i wish i could drink some coffee, and act like i have a few more hours to go. but, im super tired. boo.

Vikings beat the Cowboys! I like the Cowboys, and go for them most sundays. But, today, I was rootin for those Vikes. After last year, and how super close they were to the Super Bowl, I became a fan. Annabelle wore a yellow bow in her hair today and a purple shirt. I didnt actually do it on purpose, but later in the day, i said i did. :)

I am not sure if I shared this the other day or not. I was reading some facts online about Down Syndrome, and read something SO interesting.....

"Adults with Down Syndrome

The life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased substantially. In 1929, the average life span of a person with Down syndrome was nine years. Today, it is common for a person with Down syndrome to live to age fifty and beyond. In addition to living longer, people with Down syndrome are now living fuller, richer lives than ever before as family members and contributors to their community. Many people with Down syndrome form meaningful relationships and eventually marry. Now that people with Down syndrome are living longer, the needs of adults with Down syndrome are receiving greater attention. With assistance from family and caretakers, many adults with Down syndrome have developed the skills required to hold jobs and to live semi-independently." (quote taken from THIS website)

I almost started to cry. 9 years old!!! The average life expectancy?!?!? Thats just sad to me. Back then (1929), they did not know things we know now. It breaks my heart. I am SO THANKFUL for all the people who do research FOR parents like us who have children with special needs. In a week from today, we will be doing the Buddy Walk. The Buddy Walk is done all over the country. I am excited to know I will be a small, teeny weeny part of something that is changing the lives of Down Syndrome people all over. Knowing that there are people doing studies, researching and participating in bettering the lives of these sweeties makes me so happy. THANK YOU!!!! I cant wait to see other infants, children, teenagers and adults whose families have given them this amazing chance to really make the most of this life. As sad as it is, I have read numerous articles about the percentage of Down Syndrome prenatal diagnosis that end in abortion. You wont believe it, but its over 90%. When you hear the fact that 1 in 800 live births is a Down Syndrome birth, now you know WHY. They are selfishly not given a chance. When I look into the eyes of my precious and amazing little girl, I cant immagine NOT having her. (ok, rabbit trail)

I cant wait for this Buddy Walk to honor the people who are helping our children live till they are (average) "50 years and beyond" and not just to 9.

doin what i gotta do

im sitting in a busy parking lot right now in the backseat of my moms little car,while she and my sister are shopping. im smooshed up back here nursing my little babe. im not gonna lie,i get a little embarasssed and try to hide my face as people are walking by. sure,im covered up with my pink elephant hooter hider. but i still get shy. im also not gonna lie that sometimes i feel its very hard to be a breastfeeding mom,but other times its SO easy and SO convenient and SO sweet and SO rewarding. but its work. its something i have commited to do for Annabelle and hope to do it till her first birthday. like how i decided to write a post so that i can look down instead of up as people are walking by the car?

hey, gotta do what you gotta do where you gotta do it when you gotta do it!

6 MONTHS!

Happy 6 month birthday to Annabelle Grace! Crazy how fast that went by. Best 6 months of my life. I am so in love with my little girl. I really think I have the coolest baby ever. so cool, that i might be intimidated by her coolness. ;)


SO, we want to get rid of our cats. we have since Annabelle was born. nothing wrong with them, we just dont want house pets right now. I love them, but they dont get as much attention now that we have something else occupying all that attention and love. I am not sure how you go about getting rid of your loved pets. I dont want to just drop them somewhere, i want to know they are going somewhere good, where people want them. anyway, if you have any suggestions, please let me know. OR, if you know someone who would want them, that would be even better.

Anyway, HAPPY WEEKEND!