Beautiful

Even with her face full of food, she is still SO beautiful. She is the MOST beautiful thing I have ever seen! Today, I was feeding her lunch, and we were both giggling and I couldn't get over how much I just love this little girl. There are definitely moments where my heart swells and feels like it might burst. These are some of my most favorite pictures. Taken with a cruddy phone camera, and in the middle of lunch, but it captured this heart-swelling moment.





I guess while we're at it with the meal time pictures, check out this series of pics capturing this gal try to feed herself with a spoon. :) Everything she does makes me proud!
(she was a little upset when I stopped feeding her, but it didn't last long when she realized she was pretty awesome at it herself.)





Please forgive momma for this messy hair do. Bath time was to follow so I didn't try. ;)

SEPTEMBER 11. 2011

TEN years ago today, I was 18 years old, and in my first year of Bible school at His Hill. When we were told what had happened in New York, I was a little confused, and not really understanding the impact of the events that transpired that day. They would change America. They would also change the class of 2001-2002 of this specific Torchbearers school. Specific things come to my memory when I think of that day. A friend from Canada crying and crying and only wanting to go home. No flights were going in or out of our closest airport, or anywhere in the states. She thought about driving, or about taking a bus or a train, and didn't mind that it would take a few days of traveling. She only wanted to be with those she loved. I was feeling lucky that my family was only 2 hours away, and I wanted to be with them. Someone else was being missed, and he happened to be in Wyoming. We all wanted to BE with those we loved, wondering if that might end soon. I also remember that the big screen TV in the Fish House was turned on for the first time since being at school. We watched smoke rise from the Towers in the same scene we have all seen over and over and over for the last ten years. It started sinking in how REAL this was, and like many Americans, I was fearful. Not only fearful, but analyzing life at that moment. That weekend, I drove home, bring along a great friend named Genevieve. We spent time with my family , which helped the strange loneliness we both felt, but only helped a little. Before heading back to school on Sunday, we went to church. The church was PACKED. The chairs were filled, the walls were lined and the doors were open to allow those in the hallways to hear. I believe that this is the way MOST churches in the states looked that day. Pastors most likely lost sleep over "the PERFECT SERMON" for their congregation that day. More people went to church THAT Sunday, than on Christmas and Easter. WE NEEDED GOD. AMERICA NEEDED GOD (again)!! We need God just as much, ten years later, as we did that day, and I pray that it doesn't take more and more tragedies, surprises, devestations for us to realize it. I will not forget the incredible men and women who fight and die for our country every day. I do not forget the President that did all he could to defend and protect our country. He fought for justice that just happened to be won only a few months ago. We live in a great country. A country to be proud of. We are blessed.

My life 10 years later:

This past week, my state was hit with out-of-control wildfires. In one town, only about an hour from my home, 1,554 homes have been destroyed and almost 35,000 acres. Other towns closer than that have also lost homes in the past week. It makes my eyes sweat, as my dad would say, to think of these families that now have NOTHING. All week, I have wondered what I could do. The community of Austin and surrounding Austin has joined together to HELP. To donate, to give, to pray, to be support. Today in church, I prayed that the people of these towns will FEEL the prayers of other people. Personally, when I went through the biggest trial of my life, I FELT prayers of others. Please pray, if that is all you can do, for the families that have lost literally EVERYTHING. Pray that they would feel peace and possibly realize where that unexplainable peace comes from. If you would like to donate to helping these many many families, you can, HERE to the AMERICAN RED CROSS OF CENTRAL TEXAS.


There are still things I would like to write about our personal life in the Schmidt house, and after some serious talk, I feel like this might make things a little lighter. We were blessed with some amazing weather this past week, and I know that it was just a little tease of some wonderful fall that is to come. The mornings were cool, and the grass was dewey. After a summer full of 100+ degree days, a high of 89 was bliss. I know, crazy, but BLISS I tell you! I FINALLY made it out to 'MY' running trail again, and it made my week. I missed taking Annabelle in the jogging stroller and missed being able to run OUTSIDE. This weather has made me want to fold up darn old treadmill and lock him away. It was incredible. So incredible, that I even broke some personal running records. :)

One morning, I planned to meet a friend at the park with her two kiddos. We were going to hang out a bit, then my dad and sister were coming to walk with Annabelle while I took off on a little jog. Just a morning to enjoy the 'cool'. Just before I was about to decide to take off, a gal and her sister came walking up with a few kiddos of their own. She was holding a sweet bundle in her arms, and immediately said, "Hey! I have a designer baby, too!" She turned her around, and I noticed the sweet little look of Down Syndrome. :) SO, my plans of going on a jog were immediately forgotten, and I engaged in sweet conversation for over an hour, with a momma that speaks my 'language'. DS language, as in words and phrases like, low muscle tone, ECI, DS, PT, OT, NICU, Kelle Hampton, DSACT, Buddy Walk, transport team, etc... It was amazing, and I know it was a gift.

Annabelle has learned a sign! Did I already say that in the last post? Anyways, she seems to be doing so well at communication the last few weeks. We worked and worked to get her to say "eat" and she does! Now, she is saying it just every time she wants something. Even if it's not food. But, at least she is communicating. so adorable. I am so proud of this girl.

We have ECI appointments every week now, between OT and a DS. It is overwhelming to me that there is something every single week, but I know it's got to be a good thing. I feel blessed that we have the opportunity to do things like this for her, and for our knowledge as parents. :)

So, I am a little distracted. Remember last fall how I LOVED Sundays!!!!! Well, Craig is OFF on Sundays, and now that it is FALL, we have football!! Yes! I love Sundays! So, i am going to end this post and hang out with this little family I LOVE. I am so so blessed. :) Happy SUNDAY!

Keep the Memories.

Today has been a productive day, and a mid afternoon ECI appointment is putting a little bump in it here. Messing up the house in order to GET projects finished is just part of it. Now, I have to clean up some of that mess to allow a guest into our home, so that she won't think Irene made it up to Texas. My little girl is not feeling great, and it is her nap time. Today her nap time will just be a small rest time in order to wake her up for this mid afternoon bump. My fault. My fault for scheduling it at this time, and my fault for thinking to call only an hour before to see if she could meet later. But, we have rescheduled twice already in the last 2 weeks. Gotta do it.

In the mean time, I have about 20 min to kill, so here I am.

Do you ever want to keep little tiny moments of memories locked away? I keep thinking about how much I should be taking more videos and pictures, and keep a journal of the little things that Annabelle is doing. I think there is NO way I can forget the way she looked, moved or sounded. I think, there is no way I'll forget that she pats her daaddy on the back when he picks her up. Or that she opens her mouth and sticks her toungue out when we say, "Kisses". How can I forget that she crawled like a little inch worm, or that she rolls her arms SO adorably for "PataCake"? There's no way I will forget seeing her little tiny thighs hanging out of her crib rails while her fingers are laced through her favorite pink blanket. Will I forget the way she laughs and talks at herself in every mirror she passes, or that she has wonderful stories to tell us when she wakes up? Seriously, I don't want to forget the small things. Over the last 16 months, I have loved every little thing, and wish there was a way I could keep all the moments tucked away in a box under my bed, to pull out whenever I wanted.

THEREFORE, I NEED to take more videos and pictures, and write more.

Annabelle at 16 1/2 months...
~ Crawls on her hands and knees as if she has been doing it all along.
~ Has learned the sign for "eat".
~ Has a 'thing' for oyster crackers and those Gerber yogurt melts.
~ Rubs her face along the netting of her pack and play.
~ Tries to talk, and seems to have something pretty important to talk about.
~ Lays her head on Craig's shoulder every time he picks her up. But, doesnt do that for me.
~ Can still wear some clothes between 9-12 months.
~ Still loves music, and rocks back and forth to 'dance' to it.
~ Likes the same kind of pacifier that she did when she was born.
~ Seriously loves milk, but not juice or water.
~ Claps her hands if she hears anyone else doing it.
~ Snuggles her bears and baby dolls with hugs.
~ Has the MOST adorable smile and giggles.
~ Enjoys being in a shopping cart.
~ Could care less about TV until this cartoon about squirrels finding an acorn comes on. (I found the app for my phone and it saved us a few times in fussy, public situations.)
~ Plays with her hair when I tell her she has pretty hair. Sometimes she even brushes it and it messes up whatever "do" I have done.

SO much more than that I want to remember. Gosh, I love her.

In no order.

Since my little family and I got back from our trip to Minnesota, I have meant to sit down and post an entry. Every day seems to be busy and I do my best to keep my priorities in line. Annabelle trumps any priority I might have, of course. When we are not out running around, having appointments or get togethers, I try to make the most of my time at home. I have to do lists in different corners of the house, piles of laundry on the couch, a guest/sewing/craft/work out room that I rearranged and promised to reorganize, a disaster of a bedroom, and dishes that are bottomless. I also have a body that wants to get it's fitness on, but today, I bumped all of that down and stuck a blog post right at the top. (During Annabelle's nap of course.)

Annabelle has gotten to an age, or stage, where attention is a little more demanded than it was before. Although I wake up with great intentions to do a million housewifey things, and have a clean house and supper for Craig when he gets home, the mommmy things have been taking over. Most of the time, I don't mind. Most of the time. So, I stay up a little bit later, but surely don't wake up any earlier. ;)

Summer has been so busy, that I am not even believing that it is nearing the end of August. Our trip to Minnesota came and went, and it was fantastic. Like usual. We LOVE and adore our friends and family there and pick up exactly where we left off, every time we see them. It's awesome that our friends take time out of whatever busy lives they may have, to spend the minutes they can with us. Their daily lives might have to be put on hold, and they are ok with it. It makes us feel loved. <3
I hate distance and miles between our friends, better SUMMER weather, family and my cute little niece and nephew. In a perfect world, everyone would be in the same place, and it would ALWAYS be as fun and relaxed as VACATION.
Grandpa kisses.

Enjoying vacation....


My older sister moved home just a couple weeks ago, and it has been amazing to spend time with her. She has not lived here since Craig and I moved here over 2 years ago. She is always away, in another state, and sometimes in another country. I am so glad she is HOME. It's been a long time. She has been soaking up some Annabelle love and just adores her.

The weather here has been so gross and I am so over it. I am CRAVING everything Fall right now. My sister went back to work this week, and all the students go back next week. Once school starts, if feels as if summer should end, and Fall things should come. I have a feeling that since the summer heat has been SO BAD, that the Fall cool will come a lot later. I hope hope hope not. Like I said, I am craving EVERYTHING Fall. Football, cooler weather, pumpkins, cozy crock pot meals, cooler weather, taking a hoodie when I leave the house, cozy candles, opening the windows, cooler weather, Buddy Walk, fall colors, and I will even take goblins, ghosts and vampires. Whatever works. Fall, I am ready for you.

I would like to get back to this long to do list before the afternoon nap ends, So I am going to cut it short(er). But, before I do, I want to brag about my well deserving husband. He is amazing. He works SO SO SO hard for Annabelle and I, and because of his super hard work, I am able to stay home. Financially not easy one bit, but possible. He sacrifices his wants, and sometimes even his needs. He wakes up early and does not moan and groan and grumble and complain. (And I KNOW he wants to bad!) Ok, sometimes he may vent, but that's needed. Before leaving the house, He takes time to pray for his family and friends, and reads The Bible, even if it is just one verse. He makes sure my needs, and sometimes complaints are met, even before his, after a super duper long and draining day at work. He gets up to take care of Annabelle if she wakes up in the middle of the night, or TOO early in the morning. He ADORES Annabelle. He not only tells both of his girls how much he loves them, he SHOWS us. He never would have to say anything to me again about how much he loves me, I would just know. He is the MOST selfless person that I know, and that challenges me daily. We are blessed.

Pretty girl in the mirror

All of the appointments before vacation are over! Annabelle's ECHO appointment only ended up being an EKG and the cardiologist listening to her heart for a bit. She was so happy with the way she looked, that she didn't think we needed an ECHO that day. Good news. So, we will go back in 6 months and do it for sure. She was quite wiggly for the nurses. They were trying to hook up some wires and take her blood pressure, and mom and dad were doing their best to keep her still. I am wondering how this flight is going to go next week.

Maybe if we bring a mirror, she can entertain herself like this:


ENJOY! :)

PS...Can NOT even wait to go to Minnesota next week. Even when life is not too stressful or busy, you can still feel like you NEED to get away on a vacation.

Week of Appointments.

It seems like when it comes to Annabelle's appointments, they all happen at once. Maybe because they all are appointments needed around the same age. It gets overwhelming and brings me back to a reality that I guess I typically stay out of. When I think of Annabelle and raising her, Down Syndrome is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. I don't talk about it a lot. I don't read a lot about it. I don't focus on it. Annabelle, and WHO she is, at this time in her life, is always my focus. There has continued to be 'new' things to focus on with her, and her growth. I also know that there are things she may be slightly behind on, but none of them concern me so much at this point. ALL kids grow up differently, and reach milestones at different times. I was told at the beginning, "Annabelle will do '_______________', but all in HER time.

Sometimes, I want to see it happen in my time, or in the time span of typical milestone charts. (Charts that I no longer look at, but studied during her first months) I just don't focus on where she is behind, as much as being excited about where she IS. I think today, I realized that maybe I do this, not only for HER sake, but for mine. To keep myself out of a bit of reality, so that I don't get overwhelmed by it. I NEVER want to think my child can't do something. I am not avoiding the 'What If's'. I'm not.

Today I felt a little overwhelmed, and Down Syndrome was on my mind. With evaluations, and an ECHO next week, I felt those emotions of a mom with a child with special needs. Not sure why these emotions arose. I wondered if they were emotions that are always there, that I don't allow to rise to the surface. Honestly, yes, I have fears. I also find that sometimes, just sometimes, jealousy, envy, and timidity are my initial reaction to seeing other babies her age ahead of her. That's typical in most mom's I think. Quickly, that reaction is replaced by how stinkin PROUD of her I am and how incredibly, and overwhelmingly thankful I am that Annabelle is mine, and belongs to no one else. The Lord overwhelmes me with peace about our life in the Schmidt house. :)

We have ECI appointments twice a month, with an O.T. We have been focusing so much on her motor skills since she was about 2 or 3 months old. I usually enjoy these meetings, and her OT is typically pretty proud of her progression week to week. Over the last few months, we have been stuck in just about the same spot. With the same goals and homework. Still, I haven't been concerned much about that. I don't think 'Down Syndrome' every meeting. I really think ANNABELLE. Today, we had an evaluation for Annabelle with Early Childhood Intervention. In the past, she has 'scored' right at her appropriate age. Today, she scored about 3 to 4 months behind in just about every area. I am not sure why, but today, I felt overwhelmed by that. They go through and ask questions about what she is doing, and how she is doing things. I hated it when I had to answer the questions with, "no, she doesn't do that", or "no, she can't do that". I almost felt tears well up in my eyes when they told me where she scored. They were very happy with her scores. They were very content and proud of the progress she has made. Me, on the other hand, had one of those times of the initial reaction. I was confused with thoughts I really have not had since the beginning. These thoughts did not last long. Really, they didn't. I do understand these are feelings I will have ocassionaly. My OT gets so pumped up and excited when she talks about her kids she sees. She gets SO excited about their futures and what they will be capable of. She encouraged me so much today just while talking about life in general and bits and pieces of her job. She was not trying to encourage me, cause she did not know I was feeling the way I was. She was just talking in general. I, too, get SO excited about Annabelle's future, and what she IS and WILL be able to do. She's incredible. I would not trade this experience for ANYTHING!! For real!

I had strange mom guilt today,that maybe there were things that I am not doing well enough. Just recently on Facebook, one of my friends updated her status with some clever sentence about how strange mom guilt is. She felt guilty for not taking her kiddos OUT to play enough. Then, she said, "Mom guilt is weird." Its true, it is. So weird. I pray I do everything I can for this girl!!! Everything and anything. And understand that mom guilt is just sometimes weird, and part of parenting.

Last Friday, we enjoyed a little family swim time at Lisa's apartment! Here are some adorable pics of Annabelle. She has THE GREATEST daddy!!!






And, this is her friend Lexi, feeding her some supper. She did a great job, and Annabelle loved it!

A couple cute videos for ya!

Lately

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."
Author: Erma Bombeck

It seems like once July hits, the summer flies by as if it wasn't even here. So, I am soaking it all up while I can. Not loving the heat here in Texas, but making the most of it. Summer happenings fill up the week days, which keeps Annabelle and I from the "normal" days of the school year. I get to enjoy summer as if it's different than the rest of the year for us. All because of my sister and mom having time off and the typical excuses to just "play" more. :)

We enjoyed celebrating the weekend of the 4th with a party with church friends, and Annabelle's little nursery friends, on Sunday. Annabelle had a blast splashing in a little tiny pool, which I think was once a sand box, while Craig and I enjoyed fajitas and homemade ice cream over sweet conversation.

Monday was hot as heck, of course, but my mom and I decided to brave it like EVERYONE else seemed to be. We spent some time at the festival in the park, pushing the stroller through the crowd to get our bag of cotton candy. Cotton candy is basically the only reason I went. It doesn't feel like the 4th if I don't have it. ;) I remember last year when we were walking around, we kept saying, "Oh, next year, Aannabelle will enjoy this." Or "Next year, Annabelle can do the petting zoo and pony rides." This year, which IS next year, we said the same things and kind of laughed about it. I guess I was thinking that a 14 month old could go on a pony ride. Then, when we got there, I didn't think it was the best idea for her. Maybe even next year she can ride those crazy swings? But, NEXT year...

That night we had a party with awesome summer type foods full of salt, sugar and calories! YUM!! My friends are such a blessing, and was happy to repeat almost the SAME party as last year, with the addition of a few extra people. We live close enough to walk to the park for fireworks, which were basically the ONLY fireworks in our area due to a major drought. And they were good, and loud and bright. Oh, and NEXT year, Annabelle will watch them, and I am sure enjoy them. (My parents stayed back with her as she had already been asleep for over an hour.)

Next week, we have an E.C.I. evaluation and another ECHO. I pray that both go as super as they have been. This time, if the ECHO looks good, we won't have to go back for like a year or something. That is what we are praying for. I pray for Annabelle's little heart all the time, and have been incredibly grateful to God for how he has kept her healthy and safe. I tell you what, this little girl has definitely been used to keep my conversations with God VERY regular. For that, I am also thankful.

In a couple of weeks, Craig and I will be taking Annabelle on her first plane ride. We are going to visit some VERY missed friends and family in Minnesota. I can't even wait. I LOVE going back to Minnesota to visit. It is always such a breath of fresh air for both Craig and I. I come back with my spirit filled. ESPECIALLY in the summer time. THE MOST gorgeous summers anyone could ever experience. Especially after the continuous 100+ degree days we have been having.

So, clearly, I am enjoying summertime. Summer is just one big excuse to PLAY! :)


THIS picture is from Annabelle's birthday back in April. I just got this picture from a friend last week, and HAD to share it. One of my favorites from that day.