Challenge...

Well...since I haven't challenged myself in the gym in about 4 years..I thought it was about time I challenged myself at something...I am going to attempt to blog everyday up until World Down syndrome day on March 21st (3/21 symbolizes the "extra" chromosome 21).  It will also give me a daily opportunity to share with the world (or the few that read my blog..Ha :)) just how enriched and amazing my life is for having our lil' Ruby Doobs in it...so I guess it is not that great a challenge really, when I think about it...so here goes Day uno....

This is what I get to wake up every morning to...

Nuff said for today folks....I didn't say they were gonna be long  :)

Five days, four teeth, and a nasty three letter acronym....

Well..quite a crazy week last week.  No mother likes to hear their pediatrician yell.. "Call 911" to her assistants when they see your pip-squeak,  but that is what happened last Tuesday when we got there.   Let's back up a few days....The week prior I had noticed some teeth coming in, not just any teeth...two front uppers and two back uppers.  Needless to say when Doobs wasn't completely acting herself, I assumed it was the teeth.  Well, she went downhill from there, and by Monday she was weezing a bit, so I took her back into the pediatrician and she told me it was RSV...a nasty lil' virus that can be rough for kiddos under two.  Imagine having the worst  flu you have ever had... and  literally not being able to breath.  That's how Doobs was doing by that Tuesday morning....so we got to take an ambulance ride to the ER!  Her oxygen levels were low, so once we got the oxygen mask on she perked up a little and even waved at me on the way there...

I have to say though...SUPER SCARY!!!  It's another one of those instances that you never think will happen to you..until it does!  Why do we think we are immune to these types of experiences?  It is these experiences, I still believe, that show us what we are made of....and you know what the Doobers is made of??  Pure strength!!  She keeps on amazing me in every way....every day of her sweet lil' life.  She was making the people in the ER smile even when she was grumpy!

I won't sugar coat it..the next few days were rough for our lil' lady just getting through the brunt of the virus...

But by day four in the hospital...the cheezy smiles were back, she certainly had not forgotten how to wave...

And our lil' lady only got stronger on the fifth day in the hospital...so strong they said see ya later!!

They were sad to see her go... I mean..who wouldn't miss that face??  But we were sooooo happy to have our sweet Ruby Doobs back home with her sister!!  So...life is back to normal at the P house....as normal as it can be with our crazy clan...Ha!!  We went to the park last night and here are a few shots with my new fancy camera....

She sure is looking like a lil' lady..isn't she??  Geez...don't get me started!!  I realized her hair can do something other than the "Justin Bieber" today.....

I leave ya on that note!! Rock on Peeps!! Life is wonderful and beautiful!! Look for the uniqueness in everyone...and yourself :)

Once a Month Blogger..

Well...I have decided to cut myself a little bit of slack and define myself as a "once a month blogger".  That way, if it happens more than that I will feel extremely accomplished...and if it doesn't... I will sit back and finish the 100 other things needed to be done for the day...number one on the list...hangin' with these lil' ladies...

          I got a little "scissor happy" and decided to finally get rid of the Doobers "Donald Trump" comb over look.  It worked with her for quite a while..but her new improved "do" is pretty much rockin' it (evidence above).  I mean...you can't really mess up that face anyway, so I wasn't too concerned when I thought I chopped of WAY too much...but dang....it almost pushes her into toddler status...I said almost....Mommy is not quite ready for that.  I would like to hang on to my sweet lil' Ruber Doobers for as long as possible, letting her continue to smell the roses... so sometimes I feel like somehow, unintentionally, I may be holding her back.  Although I have been waving at her like a mad women lately to try and get her her to wave back....I mean...like a madwoman! To the point where passers by might be tempted to call the authorities...but, as hard work..hard crazy work tends to pay off.....

                                                  

She started waving this week and it has been really exciting around here! She is even started trying to clap some.  It seems like such a small thing, but it has been something we have been working on.  She has had the strength and mid-line skills for a while now, it was just her realizing she could do it...she is one amazing  lil' lady :)  Now...on to another amazing lil' (but somewhat bigger) lady..

Ella Mae is cracking us up these days...she has these favorite pink cowgirl boots...she is dancing with her GREAT Grandmother with them on in the pic above..BTW, her GGM is pushin' 90!  That's right...that sweet, beautiful lady playin' the guitar...I can only hope I have that much spunk, not to mention rythym, at her age...more on her later.  Anywho...the pink cowgirl boots(did I mention they are awesome?) are getting a little snug to say the least, but she is just not ready to let them go.  Kinda like me accepting the Rubinator is heading into toddler-hood.  Well, she was trying to jam her sweet Fred Flinstone feet into them tonight while having a dance party with her singing Christmas Scooby-doo (thanks Aunt Biegler..no really..thanks!).  It sings a "Scooby Doo" version of "Wrap it up..I'll take it!"...just like most of the kiddo toys that make noise (which seems to be most of them)...pretty funny the first time around, but after 2 years of "feed me lots of scooby treats now Baaaby!"it can grate on one's nerves a bit....anywho, back to Ella Mae and her cuteness.  She is having trouble getting them on and I look down and tell her she is trying to put them on the wrong feet...and she looks up at me and says"Well...DAH!!!!!"  Geez!  Not only is she marrying the boy next door, Jesse, tomorrow (her words)...she is already talkin' like a teenager!!  Too much...Too fast!!  Slow down my lil' ladies...Mommy is about to have a heart attack! 

So my cuz is gettin' hitched and they threw a lil' shin' dig a few weeks back which is where my Memur (my grandmother) was rockin' out on the guitar.  She is such an amazing lady!  Not only was she down on the floor playing with both Ella Mae and Doobs for hours, she was picking up and carrying Ella Mae around the house!  I really want my girls to know and remember her...she has such a wonderful spirit, and I remember going over to my great grandmother's house and talking with her for hours, trying on her old jewelry, listening to her old stories.  I can still feel her big arms around me now..and I can still smell (although it was somewhat funky) her old house...those memories and feelings are priceless, and I hope to only give my girls the same opportunities to create their own memories by surrounding them with special people that will hug them tight. I think this next picture is proof that Ella Mae and Memur will have their own special memories..

Ella Mae kept "ironing" Memur's hair and then putting the crown on her and saying..."Bow to the Queen..." and, of course, we would all bow....Priceless!  The Doobs had her own set of fun at the party, meeting up with a fellow extra chromosomer....Luke. He is 5 months and as you can tell from the picture I am thinkin' there is some crushin' goin' on..........

                                               

He lives in the Houston area...so we will just have to see where this goes...to be continued....

Rock on Peeps!!  Chat with ya next month..or if I am feeling ambitious...next week :)

Ridin' the Wave.....

Hello Peeps!!  I feel like it has been quite some time since my last post...even though it really hasn't.  Maybe not alot of time has passed..but it seems alot has happened.

I have been putting off writing partly because I have been super busy with everything "holiday"...and partly cuz I was waiting for the "funk" to settle....and boy has it settled.  Let me explain...Ever since Doobers came to us so unexpectedly we have  been riding this wonderful ginormous wave, so strong and with so much energy and power I have never felt anything like it. It has brought me nothing but positive, happy feelings, but I have never forgotten we were on this wave, riding high above it all.  Ruby just turned one, and with that comes alot of appointments, evaluations....and some realizations. Like I said...I have never forgotten about the wave, but suddenly I was feeling a bit out of control.  Don't get me wrong, The Rubinator is still killin' it, but going to these appointments and filling in all the "not yet's", and, quite frankly, the "not even thinkin' about it's", when charting her development for all the doctors and nutritionist and therapists (Rubster has quite a large entourage)...It was a bit deflating.  It was the first time I have felt disappointment since her birth...and it certainly was not a disappointment in our lil lady.  The disappointment was in myself...and that's the worst because you actually have control of that.  I kept thinking "if I had only worked with her longer on tummy time"..or "if I had only done more baby sit-ups".....If I had only done more she would be farther in her development.  It sounds silly even now as I write it cuz I know my hubby and I provide a loving, engaging environment for her...but the feeling of helplessness when it comes to your kiddo is no bueno. You want to ensure she gets all the right opportunities to be the brightest star in the sky...all the while protecting her from the super nova's of the world who may not see her for her amazing beauty.  I realized through my two week "feelin' the funk" period (it sounds like a fun party in the seventies..but it wasn't :)) that I have to ease up on myself a little....I need to let this wave take me wherever it is headed...fast or slow.  The most important thing is lovin' that lil' lady with every fiber of my being....I've got that one covered..


Besides...if we had taken those silly tests and evaluations a mere two weeks later......

                                                       


I mean it was like a light bulb turned on in that sweet lil' head of hers.  Although I am pretty sure she was over "feelin' my funk" and thought she would give us a lil' teaser of what's ahead.  She is truly motivating now to crawl forward, stack blocks, figure out what the heck all these crazy toys are suppose to do, she is even taking steps all by herself (holding on to fingers of course)....and my new fave......

goin' in for some lovin' with her bear!

                                                                        


Those big wet kisses will snatch your heart up and take off runnin'....She isn't stingy with them either, which,  as a Conwachta, hugs and kisses are fruitful..if not sometimes annoying. Bananas and Biscuit are especially excited that their advances are now reciprocated! Ha!!

Done with the funk...moving on to Christmas cheer!!

This was Ella Mae's first Christmas where Santa was BIG BUSINESS!  I mean..seriously folks...it brought back all that excitement I felt for the big bearded man as well.  We went to a holiday party and informed her that Santa was going to be there..we prepped her with the "well you know he likes you to sit on his lap and tell him what you want".....her response " I'm gonna tell him I love him and give him a big hug!" (there's that crazy Conwachta lovin again :)).  That was what we were hoping was going to happen..but you never know what they will do when they actually  get a glimpse of this big ol' jolly guy with a fake beard and red outfit.

Sure enough..we get there...she sees him.....there is that look of amazement in her eyes...pure wonderment.....she had one split second of hesitation...and them she marched her lil' "booty" right up there, sat on his lap, handed him her list and spouted off without hesitation.."I want a Flynn Ryder, castle for Tangled and a Prince barbie".  It was all business...she gave him a big hug and was out!!  Doobers just sat and stared at his beard while this was all going down.....

Doobs scopin' the beard....she is not convinced...

                                                           


Christmas morning was even cuter as she comes out to see her gifts by the fireplace and then proceeds to yell up the chimney.."THANK YOU SANTA!!"

                                                     

Rubers with her fave cuz Autumn

                                                           
 What amazing lil' ladies I have!  Ella Mae got an easel from G-ma and G-pa..here is her first creation...

                                                                     

Pretty darn good..right??  I mean..I know I am biased and all...but the colors are all brushed on with intent....serious intent.  My lil' Picasso....I will have to add that to the long list of ballerina, gymnast, professional trampoline jumper, softball player...and her newest...golfer... The hubby scored her some new clubs at the Salvation Army (in a pink bag of course) and she's already got a swing like Tiger...ok..I may be exaggerating a little....


She also created her first gingerbread house with the culde crew.....also, in my opinion, a masterpiece...

                                                     

           

Culde crew luvin on Culde Santa..

                                                                                                           
Anywho...hope everyone had a rockin' Christmas!!  We sure did.. and we'll just keep ridin' the wave until it inevitably comes crashin' to shore....but hey...the beach ain't a bad spot to hang for a bit...  and when we are ready...we will paddle back out....

Huggin' it out with Santa..again.

                                                 

A double dose..

OK...both my ladies have had some b-day action, so let me just catch up and chat about both...

First off...WHERE THE HECK DOES THE TIME GO??   I mean it seems like only yesterday I was "curb walking" 5 times a day to try and get my 2 week late Ella Mae out of my belly...and in the blink of an eye, or so it seems, she just turned THREE!! She is her own independent lil' person, with likes and dis-likes, opinions...very strong opinions, on what she wears for the day, what she wants from Santa (we just wrote him the letter today and am 'sending' it in the mail tomorrow)...and most importantly, how much she loves her family....she tells me at least two times a day how much she does, and it melts my heart every single time.  She likes to do things as a family, which she will say in sign language, wether it be sharing popcicles or just watching a movie.  She squeezes her sisters cheeks so passionatley sometimes to kiss her I have to do an occasional mediation.

                                                                              

 And Ruby Doobs..oh sweet Ruby Doobs!!  Her birth is a little more 'at the surface'...I look down and see the scar on my belly everyday and am reminded what a miracle she is in every way.  She came so unexpected in every way...yet I would not change one single thing about her or her birth.  It does not seem like a year ago she came to us, but the emotions are still with me like it was yesterday. In just her short year here on this earth she has already taught me so much more than I have learned in my entire lifetime.  About resilience, about patience even when nobody is looking, about accepting and loving differences in others..even your own,about seeing every person as an idividual with love and worth...even if I don't know or care for them much,  about not just saying you will do or be something..but doing and being whole-heartedly, about being 100% present....today...now.  I don't want to miss a minute of this..........

        

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET LIL' LADIES!!  YOUR MOMMY AND DADDY COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD TO CALL YOU OUR OWN!!  WE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU BOTH ALWAYS MUCH AND FOREVER!!!

Here's a few B-day pics to recap the par-tay action........

This was Ella Mae's "first costume" when she came home from the birthing center at one day old...G-pa had to modify it a little to make room for her legs...but it still fit Doobers at 11 months!!  What a pip-squeak!!

Grandmother's cake creation...princess of course!!

Chaos came with the 'unveiling' of Ella's new dollhouse Grandmother got for her..the claws were out so I had to quickly distract and hide while no one was looking...

Matchin' outfits from G-ma...what a pair!!

Culde Crew ready for some trick or treat action!!

The girl can sleep...Doobs "passed out" (Ella's words :)) on our adventure through the hood...

OMG!!

Doobs first B-day cake from grandmother!!

Birthday girl!! (Sorry I can't figure out how to rotate the pic)

Rubinator's first cake!!!

                                                                    

That's all for now folks!!  I hope everyone is as good as we are over here!  Loving life and our girls :)

Gobble Gobble!!

Today is Turkey day and I have feel the need to give some shout outs to things I am most thankful for.  I realize I still need to get to Octoberfest part dueax but will chat about Ella Mae's B-day soon...

This year has been a very eye and heart opening year....although I never considered myself a person with a closed heart, I have to say that I am thankful for the "Doobers" extra 21st chromosome.  It has helped me see the world and the people in it with an even broader scope.  Not that her extra chromosome defines who she is, she is an individual first..an AMAZING individual first...but it lets other people know and see just how special she is. You can't look into these eyes and not see that she is going to change the world for the better..

It is ri-DONK-culous!!  I thank my lucky stars everyday for both my sweet girls.....

Not just because it is Turkey Day!  Luv to the peeps!! And Happy Thanksgiving! Check out the wonderfullness in all our rockin' chromosomes :)

Oh yeah..the hubby is pretty cool too....I have to say I am thankful for my Sweet lil' family  :)

                                               

                                                         GOBBLE! GOBBLE YA'LL!!
                                                     
                                                                           

Octoberfest

GEEZ!!  October is was a busy month even before Doobers came our way...now throwing the Buddy Walk into the mix....WHEWW!! Glad it has started to die down a bit before the holiday season starts!

Where to begin.....let's start with this

                                                                           

The Ruby Racers had over 50 walkers (the second largest team)....so much love and support for the Doobs!!  Aunt Terri (AKA Aunt TT) experimented with her new silk-screening doo-hicky and made us some shirts..                

Turned out pretty darn good for a first go around..Thanks Aunt TT!!      It was so wonderful to be surrounded by all these amazing peeps like my Ruby Doobs...not to mention surrounded by my amazing friends and family who give us so much strengh, love and encouragement...Doobs is one lucky lady and I know she gives back the love ten fold :)

"huggin it out' with G-pa

Luvin on her second family...Uncle P Aunt Lisa and Scarlett

Huggin it out again with Tatum

Enjoying a tasty beverage with G-ma

                                      

We also raised the 3rd most amount of duckets as a team...RAISE THE ROOF!!  Not bad fresh out the gates...if I do say so myself :)  Couldn't a done it w/out my peeps!!

G-ma and G-pa drove down from Michigan for Octoberfest 2011...we love havin' us some G-ma and G-pa!! I have to say I think they were equally impressed with our lil' lady...Both my ladies are pretty infectious....Octoberfest part two up next...but for now..sleep....