My "Battle Cry"....

My strong lil' lady!!

I found myself crying hard today for the first time since we brought Ruby home from the NICU.  That ride  seemed long..not to mention long ago, and I found each day quite emotional but have not had a good cry since.  Dr Wong (Ruby's cardiologist)  has this wonderfully round and gentle face and I am sure has given his fair share of bad news.  Today, however, he had the pleasure of telling me that my sweet lil' lady's lower VSD has closed on it's own.  Ruby was born with a hole in her heart..about 80 percent of Down Syndrome kiddos have some sort of heart defect at birth and only 10 percent of the particular hole Ruby has (or I should say HAD:)) will close on it's own.  Some of these amazing kiddos have to have open heart surgery before even leaving the hospital.  Talk about an emotional ride!  This is her third check-up and he seems to think she will never have to have heart surgery.  I was suprised at my reaction when he told me...all I could do was hug and squeeze this amazing lil' lady and cry....I cried my eyes out. I am usually not a "tears of joy" kind of lady.  People asked me when I got engaged (wonderful story BTW..will have to tell later..) "did you cry?"....to wich I replied "of course not..it was one of the happiest moments of my life!"  Anywho.. It was a good cry, one that afterward I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and Ruby just let me hug her tight..the way my mom used to hug me until I felt like I was being suffocated...and whisper into her ear. I told her how lucky we are to have her in our lives..how she amazes me everyday..how I can't wait to watch her grow strong and become whatever she wants to be.  I will be there for you always, I whisper, and you will ALWAYS know how very much I love you and just how special you are.  This wasn't a cry like the fear of the unknown...that was my "hospital cry"....these were tears of joy..tears of pride..tears of excitement for the future.  The future still is "unknown"...and no doubt will have some rough patches....but I am so UNBELIEVABLY PROUD of who my daughter is, every little thing about her.  The joy, happiness and even heartache I feel for both my girls makes me appreciate life..I have said it before and am sure I will say it again..LIFE IS GOOD MY FRIENDS!  Seek out the wonderfullness in all peeps...and in yourselves! Gotta run cuz my girls are actually napping at the same time..so this mama is going to try and sneak one in too!!  LUV LUV!!

Happy Egg hunting Ya'll!!

Ruby Doobs Easter Booty

My Easter Girls

Easter is such a funny and sweet holiday.  We usually go out to my Aunt's house with cousins and family where they serve up a good ol' southern meal that makes you wish you had worn elastic banded pants. So we pack up the pip-squeaks in thier matching outfits compliments of G-ma and head in that direction.  Ella Mae by-passed her nap, although her daddy warned her "It would be in your best interest to take a nap on the way out there."  Isn't it funny the things we tell them? I found myself telling her the other day "you really need to learn to control your emotions better"....I laughed out loud later thinking that I said that to my 2 yr old!  Maybe I need to take my own advice..Ha!!  Anywho.. She ended up having no melt downs ..even though she did not heed his warnings.  I looked back on the drive home and she was passed out..head dangling in car seat..with a chocolate mustache and matching beard.  I would say that's a good indication it was a good Easter.




 Saturday we had a 'Culde Crew" egg dying party in the front yard..super fun. I had never done it before, but my inner Martha Stewart was whispering in my ear to have fun with the kiddos.  Note to self for next year... must use vinegar or it doesn't take.  Our "round twos" were much better than the first batch.

After the very messy dying of the eggs, we "hid" them in our neighbors front yard we refer to as the "jungle".  It's not really a jungle, but to a wee one may seem that way.  And of course I use the word "hide" loosely....

Ready...set....Happy Hunting Ya'll  :)



Our finished beauties..soon to be deviled eggs!



Have a wonderful week!!

Free in the Culde

"Higher Mommy! Higher!!"

My daughters and I were out in the front yard this afternoon hangin out watering the plants...I decided to invite them to my ''15 minutes" of solitude today.  My oldest loves bugs..she has since she before she could say the word bug.  She would kneel down when she would see any kind of insect..caterpiller, lady bugs..anything that crawled...and she would say in a long drawn out voice..."BBUUUUUUUUGGG!!!!" Now, of course, her descriptions are much more elaborate and she actually has conversations with them.  Today we found one that looked like a ladybug that was all black..no spots.  Ella Mae and I had the discusion about it and came to the conclusion it was "not a lady bug because it had no wings"...Ella's words.  She is so darn cute!  She has the bug on her hand and says to it "Hey lil' guy!"  It is so funny to hear myself in her sometimes...that was exactly what I would have said to the "lil guy".  Anywho...after playing with it for a while she has it nestled on a leaf and decides to let it "free in the culde"...Ella's words.  We both walk out to the driveway and she puts the leaf on the ground, kind of a ceremonial gesture to "release the lil guy" back to the world. She was literally laying on the concrete (in her princess dress of course)..almost nose to nose with her bug buddy.  She was so proud of herself..."Free in the Culde" is a great feeling.  It's like a boat ride with the wind blowin' through your hair.. or Ella Mae swinging in the back yard yelling "Higher! Higher!"  without any fear...or Ruby Doop Doobs using that sweet voice to "tell Grandmother how the world should be run"..grandmother's words. We could all learn a little something from that lil' wingless ladybbuuuuggg.  We should all spend our lives "Free in the Culde"  :)

Ruby "Telling Ella Mae how the world should be run"

The little things

So I went out to water my new lil' garden I have planted out front yesterday.  It's kinda "my time"...it's only maybe 10-15 minutes, but I quite enjoy being out there, nurturing my plants, one with nature kinda thing.  Anywho..as much as I would like to think I have a green thumb, my hubby and I seem to kill most anything we plant into the ground.  This garden however, and all my plants out front, seem to be thriving, blooming and doing quite well. Maybe because my sixty something year old mom came and spent an afternoon cleaning out  the jungle of a bed, stocked with trees and who knows what else, to try and help us not be "those neighbors" in the culde-sac...I feel a huge obligation to keep it alive. Well, I was taking my "15 minutes" yesterday to water, and when I turned on the hose realized it had busted and water was spewing everywhere but where I needed it to be.  Crap!!  I had just bought this stinkin' hose maybe 6 weeks ago..and already a break!  It is those little things that seem to just get my feathers ruffled!  How was I to nurture my plants and take my one little moment of solitude with a huge hole in my hose??  I seem to cope quite well with the bigger curves in the road..why do these little things matter so much?  I am barely phazed by the fact my daughter has an extra chromosome..but a break in the hose messes with my entire day?

Fast forward to the evening...my hubby and I are sitting with "Rubster Doobster", as Ella Mae calls her, and we are doing "thearapy" with her. It is basically us just havin' fun and playin' with her.  We are holding mardi gras beads above her and trying to temp her to swipe at them....oh the things one will do for those mardi gras beads..HA! Anywho..it takes her a minute to engage..but she is watching them intently....then her little hands come up...steady..steady..GOT IT!!  Our lil' Ruby has moved passed just randomly swiping at things and is spotting what she wants and going for it!  I love a girl who takes charge and goes for it!! WOOT! WOOT!! Such gratification seeing those chubby lil' hands wrapped around those beads. I feel like a peacock spreading my feathers with pride!  Then I realize it's not only the "little things" that ruffle your feathers, but the "little things" that make life so wonderful. Just the simple softness and smell of  Ruby's lil' feet..although I probably won't be smelling them for too much longer...

or Ella Mae's lil' arms wrapped around my neck in the morning with her breath on my cheeks..those little moments with both my daughters laughing and smiling.  I absolutely adore catching my oldest dancing (in her princess dress of course :)) hand in hand with her barbie without a care in the world...twirling and singing at the top of her lungs.  Life is good, my friends...and without all the ruffling of the feathers..I feel certain I would not have been able to handle all the bigger bumps in the road.  So next time I get my blood boiling over a "little thing" I have decided to not beat myself up about it, cuz inevitably it is preparing me for the "bigger things".....Happy Monday Ya'll!!

Is this what the world is coming to??

So I was chatting with a client the other day and something he said has just been weighing on my mind.  He was talking about a friend of his who actually got to "pick" what sex of kiddo they wanted.  I found it kinda disturbing cuz it made me wonder if kiddos like my wonderful lil' Ruby Doobie would someday become extinct.  If everyone could pick their "perfect" child...would they pick ones with that extra special chromosome?  I look at my daughter and to me she is "perfect"....but would I have chosen from other so called "typical" kiddos if I had the choice?  It makes my heart hurt just the thought her being any different now than who she is. I feel so blessed and my heart is so wide open...because of who she is!  She is meant to be exactly the way she is and I know how much we can learn from her sweet spirit.  If we were all "perfect"...how boring would the world be??  It is our individuality and those "extra chromosomes" of the world that makes life so wonderful and interesting!!  Just look at my beautiful "Ruby Cakes" and tell  me her smile doesnt make this world a better place.......

Hope everyone is havin a kick ass week!!  We sure are :)

They really DO Listen...sometimes

My oldest daughter (she's 2 1/2) has a love affair with barbies.  Her BFF from the culde gave her the first one for her second birthday...and since then it has been all about "princess dresses" and "barbies".  Her princess dress she got from grandma for her second birthday has seen better days because she wears it ALL the time...so much I can't seem to sneak it away for a good cleaning.  I keep saying to myself.."she's two..they are SUPPOSE to be dirty at this age..", but when my neighbor (who has chosen ,after a few adult beverages, to be called "CONDOR" in my blog)  mentioned that her beautiful "pink" princess dress looks like a "camoflauge" dress now...I realized it was time.  It is in the wash now while she naps, hopefully to be ready for her playdate this afternoon.  If not, we may have a minor meltdown!

I have to say that I am liking the barbie stage right now because it gives me a little glimse into what goes on up in that brain of hers.  Yesterday she had out princess barbie and another barbie the parents refer to as "stripper barbie". This barbie boasts it can move in over 99 positions...really?  My 2 1/2 year old needs a barbie that can move like that?  Too funny...It's not like it even came with like a "gymnastic" theme or something.  It came dressed in platform shoes and a short (very short) mini-dress!  Anywho..her two barbies were having a conversation and I was eaves-dropping.  Princess barbie says "My mommy tells me I am beautiful all day long!"  To which "stripper barbie" replies "I know, I am beautiful too!  My mommy love me!"  It sounds kinda stupid, but is sure made me feel good.  They really do listen!  Now my daughter also tells me to "relax mommy" if I get worked up and the other day our littlest pooch Captain Bananas, who Ella Mae calls "nanners", had tinkled on the floor to which she said loudly..."freakin' nanners!"  So yes....they are listening...even when you think they aren't.  So keep lovin' em the way you do and surely they will grow up right!!

And a "Rubster" update...at 4 months she is weighin' in at 10 1/2 lbs these days.  My neighbor gave me one of those "Bumbo" Chair thingies that allows her to sit up.  It has a little tray you can put things on and she can swat at them and try and grab them.  She looks kinda like Godzilla swatting at the airplanes at this point...but we are workin' on those fine motor skills with her occupational therapist.  She's come a long way baby!!  Right on target for even a "typically developing" preemie her age.  I just can't stop kissin' those cheeks......

Friday night "Culde Crew"

So... I have to say that I love my nieghborhood.  My friday nights have changed quite dramatically from nights out downtown, driving around endlessly for parking,  pushing my way up to the bar for a drink, waiting in line for the bathroom....to  simply stopping for a bottle (the big one..which to my defense, I share with neighbors in need) of vino on my way home from work and pulling my lawn chair out into our culdesac, ordering pizza and pretty much letting the kiddos run wild in the street (we put up a big orange cone in the culde entrance to "alert" the other neighbors of the action). They run around like a pack of wolves, with the occasional scraped knee ,poop in the driveway(more on that later), or fight over a barbie to wich we have to mediate.  For the most part we(the parents of the wolves) get to sit around and enjoy an adult beverage, catch up on our lives...and really just let our kiddos do all the entertaining. I thought inebriated adults were entertaining..not so much.  Finally getting to hear what goes on in those lil' brains of theirs is much more hilarious!  It's like watching and independent film that is not quite polished, interesting to only certain people (that would be us, the parents)...

"Happy hour" last week had a pretty funny twist.  It started off inocently enough with the sprinkler going in my neighbors yard.  Next thing you know my daughter, the pioneer of nudity in the culde, has stripped down and is running through the sprinkler...all the culde kiddos to follow.  This seemed to be a great kick off to spring, keeping them entertained for quite some time....until we hear a cry from my daughter and scream from her BFF in the culde.  Upon further investigation, we realize our lil' lady has left a little "gift" on our neighbors driveway.  You know you are a redneck when.....just kidding! HA! Luckily we were sitting with our neighbors at the time and it gave us quite the chuckle.  Crazy pip-squeaks!  We had a long talk about "poo poo POTTY...not DRIVEWAY"....this could be a long summer  :)