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http://greesonadoption.blogspot.com/
Help us get this little angel home !!!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Busy!!!
Gosh,
I have been so busy with adoption stuff I didn't realize I hadn't been on Hopie's blog in like 3 months!!! So, she is standing up all over the place, but she is so scared to take a step! She has always been very cautious about everything. She never "plopped" down..always slowly sits on the ground after standing or cruising. She never shoved food in her mouth, always eats piece by piece. She is so afraid to walk.
She did learn how to climb steps though!!! Not my favorite thing she has learned to do, but it is hers!!! I hate baby gates! My kids are so clumsy, they always trip over them at the bottom of the stairs. There are also a few invisible bumps on our floor that 2 of my kids always seem to trip over :)
We added a therapist last month. Speech! Hope cannot drink out of a sippy. She won't suck! She chews on it and it is sooo messy! I gave her a bottle at night and had to go down to a slow flow because she was losing milk all out the sides of her mouth! We have been doing some mouth exercises, and I have been relentless on straws...every kind of straw sippy made. Tonight..It happened! SHE GOT IT! She sucked everytime I did the "finger straw release thing" I was so excited I quickly ran in and got her "honey bear" drink/cup. I filled it up with Gingerale, (which she's never had) I thought that it would catch her interest, and it DID! She sucked the whole drink down! She pulls the straw out of her mouth too soon and makes a mess, but she did it! I was so proud! It's crazy all the things/milestones that flew by with my other kids, and they are so amazing to watch Hope accomplish these things. I LOVE IT! I love her. I love the fact that things take a little more time. It slows me down and helps me remember what is important in life.
We went to Lowes the other day and she LOVED the car carts. She was drivin her side and Georgia's side. I couldn't even get her to stop long enough for a picture! I t was soooo cute.
She LOVES her brother and sisters. I mean ADORES them, and they absolutely LOVE her. She has made us all better people...HAPPIER people.
I don't know what I'm gonna do with 2 of these little boogers to love on!!!!
AMAZING.
I have been so busy with adoption stuff I didn't realize I hadn't been on Hopie's blog in like 3 months!!! So, she is standing up all over the place, but she is so scared to take a step! She has always been very cautious about everything. She never "plopped" down..always slowly sits on the ground after standing or cruising. She never shoved food in her mouth, always eats piece by piece. She is so afraid to walk.
She did learn how to climb steps though!!! Not my favorite thing she has learned to do, but it is hers!!! I hate baby gates! My kids are so clumsy, they always trip over them at the bottom of the stairs. There are also a few invisible bumps on our floor that 2 of my kids always seem to trip over :)
We added a therapist last month. Speech! Hope cannot drink out of a sippy. She won't suck! She chews on it and it is sooo messy! I gave her a bottle at night and had to go down to a slow flow because she was losing milk all out the sides of her mouth! We have been doing some mouth exercises, and I have been relentless on straws...every kind of straw sippy made. Tonight..It happened! SHE GOT IT! She sucked everytime I did the "finger straw release thing" I was so excited I quickly ran in and got her "honey bear" drink/cup. I filled it up with Gingerale, (which she's never had) I thought that it would catch her interest, and it DID! She sucked the whole drink down! She pulls the straw out of her mouth too soon and makes a mess, but she did it! I was so proud! It's crazy all the things/milestones that flew by with my other kids, and they are so amazing to watch Hope accomplish these things. I LOVE IT! I love her. I love the fact that things take a little more time. It slows me down and helps me remember what is important in life.
AMAZING.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Bass Pro Shop
So, we were all out today and decided to take the kids to Bass Pro Shop. They enjoyed every inch of it, from the sunglasses, to the HUGE fish tank.
Hope absolutely loved watching the fish, We need a fish tank!
Hope absolutely loved watching the fish, We need a fish tank!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Heart Stealer
Its so funny how the 1st weeks of this little girl's life was hard on this man. Just the unknowns, and ignorance of Down Syndrome. Now......
Cant imagine life without her! She definately snuck right in and stole his heart.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Spring has sprung!
Well, the past several days have been in the 80s. Gary and I have been busy putting in a screened in porch. I decided to go buy a little pool so I could keep an eye on Hope and keep her cool while we worked. She LOVED it!
It is so cute the way she splashes the water with her hands and gets soooo excited! I cant wait to go to the lake this year. ...Shes grown so much!
Feb 14-Vday, or... rsV-day.
Wow, Its been a while since Ive been on here. We have been so busy.
We have always been so lucky with Hope being healthy. In Feb Hope came down with a high fever late at night. I got her fever down and watched it through the night. The next day, fever and lethargy. It was Sat so we hit the Care Now clinic. I thought antibiotics and Tylenol and we'd be on our way. We were in the exam room about 10 minutes before an ambulance was called out to take us to Childrens. Her O2 was scary low. I can honestly say that ride in the ambulance was the most scared I've EVER been.
Cook Childrens Hospital was AMAZING! They treated us with such importance and were so thorough and FAST!
( Hope in ER...O2 up a little, acting silly)
We were shortly admitted with RSV and an ear infection. 5 days in the hospital.....My heart goes out to those who are all too familiar with that scenario.
Valentines day was fun though. We had alot of volunteers stop by and bring, picture, colors, cookies to decorate, homemade bags, and balloons. There really are a lot of good people out there that donate their time to helping others.
Since being home, She's had the flu, colds, and alot of allergies. Hope Spring treats her better!
We have always been so lucky with Hope being healthy. In Feb Hope came down with a high fever late at night. I got her fever down and watched it through the night. The next day, fever and lethargy. It was Sat so we hit the Care Now clinic. I thought antibiotics and Tylenol and we'd be on our way. We were in the exam room about 10 minutes before an ambulance was called out to take us to Childrens. Her O2 was scary low. I can honestly say that ride in the ambulance was the most scared I've EVER been.
Cook Childrens Hospital was AMAZING! They treated us with such importance and were so thorough and FAST!
We were shortly admitted with RSV and an ear infection. 5 days in the hospital.....My heart goes out to those who are all too familiar with that scenario.
Valentines day was fun though. We had alot of volunteers stop by and bring, picture, colors, cookies to decorate, homemade bags, and balloons. There really are a lot of good people out there that donate their time to helping others.
Since being home, She's had the flu, colds, and alot of allergies. Hope Spring treats her better!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
My favorite posting from a favorite blog.....
I hope she doesn't mind, but I had to post Kelli's post "It's in the eyes..." from her Living Life with the E's blog. I couldnt have written it better or sweeter.
http://livinglifewithes.blogspot.com/2010/11/its-in-eyes.html
http://livinglifewithes.blogspot.com/2010/11/its-in-eyes.html
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2010
It's in the Eyes...
Since Emily's birth I have read countless birth stories told by other parents of a child with Down Syndrome...and it seems most of them recall that before anyone told them, they knew about that extra chromosome as soon as they looked at their child's eyes. The same can be said for my husband and I...we both noticed Emily's eyes immediately, even though neither of us said anything about them to each other. Over the past year I have thought about those moments after her birth...I didn't know Emily had Down Syndrome at the time, but I knew her eyes were telling me something profound.
At first Emily's eyes told me of a life that would be different, difficult, and possibly one that would be full of despair unimaginable at that point. Her eyes were evidence, a feature the Dr would use to tell us our beautiful baby girl had Down Syndrome. Though I am ashamed to say it now, Emily's eyes conjured up such feelings of fear and sadness I had never felt before that I didn't want to look at pictures of her where those beautiful baby blues were captured up close. The eyes were a reminder that my daughter was different and because of that..I was now different...and no longer "normal". There were days I would wake up and had almost forgotten about the down syndrome...only to see her eyes and feel my heart breaking and mourning the loss of the child I thought I wanted...the one with a "perfect" set of chromosomes...the one that never existed beyond my imagination.
After Emily was born I remember her staring deeply into my eyes, without interuption, as if to say "look at them, look at my eyes, they will tell you everything you need to know"...and they have. Those eyes have told me the truth about the life of my perfect little Emily. There just isn't any room for darkness in their sparkle! Every day that I get to wake up to those little peepers is a blessing I could never have imagined for myself, but God knew I needed.
At first Emily's eyes told me of a life that would be different, difficult, and possibly one that would be full of despair unimaginable at that point. Her eyes were evidence, a feature the Dr would use to tell us our beautiful baby girl had Down Syndrome. Though I am ashamed to say it now, Emily's eyes conjured up such feelings of fear and sadness I had never felt before that I didn't want to look at pictures of her where those beautiful baby blues were captured up close. The eyes were a reminder that my daughter was different and because of that..I was now different...and no longer "normal". There were days I would wake up and had almost forgotten about the down syndrome...only to see her eyes and feel my heart breaking and mourning the loss of the child I thought I wanted...the one with a "perfect" set of chromosomes...the one that never existed beyond my imagination.
After Emily was born I remember her staring deeply into my eyes, without interuption, as if to say "look at them, look at my eyes, they will tell you everything you need to know"...and they have. Those eyes have told me the truth about the life of my perfect little Emily. There just isn't any room for darkness in their sparkle! Every day that I get to wake up to those little peepers is a blessing I could never have imagined for myself, but God knew I needed.
Emily's eyes are my very favorite feature of hers...they are so captivating that if you look into them you will have no choice but to be swallowed up into her world, a world of such beauty I was incapable of seeing before. Though it may be a while before she can utter the words "I love you Mommy", the sparkle in her eyes when she sees me has told me of such love more times than I can count. Emily's eyes even tell me when I am about to score the most incredible smile I have ever seen, one that starts as a small glimmer of light and moves all the way through her body. Those big blue eyes tell me of a life that is different, but so full of purpose. Emily was right in her plea to me on the day she was born...if I look into her eyes I see a life bursting with promise and blessing. When I find myself lost in the world of early intervention, leukemia, dr. appointments, failed hearing tests, and many other distractions...I will look into those incredible eyes, bearing those signature brushfield spots, and they will tell me everything I really need to know.
(an older picture, but one that captures one of the most beautiful sites I will ever see in this lifetime)
Love,
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy odd-1st B-day
When I was pregnant with Hope (which was a huge surprise to begin with) I found out she was due in Feb 2010. That kinda sucked because all my kids are odd years, and truthfully thats how I remember their bdays. I have a 2003,2005, 2007, and now a 2010..sux! After a routine sonogram on December 28, 2009, I had a baby 3 hours later. So despite, the 3lb 12oz birth weight and the 2 weeks in the PNICU, I got my odd year!
So, on Hopes 1st b-day we made sugar cookies and decorated them. Hope just mastered feeding herself about a month ago, so she was ready to dig in!
So, on Hopes 1st b-day we made sugar cookies and decorated them. Hope just mastered feeding herself about a month ago, so she was ready to dig in!
Christmas morning
Christmas was nice. The kids had a good time. We got home late Christmas Eve and the kids just went to bed in their clothes. So they were fully dressed on Christmas morning. They all had so much fun. Of course, Hope just sat and smiled. Everyday is fun to her. The kids were showing her how awesome her presents were and she just grabbed their face and thought how awesome THEY were. It's amazing to see such pure love and joy. It's even more amazing to feel it, every single day. We are so so blessed. This has honestly been the best year of my life...so far...
Hope the runny nose reindeer
We couldn't resist the reindeer sleeper at Target. Seriously....Cutest reindeer EVER! I bet I took a hundred pictures of her in that thing!!!! My very favorite picture is a closeup her big sister took of her. It is the perfect picture..or WOULD have been, minus the snot!!!
We did get a few non-snotty pics during Parker's(big sis) Christmas musical at school. They love each other so much. Parker was so excited to see Hope watching her, She couldn't wait to show her off to all of her reindeer friends.
Dang sun!!!
We did get a few non-snotty pics during Parker's(big sis) Christmas musical at school. They love each other so much. Parker was so excited to see Hope watching her, She couldn't wait to show her off to all of her reindeer friends.
80's Chandler
One night I put Hope to bed with both her ponytails still in. The next morning I heard her talking and went in there to see her. She always gives me a huge smile that almost makes her fall over, and I always say in a cheerful voice "Good morning to you!:)" Well....I came in the other morning, and her ponytails had come out and when she heard me come in her room, she lifted up her head and I had to laugh. I said "Well, good morning to you 80's Chandler!" The first thing that came to my mind was Chandler bing off of Friends during the 80's flashbacks. Sooo....By day she's Hopie Dopie Doo , By night....80's Chandler!
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