Best First Ever Milestone!

Last night Miles strung together the most beautiful three word sentence I've ever heard. Three words in itself is a milestone. Up until now we've consistently gotten two word requests and descriptors from Miles, but never an actual sentence- something with a clear subject and predicate. Now brace yourself because his first sentence will knock your socks off...

I love you.

My heart is still in a pudding state. We got numerous repeats this morning, and Daddy and Grandpa got their I love you's after breakfast- and I am sure he's ready to share it some more. But now matter how many times I hear it over the years, nothing will compare to the sweetness, the excitement, and absolute bliss I felt last night. I was floored, not expecting him to say it back- but he did, and it sounded perfect! Hearing that from your child is such a special occasion. Waiting nearly three years to experience it makes the event all the more special. I am counting this as an early birthday and Mother's Day present rolled into one! Miles, I love you, too!

An Amazing Cause... come join us!

Click here to learn more!

And if you stay for the Live Auction portion, you'll get a chance to hear us speak about CDR. This will be the second time we've spoken on behalf of the organization, and we are honored to be asked back. We owe a great debt to CDR; they are a phenomenal early intervention program that serves the Williamsburg/ James City County/ York County area. This will be our first time attending the auction, and from what I hear, there will be plenty of fun activities (including animals and Sesame Street characters) to keep the kiddos entertained. We'd love to share the day with you. (Hopewellians, the location is a quick jump off of Route 5 and closer than going to the outlet mall.) Hope to see you all there!

Sleeping Beauty, the Penelope Edition

Tigers make good pillows.

Tea Time! (With Plastic Chicken)

My busy, busy bee

Total Boy...

... who apparently is fantastic at playing tea party in school- he takes the time pour of all in attendance, but you wouldn't know if from the picture above. At home, it's trucks and trains all of the time. He even tells the trains goodnight during our bedtime routine. Too cute.

Spring: The Season of Co-Pays

We are in the process is setting up an appointment with the Kennedy Krieger Institute. I sent back to biggest pre-appointment-packet-ever this morning. If you know me, then you know I love a good forming filling out session. But seriously, it took me three sitting last night to complete all of the questions. Note, I am not whining; in fact, I love it. If we are going to commit to spending a few days and quite a few dollars on this venture, I want the biggest bang for my buck. I am not a fan of getting back half-assed medical summaries, chock full of the information (a) I already know and/or (b) I reported in the first place.

This is why I feel making this journey will be valuable. Not only will we have an opportunity to have some new assessments done (we're thinking a neurological exam is about due), we will get our first non-system (early childhood intervention program) testing done. I am eager to see how the results stack up to one another. However, it won't be a true comparison since Miles' hasn't had a full eval in about a year.

Also, I want to know how his medical progress is coming along, specifically from a clinic that specializes solely in Ds. While I love our local pediatricians, I want feedback from a practice whose stock and trade is trisomy 21. If you recall, we had a less than fulfilling visit with our quasi-local developmental doc. In fact, it was a big waste of time. (And we never got a summary report; don't think I have forgotten that nugget.) Anywhoo... I am really hoping that we get some good input on kiddo and his progress.

In other medical news: March is when the kids see our cardiologist for a follow-up (Miles) and initial screening (Penelope). We are also going to have his AAI x-ray completed, along with his annual thyroid screening. For the past two years, his thyroid test has come back with good results- not great, seeing that the levels are elevated enough to warrant observation, but good enough not to need treatment.

Back to Kennedy Krieger for a sec- I think it would be quite fun to schedule in a little fun time while in Baltimore, for nostalgia's sake. When I was a heck of a lot younger, my fam made a fun trip to the inner harbor area, and I know Miles will get the biggest kick out of the aquarium and all of the huge ships. Hopefully, not too much has changed. This could be a silver lining to the whole experience (and a fun way to celebrate turning 31, ugh!).

In the quiet of the afternoon...

...some mother-daughter bonding time.

Kennedy Krieger, anyone?

We are thinking about taking Miles there for an evaluation. Has anyone out there visited the Institute? What did you think? It would a pretty big trip for us, but I don't think we have anything like this available regionally. (Yes, we've been to the developmental ped w/ CHKD and were thoroughly unimpressed with their slapdash assessment style and zero follow-up, so it's time to move on to bigger and better research facilities.)

I am also open to ABA recommendations in the Hampton Roads/ Greater Richmond area. Hit me back if you've got any good leads. Thanks!

Goodbye Rajah

My dearest friend and beloved dog Rajah passed away Friday night. He had been my constant companion for the past nine years- from helping me cram for final exams to welcoming home both Miles and Penelope. We weathered heartbreak and celebrations, hugs and tears, and many an amazing romp in the sand and snow. One never to pass up ear rubs and belly scratches, Rajah was the eternal snuggler and seeker of affection.

His passing was unexpected and happened very quickly- so much so that I didn't have a chance to say goodbye. I was able to spend some time with him after he passed away, and even during those precious and painful moments, he continued to keep my toes warm and my heart full. I will forever remember looking at my hand after the last belly rub and noting the fur that was laced between my fingers. After looking at it for just a few seconds, a quick breeze blew it all away. And that's how I still feel... that he his time was both substantial and brief, that a lot of life was crammed into a handful of years, that he came and went before my eyes.

We've all been sad, very sad. Miles was very fond of Rajah; they were partners is crime. Though little man may not fully comprehend the situation, he has taken to saying goodbye to Rajah while going through our bedtime routine- and it is breaking my heart. Luckily, Miles and Liloo are also good pals, so he still has a furry companion on hand. And speaking of Liloo, Rajah was her everything. Watching her adjust to his departure is even harder. She spent Friday night at our door, waiting for him to enter. Sadly, he never did. Luckily, she's eating and interacting with us, so I think she will come around sooner than later. However, we consulted with the vet today to make sure she's on the right track. (She's taken to some stress-related behaviors that we're hoping to curb on our own.)

If you were luckily enough to have known Rajah, then you can attest to his boundless energy and love of all people. Crazy dog never passed up a party or a chance to meet someone new. And you also know that he never considered himself a dog- that might be due to him going to class with me. (He also liked wearing my sorority t-shirts, oddly enough.) Having completed two semesters at W&M may have gone to his head.

I wish I had to words to truly express my sorrow. I wish I had had a chance to say "I love you" one more time. I wish I had had a chance to say thanks- thank you for the unconditional love and companionship. I hope Rajah left us knowing how much we all love him. Goodbye dear friend; hope you are getting the celestial belly scratches you so greatly deserve.

Welcome to Smilesville

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful girl.

A World Record

Miles sprouted a new tooth yesterday, and its buddy is not far behind. During the a.m. brushing routine, Jesse spotted the new tooth. He also saw the site of the next eruption. I am not 100% certain of the make and model, but I think its a canine that's moved into kiddo's mouth. We knew a new tooth was on its way in- seeing that Miles had recently begun drooling more than our dogs during dinner time. This also explains why his appetite has been so unpredictable lately. Aaaaaaand his general crankiness. Perhaps my mom will share the story of my fussiness when my wisdom teeth popped up during our trip to the West Coast. (Spoiler Alert: I ended the leg of our trip in a painkiller haze- during which I said something very snappy to Neil Young while boarding a flight. And I love Neil Young, but I not impressed with the sluggishness of his seat taking pace.)

As for the world record- Miles has now been teething for two and a half years. Please get this kid (and his parents) a merit badge because this is redonkulous. Ridiculous was when we hit the two year mark...