My new favorite picture

FYI: Jesse is no longer Dada. He's become Daaadeee-Daaadeee-my-Daaadeee. : )

Werewolves of Williamsburg

His coolness level just keeps rising. How proud am I that my son likes Warren Zevon and/or wolf sounds? Extremely. Proud enough to consider buying him a mini-leather jacket for Christmas. J/k... kinda.

Twain said it best...

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and lightning bug." -Mark Twain

Saw this quote on a People First handout, and I loved it. Still love it. I can't tell you how much it means to me when people say my child first and then list his disability secondly. He never has nor never will be a DS baby, Downs baby, DS kid, or DS adult. He has always been a person with Down syndrome. DS is only a fraction of the picture, and it will never be his main identifier. He's more of a son, grandson, friend, and soon-to-be big brother- and our language needs to reflect that. Words carry such weight and importance. As his mother, advocate, and unwavering admirer, I know how much unintentional language can sting. And this is a lesson I had to learn from experience. Now that I have this knowledge, I want to share it with you.

This is Disability Awareness month, so I encourage everyone to be aware of what you say- words are mirrors to our thoughts. When we limit our vocabulary, we limit our expectations.

PEOPLE FIRST!

Much love from Team Milestones!

p.s. 12 weeks to go until our newest member arrives!!!!

Oops...

We meant well, but Miles might have one of the craziest haircuts ever. He's looking a little like Stork from Animal House. Luckily hair grows, and we did just find a really cute baseball hat he will wear (for a minute or so).

He's too young to hold a grudge, right?

Loud and (relatively) Clear

My son sent me a message tonight, and the message is: Ma, I want to potty train. Now.

Said message was delivered through a performance piece entitled, "Surprising New Use for Tupperware." Miles made a liquid deposit, clapped, and shot me a knowing look. Me, mouth agape, hoping that this wasn't borrowed from someone, and quickly realizing that a formal "potty" will have to be purchased tomorrow- lest we never have leftovers again.

Yet another teachable moment brought to me by my son. Clearly, I am a visual learner.

Such a big boy! : )

It just dawned on me...

... that in less than 15 weeks we will no longer be a little family of three. We will have gone nuclear, zero population growth, the FOUR!

I am now compelled that make this Miles-only time extra special. While welcoming little Penelope into our home is a magical and wondrous event, so is having Miles the center of our daily lives. My son, the sun. Now our universe is on the brink of a major expansion. Life will never be the same; then again, no day is ever the same under this roof.

Time to go tickle the crab cake and give him some extra mommy-time!

*Got any good leads on a cool "I'm a Big Brother" t-shirt? If so, please post the links here. We are in the market. : )

You've heard of navel gazing...

... I now give you belly browsing. Yep, the baby bump accidentally sent off an e-mail (to my boss) before I had finished typing it. Here's the proof.

Big Boy

Miles officially made it through his first day of Pre-K with no tears yesterday. HUGE accomplishment! The transition has been a bit rocky for him because the days are long (9:30 to 1:30- not including the big yellow bus rides), and he's going 4 days a week. Plus, his wingman Daddy isn't there for every whim and whimper. Luckily, he's in an amazing room, with great staff, and a buddy from his former playgroup. We've had chances to peep in on him, and we've seen him have a wonderful time. Hooray for school!!!

We knew we had turned a corner with school on Sunday- when Miles put on his pack-pack (little red backpack), stood by the front door, and continuously signed "school." He then went upstairs, with pack-pack on, and played for another 3o minutes or so. Man, he loves that backpack- must be magical. The fact that he's spontaneously asking for school (and willingly wearing pack-pack) is already a massive change. Maybe he's going to be a school fan like his mommy (who loves being in school, too)!

Little Man is growing up very quickly. Sigh.

Technically...

... technically I am doing school work, so this post doesn't actually exist. Just wanted to share that Miles has successfully started school. His been a bit teary, missing his wing man (Daddy) and his nap time (there's no napping on the pre-K level), but he's loving the bus and the extended opportunities to play and wave to people.

I, too, have resumed my schooling- this time as a teacher. This is year 5, believe it or not! Frankly, five years blows my mind. Aren't I due for a door prize at this point? Every five years earn a new Subaru- wasn't that in the fine print? : ) But seriously, I am loving my job. Loving it.

Penelope now has a pending name. We just need to get the a-okay from the namesake. This will take some planning on our part- but that's all on this topic for now. Pregnancy in general is kicking my butt. PT was a veritable bust- expensive and chock full of stretches I am doing on my own. Luckily, I have reached a maintenance level- the back still aches, but the "et tu, Brutus?" stabbing pain has subsided a bit. Chocolate and frozen raspberries have been easing my discomfort. My belly's quite ball-eqsue now. A stranger last night asked when I was due (always a risky question)- and she was shocked that I wasn't minutes away from entering labor. Thanks, I think. This baby ball is much higher and sticks out much farther than the Miles bump did. Perhaps Penelope is stowing a lovely set of matching luggage because I look like I ate a duffel bag.

Back to work.

Little Man in the Capital City, aka Uncle Dude Territory

How Miles spent his Saturday in D.C.

Though he didn't get much of a nap, Little Man crashed hard that night. Very hard.