Funny and Not so funny...

Funny story...
Mikah and Jett haven't been 100% the last couple of weeks. No fever to speak of, but runny noses, hoarse and coughing. Mikah even had a 24 hour tummy virus and last week I suspected a urinary tract infection, so, I called our pediatrician and asked if we could come in. Before we left the house Mikah asked where we were going, I told her the doctor. Well, this upset her immensely, as her yearly check up was only last month and she clearly remembers the shot she received!! I had to tell her we were going to the doctor for Presley to even get her in the car! However, being the smart girl that she is, she didn't totally buy it. As I am driving, she says from the back seat to me, and I am not paraphrasing, I quote... "Mommy, I know the doctor is nice and everything but he has band aids and I don't like that..."
I am thinking she just doesn't know the 'word' for what comes before the band aids (i.e. SHOT) but just how cute is that??!!

Not so funny story...
With a house full of coughs and cudies, Presley has gotten sick as well. Therefore, our pediatrician recommended we check into the hospital for some IV antibiotics and observation. So, yesterday we did just that. Of course, I insisted on the children's hospital rather than any hospitals that are near our home. So, for a few days (GOD WILLING), we are, again, doing the 40 minute drive to the hospital a few times a day, juggling the kiddos and tag teaming our stays.
Please pray for a speedy recovery for our little Presley and I will keep you all posted. Winter is barely here and already I am looking forward to spring/summer.

As winter = cudies!!! sigh

And for those of you familiar with this blog, you are most certainly familiar with Presley's BFF Zoey, as you send one prayer upward for Pres, could you send 10 upward for Zoey? She is fighting the battle of her life. This princess and family need our prayers. And for those of you who don't know this family like I do, can I just say... NO FAMILY is more deserving, they are beautiful and unbelievably caring of others and now they need us to pray for them like never before!! I will be posting more as I know more and please link to Zoey's blog to hear from Heather herself.

Precious...

Enjoying the cool weather...

I have managed to get myself knee deep in a backyard project. As you can see in the picture, I am certainly far from done. Hauling a wheel barrel full of rocks, a fire pit, digging holes for landscaping, is all much harder without the muscle of a man. HOWEVER, we did have a little fun trying the fire pit out the other night. We roasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate, it was pretty cool. Jett isn't really into the eating of the marshmallows but he sure loves burning the heck out of them in the pit!! Of course, I couldn't get pictures of that, I was too busy trying to keep him from catching himself on fire, and we all know by now, seeing as how I am never in any pictures, that Mike apparently doesn't know what it means to take a picture. (Hmmm, maybe that comment will allow me to be in a few upcoming photos! LOL!)

BTW, I will be sure to show you pics of my 'backyard paradise' when I am done... I keep telling Mike, as he comes home to find the yard in disarray, "Honey, just wait, I have a vision..." LOL

Liberated!!

As I dreaded another Sunday, without Mike, all by myself with the kiddos and a prisoner to the house, I mentioned to Mike, as he was leaving at his usual noon time today to head to work, "I think I might actually try and go to Lowe's with all of them" He said, 'I think that's great!! Get out, that would be good for you!'
Truly, I wanted to punch him in the face, he said it so light heartily, like 'Hey, great idea...it is no big deal to take an 8 month old with a portable oxygen tank, a 2 year old and a 3 year old, out and about all by yourself!!' ~sigh~
So, here we go... I pull the thing-a-mu-jiggy down from the closet (the harness that allows you to strap your baby to your chest - haven't used it since Jett was an infant) and load everyone in the car. I am so excited on my way to Lowe's, there are so many projects I want to do around the house and just haven't been able to do any of them for this very reason... too hard to take everyone out by myself.
As we get to Lowe's, Jett and Mikah in the basket and Presley strapped to my chest, I am trying to be somewhat quick because I never know when the whole outing can go south. I brought the emergency gummy bears for the first melt down, but beyond that, I will be outta luck.
As we stroll the aisles I get about a gazillion comments 'Wow, you are one busy mommy', to 'Jeez, you sure have your hands full!', and then of course, my favorite is when they ask 'What are their ages?', I have no doubt this question derives from the curiosity as to just how insane Mike and I really were, when planning this family. When I answer '3 years, 2 years and 8 months' I feel certain the insanity is confirmed in most of their minds. LOL!
Any hoo, through the store we go, Mikah and Jett loving all the attention and Mommy loving that I am getting to finally pick out some patio stones for a project in the back yard that I have been wanting to do.
All in all, it went pretty well...of course checking out is always embarrassing. Am I the only mommy who hands their children half the store just to keep them happy? I know the cashier must despise me as I hand her a dozen things at check out and say 'We won't be needing these now'.
I felt liberated on the way home, braving this task and having it go well. Now I know it can be done and will be doing it much more often!!
However, as I am basking in the glory of my success on the way home, I realize after loading all the kids back into the car, I drove off and never went through the pick up to have them load the patio stones I had purchased... ARG!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

A birthday party amist football season can never be a big event in this house, ~sigh~.
However, we tried to celebrate Daddy's big day this past Saturday. Luckily... cake, candles, ice cream and balloons are all that are needed around here to make for a big hit.












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Pumpkin patch...

Nana and PawPaw came to town this weekend and Nana and I took Mikah and Jett to the pumpkin patch. Of course, Jett didn't want to have anything to do with sitting for a picture so the photo's with the scarecrow were a complete bust.
However, once he was on the loose, a few good shots could be found..

Not doing too good...

Yeah, I am not doing too good on the Down syndrome awareness posts, am I?
I don't know, I think I am just drained of the heart felt posts. I wrote so many of them, for so many months, while Pres was in the hospital, that I just can't seem to find it in me right now.
Also, where as I know this is subject to change at any moment, but, as for now, as of late, I am truly at a place of...
"What the hell's the big deal??? Presley has Ds, now... can we just talk about how stinkin' cute she is!?!?!" LOL!

So, on that note...

Hangin' with Dad!!

In case you ever wondered why I posted that...

When I had first created our blog, a friend that blogs told me how much I was going to appreciate it, as a scrapbook of sorts for my family. I loved the idea of that. Where as, I love to do crafts, I do not like to scrapbook!! It drives me mad to sit and glue and cut and paste...ugh, just not my thing, at all! And sadly, I don't really even have a photo album to speak of, I know, it is horrible.
Furthermore, for all the pretty journals I have bought over the years, with the intent to be diligent about recording our journey, that too, is not my thing and I have never stayed committed to it.
So, in case you ever wonder why I it seems I am posting a silly tid bit or picture... perhaps a photo of how I decorated for the holidays or one of Mikah's bedroom or even just a picture of our back yard in the spring ~ maybe it's a little entry about funny words Mikah uses or what Jett's first sentence will be, whatever it may be, know that I am not scrambling around to just find something to post for all our sweet on lookers. I post it because this is our family photo album and journal, of sorts. One in which I plan to print in to a hard copy scrapbook each year. I will even have a label at the bottom of our post that says 'scrapbooking our life'.
Anyway, just thought I would share that in case some of you check out a post and find yourself scratching your head and saying "Does she really think we care?!?" LOL!

Presley's story...

PRESLEY's STORY...Hello, my name is Presley & I was born February 19th,2008. My mommy was having a difficult pregnancy due to increased amniotic fluid so at 28 weeks she went to see a specialist who told her I had something called duodenal atresia. Due to this intestinal problem it was certain that I would have to have surgery after birth. The specialist also said this condition indicated that there was a possibility that I could have Down syndrome & that mommy should have a test to be sure, which she did. One week later mommy started contracting & bleeding and went to the hospital. That morning mommy's doctor confirmed that I did have Down syndrome. This scared & saddened my parents. Later that evening I was born, washing away much of the sadness. The next day they looked at my heart & said I had a heart conditon, common to Down syndrome babies & that I would require yet another surgery to correct this. Mommy & Daddy got sad again. Since then, the 1st 6 and a half months of my life were spent in the hospital, along with three surgeries, a ton of prayers, alot of tears, plenty of smiles & more blessings than my parents could of ever imagined. You see, at first all anyone could see were the diagnosis & all the fears that they entailed. BUT NOW!?! Now they see me! And well, I don't wanna brag or nothin' but it is kinda hard to think of bad stuff when you look at me!!

MOMMY's STORY...Hello, my name is Kele, I am the proud mother of this little butterfly. Presley told the story pretty accurately. However, I choose to share some of the more personal emotions & thoughts in regards to this journey the Lord has felt to put me on. When we initially received the news of Presley having Down syndrome, I truly felt as if my life, as I had known it, 'perfect' & uncomplicated, was over. I mourned the loss of this 'perfect' life for weeks. This whole idea of having a 'special needs' child threw me into the darkest & saddest place I have ever been. I would wake in the middle of the night only to realize it wasn't a bad dream...it was my reality. I have never cried more tears in my life. To be brutally honest, there were many times that it wasn't even about my sweet Presley & her well being at all, it was just about the fact that this messed up MY idea of MY life!! You see, my life was supposed to look like that Estee Lauder ad, where this beautiful, perfect family all lay on the beach in matching wool sweaters. Have you ever seen that ad? LOL! I mean, it was all pretty wonderful so far. I was lucky enough to be a stay home mom, 2 adorable, healthy children, married to a hottie, great family, good friends, nice home...seriously, all I needed were the wool sweaters. In some of my darkest times I would go online. I wouldn't necessarily search for medical things regarding Ds but more personal things. I stumbled in to the world of 'blogs'. Looking into the lives of families that also had children with 'special needs' & I found myself saying "wait a minute, this family is adorable" & "Wow! what a cool family". Every night, for several hours, I would do this - visit these family blogs, I was truly addicted. It was then that I realized that so many of these families were amazing, beautiful, 'perfect' families and most times, not in spite of their 'special needs' child, but often times because of that child. The stories on their blogs were touching & profound, the siblings were usually wonderful & amazing. Then I realized...maybe this 'perfect' life I have dreamed about doesn't have a damn thing to do with those wool sweaters...I mean, I live in Texas for God's sake!! Maybe it has everything to do with this little girl...this new little butterfly who has fluttered her way into our hearts. She has already taught me so much since the day the clouds parted for her arrival into our lives. I have no doubt the best is yet to come & that is why I created these two blogs, PresleyandT21.blogspot to chronicle Presley's journey. And as for our family blog? Well, where as I certainly invite you to join the fun & would feel honored if it inspires someone in need, as I was, it is truly a site created for me. In case there is ever a night in which I am doubting that my life is any thing less than amazing, incredible, full and yes....'perfect', I won't have far to go... Gilesfamilyof5

A couple of our angels...

These beautiful ladies, Theresa and Joella, are Jett's Mother's day out teachers and were Mikah's MDO teachers last year.
They have been absolute angels to our family. Through them, they have had meals provided for our family since bringing Presley home. Almost every night, these ladies make sure a meal is delivered to our home, not to mention the crusade for meals months back for weeks following Presley's birth! Can you believe?!? I have forgotten how to turn my oven on thanks to them!! They have blessed our lives and helped us in soooo many ways in the past 8 months. Truly, I couldn't even mention all that they have done for our family in one post!
But even more than that, they love my children dearly, Mikah, Jett and Presley, and my Lord, how my children love them! I have felt honored that the Lord would bring them into our lives.
The picture above was taken the day of Presley's heart surgery, unbeknownst to Mike and I, they showed up at the hospital to give us support!

As I have said in a recent post, soooo very many have done kind things for us and I certainly don't want to slight anyone who has shown us kindness. We thank you all and consider each of you angels as well!!
(But c'mon, because of these women I haven't had to cook in over a month!! LOL!

Through our Presley...

So many times, so very often, I have wanted to mention people on the blog who have been so amazing to us since the arrival of our Presley. However, I always seem to stop for fear of leaving someone out. Pretty great problem to have huh? Seriously though, Mike and I have had soooo many people embrace us in the last few months. Mike and I have been astonished by all the gestures bestowed upon us. Friends, family, friends of friends, friends of family, many whom have never even met us.
Not too long ago, Mike and I were actually talking about a few people in our lives, in which we were a bit surprised by their lack of support, calls or gestures of concern, during Presley's long medical struggle and hospital stay.
In that conversation Mike said, "Well, this isn't happening to them." That comment really stuck with me and I have thought about it many times.
How very often, do so very many, live their life with that being the bottom line? If it doesn't happen to you, doesn't effect you personally, why care? I admit it is how I lived my life. Is that extremely difficult for me to acknowledge? Yes. But that is my truth. It hasn't been conscious, but it has been my truth. There have been times in which I have heard of a less than fortunate situation in someones life, I did all the appropriate 'Aaahhh, how sad.' or 'Bless their hearts.' and genuinely felt that way. And as I have mention in previous posts, I have even said in passing, 'I will keep you in my prayers', meant it at the time but yet never sent that prayer upward.
When I think of all the people who have sent my family love and prayers and made a gesture of kindness, I am overwhelmed beyond words. I have learned soooo very much from these people, these lovely people who 'this isn't happening to' but yet have taken the time to step outside their own busy life and show an act of kindness to my family during this time. It has humbled me, it has humbled Mike. It has made me realize how even the smallest of gestures can make such a huge impact on someones life. I can't truly articulate it because so much of it is internal, so much of it is how I FELT, how I FEEL, when someone does something to show kindness or goes out of their way to let me and Mike know they care. It touches a very deep place and has caused huge change within me. It allows me to see, we are all in this together... I don't think for even a second that everyone reading this will 'get that', but my hope is that enough of you do and in time, that more and more of you will. It is a beautiful thing to grasp, we have, through our Presley.
Speaking of beautiful...

Happy Birthday Noni!!

New shoes...

Yes, they are winter boots... Yes, it is 90 degrees here... What can I say, some tantrums are not worth the trouble. They'll just be nice and sweaty- smellin' before winter arrives!!