Halloween 2012

Halloween was much anticipated by Livi this year! She had started off the month saying she wanted to be a ghost. Not that I have any problem with that choice but she had a kitty costume from dance that I had to spend $70 on and I wanted her to reuse it! Sofie fit in to the lady bug costume from last year so it was a cheap Halloween! I think a teacher or friend at preschool said something about being some 'nice' and not too spooky which thankfully changed her mind for me :)

Livi drew the face then I cut it out.

It was a self portrait of her making a silly face. 

Off to their preschool Halloween party day!

The girls had a preschool party where they got to wear their costumes and then sing some practiced songs for us parents. It was super cute. Then in the evening there was trick or treating of course! Our new neighbourhood is quieter which we werent expecting. So much candy it left over! Sofie didn't do to many houses but was crazy happy and excited in the stroller watching all the kids. She was elated each time Livi came back from a house. Livi was little Miss Independent herself. "I can go to this house by myself! I'm not scared!" For spooky houses she would tell me where she wanted me to stand. 

I know the flash is terrible but I love their faces here. So much excitement just before trick or treating. 

Bed time was terrible. The girls were hyped up on sugar and excitement from the day. I expected something but not another of Livi's epic meltdown. Second one ever. It sucked but she calmed down... eventually. They were both up past 9pm which doesn't happen in this house. Tomorrow will be a quiet day :)

PS. Because I know there are a few anti-Halloween readers and I saw a few negative status' on FB I thought I would re-post my Facebook status on my blog. I got some good feedback so I thought it would be worth a read here too...

"As I'm already seeing some anti-Halloween status' I would just like to remind any naysayers that God delights in His children having fun AND Christmas used to be a pagan holiday too. Why not try taking a redemption attitude and see what God can teach you through this cultural experience?"

Autumn

I'm loving this new crisp air and reason to wear a scarf. It makes me happy. That heat was wearing on me. This fall has been so busy for us though. I don't know what I was thinking with the schedule I arranged... I do see an end though. Just over a month left of this schedule! Music class is over at the beginning of December and the speech therapy class I'm taking to help Sofie ends mid December. Gymnastics goes in to January but Jon will be able to take them while I sleep with the baby! I don't know what the girls will be doing in the spring but I'm thinking just swimming.

The girls are both loving preschool. It took Livi a little while to settle in. I think it was actually good for her that Sofie was with her instead of it being good for Sofie. Livi stayed very close to Sofie, particularly at transition times, like from art to circle time. I was worried about it at first but she is more comfortable now and making her own friends. I didn't need to be worried about Sofie at all. She is doing awesome! She loves preschool and charges in ready to go. I just need to say the words "go to the car for preschool" and she charges down the stairs to the door. She has an aid who is pretty good with her. Being in preschool and around so many other kids is helping her development too. She is throwing and hitting much less which is AWESOME!

The big event of the month is, in preparing for baby, we painted the girls rooms, set up the bunk beds and moved Sofie in to Livi's room, which is now the "big girls' room". Surprisingly they are doing awesome with it. The first two nights they giggled and played but were asleep by the hour mark Since then (about five nights) they have fallen asleep pretty quickly and slept in until after 7! They woke each other up once or twice but always slept in past 7 and once until almost 8! I'm loving having them going to bed at the same time. Before we would always put Sofie to bed first and let Livi have some big girl time. Now they are going to bed together which leaves me with more alone time!

Their room is kind of awesome too. I love it. The girls really like it too :)

We also went to the corn maze with the Down Syndrome support group we are a part of. We went last year and I don't think I can adequately tell you about the change in Sofie from last year to this year. She just whined and didn't move last year. This year she was chasing the other kids, playing in the corn box and smiling! It was so cool to see.

(These are all pictures of Sofie there because all the pictures of Livi had Emma in them too and I didn't think I should post pictures of her with out permission)

 My two wimps bundled up!

 Smiling!

In the corn box! She wouldn't even touch the corn from our hand last year!

Yesterday we went on the girls first field trip with preschool! Livi was SO excited. We went to the "rain forest" to find jaguars, toucans and huge spiders. We ended up going up the mountain to a trail that was basically a hike! I nearly died pushing Sofie in the stroller. It was one big hill! There was no way Sofie would have gotten very far if she had been walking. Thankfully Sofie's EA pushed her up the second half of the hill. I was super impressed with all the 4 year olds and glad that I could help include Sofie in the walk :) She kept giggling at all the bumps in her ride!

Back at school for a snack!

Sofie got glasses too... Not sure how that is going to work out. She doesn't really keep them on. She is a little far sighted and has an eye that turns in, especially when she is tired. The doctor said if it was one or the other he would probably leave it for another 6 months but the two together needed glasses. We haven't pushed them on her yet because I don't want her to start associating them as negative and something to fight. I do need to bring them to preschool but I keep forgetting. She'll get the most benefit there anyway when she is doing writing and up close work.

Livi is doing really great right now. She is learning so much and very proud of how she is helping to teach her sister. "It's kind of like you have a teacher living with us at home" she says. So modest too. She is definitely an amazing little helper, while being little miss independent who is quick to frustration if she can't do something herself. She definitely has an attitude but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Another amazing quote from my "humble" child...
Livi - "I know everything about the world."
Me - "No Livi, you don't know everything. Only God knows everything."
Livi - "Well, I guess I'm like God then."
A little sacrilege never hurt anyone, right?
She loves monsters and "spooky" things which is really getting exemplified with Halloween right now. She wanted to be a ghost, which I don't really have a problem with except for the fact that she has a very adorable kitty costume from dance that I want her to wear to save money! I think I had to spend about $70 on that darn costume! She has also decided she wants to ask Santa for a peddle bike for Christmas, which I am all for! She is getting a little big for her run bike and since her birthday is at the end of summer I think it is a good idea to get it for Christmas so she can use it in the summer.

I think I'm starting to nest a little bit. I've done a lot of cleaning this week and organizing for the baby. This pregnancy is still crazy difficult but I'm surviving for now. All the exercise I got this week was good for me! I need to keep it up. My back is starting to hurt a bit more and some motions are starting to get limited. Shaving my legs is a joke. Tons of spots get missed. If Jon wants to sleep next to smooth legs he may need to shave them for me! Picking up Sofie is getting really difficult and she is having some behaviors because of it. Lots of whining! Heartburn is terrible and my hips are getting worse at night. Braxton Hicks contractions are almost an hourly thing thing now. Sometimes they take my breath away. The literature says they don't hurt... bull shit! I did go to the chiropractor once but I wanted to spread them out since we only get $8 back from a $40 appointment. I know I'll have to go more in the last month so I'm trying space it out. It could get expensive! Hopefully less than two months to go though! I need this kid out of me  by December 31 so I don't have to keep her back a year! This is a serious concern for me! I'll be starting inductions at home on the 17th.

I am enjoying all the movements I'm feeling from her. I thought Livi was active? Well, they aren't even comparable. This little one must be hyperactive. I was told because of the placement of the placenta I might not feel her as much! Hah! She moves so much that I almost get concerned if I don't feel her for an hour. I can watch my whole belly rumbling and jumping. It is kind of cool. It sure does hurt sometimes though! She will kick me in the ribs and bladder at the same time. Sometimes she'll make me pee myself a little too... awesome. Too much info? Deal with it. This is what YOUR mother had to go through! I recently measured 4 weeks further along than weeks I am. Baby must have had a growth spurt. I was always right on for measurements. Hopefully this all means I can get her out on time!

Thanksgiving 2012

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving... mainly because it gets me starting to think about Christmas! I LOVE Christmas :) I'm already starting to talk about Santa with the girls and plan Christmas decorating and parties! Not that the Christmas partying will be too involved this year as I'll be 9 months pregnant.

I'm so thankful for so many things in my life, which I sometimes shocking to me. I don't mean that in an ungrateful way. I just mean that sometimes I feel SO frustrated and tired yet I'm still authentically able to be purely thankful for what I do have. Maybe that is a growing up thing. I'm sure my old self never would have been content, let alone thankful, for my life. But, I truly am! My life rocks! That doesn't mean I wish some things were different, or that I never complain. I'm sure I complain way more than I need too. I still have some epic meltdowns after long, hard days, (sometimes at the beginning of those days).

I asked Livi what she is thankful for this year and she listed off Mommy, Daddy, Sofie, Parker and Monster (her imaginary friend). That almost sums up my feelings exactly... minus Parker. I hate that cat. The only reason he is still around is because she loves him so much. 

Here is my list....

I'm Thankful for:

• Jon. He is a great partner and fabulous father. I don't know how I was able to end up with someone who is so good for me. I never expected that. I was sure I would be a single mom. He is patient, kind, dependable, and a great comfort to me. Not to say we don't have our issues but we always manage to work through our crap, together and separately as needed. I'm thankful he is willing to work for the lives we are building together. I'm not sure all men truly understand what that means. He does.
• Livi. She is incredible. I love her spunk, her intelligence, her zest for life, and her attitude even! She is so creative and such a daredevil. She makes me laugh and can frustrate me with her stubbornness and ability to negotiate with real logic!
• Sofie. She is our miracle. She is growing and developing daily. She survived unimaginable hardships and amazes us daily. She is her own person. She learned to understand an entirely new language in a matter of months. She is learning so much and has such a pure joy when she accomplishes something new. She is an inspiration.
• My mom. I would be no where with out the support of my mom. She is everything good.
• My sisters. They are there for me when I need them and can always make me laugh. Plus, Maggy gives the best hugs. 
• My home. I love my new house. It is perfect for us. I feel so terribly blessed. 
• Co-living. Living with your family is so perfect. I honestly don't know why more people in our North American culture don't do it. It has countless benefits for everyone involved. 
• My baby Evie. I'm thankful that I have one more amazing little girl coming to round out our family. I'm thankful I get to feel the movements and kicks of new life in my belly one last time. I'm also thankful this is the last time :)
• Family and Friends who love me. I love the encouragement and support that they are all to me in each their different ways. 
• My job. It really isn't a job! I get paid way to much to hang out a few hours a week with a little girl who has Aspergers and take her riding and to Color Me Mine. I have a really good working relationship with her parents too which is so nice and something I'm so thankful for. 
•  My life. I love my life.

Poop

Today has not been good. I cried... a lot. I'm blogging because I need to vent.

After having a wonderfully busy weekend, cleaning my house very well yesterday because a speech therapist was coming over this morning and having to go out late Monday and Wednesday night, my body was sore. Particularly my hips. This is my life, always busy and frequently sore from the baby. It isn't terrible, just tiring. I'm excited to not be pregnant one day and have my hips back to normal. This pregnancy exasperates everything right now.

The therapist that I was expecting at 9 called at 9:20 to ask to postpone our appointment until 10:30. Not a big deal but annoying. Today was supposed to be a baking day for Thanksgiving goodies so that pushed our baking back a little but still very doable. Then just before 10 I found it....

Sofie had gone to her room, taken off her pants and diaper, pooped A LOT on the floor and smeared it in to our cream colored rug and most of the walls. Her hands and feet were caked in it so much that you couldn't see her skin. It was awful. I cried, so much. Aside from obviously getting her clean, I didn't know where to start.

Once Sofie had been hosed down and cleaned I let her play in the tub to keep her occupied while I tried to figure out what to do. I cancelled the therapist and called Jon sobbing, asking if there was anyway he could come home and bring a steam cleaner with him. We are still a one car family so I had no way of going and renting one myself. I was scared that if we waited to long, the stains would set in. He could be home for lunch and brought a big industrial cleaner with him that he rented. It, thankfully, worked really well and was relatively easy. I do need to re-clean the walls but it is nap time and that is more important to me right now.

I love Sofie and did not get mad at her... surprisingly. I think my old self would have been very angry and resentful. I just cried and kept saying "Oh my Gosh. What do I do?" I think I freaked Livi out a bit... I had to apologize to her later and assure her that Mommy was not mad at Sofie but just upset at what she had done. She understood that I was "emotional" since that is what we talk about with her when she is having tantrums for no reason. I had a good reason though!

Parenting is hard some times... most times. Sofie has done this half a dozen times. Today was the worst. The really "crappy" part of all this is that she had pooped the night before and this morning already! And she is usually constipated! Argh! Plus, I think she knows when she is going. She frequently says "poop" when she is peeing and she took her pants and diaper off before she pooped in her room today. I think I might get her a potty seat for the toilet and see what she thinks of it. I have no plans to potty train any time soon because of Sofie's communication issues, but maybe I should give it a shot and see what she does. I'm not holding my breath but maybe she'll surprise me. She has before!

My day ended well. I had promised Livi I was going to bake with her since this weekend is Thanksgiving. I was able to keep my promise and we got a lot done! We made a batch of pumpkin muffins, my amazing apple pie, including a home made crust, Rice Krispie squares, and dinner! It will be a yummy weekend! Plus we are painting the girls rooms and their bunk bed is waiting for pick up! Getting ready for the next stage of our life!

On another note... I've been reading a lot of posts about Down Syndrome Awareness month. It is actually only DS Awareness month in the States. Canada celebrates DS Nov 1-7. I was wanting to put together 7 posts about DS, our adoption, Sofie, Maggy, inclusion, life celebrating DS, etc. I was wondering if there was any specific questions out there to help write a few posts. Let me know here or on Facebook!