Addison Grace Taylor

2009-10-18T22:26:00.003-05:00

We started this blog nearly two years ago when Addison was born. We initially began writing to keep everyone informed of her progress during our hospital stay, but continued updating it as she grew. It is our hope that this look at our first two years may help new parents who are in those same scary shoes we filled not so long ago. If I have one piece of advice that I would give to new parents of a child with Down Syndrome, it is that life is so much more normal than I ever thought it would be. I know the devastation and fear that can come with an initial diagnosis, but I also know the incredible joy and wonder you will experience as well. Congratulations and have fun!

New Additions

2009-09-16T07:12:00.003-05:00

We have a new son & a new blog! Please visit us at www.twofortwicetheprice.blogspot.com. (There is a link to the right you can click on).

First Day of School

2009-09-08T22:17:00.002-05:00

Today was a big day at the Taylor household. It was Addison’s first day of preschool. One of us might have cried a little bit when I dropped her off (and it wasn’t her!), but I guess that’s to be expected? I don’t know why I cried. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve left her somewhere, and I wasn’t at all sad about it. I guess I can blame it on pregnancy for now. We weren’t sure how she’d do with napping and eating away from home and away from us, since this is a new experience for her. But, apparently she did great and had a wonderful time. They said she really enjoyed reading books and music time- neither of which surprised us much- and she was a happy camper when we picked her up. My family has a tradition of taking a picture by the front door on the first day of school, so here they are.

She’s getting better and better at walking with minimal assistance, and yesterday she actually took one step on her own, but she just hasn’t pulled the trigger on walking on her own yet. We think she has the ability to do it, she’s just holding out. Maybe when that new baby comes along getting lots of attention she’ll decide it’s time for the big guns and take off.

For now, we’ll just continue to douse the right leg of everything she owns in Shout Advanced at the end of the day.

Saturday, August 29

2009-08-29T22:22:00.003-05:00

We officially have a climber. Addison has now figured out how to climb up onto the couch, ottoman, kitchen island and coffee table. She has also discovered that she can turn the light off & on with just the touch of a finger. Very fascinating. She now wants to flip every light switch we walk by.

She’s going through a picky-eater phase right now, which includes throwing the foods she doesn’t want to eat. There’s no consistency to what she will or won’t eat. We can, however, always count on mac & cheese to be a success.

Addison loves her Bearfoot! I just thought this was the cutest picture. Doesn't she look like such a big girl?!

I just have to brag on Wes for a minute. He is the best daddy ever! He loves hanging out with Addison and never complains about watching her when I have to work. Last night I was making dinner and listening to him giving her a bath. I had to laugh as I heard her giggling and him explaining to her the physics of water dispersement as she placed her hand against the opening of the faucet and water sprayed out the sides and the top. He’s been wanting a bike trailer for a while now so that he can take her biking with him. Well, yesterday we finally got one.

Addison wasn’t quite sure what to think of her helmet at first, but as you can see, she warmed up to it quickly and even thought she’d try it out a bit, slapping it with her hands.

Thursday, Aug 20

2009-08-20T20:38:00.001-05:00

Grans came to stay with Addison and me last week while Wes was fly fishing in New Mexico. We had a great time, and she helped us get LOTS done around the house and in the baby ‘s room. I can’t believe he’s due in just 5 short weeks!

Addison had a great time playing with Grans and dancing with her singing bear.

Sunday, Aug 8

2009-08-08T20:06:00.004-05:00

Grammy came into town last week to watch Addison and give Wes and me a weekend away. We went to Branson and stayed in a beautiful cabin overlooking Table Rock Lake. It was great to have a couple days to sleep in and not have to plan our day around naps and bedtime! This is a picture of the view from the cabin.

Addison has been talking up a storm lately. We think she knows exactly what she’s saying, the rest of us just can’t understand it yet. She is getting more adventurous and always keeps us laughing. Here are a couple pictures of positions I’ve found her in over the last couple days.

Belly Pics & Brotherly Love

2009-07-27T19:50:00.004-05:00

So some of you out-of-towners have been asking for pics of the growing belly. While I don’t know anyone who likes taking pictures by themselves, much less posting them online, here goes.

In other news, we took Addison to Philadelphia this weekend to meet our friends who still live there. She had a great time meeting everyone and loved having playmates around at all times. She’s always been a good judge of character and warmed up to everyone pretty quickly.

Matt, Kim, Rach, Wes, Nicolas, Jackson, Addison, Grantham, Bennett & Maxwell

Wes, Rach, Addison, Gianna, Lindsey, Gabe & Ella

Our last day in Philly, we had a little time to kill before our flight, so we took Addison to the park. Our little thrill-seeker loved it! I don’t think she stopped giggling the whole time we were there.

We had one flight on the way home that I was dreading because it was a 3 ½ hour flight, and Addison is more mobile and active than she used to be (and my lap is smaller than it used to be). Little did I know, our flight would turn into a 7 hour flight including weather delays, closed airports, holding patterns and an additional stop for refueling. It was a miserable evening, but Addison, true to form, made the best of it! She made lots of new friends on the plane and wooed the flight attendants. It’s always fun to overhear the people around you talking about how cute she is.

Good Buddies

2009-07-20T20:57:00.002-05:00

Addison and Bearfoot are good buddies these days. She is always interested in him and loves to crawl on him and play with his ears. She is learning to be gentle, a quality we're hoping she'll retain when her baby brother arrives in a couple months! Don't worry. The interest is mutual. Bear very much likes to clean up after her meals, and tries to sneak in a lick whenever he can.
"Just how much of this stuff can I take?" Addison's been a little cranky lately, and over the last few days we've discovered 5 teeth coming in! Poor thing. I'd be cranky, too!

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-07T20:35:00.008-05:00

Last weekend, we had a great time in Waco for Independence Day. A weekend full of family and fireworks while lighting a few trees on fire in the process is never a bad time. This, of course, was Addison's second July 4th holiday, and she loved every minute of it. On Friday morning, we had a doctor's appointment at the Children's Hospital in Dallas to get Addison a checkup. There is a clinic in the hospital that deals only with kids with Down Syndrome, so we thought we would go check it out to make sure we aren't missing anything. We were happy to find out that not only are we already doing all the things we should for Addison's development, but we are also getting better services here in Oklahoma than those available in Dallas to some extent. I guess the state of Oklahoma has something going for it after all.

We then headed to Waco and got to spend the weekend with Grans & Grandaddy, Uncle Russ & Aunt Brittan. Addison warmed up quickly this time, which is good, because they weren't willing to wait long to get their hands on her! She was quite the party girl- never one to turn down music. We decided there are probably some dance parties in our future. We also got to see Addison's great-aunts, great-uncle and cousin this weekend. It was great to see everyone, and a little weird to realize the next time we see a lot of them, Addison will have a little brother!

Florida Beaches are Wonderful

2009-06-13T23:01:00.006-05:00

If you ever want to find out how many swimsuits a little girl has, just take her to the beach and you will most certainly find out. If you ever wondered how many swimsuits a little girl needs, I recently discovered that it’s about two a day. You will notice that the pictures don't show Addison wearing the same one twice...

I can hear the sound she's making when we took this picture, a sound that is inquisitive. However, every time I see this picture, I fast forward about 12 years and imagine her saying, "Dad, what...are...you...doing! Hello!"

We just returned from a week in Florida, and what a wonderful week it was. We discovered that a week on the beach with an eighteen-month old isn’t as relaxing as we thought it would be, but it’s still more relaxing than a week in Tulsa.

Addison was a little apprehensive about the ocean when she first dipped her little piggy toes in the water, but quickly warmed up to it once she had a solid death grip around one of our necks.

By the end of the trip, we found out a couple of new things about Addison: 1) She has an iron gut, because she can take down about a pound of beach sand and not get ill and 2) she has no problem jumping into a pool as long as someone is there to catch her.

"Kids with Downs Just Don't Get Any Better Than This"

2009-06-04T22:40:00.003-05:00

Those are the words we heard from the developmental pediatrician on Tuesday. You just can’t get better feedback than that. I’m sure there are kids out there with Downs who have done things earlier than her or faster, but what a great compliment nonetheless. We just have to brag for a minute here. Addison is in the 18-24 month range for her social and adaptive behaviors. Just this week she decided to start standing on her own, using a fork, and has picked up at least 5 new signs. This has been one of those weeks that makes it all worth it!

It's a Good Thing She's Cute...

2009-05-29T22:23:00.006-05:00

... because she can certainly be mischevious!

Planning her escape

Fun in the sun

Addison picks up new signs everyday. She is getting really good at it. Above is the sign she does when we say "I don't know" or "what's that?" but she also does it every time Daddy leaves the room. I truly believe she's saying, "where'd he go?"

Addison really gets into her reading. Above, she was signing fish, but I missed the picture. I guess here she's telling us just how big her fish was! She also has recently learned the signs for pig, butterfly and itsy-bitsy-spider. Too cute!

So, so close to standing on her own!

2009-05-18T20:59:00.004-05:00

Addison has become increasingly curious lately. It’s been nice that she can entertain herself a little more, and we’ve taken advantage of this newfound freedom to get a few things done. Occasionally, we will realize that things are just a bit too quiet. Those are the moments that make good pictures…

(The 80's called- they want their hair-do back!)

There are a few other things she’s started doing as well. She likes to pull her hair clip out of her hair and try to eat it. When I try to put her hair in pigtails, she shakes her head back and forth (hence the bad hair-do in many of these pictures). She also thinks it’s funny now to pick up her food from her tray and throw it. While I do not enjoy this, Bearfoot appreciates it very much.

But that's all okay, as long as she continues to snuggle!

The Garden Party and more...

2009-05-07T16:15:00.008-05:00

Thanks to everyone that came to visit last weekend to support Addison and the Little Light House. We had a great weekend and a few of us came home with some pretty fun prizes.

On a separate note, we would like to introduce Addison's little brother!
Yes, we have proof...

April Showers

2009-04-18T16:41:00.006-05:00

April has been a big month for us. Addison moved up to the big kid bathtub and loves it. Notice the water all over the wall...

Rachel and Addison went down to Waco last week to spend time with her family and take pictures in the beautiful bluebonnets of the great state of Texas.

They also went to Baylor University and visited the bear.

Addison has recently discovered that she enjoys crawling up the stairs in our house. You can imagine the surprise and concern the first time we discovered her desire to climb when we found her halfway up the stairs one day. Actually, it was only two steps, but still... The other safety gate is arriving on Monday, so she will be keeping us on our toes as she’s crawling around the house until then.

Snow Day in March?

2009-03-28T21:41:00.014-05:00

Addison seems to be the happiest when she is on the edge of falling off of something. So, it should come as no surprise that daddy’s shoulders are one of her favorite places to hang out and pull daddy’s hair and smack daddy in the face and all those wonderful things that a 15 month old loves to do.

She has also been very interested in standing lately. She is a curious little girl, so she likes to see what we are doing in the bath before bath time.

You also know that she’s a big fan of splashing while in the tub. She has recently discovered that if she stands up in the tub, she has more room to splash and make bigger waves.

Believe it or not, it snowed almost a foot yesterday in Tulsa. I don’t know the exact measurement, but it was definitely more than a little and not quite a ton, so about a foot sounds right. We played outside with our neighbors and had a wonderful time. Although Addison has seen snow before, she's never been able to play in it. So, for the first time, she suited up in her bear suit and crawled around in the snow.

Last but not least, we have a video for you. A new development that we just discovered...

Tiny Dancer

2009-03-22T22:55:00.007-05:00

In between our kitchen and our laundry room, there is a hallway with a tile floor where you can hear an echo. If you are a 15 month old little girl, this is a great place to SCREAM at the top of your lungs!

You might as well dance a little too...

Friday, March 20

2009-03-20T14:43:00.003-05:00

I guess you know it’s been too long since an update when you start getting threats from family and friends. Addison has had a busy few weeks. She went to Waco to visit Grans and Grandaddy for a few days, and got to be the guest speaker at Grans’s class on special needs. She did a great job, and I think she loved the attention. She put on quite a show waving, talking and smiling at these students who have been hearing about her all semester. She then took her first trip to Austin, Texas where she attended her first baby shower. She didn’t really get into any of the games, but she did enjoy playing with the tissue paper, and tried to eat another girl’s cake.

After we returned home, she had a visit from Grammy and BopBop. She took a little bit to remember them, but once she did, she had a blast. We did a little bit of shopping and lots of eating and relaxing- just what the doctor ordered

Addison has grown up so much in the last few weeks. She is pulling up on everything that’s attached, and occasionally on something that’s not. She now signs more, milk, eat and all done. Other new experiences have included eating dog food- which I don’t think she liked, but probably would be willing to try again, and being told she’s going to be a big sister- which she doesn’t care much about yet. We’ll see how she feels when September rolls around!

Nice Hair

2009-03-06T09:16:00.007-06:00

Addison's hair is definitely getting longer. She's doing funny stuff everyday. As much as she likes being outside, I think she's ready for winter to be over.
Here's another video for your viewing pleasure. She's been very interested in getting that bunny on her foot. I'm sure she'll get it eventually!

Growing Up

2009-02-18T21:59:00.004-06:00

Addison is growing up before our eyes. She's hit a spurt lately of new things she's doing. She's now drinking her milk from a straw. No more bottles, no sippy cups!

Do you recognize this look of pride? This is her just after she pulled herself to standing for the first time. She was so proud of herself!

Today, Addison fed herself pudding with a spoon. The small problem we're working on is that she grabs the end with the food on it with her right hand, so that she can put the handle in her left hand. So by the time she gets the spoon to her mouth, there's no much food left on it. As you can see, I think more pudding got on her sleeves and on me than in her mouth, but it's her first time- we'll give her a little slack.

2009-02-13T13:08:00.003-06:00

This is a neat video of Addison just before her bath yesterday. It's about 7 minutes long. We thought it was cute. Grandparents will love it!

Tuesday, February 10

2009-02-10T22:51:00.005-06:00

Okay, so it's been a while. Not a lot new to tell you, but thought we'd share some pictures. I don't know why we even bother buying toys. Addison was crawling around the bathroom the other day while I was in the shower, and this is how I found her when I got out. Starting early- I thought I didn't have to worry about this until she was a teenager!

This weekend we enjoyed the beautiful warm weather in Tulsa, and Wes decided to brush up on his tree-climbing skills.
The weekend before we went to Waco and hung out with the Jumper family for our extended family Christmas. Yes, I realize it's February. I guess we just like to party. It was fun to see everyone and watch Addison play with her cousins. We tried to get a good pic of the 3 of them, but she kept crawling out of it. She's getting to be a fast little crab-crawler!

Saturday, Feb 7

2009-02-07T10:47:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, we went to Waco to see the family. We had a wonderful time. Addison is seeming less like a baby and really turning into a big little girl. It's pretty fun!

Wednesday, Jan 28

2009-01-28T23:09:00.005-06:00

She crawls...sort of...

Monday, Jan 26th

2009-01-26T19:00:00.004-06:00

As the ice builds up on our driveway, and the heat STILL out in our house, we take a moment to look at the brighter things in life.

Friday, January 23

2009-01-23T16:26:00.007-06:00

We got to go to Kansas City last weekend to see my good friend Meredith and her family. Hard to believe we've known each other for 10 years! Her son Deacon & Addison are birthday buddies- they share the same bday, a year apart. It's hard to tell, but he's actually giving Addison a hug in this picture (while being very sure to keep his ball outside of her reach).

She is an incredible photographer in KC, and she did us the honor of taking our pictures while we were there. She has such a way of capturing personalities on film. I've posted some of them for you to see.

We are battling RSV at our house these days. Addison started coughing Wednesday, and then Thursday did me the favor of taking her wet hand out of her mouth and sticking it in mine before I had time to react. Please pray that she gets over this without any complications. We know so many kids with Downs who end up in the hospital because of it!

Sunday, Jan 11

2009-01-11T21:23:00.007-06:00

Being a little more mobile, Addison has gotten herself into a few predicaments lately. I guess the nice thing to do would be to go to her immediately and help her out of it. Instead, we like to laugh and take pictures first.

So we’ve been trying to sign with Addison off and on since about 6 months old. We’d show her signs diligently for a while, and she’d just look at us like we’re crazy, or laugh at us. They say she’s ready to sign when she waves bye-bye, which she’s been doing since the summer. So, we’re on again for now, and the last couple of nights I’ve been showing her the sign for bath during bathtime, and tonight, SHE DID IT! I couldn’t believe it. I must have said the word “bath” a hundred times after that, and she loved showing me the sign.

Monday, January 5

2009-01-05T14:33:00.003-06:00

We’ve got teeth! Well, tooth. Addison finally got her first tooth last week. And, you know, it’s funny. One tooth doesn’t do much for you. But it sure is cute! And we’re on our way now. Just a couple more, and she’ll be scarfing down ribs and steaks with the best of them.

Addison got to spend last week with Grans and Granddaddy while her parents spent the week in Mexico! It was a much needed break for us, and, although a little less restful, still lots of fun for them. They taught her all kinds of new tricks and managed not to spoil her too badly. We could not be more appreciative.

And then, yesterday when we got home, Addison crawled for the first time! She’s been doing the belly crawl for a while, but this was a real hands-and-knees crawl. She did it three times before we got the video camera out, and then… nothing. We tried for the next half hour to get her to crawl (someone should have been videoing that!) That's okay, we'll get it one of these days when she's least expecting it.

Saturday, December 27

2008-12-27T22:25:00.005-06:00

Addison enjoyed her second Christmas much more than her first. It's funny to think that at this time last year her schedule was: sleep, eat, poop, repeat. This year she thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas tree, the lights, the wrapping paper and playing with her cousins.

Matt and Ethan had fun with Addison in Abilene.

Owen and Grant with Addison in Waco.

We are so excited Addison has such great cousins to play with and look up to!

One Year Old!!

2008-12-15T13:21:00.004-06:00

Wow! It's hard to believe, but Addison is one year old! What an incredible year it's been! We've learned so much about ourselves, our families, friends, and, of course, Addison. She had a blast on Saturday opening presents and squishing cake between her fingers and in her hair. However, she also had her first sinus infection, so I don't know that she could even taste it. Is there some kind of rule out there that kids have to be sick on their first birthdays? In true Addison form, she had fun in spite of it.

It's amazing to look at how much she's grown over the year. The pictures above are her 12 month and 1 month pictures with the bear.

We are excited to see how Addison grows over the next year. There will be plenty of interesting and fun moments. Hopefully, we will be able to capture most of them on film to share with you. Here's a taste of what's to come...

Monday, Dec 8

2008-12-08T23:46:00.013-06:00

This year is clearly a year of firsts for Addison. Thanksgiving was wonderful. She didn't get any turkey, well none that we had anyways. Hers was from a jar. She had a great time hanging out with her cousins and the rest of the family.

Swimming lessons are going well, although Addison is not really learning to swim. I highly doubt she would be able to save her own life if she fell in a pool, but we're having a blast going to the lessons. She's about to graduate from the diaper dolphins to the flippers class, which begs the question, "How does one graduate if one learns nothing?" That's the great American education system, I guess.

On Saturday, we went out into the wilderness and found a great tree and Rach cut it down with her bare hands. Or, we went to 41st and Harvard and bought one from Isaiah who hooked us up with a $25 tree stand too. Either way, Addison loved the experience of getting her first Christmas tree and we all had a great time.

An almost new development is that Addison is almost crawling. We can see the desire to crawl in her eyes, but she gets up on her knees and then plopps right back to her tummy. Sometimes she sort of makes an army crawl looking motion. It takes her a while but she gets to her destination eventually.

Wide Open

2008-11-24T22:55:00.001-06:00

I hesitated to post this, because I don’t want sympathy or pity. But I want to be completely honest, so here it is:

Tonight, I sit awake, crying, grieving again the child we expected to have 11 months ago. I don’t know why I grieve. The child we got instead is sweet, funny, adorable, capable, smart, caring, non-discriminating, loving and playful. There never was any other child. She was always going to be who she is. It’s been almost a year, and I finally, maybe for the first time, have seen an upside to Down Syndrome. I’ve noticed lately that a lot of parents of “typical” kids watch their child clip through milestones, without their giving it a second thought. Yet they’re always wishing for the next one, never appreciating what they’ve got. “Yes he/she’s crawling/babbling/teething/feeding himself, but when’s he ever going to…?” I almost feel a relief that I can watch my child and be excited about what she is doing instead of frustrated at what she’s not. Her having a “disability” has given me the permission to throw typical expectations out the window, and enjoy her on Addison-time. Having said that, it can be incredibly frustrating to work and work and work on a given skill for months at a time, seeing no progress whatsoever. Until one day, she decides she’s ready, and takes off. Just in the last few weeks, Addison has learned to get from her tummy to sitting, started babbling, and has figured out if she positions herself just right, she can pull herself up on her crib rail.

So, why do I grieve? Selfishness. Pride. Envy. Empathy. Fear. As much as Addison may be more alike others than different, she will always be different. Though many will be nice to her, some will not, and some only patronizingly. I’m afraid they won’t all see past her flat nose, almond eyes and low-set ears to genuinely appreciate the girl behind them and give her a fair chance. We all have our shortcomings, she just has to wear hers on the outside.

Friday, November 14

2008-11-14T21:10:00.006-06:00

Aunt Brittan and Uncle Russ (and Berk-dog) had a long weekend last week, so they decided to get in some Tulsa time. We had a great time tossing pizza crusts, making s'mores and solving all the world's problems. Addison was a bit shy at first, but warmed up quickly and loved spending time with them. We also got to celebrate Russ passing the bar exam! Way to go, Esquire Jumper.

Addison turned 11 months old yesterday! So, of course, it was time for her obligatory bear picture. She is growing up so quickly. It's hard to believe she'll be a year old soon.

Addison's latest development is that she started to babble last week. If I may say, it is the cutest thing ever. Sometimes she seems like she really knows what she's saying, it just comes out, "bablaba, pthhh."

She's also enjoying books lately. Mostly she likes to flip the pages, hit me in the face with it, or try to put it in her mouth, but it's a start. We got her a few new ones today. We thought since she spends her days at face-level with Bear, we'd get something that relates to her world.

Monday, November 3

2008-11-03T20:00:00.005-06:00

Yabba Dabba Doo! As some of you know, Addison decided to be Pebbles Flinstone for Halloween. So, in an effort to support her decision, Wes and I dressed- you guessed it- as Fred & Wilma. We actually had a great time. It’s been a long time since I’ve dressed up for Halloween. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to have an excuse to be goofy in public for a night. Plus, it’s way more fun to dress up with someone. It’s also a lot more fun to wear an actual costume instead of whatever we could find around the house an hour before time to go trick-or-treating. I’ll let you in on a little secret- my parents made me a bag-lady like four years in a row. No wonder I haven’t dressed up in a while. (It’s also no wonder I wasn’t the most popular kid around.)

We also had another swimming lesson this weekend, and, while I may be a tad biased, I think Addison is the best student in the class. She loves every minute of it and is not the least bit scared. Next week they’re going to have us put our children’s heads under water. The other parents in the class are a bit nervous. I, on the other hand, have been struggling to keep her head out of the water this whole time.

This, I think, is the best picture we have yet. Addison figured out today how to get from her tummy to sitting, which has made naptime quite challenging. The first two times she sat up in her crib, I went in and laid her back down. When I walked in the second time, Addison looked up at me with the biggest smile on her face and started clapping. It was at that moment that I realized this was becoming a rather entertaining game for her. So, the next time I decided to leave her and see what happened. And this is it. She fell asleep sitting up.

Monday, October 27

2008-10-27T21:17:00.005-05:00

Addison has been pretty intent lately on really exploring the world around her. Anytime she’s in the water (i.e., bath and swimming lessons), she splashes like crazy, but then she’ll stop and lean forward slowly and put her face in the water. A couple of times she’s tried to breathe with face in water, and comes up coughing. At this point, you’d think most kids would not want to do that again, but she looks over at me, smiles, and then puts her face right back in. Tonight I was filling up her bath, and she leaned over and stuck her face right in the waterfall. I swear she should have been born with fins and a tail.

She also had her first experience this weekend of carving a pumpkin. Well, okay, so not really carving- we’re better parents than that. But she did get to pull out the seeds and goop and play with it between her fingers and toes. At first she wasn’t so sure about it, but once she got into it, she really got into it.

Other than that, she’s just been concentrating really hard on becoming mobile and being cute- and doing really well at both.

Sunday, Oct 19

2008-10-19T21:53:00.014-05:00

This weekend was a big weekend for us. On Saturday, we took Addison to her first swimming lesson. We had a wonderful time. We practiced floating on our back, which was a breeze, then jumping off of the side of the pool into the water. You would think that this would not be a good thing to teach a child that doesn’t know how to swim yet, but I guess those swim instructors know what they are doing. Of course, they also said that we would be completely submerging the children in the pool before the last lesson was completed, so we do have some question on who these folks really are. Oh well, I guess you have to let go and let the kid learn how to drown on their own someday, so it might as well be now. Today was the Buddy Walk for the Down Syndrome Assoc. of Tulsa. We had a wonderful time today, so to all who contributed, thanks for your support. We were able to raise $2200 because of your generosity.

Addison certainly contributed. She walked, well more like rolled, one lap around the track and then won a nice gold medal for coming in 236th place out of 1,240. Finishing in the top 20% as a ten-month-old makes me think she might have a future as an Olympian. She didn’t spend much time celebrating though because she quickly re-discovered the toy attached to her safety harness in the stroller, and immediately started playing again. Now this gal has her priorities straight.
Thanks to Peggy, we were able to get a nice family picture with the Team Addison flag that we made for the event.

For the next picture, I'm not sure if we caught her by surprise, or if she was trying to tell me something. Either way, I thought this was classic.

Tuesday, October 14

2008-10-14T22:22:00.003-05:00

Wow. Addison is 10 months old. Our little baby is becoming such a little girl! I was at the mall yesterday and saw a few moms with new babies, then I’d look down at Addison, and she looked so big with her arms and legs overflowing from her stroller.
Addison has always loved bathtime, but her excitement lately has reached a new level. Wes will put her sitting in her tub facing the faucet and then let the water run into it, and she goes nuts! She’ll literally lunge forward onto her knees to get her hand into the waterfall. So she’s basically standing on her knees leaning on the tail of her duck tub so that the water can splash on her hands and face. We didn’t even know she could do that!

The other new thing she’s doing is getting up on her hands & knees and rocking back and forth. She’ll scoot backwards, and occasionally forward (it’s really more of a forward fall than a scoot), but no crawling yet. Guess she’ll have to keep rocking for now to get her momentum up.
One last note- THANK YOU! You guys are amazing. I sent an email out this morning about donating to Addison’s team for the Buddy Walk this weekend (see link to the right if you’re interested in seeing her fundraising page), and already we’ve raised $600! I’m blown away by your generosity. Thank you a thousand times over. Addison is blessed to have such a support network from such an early age.

Friday, October 10

2008-10-10T21:44:00.004-05:00

Wes and I have both noticed lately that Addison seems to be connecting with us more. We’ll laugh at her about something she’s doing, and she’ll stop and look at us, and smile. She’s been showing us what she wants by grabbing our hands and putting them on the toy she wants us to squeeze or push or spin. She’s also started to become interested in Baby Einstein’s DVDs. Sometimes she’ll be sitting there watching it and just laugh out loud!

I mentioned last time that Addison was learning to clap. Well, she is a pro at it now. We were sitting in the floor playing the other day, and she just started clapping on her own.

She is also very interested in Bearfoot, our chocolate lab. He is so sweet with her, and she LOVES to grab anything she can as he passes by. She’ll pull his ears and his lip and climb all over his face, and when he’s had enough, he just gets up and moves.
It’s been a little cooler lately, so I’ve had to kind of bundle Addison up when I go running in the mornings. I found these little bunny slippers in our stash of baby gifts to grow into, and they’re perfect! She loves playing with the little bunny ears, and has actually done well at keeping them on her feet. I keep them on her as long as I can in the mornings because they’re just so cute. Gotta keep the little piggies warm!

Tues, September 30

2008-09-30T22:48:00.002-05:00

I’m not sure how, but Addison gets to be more fun every day. She loves playing with her house lately. She sits in front of the door and pushes it open, then closed, open, then closed, open, then closed. This is very enjoyable for Wes and me as well, because it, of course, makes noises every time the door moves. Imagine that lady (you know, the electronic one on all the toys) saying “hellogoodbyelet’splayseeyalaterhellogoodbletsplseeyalatehelgoodhellogoodbylet’splay” She’s gotta be exhausted.
This picture illustrates a few things. #1-This is why Mommy usually picks out the clothes. Wes kept Addison the other day while I was working, so he was the one who put her to bed. When I got her out of her crib the next morning, this is what she was wearing. Okay-Wes deserves a little credit- so she was just going to bed. I just thought it was funny. #2- She really does look cute no matter what she’s wearing! (Can you imagine waking up this happy every morning?)
Addison and I have gotten to spend a little more time together lately, and it’s been a blast. (Doesn't she look like she's winking?) She’s been working on getting up on her hands and knees, but those darn knees keep sliding out from under her. She’s also started imitating motor movements (like banging the rattle on a ball). This is an important step for developing speech later on. Today she was holding my hands and clapping them together, so I was trying to get her to clap hers. When I’d say, “Addison’s turn,” she’d put her hands straight out in front of her with her fingers stretched out and palms together, and would wait for me to clap them together. Too cute!

Weds, September 17

2008-09-17T13:35:00.003-05:00

I know some of you are anxious to see beach pictures- Mom- so I didn’t want to delay in getting these pictures posted. Addison absolutely LOVED the beach! Everytime a wave would come up over her feet she’d get so excited and start kicking and laughing.
She had a great time playing with her cousins, Matt and Ethan, and the rest of the family. We decided this week that Addison needs to spend more time around older kids. She was so enthralled by them and everything they did. They were good buddies by the end of the week.

Addison also turned 9 months old last week, which means it's time for another picture with the bear. She knows now that when the camera is pointed at her, she’s supposed to smile. It’s pretty funny. She had her 9 month check-up today, and was off the DS growth chart on her weight (but off the high end this time). The doctor mentioned that so far her Down’s seems pretty mild, and this may just be an indicator that her physical features are mild as well. All encouraging things to hear. Down’s or not, we know that she is on the severe end of cute and lovable!

Tuesday, Sept 2

2008-09-02T00:41:00.010-05:00

We have been quite the travelling family lately. It has been difficult to some extent, but it has been wonderful! We were in Boston a couple of weeks ago and thought we could include a picture of Addison's first trip to Fenway Park

This weekend, we were in Waco with the Jumper family. We had a great time and took some fun pictures while we were there. It's neat to see the family growing
Addison is teething, so she is drooling all over herself. However, she has been much more social lately. There have been several occassions when she has been flirting with people who come up to her and talk. The drool all over her face doesn’t seem to interfere with the flirting for now, so I guess it’s ok. She's pretty laid back for a little baby and mostly easy to please as long as she gets her food and her sleep when she wants it. We may be getting spoiled, but we'll take it for now. Rach went to her first FLIP meeting today. FLIP stands for Family Learning & Intervention Program, and is associated with the Little Light House. For those families whose children are on the waiting list, FLIP is a monthly meeting to bring us up to speed on how the school works and gives Addison the chance to see what a class is going to be like. The parents meet and learn about things we can be doing to help our children develop while they are waiting to attend school. Since there is a two-year waiting list, and the first two years are the most critical times for kids to soak up information, we are glad to be attending. If any of you are therapists, we would love to hear from you, too. That is, for Addison’s sake. I’m way past the point of any effective therapeutic help.

Thursday, Aug 14

2008-08-14T21:02:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe, but Miss Addison is 8 months old now! She just gets to be more fun every day. Her pictures with the bear are getting more and more difficult to take because she won't stay still! She is so interested in everything around her lately. This week we used naptime to get stuff done around the house, and when she woke up she would always stare at the new pictures or mirrors hanging on the wall. She is also waving now. Not everytime we come or go, and sometimes when we're not coming or going, but she does it. And it's very cute. Grans came into town this week to help us get unpacked, and she and Addison got to spend some quality time together. Between that visit and spending a long weekend this weekend with Grammy, there's no hope of her not being "overindulged!"

Thursday, Aug 7

2008-08-07T22:02:00.002-05:00

Okay, so sorry this is so late in coming. We've been packing, moving, unpacking, working and fly fishing. (Does one of these seem a little out of place?) As for Addison, she's trucking right along. She's over 17 lbs now, a far cry from when we couldn't get her over 9 lbs. It's hard to believe that was just 4 months ago! She's started sitting up on her own now, and reaches for everything in sight. She's still loving any food we put in front of her (you don't get rolls like this by being a picky eater). Her other favorite things currently are the dogs and bathtime. Ever since she was born she's had lots of drainage and tearing from her eyes, and that has finally cleared! This is exciting because it is yet another surgery she won't need. We'll try to do better about getting pictures and updates to you in a timely manner. Surely we'll be through unpacking soon- especially with all the help we're getting from Addison.

Wednesday, July 16

2008-07-16T23:38:00.003-05:00

We have been traveling fools lately, leaving little time for blog updates! However, we didn’t want to keep you waiting any longer for a few new pictures.

Addison turned 7 mo. old on Sunday, which makes it time for another picture with the bear. As you can see, she’s quite the chunk these days- we have yet to find a food she doesn’t like.
We went to Boston last week for the National DS Conference. We got to meet some interesting people, and learned some good information to help Addison. She got to hang out with Grammy and BopBop while Wes and I went to the workshops, and she loved every minute of it. In fact, she had such a good time that she woke up at 4:30 every morning to get in a little extra playtime with Grammy.
Despite delays, additional flights and lost luggage, she was a great little traveler. It’s funny to watch people’s faces as you board the plane with a baby in your arms. They’re trying to smile because she’s cute, but you can see the Oh-great!-That-baby’s-going-to-cry-the-whole-flight! look in their eyes. Then as we’re de-planing we get the surprised, “I didn’t hear a peep out of her.”
Addison is loving bath time lately. She’s always liked it, but now we’ll fill up the tub, and she just splashes and stretches out those little legs. Wes calls this her “play-baby” pose.

Our Little Firecracker

2008-07-06T20:40:00.002-05:00

Addison loved the fourth of July. She did sleep through the fireworks, but given the fact that she's Wes's daughter and a member of the Jumper family, I don't think she has any choice but to be enthralled by them. No watermelon or barbecue for her this year- maybe next time.
We went to the developmental pediatrician this week, and they were very pleased with Addison's progress. Each visit they've evaluated her gross motor development and plotted her score on a curve to compare with other children her age (not just kids with DS). Last time she was less than the 5th percentile, but this time she was in the 25th percentile. The physical therapist said it's not uncommon for kids with DS to not even be on the chart. They were very impressed with her rolling, propping and pivoting, and said she's doing all the things she should be.
The end of this week we are headed to Boston to see Grammy and Bop-Bop, and to attend the National Down Syndrome Convention. Hopefully we will gain lots of knowledge that will help us give Addison the very best opportunities and advantages she can have.

Sunday, June 29

2008-06-29T22:09:00.011-05:00

For the past couple of weeks, things have been great with Addison. We did another blood test just to make sure that everything was good, and we found out that her TSH levels are normal, which pretty much means that there is no issue with her thyroid. They had to stick her four times, but at least we don't have to do that again for another six months. Last weekend, Addison attended her first wedding, which was an interesting experience. She stayed up way later than she should have, and loved every minute of it. If her eyes were closed and she was on her way to dreamland, and someone new came up to see her, she would perk up like it's time to start the party all over again. She didn't want to miss a thing. She swam in the pool with her two cousins and enjoyed the water immensely. She usually loves the water, but she gets a little nervous when she gets too far away from mommy or daddy's body. However, this time she felt perfectly at home while floating on her back and basking in the sun. We can definitely tell that she is progressing. She is starting to get the hang of sitting up, and I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before she can do it on her own. When I hold her close to my face she puts both of her hands on my face, squeezes my cheeks and proceeds to pull my chin into her mouth. I can't tell if that's her way of giving me a kiss, or if my chin just looks that appetizing. Either way, she hasn't done that until now, so she must be getting smarter. She's also getting taller. She's just over two feet tall now, which puts her in the top half somewhere.
On Tuesday, we are seeing the developmental pediatrician. We still aren't completely sure what these appointments are for, but we are going nonetheless. He helped us figure out how to get some extra lbs. on Addison, so he's definitely good for something. We'll keep you posted on her progress when we find out more. But for now, enjoy the pictures.

Saturday, June 14

2008-06-13T22:32:00.015-05:00

Well, Addison turned six months old on Friday. We have officially seen every doctor and specialist that we have been told to see. The eye doctor says that there are no cataracts, and wants us to revisit the tear duct situation at one year. The cardiologist wants us to test Addison's heart again when she turns two years old, and we are getting one more blood test next week to confirm that Addison doesn't have any thyroid problems. She's in the 75th % for height and 70th% for weight, so there's not a concern about her growth. She didn't pass her hearing test last week because she woke up and was grumpy as they were getting the test started. Of course, you would probably be in a bad mood too if you woke up to someone shoving a plastic spoon in your ear.

Addison has changed quite a bit over the last week or so. She is really developing a personality. She's much more aware of her surroundings and certainly much more interested in what's going on around her. When you talk to her, she will respond to you. When I say something to her and I haven't been around in a little while, she gets a huge smile on her face from hearing the sound of my voice, which pretty much makes me feel like the most amazing person on the face of the planet at that moment. I can only imagine that grows with time.

She loves avocados and isn't quite sure about carrots yet, but we're getting there. No matter what the food is, if it's brightly colored going in, it's about the same color on the flip side, which makes for some mild entertainment from time to time (for the person not doing the changing). This is exactly why I want a vent fan in each room of the house. If you have some extras in the house, I'm in the market.

Sunday, June 8

2008-06-09T00:41:00.002-05:00

This past week, Addison started eating solids. So far, the solids include rice cereal. If you haven't tried it, don't start now. I've heard it tastes just like you would think...wallpaper paste. After hearing that, I decided it wasn't necessary to try it myself, and based on the look on Addison's face when it touched her tongue, I think that was a wise decision. It's possible that she is warming up to it though.
Most people say that sleeping at night with a baby is a challenge. Nighttime sleep doesn't seem to be a problem for Addison, it's the daytime naps that she has struggled with in the past. However, this past week, I think she's started to find her stride.
We had a glorious weekend! This morning was Addison's baby dedication at church. We had the pleasure of introducing her to the entire church, and they had the opportunity to hear her story. It was a short story, but a good one. She even left the congregation with a little bit of herself before she left the spotlight by spitting up all over the pastor and the floor.
Grammy Alana spent most of the week with Addison before everyone else came for the weekend, and they had a great time together. Grammy and Grans also found a few new outfits that were necessary additions. Very cute!

This week, we have Sooner Start on Wednesday rechecking Addison's hearing. We have an eye doctor appointment on Friday to check for cataracts and figure out if Addison needs surgery on her tear ducts because of their lack of drainability, and we also have the six-month checkup with a whole bunch of shots to boot. So, a busy week for sure. Please pray for all of the above.

Saturday, May 31

2008-05-31T23:02:00.000-05:00

Today was Addison's first day at the pool. She wasn't smiling very much, but I think it's because she wasn't quite sure what to think about the cold water. We had a great time though. Hope you enjoy!

Monday, May 19

2008-05-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update to fill you in on the latest with Addison. We visited the cardiologist today and got a great report. The muscle bundle that was enlarged at birth has stretched and is no longer visible on the echo. She does have a hole in the wall between her atria, called a PFO (patent foramen ovale). This is a hole that is there in the womb to bypass her lungs since she's getting oxygen from the umbilical cord. The doctor said they actually give it 2 years to close before it's considered a problem. And Addison's is small enough that, even if it doesn't close, it should never need intervention. So, she sent us home with no meds, no restrictions, no special precautions! They'll recheck it again at age 2. We couldn't have asked for a better result!

Other than that, she's just growing and getting to be more fun everyday. We get so many smiles and laughs now. You can't help but laugh yourself. We got her highchair, and she's been sitting in it to get used to it before we start her on solid foods. I think she likes it. She's been spitting up more lately, and her new trick is to pull the burp cloth off your shoulder, then spit up on you. Then she looks at you and smiles. At that point, you kinda don't care about the spit up on your shoulder (and down your arm, and back, and side). I've included some more pictures from last weekend. Enjoy the smiles!

Uncle Russ and Addison with their matching hairlines.

Tuesday, May 13

2008-05-12T23:04:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend in Lubbock, TX. Russell, the one shooting for favorite uncle status, graduated from Texas Tech Law, and we wouldn't have missed it. We had a few big-ticket items happen over the weekend. Addison broke through the 13 lbs mark. It seems that waking up twice a night to feed her is paying off. Hopefully it won't be too long before we don't have to do that any longer. Believe it or not, Addison is actually a great sleeper. The past few days, she has been waking up around 6:30 in the morning, just talking away, ready to make things happen for the day. Not cool. We try to tell her that she really wants to sleep later, but she doesn't listen.

For those of you who haven't heard yet, Addison's test results came back normal for her thyroid. Next Monday, we go to the cardioligist to check the lump of muscle on her heart. Maybe it won't be much of a lump any longer. They told us that it will likely stretch out as her heart grows larger, so we are going to check to see if that's happening.

Along with a number of other new sounds in her vocabulary, her new favorite thing to do is put her tongue in between her lips and blow air. If the person sitting next to you isn't paying attention, they might think you have a little gas. She also likes to roll over from her back to her tummy on occassion. We discovered that this past weekend. She certainly loves being around her family, even if she doesn't remember who they are right away.

Addison turned 5 months old today. We took some pictures, and thought you would like to see. enjoy!

Being Addison's Mommy

2008-05-07T12:48:00.000-05:00

I've been asked what it's like to take care of a baby with "special needs." While I don't have other children with whom to compare her, I'll try to give you a little insight into our lives.

Honestly, taking care of Addison is a lot of work. I feed her 8-10 times a day, and change at least as many diapers. I get up at 3 am to feed her. Sometimes after she eats, she decides it's playtime, so I sit in the dark and rock her and shhhh her, until she's sleepy enough to lay in her crib and fall back to sleep. Sometimes she spits up all over herself and me, creating lots of laundry. Sometimes she poops all over herself, and me, creating lots of laundry and bathtimes! My days are filled with decisions that books make you believe will make or break your child: Should I let her cry or pick her up? Am I holding her too much? Am I teaching her all she can learn? If I need to go somewhere, I have to arrange for someone to be here with her, or I strap her into her car seat and lug it in and out of the car on my errands. If she doesn't nurse well or when I'm working, I pump and give her bottles, which equals lots of little parts to wash (and an embarrasing situation or two). We have tummy time several times a day to help her learn to hold her head up, roll over and eventually sit up on her own. Though it doesn't feel like work, we help her develop her social skills by sitting and having conversations, and she smiles and laughs, though her best smiles are reserved for Daddy. I talk to her about the colors in front of us or the rain and thunder or that big brown puppy dog. Every now and then we have a doctor's appointment to go to or bloodwork to have drawn.

You see, at this point, the only thing special about Addison's needs is that they're hers. I know we'll have challenges and set backs along the way, but who doesn't? We've made it through the ones we've had so far, and we've come out better people on the other side. I think a lot of people think that because she has Down Syndrome, Addison will go through life ignorant or oblivious to what's going on around her. But I disagree. Behind her smile, I see a more intense enjoyment of life than that of some of the smartest people I know.

Friday, April 25th

2008-04-25T23:03:00.000-05:00

We received half of the blood test results back this week, and so far so good. Her TSH was elevated last time, but it was normal this time. We are still waiting on the rest to see if Addison has issues with her thyroid. Addison found her toes this week, and has started to pull her feet up to her face to grab them. I wish I were that flexible. I mean really, how cool would it be to pull your feet up to your face and start sucking on your big toe? See what I mean...awesome...

She's still gaining weight and is getting much better at holding her head up. We can hold her up for several minutes, and she can keep that head straight for the most part. I pick her up over my head and she stretches out like superman. I will admit that I don't keep her there for long, since she's gained the unique ability to spit up without notice or fair warning. It can happen at any time, so you have to be on your toes (assuming you're not sucking on them.)

I am pleased to say that as Rach works on Saturday, Addison and I get to spend the ENTIRE day together, which is going to be wonderful. I feel like I haven't seen her much over the past few weeks, so this will be some much needed daddy time with the kid. I thinking we'll play a round of golf together and then I'll teach her how to shoot a pistol. I'm sure both of her grandmothers completely approve... We've included an extra picture of her playing with her feet today. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 20

2008-04-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

First of all, I want to let all of you know that I am extraordinarily impressed with all of you reading this page. The fact that you are still checking the page, and bugging us when it isn't updated regularly, shows us that you really care. We feel loved.

The test results came back from the first round of blood that Addison gave, and they showed some inconsistent results, so we had to go back for more. This past Monday, Rach took Addison in to give more blood, and it didn't work out too well. After sticking her a few times, they couldn't get any blood, so we had to reschedule yet again for this past Saturday when I could be around to help. After trying for this a couple of times, we weren't taking any more chances. So, we took her to ERgent Care on Riverside, where the caring hands of Mona and Kristy made it happen. Strong work ladies. Strong work.

Last week, Sooner Start came and was very impressed with Addison's progress. Her movements are more coordinated, she is able to hold her head up much more easily and she spends much more time talking to us. Not only that, but she's getting to the point where she interacts with us more. I'm sure she will be speaking in full sentences by the end of the summer. Addison has also been gaining weight as well. She is up to 11 lbs. which is pretty good for her, and we are still waking her up in the middle of the night to feed her. Hopefuly, that won't last forever.

It really is incredible to see how she is growing. I picked her up after being gone all week, and I could tell that she was thicker and longer. It's so weird to see her grow like she is, and to see her develop. One day, she just decided to start holding her head up on her own when I pick her up, as if she could have been doing it all along. Amazing.

Grammy Alana dropped in for a visit for a couple of days. She was able to take care of Addison while Rach worked. Perfect timing. It's always a pleasure to see Addison spend time with her grandparents and other relatives. To know that there are other people out there who love Addison every bit as much as we do is very comforting, and we look forward to the next time we have a visitor.

If you are interested in saying a little prayer for our little girl, please pray that the blood results, which should come back sometime this week, come back with no problems. The reason we started this in the first place was that there might be a problem with her thyroid. If the results come back normal, that's one more thing we don't have to deal with for now. Enjoy seeing the pictures. We sure enjoyed taking them.

Monday, April 7

2008-04-07T19:27:00.001-05:00

Sorry it's been a while since the last update. I'll bring you up to speed. Last Tuesday, Rach and Addison saw the developmental pediatrician to measure Addison's progress. We asked him about Addison not gaining any weight and he responded by telling us to wake her up twice in the middle of the night to feed her and help her gain weight. We did, and she is.

We have also noticed that Addison's hands and feet turn blue and cold several times a day. While this happens with babies from time to time, it seems to be getting worse. On Wednesday, we called the pediatrician and he said he wanted us to see the cardiologist by the end of the week. Since we don't hear that very often, we were a bit concerned. We saw the cardiologist on Thursday, and discovered the problem is not her heart, and she suggested that we check her thyroid level. Today, we had blood taken from Addison.

A little side note here for those of you who have never held your baby down to a table while two, yes two, nurses try to hold down and draw blood from your four month old child; it's not a fun experience. You may recall a story from the Bible in Genesis when God calls Abraham to take his son to the top of a mountain and sacrifice him. While not exactly the same, I was holding Addison firmly down on a table, and a woman was holding a very sharp object next to her arm, while Rach is in the corner hoping the situation doesn't turn south. The first of many uncomfortable situations, I'm sure.

Apparently the blood-taking situation was harder on Rach and me than it was on Addison. The nurse was smooth as ice. In...Draw...Out...Done. I wanted to give her a high five for being so good at it, but she was still holding the needle. You should know that Addison didn't cry at all. No tears. She's hardcore! We find out the test results tomorrow.

In other news, we met with a woman today about keeping Addison on a regular basis when Rach is working. Her name is Peggy in Broken Arrow, OK. Retired kindergarten teacher, and mother of three older children (additional info provided upon request for our law enforcement friends), she's looking for a summer job as a nanny. We like her and you should too. She's starting on Wednesday.

Rach went back to work last week, which is good because there's no reason for that brilliant gift of hers to go to waste. Talk to you soon.

Sunday, March 23

2008-03-23T18:14:00.000-05:00

Today is Easter Sunday. Considering all of the clothing that people have given us over the past few months, we think she wore an Easter dress that Rach got her not long ago, but it may be a dress that someone else bought for her. Either way, she was really cute. There are some interesting updates since the last time we checked in.

Addison, officially, can roll over on her tummy and also roll back over onto her back without assistance. Last time, she was propped up on a pillow and rolled off the side, but this time was legit. She is also grabbing at things much more and talking like crazy. She also seems to study things more often. If she gets her tractor beam set on you, she'll stare a hole right through you. Addison loves the outdoors too. We spent most of the day on Friday sitting in the front yard enjoying the beautiful weather, and Friday and Saturday, we went hiking in a park nearby.

Over the next week, we have some big appointments coming up. We have Sooner Start tomorrow to help us measure her progress. We've noticed that anytime her head falls, it always falls to the right, which probably means we need to work on her muscle tone over there. Next week, we meet with the developmental pediatrician at the hospital, who is also going to help measure her progress. Kids with Down Syndrome typically have some level of mental retardation, and we're not sure when that starts, so we are kind of waiting to hear a doctor say that she's falling behind a little for that to become a reality. However, if you really think about it, if she get's Rachel's brain, and is a little mentally retarded, that would mean that she's a retarded genius, which makes her about like anyone else. I'll take that! If she gets my brain, we'll have a long, long road ahead, so pray for the former.

There are a couple of items that you can certainly be praying for:

1. Addison is not gaining weight right now. She's getting longer, but she's been the same weight for almost a month. Pray for more weight.

2. We see the cardiologist in May. Pray for a healthy heart and good test results there.

3. She has a great night time sleep schedule, but she's not getting the daytime naps in. Pray for much needed daytime rest.

This weekend we are going to Waco, TX to see the family. Grans Jumper is hosting a Sip and See on Saturday. If you don't know what that is, it means people come to the house, sip on a beverage and see the baby. Brilliant! If you are a woman, you'll love it. If you are a dude, you'll love playing golf with me, so enjoy. We've included a few extra pics and a nice little video for your viewing pleasure.

Thursday, March 13

2008-03-13T21:40:00.000-05:00

Today was 3/13/2008. Interesting how Addison is 3 months old and she is also 13 weeks old today. We should have bought a lottery ticket or something. Although, we did go for a walk this evening and didn't get struck by lightning, so I'll settle for that as my good luck for the day.

This past week, we've taken some big steps as parents. Last weekend, we hired a baby sitter for the first time to take care of Addison while we went to dinner and Home Depot. What better way to finish off a romantic night away than to make a stop for materials for the honey-do list. We came to the realization that we'll have to get used to the sitter situation since Rach is going back to work soon.

We also finally started to teach Addison how to fall asleep without us holding or rocking her to sleep. For those of you who haven't had children yet, or it's been so long ago that you just don't remember, this task is pretty much the most horrible and cruel thing in the world. Our daughter is in the other room screaming bloody murder, and we're just hanging out in the living room, having a great time relaxing and not thinking about the fact that our child is lying in a pool of her own tears just hoping that mommy or daddy will come save her from such a traumatizing event. I would imagine that most guys will try to be macho and say it's not a big deal. It's a big deal. However, I usually just step in and give her a pat on the behind and tell her to suck it up and go to sleep.

Addison discovered that she can suck on her entire hand instead of just her thumb. In fact, I anticipate that her right hand will be 30% larger than her left from sucking on it constantly. She is learning that she can suck on her toys too, so we're taking her to her first ever crawfish boil this weekend to see how she does with them crawfish heads.

It is also very clear that she follows us around the room when we are passing through and she definitely recognizes our voices, which is just plain cool. My first moments back from El Paso today, and Addison welcomed me back with an atomic explosion in her diaper. I documented the event with pictures that I will not be sharing with you all today. I also re-discovered a love for golf this week. Enjoy the pics!

Big Day

2008-03-06T09:38:00.000-06:00

Addison had a big day yesterday. She reached one of the first of many milestones- she rolled over! Now, her arms were over a little pillow, so she did have some extra leverage, but she still did it. (We've read that babies with Downs typically start rolling over around 8 months- so we're thrilled!)

We had a little bit of a rough start with the "sleep training," but it gets better each night. In fact, last night she slept from 9pm to 5am. (I only checked to see if she was breathing twice.) Of course, she was wide awake after she ate, but with a combination of Grammy's songs and an old trick from Grans, she let me sleep another couple hours.

We're missing Daddy, but he'll be home tomorrow. I'm sure he's missing us too. I know those nights of uninterrupted sleep have got to be hard on him.

Sunday, March 2

2008-03-02T17:55:00.000-06:00

Last week, Grammy Alana paid a visit to Tulsa and got some much needed time with the baby. We had a great time with her. While she was here, we made a few new discoveries. Addison figured out how to smile and laugh out loud, which is pretty stinkin' cute if you ask me. She certainly talks to us, but can't quite make out any words yet. I have her working on "daddy", and we'll get there soon enough. However, some of the words she can say are "bbbbbbbbb" and "gu". Every now and then, she will change the pitch of her voice and squeal, but not too often. She's pretty laid back, which isn't too much of a suprise taking into consideration who her parents are, but we're glad she is. Just the past few days, she has started to sleep longer at night and her feedings are a little more spread out during the day. We aren't quite sure if this is going to stick, but we are, I mean Rachel is happy that she gets more sleep at night. Frankly, I just don't even hear anything at night anymore. If it does stick, we are going to start with the tough love in the evenings, and make her cry herself to sleep. This, of course, is the most horrible thing on the face of the planet, but we have to set some rules around here and make our little Addison go to bed at a more reasonable time. This whole staying up late situation just isn't going to cut it, so tough love it is. Ha, wrapped around her little finger they say!

Saturday, Feb 23rd

2008-02-23T22:49:00.000-06:00

As far as updated info goes, we don't have much. But, we do have a few pictures we wanted to share. Addison started smiling this week, and she smiles most first thing in the morning. Amazing what a good night's sleep will do for you. I'm sure we will know what that's like again someday. Enjoy the pictures!

Wednesday, Feb 20

2008-02-20T17:21:00.000-06:00

We are having a great time getting to know Addison. Here are a few things we know about her so far:

She knows what she wants when she wants it.

She doesn't like waking up, but is happy once she does.

She does "facial calisthenics" while she sleeps.

She likes being naked.

She has a beautiful smile.

She is ticklish.

She loves bathtime.

She's laid back.

She doesn't want to miss anything.

Thursday, Feb 14

2008-02-14T22:16:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Yesterday, Addison turned 2 months old. To ring in the occasion with style, we took her to the doctor where she received all of her shots, which she absolutely loved. We found out that she is in the 90th percentile for height and 60th percentile in weight. Sooner Start also came to visit and will be visiting us once a month to help out with Addison. They made us feel pretty good about ourselves because all of their suggestions of things that we need to be doing to help Addison, we were already doing. So that's encouraging. Last weekend, we were in Waco, and the entire Jumper side of the family was able to meet Addison, some for the first time. We had a wonderful time while we were there, so we posted a couple of pictures of our visit. We've also included Addison's 2 month picture with the bear for comparison so you can see how much she's grown.

On Friday, we are starting to interview nannies to help take care of Addison while Rach goes back to work. Please be praying that we find the right nanny, who we feel comfortable with, and who will take care of and protect Addison while we are away. I can't recall ever really being scared of anything in my life, but I am truly scared about handing over the care of my daughter to a stranger. I can't really imagine why. I mean, it's not like I'm handing my heart over to a stranger and asking them to keep it beating or anything. If you know of anyone in Tulsa who might be able to handle this monumental task, please let us know. Enjoy the pics!

Wednesday, January 30

2008-01-30T22:27:00.000-06:00

On Monday this week, Sooner Start came to the house to evaluate Addison. The first thing they did was a hearing test. When we were in the hospital, she only passed the hearing test on her right side, and failed on her left, which led us to believe that she might have problems. However, the test on Monday morning showed that she can hear perfectly fine with both ears, so we were pretty pumped to hear about that. After the hearing test, they evaluated her, social, cognitive and motor skills. There were some areas that ranked a little low and some areas that ranked about average. Considering the fact that she was being charted on a bell curve that shows expectations for all children, not just children with special needs, we were extremely pleased with the results. They will come back and evaluate her as she gets older to monitor her progress, but there were enough areas that were low at this point that justified them being here to help us. So, it looks like we will have a few helping hands around the house from time to time.

The past few days, Addison has been able to hold her head up straight a little better. When she's on her back, she started to pick her head up to put her chin on her chest. She can't hold it there for very long, but she's making progress, which means that her muscle tone is certainly improving. Hats of to Rach for being so diligent in helping Addison with her exercises during the day to improve her muscle tone.

I received a call today from Kids' Quarters here in Tulsa that the crib we ordered in October has finally arrived. That's right, October. While we have heard that the company who made the crib, Ragazzi, has been having issues, we also have been getting seemingly dishonest answers from the people running the store here in Tulsa, so we aren't really sure who's responsible for our crib being so late. At this point, we are just happy that Addison has a place to sleep. She's been shacking up with the dog on the floor for the past six weeks, so I think Bearfoot is happy to get his square of floor back. Thankfully, this crib has a lifetime warranty, so it should last through all of the children we plan, and possibly don't plan on having.

The past two days, I've been spending all my time working in Tulsa, and I can't tell you how many people I've run into who have some connection to the Little Light House. It seems like everyone knows someone who either has a child or grandchild attending school there, or someone currently volunteers their time there, or did for several years. I've even met a few board members out and about town. It truly amazes me how many people in this community support the school in one way or another, and it is extremely encouraging. Just today, I met a man whose grandson attends school there. We are very lucky to be involved. Hope you enjoy the pictures this time. As she grows, we'll keep you updated. Thanks for your prayers. If you haven't figured it out yet, they are certainly helping.

Saturday, Jan 26th

2008-01-25T23:56:00.000-06:00

Thanks for being patient. This week was a big one. On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to go to the Little Light House, which is the school that was created specifically for children with special needs. We took a tour of the facility and we were able to meet Marcia Mitchell, the woman who started the school as well as several of the board members and the school nurse. They all fell in love with Addison imediately, and so Rach and I fell in love with them immediately. We knew from the beginning that it is a special place and we most certainly want her to go to school there. They don't accept any federal funding, so they are free from government regulation, which allows them to experiment with new ways of teaching children with special needs. On that note, they teach most of the children sign language, because it requires the use of less complicated muscle groups to communicate. So, if your interested in communicating with Addison, you might want to learn a few signs here and there. They also don't require families to pay tuition if they have a child attending school there, which is a huge burden lifted off of us. So, if your money is burning a hole in your pocket, and you want to do something good with it, you can give some to them. I could go on and on about it, so I'll just leave it at that. It's a great place and Addison is going to school there...in two years or so.

Just this week, Addison has started to stay awake much longer during the day. So, hopefully, we can get more pictures of her big blue eyes. Sooner Start is coming to our house on Monday morning to complete Addison's first formal evaluation with specialists and doctors and instruments and a bunch of other stuff I'm sure. I don't think they're going to tell us much other than the fact that she does have Down Syndrome, and she's going to need a bunch of help.

For those of you in Texas, (which I think is pretty much everyone) Addison will be taking her first official trip to Texas on Sunday, February 3rd. We are coming down highway 75 through Dallas and on down to Waco, so if everyone could pitch in and line the streets and highways with huge signs that say "Addison, WELCOME HOME!!!" I think it will go over very well. For now, enjoy the pictures. More to come soon.

Monday Jan 21

2008-01-21T11:17:00.000-06:00

In honor of the late Martin Luther King, we had a handful of Texas gals come up to visit for the long weekend, and we had a great time. Addison is getting bigger and better every day. She's been working very hard on nursing and she's been very successful for the last four days. She is talking to us much more these days, and is much more aware of her surroundings. She will follow people accross the room and she recognized people's voices when they haven't been around for a little bit. She certainly isn't crawling, but she has figured out that if she wiggles enough, she can scoot her way towards something she wants. I don't think that makes her mobile yet, but it does mean we can't just leave her lying on the couch any longer while we run to the grocery store and assume she's not going anywhere. (That's a joke, don't call CPS.)

On Thursday night, we attended a meeting for DSAT (Down Syndrome Assoc. of Tulsa). It was a bit overwhelming, but it was very good to meet other families with similar situations as ours. It was also good to meet some of the children with DS and see how they really are just like any other kid. On Tuesday morning, we will be visiting and touring the Little Light House here in Tulsa. Addison is on the two year waiting list, so we need to check it out as soon as possible and see if it really is a place where we want her to be educated. We've heard many wonderful things about the school, and we are looking forward to learning even more. Please pray that it is everything we hope for. Other than that, we are here at the house, using today to just relax and hang out with our little cuddle bug. Enjoy some of the new pics from this weekend.

Sunday Jan 13

2008-01-13T22:13:00.000-06:00

Today is Addison's one month birthday. To celebrate, we took some pictures of her next to the bear that her aunt and uncle gave her for Christmas. We thought this would give everyone a gauge as to how fast she's growing. We also took some pictures of the three of us. Hope you enjoy.

This weekend, Addison's feeding has changed. She doesn't seem to be eating as much and doesn't seem to be as interested once she starts to eat, so we're trying to figure that whole thing out. Hopefully, it's not that big of a deal, but you can pray for that.

Over the next couple of weeks, we have to find a time to take a tour of the Little Light House, which is the school here in Tulsa that was created for children with special needs. Since she's on the waiting list for the next two years, we have to go check out the school and see if it's a place we want Addison to attend once she gets old enough. We have heard many great things about the school, so we are excited to finally visit.

As far as doctor's appointments are concerned, we really don't have anything coming up other than the normal appointments with the pediatrician. So, I guess we're good to go for a bit.

Friday, January 11

2008-01-11T22:58:00.000-06:00

Well, it's Friday night, around 11:00, and the night is still young for Addison. She has eaten about 4 times in the past two hours, and she is WIDE AWAKE, and very active! This is somewhat of a new thing of hers, so we have that going for us. Just the beginning of many new things, I'm sure. I started back at work this week being out of town for three days, and I have to admit that it was a bit more difficult than I thought, but I think we can make it work. Leaving Rach and Addison here was a challenge to say the least.

We crossed the cardiologist off our list this week, and Addison came through with a clean bill of health for the most part. There is a muscle bundle in her heart that is enlarged and looks a bit like a speed bump, but the doctor thinks that it will, most likely, stretch out as her heart grows and shouldn't be a problem at all. So, Addison and I spent about 20 solid minutes on the treadmill tonight just to get that whole process rolling, and she's looking strong.

Grammy Taylor left town on Thursday morning, and we took a big blow with that. She had been helping with feedings in the middle of the night and cooking and cleaning and running the house while she was here. So, Rach and I are trying to find our groove again without our own personal servant tending to our every need. Addison misses her already. Luckily, Grans Jumper and crew will be visiting next weekend, and we will be putting them to work (I'll be expecting a pedicure and a massage when y'all get into town by the way.)

Addison made her debut at ERgent Care today to meet the people that work with Rach. We have a few volunteers for baby sitting gigs down the road, so that's nice, and Addison was very impressed with the shrine that was built and dedicated to her in the office. They warned us not to leave Addison alone in the office with any of them because she might disappear, so we'll be keeping a close eye on those ladies.

Other than that, Addison keeps eating, sleeping, breathing and pooping, so I guess that means she's going to make it. If she's anything like her mother, I'm sure she will be building algorithms to help determine the purpose of oxygen by this time next year, so I'm certainly not worried. We are planning a family picture with the three of us this weekend, so stay tuned for those.

Tuesday, Jan 8

2008-01-08T09:29:00.000-06:00

Well, my update may not be as entertaining as Wes’s, but I figured it’s better than no update at all. Wes left this morning to travel for work and misses Addison already! We saw the pediatrician and geneticist yesterday- both visits went very well. Addison now weighs 8 lbs 4.5 oz, and has grown ¾ an inch in length. The doctor was very pleased with how well she’s eating and growing. We learned from the geneticist that the type of DS she has is Trisomy 21 or Nondisjunction. This is the most common type of DS, causing about 95% of cases. Really the only thing this tells us is that it is not hereditary. No one will be able to tell us anything about the severity of her DS until we see how and when she’s meeting her developmental milestones. Until then, we’re assuming she’s pretty smart… she’s already taking phone calls, has sucked her thumb a couple times, and her grandparents are convinced she’s tracking objects with her eyes. The night before last, she slept 8 hours straight. We were pretty impressed with our little girl, until she stayed up from 2:20 to 6:45 last night. Also impressive for a newborn, just not in the same way. Our friends here are taking good care of us, bringing us meals and making sure we have everything we need. We’d be struggling without them! We will see the cardiologist later this week, and Wes will be posting another update after that, so check back Saturday for the latest details on Addison Taylor.

Wednesday, Jan 2

2008-01-03T00:08:00.000-06:00

We have a few pictures for you this time. Addison bought Rach and me a nice camera for Christmas so that we would take lots of pictures of her, and we thought we would share. Grammy and Rach gave Addison a bath today, so we have a clean baby in the house again. Since my mom has been here, we have actually been getting a pretty good night's sleep. Grammy stays up with Addison and we just sleep. We are all going to miss Grammy once she leaves on Saturday.

A representative from the program we mentioned before, Sooner Start, came to the house today. It was an introduction meeting to give us an idea of how the program works and to give her an idea of what our needs are for Addison. It was an encouraging meeting and I think we are getting off to a good start, sooner rather than later, of course. Over the next few weeks, we have many doctors' appointments. We have appointments with the geneticist and the pediatrician on Monday, and we see the cardiologist on Friday. So, next week will be a big week for us.

We wish we could update you on fun things that Addison is doing, but the fact of the matter is that she eats, poops and sleeps, generally in that order. Every once in a while, we get a smile or two, and she will be wide awake at 11:30 pm or 5:30 am and any time in between. Other than that, she stays in a semi-comatose state. We think she's going through a growth spurt since she's getting taller every day. We put her up to the measuring stick in our house tonight to give you an idea of how tall she is now. We will give you updates on this as they come in. For now, enjoy the pics.

Friday, Dec 28

2007-12-28T23:07:00.000-06:00

We've had a couple of busy days. Yesterday, Addison went for her first checkup with the doctor. Her weight is where it should be, she is eating more and more, although not always nursing from Rach. The final results from the chromosome testing have not come back yet, so we are still waiting to hear what type of DS she has.

Although the Jumper family left on Wednesday morning, the Taylor family arrived on Thursday afternoon. While there are a few family members that Addison has not had the pleasure of meeting, she has met most of her family now, even a couple of her cousins. We have a handful of pictures to show you, but most of them are on other cameras, so we will have to update most of the pictures tomorrow or Sunday.

Thanks to those of you who are keeping us in your prayers. We are certainly making progress, but Addison still has a ways to go before she can complete a feeding with Rach, so please keep praying. Other than that, I think she's going to make it. She keeps eating, sleeping, and I think I changed a diaper that was about half of Addison's weight, so we know her plumbing is working well. I guess that means she's going to make it.

Tuesday, Dec 25

2007-12-26T02:11:00.000-06:00

Well, for those of you who had the impression that Addison is a great sleeper, I've been up with her all night. I'd like to think that it's a fluke, but she is a baby after all. Hopefully, she doesn't have her nights and days mixed up and we can remedy this quickly, as in right now. Rachel's parents are leaving today, but my family is coming into town on Thursday, so we will still have a full house.

On Thursday, we have a doctor's appointment at 11:30. It's the first checkup since we've been out of the hospital, so we are interested to see how it pans out. Hopefully, we can get the rest of the results from the chromosome testing and find out which type of DS Addison has. This is somewhat significant because it can help us figure out what we will be dealing with in the future, and if other people in our family line will have to deal with this situation down the road.

Addison is looking more and more like a little person each day. I know it's only been two weeks, but she's growing like a weed, and we're just trying to keep up. If anyone has any ideas on how to produce more milk, we are happy to hear from you. Anything short of purchasing our own pet cow is an acceptable piece of information. This kid eats like there is no tomorrow. On that note, check out the picture. She's a cute baby, but you should see the tail end of this face!!!

Thursday, Dec 20 continued

2007-12-21T23:50:00.000-06:00

Thank you all for your support. Addison came into the world last Thursday, and finally, she's home with us for good. I have to admit that placing Addison into that car seat and walking through the halls to the car was a little emotional for me. We had been through so much the past week and I was soooo relieved to get out of there that I had a tear or two working. What can I say, I have a daughter now. People have said that she's going to have me wrapped around her little fingers before I know it. I used to think it wouldn't be that bad. Ignorance is bliss they say.

Although we feel like we have crossed the finish line by leaving the hospital, the truth is, we've just started. We have several doctor's appointments over the next few weeks. We have the pediatric cardiologist to follow up on the heart situation. Right now, there is no heart situation, but we just have to make sure. There is also a pediatrician here in Tulsa that works only with children with special needs, and since Addison has officially be diagnosed with Down Syndrome, we will become a patient of his as well. There is a program here called Sooner Start for all of you O.U. fans out there. They work with babies with down syndrome on many levels giving advice and help with education, physical therapy, speech therapy, and many other things. I think Rach and I are going to take a couple of weeks to try to get to know Addison a little bit before we dive too much into this stuff, but we will be getting involved pretty soon. If anyone knows of people who are in our shoes, we would love to hear from them. Any advice from those of you who have children would be warmly welcome. Obviously, we have much to learn as new parents, but if you have any tips to help us with the learning curve, we'll take them. Rach is pretty much a natural, so she might not need much, but I'll take what I can get.

Thursday, Dec 20

2007-12-20T15:19:00.001-06:00

WE ARE HOME!!!!

Today at 2:30, the doctors allowed us to leave the hospital with Addison. After the pep talk we gave her last night, I think she realized that she had it in her to get out, so she made sure the sleep study went well. Please check back later to hear the details, as there are lots to share. Talk to you later tonight.

Wednesday, Dec 19

2007-12-19T23:43:00.000-06:00

We had a good, productive day today. First of all, Addison has now met all of her grandparents. Grammy and Grandpa Taylor as well as Grans and Grandaddy Jumper are all here and ready to jump into action and use their special grandparent powers to do whatever is necessary for the girl. We will be using them for their "crying baby silencing" abilities, and their unique holding and kissing techniques to ensure that the kid will not have to go a single fraction of a second without receiving some kind of loving from someone in our house. We have also received special appearances from my sister and Rach's younger brother. Both of them are vying for the "favorite aunt/uncle" position, but we won't know who wins for sure for several years, so best of luck to the both of them and each of her other aunts and uncles.

We had seven different types of medical professionals meet with us all at once at our pow wow today, and we couldn't be happier with the results. At first, I kept thinking of the saying "how many monkeys does it take to...", but as the conversation progressed, I realized that we were having a productive conversation about what we needed Addison to accomplish for her to go home with us on Thursday. I can't even begin to describe how much stress has been lifted from our shoulders now that we know we are all on the same page. One of the concerns the doctors have is that Addison's oxygen saturation drops when she is sleeping at night. This is actually a common thing that happens to everyone, but considering her low muscle tone and the infection that she had to fight through, they just want to make sure she's good to go. So, tonight Addison is undergoing a sleep study to make sure that her oxygen saturation doesn't fall too low, and is still in an acceptable range. When oxygen drops too low, bad things happen, so we are happy that we are doing this now. The only other concern we have at this point is Addison's feeding. Again, because of her low muscle tone, due to her having down syndrome, sometimes she has a difficult time feeding. So, we need to make sure that there is a solid 24 hour period when she feeds well every time she eats. So far, so good. Addison is still having difficulty nursing from Rach, but the speech pathologist seems confident that as her muscles get stronger, this won't be an issue. She just needs a little more time to develop. She says the best way to build your suck-draw-swallow muscles is to suck-draw-swallow. Since Addison eats about a million times a day, I'm confident it won't take her too long to get this going.

The doctor says that as long as Addison accomplishes all of the above, she can come home with us tomorrow after her final dose of antibiotics. We are hoping for a 4:00 discharge, if not earlier. Just before Addison's sleep study began, we told her what she needed to accomplish so she can get out of the hospital tomorrow. Shortly thereafter, she slipped into her normal coma-like sleep to consider all that lies ahead. I've included a picture of her in deep thought for your reference. We will certainly let you know how she does tomorrow. We aren't out of the woods yet, but we are almost there.

Tuesday, Dec. 18

2007-12-18T23:30:00.000-06:00

Today was a frustrating day as we started, but we've made some good progress, and it turned out to be a pretty nice day. The doctor called to inform us that the preliminary reading of the chromosome tests show a confirmation of Down Syndrome. We pretty much already knew that, so it wasn't a big shock. The final reading will show us the type, but won't tell us anything about the severity, so we'll just have to see how it pans out. From what we understand, the severity will become more clear as she reaches certain milestones. One day at a time though folks.

Addison has started to turn into an active baby today. She has started eating so much that Rachel is having a tough time keeping up. Up to this point, we've had some troubles not only with her getting the nutrition she needs, but the way we are providing that nutrition. Addison has had a great number of doctors and "consultants" see her, and they all have a different idea of how we should go about feeding her properly. So, Rach and I decided it was time to get all of these folks together and come up with a plan. There is one man who's going to make the decision to release Addison or keep her in the hospital on the 20th. Our goal is to get her home. So, we want every doctor and medical consultant who is meeting with us and working with Addison to know what we need to do in order to make that happen. Sometime after lunch on Wednesday, we are going to have that meeting, so please pray that the meeting goes well and everyone gets on the same page. The frustrating part has been the lack of communication between everyone. The encouraging part is that we have been able to set up this little pow wow. I think Rach is bringing the hammer to the meeting. I think it's awesome when she does that.

Rach and I are doing well. We are struggling to get the rest we need. I think I fell asleep standing up this morning, which I've never done before now, and I couldn't remember the term "sleep deprivation", which probably means that I have a case of it. Neither of us has had a meltdown yet, so we have that going for us. I guess this is all part of what we signed up for when we decided to have kids. And to think that we will have three more after Addison. YIKES!!! Keep praying for us. We need it.

Several people today have said that they love Addison's cheeks and they want to just chew them up. I'm pretty sure that's a good thing. So I've posted a couple of pics for your chewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Monday, Dec 17th

2007-12-17T15:54:00.000-06:00

We are still making progress. This morning around 3 am, we went up to feed Addison, and the nurse said we could feed her on our own schedule, meaning as long as she wanted to eat, we could feed her. However, the doctor said today that he might want to put her on a feeding tube again because he doesn't think the feedings are going very well. So, a few mixed messages later, and Rach is back to feeding her every three hours. A little side note: Doctors are smart, but they often forget to use manners and interrupt people when they talk. If you ever go to the hospital, make sure they treat you as a patient, not as a number. I wanted to smack our doc today, but we are making progress.

The good news is that Addison doesn't need the breathing tube any longer, and her umbilical cord fell off today. The little anti-theft device was connected to the umbilical cord, so we had to call in the infantry for temporary backup support to make sure no one kidnapped Addison before they provided the ankle bracelet for protection. So, we're still taking things one day at a time. As long as Addison doesn't backtrack on her progress, they say we can probably take her home on the 20th!

If you haven't come to visit, we'd love to see you. Rach and I have been discharged from the hospital, so when you get here, just find the "Special Care Nursery" on the 6th floor and tell them you are there for Addison, Rachel and Wes. If we aren't in the nursery, they will call us. We're probably just around the corner.

Sunday, Dec 16

2007-12-16T23:48:00.000-06:00

Addison was jaundiced and started on the tanning bed. Great pics on that by the way. She will be done with that tomorrow. They increased her feedings again and decreased her oxygen to 25%. We breathe 21% oxygen, so they are going to try and get her off the oxygen again tomorrow. Her blood counts are pretty much normal, which means the infection is going away. She's been lazy with her feeding. She likes the feeling of being in her mother's arms so much that she forgets to suck and falls asleep. Rach trully has a relaxing mother's touch. Her I.V. wasn't working out so well, it was leaking into her hand, so they moved it from her arm to her head. Of course, this makes her look a bit like a unicorn. Again, great pics. Thanks to the folks who have visited us. It makes us feel loved. If you are wondering if you should leave us alone and let us sleep, please decide to come visit. It seems we have forgotten what sleep is and can't seem to get any of it accomplished, so the company is most certainly welcome all hours of the day.

The parent room is awesome. It's like a room in the Ritz Carlton. Well, more like the closet at the Ritz, with a lavy with luke-warm water. But, it's only moments away from our beautiful little daughter, so we are pretty amped about that. Enjoy the pictures if you can see them.

Saturday, Dec 15

2007-12-15T18:29:00.000-06:00

Today was a big day for us. Addison started feeding on her own from a bottle around 2:00 am and has eaten every ounce of food we've given her since then. This afternoon, she started breast feeding with Rachel and picked it up like she had been doing it for years! She's eating so much that they pulled the feeding tube out of her tummy. They dropped the oxygen levels that she is breathing, which means her lungs are getting stronger and healthier, and they pulled the continuous fluids from the I.V. She is still getting antibiotics through the I.V. and will be receiving them until the 20th at least. She is jaundiced, so she is laying under what most people would consider to be a tanning bed, so she will come home looking like she's been on the beach for a week.

Rach and I are being discharged from the hospital tonight, but we have a beautifully equipped parent room complete with a twin bed, a fold-out cot, and a shower that might have warm running water. All for the price of $25 /night. What a deal! One of the doctors here said that "the room is great...because it's close." Since Rach is on strict orders to breast feed every three hours, that will certainly be helpful. More to come...

Friday, December 14th

2007-12-14T15:59:00.000-06:00

Thanks for joining us. Here's the update on Addison. She was born on Thursday the 13th at 3:05 a.m. 7 lb, 14 oz. On her way out, she inhaled amniotic fluid that contained meconium (she pooped in the womb, and then inhaled it. Not recomended for most people). As a result, she has an infection in her lungs that is requiring her to be on oxygen to breathe. She will be in the hospital on antibiotics until at least the 20th. She also has several physical features that suggest that she has Down Syndrome, including being unable to nurse, so she has a nasal feeding tube to her stomach. We finally got to hold her late last night and that made a huge difference.

One of the most concerning complications associated with Down Syndrome is cardiac problems, but her echocardiogram shows no abnormalities. So, that is quite relieving to hear. She has a curly dark mohawk and big cheeks, to boot. I think she's adorable, but then again, I'm her daddy. Rachel and I are being discharged from the hospital tomorrow, but we can rent a room accross the street until Addison is ready to come home. More to come...