My baby turns 1!!!!!

Emma had her 1st birthday on November 14th! We also had her party that day! Emma was kind enough to share her day with Big Brother Alexander and we had his party too! They both got tons of cool presents! The party was a HUGE success and the house was full of lots of people!

Alexander will be 3 on November 24th! He then starts school on Nov 29. How scary for a 3 year old to ride a school bus across town!! I am nervous for him already!!!



Emma eating her ladybug cake!!!

The awesome cakes

Halloween

Halloween with the kids was alot of fun this year!!! Emma was the cutest lil ladybug and Alexander was a pirate. We went to a Fall Festival with the Pujols Foundation with Alexander, trick or treating in Downtown Edwardsville at all the business and then to a bonfire, also went trick or treating at Grandma's house and to a block party. Needless to say we had a busy weekend and mama was glad it was over.
Me and my ladybug!!!!

My littl pirate - he was finally starting to feel better! Wasn't he just adorable!

Post Op and Mama back to work

Alexander has finally recovered from his surgery! This surgery took a little bit longer for him to recover but for the past week he has been himself! :)

I have to go back to work on Mon Nov 8! I am very sad about that.

Surgery #3

I know I haven't really updated lately but thought I would let all my Blogger friends know that Alexander will be having Heart Surgery #3 on October 11. Can everyone please keep him in your thoughts and prayers that day.

This time he is getting his mitral valve repaired. Hopefully this will be the last of surgeries for a very long time. I thought I said that 2 year ago to though.

I will keep everyone informed on his progress via Blogger. I also will be able to update this Blog when I am off work with my little angel! :)

Summer Update

Buddy Walk 2010 - We had our largest group yet! It was such a HOT day but what a great success.....

Summer time fun with Biddy!!!

Eddie came to town in Aug-Sept and decided they were going to Vegas to get married. So John and I and David and Andi went also. We had a great extended weeekend but missed our babies terribly!!

London Bridge - Lake Havasu

Woot Woot - they are married!

Daddy and the kiddos at the 4th of July parade

Emma with her beads

I guess we have ALOT of updating to do!!! We have been super busy this summer - and the kids have grown so much! Boy how time flies!

Emma enjoying the water in the pool!

AJ enjoying the slide

Catch Up

Alot of things have happened since the last time I posted!

Emma is now 6 months old and Alexander is 2 and a half! Wow has time passed by. Emma now has almost 5 teeth - 2 on bottom and the 3 on top all coming in at once. She has had 3 ear infections and fingers crossed - she hasn't had one in 2 months. :) She is rolling over everywhere and is trying to push her but up in the air - soon she will be crawling! Now the stats - 20lbs. & 26.5 inches long.

Alexander is about 28lbs and 34.5 inches long. He is becoming such a big brother! He gives bear hugs now and kisses everyone. We don't leave anywhere unless we tell everyone bye. BTW so people are very rude and some really friendly. Alexander got his 2nd thyroid test back and it is normal - what a relief. His ear tubes had both came out too. The Dr. had to remove them although, they were in the canals of his ears just hanging out. But on a side note he had a ear infection last week. :( Of course! We go back to the heart Dr in September and fingers crossed the surgeon likes what he sees.

We went on our first mini vacation to Branson! We had a great time! We went to Silver Dollar City, the outlet malls of course, and to see Dixie Stampede. The kids absoulutely loved the show! Now the drive down and back was a different story! Wow Emma was not a happy camper and she hates her carseat. Our 3.5 hr drive took about 6 both ways! Argh!

We have also already done many things this spring. We have participated in the went to the St. Patty's Day run- parade, MS Walk, March of Dimes walk, went to the zoo (we are zoogoers too), had a few bar-b-ques with friends and family, we went to the Down Syndrome picnic and have gone on many many walks and Alexander has been on his first bike ride. He is a pro at falling asleep on these long rides too.

I will post pictures soon!!

We are all sick!!!

Well last Tuesday as I took off work to take Alexander to the hospital I noticed he was getting a runny nose. I didn't think anything of it! Well I could tell he wasn't feeling the best but he was still playing a never sitting still. By Wednesday night I too was getting a runny nose. By Thursday morning Alexander and I felt poorly and by Thursday night Emma and John didn't feel well either.

We decided to take Emma back to the doctor on Friday and she had yet another ear infection. Poor baby girl! So baby girl is now on a second antibiotic for her ear. She won't take it so we put it in her bottle.

We are all finally better! Thank god! But it really stinks having a whole house sick at the same time!!

Doctor Appointments

Well I took tuesday off of work to take Alexander to a couple of his regular yearly check-ups. We first had to go to the genetics doctor - Dr. Grange. She had us get some blood drawn and we will know those results in a few weeks. I am anxious because I have never know what kind of Down Syndrome my little guy has.

We then went to the eye doctor - Dr. Rallo and Alexander got his eyes dialated. He still has a stigmatism (same as last year) but he also has watery tear ducts. They are only partially obstructed so no surgery at this time. But if he went in for another small surgery we would get that fixed too. Also his stigmatism isn't bad enough for glasses which is a plus. He wouldn't keep them on anyway.

We also took Emma to the doctor for her follow from her ear infection and it has gone away. She is cutting a tooth though. My baby is only 3 months and already getting her first tooth.

Today we all woke up with a cold though. Thanks to Alexander, but i think he got it worse. His eyes were matted shut today! This is part of the his eyes watering. It is only bad when he is sick or from the cold weather. Fingers crossed this cold doesn't last forever and that baby Emma doesn't get it!

Happy Valentine's Day

On Saturday night we decided to celebrate Valentine's and go to a nice restarant. We went to a restaurant called Vin De Set in the St. Louis. We both liked the atmosphere but decided we could of eaten somewhere else for alot cheaper. It was nice to get out just the two of us though.

One of our friends that has 2 little ones also watched AJ and Emma. They seemed to of had a blast and the boys enjoyed playing together.

We gave daddy the photo's that we got taken of the kids together and he really liked them. I suprised him and got the kids photos taken together. They are so adorable!

1st ear infection

My poor baby has her first ear infection in her left ear. She is 12 weeks old and already on a antibiotic. This kind of freaks me out about giving them medicine so young. We never gave Alexander any medicine for at least his first year.

I really didn't think anything was wrong with her when the sitter called to say she had a low grade temp 99.1. So I called the doctor and first the nurse said they don't consider it low grade unless it is 99.5 but she did say go ahead and bring her in since it is elevated and she is so young. I really thought it was going to a waste of time. So my sister called to tell me she had a ear infection. I was really shocked and actually so was the sitter. So I really think we caught it early. :)

Also, Emma is in the 95% for her weight! She is 15lbs 8ounces. Alexander was only 11lbs 2ounces at 12 weeks. I guess we have a healthy little girl that isn't missing any meals! :)

Emma's Baptism

Daddy and his little Girl
Daddy and Alexander at sissy's baptism!

Alexander & KK

Emma & Father

Daddy & Emma

Emma's baptism was last Sunday! She did great! There was no tears even, only spit just after she got baptised. She spit up all over her Aunt Lynn and godmother. It was great to see the whole fam again and a few friends. And Emma was sooo pretty!!!

Christmas and so on!

Emma in the bath....

Emma & Alexander on Santa's lap...

The quilt that grandma made for Emma!! Isn't it so cute!!!

Alexander and his new rocking chair

So alot has happened in the last month. Christmas, New Years & so on!!! Alexander has really become such a great big brother. He kisses and hugs Emma all the time. I can't wait when they can start playing together. She is going to be such a great help for Alexander. Alexander is walking everywhere finally and is also getting himself up in the middle of the floor. He will be off and running very soon. He is almost there he walks so fast when I am going after him when he has something he shouldn't. He still loves to climb stairs especially when we are at someone else's house. Argh....Always have to keep our eyes on this little guy! :)

Christmas was great but next year it will be even better. Alexander got some great toys and so did Emma. Especially her quilt that her grandma made her. Its awesome and alot of work was put into it. I had no idea that grandma was even making this.

Alexander went to the ENT because he has had 2 sinus infections in recent months. I thought maybe it had to do with his ears but Dr. Molter said all is good and to come back in May for his year check up. We go to the genecist and the eye doctor in Feb. We are going to get blood work done too. Thyroid problems always come up with kiddos with Downs and we also want to know what kind of down syndrome Alexander has. (Trisomy 21, Translocation or Mosaic) People always ask I never know the answer.

Also I am so excited there is finally a Support Group in Edwardsville. Every month we have been driving to Shiloh (45min drive). We will get to meet other kiddos from our area. Who knows I still might go to the other meeting too - both Alexander and I have met some great friends in the past year or so!!!

Emma is also doing great. She just went for her 8 week check and got 4 immunizations. She does keep getting yeast in her neck and arm rolls. I have some cream I keep putting on but the dr said it is very common and not to worry. She was 12lbs and 22.5inches long. It was so great to her your daughter is "perfect". I was like did I hear that right. I keep thinking they are going to say something is wrong with her too. So far so good! :)