Braska: It’s time for my month again!

I suppose maybe it’s not my month, but it’s the month when we get to talk a whole lot about some of what makes me “extra special” as Mommy says.

It’s Down syndrome awareness month!  Are you aware?

My friend Georgia’s mommy does this really neat thing for our month (It’s Georgia’s month, too, ya know.)  You can read about it if you click on the cool little button right down there.  Like under this.  See it? 

Grab This Button

Mommy helped Miss Tricia get the button ready, and everyone has it on their blogs so other people can know about our month!  Isn’t that great?

So I’m gonna put things up every day, as much as I can, and most of it will be pictures with little stories.  Because even though I am “extra special,”  I do regular stuff every day that somebody might want to see.

It’s gonna be a great month!

Braska: A good fashion statement [Down syndrome, blog]

I’ve heard people talk about a fa-shun stayt-munt.  Mommy told me how to spell it right so you would know what I mean…fashion statement.  Have you heard about this?  I’m not sure, but I think it’s when you put on pretty clothes and then tell someone something.  And I have something to tell you!!

So here’s the pretty clothes… these were our Sunday pictures from yesterday.  Daddy took them while Mommy was getting ready for church. Me and KiKi were playing and we didn’t stand still to do good Sunday pictures.  But Daddy sneaked in some good ones.

And now, here’s what I’ve got to tell you…..

To celebrate my new pretty blog that we worked really hard on, me and Mommy are going to be giving some fun things away to somebody who likes to read our stories!  Do you like to get stuff for just reading my stories?

And here’s how you can get stuff… You’re going to like it!  And there’s more than one thing! 
~~~~Please note…if you are reading this on the Down Syndrome in Real Life blog, please go to Braska’s main blog to enter, if you would like!  ~~~~~

1. Leave a comment on THIS POST TODAY (Monday) for an “early entry.”  (That means you want to enter even though you don’t know what we’re giving away!)  That gets your name in the hat TWO TIMES already!

2.  There’s a place on the side of the blog that says “Followers.” (Mommy thinks this is a silly name because it sounds like we’re in a big line going somewhere.)  But anyway, we’re going to see if we can’t find a bunch of new friends to share our stories with!  So if you are in our Follower list already, you’ll get your name in the hat ONE TIME  just because we are happy you like us!! AND---if you want to get on our list new this week, you’ll get your name in TWO TIMES!

3. Because Mommy likes to have friends like I do, she’s going to put her friends on her Followers list in too!  If you want an extra chance to win stuff, you can get on Mommy’s list new this week, too!  That gets your name in TWO TIMES! Click here to go to Mommy’s page so you can get on her list.

4. If you have a blog too—or if you have that book of faces thing-- and you want to tell other friends about our fun stuff this week, then you get your name in the hat another time!  Just leave me a note so I can come see it.

So there’s a BUNCH of ways that you can get lots of chances win stuff… and on Tuesday, we’ll tell you what you can win.  One of them is one of my very favorite things in all the whole world!

Wooooooo Hooooooo!!!  This is gonna be SO fun!!!  Come play with us!

Post titles

Just a note to the few of you who see posts on this blog primarily instead of on the blogs where they originate. (BraskaBear and JustRK)

Some blog posts will have keywords in brackets in the titles in order to facilitate search engines of a few special types finding them more easily.  So if you see weird titles, that’s why! :o)

Thanks for reading!

Lily’s Auction

Michelle and Brian at The Zoromski Chronicles are in the process of adopting Lily, from Eastern Europe, who they found via Reece’s Rainbow.  Their little Ruby is one of my favorite little blog princesses, along with brother Braden and sister Karly, and I was so excited to see that the were taking this big step to bring another princess home to add to their family.

They are hosting a blog auction at Lily’s blog, and there’s some good stuff there!  They’re going to even get the things to the winners by Christmas.  So go take a peek and see if there’s not something you could bid on and get a great deal and help a very cool family bring a precious girl home quickly!

Grab This Button

Reminder to readers...

In case any of you missed it, what few of you are on this blog as opposed to my others.... these are re-posts from our main blogs, not all the posts from there make it here. So if you're interested in more about the girls, visit their blogs directly. Posts are more frequent there! :o) Thanks!

Braska
Kinlee
RK

31 for 21: Awareness through Beauty

I did a new background for Braska’s blog last night, with her help, of course.  She is getting better about choosing between two options, so she likes to help.  And she must have liked what she chose because while I was working, as the elements were coming together on the layout, she said, “Oooh, pretty!”  It’s so fun to listen to her just come up with things like that.

Anyway, if anyone is interested, I would be glad to share the background (with your own little one’s pic instead of Braska’s of course) if you want to use it for this month or whatever.  The header is separate and can say anything or nothing at all.  Just puttin’ it out there in case…

And the “Down syndrome is… Beauty” image over there will be making it’s debut on a couple items, shirts etc, soon… if you’re interested in that.  I’ll put it in here too.

31 for 21: Year 3

I can’t even tell you how unprepared I am for October and fall and my birthday and Halloween (which means great holidays follow) and cooler temperatures, etc.  But one great thing about this month is Tricia’s brainchild, 31 for 21. (Let me just admit, I always call it 31 for T21 even though that’s not it’s name.  If I goof, I’m sorry…just letting you know now.)

(Here’s a list of other bloggers participating, if you need some good reading material!)

If you’ve been around for this before, you know the drill… it’s in honor of October being Down syndrome awareness month.  We bloggers far and wide opt to commit (with fingers crossed) to blog each day in October (31 days) for DS (Trisomy 21), though not all posts have to be all about DS, of course.  It’s awareness, people…getting the word out there that this is not some kind of horrible, sad, cheerless life we lead when DS enters the picture. 

Not sure yet which direction I’ll go with this line of posts this month, but I’ve got some thoughts.  I’m praying that I can find the time to get some things down that I’ve wanted to hash out for a while.  We’ll see.

Anything that you’ve always wondered but didn’t get up the nerve to ask??  Something you’d like to know (about DS, Braska, g-tubes, toddler fashion, great books on CD, transitioning to minivan life) but don’t think it’s “nice” to ask those things?  I’m your girl… let’s have it. 

Braska Retropost: Meeting Henry

A few weeks ago me and Jack went meet a new friend, Henry.  Well, he’s not so new, but I never had met him for real, just in our blogs.  Our friend Matthew was there, too. We played at Henry’s grandma’s house in the back yard. It’s SO pretty!
We had a pretty fun time.  But there was a little oops.  See that blue tub in that picture up there? I was standing up there holding on to it, Jack was standing next to it by that little bush plant.  I decided to give Jack a big hug, so I put both my arms on him, but he couldn’t hold me up. So we fell back onto that bush, then we flipped over our heads and down the hill.  We weren’t too happy about it, and we screamed pretty loud, but our mommies got there pretty quick and we were ok.  My mommy said she really wished she had it on a movie for us to watch over and over because it was kind of cute.

Later Jack did end up with a boo boo when he fell and bit his tongue.  It was icky and bloody!  But everyone’s ok, don’t worry.

Here’s three of the mommies.  Miss Ria had already left to go home.  Miss Julie is Jack’s mommy, Miss Heidi is Henry’s mommy, and there’s my mommy.

Miss Heidi and Henry went back home to Texas later, but we will be sure to get to see them the next time they come to visit!  Thanks for asking us to visit, Miss Heidi and making lunch!!

Ain't it kinda funny??

We're all wanting to be good little advocates, and it is a priority of mine to put a good and real perspective of life with Down syndrome "in the house." But we're all so busy just living life with our little ones that we're too busy to talk about how we're doing it. Funny.

And I guess, as many have said better than I, that's the point. Yes, we were shocked. Yes, I thought life was (cue the dramatic movie music) *forever changed.* And yes, there have been some things to figure out, to say the least. But the beauty is, you don't have to figure it all out at once. You get to wake up just one day at a time, like everyone else. And ya know what's crazy?? Life goes on. We do what we do, and we find it to be so much beyond more enjoyable than what we thought. PLUS, we have these ridiculously cute kids to play with in the meantime!

Just wish I could bottle this and share it with all those who are a few paces behind and still freaking out. It sure would've done me some good a couple years ago.

Why EVERY life matters

Karen K sent me a link to a blog today. I get links to blogs from friends alot. Blogs that are funny. Cute kid blogs. DS blogs. Blogs with good music. Lots of blogs. Many of them, though, are stories of amazing families who are making the most of a difficult situation.

This blog Karen sent today is much the same as some others. The tragic story, some might say, and the strong people who are living through it. Tomorrow, this very young couple is going to meet the son they've been waiting for and loving intensely for a long time. But it will be bittersweet as they know his time with them will be most painfully short.

But here's what struck me... This story reminded me of why every single life matters. Even though this little boy will have such a short time on earth when he is visible and touchable and breathing air, he has made a difference that will NEVER be undone or forgotten in hundreds of lives. His parents' decision to grant their son life for as far as they can control it has impacted SO many people, even the doctors, nurses, and staff that have walked with them through this journey. We will likely never know how far the ripples of their decision and committment to their son will go, but people who are changed tend to promote change in those around them, and it continues, and the world is changed in the process.

This is one reason why I am heartbroken when I hear of someone receiving a prenatal diagnosis of any number of types and choosing to abort "for the sake of the baby." That life has a purpose. It belongs to a child whose existence is no accident. There is a specific reason why that baby is given, though we may struggle hard with the details of the "why" sometimes. This family was talked to about "terminating," but they knew they could not. The end result may be the same, but this child will rest in loving arms as his parents are able to cuddle him for the short time he has. His parents know this will be horribly painful, but they are doing what parents should do at every opportunity, putting the best interest of their child ahead of their own comfort or convenience.

I want to say so much more, but it's getting jumbled and poor, so I will simply say this...we may never know how our faithfulness in difficult situations affects others, but it is clear that it does. This family does not know me at all, but simply spending a couple of hours learning about their family and the struggle for their son's life has made an impression on me that will remain. Now I'm telling you, and hopefully you will find the same. Baby Isaac has made a difference, and he is just tomorrow getting to be held by his parents for the first time. His life matters.

The blog is He Will Carry Me and it is worth the time to read their story and their phenomenal example of truly trusting God with their most precious one. Many of you will identify with different parts of their story. A most touching aspect is the Dear Isaac compilation of letters to the boy from his mother. Even in a sad time, there is encouragment and hope. Real hope. I don't find this depressing at all. It is sad, absolutely. But it's that HOPE and trust that makes the difference.

Please join me in praying for this family as they take these next steps through tomorrow and whatever it may hold for them. I believe that we are shown things when we need to see them... there is a reason Karen sent this to me, and there is a reason I felt so compelled to share it with you. Don't miss out on the blessing this could be for you, now or down the road.

And hug your little ones an extra time today. Or two.

The new same ol'

I've had alot I thought about blogging about, but I can't seem to find 5 minutes of lucidity to compose any thoughts. How you 3-a-day-post-people do it....I'm so clueless.

Braska's got 5 therapy appointments per week now, so that in itself makes for busy. And this week we added an appointment for me today, and an appointment for her with the pediatrician tomorrow. That's alot of places to be in 5 days. Oh, and we're also going to look at houses tomorrow night, but it's very preliminary.

This weekend we spent 3 days in South County with the fam, I'm thinking we need a vacation home there already. Am I glad the drive is only 40 mins? Yes!! Do I kind of wish for weekends like this it was 10? Yuppers. I'm so darn exhausted. We had a great 4th hanging out at Cindy's place by the pool. Then Saturday Cheryl had a graduation party and we hung out some with Jerry and Nadine, relatives from Iowa, who were in town. Sunday it was back down for church and lunch before Jerry and Nadine took off, then hangtime at the parents for the afternoon. This coming weekend my brother-in-law is getting married, so we're headed south again, but they're worth it.

We had to find another place for Belle to go. She offended her host, so we found another willing party to take her. Thank you Nancy!!!!!!! I think she'll be very happy. I just want her to be happy, but I'm sure she is confused, and that's sad to me.

For those of you who like preg updates... I'm feeling icky and un-good, but nothing like the bad most of you probably deal with. Just a constant not-good that lets up for a few hours in the middle of the day. It sure makes normal things more difficult. I'm having some sleep issues, but I think they're related to exterior influences, not the tummy baby. I went to the OB today, very nice doc. She is sending me to an MFM (maternal fetal medicine specialist) next week for an ultrasound to determine when this baby's gonna get here. And of course, I'm high risk, ya know. Will be 35 when I deliver, history of baby with chromosomal issues and heart defect.... and some other stuff. High risk. Watch out! I agreed to go because I don't mind ultrasounds, but I made clear that I'm not interested in the invasive testing... what? we may have a kid with a chromosomal abnormality? No! Say it ain't so! Yeah, that would be the easy option, we've decided. We KNOW how to do THAT! It's them regular kids we don't know what to do with.

Alright, enough of this stream of consciousness blogging. Dangerous, it is. And I don't cotton to such things. Time to try to sleep again.

New Fave-o Site

Get a cup of good hot chocolate, put on your comfy clothes, and settle in with some non-rushed time to check out Dan Drinker's site. I can't even tell you how much I love watching these videos and reading what his family has written about him. I feel like I want to tune into the Dan Drinker 24-hour channel or something.

Dan is a young man with DS who is living and loving life, and his younger brother Will captures much of it on video. It's priceless, in my opinion. I just love it. Check out the blog, watch some videos, tell them that you've been there. I wish this guy lived near me!

The most recent post, about Breaking Up with Christine, is funny and poignant. Here's a couple of my other favorite videos so far... I've still got more to watch!
His 7th Prom
A Basketball Date with Sarah