Ball Night and Bailey

Last week was the Annual Ball Night for our local Down syndrome support group. We got to touch base with a few of our new friends in that group, as well as meet a few new friends.

Also included in this post is a picture of our new puppy Bailey. We are not sure what to do with her, because she is contantly nipping at us. She really goes after Noah, to the point that he is scared of her. We really need to get her calmed down, or I am afraid she will have to go. Hopefully the weather will turn around so the boys can spend more time with her outside, and maybe she will calm down.

B-day, Puppy and World Down Syndrome Day

Yesterday was Ben's first birthday. We Celebrated by having dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Willey, Uncle Steve and Aunt Shannon, Emma and Sam, Uncle Russ, Jo-Jo, and Great Uncle Chuck and Great Aunt Jan. We all had lots of fun and Ben got lots of cool presents. Uncle Russ was being ornery and kept giving Ben back what was left of the cake after I took it away.


Ben and his cakes.


Tastes pretty good...Think I will try some more....


Wow! That was fun!

Today the excitement continued when we picked up the new addition to our family, Bailey.
Bailey is a Labradoodle, Cocker Spaniel, Golden Retriever mix...aka a mutt. But boy she sure is cute. She is supposed to be an outside dog, but so far she has only been out side 10% of the time she has been home. She did visit her kennel for a short time, but that is about it. I was afraid she might drop dead after chasing the boys around over at Dad's this afternoon. She was one worn out puppy. Here are some pictures.


The boys meeting Bailey.


Noah and Bailey


John and Bailey


Bailey all worn out.

Today is also World Down Syndrome Day. Click here to find out more information.

They grow up so fast...

March 20, 2008


6 weeks

I can't believe my baby is almost 1. It is still very fresh in my mind, the day I called the Dr. back after my amnio, and found out he would have Trisomy 21 and that he may not make it to term due to possible abnormailities with his heart. We were given the option to terminate, but that was not an option I could live with. We soon found out that his heart was basically good, and it just had a small hole, but otherwise he was healthy.

I am still glad we got the prenatal diagnosis as it gave us time to learn more about Down syndrome. I have to admit that finding information (other than the statistic that something like 80% of mothers who get a prenatal diagnosis abort) from others who had prenatal diagnosis and gave birth, was fairly difficult. I finally ran across a site from the UK that showed problably 50 picutres of smiling happy children with Down Syndrome, and after seeing that website, I had the first sense that everything would be OK.

Another thing I remember reading early, was that a baby with Down Syndrome is a baby first. Ben, like many other babies, decieded he did not want to wait until his due date and decided to show up early, on the first day of the NCAA Basket Ball Tournament. I still think his Dad had somethingto do with that. When I finally got to hold my little bundle, after he was thoroughly poked and prodded, I wondered how anyone could possibly not consider him a normal baby. He smelled like a baby, he looked like a baby, and he sounded like a baby. I remember the skin on his back was the softest skin I had ever felt. He also kept me up at night just like my other two boys had. Sure he was a little bit floppier than my other boys were, in fact he still is. His is also not hitting his milestones as quickly as his brothers did, but he is hitting them, at his own pace.

I feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to look after this special guy. His is a very social, happy baby, who has brought us more joy than I ever could have imagined. He is truly a gift that I did not know I needed until after he arrived. He has taught us to slow down, to enjoy life, to embrace differences, and that the most important thing we have is each other. Who knew that a baby could be such a great teacher.


4 months

7 months

9 months


Ben at age 1

All Better

Well, the strep throat is gone, and last week we were finally able to get in to Ben's Dr. to get some antibiotic for his sinus infection. After just 2 doses his nose stopped running and he seemed to be his happy self again. He even seems to enjoy taking the pink stuff and has not given me any problems.

This weekend was John's last basketball game. They played Syracuse early Saturday morning, and the weather was bad. It was still snowing lightly and the roads were snow packed and slick. Right after we went by, there was a head-on accident just South of Elmwood that required 3 ambulances. It was no one we knew, but we still felt bad for them. At least there were no fatalities. Anyway John's team lost the first game by 2 and tied the second game. Since they only have 8 players, the boys were pretty tired by the end of the second game. Overall they had a great season. I was really proud of how much they learned. I was also proud of Randy for trying to teach them the basics, even though they only got to practice once per week.

Saturday was a Little Star's Swimming event at the Cooper Y in Lincoln. Ben loved the water and laughed and kicked and had fun. At first he did not really want to stand in the water, but he soon got over that. John came too and had fun playing with the sister of a girl with Down syndrome. Noah was not making good choices on Saturday and got to stay home with Dad. I think they had fun at home too.

Last week my cousin brought over some of her son's outgrown clothes. Included in the box were a bunch of ties. We spent most of the weekend practicing how to tie a tie. Both boys sported ties to church that weekend.