RAISING JOEY

Well, tomorrow is the big move day! Not sure yet when we’ll get an internet connection but as soon as we do, I’ll be sure to post an update!! Wish us luck!

We’re moving!

Our new house is only 10 minutes down the road, but still it’s a new, bigger place with lots of room for Joey and Leah to play. We’re still going to be renting but we found an offer we could not pass up! It’s a 3 bedroom house with 1 1/2 baths, a family room and a living room! And a back yard of our own for the kids to play outside and an area for a grill and a patio set!

Can you tell I’m excited?!?!?! So I might not be posting a couple weeks until we get things in order and I get a internet hookup. I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated!!

Welcome Trig Paxson Van Palin

Palin confirms baby has Down syndrome

By LISA DEMER
ldemer@adn.com

Published: April 21st, 2008 03:31 PM
Last Modified: April 21st, 2008 03:32 PM

Gov. Sarah Palin was back at work today, holding a meeting on the natural gas pipeline three days after giving birth to her fifth child.

Palin and her husband, Todd, showed the baby, Trig Paxson Van Palin, to a few reporters and talked about the sooner-than-expected delivery.

Trig arrived about a month early and has Down syndrome, the governor confirmed. Testing during early pregnancy revealed the condition. Palin said she was sad at first but they now feel blessed that God chose them. The couple has lots of family support, she said.

Palin was in Texas at a Republican Governors Association energy conference last week when early signs of labor began. She said she called her doctor early Thursday morning after some amniotic fluid began to leak. She talked over what was happening with her doctor, and they consulted about what to do.

She gave the keynote luncheon address, then she and Todd caught an Alaska Airlines flight back to Alaska. She said was never in full-blown labor on the plane but was having a contraction or two every hour.

“By my fifth child, I know what labor feels like,” Palin said. That wasn’t labor, she said.

The governor said she won’t take a maternity leave but will bring Trig with her to work. Her spokesperson later clarified, at Palin’s request, that the governor will take time off for medical appointments, physical therapy and whatever Trig needs.

Mass at Yankee Stadium

We got home Saturday evening from our trip home to Ohio and then Sunday morning my husband, Patrick and I made our journey into New York City with 60,000 other Catholics to see Pope Benedict XVI at Yankee Stadium.

Talk about amazing! It was truely a life changing experience that words cannot even begin to describe! The energy from everyone in the stadium during mass was unbelievable!

Here are some of the pictures I took yesterday and even 2 short videos.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Sorry for the lack of updates yet again. At least this time I have a good excuse well it’s not a good excuse but it’s there. I’m actually in Ohio. We had an unexpected trip home on Monday. My grandfather passed away Monday afternoon. He had been sick for a long time and he’s much better off. No more suffering, he’s in a better place. But we’re leaving here tonight and driving back to Connecticut because on Sunday we’re going to see the Pope. So wish us a safe trip home and I’ll try to update more when I get home if I get a chance.

6 days until…

In less than one week, my husband and I are traveling down to NYC to Yankee Stadium to see Pope Benedict. We are so grateful and feel so blessed to have this once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Holy Father give mass.

Days until we get to see Pope Benedict… 6 days and counting!

Thank you Rebecca!

Thanks to Rebecca, I now have a button to help advertise my online Usborne Book Store!! Isn’t it great!

My new job!!

For a while I’ve  been throwing ideas back and forth on how to get myself some extra spending money. I thought out getting a part time evening or weekend job but then I want something more flexible because of all of Joey’s therapy & doctors appointments. So I started thinking about doing homeshows of somesort. Pampered Chef, Discovery Toys, and then I thought about Usborne Books.

Literacy is very important for any child, at any age. I wanted a job that my children could benefit from and what better way to do that than to become a consultant for Usborne Books!

 So, please take a moment and visit my online Usborne Book Store! And pass the word on! Thank you!

How about a contest!?!?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a good contest and boy is this one a good one!!

The fine ladies at 5 Minutes For Mom are having a Playskool Dream Town, Kid Motion and Made For Me Giveaway! Head on over there and check out all the awesome toys they’re giving away!!!

Crossing Tahoe

I saw this link of Cause of Our Joy and had to also share it. It’s a video clip made by Blueberry Shoe Productions about Karen Graffney crossing Lake Tahoe. Take the 7 minutes to watch it, it’s well worth it!

Prayers for Rhett

One of Joey’s buddies, Rhett needs some extra thoughts and prayers. He was admitted to the hospital last night and they’re running some tests on him to find out exactly what’s wrong with him. Please say a prayer for Rhett to make a speedy recovery!

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays, go here.

A very sad loss

The Down syndrome community has suffered a loss yesterday. Melissa Riggio lost her battle fighting leukemia at the tender age of 20 years old. I had the pleasure of meeting Melissa and her parents at the 2006 CDSC convention. Melissa was not only a wonderful advocate but also a beautiful song writer. She also wrote a story for National Geographic Kids last year, “I Have Down Syndrome. Know Me Before You Judge Me.”

Please say a prayer today for Melissa’s family to get through this tragic loss.

The Ring, Written by Melissa Riggio

I’m in the Ring outside
I’m following my belief
I’m looking at the sky
I saw God following my heart
I’m an ordinary woman

The Ring is falling down my way
The wind is blowing me away
The Ring is falling down,
down my way

The wind is blowing me away
And so I came back to
The center of the Ring
Am I just a broken angel?
God has sent me here to heal
To be an ordinary woman

CNN news story

CNN did a news story Sunday on Down syndrome, prenatal diagnosis’ and the choices parents make. One set of parents who continued with the pregnancy, one who terminated. I try not to judge the family who terminated but it’s so hard not to. They said it was “a hard decision but have no regrets.”

A baby just like Joey killed just because it had Down syndrome. It breaks my heart…

Trip to the park

It was such a nice day today, we took a trip to the park and we had a really nice time! Joey LOVES the slide and is still trying to get used to the swings, he’s still kind of scared of them but it slowly getting better. I was so grateful I took my camera on our little trip today! I even got a video of Joey to show how good he is at walking now!! Enjoy!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

doctors, birthdays & more…

And again I’ve been slacking in the updates department…

I took the kids to the pediatrician for their checkups a couple weeks back. Joey’s 2 year check up went very well. He weighed in at 22 1/2 lbs and is 31 inches tall. Nothing else really to note from his appointment. Leah weighed in at 14 lbs 4 oz and is 24 1/4 inches tall. She unfortunatly had to get a couple vaccines so she was cranky for the next 24 hours.

Last week Joey had his annual appointment with his genetist. Dr. Bob was more than happy with Joey’s progress and how well he has been doing. On the Down syndrome growth chart, Joey is right at the 50% percentile, on a typical child’s growth chart, he would be only 5%. What a difference!

He also had an appointment with his ENT and thankfully his ears are looking good and we don’t have to schedule an appointment to have him sedated and his ears cleaned out!

Also, in the slacking department, I missed raisingjoey.com’s one year anniversary which coinsides with my birthday, so happy belated birthday to Raising Joey and to myself!

I’ve been so busy with so many things… taking care of the kiddos, working on things for the CDSC, cleaning the house, laundry, it seems like I don’t have much time at all anymore! Yesterday, I did take the time to go get a birthday pedicure with my friend, Cecily and boy it felt so nice to take the time to relax! I even slipped in a 5 minute trip to the tanning bed!

Speaking of the CDSC, now that I’m on the board of directors, I’ve been keeping myself busy planning new events including on Friday, we had our first playgroup at the local mall which was a HUGE sucess. We had about 6 families that showed up and for a first event, that’s great! Also, this week we have a parents’ night out coming up. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, but it’s all so worth it! I also volunteered myself last week to help plan our members’ trips to the NDSC’s convention in Boston this summer. The things I get myself into, hahaha!

Well, that’s all I can think of for now, I will leave you today with some Leah cuteness. She fell asleep in her bumbo the other day and I couldn’t resist a few pictures!

Roadmap To Holland

I started reading Roadmap to Holland by Jennifer Graf Gronberg the other day when I finally recieved it in the mail via amazon.com. She is another mom who has a child with a little something extra like Joey. I met her online a while back via blogging, her blog is Pinwheels. I’ve known for a while that she had been working on her book and it finally came out and I’ve been reading it every extra minute I have! I’m halfway through the book and don’t want to put in down!

Her story is amazing and one that I can relate too. Even though I had a prenatal diagnosis, her feelings seem so similar to mine. It’s worth every cent of the $14.00!