tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80970228420368287592024-03-13T11:52:44.030-04:00Apple Cheeks McGillicuttyemma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-7241064595148023382012-07-31T09:44:00.000-04:002012-07-31T09:44:50.824-04:00summer fun<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VrpDypp8Xsk/UBfcu9VZ7LI/AAAAAAAAA4E/2ez2QtWL0Mg/s1600/2011_45_Emma+Photos+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VrpDypp8Xsk/UBfcu9VZ7LI/AAAAAAAAA4E/2ez2QtWL0Mg/s400/2011_45_Emma+Photos+108.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-28276569944065287792012-07-27T09:31:00.000-04:002012-07-27T09:31:26.014-04:00friday fun stuffhappy friday! i want to share a few things that put a smile on my face this week:<br />
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1. in a recent trip to <a href="http://www.noyeslibraryfoundation.org/index.php">the children's library</a> in our community, i met an eight-year-old boy, his mother, and his two younger sisters. he was having a great time playing with the younger children at the library, including our little apple cheeks. when he saw emma using sign language to communicate with me, he asked what she was saying. when i told him, he said: "she's so smart! i wish i knew how to speak sign language. some of my friends do, but i don't know how. it's so cool. how did she learn?" then, he begged his mother to check-out some <a href="http://www.signingtime.com/">Signing Time</a> videos. pretty awesome, right?<br />
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2. through our local Down syndrome Network listserve, someone shared <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/10-month-old-girl-syndrome-face-new-swimwear-ad-campaign-designer-dolores-cortes-article-1.1120740">this story</a> about a 10-month-old girl with Down syndrome who is the new face of a designer swimwear ad campaign. very cool!<br />
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3. emma and i stumbled upon the most amazing park for children of all abilities. <a href="http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/clemyjontri/">Clemyjontri Park</a>, in Fairfax, Virginia, is designed so that children of all abilities - from those who are wheelchair bound to those with sensory or developmental disabilities - can play easily and safely. check it out! <br />
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love,<br />
apple cheeks' mamaemma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-5618070386167458072012-07-25T11:33:00.000-04:002012-07-25T11:34:39.163-04:00inspired<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ue_FcdJIOs/UBAPsmAFHCI/AAAAAAAAA3A/j5c2Ba_Oxhs/s1600/2012_4_Emma+Photos+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-56791416092134782082012-07-23T16:33:00.003-04:002012-07-23T16:33:38.593-04:00pigtails!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img height="96" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gK6_j6b5YDE/UAw9VXqQ4dI/AAAAAAAAA1w/5vi0CR99ZRc/s400/2012_3_Emma+Photos+012.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 92px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 95px; visibility: hidden;" width="72" />emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-33506437741919113952012-07-19T08:46:00.000-04:002012-07-19T08:46:08.571-04:00on what your Google searches say about your lifeafter my antiquated cellphone of four years or so died a sad but expected death, my husband insisted i join the rest of the modernized world and use an iPhone. <br />
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in short time, it's become something of an addiction. i Google everything. all the time. no matter how large or small the quandry. <br />
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i mention this not because it's so interesting to know that i Google so much. but, because, i kind of think our internet searches say a little about the state of our lives in any given moment. <br />
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take, for instance, my five searches last friday:<br />
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1. how much weight can a 24 pound child lift safely?*<br />
2. chiggers on children<br />
3. how to tell if your dog is in pain<br />
4. how to put out a grease fire<br />
5. meditation demos<br />
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enough said.<br />
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*in physical therapy, emma uses weighted balls to improve her low muscle tone.emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-9762712995866387732012-07-17T12:26:00.001-04:002012-07-17T12:26:47.703-04:00blueberries!<br />
last month, in the midst of turning two years old, comandeering the necessary core strength to begin walking on her own, and deciding she was ready to eat, drink, dress, and play on her own, our little miss apple cheeks mcgillicutty was able to squeeze in some serious fun. <br />
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emma's grammy came from florida to visit and we went on a variety of adventures like picking blueberries at Butler's Orchard. emma loved helping as much as she loved eating...and helping her mama make some jam with all of those blueberries. <br />
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i hope you enjoy the photos as much as i did taking them!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
apple cheeks' mama<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7K4RGJrMLns/UAWNBxAEU1I/AAAAAAAAAzg/MvP2CDeb38c/s1600/IMG_0273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7K4RGJrMLns/UAWNBxAEU1I/AAAAAAAAAzg/MvP2CDeb38c/s400/IMG_0273.jpg" width="300" /></a>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-10820899645278072662012-06-04T09:59:00.001-04:002012-06-04T09:59:47.060-04:00hi ocean, i am emma and here i come!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yMrhqh0azpo/T8y_MwzAfeI/AAAAAAAAAzU/3efE7YyG5YU/s1600/2011_48_Emma+Photos+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yMrhqh0azpo/T8y_MwzAfeI/AAAAAAAAAzU/3efE7YyG5YU/s640/2011_48_Emma+Photos+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-31898179446817151002012-05-15T11:22:00.000-04:002012-05-15T11:22:05.460-04:00joyis there anything better than when your 23-month-old scurries over to her bin of books, riffles through them to find her newest favorite, then climbs into your lap and holds your hand as you read?<br />
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happy tuesday, <br />
apple cheeks' mama<br />
<br />emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-32262437306415774042012-05-03T18:53:00.001-04:002012-05-03T18:53:42.204-04:00a happy birthday wish to dada from emmadada:<br />
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you are my favorite person. in. the. world.<br />
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you are loving, and gentle, and kind.<br />
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you share with me your love of music. <br />
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you have taught me to be a master climber.<br />
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you are the best reader-of-stories i know.<br />
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your smile makes me giggle with delight.<br />
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when you leave for work in the morning, i wave bye bye long after you are gone.<br />
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and when you come home in the evening, i smile a smile so bright, it sometimes brings tears to your eyes.<br />
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thank you for being the best daddy an apple cheeks could ever ask for. <br />
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happy birthday, daddy.<br />
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love, <br />
emma<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e0MvMB9JK_E/T6ML2jH1Y4I/AAAAAAAAAzI/aBAYB_AYqaU/s1600/2011_40_Emma+Photos+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" mea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e0MvMB9JK_E/T6ML2jH1Y4I/AAAAAAAAAzI/aBAYB_AYqaU/s640/2011_40_Emma+Photos+040.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-88876183657798894972012-04-30T13:04:00.003-04:002012-04-30T13:04:49.009-04:00our little ladyas i've mentioned on at least a few occassions, miss emma is quite the avid eater. she likes just about every flavor profile, with the exception (ironically) of sweet. <br />
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given emma's love of food, we've been able to integrate various skill-building opportunities into meal time. this means that we ensure her food has a variety of textures (so she masters those chewing and swallowing skills that are challenging for kiddos with low muscle tone), she is always self-feeding (with spoons, toddler-appropriate "forks," and her hands of course), she drinks out of cups to reinforce the lip closure so necessary for speech, and she learns table manners (when practical). <br />
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we've had varied success with self-feeding, largely because emma is still working on grasping the spoon and flexing her wrist in the way necessary to eat off of the spoon. we've purchased a variety of different spoons to practice on and recently became enamored with a curved one that her occupational therapist brought to a recent session. once i figure out the brand, i'll be sure to share!<br />
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in the meantime, here's a short(ish) video of our little apple cheeks eating her pasta with tomatoes and olives. her technique is slowly improving. and, as you'll see, she's a rockstar at wiping her mouth!<br />
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love, <br />
apple cheeks' mama<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wE4Rgj3U0wI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-52679958364081627502012-04-20T09:30:00.000-04:002012-04-20T09:30:12.452-04:00it's iPad apps timeemma has been using an iPad for most of the past year. we have it mainly for the speech/language, cause and effect, drawing, and storytime apps that are ubiquitous these days and so good for targeted work on speech/language and fine motor skill development in all kids, but particularly those with special needs.<br />
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this week, the Washington Post highlighted the use of iPads and various apps for children with special needs, ranging from learning disabilities to Autism. in case you didn't see them, here are the links to both the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/advice/ipads-especially-helpful-for-special-needs-students/2012/04/17/gIQAQn1iQT_story.html">article</a> on the growing (and successful) use of iPads with special needs children and the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/the-best-apps-for-special-needs-kids/2012/04/18/gIQA1FwiQT_story.html?hpid=z4">list</a> of the best iPad apps for children with special needs. <br />
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emma uses several of those listed in the articles, in addition to a few that just make speech/language development fun, like Talking Tom, Articulation Station, and Wheels on the Bus. There are other great apps, too, that she likes. we use Doodle Buddy to draw on the iPad, which is good for her fine motor skills. we also started using I Love Fireworks, which is just a fun cause and effect app.<br />
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are you using any great apps with your children? if so, please share!<br />
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happy friday!<br />
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love, apple cheeks' mama<br />
<br />emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-86192121318030526522012-04-19T16:05:00.003-04:002012-04-19T18:23:55.305-04:002012 on rewind, part 2in yesterday's post, <a href="http://www.applecheeksmcgillicutty.blogspot.com/2012/04/2012-on-rewind.html">2012 on rewind</a>, i wrote a quick update on all things emma.<br />
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i thought, though, that it might be better to see some of her progress for yourself, than to just read about it. so, here is a (very, very long!) video for your viewing enjoyment. it's a moment we captured on video a few weeks ago. watch a little or a lot.<br />
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enjoy!<br />
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love, apple cheeks' mama<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/r1qt622MHOM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-40652735846596045402012-04-18T14:52:00.003-04:002012-04-18T14:58:57.618-04:002012 on rewindit took me almost four months to write our first 2012 apple cheeks blog post. so, since many have asked for an update on emma's progress - is she walking? talking? eating on her own? - i thought i'd do a quick 2012 on rewind.<br />
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2012 has brought new gains and challenges. emma is not yet walking on her own, but cruises like a champ and loves pushing her walkers. she is also an avid climber. she climbs the sofa. the stairs. the ladders at the playground. the obstacle courses at Gymboree. and, in the past few weeks, she's been standing on her own for longer and longer periods of time (read: 30 seconds or so). emma works hard in physical therapy, we go to Gymboree to climb and tumble, and we're now at the pool each week to strengthen her muscles. we're hopeful that she'll be walking by her second birthday. fingers crossed!<br />
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emma is also quite the little singer. she likes to hum and ooo and awww and mmm and bbbb to music of all kinds, from Classical to Jazz. she plays her drums and tambourines and xylophones with vigor and loves watching her dada play the guitar for her. she even tries to strum along. she isn't yet talking much, though she tries to approximate words when prompted and has a good 15 or so words she uses with regularity. some days, she'll say a word (like lemon or duck or milk) repeatedly and then not say it again for weeks or months. but, she is working hard in speech therapy and she is a prodigious signer. she has a vocabulary of over 60 or so signs and uses them to request food items or to identify a bird outside the window. we're working on creating phrases (words and signs in combination). in the meantime, miss emma "asks" to sing her favorite songs (like Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) by signing the wheels going round and round, the doors opening and closing on the bus, the spider going up and the raining coming down, and the twinkle of the stars. it's been so much fun!<br />
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emma works with an occupational therapist to ensure she can feed herself with a spoon and fork (still working on finessing those skills) and using shape sorters and puzzles and just doing things that any kid wants and needs to do at this age. <br />
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and, we're working with a special educator to increase emma's cognitive capacity through various activities, like pretend play. she makes her fish "swim" in the bathtub, she plays with cars, trucks, and trains, and she adores her baby doll, now "feeding" her daily, rocking her, singing to her, and placing a blanket on her. it's really sweet.<br />
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emma's health has remained largely the same since last year. she's still sick with upper respiratory infections on an almost weekly basis, but such a resilient little girl. <br />
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our little apple cheeks cultivates in us tremendous strength and endurance. she is my daily hero...<br />
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love, apple cheeks' mama. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aszL3aX4Y9M/T4x3LiEzDJI/AAAAAAAAAwk/IqZDdGrDqmo/s1600/2011_41_Emma+Photos+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 253px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 321px;"></a></div><img height="72" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aszL3aX4Y9M/T4x3LiEzDJI/AAAAAAAAAwk/IqZDdGrDqmo/s320/2011_41_Emma+Photos+009.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 197px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 2049px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /> <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aszL3aX4Y9M/T4x3LiEzDJI/AAAAAAAAAwk/IqZDdGrDqmo/s1600/2011_41_Emma+Photos+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-57800246323319223592012-04-15T16:12:00.001-04:002012-04-15T16:13:47.270-04:00better late than never...after a (too) long hiatus, apple cheeks is back and due for some changes and updates....stay tuned! <br />
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in the meantime, enjoy these photos of our now 22-month-old ball of energy! <br />
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love, apple cheeks' mama<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HaQvbHEHlE/T4spzHCg7EI/AAAAAAAAAvo/JKNR1hsRK8A/s1600/new+photo+8+down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HaQvbHEHlE/T4spzHCg7EI/AAAAAAAAAvo/JKNR1hsRK8A/s400/new+photo+8+down.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KPePZPeK1t8/T4sp6yOde7I/AAAAAAAAAvw/8QvaXXXuE4w/s1600/new+photo+10+awesome+smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KPePZPeK1t8/T4sp6yOde7I/AAAAAAAAAvw/8QvaXXXuE4w/s400/new+photo+10+awesome+smile.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-31827667659529010992011-12-30T19:11:00.001-05:002011-12-30T19:13:24.974-05:00out with the old and in with the...2011 has been a crazy year on a lot of fronts for our little family. we've laughed, we've cried, we've rejoiced, we've mourned. and, like a lot of families confronted with coming to terms with the reality of Down syndrome in their lives, we've grown. a lot.<br />
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this time last year, i was afraid of the diagnosis. fearful that emma would need heart surgery in the very near-term. scared that she would not enjoy all that life has to offer. <br />
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she's 18 months old now. and she can walk with assistance. she communicates constantly. she speaks two languages, actually: American Sign Language and spoken English. emma eats heartily. she drinks out of a variety of sippy cups on her own now. she dances to music. she plays drums. she plays at the playground. she loves Gymboree. she is a daddy's girl. <br />
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she's not unlike any typical child i know. because, like typical children, she is also independent-minded and is proud of her accomplishments (she claps each time she learns a new word or masters a new skill like stacking blocks or putting things "under" something). she gets sick. she cries. she says no when she doesn't want to do something. <br />
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emma is multi-dimensional. she is not simple. <br />
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and, it's taken us a while to really grasp that. because, truth be told, when emma entered our world in 2010, we had a lot of pre-existing notions about what Down syndrome would mean for her and for us. <br />
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in 2011, we learned to throw most of those notions out the window.<br />
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now, we realize the main challenge is building a community for emma that will embrace her and love her as we do - without reservations or discomfort. we've found that to be so much easier than we ever believed in some ways, and in others, much harder. in some instances, the folks who we thought would be participants in our lives - our daughter's life - haven't. yet, folks we didn't even know would be in our world, have appeared. and, truthfully, i think we've pulled away some not knowing how to navigate our new world. <br />
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at the end of the day, as i reflect on 2011, i know we're tremendously blessed. emma is loved so much by so many, it often renders me speechless. and, we are so grateful for all of those well wishes, kind emails and comments, and old and new friends.<br />
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so, thank you. happy new year. may 2012 be a blessed year for you and yours.emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-27052742703424642072011-12-22T17:37:00.000-05:002011-12-22T17:37:05.160-05:00all aboard!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t59VXml3lhY/TvCk_ALJ_AI/AAAAAAAAAtI/JYdAtGcWmeU/s1600/2011_31_Emma+Photos+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t59VXml3lhY/TvCk_ALJ_AI/AAAAAAAAAtI/JYdAtGcWmeU/s400/2011_31_Emma+Photos+049.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-38338499809919388962011-12-21T10:24:00.000-05:002011-12-21T10:24:30.436-05:00"oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-97dNZMKSPEo/TvChXGZi97I/AAAAAAAAAsw/bM8YzRsP4kc/s1600/2011_31_Emma+Photos+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-97dNZMKSPEo/TvChXGZi97I/AAAAAAAAAsw/bM8YzRsP4kc/s400/2011_31_Emma+Photos+043.jpg" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OX4-Wi95I2U/TvChcxpxajI/AAAAAAAAAtA/737yxZj1gFU/s1600/2011_31_Emma+Photos+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" oda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OX4-Wi95I2U/TvChcxpxajI/AAAAAAAAAtA/737yxZj1gFU/s400/2011_31_Emma+Photos+044.jpg" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kdRl0QQDwmc/TvChZPzrAzI/AAAAAAAAAs4/me5dbHDrbgE/s1600/2011_31_Emma+Photos+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kdRl0QQDwmc/TvChZPzrAzI/AAAAAAAAAs4/me5dbHDrbgE/s400/2011_31_Emma+Photos+041.jpg" width="300px" /></a></div><br />
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</div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-34770382628112396242011-12-20T09:48:00.002-05:002011-12-20T09:51:11.537-05:00the "eyes" have it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_HCMagpambo/TvCfIIyE4yI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/zpPjLIIr4VY/s1600/2011_30_Emma+Photos+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" oda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_HCMagpambo/TvCfIIyE4yI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/zpPjLIIr4VY/s400/2011_30_Emma+Photos+010.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-81749950596184691382011-12-19T18:19:00.000-05:002011-12-19T18:19:50.636-05:00an emma-zing monthgiven our silence over the past month (profuse apologies; it's been a hectic time), i thought you might like to know what miss emma has been up to.<br />
<br />
here's the top ten in order of frequency:<br />
<br />
1 surgery from which she is still recuperating.<br />
2 seasonal children's train rides during which she waved at all the passers-by.<br />
3 rounds of antibiotics.<br />
4 plane rides in route to and from the home of her great-grandma and grandma and grandpa in Louisiana for Thanksgiving. such fun!<br />
5 day trips, including Middleburg's most awesome holiday parade which features lots of doggies and horses; a visit to the Baltimore Aquarium; a tour of the region's art museums; enjoying a campfire and socializing with other kiddos at an area vineyard (that is super child and doggie friendly!); and visiting area orchards for seasonal fare. <br />
6 doctors visits completed. <br />
7 new words spoken: under, duck, out, in, down, diaper, and hat.<br />
8 gymboree art and play classes attended.<br />
9 steps taken while holding my hand. <br />
10 (times 2 plus a few more!) new words signed: thank you, please, sorry, sleepy, wash, bath, apple, horse, hat, mama, dada, grandma, brush, go, stop, up, down, cereal, banana, carrot, me, you, cold, hot, baby, signing, teeth, drink, and time.emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-15523235295254435342011-11-17T14:39:00.000-05:002011-11-17T14:39:24.645-05:00blessingsthe best two birthday gifts i have ever received:<br />
<br />
1. for the first time, emma stood on her own on my birthday for 5 seconds, clapping and smiling the biggest, toothiest smile i've ever seen. such joy!<br />
<br />
2. my husband, whose day is typically full of work and school and related responsibilities from 5 AM until 9:00 PM every day of the week, took the <em>entire</em> day off to spend it with me and emma. we lunched leisurely, we ate cupcakes, we worked with emma on her physical therapy, we celebrated with some of my family, and we went to dinner. i couldn't have asked for a better day.<br />
<br />
i am so blessed.emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-29713232622395825762011-11-10T10:37:00.000-05:002011-11-10T10:37:30.636-05:00border crossingsi was away on work travel all week. <br />
<br />
in a part of the country where there is big sky and small, but fierce mountains.<br />
<br />
where contrasts are stark; the land hard and dusty and pock-marked with prickly cactus, the pregnant sky at once blue and vibrant, heavy and ominous, seeming to foretell of what lies just beyond the borderline in the distance.<br />
<br />
i thought about emma constantly while i was away. about how parenting her, too, is such a study in contrasts. countless hours dedicated to encouraging her independence, curiosity, capacity, vigor. countless hours inadvertently spent sheltering her from what (and who) lies outside, beyond the walls of the cozy cocoon we have created for her. <br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
i recently read a blog post by another mom embarking upon pregnancy - this one particularly hard-won, after years of trying without success. now pregnant, she wrote of her recent amniocentisis and the fear she felt waiting for the results. her fear of being told that there was a flattened nasal bridge, a thickened nuchal fold, an extra chromosome, and having her dreams crushed, her hopes splintered like some cruel joke.<br />
<br />
part of me understood all too well what lies at the heart of that fear. another part of me, though, now on the other side of the border that lies between inexperience with Down syndrome and having emma bless my world, was hurt by the language she used.<br />
<br />
i pondered how she could speak about a child - like my child - with such horror, such dread. beyond no longer understanding such a dehumanization of individuals with Down syndrome, i also no longer have a tolerance for it. <br />
<br />
emma is many things (gorgeous, precocious, inquisitive, capable) but she is not a mere compilation of physical traits. she is not only an extra chromosome. not a simpleton. not an always-happy court jester. not a one-note wonder.<br />
<br />
she is as complex and interesting and engaging as any child. <br />
<br />
as all children.<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
on the other side of the once-seemingly impassable divide between my own ignorance and today, i am coming to understand that emma is not really the one with special needs.<br />
<br />
she is special, for sure.<br />
<br />
she has needs, no doubt.<br />
<br />
but, emma can learn and do and be. i am realizing that the challenge is for me, for us, to learn how to teach her in a way she can understand. to accept her in a way that honors her humanity. to embrace her as we should and would any other child.<br />
<br />
if i, if we, fail to meet that challenge, we are the ones who are delayed. not her.emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097022842036828759.post-45403771306140637002011-11-08T21:19:00.001-05:002011-11-08T21:21:05.487-05:00something's fishy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4OZRIdcsmiA/TrniJ6pXxRI/AAAAAAAAArA/TD9GEOmDjwk/s1600/IMG_0802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4OZRIdcsmiA/TrniJ6pXxRI/AAAAAAAAArA/TD9GEOmDjwk/s400/IMG_0802.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PlVdgCoxe_Q/TrniQ7HnJPI/AAAAAAAAArI/FVOayXaSRVg/s1600/IMG_0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PlVdgCoxe_Q/TrniQ7HnJPI/AAAAAAAAArI/FVOayXaSRVg/s400/IMG_0786.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HtININgmD8/TrniWwMGV0I/AAAAAAAAArQ/c3IWG2NFVV0/s1600/IMG_0788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HtININgmD8/TrniWwMGV0I/AAAAAAAAArQ/c3IWG2NFVV0/s400/IMG_0788.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bUiEhFau_xY/Trnicss3yrI/AAAAAAAAArY/nD4ZeIqExfg/s1600/IMG_0792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bUiEhFau_xY/Trnicss3yrI/AAAAAAAAArY/nD4ZeIqExfg/s400/IMG_0792.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S9UZZ_EsJrI/TrniiN_iT1I/AAAAAAAAArg/Mpomsl4QIhA/s1600/IMG_0793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S9UZZ_EsJrI/TrniiN_iT1I/AAAAAAAAArg/Mpomsl4QIhA/s400/IMG_0793.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wCloSvNuqT0/TrnipdG4XgI/AAAAAAAAAro/iADEpnCIv_s/s1600/IMG_0800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wCloSvNuqT0/TrnipdG4XgI/AAAAAAAAAro/iADEpnCIv_s/s400/IMG_0800.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>emma's momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08358430955587801487noreply@blogger.com0