Meag's Blog

Macy+Fruits+Veggies=happiness

meag — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:33:35 GMT

Macy LOVES fruits and veggies! Maddie does too, but no one gets excited about "bewwies" like Mimi! We went blueberry picking a few weeks ago and she could not stop eating the blueberries. I have to limit the amount of fruit she eats and make sure to give her other foods first, otherwise all she would eat is the the strawberries and blueberries. She will just sit there saying and signing, "Mo bewwies, mo bewwies pease!" She even picks the fruit out of yogurt and leaves the creamy part behind. Mimi will usually eat 1 or 1 1/2 plain pancakes, but when the pancakes have blueberries in them she has been known to eat three of them in one sitting, which is even more than I can eat!

The other day Macy wanted to help me "cook" dinner, so I pulled our step stool up to the counter and let her climb up. She helped me by putting the red pepper pieces I had chopped earlier into a bowl. While she did that job I got busy doing other things. The next time I looked over at her I saw this:

Yes, that is my dainty little girl shoveling huge spoonfuls of red pepper pieces into her mouth. She started out with the spoon but then decided that her fingers worked better:

She was chewing with chipmunk cheeks and juice running down her chin, giggling because Momma caught her:

She is such a cutie. I hope Macy always keeps her love of fruits and veggies!

A gift from an angel to our angel

meag — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:10:49 GMT

Last Friday was Maddie's third birthday. We celebrated it on Saturday but on Friday night Matt and I took the girls to Jimmy Mac's for like the 4th weekend in a row--Matt is addicted to the prime rib and I cannot get enough of their super-fluffy yeast rolls, and the girls love it because that is the only place I ever let them eat French fries (I know, I am such a mean momma).

After we got sat at our table, Maddie and Macy were being the good girls that they usually are, fairly quiet yet completely adorable, of course, but for some reason they were attracting more attention than usual. At the table next to us sat a white-haired man, grandpa-age--probably in his sixties, and two women. About midway through our meal, they talked to Matt a little bit (they were closer to him and Maddie) and said hi to the girls. The man leaned closer to Matt, looked pointedly at Maddie, and told him, "She is priceless." You could tell he was very taken with her.

Our server dropped our check as usual when we were almost done eating and Matt gave her his card to pay. When the people at the other table got up to leave they said goodbye and told us how gorgeous our girls are. They were really sweet and of course Maddie and Macy said "bye-bye" in their cute little voices, which the people loved. A few minutes later our server came over to us, gave Matt his card back, and told us that the gentleman at the other table had paid for our meal and told her to give us the change. We were shocked, especially when we counted the change and she had given us $59 dollars back (our bill had only been $41). We checked with our server to be sure she had given us the correct change, and she assured us that she had. We could not believe the generosity of this kind stranger who just saw something very special in Maddie. Matt had not even told him it was her birthday. We tipped the server $20 and used the rest to buy Maddie these blocks for an extra birthday present from the angel at Jimmy Mac's. We will always remember how he recognized her special spirit and chose to bless our family that day. Without even knowing it he made Maddie's third birthday extra special and unforgettable.

I only wish we knew who he was so we could thank him and let him know how touched we were by his kindness.

The best R-word

meag — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:49:29 GMT

The R-word has really been on my mind the last week or so with all of the controversy surrounding Tropic Thunder. I can't believe that of all the people who worked on this movie, not one of them thought that there was anything wrong with how it portrays people with intellectual disabilities. Maybe even more sad is that they worked with many consultants from the African-American community to be sure that nothing was offensive to that group of people, yet they did not consult with anyone over the portrayal of the disabled. Yes, I know Matt and I can get kind of preachy about not using the R-word. I sometimes feel like a hypocrite when I ask people not to use it because when I was younger I totally used it all the time and never even thought twice about it. But, then we were blessed with Maddie and she opened up a whole new world for me. Now I understand why that word is hurtful and should not be used in a slang way. Now I feel terrible for my previous thoughtlessness. To equate Maddie's medical condition that she CANNOT help with stupidity and idiocy is so degrading and hurtful. When people say, "That is so r_____" or "I am such a r______" or "You're r_______," that is exactly what they are doing: using her diagnosis as an insult. It really hurts me to hear it being used that way, and I dread the day that Maddie encounters it and understands what it means.

In light of that, I wanted to share this totally awesome video online about using the right R-word for people with disabilities--Check it out! I especially love the little cheerleader girls!

We'll miss you, Karen!

meag — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:20:18 GMT

Yesterday was Madison's last official visit from her Early Intervention therapist, since she will be turning three next week and thus moving on to preschool. Karen has been working with Maddie since shortly after we moved here to Washington almost two years ago, and in that time she has become so special to our family. Her coaching, guidance, teaching, suggestions, support, and friendship have helped Maddie's skills to truly blossom. Karen was instrumental in helping her to achieve so many things:

Crawling (in Maddie's own special bear-crawl way)

Standing by herself and walking with supports:

Walking independently:

Eating more varieties of foods and using utensils:

Helping her fine motor skill improve through play-doh, drawing with crayons, stringing froot loops onto pipe cleaners, etc:

Strengthening her body to help her to be able to dance, bounce, and play more confidently:

Matt and I are so grateful for Karen's hard work with Maddie. She made such a difference in our family, and especially for Maddie's future. We will miss her and her Thursday morning visits so much!

Our Anniversary

meag — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:13:47 GMT

Yesterday Matt and I celebrated eight crazy, fun-filled years together. We got a sitter for the girls and went to dinner at Ray's Boathouse, right on the water in Seattle. It was a beautiful evening and as we ate we could watch the boats go by and the sun go down out the windows. Such a pretty view! I love love love the water, so it was really like heaven for me: gorgeous scenery, the man I love, and the best food! It was definitely a gourmet restaurant with gorgeously plated food, and they try to get all the ingredients as locally as possible, which Matt and I both think is extremely cool. I felt so spoiled.

Matt and I have become huge food lovers over the last few years, so it was so much fun for us to have such a fabulous dinner. Matt started with bisque and I tried a tropical crab salad, which I loved but Matt was not too fond of, especially after I (unknowingly) served him a bite complete with a whole segment of fresh lime in it. Sometimes I am such a ditz: I totally thought it was some kind of fancy orange I had never seen before and I thought I was so sweet to let him have this exciting new delicacy. Oops. He didn't hold it against me, which is partly why I love him so much! For dinner I had the yummiest grilled salmon ever and Matt got the most amazing king crab legs, which were so sweet and fresh. I have never tasted anything so melt-in-your mouth delicious. Although mine was absolutely delicious, somehow he still always picks the yummier dish whenever we go out to eat. Always. Good thing he is a good sharer! For dessert Matt had honey lavender cheesecake with northwest berries. Although it seems like a strange flavor, and I am totally not a cheesecake girl, it was seriously the best one I have ever had. The flavor of lavender is really hard to describe: it is soft and warm, not spicy warm but kind of home-y warm, not flowery like you would expect. Just different and so, so good. I loved it. I had a dense, fudgy chocolate cake topped with freshly churned coconut ice cream. It was completely decadent and delicious. When our server brought us the bill, she also brought a cute chocolate bar from Theo Chocolates, which is another local company, since we were celebrating our anniversary. It was a really nice touch.

After we ate we went outside and took some pictures on the dock and watched the sun set. It was so pretty.

While we drove home I thought about how eight years ago we were in the exact same place, just the two of us, starting out our life together. We have had so much fun, so many challenges, so many surprises, so many blessings, and so much love in the last eight years. I never could have imagined this life that we have now back at the age of 21. I am glad that all the plans I made didn't work out how I thought they would at that time. This is so much better. I feel so blessed in this ordinary, unexpected life I live with my sweetheart and our two little angel daughters and all the joy that they have brought to me. I am one lucky woman.

I love you, Matt.

Waitress

meag — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:14:02 GMT

Matt and I just finished watching the movie Waitress and I loved it! It is one of my new favorite movies. Keri Russell was brilliant in it. It has such a fun theme of crazy-named pies running through it, and it will make you laugh, cringe, smile, and cry. The best part is the end, when she becomes a mom. I don't want to say too much and give away the ending, so I better stop there, but seriously, RENT IT! Matt even liked it.

Oh, and there is the cutest little song in it that I loved! I'm going to learn it and sing it to my baby girls all the time because it is so sweet.

This would seem like nothing to most people...

meag — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:22:49 GMT

but to me it was a breakthrough. Last night while I was checking my email, Maddie left watching Signing Time to come see me. (That in itself is pretty amazing. LOL) I turned to her and asked her what she needed and she lifted up her hand and signed:

DRINK.

I almost started to cry. I know that for most kids who are almost three, asking for a drink is something they have been doing for at least 2 years. But drinking has always been really challenging for Maddie. We have worked and worked to help her to learn how to drink. We have tried so many cups and straws and water bottles to try to find the best and easiest one for her. We have worked to strengthen her oral muscles to help her to use a straw, which she is really great with now! Still, every day Matt and I have to offer her drinks and remind her to drink at mealtimes. She has never just come up to me to randomly ask for a drink before. This means that she has learned to do a few new things: Maddie is using her signs to really communicate her needs, rather than just identify objects or answer questions, and Maddie is recognizing that she is thirsty. I really don't think she could tell before, so I am so excited to know that she does feel thirst and now she can identify it, and that she knows what to do to fix it. That shows that she is learning problem-solving skills too, which is totally cool! I am so proud of Maddie. I know this probably seems like a pretty small thing to be excited about, but one thing that having Maddie has taught me is that it's important to celebrate the little things!

PSA: Get your car seats checked!

meag — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:58:21 GMT

Today the girls and I went to Ikea. When we pulled into the parking lot I noticed a sign that said, "Free car seat inspections today." I thought it would probably be good to get Maddie and Macy's seats checked since I never have before and I have heard lots of times that 95% of car seats are installed incorrectly, so we drove over to get it done. I am so glad we did!

Deb, the car seat inspector, had me take the girls out and remove the seats from the car, and then she showed me how to correctly install them. She said that the newest research states that children should be kept rear-facing until they are 30 months old (or until they hit the weight limit of the seat). If they are forward-facing earlier than that they have five times higher of a chance to have neck or spine injuries. After hearing that I decided that we should turn Macy's seat back around to face the rear of the car. We changed the heights of the straps on both girls' seats, changed Maddie's from seat-belted in to latched in, and installed the tethers on both girls' seats. I could never figure out how to do the tethers or where to hook them before so I was so glad to learn how to do it!

Macy when we first got her car seat, almost a year ago now:

Maddie in her new car seat, a year and a half ago, during the winter storm that took out the power (and thus our heat--brrr):

Maddie and Macy both have Britax seats because they have been consistently very highly rated for safety (plus they have super cute covers!), but car seats are only that safe if they are installed correctly. Now I am confident that they are in there as they should be and I have a new peace of mind when we are out and about!

Oh, and Macy didn't seem to care at all about being turned back around. I thought she would throw a fit, but I guess that as long as she can see her sister she's cool. I love having such chill babies!!

Macy's Treat for Maddie

meag — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:51:27 GMT

The other day Macy and Maddie were playing in the kitchen and I walked in to see what they were doing because it was a little too quiet. I found Macy pretending to cook some food. After some stirring she would scoop some "food" into her spoon:

Then she would carefully walk over to where Maddie was sitting (so she wouldn't spill any food off the spoon, of course). Maddie would dutifully open her mouth and Macy would give her a bite:

They would work together to make sure that the spoon got all the way inside Maddie's mouth:

Macy must have cooked something really yummy, because when Macy pulled the spoon out, Maddie would pretend to chew it and make her sounds she makes when something is really delicious. They played like that for a few minutes and it was just so cute. Not only are my girls really pretending and using their imaginations, but they are interacting while they play instead of just playing side-by-side. Just another thing that shows that they are growing up!

Oh, and I had to sneak to take those pictures because if I ask them to smile this is what I get:

Miss "Isn'tMyNeckGorgeous" and Miss "ItPainsMeToSmileForYou." Silly girls!!!

Changing the world, one dance move at a time

meag — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:31:57 GMT

So I have never actually watched So You Think You Can Dance but when I heard about this contestant I had to check it out. Watch this:

Cool moves, huh! Brett is so cute and confident and well-spoken, exactly the kind of role model I want for my girls. I get so excited seeing adults with Down syndrome out in the world, showing everyone that they are just like everyone else, with talents, ambition, and dreams. I love that Brett is erasing stereotypes and challenging people's preconceptions just by doing what he loves and having fun doing it. His video, and the reactions of those around him, affirms my hope that Madison's future will be very, very bright. I wonder if he knows that he is helping to make the world a better place for people with Down syndrome. For my little girl. I hope so.

I am so proud of him

meag — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:59:56 GMT

Normally I don't post too much about what Matt is up to since he has his own blog, but this is something that I have to share (because he is definitely too modest to share himself, and because I am so excited about it!). On Friday, completely out of the blue, Matt was awarded a Microsoft Gold Star! This is a really big deal because out of the whole Microsoft Ad Center group Matt works in, of about 500 people, only a few are chosen each year for this honor and it is awarded by the Vice President of the Group, so it means that people really up high in the company are noticing all of his hard work and contributions to the team, which is totally awesome for his career. Matt got a nice little bonus along with it, and when his yearly review comes up in August he should get a really nice raise and bonus then too. I am so so so proud of him!! He really gives his job his all and I am so glad that he is being recognized for it.

When Matt decided not to finish college I had to take a real leap of faith that we would be okay financially in the years ahead, which was really hard for me since I grew up believing that a college education was the ticket for a successful future. However, Matt has really blown that theory out of the water! His passion for learning and determination to succeed has blessed our family so much more than I could have ever imagined just 3 years ago. I love that his job has so many great benefits and especially that it makes it possible for me to stay home with our baby girls and still live comfortably. Lately I have been feeling that the Lord has really been blessing our family and am so grateful for all that we have been entrusted with, and much of it has come because of what a wonderful husband Matt is. He is amazing.

I love you, Matt!

The best part of today

meag — Wed, 28 May 2008 01:59:24 GMT

My favorite part of today:

Laying on our red and white gingham bean bag with Macy sitting on my stomach and Maddie sittingthisclose to us, singing "Popcorn Popping" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and watching my girls do all the hand motions and thinking how smart they are and wondering how they got to be so grown up so fast. Then Maddie leaning over and giving Little Sister a big hug and then laying down to snuggle her Momma before we go upstairs for bathtime.

I am so blessed.

Ring around the Rosy & Herbs

meag — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:32:39 GMT

Maddie is totally into spinning lately and many times a day asks for me to spin her around. I can't do it very many times in a row or I get very nauseous (one of the side effects of getting old, I guess, because I used to ride spinning rides for hours on end when I was younger without even a hint of queasiness), so instead we have been playing Ring around the Rosy. The girls love it and I don't get sick, so we all win. Matt took some pictures of us playing one lazy Sunday afternoon. I can't seem to get the girls to hold each other's hand for more than two seconds at a time, so it is more of a line than a circle, and I have to remind the girls to fall down a few times before their bums actually hit the floor, but it's still fun (although you wouldn't know it, looking at Macy's face in the first photo).

In other news, last month I planted some herbs. Here they are right after I planted the seeds:

I planted basil, lemon-lime basil, cilantro, chives, and rosemary. I didn't know until Matt told me later that you aren't supposed to use the whole packet of seeds if you are only using a 5-inch diameter pot. Oops. I may have to transplant them outside later on to give them more room My basil was the first to sprout.

That was two weeks ago and now my herbs are already getting huge! Well, except the rosemary. For a while there I was afraid that I had forgotten to put the seeds in because nothing was happening, but now I have one tiny sprout coming up so I know they are in there. So far I have managed not to kill my plants, though the cilantro has come close a few times from lack of water. That is one thirsty herb. I am dreaming of pesto so I can't wait for my basil to get bigger! It is going to be so yummy.

Our girly-girl

meag — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:59:12 GMT

Macy is the ultimate girly-girl. Every morning when I get her out of bed the first thing she says and signs is "baby." Everywhere we go she has to have a baby (any doll or stuffed animal will do) and she has never lost one yet.

Meme loves to wear "hats" (really headbands or anything else on her head). On this day it was the diaper cover that belongs under her skirt:

Whenever Maddie or I am wearing necklaces Macy comes and steals them off our necks so she can wear all of them and she keeps them on as long as I will let her.

Macy has also decided that it is really fun to help me with the dishes so whenever I open the dishwasher she drops whatever she is doing and comes running to help me out all excited. She loves to take the dishes out and give them to me to put away. I have to be really fast to pull the knives out before she can get to them!

Another new hobby of her is scrubbing. This girl loves to scrub anything she can: the couch, the coffee table, the floor, her toys, her face, Maddie's face...you get the idea. We have to hide the baby wipes from her or she will pull them all out and proceed to scrub the house with them, which on second thought maybe isn't really as bad as it first seemed.

Yes, she is scrubbing my couch and yes, she is wearing her sister's bloomers on her head and yes, she asked me to put them there.

Meme has a very tender heart, especially for her big sister. We went to the ENT to get Maddie's ear tubes checked up on last week. Maddie is not a huge fan of doctors checking her ears and when she cried, little sister cried right along with her. She hates for Maddie to be sad. They have such a sweet bond.

Macy has the cutest infectious giggle and loves to laugh and be tickled. She is such a joy to have and I feel like the luckiest mom ever to have been blessed with my sweet little Meme!

Tagged by DeLaine

meag — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:45:27 GMT

My friend DeLaine tagged me almost a month ago now (sorry, D!) so here it is.

10 YEARS AGO:
I was finishing up my freshman year of college at BYU, still completely undecided about my major, and getting ready to go home to New Hampshire for the summer.

5 THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST
Go to the library and check out a book on gardening/landscaping

Buy a rake with which to rake last fall's (and the fall before's) leaves that are still in my backyard

Fix the dead patches on our lawn

Relandscape our front yard (Do you sense a theme here? LOL)

Work on the scrapbook class I am taking

5 SNACKS THAT I ENJOY
Vanilla ice cream with strawberries and nutella

Fresh cherries

Homemade butter crescent rolls

Chocolate chip cookies

Parmesan goldfish (my girls are rubbing off on me)

5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED
Winthrop, Maine

Northwood, New Hampshire

Provo, Utah

Orem, Utah

Auburn, Washington

WHAT I WOULD DO IF I SUDDENLY BECAME A BILLIONAIRE:
Buy Matt his dream car (a blue mustang with white stripes and his football # 72 painted on the doors)

Build my dream house on the water with a huge kitchen and sewing/scrapbooking/craft room for me, a gym for Matt, and a huge round playroom with windows all around for the girls, with a huge wraparound porch and perfectly landscaped yard and filled with pottery barn furniture and decorations

Pay off my parents' and Matt's parents' homes

Donate lots of money to Down syndrome research, kids who need therapy but can't get it because their insurance doesn't cover it, and educating pregnant moms who get a positive Down syndrome diagnosis that it is really a blessing

Secretly buy dinner for couples or families at other tables every time we go out to eat

5 JOBS I'VE HAD
Steinbach Department Store (lingerie department, whoo whoo)

JC Penney

GapKids/The Gap

Telephone survey taker (for 2 whole weeks and then I just never went back, it was so not fun)

Server & Trainer at Ruby River Steakhouse

5 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME
I love to sing and often make up my own words to songs that apply to whatever we are doing

Once a year for the last four years I have hit an inanimate object while driving my car

I always burn grilled cheese sandwiches

I have never mowed the lawn in my life and plan to keep it that way

When I was younger I wanted to be a fashion designer for the Gap when I grew up

Ok, so now that you know all about me I will tag my darling husband Matt and my friends Kim and Stefanie. I hope you don't take as long to do it as I did!

They survived!

meag — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:01:41 GMT

So last Friday we were invited by our good friends Michele and Bill to go out to dinner with them to Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse. Michele is amazing because she gave me just the push I needed to get a babysitter for the girls for the first time ever!! (Grandmas and aunties don't count as REAL babysitters. :) ) The food was fabulous, the company was even better, and the girls didn't even cry once while we were gone. I have to say that even though I adore my girls and they are super well-behaved whenever we all go out together, it was so nice and relaxing to go out to eat without them. We had so much fun with Bill and Michele and can't wait for our next date night without babies!

"I have a voice" video

meag — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:45:10 GMT

I have a voice video

I just discovered this video and had to share. It really touched me, and I think the whole world should see it! To look into the eyes of those beautiful children is to see a part of heaven. I am so lucky that I get to see heaven a million times a day in my own daughter's eyes. Maddie is such a bright spot in our family and we are so very blessed to have her just exactly the way she is.

Heavenly Father really did send me an angel!

There she goes!!! Part Two

meag — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:57:31 GMT

On Friday Macy took her first steps alone! She has been toddling along by pushing the little lawn mower toy around the house for a few days, but on Friday she got brave and took some steps all by herself. I think we may have a little foodie on our hands because I got her to walk by tempting her with chips. Macy and Maddie had asked for a snack of "piiiiip"s and so we were in the kitchen eating Tostitos. I was sitting on the floor with the bag of chips and Maddie and Macy were standing beside me crunching away. I decided to try backing up to see if Macy would follow me to get more Tostitos and she took 3 steps before losing her balance, so when she stood back up I held out another chip and backed up again and she followed again! We played that game a few more times before I got up to call Matt to share the news. I am so proud of my baby girl. She is growing up so fast!

Valentine's Day

meag — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:43:42 GMT

We had such a fun Valentine's Day this year! Matt took the day off from work, which always makes the day a little more fun. We have a tradition that every Valentine's Day we go to a candy store and get a box of chocolates to share. We each get to pick half of the chocolates. Then we take them home and enjoy them together over the next few days (or however long they last!). We started this tradition about five years ago and it is one of my favorites that we have. We usually just go to See's but this year we wanted to try something different. So, in the morning we went to a little candy store in Enumclaw called Sweet Necessities (the name of this store made me have the "Bear Necessities" song from The Jungle Book in my head all day. LOL). We read about the store in the Seattle Times, where it was ranked as the #1 best place to get chocolates in southeast King County, so we decided to try it out. It is a little locally owned shop on one of the main streets in town and is so quaint and charming. Matt and I love to check out locally owned shops and support people who are following their dreams. There is something about that that makes me feel all warm inside. All of the chocolates Sweet Necessities sells are from local companies, and the owner even makes some of the candy they sell himself. He gave us a sample of the handmade salted caramel that he had made that morning and it was soooo good. We gave Maddie and Macy a taste and after they finished it they kept signing "more, more!" Our girls sure love sweets! We picked out a box of smoked salt caramels and six various chocolates: a lemon coconut buttercream (a white chocolate lemon truffle with a thin white chocolate coating, rolled in toasted coconut), a raspberry butterfly (dark chocolate butterfly filled with raspberry puree and raspberry cream), a pecan turtle (one of Matt's favorites because the remind him of his grandma, so we get one every year), a chipotle truffle (dark chocolate with spicy chipotle pepper in it--Matt loved it, but it was too spicy for me), a PB&J (very thin dark chocolate filled with a layer of dense creamy peanut butter and a layer of grape jelly--this was Matt's favorite), and a lavendar sea salt caramel (a caramel covered in chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt, with the flavor of lavendar that was surprisingly very pleasant--this one was my favorite). These chocolates were so delicious and we loved that they were more gourmet flavors than you can get at See's. We will definitely be going back to Sweet Necessities!

After a trip to Costco (yes, we practically live there and no holiday celebration would be complete for the Griffith family without getting Costco involved :) ) we went to The Keg for dinner. And by we, I mean all four of us. Yes, Matt and I still have not left our girls with a babysitter yet, although we have lately been feeling like it is time for the girls to make friends with some teenagers so we can have some time alone before that is not between the hours of 9pm and 8am. We are actually very lucky that our girls are quite well-behaved in restaurants, which is probably because of their vast restaurant experience since they go with us every time we go out to eat, and because of fishy crackers. As long as we bring the magic fishy crackers, everything is A-OK. Matt and I have been anticipating eating at the Keg for a long time. We love their Caesar salad, and Matt especially loves it that they will put whole anchovy fillets on it if you like (which I do not). My favorite part of the salad is the big shavings of parmesan cheese on top. So yummy. The girls shared chicken strips (which Macy wouldn't eat, but Maddie loved), Matt got prime rib, which was delicious as always, and I got a filet mignon topped with blue cheese and roasted garlic. So so sooo yummy. It was a fabulous meal with great service, perfect for Valentine's Day.

After such a fun day we were able to get the girls in bed a little early and have some time alone to.....

watch Lost in peace, of course! (what did you think I was going to say?!?!) ;)

It was such a fun day and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful Valentine. Matt, I love you more each day and the past seven years have been so amazing. You are so good to me and I am so grateful to have been blessed with you in my life. You're the best! I love you!!!

Macy, stop!

meag — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:56:56 GMT

A few months ago, Macy began to bang her head on the back of the high chair when she wanted something while we were eating. It was very frustrating for all of us and we quickly realized that we needed to find a different tactic of dealing with it, since repeatedly telling her no and getting mad at her did not change her behavior. Matt and I decided we needed to find a way to distract her and since signing is huge at our house, we decided that we would use sign language to do it. We started signing and saying, "Macy, stop." We would say and sign her name all slow and drawn out, and then abruptly sign "stop!" It actually worked great and made both Maddie and Macy giggle really good. Well, since we have two little budding signers at our house, the girls have both picked it up. Now, Macy is no longer just Macy. When we ask her what her name is, she signs and says, "Meme, pop!" When Macy bangs her head now, we look at her and she knows what to do: "Meme, pop!" If she starts banging the doors on the entertainment center, she looks at me and says and signs: "Meme, pop!" It is so hilarious. She smiles and giggles the whole time she is doing it. Maddie does it too, and has even put her own name in there: "Mmnn, op!" So cute.

By the way, Macy has also learned some real manners so when she bangs her head it is: "Meme, pop!" followed by her signing "more please." She has gotten really good at remembering that using her polite signs gets her food much faster than head banging does!

my poor baby

meag — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:11:32 GMT

Today Maddie got to take her second trip ever to the ER. Maddie, Macy, and I were just about to leave to go to Target to get a few necessities (bubbles being the most important, as anyone with toddlers knows) when she fell on our tile and bit her tongue really hard. I wasn't watching so I'm not sure exactly how she fell. She just got new orthotics and bigger shoes to go over them last week and I think she is still getting used to them, so that may have been the cause. I just heard a thump and then she started crying really hard, and when I picked her up she had blood dripping out of her mouth. After cleaning her up and calming her down a bit I looked in her mouth and found a cut across the middle of her tongue that looked about half an inch deep. (Don't worry, I will spare you the photos.) A call to the doctor told us we should take her in to the ER to get it checked out. These are the situations that I live in great fear of occurring while I am home alone with the girls because I never really know what to do. I am not particularly calm and rational in emergency situations. Somehow, though, I am very blessed because they almost always seem to happen when Matt is either home or arriving home soon. Today he had a dentist appointment and was just finishing up when Maddie fell, so when he got home he gave her loves and then we all packed up to go to the ER. After waiting about 3 hours to be seen, the doctor told Matt (I had to leave earlier to get to my dentist appointment) that there was basically nothing he could do, and just to feed her pudding and jello for a few days. Lovely. Luckily our health insurance covers our ER visits 100% (unlike Maddie's first trip to the ER, complete with ambulance ride, which is a story for another day) so we won't have to actually pay for the pleasure of an incredibly long wait at a completely uneventful ER that was full of bratty kids (not mine, of course ;) ) and a tv blaring Jerry Springer.

After such a rough day, Maddie got the princess treatment this evening. She kept touching her tongue and then crying more so we had to really distract her with fun stuff. She got to watch Signing Time with Daddy, do lots of coloring and play-doh, have an extra long bathtime with Macy, and snuggle with Momma to go to sleep. Hopefully after all that she will wake up to a much happier tomorrow!

sleepy girl

meag — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:24:17 GMT

Today I put the girls in their high chairs while I worked on making lunch. Maddie and Macy were both playing quietly, but then I realized that Macy was too quiet so I looked over to see this:

I guess she was more ready for a nap than for lunch. :)

catching up with an old friend

meag — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:56:05 GMT

Today I called up an old friend I hadn't talked to since we went to Utah in July. It was so much fun to reconnect and catch up with Stef! She and our friend Jenny and I all had baby girls within 6 months of each other and it was so much fun being pregnant together. I really need to remember how much fun it is to chat with my girlfriends. Too often I get so busy with Maddie and Macy and Matt and Maddie's therapy and housework and hobbies and LIFE, and I forget that the most important things in life are relationships. So here's to a new goal: talk to at least one friend a day. And even though I do consider Matt, Maddie, and Macy as some of my very best friends, for this goal, they don't count. :)

Jen, you're next!

Stef & Zoe, me & Maddie, and Jen and Ellie last July

There she goes!!!

meag — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:22:12 GMT

After months and months of work, exercise, therapy, practice, and encouragement, Madison has finally gotten her cute little body strong enough to take her first independent steps! YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!! For a few weeks she had been taking just one step (almost always with her right leg) but she couldn't seem to figure out how to shift her weight so she could move the other one, so she would do one step and then...plop. Then last Friday night she took that first step with her right leg, hesitated, then moved the left, then right then left then right then...plop. Matt and I were so excited! We have been practicing walking like crazy ever since. She is having so much fun getting around in a whole new way and is loving this new independence. She won't even hold my hand so I can help her walk. When I try to take her hand she pulls it away and toddles off all by herself. (Hopefully this is just a stage because I really, REALLY don't want to have to get her one of those toddler leashes. LOL) And, in true Maddie fashion, whenever she plops down she gets right back up and tries again. Maddie has a determination that I really admire. She never seems frustrated and no matter how many times she falls, she always bounces right back up with a smile. She is an inspiration to me. I am so proud of her!!!

What $32 bought me at Target

meag — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:27:10 GMT

I talked a little bit before about my couponing and just got my best deal ever so although it probably makes me a little dorky and probably way too excited about buying diapers to be healthy, I am posting a photo for all to see of what $32 bought me at Target. Here it is:

(drumroll, please!)

2 boxes of pampers

2 super mega packs of huggies

5 jumbo packs of pampers

1 tub of baby wipes

1 tub and 5 refills of kandoo wipes

4 bottles of tide

14 jars of baby food

3 bottles of sparkling water

My total before coupons was $180, so I saved over 80%. I was giddy walking out of the store. Can I just say, I LOVE TARGET!!!!!

Progress

meag — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:05:10 GMT

Madison has been making amazing progress lately. We are so proud of her! She goes through phases where it seems like she isn't learning anything new for ever, and just when I am feeling like a complete failure of a mother, she comes up with tons of new tricks. We have recently entered the good phase and man has she been wowing us!!

First, she decided to drink through a straw:

She has found out that she loves milkshakes since discovering this new talent!

Then she decided to walk like a bear:

She is pretty hard to capture because she is going so fast all around the house (and giggling the whole way, I might add).

Then today, she held her own cup and drank plain water all by herself, and she barely even choked! We have been trying to get her to drink anything besides milk from a bottle or watery applesauce for about a year now. We had to thicken the water because otherwise she would choke on it because it would move too fast for her. For her to actually drink 2 ounces of plain water, and to hold the cup herself besides, is an incredible achievement in our world. This means that she is gaining oral strength and awareness, which will really help her with her speech, should she ever decide to say anything besides "dad," "la," "hhh," and "aaa!" I love all her signs but would love to hear some words as well (although I may wish otherwise later, so they tell me). LOL

Yeah for Maddie!! Let's hope walking and talking are not too far behind!

Rolling Over!!

meag — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:40:10 GMT

This morning Macy had a surprise for us--she decided to roll over! She was playing under her baby gym and rolled almost completely over onto her tummy, until she got stuck on her arm. Then she did it two more times!! I cheered for her, Mads and I kissed her, and she beamed a huge, toothy smile. That's right, she sprouted her first two teeth this past week and barely even fussed about it, although the new teeth were definitely accompanied by a boatload of drool. (I really should put bibs on that girl, since it looks like she is already wearing one from the drool mark on her shirt.)

Hooray for Macy!!!

Here are a few pictures I took of Macy two weeks ago. She is wearing a tutu and fairy wings.

This one is going up on our wall. I ordered it in 16x20 from shutterfly:

And here is one I took of Maddie that same day. Hers is more of a snapshot rather than a posed picture:

Don't we have the cutest girls ever?!?! :)

Saving $$$!

meag — Sun, 20 May 2007 18:21:10 GMT

So, we want (actually NEED) to buy a new car so I have decided that one of the best ways to save money is to use coupons on groceries and other household items. I know it sounds totally hokey and housewife-ish, but when you see how much money you can actually save you wonder why you never used them before. I actually started using coupons while we lived in Utah after attending my friend DeLaine's enrichment night where we learned all about maximizing our savings using coupons, but when we moved here it took me a while to get back into it. I started out using this website to help me find deals, and it is a really good one, but just recently I found this great website to help me find all the bargains and WOW, these people know how to use coupons in a serious way! They don't miss anything.

Just last week I got an awesome deal on diapers at Target. For $14 I got 4 packs of Pampers and 4 packs of Pampers wipes, which was $40 before coupons. Recently I have gotten toothpaste, toothbrushes, yogurts, sour cream, lunch meat, bagged salad, and salad dressing all for free using coupons. It is so much fun to shop and see how much money you could have spent versus how much you actually do spend, all on stuff that you have to buy anyway.

thoughts

meag — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 08:50:10 GMT

I wish I could express myself better. I feel that the words I type don't quite match the feelings and thoughts swirling around in my head. Anyway, I just wanted to share a few things that have been on my mind lately.

There is something magical about having two children who are so similar, yet so different. Having a child with Down syndrome has been a beautiful experience, one that most parents are not fortunate enough to have. Maddie has brought with her simple yet powerful joys that parents of normally developing children do not even know exist. I know this because I have been blessed with a normally developing child as well. Since Macy's birth I have been amazed at how quickly she has learned and grown. The simplest things that everyone expects babies to do just naturally, like smiling, are things that we worked for months to try to get Maddie to do. When Macy smiles it is thrilling because they come so easily and she does so many; when Maddie smiles it is still thrilling because we worked, wished, and waited so long to see one. The joy each child's smile brings to my heart is equal, yet so different it is difficult to explain. It is like having another first child, because the experience is so different. We are discovering a whole new world with each of our children. Neither world is really better or worse than the other, for they each bring their own joys and heartaches. They are just different.

Macy has begun cooing and gurgling a ton. Matt and I are amazed at the noises she makes that we never heard from Maddie. Macy can just go on and on--it is adorable! Maddie uses her voice more judiciously; her giggles and babbles are especially magical because they are few. Maddie is full of smiles, but to elicit that giggle takes work! I have always known that Maddie and Macy have a very special relationship, from the moment that Maddie was born and I knew she had a little sister that needed to come to earth too. Now I keep thinking that Macy's voice will be Maddie's voice too. I thInk they will have a connection that goes deeper than words and that Macy will understand her big sister better than anyone else, so she will become Maddie's mouthpiece to help her communicate where her own communication falls short. It is a thought that has come to me often in the last week and one that I feel very deeply. Those girls have an amazing future ahead of them. I am so blessed to be here to see what is in store for them.

Life at our house

meag — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 01:24:12 GMT

Maddie is loving baby sister! She kisses her and pats her head and is so sweet with Macy. So far she hasn't gotten too jealous of Macy so hopefully that doesn't change when Matt returns to work on Monday. We are all going to miss Daddy terribly.

We bought a Baby Bjorn last week and it is AMAZING!!! Everyone with kids needs to get one. It is easy on the back and it adjusts to fit both Matt or me. Macy likes it--she has fallen asleep in it a few times--and Maddie LOVES it!

She smiles when she sees it and giggles and swings her feet whenever she is in it. I haven't tried carrying Maddie in it yet but she sure loves riding with Daddy!

Maddie is currently obsessed with her Baby Signing Time videos. She got them for Christmas and has learned almost all 50 signs on the movies. The first thing she asks for each morning is "Time please." These videos have been a huge blessing for us since she is able to communicate with us even though she still isn't talking. This is her favorite way to watch:

Silly girl, huh.

Macy is much happier now that she isn't starving all the time (nursing didn't work out so great for us). Thank heaven for Enfamil! She still sleeps a lot but has smiled for us a few times and is cooing at us more and more. She totally looks like Matt, don't you think?

AMAZING!!!

meag — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 04:37:54 GMT

Is this not awesome?!?! I am so proud of all of Matt's hard work on this website. He has been working like crazy to get it all set up and easy to use, and I love it!! He is so smart and so dedicated. I really hope that it can be a useful tool for our friends and family to keep up to date on what we are up to.

On that note, we are still awaiting the arrival of baby Macy! Since we just made it to 37 weeks, now whenever she is born she will be considered a full-term baby and not a preemie. I have been having contractions everyday, but not enough to put me into full-on labor. Hopefully she will make her appearance soon!

Maddie has been learning some new signs lately and we couldn't be more excited! Now she can say daddy, momma, more, please, and (of course) touchdown. She also can show us where her nose, ears, mouth, and toes are when we ask her, and she is getting to be a really fast mover! Today she learned to raise her hands like she is asking "What?" It is so cute. Every day she learns a new trick. It is so fun to watch her learn and grow. That is my most favorite part of being a mom.

It's a GIRL!!!

meag — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 21:19:54 GMT

It looks like my Momma's intuition was right: Maddie is going to have a little sister! Poor Daddy is going to be really outnumbered, although he is super excited to have another pretty little sweetheart to snuggle. Baby looks really healthy and is even measuring two days bigger than she should, which makes Daddy proud and me worried. ;) She has a cute little button nose and was all scrunched up, holding onto her toes near her head. We are so excited to meet her! Matt will be posting the ultrasound pictures so you can all see our little beauty!!

Just Maddie and me

meag — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:59:54 GMT

Man it stinks having Matt gone! Maddie and I miss him so much. We have had a hard time adjusting to him not being here. Maddie definitely misses Daddy snuggling her to sleep. Actually, I miss him snuggling me off to sleep too! We love talking to him every night on the phone. When I hold the phone up to her ear, Maddie always starts looking around to see where Daddy is. It is so cute. We can't wait to see him in a few weeks. We love you, Daddy!!

I am excited to announce that I think Maddie is recognizing the sign for milk! For the last few days, when it is time for a bottle, I ask her if she wants some milk and show her the sign and she gets a huge smile on her face and starts making her "I want that" noises. It is so fun! She is getting smarter and smarter every day and I am always amazed at what she is learning. Mads also likes to turn the pages when we read stories, which is one of her most favorite things to do. She will sit and listen to stories forever. I get bored with them before she does! She is a very focused little girl who loves to observe and study things. She has the sweetest, most easygoing temperament. I feel so spoiled to have her. I was definitely blessed when Heavenly Father sent her to me!