These are the Days!

Hello again!

First, let me just say WOW! My little blog is well over the 21,000 hits mark and has 89 followers. I am ecstatic! Thanks to everyone who reads and shares my thoughts. Most recently, thanks to those who keep checking to see if I have written anything new and finds that no, I am still far, far behind on my posting. Life with 3 kids under 3 is a lot harder than I expected!!

Let's start there.

Casey and Connor are surprising us every day. They are getting faster, stronger and crazier! Casey went from walking to running and then to climbing on everything. His new favorite game includes standing on things to leap onto the furniture or standing on chairs and benches to give speeches. He is "talking" like crazy but not using any form of English with which I am familiar. It's hysterical.

Our little family at the 2012 North East Ohio Buddy Walk

Connor is up and going, too. He has outgrown his second pair of Sure Steps and we are using Casey's Cricket inserts in Connor's shoes now as their feet are all but identical in measurements. The Crickets really seem to make Connor walk a lot more steadily and that makes him faster. I so love seeing my boys THRIVING!!

Checking out their pool with their shoes and socks on.

Reagan is going to be 11 weeks old on Wednesday. She is such a beautiful baby. She is very strong and very interested in everything. It is such a difference having a "typical" baby compared to one with Down syndrome. She is just so STRONG. Connor was very floppy as an infant. He had very poor muscle tone and was unable to really hold his head up until 3 months old. Reagan has been picking hers up since week 5. She is also trying to roll over, babbling and smiling. She has laughed once and it was just outstanding! With the boys we waited so long for smiles and laughter. It seems so odd that everything just happens on its own with a typical baby. I am learning how to parent all over again. It's different and wonderful all at the same time.

The fact that Reagan is progressing so quickly leaves me with a whole new set of anxieties. I find myself wondering if she will be the one that says "momma" first. And I worry that I will be sad if she does. I have been waiting 32 months to hear that word. I suppose it doesn't honestly matter who says it first but I think that word represents the many things in which Reagan may surpass her brothers. I am trying to learn how to celebrate her accomplishments without comparing her to her brothers and without feeling sad that she has such an easy time with new milestones.

I'm being silly.

I know this.

No two children are on the same timetable and comparing any two children is not advisable. I know this. I do. So why do I find myself doing it? Because I am human and I can't help myself.

I am proud every day of my Miracle Men. They are doing so much and excelling. I look at them and I think that if everyone had the chance to meet them in person, to see them playing and to get to know them there is not one person who would fear Down syndrome. They are such typical toddlers. I never would have expected this when Dr. Feick first uttered the words Down syndrome to me in the recovery room. I never could have predicted how much my life would mirror my friends' lives and how much my boys would behave like any other 2 1/2 year olds. Someone should have warned me! These boys are crazy!

All in all life is great. I don't get enough sleep and I am still fighting the battle of the baby weight and struggling with breastfeeding and I am trying desperately to figure a way to get my guys to eat something other than crackers and dry waffles but I am happy. Sincerely and overwhelmingly happy.

That's all for tonight. But please check back soon because I have a lot more to share and I am hoping to get new posts up tomorrow and Tuesday. I have some exciting announcements to make!

Thanks again for your patience while I settle into being a mom to 3. I hate that there is so much time between posts.

Oh, one more thing before I go!! Can you please encourage your friends and family to follow my blog?? My goal was to hit 100 followers before the end of 2012 and I am only 11 away. It would mean so much to hit that milestone. I'll tell you what! I'll do a give-away at 100 followers. I don't know what yet but I'll keep you posted!!

Take care!

Meg