Love this Song

We use signing with Olivia and we have found it to be a wonderful communication tool given that children with Ds have delays in their speech. Olivia is beginning to attempt to say more and more words now, but she has been communicating beautifully with us via sign language for 16 months. We rarely have a temper tantrum from Olivia that is communication related (of course she is Two years old and we get the I WANT MY WAY tantrums).

Signing has given us a closer relationship with Olivia than we could ever have imagined. We get to see a side of her that we would not see otherwise. The other day she heard me comment that I thought her godmother had some pain in her knees. I said, that I think her knees HURT. Olivia immediately started signing HURT and SORRY. As in, I am sorry that her knees hurt. I know that Olivia may not have understood what we were talking about for real, but she is trying to be a part of our conversations and is truly paying attention to what we are saying.

Maybe raising Olivia has not been "easy", but it certainly has been VERY VERY VERY GOOD!

Enjoy the video! I love this song! It says just how we feel about being able to communicate so well with Olivia even though we have to use a lot of signing at this point.

Finally a post about Olivia

For any of my Blogger mom friends who have followed my blog, I apologize for my absence.  Things have been a bit crazy around here these past months.  I have been on Facebook, so if you want to friend me on FB let me know! I miss my blogger mom friends. I think of you and your kids often but have not been up and living in blogger world recently.

Some of you may remember that Olivia's ultrasound showed a heart defect that was not found at birth.  Olivia has been cleared of all heart defects and no longer sees a cardiologist.  Now I wonder (LOL) if the ultrasound was not picking up my husband's heart defect! My husband has passed out more frequently than the average person since childhood.  Recently I had to call 911 twice when he passed out.  He spent 7 days in the hospital and after a tilt table test, they diagnosed a heart birth defect! The good thing is that a pacemaker was implanted that same day and that should solve the problem!  Now many of you many recall that only dirt is older than me and my husband. We are indeed older parents,  so it was amazing to the doctor as well as us that at a ripe old age they found a birth defect.  For any of you who know too much about cardiology, the diagnosis was cardiac inhibitory neurocardiogenic syncope.  Basically in response to average daily stresses his BP and pulse would plummet and he would on occasions pass out from his heart stopping briefly.  The doctor said that my husband died for 10 seconds during the tilt table test, which of course leads to the standing joke that he died but got sent back.  We are very glad that he did get sent back!

FrankenWalking & Glasses

Olivia giving her legs a try ... maybe these things are worth something after all :-)



Some of you have wondered how the glasses are going ... we'll let you judge for yourself. Good thing they make 'em tough :-)

Starting To Stand

Hot News ... Olivia has started standing on her own.  We are so excited and happy for her.

A Few More Photos

Here are some photos taken in our backyard recently.  Olivia loves to play outdoors!

She has a good arm!

That newly emerged pincer grasp is coming in handy!

Two New Photos

Realized that I have not posted new photos in a while.  Here are two.

Olivia is loving trying out some cloth diapers and wool covers.  Mommy is enjoying them too!
 In addition to being soft and wonderful, they will help Olivia realize that wetting in her pants is uncomfortable and that using a potty is a good alternative. But potty training will most likely not start until Olivia is a walker. 

God Doesn't Make Mistakes

This video says it all about my life with Olivia  (only I was not the mother with the ultrasound, the message to Olivia's birthmom was the same)

Olivia is truly a fabulous blessing in my life!  I would not change one thing about her!

Watch the video.... it is my life!!!!  And a wonderful life it is!!!