We finally did it! This weekend at last minute we decided to join some other friends of ours in participating in our first buddy walk. We have tried every other year, but of course something always comes up. We just went as a family so we could see what it was all about, that way next year we know exactly what to do and how to put our team together.

Yesterday was such an amazing day! I cried as we pulled into the parking lot, only because this was a day for Dylan and so many other families that share this journey with us in raising a child with Down Syndrome. It was a day that they could just be themselves, and not have anyone look at them differently. It was a day to celebrate these amazing kids/adults and spend time with friends. I did not know how Dylan would do with the large crowd, loud noises and all the people around. Well he was awesome! He loved every minute of it. We went on the Angels baseball field, he danced with the DJ, played on the bounce house and was like the energizer bunny. I loved every minute of yesterday and I love my family so much! I cannot wait for next year, and to celebrate with Dilly's Team...

Harvest Festival

Last Friday at Dylan's school they hosted the cutest "Harvest Festival" for a Halloween celebration. The kids got to dress up, and they decorated with different themes for each station and they got to trick-or-treat at each one and got some treats. After they were done we went back to his classroom to have a little class party. It was so cute because Dylan's teacher let Haylee sit with the kids and have circle time and snack time with them. I think she is ready for school!

Dylan's First Cupcake Attempt-He Loved It!

Halloween 2015

Well, this year really felt like our first Halloween as a family. Dylan is a little older and Haylee just 1 week shy of being one years old, it was a really fun night. Halloween day Greg and I spent the day doing some landscape to our front yard since our front and backyard is all done and completed with our makeover. Now that we are finished with one section of it we will slowly move onto the next. I guess the saying is true when you own a home that "its always a work in progress".

Later in the afternoon we got food to BBQ with Greg's mom and my step sister Carly. The rest of our family was out in the desert camping for Halloween weekend. I secretly miss our camping trips, but at this time in our lives it's just not easy to do. We made a really yummy dinner, and after dinner our neighbors met us so we could trick-or-treat around the neighborhood. My favorite thing about our neighborhood is that we have so many great people that live here and it's like one big block party. Everyone is in costumes (no I did not dress up) and lots of kids just running around having an awesome time! I love that we can come home after we take the kids, put them to bed, and sit out in our courtyard and enjoy everyone coming around with some drinks and just hanging out. Once again another great Halloween. Greg and I promised we would dress up next year with the kids!

 

 

Pickin Pumpkins

Well...we finally made it out of the house to do our annual pumpkin picking with the kids. This year was a little extra exciting with Haylee and this being her first Halloween and a visit to the pumpkin patch. We went with some very dear friends and their two little girls. We decided this year that we would go to "Tanaka Farms" which is about 20 minutes from our home so we could see what all the talk was about. Let's just say that it literally was like going to Disneyland, but without the rides. I have never seen so many people in my entire life!

I think because of the crowds we will be staying close to home like we usually do. The grounds were beautiful and Dylan was so excited to pick out his pumpkin and we cannot wait to carve it and get ready for Halloween!

Because letting go feels so good...

Today was one of those days, or should I say it's been one of those weeks! ️Haylee has two molars coming in and Dylan has had a cold all week and super cranky. Neither of them took no more then an hour nap and I was not about to sit in my house with almost 3 hours to spare before Dylan's therapy. So we headed down to the beach for a run and some play time on the swings. My husband and I are not much beach people and don't really take the kids. If you know me, I am a crazy clean,neat/freak, so to think of all the sand makes me cringe..even though I grew up at the beach and once surfed when I was in high school. I do love to run on the beach and living by the beach is a dream. Today after playing on the swings I decided to bring Dylan down to the water, and (yes this was the first time his toes have ever been in the ocean,) and I cried like a baby. I felt like a horrible mom and asked myself "why did I not do this earlier"? His face was so overwhelmed with joy And he loved it so much he even found a family to play with and build sand castles with. This family was so sweet and was here visiting from Utah. They fell in love with Dylan at first sight. (How could you not) I talked with the mom about hard days, good days and raising a child with Down syndrome. She was literally one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met. This day for me was truly a special one.

This week has truly been one of the hardest weeks for me as a stay at home mom. I have realized it is down right the hardest job I have ever had. But when I lay my head down at night I thank the lord everyday that I get to be home with them, raise them and cherish every moment I can. Today I learned to let go of trying to control everything and enjoying the small things in life, and creating special moments for my kids. Is raising a child with Down syndrome hard?? Heck yes it is, but there are more rewarding days then hard days. My life is fuller, happier and full of love because of my son. Today he taught me about love, happiness, and this one life we have been given-to make every moment count!

IMG_0290 from Michelle Lopez on Vimeo.

Is Raising A Child with Down syndrome, harder then a typical child?

Since having Haylee and her being our second child I often get the question is it harder raising a child with down syndrome then a typical child?

When Dylan was born everything was pretty intense. 3 major surgeries including open heart surgery in his first year of life. Four therapists visited our house on a weekly basis. I kept a chart of all the exercises they suggested, and I wrestled with constant guilt when I didn’t cycle through the whole list as the week went on. And weekly doctor visits just to ensure his health was on track.

Now that I have Haylee as a point of comparison, I can also say that certain aspects of Dylan's early years were easier. He rarely cried. He slept 10 hours at night starting at 7 weeks old. Even his physical limitations sometimes came in handy. I never had to worry about him climbing onto a bookshelf and pulling it down on top of him. He was more cautious than Haylee, so it was Haylee who ended up with more bumps and bruises then Dylan did. And parents of adult children with Down syndrome often comment upon the fact that their son or daughter with Downs is the "easiest" of the bunch. Although the individual stories will vary, the overall portrait of family life with a person with Downs in the mix is a positive one. Harder in some ways, yes! It’s hard to specify the joys that come from a child with Down syndrome. Perhaps I experience even greater pride in his accomplishments because they once seemed impossible. But my joy as a mother comes, like it does for any parent, from the small moments of wonder and beauty and human connection.

As Dylan grows up, he's going to face the real challenges. According to much of the literature about Down syndrome, maybe he can’t live independently. It is at best uncertain whether he will go to college or get married, and very unlikely that he could have children of his own. He may not be able to fully support himself financially. But with the amazing resources our children have today, he could do all the above...

Dylan is limited. He is needy. That’s true of all babies, and to some degree all toddlers, and yet it is also true of many adults with disabilities. Having Dylan in my life has made me wonder, though, how true those words — vulnerable, limited, needy — also are of me.
Through Dylan, I have come to realize that interdependence is constitutive of my humanity. That it is a gift to me when I need other people, when I form relationships of mutual giving and receiving. Similarly, it is a gift when I am able to offer myself in service to others based on my particular abilities. Having Dylan, and interacting with other children and adults with disabilities, has changed the way I see the world. Instead of categorizing into able and disabled, I see us all as interconnected. And I believe that every person has something to teach me, just as I have something to offer in return.

Is having a child with Down syndrome harder? I suppose the answer is yes. And yet the largest source of stress associated with having Dylan in my life has nothing to do with his particular needs. Rather, it comes from knowing that our son is entering a world in which people assume they know his abilities (or lack thereof) simply by looking at his face, with its flat features and extra fold of skin around his eyes. The hardest thing about having a child with Down syndrome is knowing that there are people who would compare him to a not so smart person, and people who assume he takes more from us than he will ever be able to give.

I have the privilege of being the mother of a child with Down syndrome and, through him, being introduced to a world of people who have taught me more about what it means to be human than my education and productive life skills ever could. Harder times may come, but I cannot imagine a day without him or the presence in my life or in our community. The fact that these two will forever love each other for who they are is more then I could ever ask for as a mom. The love they have and bond will forever be a gift!

Haylee Lynn:: 11 Months

11 Months ago we brought this beautiful baby girl into this world, and I am not sure and why time has flown by so fast! It is officially count down till Haylee will be one years old. She has blossomed into such a beautiful little girl, and has officially made her place in our home. She has already told us pretty much that every thing revolves around her, but little does she know she has another thing coming for her...HA!

Haylee is about 22 pounds now and growing at a very rapid pace. At this speed she will be towering over her brother in no time at all. She loves sweet potatoes, bananas, smoothies, broccoli, apple sauce, watermelon, crackers, cheese, turkey meat and of course her "ba-ba" I think her bottle will be a hard one to break and I am not looking forward to that. I am ready to stop buying the formula as it has broken our bank this past year. Haylee loves books, music and running around and chasing her brother-she even loves to steal his iPad and his Sippy cup. She sleeps about 11-12 hours a night unless she is sheeting (which we are currently) She almost has 8 teeth and I love to watch her smile. She is a daddy's girl and pretty much wants him from the time he walks in the door from work. She says: mama, dada, bubba, ball, dog-dog and some other ones, but not quite sure of what they are. She has a very sassy personality and makes known that every one around her knows that! Are sweet Haylee we love you so much, and are the light of our world. Your brother is your admire and he will always look after you....Happy 11 Months sweet "pumpkin"