Birthday Party Eve

It's been a busy week with birthday preparations, welcoming family, and everything in between.

*About a week ago, we endured monsoon like weather during the day...........

..........and then ended our day huddled in the basement as the warning sirens blared through the neighborhood.  Sorry no huddling pictures.  The camera is the last thing on your mind when you're worried that a tornado might tear through your house.  There was a tornado warnings in our area and some touch downs not too far from our house, but nothing in our neighborhood. 

* We had our follow up at the cardiologist earlier this week.  Turns out, that while we are still "waiting and seeing", Kamdyn is doing well.  She gained almost a pound over the last month WOOHOO!  Thanks to this:

This is what happens when you put nutella on a mum mum rice rusk.

Kamdyn does have some fluid around her heart, but we are told that is common for people with Trisomy 21.  The fluid will be monitored to make sure it does not increase over time.  She is within the parameters that they are looking for right now with her heart, so we will keep waiting and praying that the hole will close.  If you think of it, please send up some prayers for our girl.  I am praying that her VSD will close completely.

*Some early Easter present opening from Pop Pop and Mom Mom.

My baby got a baby.

More snuggles and love:

My girls love each other..........

*Dying Easter eggs.  Last year, we dyed a bunch of eggs the night before Easter.  After our Easter egg hunt, Madison did not want to put the eggs in the fridge.  She insisted on carrying them around with her, not understanding that she was in for a smelly surprise if she did not put them in the fridge.  We did eventually win out with the eggs, but this year we only did 10 eggs.  5 each, because you know everything has to be exactly even : )

Now that she is a year older and wiser, she does leave them in the fridge.  She proudly shows her brightly colored eggs to anyone who comes in the house.  Such pride in her workmanship.  But I have been forbidden from using them, although I did manage one egg salad sandwich, that she was not happy about.

*With some rest in between.

Tomorrow is the BIG day. We will celebrate the day that Kamdyn came into our lives. The day she was born, a part of me was born also. A part of me that can see true beauty and perfection. A part of me that does not need to control everything. A part of me who can let God be God and me be me. One of my biggest struggles after Kamdyn was born was that there was nothing I could do. I could not change things, and I could not make Down Syndrome go away. Now that I can see, really see her and appreciate this tiny creation that we have been blessed with these last 12 months

, I am grateful that God never asked me what I thought, or how I thought things should be. God changed my life that day. Kamdyn has changed my life. She has made the little things take on a bigger meaning. She has brought a fullness to our family that I love. Tomorrow we will celebrate. It is going to be a great day.


Here's a sweet little video for you.  Sweet baby covered in sweetness.