It has been a little while since I have had a chance to sit down and process all my thoughts. It has been very busy, and at times hard to keep up with myself. The holiday's are coming, and for those of you who get to relax, enjoy it... those like me, know holiday's is just another way of saying its time again to rush around, so everyone can see the kids and get their time in with family and friends from near and far. Hope every ones Thanksgiving was enjoyable. Ours was a little different this year, my grandparents are thankfully still here with us, and they were in Florida for the first time ever during thanksgiving, so it was very different. Although this year I was in a much better place then I was last year, and I have a lot to be thankful for. 
Tagen has been enjoying school, and savoring every last moment he can spend outside until the cold gets to him, and boy did it get to him this week, he was sick all week, and naturally trickled down to the rest of the house. Although he was sick, him not going to school made him restless. To be young again and miss going to school, and if that's the only thing he is missing out on then I am happy. He is very big into trying to learn his letters, and draw pictures, although gets very upset when he "just can't". I miss when life was a simple as that, and that's the only thing I would get upset about!
Little miss Aubrey, has become a little girl, who is full of laughs. We have noticed more now then ever she is becoming a little freshy, and I have a feeling she is going to give us a run for our money. She is PROUD of herself, that she can sit independently, well now that's all she wants to do, forget about the days when she would sit on our laps and play. She is making some good strides as far a trying to crawl along with pull herself into a standing position. She recently had her 1 year eval from EI, ekkk, is my thoughts. It is so hard to see written down her delays in black and white, right in front of your face. Why was I shocked? maybe because yes I know children with down syndrome have delays, and I'm not denying that fact, but maybe I just hadn't seen any of the delays because I wasn't looking for them , instead I was looking at what she CAN do, and being proud of her for the things she HAS accomplished, not dwelling on the milestones she has YET to master. I mean her eval wasn't bad, at all, her EI team was actually very impressed, but I as a mother still had a lump in my throat during the eval, and after when they were telling me where she was. As a mother you always want to hear what is best for you children, you never want to hear they CAN'T even if it is followed by a yet, can't doesn't fit into the vocabulary us mothers make for our children. I prepared myself has best as I could but still it wasn't enough for me... and I wonder, if I made the right choice in having her evaluated. Is she on a shelf for show? or is this eval going to make the rest of her life? no of course not, it could have changed the second they stopped the eval, or a day, a week, or even years later. Aubrey has mastered waving hi and bye, giving high fives, blowing kisses, giving hugs, playing peekaboo, and pretending like she sleeping. She still does signs for mommy, daddy, all done, and more, although she is eager to learn more. She has learned to put her hands over her ears, as if to say "Stop talking to me" silly little girl! We have heard her say "mama" and "dada" maybe its us helping her say words, and she doesn't do it purposefully just yet, but we are happy she is making those sounds, and happy to turn them into words ( of course mama came first )!!! Never the less, she is still making great progress, and is bring joy to our lives everyday, along with Tagen!
Christmas is just around the corner, ughhhh, I have so much to do and I don't think I will ever be done!! I had my Christmas cards, stamped and labeled since Dec. 3rd- they are still sitting on the counter, ooppss. As they say, whatever needs to be done, will get done. hmm we will have to see about that!! This time of the year I always become, extra emotional, thinking back on memories, and watching all those commercials, you know the ones I am talking about, I tear up as soon as it starts. Old time favorite Christmas movies, and some new ones, that are worth watching. Thinking about people we were so close too, becoming someone we knew, and just thinking about how much as changed over the years, and what has always been the same! If I do not get on before the holidays, I wish you all happy holidays, and most of all a Happy new year full of new beginnings!