Ham Family Blog

Play Time

2012-01-20T05:34:00.000-08:00

The other day Emery decided to eat Carson's art work and ended up with black lips. Luckily it came off easily. These days when I try to take a cute picture of Carson he gives me the goofiest smiles. He just makes me laugh so much. Emery has discovered the play kitchen. She loves it! She looks so grown up.

Just a few fun pictures!

2012-01-18T05:53:00.000-08:00

The Sock Glove

2012-01-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Emery sees a Neurodevelopmental Specialist three times a year. The specialist helps guide us through this amazing journey we are on with Emery. She gives us certain things to work on that will help in Emery's development. One of Emery's new activities is to wear Cortical Opposition Socks on her hands. The Cortical Opposition Socks will help Emery learn the thumb-finger pincer grasp. I used some of Emery's old socks and cut out two holes, one for her thumb and one for her pointer finger. When Emery wears the gloves (or socks) she practices picking up small objects (like Cheerios) with only her thumb and pointer finger. Emery is not quite sure what to think about the gloves, but she will get better and better. At first she did not want to use her hands at all and tried to pick up Cheerios with her mouth. Smart girl!

Bath Time & Emery's First Hair Cut

2012-01-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

Emery and Carson love taking baths!! Emery crawls straight to the bath tub if she is anywhere near the bathroom. Then pulls herself right up to the standing position and wants to get in. If she is fussy in the evening we give her a bath and it cheers her right up. Carson sometimes fights getting in the bath tub but then hates to get out. Emery is finally starting to get some real hair and it is so cute. Right now it looks like it is sandy blonde. Emery's bangs were getting a little long. So we took it upon ourselves to give her a hair cut. My mom did the cutting and it turned out precious!

New Years Weekend!

2012-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

New Years Weekend we headed to Ruidoso, New Mexico. We are very fortunate that Justin's family has a great cabin in Ruidoso. My parents went with us and we had a fun weekend. Justin and I were able to go skiing on New Years Eve while the kids had a fun grandparent day. The mountains are just beautiful!

Christmas Day!

2011-12-30T08:06:00.000-08:00

Santa came to visit as expected, and he brought Carson a 'Mac' truck from CARS 1. Carson was so excited!! We played in the snow again and built another snowman. This time we built a snow woman named Crystal, who is Frosty's girlfriend. We had Christmas lunch at the Big Ham's house. Christmas afternoon Ellen and Jared arrived in Midland. It was a great holiday with family!!

"This is real love - not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other." 1 John 4:10&11

This is the last post of the 2011!! I post lots of pictures because each year I print my blog, and it becomes my scrapbook. I use 'blog2print' to print my blog. I cannot wait to get my 2011 scrapbook! It is amazing how fast 2011 went by, and we cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store for our family. The Little Hams would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with love and laughter!!

Christmas Eve!

2011-12-28T05:50:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful Christmas! This was my very first WHITE Christmas. We spent Christmas in Midland with Justin's family and my mom and dad. Then Ellen and Jared came up Christmas afternoon. We had so much fun playing in the snow. We built Frosty and threw snowballs. Deets and Champ loved the snow too!

That is lip stick on Emery's face. She is so kissable! She loves her new baby doll.

Ruidoso

2011-12-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

We made the trip to Ruidoso to celebrate Christmas with Annie and Pops. We had a great time. It was the first time all of the cousins had spent the night together. We took the big kids sledding. Caron ans Davis loved sledding but Andy would not even try it. Ruidoso trips are always fun!

Santa!

2011-12-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

Carson loves Santa! He was always willing to sit in Santa's lap. Each time he asked for the same thing, a 'Mac' track. Which is the truck that takes Lightning McQueen to all of his races in the movie. And do not worry Santa delivered! Emery was not sure what to think about Santa but there were no tears.

Cute Kid Pics!!

2011-12-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

We are so excited because Emery is finally starting to 'creep' on her hands and knees!! Now let me explain. She has been 'crawling' since she was nine months. Crawling is technically commando style on her stomach. Creeping is on her hands and knees. Those are terms you become more familiar with when you have a special needs child. We have learned alot since Emery was born. So now at 15 months she is creeping up on all fours!! This is a huge developmental step for our baby Emery. We are so proud of her!! She is pulling up on everything and wants to stand. She is a determined little girl!

Snow!!

2011-12-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

Snow is beautiful!! Carson loved playing in the snow except he did not have water proof cloves. His poor hands were freezing. He was so excited about building a snowman. He did not care that his snowman was shorter than he was. Too funny!!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Waco with my family. It was great because Justin's mom joined us. We all had a nice relaxing time together. There is just so much to be thankful for this year!

Carson's Birthday Party!!

2011-11-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

We decided that this year would be the first year to throw Carson a big birthday party. Carson loves every sport so we went with a "BALL" party. The party was at our church gymnasium and we had every kind of ball imaginable. We had soccer balls, basket balls, footballs, beach balls, tennis balls, and more. There were little kid basketball goals, a soccer goal, a football tee, and bowling. We had fun with a parachute, the kids had a big race, and we also had a pinata full of candy. I think the kids favorite was the parachute, they knew exactly what to do and they all went crazy throwing the balls around. The kids had a wonderful time!! The party went better than expected. Carson has great friends and we were so glad that so many were able to celebrate with us. Thank you to my entire family for helping put it all together! We are so proud of Carson. He is growing up to be such a great boy!

Carson Turns 3!!!

2011-11-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Three years old is the age when kids first start to understand that it is their birthday. Carson was so excited that it was his birthday and that he would be getting presents. One night I heard him in bed singing Happy Birthday to himself. It is so cute! We first celebrated his birthday with family at Chuck-E-Cheese. Carson and his cousins had so much fun. We could have stopped there and Carson would have been great. But of course this was the year I decided to do a big birthday party. It was work but it was worth it!! More to come on that later.

Trick or Treat

2011-11-13T18:23:00.000-08:00

Carson had so much fun Trick or Treating for his very first time. At one house he decided to just walk on in the house. It is funny he loved getting all the candy but has not asked to eat any of it. After Halloween Bubba decided it would be fun to smash a pumpkin. So we helped Carson climb a ladder and let him push the pumpkin off the top. Carson thought it was great.

More Halloween

2011-11-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

Caron is now old enough that Justin had to carve a pumpkin. He did a great job! Carson wanted Donald Duck and he got it. Justin really did carve the pumpkin. He did have some help from a pumpkin curving kit. We all had more Halloween fun at the church festival. This year Justin and I had a costume party to go to so we dressed up as DJ Lance Rock and Foofa from the kids show "Yo Gabba Gabba". Carson thought is was great. I wish I had a picture of him seeing us in our costumes for the first time. It was priceless.

Halloween at the Country Club

2011-11-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

Carson loves his cousins, Andy and Davis. Emery and Lindy are great friends too. It is so neat to see everyone growing up together.

The Start of Halloween

2011-11-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

Halloween was fun but it seemed to last forever. Carson had his first Halloween party at school with his classmates. Carson dressed up as Lightning McQueen and he loved his costume!! Thursday after wearing his costume to school he took a nap in it and even slept in the hat. He was very upset when I would not let him wear his costume on Friday. Little did he know that he would be wearing his costume 3 more times throughout the Halloween weekend.

Our First Buddy Walk

2011-11-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

We participated in our first Buddy Walk this year. The Buddy Walk is used to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. We went to Reunion Range in Georgetown and it was great! There were lots of people and activities. Carson and Emery had a great time. Thanks so much to our friends who were on team "Emery's Entourage". It was a beautiful day to celebrate Emery!

Emery Claps!

2011-10-31T05:25:00.000-07:00

I have been working with Emery on clapping her hands for quite some time now. Then one day my dad was playing with her and singing 'Patty Cake' and Emery started clapping. We were all very excited. Of course she would do it for Bubba first instead of her momma but oh well.

Friends

2011-10-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Mobile Uploads

2011-10-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

Carson's First Texas Tech Game

2011-10-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Lubbock for a Tech game! We took Carson for his very first Tech football game. We had so much fun. We went to lunch and did some shopping before making our way to the stadium. We met our friends Chris, Kelli, and their son Jenner at the game. Carson is only one day older than Jenner. They had so much fun together. We had a great time except Tech lost.

The Airshow

2011-10-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

This was our first time to go to the Airshow and we were all very impressed!! The planes did some really neat tricks and put on a good show. Thank goodness Carson did not mind wearing the headset because it was very loud. Emery stayed home with Fancy and Lindy.

Butterflies and Tennis

2011-10-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

We went out to the country club to see the butterflies. Monarch butterflies have taken over the trees near the tennis courts. They are beautiful! We threw a tennis ball up in the tree and the butterflies just flew everywhere. Then of course Carson loved playing with the tennis balls.

The Fun Run

2011-10-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Midland Children's Rehabilitation Center had a Fun Run for the kids last weekend. Along with a short run they also had lots of games and activities for the kids to enjoy. Carson had so much fun playing and he loved the race. He is really into running races these days and so he had been practicing racing his daddy and me. The funny part is that Carson won his heat!! But he did not understand that you are supposed to run through the streamers at the finish line so he went under them. Then he just kept running. Someone had to stop him from running off. He was so proud of himself.

School Picture Day

2011-10-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

It was picture day at Mother's Day Out and so of course I had to take a few pictures of my own. Emery would much rather play with her bow than wear it. They were both so cute!!

First Day of Mother's Day Out

2011-10-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

Well the blog is almost caught up. Carson's first day of Mother's Day Out was September 6th and I was in New York City. So his grand-mother, Fancy, and Justin were in charge. They all did a great job and Carson loves Mother's Day Out. He used to cry almost everyday of daycare and now he never cries when he goes to MDO. It probably has something to do with it starting a few hours later and they start fun activities immediately.

Emery's First Birthday!

2011-09-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

My little girl is ONE! It is hard to believe that it has already been a year. What a year it has been! There have been many emotional days filled with tears of joy and sadness. These days there are lots of happy days. Emery is doing wonderful! Emery is commando crawling (she has been since 9 months) , climbs up on things including her brother, she smiles all of the time, she waves hello & goodbye, and she is finally sitting up all by herself. We are so proud of her! We still do not know exactly what the future holds for her but we definitely know it will be a very bright future. Emery is one determined little girl and she does not let Down Syndrome get her down. Thank you to all our friends and family for your thoughts and prayers during this last year.

We celebrated Emery's first birthday three different times in three different cities. The first celebration was in Austin with my family. We went to Dave & Busters for dinner and of course Carson loved playing games.

The second celebration was on Emery's actual birthday, September 8. We were in Hartford, Connecticut, with my aunt and cousins.

The third and final celebration was in Midland with her cousins. This was the first time for Emery to have birthday cake. She loved it, just like her brother and cousins did!!

Connecticut

2011-09-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Melinda, lives in Hartford, Connecticut. She got married to a great Irishman, Paul. The wedding was in a cute little town called Simsbury. We took a train from New York City to Hartford. It was great because we were able to see the country side and the train was really roomy. Connecticut was beautiful and it was great to see my family. The wedding was so fun!

New York City

2011-09-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

My mom, dad, Emery, and I visited New York City before going to Connecticut for my cousin's wedding. We had fun but it rained everyday that we were there. Luckily my mom and I still managed to get some shopping in and see 'Chicago'. Poor Emery got sick and with the bad weather, she did not get to see much. Emery sure did like Time Square with all the lights!

Austin & Last Helmet Appointment

2011-09-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Emery first put on her DOC Band or helmet on June 7 and her last day was September 2!! Three months and her little head looks great!! We are so very glad that we decided to get the helmet. Emery never let it get her down. The first picture below is of Emery before they started taking the after pictures. Too funny she really is showing her personality. We did not know that she was flipping off the camera until they uploaded the pictures to the computer. Look at that smile! The second picture is of Emery's technician, Amy, who took care of her and us during this entire process. Amy was amazing and what is funny is that she is from Odessa.

While is Austin for Labor Day my sister, mom, and I went and got our hair blown out. It was so cool! The place we went is called 'Blo'. They wash your hair, blow dry it, and do it for you. It is not a regular salon because they do not cut or color hair. I went all out and went curling. I loved it! I have not attempted to duplicate it yet but hopefully I will try it soon. Wish me luck.

Carson loves to go fishing when he is with my dad, Bubba. This time we even were able to get Carson to kiss the fish. Emery thought fishing was quite boring and took a nap on Mimmie

Train ride at Zilker Park!! Carson's favorite!!

Packing Emery up before heading to New York City and Connecticut.

Good Pictures

2011-09-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

Cousins!!

2011-09-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Before school got started we decided to visit the Kid's Museum. They loved the dinosaur dig. For Fancy's birthday we celebrated with breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Trying to get a photo with Fancy and all the grand-kids was quite difficult.

Baby Pool

2011-09-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

Fun in the back yard. I will miss summer time but I am definitely ready for cooler weather.

The Brazos River and The Baylor Bear

2011-09-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

While in Waco we visited the Brazos River and Carson got to feed the ducks. We also went to see the Baylor bear. The bear put on a performance swimming and playing with a ball. When we left Carson asked, "Where is the giraffe?", like we were at a zoo or something. Next time we are in Waco we will definitely be making a trip to the Waco Zoo. The picture below is of Emery admiring the dolls in the china cabinet at my mom's house. She is going to love dolls!

Carson Pictures

2011-09-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Carson is 2 years and 10 months in the these pictures.

Build a Bear

2011-09-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

I have so much catching up to do on our blog. I like to include lots of pictures because at the end of each year I make our blog into a scrap book. It is great!

While in Waco last month my mom took Carson to Build a Bear. He picked out a Texas Tech bear. I might of helped guide him to the Red Raider uniform a little. Carson named his bear 'Teddy'.

Amy, Noah, Charlie, & Mills

2011-08-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that my friend Amy lives in Waco. Waco is the next best thing to living in Midland. We get to see each other and have play dates every time I am in town.

Charlie, Noah, and Carson are watching themselves on the TV screen.

Lake Waco

2011-08-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

I wish Midland had a lake!!

Waco Splash Park and Rain!!

2011-08-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

We visited the splash park while we were in Waco. Splash parks are so much fun! They had a really neat play ground by the park too. Then it started raining and it was wonderful. We had not seen rain in so long. Carson said we needed umbrella even though he was already soaked from the splash park.

The Marble Roller Coaster!

2011-08-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

This was the BEST entertainment for Carson and it was free! When I was younger my dad made a marble roller coaster with a water hose. My sister and I loved it! So last time we were in Waco my dad made

a marble roller coaster for Carson in the front yard. Carson played with it everyday, he loved it! He would sneak out the back door and run around to the front yard just to play with it.

Emily, Sabra, and Tressa!

2011-08-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

It was good to see my good friend Emily and her two sweet girls in Round Rock. Carson and Emery had fun playing with Sabra and Tressa. I wished we lived closer to each other.

Swimming in Austin

2011-08-24T05:38:00.001-07:00

Just Relaxing!!

2011-08-21T10:19:00.001-07:00

Carson the Artist

2011-08-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Carson still loves to paint. We strip him down so he does not get paint on his clothes. It is fun because he is actually telling me what he is painting. He has a great imagination. This time he painted an alligator and a turtle.

Alligator

Turtle

Jumping In!

2011-08-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

It has taken all summer but Carson is finally jumping into the pool. He started by jumping off the top step and now he is jumping from the side of the pool. He has so much fun! Here are some picks of Carson swimming with his friends Jake and Marshall.

Kiddos!!

2011-08-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

Photo shoot! Everyone smile!

First bath together!!

Super hero cape!! Thanks Aunt 'E'!

Playing With Anna & Brown

2011-08-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Our friends Anna and Brown came over to play the other day. We all had a great time.

I Can Sew!

2011-08-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Crazy but yes I made a skirt! I saw Brooke Burke in a cute skirt in an 'Us Weekly' magazine and thought my mom could make that. :) When I told my mother about the skirt she of course she told me that I could make it. So with a little help from my mom I did it and the skirt turned out very cute. I am not sure if I look as good in it as Brooke Burke but who could. Carson was very interested in the sewing machine.

New Helmet Decor

2011-08-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

Vieques Island, Puerto Rico

2011-07-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

Justin and I had a wonderful week on Vieques Island right off the southeast coast of Puerto Rico!! Thank you mom and dad for taking care of my sweet babies while we were gone! The island was beautiful. We stayed at the 'W' Hotel and it was great. It was a nice place to relax and eat amazing food. We went snorkling, horse back riding, and kayaking. The neatest thing we did was to go swimming in a bioluminescent bay. The water glows in the dark when you touch it. We kayaked out to the middle of the bay at dark and then went swimming. The water really does light up when touched!! Another neat thing about the island were all the horses. There were horses everywhere just roaming free! Just like deer in Texas but they were horses. It was hard to leave such a beautiful place but easy to come back to my kiddos.

Fun and Crazy Summer!

2011-07-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

We have had such a fun and crazy summer that I just cannot keep up. Emery and I go to Austin every two weeks for her helmet adjustments and then between those trips I go on other trips. Emery does not mind wearing her helmet at all! The helmet is really working too. Her head is looking great! I love the pics of her crazy hair. Emery and Carson are becoming good friends and so are Emery and the dogs. And yes I really did go to the Brittany Spears Concert. Kelly, Diane, and I had so much fun!

Emery is 10 months!

2011-07-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

4th of July Parade!

2011-07-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

It has taken forever but I am finally posting 4th of July pictures. This year we participated in the parade here in Midland with several of our friends. Carson rode his bike, while Emery rode in the stroller. I also decorated the wagon just in case Carson did not want to ride his bike. By the end of the parade we had Carson catch a ride with our friends, the Woodsides, or else Carson would have been the last one in the parade. He does not ride his bike very fast yet.

Can you tell that Justin was having so much fun?!?!

The Naked Guitar Player!

2011-07-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Carson refuses to get dressed.

You have to love it!

The Lake!

2011-07-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

On Fourth of July weekend we went to Lake LBJ. Saturday we spent the afternoon with the Blackburn family and Courts family. Carson had so much fun swimming in the lake. Then Sunday we visited the Whitsons lakehouse. Carson got the ride the tube and drive the boat. We all loved being at the lake!!

Houston Visit!

2011-07-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

I finally made to Houston. My mom, the kids, and I all went to see my dear friend Stephanie for a few days. We had fun shopping, going to the Children's Museum, and just visiting. I wish we lived closer to each other.

The Wet Lands of Waco

2011-07-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

Bubba took Carson and I to the Waco wet lands. It was really neat! We had fun catching little fish and big crawfish. We saw lots of different birds and insects. Carson loved it!

Waco Fun!

2011-07-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the Children's Museum in Waco with my friend Amy and her three cute kids. They love driving the cars. Then Carson had fun playing in the water in an old bath tub my mom had saved. We went ahead and gave him his bath outside.

Corpus Christi

2011-07-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

Justin and I went to Corpus Christi to visit our friends Russell and Alice Ann. My parents had the kids so we were kid free. We had a great visit. Alice Ann and I did some shopping, went to lunch, and then went to the beach. Russell and Justin went fishing from 6am to 6pm. Crazy! They did catch some fish and had a good time. It was a great weekend!

San Antonio Hotel Pool

2011-07-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

Our hotel in San Antonio had a great pool!! We all enjoyed it.

Playing with Cousins!

2011-07-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

We got a new sprinkler to play in and Carson loved it! Carson has so much fun playing with his cousins. Emery and Lindy are already great friends. Andy and Carson took a bath together and just laughed the entire time. After every bath Carson likes to hide under his towel and we have to find him. So this time Andy and Carson hid under their towels and Josh found them. They wanted to hide under their towels over and over again.

Time with Uncle 'J' and Aunt 'E'

2011-07-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Splash park, play ground, walks, and paddle boats!

Sea World!!

2011-06-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

Sea World was so much fun!! We made it a family affair. By the end of the day Carson was saying Shamu was his best friend. Both kiddos loved the Dolphin and Shamu shows. Minnie and Bubba were awesome and took the kids to the hotel for a nap. Justin, Jared, Ellen, and I were able to ride the roller coasters and check out the water park. Then the kids came back for more fun!

The Bubble Gun!!

2011-06-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

The bubble gun was a huge success!! Carson had so much fun with it and Emery wanted to play too. I sure hope I can find more bubbles that work with it. We are potty training so that is why Carson does not have pants on.

Emery Nine Months!

2011-06-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

But these kids are just too cute!

Emery can crawl but she has still not mastered sitting up.

So we put her in the pool in her booster seat. She loved it!

Just for Fun!

2011-06-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Emery in her princess helmet and of course a bow. Carson loves to wear his construction hat and fireman's hat. He also likes everyone playing with him to wear one too. It is so cute because he always wear the fireman's hat backwards. I bought a watermelon this week and it was amazingly sweet. Emery liked it too. Carson is a music man! He loves to play the drums, piano, guitar, and harmonica. So the other day we started a family band. Carson assigned us all an instrument. Carson is 31 months old and started potty training last week. It is going well except for the pooping. Hopefully he will get it one day very soon. We are off to a good start this summer!

Backyard Fun in Austin

2011-06-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Playing in Aunt 'E' and Uncle 'J's backyard in Austin.

Caron's First Fish!

2011-06-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

While in Austin for Emery's helmet appointment we went to Zilker Park. We have visited it before and it is just a great park! We went on a train ride around the park first and then played on the playground. Then we were off to catch our first fish. Carson loved fishing. He had been talking about going fishing with Bubba for weeks. I was not sure what Carson would do once he caught a fish, but it was just as I expected. Carson was so excited but then too scared to get close to the fish. Too funny! They were little fish but we caught four and had a wonderful time.

Austin Splash Park

2011-06-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

It was great because right outside the DOC Band office was a splash park. Carson had so much fun!! The first day he played with Bubba and on the second day Uncle Jared joined in the fun.

Emery's First Day in the DOC Band

2011-06-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

Emery got her Doc Band (or helmet) on June 7th. She has done great from the first moment it was placed on her cute little head. She has not complained once.

Emery has had a long day!

Rocking Chair and Blue Car

2011-06-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Carson loved helping Daddy put together Fancy's rocking chairs. He got out his own tools and everything. Emery likes driving the blue car around the house. She has started making the funniest faces when I am trying to get her to smile. She scrunches up her nose and eyes. Too cute!!

Just Having Fun!!

2011-06-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

Our summer days will be full of bubble popping, baths, naps, eating snacks, playing with the pups, golfing, swimming, and much more. It is just the beginning!

Emery's First DOC Band Appointment

2011-05-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Fancy, Emery, and I made a road trip to Austin for Emery's consultation for a DOC Band (or helmet). We had a wonderful time shopping and being with family. We were able to spend some time with Mimmie, Bubba, Ellen, Jared, and my Aunt Carol. Emery was a great little shopper. In one picture Mimmie had put her to sleep in the baby bjorn. It just happens that my cousin, Clyde, and his girlfriend, Marisa, were visiting Texas from Oregon. Marisa and Clyde are the designers of the 'Emery' necklace. I was so happy for them to get to meet Emery for the first time. Emery was just amazing at her DOC Band appointment. We go pick up her helmet on June 7th. It is estimated that Emery will wear it for 3 to 4 months. She must wear it 23 hours a day. The DOC Band only weighs 6 ounces and children get used to it very quickly. For the record this has nothing to do with Emery having Down Syndrome.

Reasons Emery needs a DOC Band:

*Emery's head is more circular than oval shaped

*The back her head is flatter than it should be, it has been since she was born

*Emery is on her tummy ALL the time and her head does not seem to be getting better

*Alot of her weight is in the front of her head which could cause balance problems

Teeth and More!

2011-05-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

The end of the school year is always very busy. But I only have one more week before I retire from teaching. It feels great!! It has been ten good years but I am ready to be with my babies. I cannot wait to be a stay at home mom! Emery now has two teeth and they are sharp. She loves baby food. Thank you to Fancy for being patient with her and allowing her to learn how to eat. Emery has loved spending her days with Fancy. Last month we had a great golf weekend with the Simdons and Whitsons. Carson has been practicing his painting and harmonica skills when he is not playing golf (which is his favorite). Carson talks all the time and he says the cutest things. It was so cute, on Mother's Day Carson ran into the room and said, "mama it is your day". Then when he gave me my gift he said, "here is your birthday present". I always say "I love you baby Carson". So yesterday he told me "I love you baby mama". Emery loves tummy time. She now uses her arms to turn around. She will go in a complete circle on her tummy just to keep her eyes on you. We think that she will be crawling before she sits up. Once summer arrives I will be able do new posts all the time!

Emery is 8 Months!

2011-05-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Swimming!

2011-04-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Carson has been taking swimming lessons for a few weeks now, but this was his first swim at Uncle Josh and Aunt Diane's pool. The kids had so much fun! Carson wore a life jacket for the first time this year and realized that he could swim by himself. He kept saying over and over again, "I swimming by myself!!" It was too cute. The only problem was that Carson drank a little too much pool water and threw up everything he had eaten that day straight into the pool. It was crazy!!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

The third Easter Egg hunt was at church where Carson heard the true meaning of Easter. There is so much to be thankful for! Then the fourth and final Easter Egg hunt was at our house with his cousins. He enjoyed each one! Carson wanted to open each before collecting the next one. He did not understand that you open the eggs after the hunt.

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13

Easter at the Country Club

2011-04-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Carson had his first Easter Egg hunt at school. Then the second hunt at the Country Club. I could not believe that he wanted to meet the Easter Bunny. He loved him.

Emery's First Baby Food

2011-04-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

Emery finally got her first taste of real food at about 7.5 months. Her first baby food was squash. Emery was not quite sure what to think. Hopefully she will get the hang of it and like it soon.

Emery loves her pups.
Here are some pictures of her and Champ.

Emery Laughing

2011-04-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Carson and Emery Playing Together!

2011-04-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

We just cannot wait for more and more of this good stuff! Carson is so sweet with his little sister and Emery already adores her big brother.

Emery at 7 Months!

2011-04-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

Emery Pics!

2011-04-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

What cute pants, shoes and flower head band!!

Carson's First Bike!!

2011-03-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

We bought Carson his first bike and he loves it!! It is a 'Strider' pre-bike. It does not have pedals. Carson has to push it with his feet. This neat bike teaches kids to balance which is the hardest part about learning how to ride a bike. Soon he will be able to balance and he will pick his feet up and just glide. Too cool!

'Emery' Necklace Update

2011-03-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

The 'Emery' Necklace fundraiser for the National Down Syndrome Society has been an unbelievable success!! I cannot thank everyone who bought a necklace enough for your love and support. It has truely been overwhelming. An anonymous ANGEL has so graciously offered to double the amount we raised!! Justin and I may never know who this special person is but we will never forget what you have done for this great cause. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts! This amazing journey would not have been possible without Marisa and Clyde's idea for this beautiful necklace. I asked Marisa, the necklace designer, what her inspiration was behind the necklace and here are her thoughts.

"I love keys of course. Especially antique keys, because I love to think about the history, the story and the journey. I think about all the keys I've had in my life. The key to my first diary - the key to my first car - the key to my grandfather's fishing boat - I think about the way I cried (so happy!) when I got the keys to the house I purchased all by myself ... you get the idea. It is less about the key itself than it is about the moments and the milestones ... all those moments and milestones that we want for the people we love - all those keys that will open all those doors. And, the beads (set off center) symbolize that even when life is a little out of balance, it is still beautiful and precious, just the same."
Marisa Howard

I just love everything about this necklace! Emery's life has just begun and already so many good things are happening because she was brought into this world. Her journey is just beginning and we are all excited to see where it leads her and all of us.