Indie 6 Months {26 Weeks}

Indie's 6 month appointment was great!  She weighed 12 pounds 7 ounces, which is on the teeny tiny side of the scale, but the pediatrician didn't seem worried.  I honestly thought she was gaining more because of her chubby cheeks and awesome arm rolls, but nope, she only gained 5 ounces in the last month.  We got to answer yes to all the developmental questions like assisted sitting, rolling, vocalizing, and reaching for toys.  Indie is right on track with a typical 6 month old.  But she's not typical and the last 6 months have been extraordinary.  Indie's diagnosis broke me then she taught me to love more deeply, be more open to differences, and appreciate more.  And it's not just me, our whole family has grown and met amazing people along this journey!   

Summer Lovin'

We have been playing phone tag with Grandma Kat for months.  A couple of weeks ago I sent her a text explaining that the end of school was a busy time, but things should calm down for summer.  I honestly thought things would be calmer, but we have been crazy busy!  Some of our commitments have been appointments, therapy, etc, but a lot of it has been fun invites from friends.  We have been enjoying ourselves, squeezing in some chores, throwing together last minute dinners, and planning on returning phone calls.  

 Man, these $3 floaties have been the best investment ever!  I initially bought them for the pool and they have since been used for gymnastics, bumper boats in our little backyard pool, human ring toss, you name it!  

The girls were super excited about a backyard cookout, but then it was so hot that nobody wanted to be near the fire.  We had a quick dinner, a couple marshmallows, and lots of backyard play time.  

Eden's crafty slide. 

We went to the Berry Farm and picked peas.  The girls did surprisingly well in the heat, but Eden's farming outfit was the best!

Sunday Morning Hike

Sunday morning, the ladies threw on some clothes, we brushed back their summer hair, and headed to Fontenelle Forest for a family hike.  It was a perfect morning with great weather, exercise and lots of boy scout lessons from Dave.  

Yum yum!

We tried solids at OT and they were a hit so I scored a new reclining high chair so Indie could eat with us at home.  Indie will eat a couple of bites of puree's (only at room temperature, she will not eat cold food), but she really likes puffs!  She also likes all the attention from sisters oohing and ahhing over her cuteness and teaching her to sign "more" after every bite.  

 Indie has been my first baby to nurse and take a bottle!  It is wonderful!  When she is nursing, she likes to pet my skin or hold my hand.  When she's drinking the bottle, she likes to be in charge.  

Indie {25 Weeks}

Today I ran into an acquaintance with an 8 year old with Down Syndrome named Lily.  We spent an hour at the park with their family and I loved watching her play with my girls.  Her mom was a wealth of information and someone I would like to get to know better.  Meeting Lily and her family was the single most positive experience I have had with Down Syndrome.  I am inspired to keep doing everything I can to help Indie and excited to see who she in when she's 8.  For now, I will enjoy all these cute faces.

 Indie went down for a nap about 15 seconds after this picture.

First Week of Summer

Summer is off to a great start!  We are slowly giving the girls later bed times and conditioning them to sleep in, so far so good.  The other morning Dave heard Eden whispering to Cora, "Get back in bed, we have to sleep in."  Last week that would have probably led to an argument, but Eden and Cora have been getting along SO well!  I love it!  I compliment them several times a day on their nice behavior towards each other and hope it will continue.

The last 4 days have not been all unicorns and rainbows.  Just yesterday my car broke and the toilet was clogged with wipes.  When Cora came clean about flushing wipes, I asked her how many.  She held up all her fingers and looked at me.  I asked her why. She said she was sneaking them so she had to flush them.  What a little stinker!  Luckily, Dave and I had a good laugh, fixed the toilet and ordered the part for my car.  Summer is not perfect, but I love the laid back days and we have filled them with laying on the trampoline, bike rides, park days, volunteering at a Color Run, and spending the day at the Children's Museum.

School's Out for Summa!

I'm pretty sure the girls stopped learning a week and half ago so they can fill their days with fun end-of-the-year activities.  First up, Eden's kindergarten graduation.  Their class sang all their monthly songs then Eden received her "official diploma."  

Me and the little ladies got to visit park days for Milan and Eden.  I also took (a not-so-patient) Indie to the talent show where we got to see Eden and Winnie bravely tell jokes and get lots of chuckles from the audience.  Milan, Maddie, and Maame danced to Confidence and did pretty well for not practicing.  

Milan was assigned a robot project as part of their math unit.  She started making a pink dog, but it was closely resembling a pig, so we added a snout and voila!  It was a fun way to practice perimeter, area, and volume measurements.  

 Downtime was rare this week, but luckily Cora and I were able to work in some reading :)

 Field Day was a blast for the ladies!  We visited Eden's class in the morning then returned for Milan's class in the afternoon.  Cora had a great time participating with Eden's class, but 3rd graders are more competitive so we mostly just watched until it was Popsicle Time! 

It's been a busy week and now I'm ready for slow mornings and lots of sunscreen!