Sweet Tweets from Reese!!!

My baby girl is going to be 1 year old on September 29, 2010! It's hard to believe that she has grown from this....




to this....in just one year!




She is so beautiful in so many ways. If you are able to be around her for a few minutes, all the cares and worries of the world melt away with just one smile from her. She is our angel and a blessing from God.



I had no idea just a little over a year ago that the Lord would choose me to be the mother to a 2nd child with special needs. We were just adjusting and getting use to learning all about Grace's needs and obstacles. I must say that when I found out that she may have Down Syndrome I thought "Why Me Lord?" And now I am still asking the same question but in a different way. "Why Lord have you chosen to bless me with such an amazing little human being? Why have you given me this easy, very happy, very healthy, bundle of joy?" I don't feel worthy of such a pure love. She is constant reminder that God is real and life is good. She is the perfect picture of unconditional love and compassion. I wish more people were born with an extra chromosome so that there weren't still the stereotypes out there associated with Down Syndrome. I wish there were more awareness and more education. I thank God everyday for the people in Reese's life. They love her and I believe are blessed by her.

Thanks to everyone who came out to her party! We had a great turn out. I think we counted about 57 people at one point! It will be a party I'm sure she will talk about for many years to come. It is already a memory engraved on my heart for the rest of time!

Potty Training Diaries....

We are now on day 15 of potty training Grace. I must say I didn't really know what to expect going into it. I had a lot of advice and suggestions from mom's who have been through the process successfully and for that I am very thankful.

Day 1

9:00 am- I hear "uh-oh" coming from Grace...guess telling her not to tee-tee on elmo didn't work. Guess we are going the bare butt route!

11:30 am- another "uh-oh" as she sits and watches sissy during her Physical therapy! That's pee #2 mommy has cleaned up....thinking potty training is for the birds by this point!

7:30 pm- Grace pees on potty for the first time!! We clap, jump up and down, she picks out as sticker to put on her elmo potty training chart, we dump, flush, wash our hands and Grace gets two M&M's. Then we call mom-mom and poppy to tell them the good news!!

Day 2

Almost exactly similar to Day #1. Guess she likes to wait till daddy gets home to use the potty!

Day 3

Vast difference from Day 1 & 2. Grace potties four times today on potty! The instant I knew she was getting it is when we were having our nightly snack and she says uh-oh mommy. I pick her up running her to the potty, thinking I'm leaving a trail behind me. Much to my surprise, Grace pee pee's on potty and we go back to the original scene and there is nothing..no puddle, no drops, nothing!! I see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

Day 4

Grace pee pees on the potty several times. Guess the stickers and M&M's are working

Day 5

No accidents and we have now made a game out of going potty. Her dolls have to go too!

Day 6

This is the first day we have to leave the house. We head over to Uncle Andy's and Aunt Bethany's so daddy can finish painting baby Adiya's room. We take the potty, the stickers and a sticker book, and can't forget the M&M's. We have now put on Pull-up's for the first time. She manages to keep it dry and even tells uncle Andy two times that she has to pee pee!! We are very very proud and glad to know we can leave the house with out messing up her schedule.

Day 7

We are on the last day of the first week of potty training so Grace decides to assure us that she is growing up and very ready to use the potty!! Today Grace pee pee'd and poo poo'd on the potty a the same time!!!!

Week 2

Some accidents but for the most part she does really well bare butt or with pull ups! When we put the panties on she must feel a false sense of security because she will pee on herself fast!!

We are now in week 3 and are very pleased with how quickly she has adjusted and grown. I am very happy as I am now down to two diapers a day for her. One for nap time and one for bed time. I have no idea how to break her of that habit when she is sleeping but I'm sure we will figure it out soon enough! Stay tuned for more entries from the potty training diaries!