Wordless Wednesday!

Tucker loves the Elmo chair!!

Please Welcome the Newest Member of the Long Family: Tucker

Last week, Marley's dream came true! She got a dog! I have never known a child who wanted a dog so much. She tells everyone that every time she has prayed for a dog, she gets a sibling in return!!! Can you believe that!?! We wanted to wait and get a dog until we got a new house, that was the deal. Her father caved. So now I am stuck with four kids and a new puppy who barks at night(did that sound bitter?)! Lovely! At least Marley is happy!

Tucker sleeping

Marley and Tucker. I am not sure where the name Tucker came from. She always makes a new list of what kind of dog she wants and name possibilities. I don't remember her ever saying the name, Tucker, but I like it!

Diagnosis

I can vividly remember when the doctor told us that he thought Carpenter had Down Syndrome. And also remember when our favorite geneticist, Dr. Geer, came in to tell us about Down Syndrome.

That day was filled with alot of emotion. Trying to suck in all the information he gave us. Trying to remember the resources out there and to seek them. Jon and I accepted Carpenter's diagnosis before we even got the chromosome results back. That was our beautiful son, Carpenter Brooks, and he was ours given by God.

Some parents have a hard time with the diagnosis. To each is their own. Everyone deals with the diagnosis in different ways: acceptance, ignorance, denial, apathy, and so on.

The first time I walked into CDS, I realized how lucky I was that my son had Down Syndrome. I know that may seem crazy to some people. But others know when you are blessed.

I am happy that my son has a diagnosis! I am happy we have guidelines to expect, no matter how wonderful or telling they are. We have a support group, we have parents who understand, we have wonderful doctors that see our children just as they are, we have a wonderful supportive family. We have alot.

There are alot of families that do not have a diagnosis. That do not have a remote guideline for their child. Gosh, sometimes I really don't know how they do it.

So here I type, thankful.....

Random Stuff

I have been full of ideas for posts in my head. When I am driving down the road I convey my thoughts so clearly, but when I get ready to post the energy to write is gone for some reason.

Sadie:
Everyone of Sadie's baby dolls is named "Sadie!" She will not name them anything other than that. I mean Marley had a ton of creative names. But Sadie just want the babies to be "Sadie!" They are her dolls and so that is what they are named. Does that say anything about her personality???

Rowan:
Rowan is just growing by leaps and bounds. He is very funny. He can sneak around and climb anything in his path. No fear! He thinks he is bigger then he is. Rowan keeps wrestling his brother and sister with his famous "choke hold" move. I am enjoying my extra alone time with him while everyone else is in school. I feel it is very important to have special time with each child.

Rowan also has "Edward Cullen's" crooked smile. I can just see the future with the girls he gives that smile to. Don't want to think about any of them growing up.

Carpenter:
We have had some upsetting news about alot of therapy cuts because of the budget crisis. I will write more about this later. We lost our SI. And now therapy has been cut and it just doesn't seem fair(but life isn't fair, is it?). Carpenter has also had a lot of pain in his feet lately. He has shoe inserts, but sometimes I(bad mother) forget to change them out of the different pairs of shoes. Carpenter seems to be talking alot more. We go through phases where I see some improvement and then we go through lulls.

Marley:
Marley managed to make all A honor roll while having alot of absences. I am very proud of her. She is still loving her wii. It really has been fun for the whole family. We took it over to my parents for a pre-super bowl wii playoff. I think softball sign ups will be pretty soon!

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It is pretty bad that getting a wii makes you want to get a new television. We have this ancient TV in the front den. It is really old! And man, do you want a better TV!!!! But our TV is not broken nor do we have the money to replace it. So we will play the wii on old reliable.

Not really impressed with the commercials from the Super Bowl(I am pulling for Kurt). Looking forward to the new Transformers movie.

Taylor, can't wait to see the new Star Trek movie with you and mom. Inside joke, lol!!