The joys of summer lovin"

It's hard to believe we are already half through July!  Where does the time go???  Summer's are always the best time of year, but yet they go the quickest.
We were able to make it up to V Smith Park a few weeks ago to get Zoie's two year pictures done, and of course we scheduled them right when she figured out she has an underbite.  This was quite an issue when you are trying to get her to do her oh so lovely smile, and she keeps sticking her lower teeth out instead.  Little ham.  Anyways, here are some of our beautiful family pictures that Miss Angie Carman with Carmanphotography.com took :)

 

I still can't fathom that we have a two year old.  Once again, where does time go??  I am always telling Derik that I wish we could freeze time right here, right now.  I LOVE this stage in our life.  Zoie has been doing so well with her therapies.  I have had a lot of people ask me if she is crawling yet, or walking.  The answers to both are no.  Zoie gets around by spinning herself in a circle on her back, propping up on her side, or rolling.  She will do stuff eventually, but she obviously is in no hurry :) 

She is the way she is, and she will do what she will do.  Period.

Yesterday was a remarkable day for us.  We went in for our two week weight check, and my oh my guess what?  We have finally reached 17.4 lbs, which is what she was back in Winter before she lost two pounds with being so sick.  Her and I have worked day in and day out to put that weight back on, and we finally did it!  It's only up from here!

It's not the easiest putting weight on a kid who has fat restrictions because of pancreas problems, or who doesn't know how to drink out of any cup.  But we have worked with what we were given, and with much patience and many prayers we are on a roll.

Derik and I just celebrated out three year wedding anniversary.  I often wonder if our love for each other would be as strong as it is if we hadn't gone through what we have.  I can truly say that Derik and I have a very good marriage that is based around God, and we know what our priorities are.  We definitely have our times, probably because we are both so stubborn-headed, but I don't think anything can break us.  We pull together when we need to, and we give each other space when we need a breather :)  He is my best friend, and such an amazing father for Zoie.  She is lucky to have Derik as a daddy.

As Derik and I plan for more kids, we often have to tell people why we want more.  I get it, some people think we are crazy because Zoie takes a lot of work, and we have genetic issues to worry about, but we have our ducks in a row and cannot wait for another sweet baby or two!

As I say that, it's not only about Derik or I, but also about Zoie.  She will love having a sibling, and honestly, our next kiddo or two will probably end up being Zoie's "big brother" or "big sister." With that said, I read a blog recently about a little girl who is 4 with Downs Syndrome, and her baby brother who is 18 months. 

This is what Deanna Smith, the mom had to say,

"Carter doesn't care about the heart surgeries, g-tube drama, and nasal cannula-wearing days in her past. He only cares about their play today and whether or not she will share her toys with him. Carter doesn't stare at her orthotics. He tries to steal them for his own since it's obviously not fair that she gets something he doesn't! Carter doesn't laugh at her speech attempts when he hears her repeat a word after him and her version is much less clear than his. He smiles in encouragement and then verbalizes the "cow" to her "moo." Carter doesn't consider it a bad thing that she can't climb as high as he can. He needs someone to stay on the main floor to keep on the lookout for mean ol' mom who comes running with that dirty little word "DOWN!" Carter doesn't care that her eyes are shaped differently than his. He only needs to see the glint of a twinkle in those almond shaped beauties before he shouts her happiness into raucous laughter. When she responds back with equally vigorous laughter, he stares back into those eyes with something I like to call hysterical love. Because then the laughter will bounce back and for several minutes. Several gloriously, awesome minutes.  I wish that I could freeze life in the toddler phase (as hard as it may be on certain days!) I wish that the world-view of Addison as she grows would be the same as how Carter looks at her now. I wish that we could all operate more like a room full of toddlers (minus the cracker-stealing-hair-pulling-random screaming part.) I guess what I'm saying is that I wish Addison and Carter would always be viewed as equals. Two people—full of unique, hilarious, wonderful, amazing qualities—who are living life just as it was meant to be.  I know I can't control the world. I know I can't force niceness and kindness in a bubble around her as she grows beyond her toddler playroom and morning Preschool sessions. I know that even Carter will change and his thoughts towards Down syndrome perhaps won't always be so innocent.  But I can change myself. I can replace my natural tendency of judgment with kindness and grace. I can smile—really smile—at that person who I might have previously ignored because I was uncomfortable. I can slow down and help the person who might seem easy to rush on by on my way to my own agenda. I can look beyond differences and see a person in need of loving interaction with another person."

 

As I read this blog the other day, I asked Derik to read it.  Him not being a reader replied, "read it to me."  As I did, I couldn't help but cry.  Mostly happy tears, but just agreeing with everything this sweet momma was saying.  That says it all right there; why we are so thrilled to have more kids when God's timing is right :)

 

Right now we are praising God, and counting our blessings for what we have and how beautiful this summer has been in every sense.