Cookie Monster

I see the cookie monster! Where are my cookies? Brady has a few favorite things in life: vanilla cream cookies, mini Oreo cookies, chocolate chip cookies and grapes. Mom and Dad rank pretty low in comparison to his sugary companions. At this point we serve only one purpose: cookie delivery. It all began innocently enough, I gave Brady a cookie to see how he could handle the harder texture. It turns out that anything consisting of sugar and frosting is easy to manage, he chomped that cookie down in two seconds flat and was even verbally requesting "cookie." He knows how to work over dear old Mama! I was so thrilled that he could eat it and then he tops it all off by saying "cookie!!" This is a prime example what a little motivation does for my little angel. Brady has a sweet tooth. He would prefer most meals to be covered in syrup or simply be four courses of cookies. In fact, he got into a horrible habit of demanding a cookie before he would eat the rest of his meal. Well, that just doesn't fly in our house, so we had to stage an all out cookie ban. This didn't go over well with Mr. B. He held a hunger strike for two days and even tried to hold Mallory hostage. Fortunately we were able to talk him down and no one got hurt. We've been cookie free for three days and Brady claims that the with drawl is starting to improve. He's even joined a support group and has found a sponsor. One day at a time, one day at a time.

Pause

Sorry for the pause in your blogging enjoyment, the family packed their bags and said GOOD-BYE freaky March snow and headed south and then west. We loaded the van with everything imaginable and road tripped to Tulsa, OK. We were one bag shy of a Grizwald style commute. We barely had room for Jeff's SPF 300. After 4 lovely days in OK we bid farewell to the little ones and jumped on a flight to Las Vegas for some much needed R&R. Most people don't equate Vegas with rest and relaxation, but when you have two squirts under 2(ish) even sin city seems sedate. We went to the spa, the salon, lounged, ate, drank and went to bed at 9:30pm (before you chuckle at our toddler like bed time, note that we typically hit the sack at 8:30). After 72 hours of pure bliss we were ready to scoop up our babies and love'em up tight.

Upon our return we expected gleeful children, spilling over with delight and exploding with joy once they saw their dear parents.....NOT! Brady apparently replaced us with Aunt Hailee, Lorri, G-ma Robin and crew. They won him over and he was a BIG fan. I don't think he even noticed we were gone. I'm pretty sure Mallory noticed, because the night we returned she morphed into a spring breaker on Red Bull. Vegas couldn't keep us up all night, but Mallory can! (I'm reintroducing her to Mr. Ferber).

Bathtime

Brady overheard Jeff and I talking about giving both the kids a bath at the same time and apparently he wasn't kosher with the idea of his kid sister seeing his man parts. So Mr. Modest jumped into the tub suited up in his finest pair of footie jam-bows. He explained that not only does he get to retain his privacy, but launder his jammies at the same time. It's a win/win! There's never a dull moment with Mr. B.

Mallory Meets Ferber

It was only a matter of time and the time is now! Mallory and good'ol Dr. Ferber, as in THE FERBER METHOD have been acquainted! Our little night owl was in desperate need of some sleep training, so I dusted off my old copy of "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems," and initiated Malls to the world of sleep training. Brady received the same slumber treatment and I thought he was a pretty tough student, but Mallory put up a WWIII sized fight. The first night she screamed for a solid 90 minutes. When she finally decided it was time to saw some logs, we had to straighten the wall art, tell the neighbors all was infact okay, replace broken mirrors and remove our ear plugs. I foresee an amazing career for her in the Opera, alto especial! If that doesn't work out we could always plop her on top of a firetruck and let'her clear traffic. It is a tortuous process for all involved, BUT the results are homemade apple pie good. Our little wham-bulance snoozed from 7:45-4:30, woke for an early breakfast and then crashed out until 7:00. She awoke giggling like a song bird. It's glorious.

So far we have only had one really difficult night. Brady must have tipped her off, suggesting to just give in, because "mama and Dad don't budge and this is a family that likes their sleep." It's solid advice and we'll see if she continues to throw in the towel.

The L Word

Before Brady was born the L word was short for Love. It has now taken on a new meaning...Leukemia. Yikes. Yesterday Jeff and I got a healthy reminder that "your never out of the woods." Brady woke from his nap on Tuesday with pitikia on his neck (broken blood vessels that look like purple freckles). It is an usual place for the marks to appear so I called the pediatrician and emailed him a picture. He immediately called back and told us to get a CBC (complete blood count) done as soon as possible. He was concerned that Brady could have a low platelet count. A low count could mean many things, but throw in the fact that Mr. B has an extra chromosome and the formula ends up with Leukemia. Kids with DS have a higher chance of developing Leukemia. To say the least Jeff and I were stressed and worried sick. Fortunately, we have the speediest pathology department and a super stellar pediatrician and they were able to give us results within 3 hours. And the results were NORMAL! We all let out a HUGE sigh of relief and scooped up Mr. B for the tightest triple hug in the world. He used our vulnerable moment to indulge on a dinner of cookies and grapes.

Down syndrome doesn't feel like a big deal until moments like this. The extra medical factors that come with an extra chromosome can be overwhelming at times, but thankfully, this turned out to be nothing.

Mallory

"This is my blog!"

Brady has been hogging the lime light lately so I thought a post dedicated to the little M.R.S. was way over due. This did not sit well with Mr. B. He prefers that the world revolve around him. Step aside big brother, step aside!

Mallory is now 7 months old. She is rolling and scooting around. She can sit all by herself and is thoroughly entertained by her toes. She nibbles on them like they are cocktail wieners. She eats like a champ and has yet to reject anything I've served. She has the sweetest smile and a fire hot temper. My ear was actually ringing the other night after she "communicated" her discomfort. On a good night she sleeps 5 hours in a row and on a bad night she is up every 2 and for some reason she will randomly wake at 3:00 am for a giggle-fest. I love hearing her laugh, but not before the sun comes up! Overall, Mallory is sweet as pie and I love nothing more than my little meatloaf!

Dancing with the Star

With this short film I would like to present Brady's new signature move. The stank leg is "so passe," Brady insists on keeping it fresh for his fans. Please enjoy and feel free to try it out this weekend, but of course credit it's founder. Brady would also like to note if you combine this move with some Ax body spray, you will be knock'em off with a bat! Good luck folks.

Earn your keep

Now that Brady is 2 and a half it's time that he starts earning his keep. The faster he learns that there's no such thing as a free lunch, the better. Of course Brady had some negotiating to do on the topic. First, he must be paid in 100% organic vanilla cream cookies. Second, he only works Tuesdays from 7:05 am-7:08 am. Third, full health and dental coverage. Forth, 3 weeks paid vacation.

He drives a tough bargain, but our floors have never looked better. He is serious about his vacuuming and is extremely thorough. I'd say he's a bit of neat freak! It's amazing what he can suck up in 3 minutes.