Wordless Wednesday- Beach Edition!

Lunch Out With Friends!

Well, our DSAMT Family Picnic was cancelled due to the weather.

So, we made plans with friends to meet for lunch! Our lunch mates included, Suzy & Alex & Owen & Lyla and Michael (Keith's cousin) & Nancy & their daughter Rylee.  We planned to meet for an earlyish (11:15) lunch at Toot's, but when Suzy and her crew got there, the restaurant had just seated two very large parties and they didn't have any more tables to put together for us (and it was apparently obnoxiously noisy in there). So, we conferenced in the parking lot and decided to go across the street to Buffalo Wild Wings. They were NOT packed and happily pulled a couple tables together for us and we had a great lunch together!

Etta and Keith passed out on the drive home...

Playdate at Delaney's

This morning Etta and I went up to Franklin for a playdate at Delaney's house. It was actually a pretty big turn-out for a weekday playdate and I got to meet two new kiddos (and their mama's/siblings). Anna had just been adopted from Russia (a "Reece's Rainbow baby") and Emmaline had just had heart surgery a couple months ago (and could have passed for Gracie's sister). It's always great to get together with other Ds families. I love that our kids are growing up together!

Amy and Emma arrived at the same time we did and Emma held hands with Etta as they walked up the driveway and Etta thought this was great (Amy and I thought it was ADORABLE)!

Amy and I (the two pregnant ones) made a beeline for the babies (Emily's little Hank and Suzy's sweet Lyla).

Me and Lyla

Amy and Hank

Me and Hank

Lyla and Hank with their mommies

Delaney, Molly, Ellie (sisters) and Lyla

Emma and Delaney

Emmaline, Cooper, and Callie

Emmaline

Callie

Emma

Callie and Emmaline

Etta in a shopping cart (just before she fell out and bonked her head on Amy's knee. Waaaaaah!)

Delaney and Ladies Man, Owen 

Cooper and Farrar

Farrar (and Lyla)

Callie

Owen

Etta's waving her arms at me to let me know she wants to be picked up.

Emma and Etta going shopping (use coupons, ladies!)

Nite Nite Hank!

Looking forward to the DSAMT Family Picnic tomorrow!

Sleep Study- Take Two!

As you may recall, Etta had a sleep study (almost exactly) a year ago. We didn't actually meet with the ENT/get the report until October. Well, turns out she doesn't breathe well when she sleeps and the doctor recommended at that time that she have her tonsils and adenoids removed. This surgery is so common in the Ds community that it's simply referred to as the "T&A" (get your mind out of the gutter!). I'm not REALLY sure why, but I asked if we could wait until she was three. I think it was because I wanted to know the status of her neck stability before they gave her general anesthesia. Which makes a little sense because there are intubation issues in children with the AAI neck instability and they (our kids with Ds) aren't tested for this until they are three. On the other hand, many many many children with Down syndrome have surgery before they are three...

Anyway, he agreed that we could wait until this summer. BUT, since it has now been a year since her last sleep study they wanted a follow-up study done. Not too sure why since we'll be having her t&a in July, but I guess to get a more recent baseline (they usually make you go in about 6 months after the surgery for another sleep study to make sure the surgery helped).

So, Wednesday night Etta and I drove up to Nashville. I didn't let her take a nap that day and she was half asleep by the time we arrived, but she managed to perk up once we got checked in and she could run around the hotel room (which, by the way, was the EXACT same room they put us in last year). Our technician was really nice and he had her hooked up by about 8:45 and E was asleep by about 9:10... snoring away. (I actually think her snoring/skipped breaths is worse, I guess we'll see.)

She actually slept through the night this time (last time she woke up anytime the technician would come in- which is often). This time they were even able to tape the nasal cannula to her face and she didn't wake up. The only time she woke up was when they had to come in so we could get the wires untangled. While she slept pretty well, I didn't get much sleep at all! She rolled around/moved around A LOT. I suddenly remembered why we stopped co-sleeping. I woke up to her feet in my face more than once. I woke up every time that technician came in the room (about 6 times). Also, this pregnant lady had to get up about three times to pee. THEN, he came in at 5am to unhook her.

YAWN!!

So, I gave E a bath to wash all the gel out of her hair and sticky stuff off of her face and then she wanted to eat goldfish crackers and watch cartoons while I got myself dressed.

We were home by about 7:30. Etta fell asleep about 15 minutes before we got home, but once we were here she seemed okay.

She seemed okay enough to take to school (it's only for three hours). Around 8:30 I loaded her and her backpack (with a packed lunch) into the car and she started crying. It was a sad, sleepy cry. :( So, I unbuckled her and carried her to her bed and she slept for three hours! She got up a little after noon and had lunch and we went to Publix (where I saved 44% with coupons! woot!).

Mid June Randomnicity

Since Etta's party we've been taking it pretty easy around here...

My mom/step dad/sister left on Monday and we made sure to snap a quick picture before they left. Well, really, Etta and I left the house before they did because E had therapy that morning, but they were gone by the time we got back home.

That afternoon I took E to the pediatrician because I believed she had a sinus infection. Her runny nose was NOT going away. And guess what, it WAS a sinus infection! So, ANOTHER antibiotic for 10 days. This time I had them flavor it with bubblegum from the start!

Etta has been playing in the toilets lately... Found this last Tuesday morning...

Last Wednesday was my birthday. We didn't really do anything. Keith brought home KFC so I didn't have to worry about making dinner and because I'd been craving it.

Etta gave me a card (and went to bed).

And Keith gave me a GIANT KitKat bar with a candle in it (I told him I was tired of cake).

Thursday, Etta had a follow-up appointment with her opthamologist. They dilated her eyes and there was some waiting around, but it really wasn't too bad. Good thing they had Dora! She's still slightly far sighted, but the prescription is so weak he doesn't believe she requires glasses at this point. She also still has some intermittent eye crossing (based on my report. They didn't witness any at the appointment). He isn't too concerned about that right now, but if it becomes more consistent, we may try glasses. So, we'll just go back in six months for another follow-up...

After her eye appointment, Etta and I went to Famous Dave's to meet Mel for a birthday lunch. Keith was going to meet us, but he was really busy at work and couldn't get away. So, the three of us had a yummy lunch and Etta had fun running around the waiting area on our way out.

On Saturday we went to our friend Callie's first birthday party. She looked so cute and her mama, Amanda did such an awesome job decorating. I didn't take a single picture, but maybe I can steal a couple off of Amanda's facebook to show you.... (okay, I stole a couple...)

After the party, I took Keith and Etta home and I went up to Nashville to meet Lauren for a movie. Bridesmaids. It was really funny. A little over the top at times, but funny and entertaining. Then, we went and had some dinner at Calypso and chatted it up. Then we sat in my car for another hour and a half talking more! It was great spend time with her and catch up.

Sunday was another lazy day. Keith went canoeing in the afternoon, but nothing else noteworthy enough to blog about.

This Monday, E had therapy in the morning and Keith met us for lunch at Calypso there in Cool Springs. (And yes, I ordered EXACTLY the same thing that I ate on Saturday night. Yum!). The most noteworthy thing about Monday was our celebrity sighting at Calypso! We saw Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman. They came in after us and sat a couple tables over. They're a pretty "out-and-about" couple and I love that everyone left them alone.

So, tonight Etta has a sleep study and I'm not letting her take a nap today and she's starting to lose it and driving me a little crazy! GAH! Hope it's worth it and she sleeps well tonight!