Trisomy Twenty-One

Today is World Down Syndrome Day! 

This day is meant to help spread awareness about not only the cause of Down Syndrome but also about how wonderful those who have been diagnosed are. I have a brother with Down Syndrome who is four years younger than me, so I know first hand what it is like being around a Downs kid. He has shown me so much of the world. What beauty lies in the simplest things. Seriously, this kid is happy with some wrestling cards and a Gatorade.

This last weekend. Stevie at his Special Olympic Oregon basketball tournament.

I've always been to his school events and recently to all of his meetings for possible new programs. I know that part of my never wanted to move out of Oregon (for college) because of him. I wanted to stay by his side. He means the world to me and I've always been So So proud to be his sister (even if he does favorite my husband over me)! 

Every chance I've gotten (ie. School reports, research papers, speeches) I've tried to raise awareness about Down Syndrome. Now you can to! Wear blue and yellow every March 21st. Let people know that you care! 

If you would like to know more about this day visit World Down Syndrome Day and if you would like to know more about Down Syndrome click Here or Here!

Three-Quarters of a Year.

My dearest Sophia Grace is 9 months old today. 

This makes me so happy and so sad at the same time. Just a reminder that she is growing up so fast and those newborn days are long gone. She grows before my very eyes and never ceases to amaze me. It is so hard to remember her being tiny. The way she nestled in my arms as light as a feather. The way I could curl up around so easily while sleeping. Now she's bigger. Now she weighs down my arm and she's too long to curl around while sleeping. She would prefer to sleep sideways anyways! She's ticklish and laughs at funny faces. She mimics sounds and "sings". We often have a contest to see who can make the last sound.. she always wins! Even more bittersweet is the fact that we have to order a "big girl" carseat for her because she is outgrowing her infant carrier and today I washed all of her 6 month clothing. She's always been a small baby, but that doesn't mean that her growing up is any less bittersweet. I can't imagine what a wreck I'm going to be when she turns 1!

Sophia's Progress at 9 Months:

. Crawling (and quickly!) .

. She knows how to play Peek-A-Boo! .

. Can pull herself up on anything .

. Walks along all the furniture (tends to do circles around the coffee table) .

. Tries to stand unassisted, but can only do so for about a second .

. Looks under furniture for objects .

She absolutely loves looking out on the world!

Tropical Storm Sophia

Since Sophia has started crawling she has been on the move. Constantly. Anything and everything is fair game to play with or destroy! She will literally cover every inch of the floor looking for things to get into! She will entertain herself by banging toys together or ripping apart magazines <--- which is a favorite activity. You can always tell where she has been! :) 

Those books are no longer there. She kept trying to bend and rip them apart. Now that bottom shelf is almost empty. Nothing but old magazines that she can happily rip apart now.

Every time I ask her, "What are you getting into?!" She turns and looks at me first with a surprised "Uh-Oh" face and then with a big grin! She knows that she's being destructive. 

Currently a favorite - cookie cutters. She LOVES scattering those things around! Unfortunately my feet don't find it as awesome.

It makes me wonder when her imagination will really begin to set in (and no I have not done any research on when experts think this happens). I hear her everyday playing with her toys and yelling and "talking" to them. Banging toys together while yelling.

Which toy to choose? Oh the tough choices in life.

photo courtesy of my Instagram Account. If you'd like to follow me, I'm @mthienes 

Yes, mom. I did notice that you didn't shut the lid all the way!

Every night I laugh as I go along the house hunched over picking up her messes. Yes, she will make them again the next morning. But I wake up less stressed when I wake to a clean house. It only takes a couple minutes and I feel much better. :)

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So Laurin and I are really trying to cut down on our food waste. We are also trying to avoid the inevitable battle of "What's for dinner?" So I've been trolling Pinterest for yummy dinner ideas. I've been doing this for about 3 weeks now and it has worked out wonderfully. We get to try new recipes and we are both happy that we're not fighting about what's for dinner! Follow me on Pinterest if you would like!

Here is our menu for the week!

Monday: Corned Beef

Tuesday: Chicken Gyros

Wednesday: Hump Day Leftovers!

Thursday: Barbacoa Beef Tacos

Friday: Stuffed Peppers

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope you all have a wonderful day and celebrate safely!