It's been almost a week...

... since our last update. I swear, we haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. We've just been enjoying our family time the last five days, which includes resting (this is Tate sleeping on the couch. We swear, we don't cover him up like that. His hats get a little big and fall down over his face as he turns in his sleep. It's kind of funny). It has been awesome being at home just the four of us, with the occasional visitor. Reality hits tomorrow when I have to go back to being a productive member of society. It's hard to believe that the last time I taught in my classroom was two weeks ago today, Feb. 4th. After that it was six days of subs, a couple of evening of conferences, and then five days off. I've gotten used to sleeping in (relatively speaking) after being up for the nighttime feedings. Now I'll have to actually get up and get ready for the day like the rest of the world.

Enough about that, though, because I don't think most of you read this to hear about my days. Instead, everyone wants to know how the rest of the family is doing. I'll try to keep the post limited to the most exciting events since my last entry, but it probably will be a much less exciting read.

For starters, last Thursday was Valentine's Day, for those of you who were unaware. We told Avery it was Valentine's Day, and for the rest of the day she said, "Pretty soon we're going to go to Happy Valentine's Day!" She didn't get that it was just a day, not a "special place" that we were going to go. Grandma Jane stopped by to drop off presents for both kids, and one for us as well. The rest of the day was relaxing, as it was the first "real" day we had at home with just the four of us. Our Valentine's evening consisted of having a picnic on the living room floor while eating food from Bennigan's (our gift from Jane).

Friday was action-packed, as we had to be at the clinic by 11:30 for Tate's 2-week appointment. Thank goodness the appointment wasn't any earlier in the day. No joke, it took us just over 2 hours to get the four of us ready to leave the house. Granted, we probably could have gotten up sooner, but with all the nighttime feeding, who wants to set an alarm? In any case, we were still awake by 8:45 and left the house just after 11. We're going to have to work on our efficiancy, as I don't think we'll always have the luxury of having 2+ hours to get ready. I can only imagine what kind of a disaster a 9 am appointment would have been.

The appointment went well, for the most part. Tate was up to 6 lbs, 3 ozs, which was great to see that he was still gaining weight. Everything else checked out well, which is always a relief. We weren't thrilled with the pediatrician, though, so she probably won't be our "normal" pediatrician. She was actually our third choice, but our first two were out of town for a couple of weeks. She was nice enough, but seemed a little out of touch. She wanted to know how Liz and I were handling things, and that was fine to ask. But then she said that she knows it's probably tough on us because, "No one wants a Downs kid." I thought to myself, "No one wants a Downs kid? Did our highly educated, supposedly kid friendly pediatrician, just say, 'No one wants a Downs kid.' Isn't that a slightly insensitive remark?"

First off, I'll be the first to admit that I never imagined I would have a child that wasn't "typical". But to say that we didn't want a "Downs kid" is just stupid. Why couldn't she have just said something like, "I know that you probably didn't expect to have a child with Down Syndrome?" That would have been a much better way of putting it. In any case, we didn't care for her attitude, and won't be visiting her again.

While I'm on the topic of being insensitive, I want to vent a little. Liz and I appreciate all the support that we have received in the last two weeks, especially from our family, friends, and co-workers. However, if you are talking to us, please don't say, "I'm/We're sorry." We understand that hearing that Tate has Downs is unique, and that people probably just don't know what to say. "Congrats!" works best, and leave it at that. Nobody has to feel sorry, because nobody is at fault. Don't feel sorry for us, because we don't feel sorry for ourselves. While it isn't what either of us envisioned for our family, we wouldn't change it if we could, and we don't feel sorry for ourselves. Instead, we feel blessed. We are blessed to have two beautiful gifts from God, blessed to be healthy, happy, and well loved. We are blessed with wonderful family and friends. The following link says it best, and I would recommend everyone who reads this to visit. The web address is http://www.ndsccenter.org/resources/package1.php

Enough of that, thanks for understanding my need to vent. The rest of the weekend has been great. Other than running errands quickly on Saturday, we haven't gone outside, even though it made it into the 20's and 30's outside. It has been awesome. Tate is eating well, at least from the bottle, and staying awake more. He's even had some tummy time, which was a blast, as you can see. We keep hearing that children with Downs have weaker muscles than typical children, but it's hard to believe. He seems very strong.

Avery is doing well. She has had a cough most of the time, so it has been tough to try and keep her away from Tate. She's gotten really good at covering her mouth. And speaking of her mouth, it is still moving nonstop. The only time she isn't talking is when she is sleeping or coughing. Otherwise it doesn't stop. I swear, she must say a million words a day. She definitely has a future in some career that involves a lot of talking. She and I have also been playing "house" a lot during this break, which has been a lot of fun. Liz will play too, if she isn't nursing, pumping, or napping. Together, we have had a blast being able to play together as a family the last five days. It will be a big change for Avery tomorrow when she heads back to daycare.

Well, that's probably enough for now. I have probably said enough, or too much (no wonder Ave talks so much). Until next time...