IRL

In Real Life, we're all just a bunch of moms...different backgrounds, different interests, different, different, different. In Real Life we're also a local group of moms who have children with Down syndrome. This ties us all together in a way that "other" moms could never know or understand. In Real Life, we love our children more than anything, and acknowledge that they have taught us things about life and love and happiness and joy and determination and stubbornness that we never knew existed. And we are also the moms that air our lives out like open books on our blogs. I know many of you read some or all of our blogs, and we are truly fortunate to live close enough to each other to be able to get together from time to time. Well, this is a photo of the first time, a few weeks ago. We are, in order from left to right, Bethany of Life With Bubba, Chicky and Nika, Megan of Audrey and Stella's Playground, Amy of The Lamjav Family, Dorene (not a blogger, I don't think), me (eyes closed and all!), Pam (also not a blogger, I don't think), Michelle of Our Roads Traveled and Linda of Lila's Miracle Life. We'll definitely have to plan another get-together some time soon!

On another note, Samantha is finally herself again! She started eating again the night before last, and hasn't looked back! I'm so relieved. Thank you to all of you for your support and advice. I was so certain she was going to starve to death after not eating for nearly a week, but you all assured me that as long as she was getting her fluids she'd be fine and would start eating again when she was good and ready.

Also, we decided that we don't want to take her crib with us to the new house (it's got to be dismantled before it can be moved out of her room, then reassembled in her new room, only to have to be dismantled soon again), so we bought a new toddler bed for her from Target.com. I placed the order on Sunday afternoon and it arrived last night! How's that for quick service? It arrived right after Steve left last night to his part time work as a 1 on 1 aide to a disabled man in a fitness class, and I decided that I was going to surprise him by having it assembled when he got home. I counted all of the pieces (always a good idea, especially after getting burned by IKEA a few too many times, being short-changed on the hardware!) and began to line things up. Of course those wordless instructions never seem to make sense. But I tried anyway, but didn't get past the first direction. I was so disappointed in myself! So there it all was, spread out across the living room floor, when Steve came home, tired and not feeling well, and had to put it together himself. I felt slightly vindicated, however, when he needed my help as an extra set of hands to get past the direction that had me stumped... Steve tried to give her a nap there this afternoon after school. He looked in on her twice, and caught her sitting by her bookshelf reading books, but each time, when he asked her to get back in bed and lie down, she did. She did fall off backwards once, though, when she tried to sit back and found there was nothing behind her, but no harm done. My chest swells with pride as I look in on my sleeping daughter tonight, curled up on her new bed. She didn't fall asleep right away, but she didn't make any attempt to get off of it, either.

One final thing before I close this out. Please click on the Traveling Afghan button on the right of my blog for a link to Little Miss E's blog and a wonderful idea for spreading the love, awareness and a bit of fun by perpetuating the travels of a handmade afghan through the lives and homes of people with Down syndrome.