John Michael's 2nd Birthday Party
What an amazingly fun afternoon! We had 40 friends, about 1/2 children, help us celebrate John Michael's 2nd birthday this past Sunday. I know... the rule of thumb is one guest per the child's year of age. Well, John Michael has way more than 2 friends! That extra 21st chromosome has translated into so much more than any book will tell you. We have added more than 8 new families to our circle of friends this year (which equals lots of people when you add all the sibs, too!)

NICU Days -- Wordy(less) Wednesday
My flaccid, newly born John Michael, just minutes old. A few minutes after this photo was taken, Doug and I were given the life-altering news... "It looks like your baby has Down sydrome." November 14, 2007

The Year of New Friends
(click to enlarge)John Michael turned 2 this past Saturday. Sadly, it was such a busy day (and weekend) that I only spent about 45 minutes with him on his actual birthday. We'll make it up to him next weekend and have photos, too. Given that his birthday came and went without fanfare, I wanted to reflect on the incredible year we've just had since John Michael turned 1. In just 12 months, John M

Wordless Weds -- John Michael, the Artist and Happy Veteran's Day
Today, I want to share with you John Michael's newest masterpiece. Big sister, Anna, is being an incredible helper this morning and keeping him occupied while I ge

Name Tag Game
Jennifer of Three's A Charm tagged me with the "Name Tag" game. I'm supposed to explain why I chose the names I did for our kids, so here goes...From oldest to youngest:Nicolas Frans: My parents are immigrants from Germany and Doug's mom is from Holland, while his dad, from Tennessee, has German and Irish roots. I wanted a strong name for our firstborn an