Monday Memories

I have noticed that many bloggers have theme days:  Sunday Shout-outs, Monday moments for Down Syndrome, Wordless Wednesdays, etc.  I try to do Wordless Wednesdays when I remember, but I think I will do my own theme.  On Monday's I am going to try to do memories.  Today I am going to focus on Sarah and the accomplishments that she has achieved since we adopted her last year.  The Down syndrome community is doing 21 things about the child due to the the Ds diagnosis of T-21.  The extra genetic material is on the 21st chromosome.  So I am going to do 21 things about Sarah that I have noticed since we adopted her:

1.  Sarah loves music.  Her favorite song right now is "Ifie" also known as "I'll Fly Away".  She loves musical instruments and to sing.

2.  Sarah sat at 9 months, exactly one week after we went to the Ds Clinic and they told us to expect her to sit around 1 year of age.  She showed them!

3.  Bro-bro was her first word for Elijah.  Now she calls him ijah and if she is really mad she calls him bro-bro.

4.  Sarah has said over 40 words on multiple occasions and repeats a larger amount of words.  She has begun to combine words.  That is exactly on target for a 2 year old.

5.  Sarah loves touch and feel books and can name or make the sound of every animal in her touch and feel animal book.  I love her to do the elephant and use her hand like the trunk!

6.  Mr. Todd is her favorite person at church, although Paige and Mrs. Kim are catching up fast! 

7.  Sarah knows more people at church than Doug and I do.  She has to speak to all of them every time she sees them and several she has to give kisses.

8.  She gives Mrs. Irene her speech therapist the hardest time in therapy and loves on Mrs. Katherine the most.  She gives Mrs. Karen the most kisses after swinging and said Mrs. Erin's name first.

9.  She took her first steps before her 2nd birthday and currently takes 10-12 steps independently when she wants.  She has started letting go and taking a few steps from one toy to another.

10.  Sarah can climb on most anything.  She is now in a toddler bed because she kept climbing out of her baby bed.  She climbed out of her baby bed before she took her first steps.

11.  Sarah must have her bebe(baby doll) to sleep.  She will not sleep under covers.  She also has to have lullabies playing to sleep.  It must be the same cd we have been playing from day one or she tells us about it.

12.  She has a purse that has pretend lipstick in it.  She uses the mirror and puts on her "ipic" at least once everyday.  Nana taught her how to do this!

13.  She loves to be tickled and if no one else is tickling her she will pull up her shirt and "ickl, ickl ickl" herself.

14.  She hates hairbows and will pull them out if able and proudly scream "I did it".  Of course, she waits to do this as we are driving down the road so mommy can not put it back in.  She will then attempt to destroy the bow so it can not be used again.  Mommy is getting fast at getting the bows from her!

15.  Sarah is already partly potty trained, mommy just needs to get on the ball and help her.  When she is with mommy she will only poop on the potty and has begun to sign potty occasionally when she needs to pee.

16.  Sarah is the first child with Ds to attend her Mother's Day Out.  She does not require any accommodation and is keeping up with her peers.

17.  Sarah is allergic to disposable diapers.  We have saved tons of money with cloth diapers, but I do not like to wash them.  I am so glad she poops on the potty.

18.  Sarah loves Elmo and Winnie the Pooh.  She sings the Winnie the Pooh theme song.

19.  Sarah is a drama queen and cry tears at the drop of a hat and stops just as fast.  She is especially dramatic if she wants a toy that Elijah has and he will not give it to her.

20.  Sarah loves to eat and must eat first when she gets up.  This includes eating before her diaper is changed.  She prefers to sit in wetness as long as you give her the food right now.  She signs eat, says eat, and if you don't get it, then she signs eat on your lips.  She means business when it comes to eating!

21.  Sarah has taught us so much about unconditional love.  She is our little angel.  We love her so much and can not wait to see what she teaches us in the coming years.

Okay, I know there is a lot more than 21 things here, but with a little one so precious you just can not limit me to 21!  I think next Monday I am going to do this for Elijah even though he does not have Ds.  I think it is good to focus on your children and this is a good way to do that.