Thursday, July 26, 2007

Mason's first visit to the dentist ...

A few weeks ago, Mason saw the dentist for the first time. He was a bit apprehensive and ended up sitting in my lap for his cleaning. He did well, though, and even kept his mouth open, which I wasn't sure he would do. Here is a picture (yes, I was that dorky mom in the middle of the dentist office with my camera ... LOL) ...

Unfortunately, he had three small cavities that needed to be filled, and they also wanted to seal his teeth. So yesterday Kyle took him back for his fillings. Two of them were so small they were able to do them without numbing him, but the third required numbing. Kyle said he sat through it like a champ and that Mason was quick to remind him that they would be going shopping for Power Rangers for a reward.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

So the kid has more athletic ability than me ...

Mason's athletic ability is pretty amazing for a 3 1/2 year old, if you ask me. He is beyond the tee ... here he is showing off his talents (minus the few balls that he misses ... must be the pitcher's fault) ...

Monday, July 16, 2007

Another funny conversation with Mason ...

This morning Mason asked me if I wanted to go into the basement with him to play ... that is his favorite place to play. The conversation went something like this ...

Mason: Mommy, do you want to go to the basement with me to play?
Me: Sure honey, maybe after I put Payton down for a nap.
Mason: (In a voice clearly trying to lure me) I have really cool toys down there ... and cartoons ... and a jumpy gym ...
Me: (Sounding surprised) You do?
Mason: Yep!

Short and sweet, but hysterically funny how he was trying to lure me to the basement based on his really cool toys. I love that kid!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Moving along ...

Payton is taking steps more and more now. She stills crawls a great deal, but is now initiating her own steps, which is huge for her, and us! We are so proud of her! Here is a little video of her walking in the grass, which is even more amazing!

Friday, July 6, 2007

Did I mention there is never a dull moment?

So...for the past month or so Mason has had the funkiest smelling breath. I mean funky like it has smelled like he licked a garbage dumpster. For the life of me, I had no clue what it was from. My only guess was that he had some sort of throat infection and that it was causing bad breath. But this was really more than bad breath.

So a couple weeks ago, we got an antibiotic, but it didn't help. Then yesterday I took him to his ped because I didn't know what the heck to do. We could have brushed his teeth for hours and the smell would still be there. Well, the ped and I figured out the smell was coming from his NOSE, not his mouth. Sigh. Picture us in the office covering his mouth, plugging one nostril, smelling the other and vice versa. He has had a sore in his one nostril, but I figured it was from a cold. So ped says she thinks maybe he has something up his nose and sends us to the ENT. I really didn't think there was anything up his nose and was frustrated to try to figure out what was causing the smell.

Well, good thing I'm no doctor because the ENT pulled a huge chunk of sponge out of his nose today. It was the diameter of a dime and about an inch long ... and MOLDY as all get out. EWWW. The poor kid, no wonder he has been saying it hurt to blow his nose. I figured it hurt because of the sore he had in there ... well I guess that sore was an infection from the FUNK up there!

Did I really think my child would never put anything up his nose?! Oh, the trials and tribulations. The sponge came from daycare, of course ... they paint with sponges there. Needless to say they will not be painting with sponges anymore! We don't even use sponges in our house, so it is clear where it happened. Now I just hope nothing was damaged in his nose!

On a side note, at 3 years 5 months, Mason weighs 42 pounds and is 40 3/4 inches tall.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Help us get DS funding!

Here's a fantastic way to celebrate freedom: Vote in the American Express Members Project. Fifty community service proposals are in the running to receive $5 million in funding from AmEx. The current top runner is a Down syndrome awareness proposal initiated by the National Down Syndrome Congress, called "Awareness Can Build A Family." Voting is now underway to select the top 25 proposals; there will be two more rounds of voting, and the winning proposal will be announced on August 7.

Here's the Down syndrome proposal: Awareness Can Build a Family

Yearly, thousands of women are tested to determine if the child they carry has Down syndrome. A positive answer often portrays a bleak future in which their child will impose terrible burdens and dreams die. Many medical professionals have scant knowledge of Down syndrome and are unable to comfort or educate. Their messages tag people with Down syndrome as having no value, implying there is no place for them in our world.

The tragic result: an astonishing 90% of pregnancies involving diagnosis of Down syndrome are terminated. In fact, there is much to celebrate. Children with Down syndrome excel in school, participating in sports and graduating. As adults they live independent, rewarding lives. Ask a parent - you will hear of joy, fulfillment.

My Members Project, "Awareness Can Build a Family," would use public service television, ads, booklets and more to tell that people with Down syndrome are more like all of us than not and are of priceless value. If you agree with all of that, please vote as soon as possible - the first round closes July 15, 2007.

What this proposal doesn't mention is that this year, 4 million American women will be offered first-trimester prenatal testing for Down syndrome, and the majority of them will not receive adequate accompanying education about Down syndrome. If the NDSC's proposal wins the competition, resources like GIFTS will be widely distributed throughout the nation. Imagine this: a copy of the book in every OB/GYN office! It's a very real possibility.

You need to be an AmEx member to vote. Please consider signing up for a card, as I did, so that you can participate. Online application takes one minute, and there's no fee. And what does this have to do with freedom? By voting, you use your power as a citizen to determine how a big chunk of American change is spent. And by choosing "Awareness Can Build A Family," you make it possible for American families to truly exercise their freedom of choice. How so? Any thinking person understands that accurate, current, balanced information is a vital component of decision making. Our nation has determined that women are free to choose whether to terminate pregnancy, but currently the millions of women receiving DS testing lack the education needed to make an informed choice. With with $5 million in funds, the NDSC can help ensure that women choose with the power born of knowledge.

And you can help make that happen. Vote today! And if you're not a member yet, sign up.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Never a dull moment!

So life with Mason is definitely interesting, to say the least. I guess he decided he wanted a chip, or two, or three, or four ... I think the pictures speak for themselves. Oh, and note his t-shirt ... WARNING, I'M 3 ... pretty much sums it up, eh?