New Glasses!!!

Today we got Jocelyn's glasses today. You could tell she was a little taken back at first. The lady who was helping fit the glasses showed Jocelyn in herself in the mirror and all she kept doing was trying to grab it. She even smiled. Back at Sarah's she did a pretty good job keeping them on. She kind of goes in spurts. She will keep them on for awhile and play and other times they really irritate her and she tries to pull them off. Thankfully, they are indestructible. My biggest problem is the smudges on the lenses. They say it may take a week or so for her to get use to them. Hopefully it's sooner than later. Here are some pictures that I took tonight. Enjoy!

Step Up For Down Syndrome Walk

This past Saturday we participated in our first Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk. As many of you know, we have been fundraising for this amazing cause since June. We had team of about 35 family, friends and co-workers. When people registered for the walk, they received a t-shirt. On the back of our t-shirts was our team name, Jocey's Jaywalkers. It was a really neat idea which really personalized the event. All together, there was roughly 7,000 people that showed up at Arrowhead Stadium for the walk. Our donations goal was $2,000 but thanks to all the support we received, we broke our goal and raised $2,330. Thankfully, mother nature was kind enough to stop the rain for the day and make it a beautiful sunny day. They had food, rock climbing walls, horses, moon bounces and lots of performances. There was a large area for everyone to set up their awning for their camp site. This being our first year, we weren't exactly sure what to expect or to bring. So next year, we are planning on bringing more chairs, tables, breakfast and really make it comfortable for our team. It was really neat to see so many people there out to support our daughter and other people with Down syndrome. Around 12 o'clock, all the teams lined up for the one-mile walk around the parking lot. It was kicked off by the Chief's offensive linemen. The walk was a great time to talk and laugh with everyone. We brought Jocelyn's wagon so she and Olive could ride together. She really enjoyed her wagon ride, maybe too much, she actually fell asleep half way through. After the walk, we invited some people back to the house to watch KU play football. While we had a great day, they did not. But Jocelyn still got to wear her new cheerleading outfit and cheer them on. It was a great day and we are all ready getting prepared for next year. Hopefully we will have more walkers and will be able to raise more money. He are some pictures from the day.

Trip to the Opthamalogist

Well, last Thursday, Jocelyn had her annual appointment at Children's Mercy for her eye appointment. We were there for quite a while. They first examined her eyes and then gave her eye drops to dilate her pupils. We then had to wait 30 minutes for the medicine to work. After that, the doctor then re-examined her eyes and came to the conclusion that she needs glasses! Yes, that's right. Our little girl is getting glasses. Dr. Plummer says that her vision has changed quite a bit since December. She is both near and far sided but near is worse. She says that she has been living in a "world of blur." So after the appointment, we went to optical shop and picked out some cute little spectacles. They are pale pink and very durable. They are a brand that you can practically form into a ball and they just spring right back out. The doctor says that the first week will be hell but after she realizes that she can see much better, she will want to keep them on. We are curious to see how things change both gross and fine motor skills. We will get them in 7-10 days from last Thursday. We will definitely post some pics when we get them.

One Year Check Up

This past week, we had Jocelyn's one year well child check up. Last week was her check up for her ears and it went well. The tubes are both still in, open and working properly. The doctor anticipates that they will fall out over the next 4-6 months. Once that happens, we will need to re-evaluate if we need new ones. She also passed her hearing screening that is recommending every year. At her well child check, we checked her weight which was 24 and a half pounds which is in the 88th percentile for typical kids and her length was 31 and a half inches which was 97th percentile for typical kids. Once again, she was off the charts for Down syndrome kids. This if the first visit that her height was clearly higher on the charts than her weight. It is probably due to how much she moves throughout the day. She never sits still. She is constantly on the go. The rest of her visit we went. Her doctor was very proud of her. She did get some vaccinations which is never fun but there was only 2 or 3 tears shed. We still have to get her blood work done. Part of her Down syndrome annual work up. She gets a CBC to check her white count and platelets and her thyroid screening as well. We still have her eye appointment this week. So in the midst of all the doctor visits, we found time to go to Baldwin this weekend. My brother Sean and his family live there. It was the annual Maple Leaf festival. The festival is pretty big and draws lots of people into the small town. We went to the parade and saw Jocelyn's cousin Maddy with the rest of the junior high cheerleaders. It was pretty chilly that day so we had to bundle up. Later on that day, it turned out to be a pretty nice day though. The rest of the day, we spent partying at Sean's house. Jocelyn and Olive played all day long. She was pretty tired by the end of the day. Now this week, we are gearing up for the Down syndrome walk this weekend. It is going to be a blast.

New Portrait Pics

Here are some of my favorite new portrait pics. It was so difficult trying to pick just a few. I wanted all of the pictures. I did post a slide show of all the pictures. Some of them are so funny. They really show Jocelyn's silly side. Hope you enjoy!!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!!!

Yes it is true, Jocelyn turned 1 year old this past weekend. It was such a busy weekend for everyone. We had a great weekend celebrating with all of our family and friends. On Friday, we had Jocelyn's picture taken professionally at Portrait's Today Studio. She was her usual adorable, cheesy self. We had a big birthday party for Baby J on Saturday. Unfortunately, it was a little chilly so everyone had to stay cramped up in our house. Never the less, we all had a great time partying with everyone. I had ordered a dress especially for the occasion. It was hand made and had a number one on the front with a cup cake. Just to the bottom of that was the word Jocelyn. Jocelyn received lots of presents. She got so many toys that we had to go through her old toys and pack away all the "baby" toys away. She also got some really cute clothes as well, including an adorable jayhawk cheer leading outfit. After opening presents, we had some good BBQ. Jocelyn loves turkey and did a great job eating. It was then time for her cake! At first she didn't quite know what to think about it. I think the fact that everyone was watching her kind of made her wonder what she was suppose to do. But after awhile, she was getting into it. A wash cloth was not able to do the trick. It was bath time. After getting all fresh and clean, she slipped into her second party dress. She played with her friends and her cousin Olive for a while. Around 9ish though, she was all partied out. She rocked "nigh-night" with Oma (Grandma Vicki) and was sound asleep for the evening. Then, it was time for her soon to be aunt Bridget's birthday party. We secretly set up a little party down stairs to celebrate her 30th Birthday.

Not So Happy Camper

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post. I usually try to post at least once a week but last week sort of slipped by me. It was pretty crazy; more so than usual. Last weekend, we went camping with Grandma and Grandpa Green and their friends. It started out kind of rocky. We got there and it started raining. At least it was a nice rain, not a lot of wind. Jocelyn slept pretty well considering it got pretty chilly that night. She slept all bundled up in her fleece onsie, hat and mittens. Saturday, though, was a beautiful day. We went into Manhattan to watch the Jayhawks play football. After we returned, we sat around and hung out with everyone. Then it was time for mom and Jocelyn to take a nap. Unfortunately, after that, things didn't go so hot. Jocelyn became pretty cranky after that and went to bed early. Sunday morning, she woke up with a fever and did not want to be put down. It definitely made packing a little difficult with a baby on your hip. We got home and Jocelyn seemed to be a little better that evening. We went back to the normal routine on Monday. However, Jocelyn continued to feel crummy that day with a fever. She slept pretty much the whole evening. I stayed home Tuesday to be with her. She seemed to get better by Tuesday night. It is hard to say what was the deal whether it was teething or a little bug. Either way, she is back to her happy self now. Speaking of teeth, we finally have our first tooth. She has her bottom tooth in now. I would take a picture and post it, but it's a challenge just getting a glimpse. This weekend we decided to chill a little. We did go to Lawrence to hang out with the Atherton's. Alex played poker with the boys. I think Jocelyn was his good luck charm because he took third and won some money. Today, we are just trying to get things organized for the big week. It is Jocelyn's BIRTHDAY WEEK!!! It is going to busy between our ENT appointment, hanging out with Grandma Vicki, getting pictures taken on Friday and getting ready for the party on Saturday. I know I am very excited for the week and can't wait to see my little girl turn 1!