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Today was Landree’s 6 month checkup. You know what that means…. shots! She was supposed to get them last week but her daddy’s trip to the emergency room bought her another week. (Just a side note…..never eat a pork chop for breakfast that was purchased the previous day and left out for a prolonged period of time. It will most likely result in a very expensive ambulance ride!)

Aside from the shots, we were excited for Landree’s appointment. We were eager to hear about her growth and how she’s developing.  Of course we think she’s doing great but are always anxious to hear what her doctor says. Today she weighed 15lbs 8ozs. It’s hard to believe she weighs more than twice as much as she did when she was born! Her doctor says that so far her growth is right on track and she’s doing the things any 6 month old does. Just in the last few days she’s started mimicking us when we say mama or dada. Now the race is on to see which one she says first on her own! She’s in the normal range on the growth chart for “typical” kids and off the charts for kids with Down syndrome. I hear kids with Down syndrome generally have smaller heads but Landree’s isn’t.  My theory is the tendency for kids with Down syndrome to have small heads is balancing out the melon heads that run in our family. Thus, giving Landree a perfect sized head.  Just another example of how Down syndrome can be a blessing. LOL

We brought along our little list of questions and worries. Her pediatrician is always such a good sport and settles us down when we panic over silly things. Apparently continuing to let Landree sleep in a bassinet in our bedroom for the rest of her life just so I can make sure she never sleeps on her stomach is not a realistic idea. He also assured us that if she needs three or four different kinds of therapies some day he’ll help us navigate that. We can deal with things when the time comes but there’s no need to worry now. Hmm….funny how things are much more believable when he says them.

She got four shots at the doctor’s office and then had blood drawn at the lab to test her thyroid and her blood count.  She was such a big girl! Her lip puckered and she looked like she was about to let out the biggest scream ever, but she didn’t. She calmed down as soon as we picked her up. When she was having her blood drawn she started to cry but the nurse starting singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Landree stopped and looked at her and then gave her a little smile. It was like it really didn’t make her feel better but she appreciated the effort. So sweet.

Next week Landree has an appointment with a specialist to check out her lungs. Her doctor says he just wants a second opinion since she’s had so many coughs. Knowing how we worry, he told us it probably wasn’t anything big because she’s growing so well. He told us we should think of things like this as just a tune up. Loved that!

We don’t have the results from her blood work yet, but everything else checked out great. We’re pretty confident things will be ok with her lungs but prayers would certainly be appreciated. Health issues will pop up along the way and that’s ok. We just feel blessed that she’s been healthy so far!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Landree loves her cereal and applesauce. She eats cereal every night and we've been letting her try some different fruits and vegetables. She does pretty well eating from a spoon. The only problem is that she always seems to have a sneezing fit during meal time. Tonight was no exception. I think we both ended up with food in our hair! She waited (not so patiently) for each bite of cereal with her mouth open like a baby bird. It always surprises me how fast her sweet disposition disappears if the spoonfuls don't come fast enough! However, she is NOT a fan of the peas. Who is? Every time she took a bite of peas she would make a face like she just ate a lemon. Then she would look over towards the cereal bowl and stare longingly. The girl definitely knows what she wants and what she doesn't. If she's anything like her mommy, it won't be long before she's attempting to hide her peas under her bread and say that she ate them. I think we better get ready for years of telling her she HAS to eat her vegetables!

Baby Landree is six months old today! I can't believe she's been here for a half a year already! Although it's hard to remember life without her. Rick and I thought back to the day she was born. I remember how scary it was and how sad we felt when we first found out she had Down Syndrome. Of course that sadness went away the second we held our baby girl. There are so many things I wish I had known at the time. When they took her away to the NICU I wish I would've known not to cry. She would be back in just a little while. I wish I would've known that she was healthy and was going to be ok. Her pediatrician and ECI would help us figure out what to expect. I had a hard time believing it when people said our lives might be a little different than we thought but just as happy. I wish I could've known that those people knew what they were talking about. She's so happy and has such a funny little personality. At first my mind raced over all of the things that she might not be able to do. Now I'm thinking kids with Down Syndrome might just have an advantage in the cheerleading department. She's so flexibile, her toe touches are going to be hard for other kids to compete with some day! Just kidding! I wish I could've told myself that after the first six months,  I certainly don't feel like we've missed out on anything and she's such a blessing that I wouldn't care if we did. I can't go back but maybe what I know now can help somebody else. Life with Landree is great and I wouldn't change a thing!

Sunday night Landree went to her first Super Bowl party! The girls weren't so interested in the game. Instead, we painted Landree's toenails for the first time during her first Super Bowl!