The background:
So.....as I mentioned earlier we just moved into a new house after selling our old house. During this process we've been working with a professional home stager/interior designer named Angie. She helped select colors, stains, and window treatments for our new house. We've met in person for a total of about 4 hours max. The last time she came about two weeks ago we had Aubrey(2 yrs; del+) and Molly (9 months) with us. This was the first time she met our kids.
The girls were loving crawling around the open space with newly laid carpet while we were asking her advice for window treatments. I was also asking alot of questions about what fun themes or color palettes we could do for both of the girls' rooms. During this visit she asked about the dutch door installed for Aubrey's room. This lead into our explanation of AS and Aubrey's diagnosis story. We then went back to talking about drapes vs blinds vs Roman shades and that was that.
Fast Forward to today:
Angie called and wanted to offer her services and that of her designer and carpenter friends to "do" Aubrey's room for free!! She said she was so moved by meeting Aubrey and hearing us talk that night and then by fate she was contacted for sponsorship for the first AS Walk in Omaha, NE only a couple of days after meeting Aubrey.
Melissa Yost is the chair for the Omaha walk and had contacted her at a local business to support the cause. Her niece is Delaney, our 7 year old hero with Angelman Syndrome that also lives in the Omaha area!! Angie began talking with Melissa and asking her more questions about AS and the Walk and Aubrey. It was at that point that she decided that she'd donate a gift certificate as a door prize for the Walk - but wanted to do even more for Aubrey.
So she contacted me with her idea and wanted to know if we'd be open to it and what ideas we had. I was so blown away!!
She had already contacted an artist that she's worked with in the past to do some mural work if we wanted something like that. She thought she'd want to include the AS quote " I may not speak, but I have much to say!" somewhere in the design.
Again - - it is so kind of her, a relative stranger to offer to do such a nice thing!! Wow - still in awe!!
I'll keep you posted - - and if you have any ideas for design - - send them my way!!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Crazy Day and Some Fun Pictures!
Hi there.
Crazy day.....
SHORT BREAKDOWN
6:30 am - Dance Practice
8:00 am - Aubrey's Therapy Session
9:30 am - WORK!
11:30 am - Final Inspection at the house
1:30 pm - Finally eat something for the day - - end up taking a day of vacation - since it turned into such a crazy one.
2:00 pm - Finish some more packing for the move
3:00 pm - Take a much needed nap - -it was fabulous
5:30 pm -Make supper with the last bits of food that we have left in the house.
7:00 pm - Bath time!
8:30 pm - Work on the Computer
10:00 pm - Update the Neglected Blog
10:30 pm - Go to bed!
MORE DETAILS
Therapy Session
Aubrey had a great session! For 2009 we'll swap between PT and OT every Monday morning to open more time in our schedules for her new speech therapy sessions and the Elkhorn Early Intervention Program. Anyway - all that detail to explain that it had been 2 weeks since the PT had been with Aubrey. She could tell an improvement in just that short time with her balance and calmness.
We're working on one-handed walking and attempting to have her stand un-supported. Her balance is getting better every time we practice - and I know she'll get there!! It's amazing for me to think that a year ago she was not able to transition from laying to sitting on her own and now she's crawling and cruising all over the place! We still have no idea when independent walking will be a reality - - but it's fun to see her progress towards that ultimate goal!
After therapy - - I ran into work - got as much stuff done as I possible could before I had to get back in my car and drive out to the house for the final inspection.
Final Inspection
Okay - - - this took twice as long as I thought it would - but well worth it. It was our time to look over everything that we saw that needs to be addressed before the closing. It mostly very minor and picky painting imperfections and a few nicks on the woodwork. Nothing major - thank God! We close on Wed and then the real fun of moving begins. Thank you in advance for those that will be helping us during this process. Now if only the weather would cooperate!
Unplanned Vacation
So I wasn't planning on taking vacation this afternoon - but after the inspection got done at 1:30 and I still hadn't eaten anything - I knew the day had taken a unplanned turn! You should all know how things not going to plan works out for me!! Anyway - I just decided that it was best to take it as vacation and then finish some things up around the house and take a much needed nap! Boy I love naps. Chris went back to work and then brought the girls home from daycare - with supper ready to go!
Bathtime
The girls, as always, made quite the mess during supper tonight. I swear they forgot to feed Aubrey at daycare today :)! She snarfed down a full orange, 2 hotdogs, broccoli, and nilla wafers, and a crescent roll - -I sat in awe at the amount of food she ate!
Molly had her usually Cheerios by hand and oatmeal/baby food mix by spoon.
Here are some pictures when they we're all stripped down to their diapers before bathtime - enjoy:
Well - - that's all for now. Better get ready for bed so I can meet my 10:30 pm time frame!
More to come after the move!
Crazy day.....
SHORT BREAKDOWN
6:30 am - Dance Practice
8:00 am - Aubrey's Therapy Session
9:30 am - WORK!
11:30 am - Final Inspection at the house
1:30 pm - Finally eat something for the day - - end up taking a day of vacation - since it turned into such a crazy one.
2:00 pm - Finish some more packing for the move
3:00 pm - Take a much needed nap - -it was fabulous
5:30 pm -Make supper with the last bits of food that we have left in the house.
7:00 pm - Bath time!
8:30 pm - Work on the Computer
10:00 pm - Update the Neglected Blog
10:30 pm - Go to bed!
MORE DETAILS
Therapy Session
Aubrey had a great session! For 2009 we'll swap between PT and OT every Monday morning to open more time in our schedules for her new speech therapy sessions and the Elkhorn Early Intervention Program. Anyway - all that detail to explain that it had been 2 weeks since the PT had been with Aubrey. She could tell an improvement in just that short time with her balance and calmness.
We're working on one-handed walking and attempting to have her stand un-supported. Her balance is getting better every time we practice - and I know she'll get there!! It's amazing for me to think that a year ago she was not able to transition from laying to sitting on her own and now she's crawling and cruising all over the place! We still have no idea when independent walking will be a reality - - but it's fun to see her progress towards that ultimate goal!
After therapy - - I ran into work - got as much stuff done as I possible could before I had to get back in my car and drive out to the house for the final inspection.
Final Inspection
Okay - - - this took twice as long as I thought it would - but well worth it. It was our time to look over everything that we saw that needs to be addressed before the closing. It mostly very minor and picky painting imperfections and a few nicks on the woodwork. Nothing major - thank God! We close on Wed and then the real fun of moving begins. Thank you in advance for those that will be helping us during this process. Now if only the weather would cooperate!
Unplanned Vacation
So I wasn't planning on taking vacation this afternoon - but after the inspection got done at 1:30 and I still hadn't eaten anything - I knew the day had taken a unplanned turn! You should all know how things not going to plan works out for me!! Anyway - I just decided that it was best to take it as vacation and then finish some things up around the house and take a much needed nap! Boy I love naps. Chris went back to work and then brought the girls home from daycare - with supper ready to go!
Bathtime
The girls, as always, made quite the mess during supper tonight. I swear they forgot to feed Aubrey at daycare today :)! She snarfed down a full orange, 2 hotdogs, broccoli, and nilla wafers, and a crescent roll - -I sat in awe at the amount of food she ate!
Molly had her usually Cheerios by hand and oatmeal/baby food mix by spoon.
Here are some pictures when they we're all stripped down to their diapers before bathtime - enjoy:
Well - - that's all for now. Better get ready for bed so I can meet my 10:30 pm time frame!
More to come after the move!
Friday, January 16, 2009
So I'm not as good at updating as I used to be....sorry!
It's Friday and I realized that it's been nearly a month since I've posted last.
I now have a Facebook account - so my old "blog" time is now spent stalking old and new friends on the book - not really productive - but very addicting.
Anyway - - here's a quick run down:
* Christmas was great - although we missed the big McGill party. It's hard to believe that all 10 of the original "McGill's" were present - - I missed seeing everyone and introducing Molly to those who have not met her yet :(
* New Years was fun! My parents came down to Omaha and we had a nice dinner/circus at The Stokes Bar and Grill. If you can only imagine a relatively high end establishment on NYE with 2 high chairs - it was a circus - but great food and fun! We then took advantage of the free baby sitting and went out with some friends - finishing the night with Rockband and Wii!
*We just learned that Aubrey is now accepted into a great speech therapy program sponsored by the Scottish Rites here in Omaha. It's a 1 1/2 hour session one day a week for the next three years. She was on the waitlist for 10 months - so we're very excited to begin!! She'll be in a "classroom" type setting with 4-5 other special needs children that have severe speech delay or non-verbal like Aubrey. The whole goal will be to help Aubrey and the other kiddos learn how to communicate via other means (pictures, voice out-put systems). It will be so nice - as Chris and I are still pretty clueless when it comes to all the strategies you can and should do to help Aubrey.
*Molly now has two teeth, is crawling, pulling herself up in the crib and on tables, and loves to eat her solids! Basically - she's growing up over night! It's so amazing to see how fast she develops and picks up on things. It can be bittersweet for a split second when you see her move beyond Aubrey's level already - but for the most part - it's so great to have Molly and Aubrey together - - they are going to have such positive impacts on each other throughout their entire life!
*We close on our new house in 12 days!!! We're so excited!!!
*The UNO Dance Team is in middle of preparations for NDA Nationals. We're 3/4 of the way done choreographing the routine and we're LOVING it - - can't wait to compete in April!
Well - - that's all for now - - I promise - - pictures are coming soon of the girls, the house, and heck maybe we'll even get one of Chris and I!
I now have a Facebook account - so my old "blog" time is now spent stalking old and new friends on the book - not really productive - but very addicting.
Anyway - - here's a quick run down:
* Christmas was great - although we missed the big McGill party. It's hard to believe that all 10 of the original "McGill's" were present - - I missed seeing everyone and introducing Molly to those who have not met her yet :(
* New Years was fun! My parents came down to Omaha and we had a nice dinner/circus at The Stokes Bar and Grill. If you can only imagine a relatively high end establishment on NYE with 2 high chairs - it was a circus - but great food and fun! We then took advantage of the free baby sitting and went out with some friends - finishing the night with Rockband and Wii!
*We just learned that Aubrey is now accepted into a great speech therapy program sponsored by the Scottish Rites here in Omaha. It's a 1 1/2 hour session one day a week for the next three years. She was on the waitlist for 10 months - so we're very excited to begin!! She'll be in a "classroom" type setting with 4-5 other special needs children that have severe speech delay or non-verbal like Aubrey. The whole goal will be to help Aubrey and the other kiddos learn how to communicate via other means (pictures, voice out-put systems). It will be so nice - as Chris and I are still pretty clueless when it comes to all the strategies you can and should do to help Aubrey.
*Molly now has two teeth, is crawling, pulling herself up in the crib and on tables, and loves to eat her solids! Basically - she's growing up over night! It's so amazing to see how fast she develops and picks up on things. It can be bittersweet for a split second when you see her move beyond Aubrey's level already - but for the most part - it's so great to have Molly and Aubrey together - - they are going to have such positive impacts on each other throughout their entire life!
*We close on our new house in 12 days!!! We're so excited!!!
*The UNO Dance Team is in middle of preparations for NDA Nationals. We're 3/4 of the way done choreographing the routine and we're LOVING it - - can't wait to compete in April!
Well - - that's all for now - - I promise - - pictures are coming soon of the girls, the house, and heck maybe we'll even get one of Chris and I!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Long Time Since I've Posted
Well - -
It's been nearly 2 or 3 weeks since I've had a chance to post anything.
The week after Thanksgiving - I got very very sick. I basically couldn't hold any food down for 4 days in a row and lost about 15 pounds. Not exactly the best way to lose my baby weight - but I'll take it. I'm feeling much better now. Aubrey was sick during that time too - but she seemed to bounce back quite well. Molly was the only member of our family that did not get the flu.
Anyway - that's why I've been so behind with everything. With all the time spent getting caught up at work and at home -- I've had little time for my blogging!
So what did you miss:
1 - House is going to be done last week of January.
It's starting to look like a real house - they have all the drywall, doors, trim, and cabinets up now and just started painting and staining the inside this week. It's starting to become pretty real that we'll be moving into a new house in nearly a month - -CRAZY!
2 - Welcomed another Angel to the AS Family.
About a month or so ago a mother in Connecticut contacted me after seeing pictures and videos of Aubrey on this blog. She saw so many similarities with Aubrey and her son Jack. Jack is about a year older than Aubrey and still did not have a diagnosis other than PVL. Well - - fast forward to this week - -and Jack received his blood work back confirming that he is deletion positive for Angelman Syndrome(same at Aubrey). How neat that Aubrey and this site helped another family across the country find an answer. What a neat thing!
Both Jack and Aubrey have the PVL brain damage in addition to AS - -this, as I understand it, is VERY VERY RARE - - maybe a handful of cases in North America. I'm glad that we'll have each other through this journey.
Welcome to the family Melissa and Jack!!!
3 - Getting Ready for the Holidays
We can't wait to go back to South Dakota for Christmas to see everyone. We'll be in Beresford the night of Tue Dec 23rd and be there until Fri Dec 26th. We'll head up to Aberdeen Friday afternoon and drive home Monday the 29th. I can't wait to see as many family and friends as possible!
Well - - that's about it from here in Omaha. I really need to get more pictures and video up of the girls - because let's be honest -you'd much rather see that than read - right!?!
That's all for now
It's been nearly 2 or 3 weeks since I've had a chance to post anything.
The week after Thanksgiving - I got very very sick. I basically couldn't hold any food down for 4 days in a row and lost about 15 pounds. Not exactly the best way to lose my baby weight - but I'll take it. I'm feeling much better now. Aubrey was sick during that time too - but she seemed to bounce back quite well. Molly was the only member of our family that did not get the flu.
Anyway - that's why I've been so behind with everything. With all the time spent getting caught up at work and at home -- I've had little time for my blogging!
So what did you miss:
1 - House is going to be done last week of January.
It's starting to look like a real house - they have all the drywall, doors, trim, and cabinets up now and just started painting and staining the inside this week. It's starting to become pretty real that we'll be moving into a new house in nearly a month - -CRAZY!
2 - Welcomed another Angel to the AS Family.
About a month or so ago a mother in Connecticut contacted me after seeing pictures and videos of Aubrey on this blog. She saw so many similarities with Aubrey and her son Jack. Jack is about a year older than Aubrey and still did not have a diagnosis other than PVL. Well - - fast forward to this week - -and Jack received his blood work back confirming that he is deletion positive for Angelman Syndrome(same at Aubrey). How neat that Aubrey and this site helped another family across the country find an answer. What a neat thing!
Both Jack and Aubrey have the PVL brain damage in addition to AS - -this, as I understand it, is VERY VERY RARE - - maybe a handful of cases in North America. I'm glad that we'll have each other through this journey.
Welcome to the family Melissa and Jack!!!
3 - Getting Ready for the Holidays
We can't wait to go back to South Dakota for Christmas to see everyone. We'll be in Beresford the night of Tue Dec 23rd and be there until Fri Dec 26th. We'll head up to Aberdeen Friday afternoon and drive home Monday the 29th. I can't wait to see as many family and friends as possible!
Well - - that's about it from here in Omaha. I really need to get more pictures and video up of the girls - because let's be honest -you'd much rather see that than read - right!?!
That's all for now
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Posting from the road!
So this post is basically a test of technology for me! We're driving back from Aberdeen SD and I'm on my Blackberry.
We had a great time eating, shopping, seeing old friends, and even got out to see a movie!
You know that game High - Low,here are mine for the weekend:
HIGHS:
* Getting nearly 90% of my Christmas shopping done!
* Meeting Justin and Amy's children...Hey guys!!
* Seeing Aubrey get more adventurous with her crawling and walking!
* Hearing Molly babble more.
LOWS:
* Chris getting sick.
* Uncle Seth getting sick.
* Grandpa Gosch getting sick.
* Forgetting my camera's memory card.
Other than a nasty flu bug..this weekend was perfect.
I love the holidays and it was a great way to kick it off!
Now back to the 6 hour car ride!
We had a great time eating, shopping, seeing old friends, and even got out to see a movie!
You know that game High - Low,here are mine for the weekend:
HIGHS:
* Getting nearly 90% of my Christmas shopping done!
* Meeting Justin and Amy's children...Hey guys!!
* Seeing Aubrey get more adventurous with her crawling and walking!
* Hearing Molly babble more.
LOWS:
* Chris getting sick.
* Uncle Seth getting sick.
* Grandpa Gosch getting sick.
* Forgetting my camera's memory card.
Other than a nasty flu bug..this weekend was perfect.
I love the holidays and it was a great way to kick it off!
Now back to the 6 hour car ride!
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