Happy Belated Thanksgiving

This past week/weekend was full of fun, family and fantastic food. However, there have been a few bumps in the road, hence the late post. Up first, the need to replace the brake pads on the Tahoe. Thank goodness I had the good sense to get an oil change and have the brakes checked before we left for Florida. I knew there was a reason I could hear them while backing out the driveway. Next up, the extra long drive home from Florida. Not really unexpected, but not welcome either. Delilah is usually a great little traveler, but I65 on Sunday was really pushing her limits. Finally, the straw that broke the camels back, was returning home to the power going out. Seems to happen everytime we return home from a trip. However, this time it wasn't the power company (who was very rude to me in my distressed state). Apparently the main breaker was fried. How? No idea. Even the electrician was stumped. He says we were lucky it didn't cause a fire (silver lining). As I type this it doesn't seem very dramatic, but I was a bit of a stress ball with it all.

On to what you have been waiting on, news on little miss Delilah. She is absolutely amazing, as usual. She really enjoyed her time with family. She is always treated like the little princess she is. Which is to say, she gets spoiled rotten. One major event of note, Delilah said her first, clear three word phrase/sentence. It happened when we put her up on a horse with her Aunt Danielle. She said, "I want down." Clear as day. Multiple times. I was elated. 

A quick pic on the horse. 

Since then, I feel liked am hearing more and more multiple word phrases, like "I want milk". It's really really nice. 

Thanksgiving was a great day. We spent it at Grandma and Grandpa Barrow's house. The food was great. I really could eat Thanksgiving dinner every day. So good. While we were waiting for dinner, Delilah, my mom and I went outside to expel some energy. Delilah loves her Nana. She kept running and jumping into her arms. It was adorable. It also helped wear her out a little. She nearly fell asleep eating the stuffing! 

On Friday we went to spend the weekend with Janet. Delilah had a blast sitting on the deck watching the water. We learned she likes Smoked Tuna Dip, a favorite of mine. Also, she isn't a fan of spicy food. We had a shrimp boil Saturday night, which had a bit of a kick to it. She bit into her corn on the cob and immediately put it down. Her nose started running and she was scraping her tongue. (I promise I didnt think it was that hot. Lesson learned.) She was fine once we made her some new, non spicy corn. 

Now that we are home, and no new major issues seem to have creeped up (knocking on wood), we are getting excited for John's return home. He should be home sometime tomorrow evening and we can't wait. Now to just get the house in order. Once he gets home, I will finally be able to get the Christmas decoration out of the attic and put up.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Growing too fast!

Two days ago, Delilah climbed out of her crib for the first time. Actually, she kind of fell out of it. At least, that is what I assume, considering the big thump I heard coming from her room. I thought she had just thrown her baby dolls out, but then I heard her banging on the door. I cannot say I was excited about this new development. All I could picture was nap time flying out the window, and bedtime becoming a struggle.

Instead if immediately taking the front bars off her crib, I decided to wait and see if she would do it again. I was hoping the fall would deter her from doing it again. That night and the next day and night she didn't climb out. I was sighing with relief. Until today, that is.

Little girl has climbed out of her crib not once, not twice, but three times during nap. Oh no! Looks like she will be graduating to a toddler bed now. Hopefully night time won't be such too difficult.

On a completely different note, the other day, my friend, Lindy, and I took our two little princesses out for some photos. We both needed to get some good shots out Christmas cards, and it is always fun to get Addie and Delilah together. Let me just say, the photos turned out ADORABLE! The girls were much more cooperative then we even imagined. Apparently the secret weapon is lipgloss. Who knew? I am dying to show you all the pics, but I don't want to spoil the surprise. Once the cards are mailed, I will post all the cuteness. Until then, here is a tease.

Planning for the Future

This past Tuesday I was fortunate enough to attend a Parent Seminar put on by The Bell Center. This particular seminar focused on financial planning for your child with special needs. I am so glad I went. I had no idea how complex planning for the future really is. I really wish more parents would have attended.

One of the biggest pieces of information I learned (in my opinion) is how it is a bad idea to leave anything in the child, with special needs, name. Actually it isn't just a bad idea. It is a terrible, no good, very bad, don't you dare do it idea. Why? Well, if the said child (hopefully adult by then) has $1 more than $2000 in assets, they are disqualified from government assistance. As in no Medicare or Social Security, no government assistance with group housing, transportation, etc. Nothing. Nada. Trust me, we don't want that.

You may be wondering (or not) what qualifies as an asset. Pretty much anything with a cash value; examples include car, house, savings bond, cash, etc. It's just a good idea to assume that nothing, absolutely nothing should be left in the child's name. Instead, it should be left for the child, in a Special Needs Trust.

Which leads me to my next bit of new information, the Special Needs Trust. I had never heard of this before. Not surprising, considering I've never really considered the future. Instead of leaving insurance, money, etc in the child's name, we will set up a Special Needs Trust to be managed on her behalf. The trust will then be able to provide extra care and support beyond that which will provided by the local, state and governmental programs.

The above just touches on a couple of things I learned in the Seminar. Once John returns from Maine, and we get back into the swing of things, we will be sitting down with some professionals (Attorney and Financial Planner, specializing in Special Needs) and mapping out a plan. I'm so glad I learned of all this now, so that we can begin to get the ball rolling. As we all know, none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. I want to make sure Delilah had the best possible life, even when we aren't around.

Testing

I think I have finally found an app for my iPad that will let me write and publish blog posts. This is a test post to see if it works. I'm hoping this app will help me post more often.
Here is a pic of D, as no post is complete without one. I took this pic to try out my new Camera Connection Kit for the iPad and an editing app called Photoforge2. It allows me to do some simple edits and work in layers, which is how I was able to add a watermark.

The combination of these apps should help me update my blogs more frequently. Having it all available on my very portable iPad means I can now work on posts while D is in school.
Please check out my new blog if you have a minute. Creations By Kera.

Audrey Hepburn

As you all know, yesterday was Halloween. You also know that I live for the opportunity to dress up Delilah. This Halloween was no exception. Before I show you the pics, let me take a moment to tell you how this costume came to be. I had every intention of making a Peacock costume for Delilah. I had already ordered the feathers and was, quite literally, about to walk out the door to buy the remaining supplies. Then I went on Pinterest, which happens to be my obsession. It was like fate. As I scrolled through recent Pins I came across the most adorable Mini Audrey Hepburn costume I had ever seen. My jaw hit my desk. My Mother-In-Law, Deanie, happened to be in town (and a fellow Audrey super fan). When I showed her we both knew it was meant to be. Delilah was definitely going to be Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly). This may be my last year I get to choose the costume. Might as well go out with a bang!

Without further adieu, I present Audrey Hepburn. ***WARNING: The cuteness is at a dangerous level.***

The coach bag was her Trick or Treat bag. Couldn't let it clash with her outfit!

An outtake, but I couldn't resist posting. She wasn't thrilled Jenn walked away.

Sea World and then some!

This past weekend, Delilah and I ventured south to Georgia and then on to Orlando. Our friends (and previous neighbors in AK), the Martins, invited us to join them on a trip to SeaWorld. They didn't have to ask twice, especially after learning about the Here's to the Heroes program; free admission for Military Members and their direct dependents.

I would love to say this trip was easy breezy, but that just isn't how our lives work. The night I was packing, the cat spilt a soda on my laptop. It immediately shut down and acted very dead. I was devastated. Mainly because a replacement for my MacBook is not in the budget. Luckily, I am very OCD on backing up to my external hard drive, so most things were saved. I unplugged the MacBook, removed the battery, and left it upside down during the trip. When I came home it turned on and seems to be working fine. Crossing my fingers that it continues, but will be putting some money aside for a replacement, just in case.

The kicks don't stop there. After arriving at the Martins house, in Georgia, the Tahoe decided not to start. We jumped it and charged the battery. It seemed to work, but on Friday morning when we were getting ready to head to Orlando, it had the same problem. Jumped it again and then decided to get the battery tested when we got to Orlando. (Upon reflection, I realize that we probably should have done that Thursday night, before we left. Oh well!) Guess what? I needed to replace the battery. Fine. Anything to get my Tahoe running normal.

So we enjoyed the rest of Friday and our day at Sea World on Saturday (more on that later). Sunday we drove back to Georgia and arrived around lunchtime. We decided to go out to dinner that night. Once we are all loaded into the Tahoe, guess what happens? Nothing!!! Darn thing wouldn't start. We were stumped. The battery was working, as was evident by all the lights working. Monica managed to call a friend who knew a mechanic. He was able to come out to the house Monday morning. (Thank goodness. A tow was not really in the budget!) After about a half hour looking at everything, he figured it out. Blown fuse. All the stress and worry that darn fuse caused me! ***I know I'm rambling on, but it's important to share all the adventures of a trip, even if they aren't so much fun.***

Anyhow, I should probably move onto talking about the fun stuff, like Sea World. Delilah and I had a blast. The Martin's too! Little girl loved everything, even the carousel! I was amazed that her attention was held so long durning the shows. When they would end she would turn to us and sign/say "more". She also loved the aquariums. I think we may have to get one for the house one of these days. Here are some pics. Hope you enjoy!

Delilah trying to give Alex a kiss. He wouldn't have it.
She also tried holding his hand, all day, but, sadly, he wasn't interested.  

Sitting with Justin during the Shamu show. Loved it!

During the Shamu show. 

Riding a spinning ride with Monica. (I don't do rides, especially ones that spin!)

Riding the carousel. She was very mad when it ended. 

Me and Michelle. Proof that I was actually on this trip!

Loving the aquarium. 

Worn completely out! (And yes, a wardrobe change.
It was chilly in the morning, but warmed up quite a bit.)

Don't want to forget a pic of the Whales!

Kissing Whales!

Some other news before I go. I finally decided to start (officially) a home business. At this time I am offering custom Camera Strap Covers, E-Reader Covers and Digital Scrapbook Services. I will also discuss other custom sewing projects. My new website is www.creationsbykera.com.  Please go and take a look. Here is a sample of my work.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!

Magic City Mile

I've really been bad about this blog updating. No promises on getting any better.

Anyhow, this past Sunday we attended the Magic City Mile Run/Walk for The Bell Center. As you may already know, Delilah currently attends The Bell Center (a wonderful Early Intervention Program). I can't stress enough how important The Bell Center has been to Delilah's development. Anyhow, the Magic City Mile was a fun way to spend a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Delilah colored, had her face painted, and played with bubbles. Lucky for her, Mom did all the walking! (I didn't realize how out of shape I was until I had to walk up the hill to the starting line!)

Here is a pic from the fun afternoon. 

Please note her accessories. She is her mother's daughter!

This fall has proven to be quite a busy one so far. Delilah attends school 4 days a week (2hr drop off at The Bell Center). She loves it and always has a good report.

One thing the therapists are working on, with her, is her balance. It seems to be a touch off recently. Mostly due to her always running and not walking. We are trying to teach her to slow down and walk. It seems anytime she stands up, she sprints off, leading to many stumbles and falls. (I was afraid someone would think I beat the poor child with the amount of bruises she gets from her falls.) She also tends to go limp anytime someone tries to hold her hand or steer her in a different direction/activity. Not fun, especially when she drags me down with her. Hopefully we can get this corrected soon.

She is also talking up a storm. We are working on recognizable two word phrases. We believe she is already saying some, we just can't understand them. However, her favorite thing to say right now is "Uh-oh". She will purposely drop or throw something just to say it. It's cuteness wares off after bending down to pick something up for the third time.

She is a big lover of music. She loves to carry around my iPod listening to her tunes. She can throw quite the fit when the battery runs down.

I guess that will do for now. Nap time is over and we will soon be off to the airport to pick up her surprise visitor (Gran Deanie). Hope everyone enjoys the beautiful weather!

P.S. I am taking orders for Poinsettias to help The Bell Center raise money. They are 8 inches and available in red, pink, or white for $17 per plant. All orders and payment are due on October 28th and I will deliver on December 5th. Please let me know if you are interested.