In with the NEW!

Happiness is what we'll remember this year. It was

Amazingly wonderful and so full of cheer. A

Proud set of parents and four kids that are great

Proudly say good-bye to 2008.

You know that sweet April is now in 4th grade.

Now with Taylee in 1st, feels she has it made!

Every Dino is played with as Brynn's day starts,

While cute little Justin always melts hearts! Twelve

Years of marriage and eight in our home.

Each day is a gift, we are never alone.

All in all this year has been fine! We are

Really excited for 2009!

We hope you have a Fantastic New Year!!

These are a few of our favorite things....

Every Christmas the "Gailey" clan has always done something service oriented to feel the true meaning of Christmas.... to feel a little more of the spirit.  In the past we have been a secret santa for a family in need.  This year we decided to give of our time and show the kids other ways of helping.  We went to the Bishop Storehouse and they put us to work.  We unpacked big boxes of toilet paper and put them into bags of four.  The kids were busy working on diaper boxes.  We all had a great time!

Christmas morning the kids woke up (because Mom and Dad made them.... at 8:00 a.m.) to some great gifts! We all had great time and loved our gifts! It was nice to know that April (being the oldest), said it was her best Christmas!  WHEW!


We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all a fabulous New Year!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS.....

to you!

Let's Dance!

April and Taylee did a great job at their Christmas recital! Aunt Wendy did an awesome job taking these pictures for us! Tyler was a no-show. (with good reason of course! It was his work Christmas party which I had to miss). I was chasing Brynn up and down the isle and trying to videotape at the same time. Richelle was a lifesaver! I was out of hands. Sorry Justin!

Taylee (middle) danced to the song "Christmas of Love."

April (middle, back) danced to "Christmas means to me."

I'm too cool!

This gets pretty annoying.... Mom and Dad feel like they need to show me off every now and then.  In this picture I finally have enough strength to hold myself up while Dad puts me way high in the air!  I know this doesn't seem like much... but look... it takes a lot for me to be able to hold myself up like that!  BIG day!  It's fun too!

I get a kick out of this picture!  Mom and Dad are constantly checking up on me when they put me to bed to make sure I have my oxygen all shoved up my nose.  Well... this time I got caught! I was busy playing with it instead of using it for what it's really supposed to be used for.  Hey... you try to sleep with plastic tubes up your nose.  Not too comfortable!

Kiddo Updates!

It's time for some much needed updates on my sweeties!

APRIL -  Every year the school has a "reflections project." The theme this year was "WOW."   Being the artist that she is, she chose art and came up with the fun eye catching WOW picture. She did awesome and was even given an award!

She is definitely in the pre-tween stage if there is such a thing!  I know I went through a million outfits in the morning before I chose the one I would wear for the day... but I recall being at least 13.... not 9!  Luckily she is a sweet girl and has even taken up a lot more baby-sitting for Mom and Dad! She's working hard for that cell phone! (little does she know it will take many more years...)

TAYLEE - She also chose art for the reflections project and also won an award! I had a flower arrangement on the table and she sat there and put it to paper very nicely!

She is doing an awesome job reading!  She has always had an interest and can't wait to read before bed.  She is on her 3rd chapter book!

Lucky for me - she trusts what I pick out for her to wear... and wears it proudly! 

BRYNN - Oh the fun loving, firecracker of a child.... She amazes us daily!  She is wild.  She is busy. She is determined. She is Brynnie! But she always tells us how much she loves us all day long!  She is my partner in crime.  She loves to shop and eat out just as much as me!

We are working on getting her to realize that she has a bed of her own.  I never thought I would have to share my bed with my 3 year old AND my husband. We have her wrapped up like a burrito in mom's blanket so she feels me around her at night.  I doubt it will work, but it's worth a try!

JUSTIN - Oh my sweet little J-man!  He had his first echocardiogram last Friday. The Cardiologist was thrilled to tell us that he only had 3 minor issues.  I kept thinking - THREE?! They told us to feel very thankful with the results.  He has a very healthy heart! He has been ordered to be put on oxygen when he sleeps for several months up to one year.  I would love to explain why... but this medical stuff really confuses me!  It has something to do with the pressure that is being put on his lungs.  He has to go in for a procedure (date not known yet) to close up his PDA.  A valve that should have closed before birth that didn't.  It's a simple out patient surgery, so we are thankful for that!  He is still a happy little boy who now says dada too! (all that matters is that he said mama first!)

Proud Mama!

At 7 months old.... Justin's first word! Of course I'm proud! Don't forget to pause my music!

Off track is over :(

You would think that after having my kids home for 4 weeks from being off track that I would be DYING to send them back.  For some reason that just isn't the case.  This particular off track went by extremely fast and I'm not too happy about it.  We enjoyed a wonderful week with the entire family for Thanksgiving, saw a few cute movies, went to the bounce house, ate out with friends and family (what's new), had several days of sickness and even a night in the ER (not so fun), went as a family to Justin's physical therapy so they could meet the therapist, went to Temple Square to see the lights, decorated for Christmas, had many sleep overs and late nights, went to the girls dance recital at the Festival of Trees, celebrated many family birthdays and much more that I'm forgetting. Now it's crunch time.  Time to work on book reports and memorizing poems before Monday!  Should have started that 4 weeks ago!  Na.... that would have been no fun!

Turkey, Diet Coke, and SHOPPING!

There's never a better time than when the family is all together! Our Thanksgiving day was full of good food and family fun! The men made yummy fried turkey and Tri tip! 

Then..... when all the kiddos are tucked in bed and the men are back from the movies, the girls head back over to Richelle's to prepare for Black Friday!!! During our card game, Mom and Alissa decided to try the saltine cracker challenge! (eat 6 crackers in 1 minute with no drink!) Jackie tried to warn you both that it couldn't be done! She was right as we almost lost Alissa from choking on crackers! That will be one that we will laugh about years from now when we gather together for more games!

We started our shopping right at midnight! We hit the mall.... and maybe that will be a first and last for us.  It was more of a teenager hangout, but fun nonetheless!

Next on the list was Kohl's at 4:00 a.m.!  We were actually crazy enough to stand in the light rain for 30 minutes until doors opened! 

We made it to Target at 6:00, (thank goodness for Diet Coke which is what kept us all going!) then ended the fun shopping adventure at Kneaders for some much needed breakfast at 7:30 a.m.

Fun times for sure and can't wait to do it again! 

(P.S. I'm not sure why you can click on some of my text... I didn't even know I did that, which means I have no idea how to get rid of it!)

Life is awesome!

I finally got to see Grandma and Papa Gailey on Friday!  See how happy I was with the reunion!  Not that it's been that long, but it felt like forever!

Check this out.... Mom finally let me have those teething biscuits!  YUM is all I have to say about that! I demolished it with my 2 teeth!

Oh ya.... so satisfied!

My mom was trying to take a picture of me using my strong legs and arms to pivot myself around the room!  I see my cool train set and want to face it so bad.....

Well..... I did it!  Mom waited patiently for the perfect shot! TaDa!  I know.... you are all so impressed with my mad skills!

Everyday Thanksgiving

I was given this handout a long time ago and always loved reading it around the Thanksgiving time as a reminder!  I am thankful for ALL of you!

EVERYDAY THANKSGIVING

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings each morning, thank you Lord, that I can hear. There are those who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morning light as long as possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see. There are many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the effort of rising, thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in the magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous, thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and moan my fate from day to day, and wish my circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for the gift of life.

Can we say "jealous?"

So I asked the girls, "What should we do today?"  Taylee, with no hesitation says, "get my hair cut!"  So we went on ahead to the local Cookie Cutters to start the hair cutting process! Her cute stylist cut what we thought would be a good length, but Taylee said, "Shorter!"  Well, she sure knew what she wanted!  Shorter she went and what a good choice! 

Now during this whole time April is saying, "I can't believe she wants to go so short!  I don't want to cut mine.  But if I change my mind, you can just cut it for me Mom."  Tyler and I knew what was going on.  Sister was a tad bit jealous!  We asked her a few times if she wanted a cut, but she kept saying no.  After she saw how cute Taylee looked, she quickly changed her mind!

Now we have two cute girls with short hair.  Tyler was dying (as he prefers long hair), but agrees that it looks adorable!  We kept Brynn's hair nice and long for Daddy! (for now!) 

Justin update!

Thursday Justin had his first cardiology appointment.  He won over the nurses with his charm right from the start! They did a typical exam on him and heard nothing to make them concerned. They were unable to do an ultrasound on his heart because he was talking too much and very wiggly!  Apparently the lungs cover the heart when they talk, cough, etc. which would give a terrible reading of his heart. They would rather rule out heart issues the right way, even though they don't suspect any defects. He will go in for an echocardiogram the middle of December.  Poor guy will have to be put out for the procedure.  From start to finish it will take about 6 hours! I'm a tad nervous, but I have faith in the Doctors.  

Friday was his 6 month well baby check-up.  There is actually a Down Syndrome growth chart!  He is no longer considered tiny and short!  Hooray Justin!  He is now in the 60th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height!  Just Perfect! He is doing all that he should be doing including the beginning stages of sitting up on his own! 

We continue to take him to weekly physical therapy sessions to work on his low muscle tone. His arms are getting stronger every day. HE is getting stronger every day! He's making great progress.  It's amazing how much stronger he's gotten in the 5 weeks he's been going to therapy!  5 weeks ago he could hardly hold his head up when on his tummy, couldn't bear weight on his legs when held in a standing position, and definitely wasn't even close to sitting up! His arms were very weak. Just this weekend he was able to reach his hands up to aunt Wendy's face and touch her! Something so simple like that was very hard for him to do, but he's doing it! 

I will continue to post Justin updates as they come!  We love this little guy!

Kiddo Updates!

April and Taylee.... what can I say! It still baffles me that these two didn't want to share a room anymore because they are the best of friends!  Every weekend they end up having a "sleep over" in Aprils room!  So funny! We just had Parent Teacher Conference yesterday and they both did awesome! We are very proud of them and their desire to make excellent grades!  They are both loving dance this year and are looking forward to their Christmas recital.  We are so excited that tomorrow is their last day on track.  We'll be off track for 4 weeks and can't wait!

Brynnie the Brynnster..... still in love with her dinosaurs!  They are multiplying around the house like crazy.  I'm constantly stepping on dinos! It is so cute to watch her play house with them.  She talks to them so sweetly and motherly like!  She's totally bored and wishes every day that she was in pre-school.  Doesn't chick-fil-a with cousins count as pre-school?

Justin the J-man!  He is doing awesome!  Yes... he is sitting up all by himself! (unlike the professional shot of him in the previous blog. Daddy is holding him up behind the curtain!) We have been working so hard with the physical therapist to make his arms stronger.  He is officially using his arms to hold himself up!  HUGE step!  He cut his first tooth on his 6 month birthday! He will go in for an echocardiogram next month to rule out any heart issues.  They are pretty confident that he will be fine.  Just procedure.  

We love our kiddos and are proud of each of them!

Our journey is just beginning....

Let us share with you Justin's story.  Justin was born a healthy and happy boy on May 1, 2008. We fell in love with him right from the start, just as we did with our other children.  It was only a few weeks later when I wondered to myself if he had Down Syndrome.  I didn't want to come across to people as negative or paranoid, so I let it go and never shared my feelings with anyone.  I figured it would have been caught by now.  They checked me while I was pregnant (negative), he checked out great at the hospital, and even so at his 2 week check-up.  A few people had brought it to my attention.  I felt a lot of pain as the months went on because I wasn't the only one who was noticing.  I brought it up to my Dr. at his 2 month check-up and he sweetly laughed it off.  There was no reason to suspect such a thing. He was meeting each and every milestone and had no major features of a DS child. As the days and months passed, strangers were looking at him different and asking me if he was DS.  I again brought it to the Dr.'s attention, but he still felt no need to check.  I was always welcome to do the blood work, but felt I should be comfortable with his opinion.  I chose to take Justin to physical therapy to work on his Torticollis and Hypotonia (low muscle tone).  It was then when Mary (his PT) asked if he had ever been tested.  I explained to her our history with him.  I decided then that it was time to get an answer.  Just this past Friday was a day that Tyler and I will never forget.  I received the phone call from the Dr. while I was all alone, that my son did test positive for Downs. I instantly felt alone, lost and confused.  I grabbed my little angel from his peaceful nap and wanted to protect him from this judgmental world.  I thought it would be easy to hear the answer since it had been on my mind since shortly after his birth.  That is something you just can't prepare yourself for.  Tyler left work immediately and we just hugged and cried.  We weren't angry or sad, but had a feeling of "where do we go from here?"  We had a wonderful amount of family support through out the remaining of the day, which we are forever grateful for.  We already knew there was something amazing and special about this child.  The love that we already had for him multiplied by thousands.  We just wanted to hold him close and let him know that we weren't going to let him down.  We realize that he is an amazing and choice spirit that was sent down from our Heavenly Father and he chose US to be his parents.  A little overwhelming.... sure.  But we know we wouldn't be given more than we could handle.   Saturday was one of the greatest days of my life!  I woke up feeling extremely blessed and thankful for our little child. How lucky are we to have him in OUR home?!  We were able to share with our girls that morning how lucky we were to have him.  We had the most wonderful day taking family pictures in the canyon and felt so close to each other that day.  I know it has only been a few days.  I'm sure we will have our ups and downs, happy times and sad times, smiles and tears.  But we are sure of one thing.  The blessing will outweigh the challenges.  We firmly believe that! We are beginning a beautiful journey as a family and hope you all are up to taking it with us! He has already been a blessing in our life and I know he will be able to touch each one of you and everyone he comes in contact with.  We are thankful for all the love and support we have received. It means so much to us! This doesn't change our life together.... it just makes it much brighter!  

We are believers!

We believe in our little angel! We love you Justin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_0K-gPlyb0