Swimsuit Season!

I just cleaned out Hope's drawer and little missy has 9 swimsuits.....and today was her first day she's EVER been swimming!!!!!!!

Little girl clothes are just too hard to resist.

Summer

Well, our summer break didn't start off as planned......both kids got the stomach bug and Hopie had 103.3 fever to go along with it. Thankfully they both weathered it well! So glad we got it over with now because we have a fun filled summer ahead of us.

Yesterday John said....."First, I go camping. Then, I go to circus. Then, I go beach. Then, I go to Disneyland to see Mickey!"

Man, I love these kids!!!!

Dedication

On Mother's Day (5-9-10) we had the kids dedicated. It was a beautiful day surrounded by family!

What's New?

What's new in the Birtch household?

John

*He loves to dance and can shake his booty pretty darn good!!!!! I'll post a video soon.

*He is talking very well now. I just can't get enough of that sweet little voice.

*We only have one person in front of us on the wait list for swim lessons. I am excited because it's a special needs program...one on one. I will also be able to be in the water with Hope during her lesson...which is at the same time.

*My parents are taking John on his first camping trip in June. He is SOOOOOOOOOO excited.

Hope

*She is officially army crawling....and all over the place.

*She has two bottom teeth and I think the top ones are on their way.

*Her voice is VERY loud....John is not a fan of that:)

*My baby girl sleeps 12 hours at night and still takes 2 naps....yahoooooo!

As you can see, everything is going very well in the Birtch home. John only has seven more days of school and then it's summer break!!!!!!!

John and Daddy playing with the "man house!"

Hopie jumping away in her Jumparoo!!!

My clean little girl! She loves her baths!!!

What a big girl. Playing with her toys all by herself.

I love this picture.

John playing with the iPad.

Daddy watching the game and John doing puzzles on the iPad.

Beauty Queen

Love, love, love this pretty little girl.....and of course her handsome big brother too!

Top 20 Reasons Moms of Kids With Special Needs ROCK

I saw this on another blog and LOVED it!!!

1. Because we never thought that “doing it all” would mean doing this much. But we do it all, and then some.
2. Because we’ve discovered patience we never knew we had.
3. Because we are willing to do something 10 times, 100 times, 1,000 times if that’s what it takes for our kids to learn something new.
4. Because we have heard doctors tell us the worst, and we've refused to believe them. TAKE THAT, nay-saying doctors of the world.
5. Because we have bad days and breakdowns and bawl-fests, and then we pick ourselves up and keep right on going.
6. Because we gracefully handle the stares, the comments, the rude remarks. Well, mostly gracefully.
7. Because we manage to get ourselves together and get out the door looking pretty damn good. Heck, we even make sweatpants look good.
8. Because we are strong. Man, are we strong. Who knew we could be this strong?
9. Because we aren’t just moms, wives, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, women who work. We are moms, wives, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, women who work, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, researchers, nurses, coaches, and cheerleaders. Whew.
10. Because we work overtime every single day.
11. Because we also worry overtime, but we work it through. Or we eat chocolate or Pirate's Booty or gourmet cheese, which aren't reimbursable by insurance as mental-health necessities but should be.
12. Because we are more selfless than other moms. Our kids need us more.
13. Because we give our kids with special needs endless love, and then we still have so much love left for our other kids, our husbands, our family. And our hairstylist, of course.
14. Because we inspire one another in this crazy blogosphere every single day.
15. Because we understand our kids better than anyone else—even if they can’t talk, even if they can’t gesture, even if they can't look us in the eye. We know. We just know.
16. Because we never stop pushing for our kids.
17. Because we never stop hoping for them, either.
18. Because just when it seems like things are going OK, they're suddenly not OK, but we deal. Somehow, we always deal, even when it seems like our heads or hearts might explode.
19. Because when we look at our kids we just see great kids. Not "kids with cerebral palsy/autism/Down syndrome/developmental delays/whatever label."
20. Because, well, you tell me.

Happy Birthday Auntie Brenda!

Today I took the kids up to the cemetery for Auntie Brenda's 32nd Birthday....we brought her a balloon and a picture frame that Daddy had engraved. John even sang Happy Birthday to her!

Funny story.....

Yesterday, we walked up to the store to pick out something for Auntie Brenda. John came across a mug that said, "My Grandma Rocks." He kept saying, "Auntie Brenda will loooooveeeeee this!" Thankfully (after about 5 minutes) I was able to talk him into getting a purple balloon with flowers all over it....and all the way home he was saying,"That balloon is beautiful. Auntie Brenda love it."

Today is also Papa's Birthday. John really wanted to get him Mickey Mouse underwear!!!!! Don't worry Dad, I couldn't find any in your size!

This kid is too funny!

What?

Doesn't everyone wear a Christmas PJ shirt with plaid shorts while playing with an Easter bunny and eating marshmallows at 7am (in May?)

Love him!!!!!!!!!!

And for the record, he can eat marshmallows like no other.....bowls upon bowls!!!!!

Toys

It is just a matter of time before the kids start fighting over toys.

Hopie is on the move....and her first stop? John's room to play with his toys.....and boy does she like his man house (masculine doll house...tee hee!!!!!!!)

Nine Months

I cannot believe that my baby girl is already 9 months old.....and in 3 months we'll be celebrating her first Birthday!

Everything checked out well at her 9 month appointment. She now weighs 18.6 pounds, has her two bottom teeth and rolls and scoots EVERYWHERE!!!!!!

My pretty little girl!

She LOVES her food and is now eating cheerios, graham crackers, yogurt and anything else she can get her hands on!

My little man is quite the eater too.....his favorite is an In and Out burger and some fries.

Uncle Craig

We sure do love our Uncle Craig!!!!!!!!!

Summer Time!

I think we just had our last weekend of spring weather......summer, here we come!!!!

John has three more weeks of school and then he is off for summer break. We have a fun week long trip to the beach planned (including John's first trip to Disneyland,) swim lessons, a special little girls first birthday party and lots and lots of play dates. We sure LOVE summer time.....but are secretly counting the days until Christmas...tee hee!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope in her adorable outfit from Aunt Alli!!!

I know this picture is fuzzy but they are BOTH in it......which doesn't happen often:)

And this picture cracks me up! The look on John's face is priceless.......you've got to watch out for that big, bad sissy!!!!!!

Tonight's Prayers!

Tonight John's prayers went like this...."Thank you God for my iPad, for my ABC book, for my basketball, for my basketball hoop and thank you God, amen!"

And for the record, the iPad is NOT his.....he likes to think it is though:)