Meeting up with friends ...

Payton, Kennedy and Nika

One of my favorite things about being on this journey called Down syndrome is all the friends I have made across the nation ... well, across the world, really. We just have an unspeakable bond with each other, that just doesn't come anywhere else.

Earlier this week, we had the chance to meet up with our friends, the Garcia family. It was just a short visit as they passed through town, but fun nonetheless. The kids had a great time playing together and we have concluded that Kameron and Mason are one in the same ... crazy little boys!

Nika and Keeghan

Payton and Kennedy

Nika ... giving me her cheese face ...

Snacktime ..

... on the top shelf of the pantry? Seriously, who took my daughter and left me this monkey?
I guess this is a good time to comment on the strength that Payton has. It boggles my mind, especially for a child that has Down syndrome. We can pretty much throw those stereotypes out the window! Whether she is scaling rock walls, pulling her entire body up on the monkey bars or simply scaling the pantry shelves ... the chick is strong!

One day when Payton was at speech, there was another child in the therapy room doing PT. When we were getting ready to leave, the therapist commented on how she couldn't believe how muscular Payton's legs are. I really didn't know what to say, since I have never compared her leg muscles with that of another child. I mean really, who does that? But I do know she is a husky, strong little girl, so it makes sense ... and I guess it is good to know?

That's all I got, folks. Haha.

4th of July Celebration

We spent the day at my cousin's house. She lives in a lakeside community, so the kids got to spend the day swimming in the lake ... which they loved.

It was also Nika's first time experiencing sand ... and umm, it didn't go over so well. As soon as I took her shoes off and stood her in the sand, she cried. She did end up getting used to it, but she is pretty much on edge whenever there is a body of water around.

We still haven't beat that small little problem.

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L-R: Tammy (my cousin), Maddy (my other cousin's daughter) and Sherry (my aunt)

My aunt turned 60 years old over the weekend, so we celebrated her birthday too. We all made scrapbook pages honoring her and assembled them into a book for her ... she loved it.

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Tom (my uncle)

After such a long day at the beach, we were exhausted by the time the fireworks rolled around. We decided to pass on the big fireworks display and have our own little rinky dink display. The kids were just as happy, but I can't really say it measured up. Ha.

Happy 4th of July!

Nika's sleep study results ...

Yesterday we had our follow up appointment with our ENT to review Nika's sleep study results. The sleep study was way back in February, mind you.

So the results were basically inconclusive. We learned nothing ... all because of the really.smart.sleep.study.tech. Apparently the tech failed to make sure that the belt around Nika's belly remained intact ... and thus they did not get the readings they needed.

Seriously?

As if the tech doesn't know that the belt needs to remain intact? As if he didn't know it wasn't picking up a reading the entire time we were there?

This honestly just irks me. Now we have to repeat the sleep study, however I've asked if there is another facility that we can use. The facility we have been using is horrible, not to mention having to wait for several hours every.single.time we go there.