29 days and counting...

Here we continue with the fabulous month dedicated to such a special population of people... the community of Down Syndrome. OH, how I just loooove to be included in this fantastic group of people. To anyone that may be reading this because you are expecting a child with Down Syndrome and you just don't know what to do... I say this.

1. Your child is your child. The bond that you have felt with them so far does not change just because an extra chromosome has been thrown into the mix.
2. I know what it feels like to be so afraid of the unknown. I was just there. There are so many questions surrounding this new bundle of joy and so much apprehension.
3. The fear of the unknown is by far easier to deal with than the idea of losing the soul that you have created... the person that is FOREVER a part of who you are.
4. There is absolutely nothing that can prepare you for the pure joy and love that will fill your heart to an overwhelming extent each and every time you look at your new angel.
5. That pure love and joy will be radiating 10 times more from their eyes when they look at you (if that's even possible since your love is so overwhelmingly full).
6. You will learn. You will learn about patience. You will learn about unconditional love. You will learn about sacrifice. You will learn about acceptance. You will learn about life.
7. People will stare. People will question. People may be cruel. But then, those people do not matter and they do not belong in your life.
8. More so you will find that people will be kind and fall madly in love with your child.
9. You will cry sometimes. You will cry because you are sad. You will cry because you've got a long road ahead of you. You will cry because you are so very thankful to have been blessed with your sweet angel. You will cry because you are so proud of their accomplishments. You will cry because you could never imagine a life without them in it.
10. Strength. You will gain strength. More than you ever knew was possible. You CAN do this. It is so wonderful.

 Klo Bow and proud big sister Kourtney.

My Klo Bow sitting up all by herself. So proud of her. First time sitting up: 13 months old.

3hirty more...

To continue with this wonderful month of Down Syndrome Awareness...
I was reading a friend's blog (her adorable daughter happens to have Down Syndrome) and she shared the wonderful story of John Langdon Down, the man that discovered Down Syndrome (hence the name). I really had no idea that he had such a beautiful story. So, go read it. It's incredible. He was one of the first, if no the very first, to see people with disabilities for who they really are. I am glad to have trisomy 21 named after John Langdon Down.

Klo Bow: 6 months old

Thirty-1 days of Down Syndrome

Yes. You read that right. October is Down Syndrome Awareness month. 31 days to educate yourself or anyone else you know that may be "in the dark" about these beautiful people. We were blessed with our sweet Kloey Alice a little over a year ago. Oh, I had sooo many questions and I was very anxious about this new angel that had entered our lives and rocked our boats, so to speak. Let me just say this; I LOVE HER! I LOVE HER! I LOVE HER!!!

Above picture: This is Klo Bow a few days after birth. She was in the NICU for a week. We couldn't have her in our room at all but we are very blessed that we got to take her home after just a week. She came home with oxygen and a monitor but she was home nonetheless. 

So, a couple of random things here:

1. The abortion rate of babies with Down Syndrome is 92%.

2. Families that have a child with Down Syndrome say that they enrich and bless their lives. They are also proven to be more happy and unified than a typical family. 

These are facts. The second I read in a book and don't remember where it is right now as we are in the middle of a move. But both of these are true.

Kloey, along with every downs child, is a blessing to me and my family. Our lives have been blessed in SO many ways because of her. 

... and she gets a whole month dedicated to her special-ness.

Update

Here is me... :P

Okay. So current weight: 124 lbs.

8 weeks ago: almost 132 lbs.

That's about 1 pound every week and I think that is phenomenal!!! Just to toot my own horn.

pic below: 8 weeks ago

Doin'.... what it is we do.

My dearest friend Angie commented on this photo from my facebook. She said, "Two of my favorite people doing what we do best!!!! <3 it="it" p="p">

And I love that. I love that this picture represents what my friends, family, spouse and myself "do best". 

What is that exactly??? Well... a picture says a thousand things right???

We are goofy: spontaneous: giggly: happy: crazy (beyond belief): and loving.

+ sooo many more things... but you get the jist. 

So in this post I thought I would just be another thing that I'm so great at being. RANDOM. Here we go.

I slept with vaseline under my eyes last night. I read somewhere that Jenifer Aniston does this to get rid of her puffiness. After just one night I notice less puffy :)

I drink spinach smoothies almost everyday. Seriously. Most delicious things ever!!! Drinking your fruits and vegetables at the same time??? YES!!!

My dad gave me a tablet (like an e reader type thing) and I LOVE IT!!! I never miss a day of reading my scriptures b/c I always have them right there!

My wisdom teeth are coming in and my oh my oh my are they freakin' killing me!

I went through my clothes the other day and threw out probably half of them. No joke. It was sooo necessary and not sad at all.

On that note. I'm never attached to things like clothes, shoes, and my hair. I actually love going through and getting rid of clothes and shoes and cutting my hair never makes me cry/sad. at all.

We're moving to Rexburg, ID soon. I am nervous.  But I am so super stoked at the same time!!! I am sad to leave some of the wonderful people that we have gotten to know down here.

Kourtney has been taking a nap every single day!

Kloey has been napping at the same time as Kourtney every day for 4 days! (please let this be permanent)

FYI: I was diagnosed with "undiagnosed postpartum depression" the other day. Crazy. I thought that it would just sort of go away. It didn't. Apparently I've had it since Kourtney was born. That's 4 years folks. Yikes.

Glee is a guilty pleasure of mine. No, seriously. I really look forward to my Glee time every week. I will only watch it when the kids are out of my hair (aka sleeping) b/c I need to be able to focus. yeah

We've been reading scriptures and praying together as a family pretty regularly. It is so nice the feeling that comes into your home and you focus on the important things.

Kourtney sings allll the time. This makes me so beyond happy. B/c she is actually really good!

I talk to my sister a lot (she's really good about calling me). I love the love that we share and the common craziness. The common craziness is good.

I miss my brothers. Boys don't talk as much as girls so I miss out on a lot of their lives. Sucks.

My house has not been cleaned in 2 days. *sigh* guess I better go.

Welp. This was nice. Let's leave with a nice quote that goes along with the above picture. To all of my dearest:

"We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public."

:)

You are FoUr

Kourtney,
My dear daughter... today you are 4 years old. How did 4 years slip by so fast?!! You stand a little over 3 feet tall and weigh 31 pounds. This day four years ago you were 19 1/2 inches and 7 lbs. 1 oz. I'd say you've grown a bit ;)  What do I say to you on this happy day of days? Do I tell you how much I love you? Of course, but I tell you that everyday. Do I tell you how pretty you are. Why yes, but that is mentioned everyday. Do I tell you how amazed I am at your intelligence? Absolutely... but this is not new to you. So what do I say???

I remember when I first learned that you had come into my life. Daddy and I had just been married 6 weeks before the news. SURPRISE!!! From that moment on I was in love with you.

I remember getting SO HUGE with you! My weight went up to 175 lbs.!!! That was really hard for me. 

I remember hearing your heartbeat when you were 12 weeks inside of me.

I remember feeling your very first strong kick around 23 weeks. Oh how I loved feeling your movements. And boy did you move alllll the time once you figured it out!!!

Your daddy was always talking to you through my belly. He's always been in love with you.

Not gonna lie... 30 weeks came around and I wanted you OUT!!! (and I just really wanted to meet you)

And meet you I did! 09/01/08 10:27 am. 12 hours of labor. 3 pushes. You were here. When I saw your face my entire world changed. It was consumed by you. My first baby. My first day of being a mommy... your mommy. I cried and cried. And you did not. You did at first but when they placed you in my arms all you did was look and look at me. Your daddy's head was about to explode from pride. (good thing he didn't pass out from looking at the epidural, eh?... cuz he almost did) I will say... I had no idea what kind of a ride I was in for from that moment on. LOL

Right from the start you were EXACTLY like your mother (that's me ;)...) But really, you always have been. Someday you'll realize that and you'll hate it. Then when you're a mother yourself you'll realize that's actually not such a bad thing. Your daddy is constantly laughing at the two of us. Sometimes we are the best of friends. We can really have each other's backs. And others... well... other times we absolutely cannot stand each other. We butt heads terribly b/c we are too much alike. And daddy laughs at us. I don't worry because I know that someday we will be best friends. And I will love that. Because I adore you.

Now you are feeling so grown up to me. You memorize songs and have started to sing them at the top of your lungs as you twirl around the living room like the ballerina that you are. You come up with the funniest make believe stories. You play with barbies. You tell me all about what you learned at church every Sunday. You go to school. You put on your own shoes (not always on the right feet) You teach your baby sister. You help me when I'm sad. You tell me when I'm being mean. You climb the counters to get to what you want (especially when I tell you no) You argue with me (and I have a really really hard time not laughing at you) You have a tender heart and you are so full of love. You love wearing tank tops... and I hate that. You are girly...and it is sweet. 

I feel like you are entering the world this year (even though it is just pre-school). And I find myself wondering:

Am I teaching her enough?

Does she know what is good? what is right? 

Does she know enough about faith, even though she is young?

Will she know not to make fun of or pick on other children?

Will she know how to stand up for herself and her beliefs?

Does she know how much we love her?

Will she always know that she means the world to me?

... that she is my world?

... that the moment she came into my world... 

My world was changed... and it will never ever be the way it was before I heard her cry.

Kourtney Michelle Hansen

09/01/08 (Labor Day)

Happy Birthday sweet baby girl

We love you!!!

Peanut butter and chocolate

Yes... you read that right.
Ever had a peanut butter and chocolate sort of day... I'm having one right now.
Just one of those days when:
-your morning starts with bad news
-it's followed by bittersweet news
-you're fighting with your husband
-your kids are clingy and crying and whiny and relentlessly annoying
-you just really really really don't feel good
-motivation to clean your house and do your laundry... is non-existent
-life just seems a bit unfair
-smiling feels unnatural
-running away seems like a reasonable solution

... but, alas, you must stay. So what will the solution be??? well, peanut butter and chocolate. I recommend always having a stash. If you always have a stash you will most likely never experience the panic mode that sets in when you realize you're just having one of those pb/choco sort of days. :)

(photography challenge was put on hold due to EXTREMELY busy month... but I will pick it up soon)

much love!