The Many Faces of Down Syndrome

I am really excited about this blog post.  Several parents came together to make this happen and I am so appreciative of them.  All people are unique, wonderful individuals that shouldn't and cannot be defined by their disabilities.  I'll let the children tell the story:

Clara Grace loves to dance.  This girl has some serous moves!

She enjoys playing with her twin sister.

Avery loves going to school, playing softball, and riding a horse!

Blog: Life With My Girls

Owen is a 5 year-old boy who is a sports nut and will watch just about anything with a ball or a puck. He loves his Philadelphia Phillies very much and likes playing basketball with his dad at the YMCA. He enjoys books and is learning sight words. He's a big fan of Qdoba cheese quesadillas and chips too!

Blog: The Sumulong 3

Hannah loves dancing, swimming, and gymnastics. 

Not to mention movies--here she is as Merida!

Hailey is the youngest of three.  She loves stealing her big brothers' iPods and the remote control.  She is totally in love with Doc McStuffins, jewelry, chocolate, baby dolls, and Frozen.  She doesn't like asparagus, her brothers' soccer games, or her Dad singing her Doc McStuffins' songs.  She is doing great with her new glasses and loves preschool.  Hailey has made our family complete!

Blog: The Hailey Herald

Autumn is a loving, funny, energetic, stubborn, and hot tempered self-proclaimed princess that loves her sisters and French fries. She creates chaos along with fun and love and our family is so blessed to have her! Dinneen and Bonnie, her sisters, absolutely adore her. We just would not be complete without her.

Hannah is a 7 year-old little girl who loves to play outside 

and ride her scooter.

Blog: More Sunshine Than Rain

Wyatt loves to run. That is why Miracle League baseball is so fun for Wyatt! He has a blast running to 1st base! He also loves ice cream and enjoys it every night after supper whenever else he can talk someone into getting it for him!

Blog: Penny's Peeps

Lily is a sassy first grader who loves school...especially all of her friends there.  Oh...and recess!  At home she loves all things "Frozen" and "Sophia the First".  Lily knows her way around an iPad better than the rest of her family!!  OK...really it's just her Daddy, but he doesn't even know how to turn it on!  Lily LOVES clothes and shoes.  Sound like any other first grade girls you know?!?  Probably!  We don't let Down syndrome dictate our lives.  As a matter of fact, our lives are pretty darn typical...and totally AWESOME.

Claire is a typical almost 5 year-old. She loves Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins, playing with her kittens, and her sister, when they're not fighting, of course! She loves preschool and going to church.

Blog: Moos Crossing

When I found out for certain at 22 1/2 weeks pregnant that Brooke had Down Syndrome I was scared to death.  The doctor advised us to terminate and I’m ashamed to say that Eric and I very nearly made that decision.  We already had a 6, 4, and 2 year old and the thought of raising a child with special needs that most definitely needed open heart surgery was more than we thought we could handle.  Only by the grace of God was I directed away from the idea of termination and Brooke was born in January of 2010.  Today Brooke is a spunky, sassy, gorgeous little girl who is loved by not just her siblings and whole family, but most people she comes in contact with.  Brooke is in a VPK class with 15 other typical children who are ridiculously sweet with her and also very protective.  Watching them together makes my heart melt.  Do we have challenges with Brooke? Sure we do…potty training is a struggle, we’re working on speech, and honestly, sometimes I’m nervous for her future and how she’ll be as an adult, but don’t we worry for all of our children?  At the end of the day, Brooke is my daughter and I love her…and that’s all that matters.

Blog: Not A Perfect Mom

Alex is a 21 year old high school graduate living her dream of attending college....six states away from her mother. She has always set goals for herself including participating in the World Special Olympic Games that were held in South Korea in 2013. Alex does not believe in barriers.

Blog: The Ordinary Life of an Extraordinary Girl

Book: From Grief to Celebration, by Margaret (Gary) Bender

*Gary's book is amazing! I highly recommend it.

Our beautiful, red-headed Jenni is a twin!  She enjoys playing with her big brother, Ian.  Jenni loves playing with her baby dolls.  

Ian will be 5 this up-coming January.  He loves sports, cars, animals, and his big brother, Bryson.  He is a fearless kid who loves people and helping others.  Ian would survive happily on a diet of ice cream, popcorn, and tortilla chips if we let him!  He has a few dislikes: other people who stare at him.

Kamdyn loves French fries, Frozen(especially the music), dancing, and her iPad. She enjoys watching Curious George, Henry Hugglemonster, and Sofia the First. She is full of personality, but she is really shy around people that are not family. She is one of 5 siblings, and she loves her family, and we adore her.

Blog: Life is Beautiful

Jarrett is 4.5 years-old and LOVES Mickey Mouse!  He also enjoys swinging, sliding, and climbing.  He has a sweet tooth a mile wide and pretty much loves all sweets.  He goes to school and a ball!  Jarrett enjoys horseback riding and looks forward to it every week!

E-V is a beautiful 6 year-old who is in the 1st grade.  She enjoys going to McDonald's to order a cheeseburger, fries, and sprite.  Her favorite shows include Backyardigans and Angelina Ballerina.  E-V love spending time with her friends as well as dancing and listening to music. 

Ruby is a sassy 5 year-old.  She love playing at every park we drive by.  She collects rocks in her pockets and loves to pick flowers and give them as gifts to whoever is around.  Her favorite shoes at Daniel Tiger, Curious George, and Caillou.  Her favorite friend and partner in crime is her little brother, Grady.  Ruby is a sweet and determined little girl who loves to share her smile with everyone she meets.

Benji is 4 years-old. He loves to read books, play soccer with his siblings, and watch Boz! Benji gives the best hugs and is a joy to our family!!

Cora is a wonderful big sister whose smile lights up a room.  

We love her so very much!

Blog: www.corabean.com

Levi loves tortilla chips, playing with his cat, playing hide-n-seek, and climbing to the top bunk. He doesn't like when iPad time ends. Levi loves preschool & his teacher says he is the best listener in the class!

Mary is a student and artist. She enjoys reading. With Mary, 

there are endless possibilities!

Evie is a 6 month- old who loves cereal. She is currently 

trying to master sitting up!

LP loves music, playing in the dirt, and anything with bacon. Lately, he has also discovered the joys of dancing to the Frozen soundtrack after his two big sisters have dressed him up.

Blog: Kimchi Latkes

Elise will be 12 years-old in just a few weeks!  She enjoys singing and watching movies.  Elise also loves Elsa from the movie Frozen and her puppy, Willow.

Blog: Just a Little Bit Muchier Muchness

*After I had Ellie, this was one of the very first blogs I read about a child with Downsyndrome!

Ian is charming, funny, caring, and full of adventure. He is a little brother, a son, and grandson and he makes us each fall in love with him everyday. Ian loves to play, swim, read books, and his speciality is singing and dancing.

Ellis is a mischievous and spunky 5 year-old.  She enjoys playing with blocks, flashcards, and Barbies as well as coloring.  No piece of paper is safe in our house!  Ellie is ever the fashionista; combining various headbands and bows together and wearing her black boots with every single outfit.  She loves to get into trouble by scaling walls and climbing cabinets.  She loves Sofia the First, The Wiggles, and Mickey Mouse.  She keeps us fully entertained with her antics.

Blog: The Chronicles of Ellie Bellie Bear

In loving memory of Margaret "Peggy" Bruns, my Aunt.

Peggy had a wicked sense of humor that could send us all into tears.  She loved the St. Louis Cardinal's bowling, swimming, and John Denver.  More than anything, she is missed.  A bright, shining light in the Heavens.  

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IDSC Virtual Craft Fair

I am in the middle of working on a very exciting post for Down Syndrome Awareness Month, but until then, I want to share with you a very special event.

The International Down Syndrome Coalition [IDSC] is a wonderful organization that strives to help and advocate for all individuals with Down syndrome throughout the world.  I have met many wonderful people from many different countries through this organization and the IDSC provides a wide array of educational materials.   The IDSC provides information from conception to adulthood and helps connect its followers to their local Ds Organization.  The IDSC is run entirely by volunteers!

For the month of October and November, the IDSC is hosting a Virtual Craft fair through their website and on their Facebook page.  Anna Theurer Fitness & Well-Being , Independent Beachbody Coach is honored to be a part of this.

As an Independent Beachbody Coach, I will be offering people the opportunity to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Whether it be through a fitness program such as PiYo, 21 Day Fix, P90X, T25 or Turbo Fire, etc or through clean eating and nutrition such as Shakeology.  I will be donating 10% of my earnings during this craft fair to the IDSC!

Be sure to check out the other vendors participating in this exciting event.  There are so many to choose from and remember that this supports a very good cause!

To order from me, remember 10% of my earnings will go towards the IDSC, visit:
http://www.beachbodycoach.com/annatheurer

To learn more about the IDSC, visit their webpage at: http://www.theidsc.org/p/what-we-do.html

For more information about the Virtual Craft Fair:  http://www.theidsc.org/p/virtual-craft-fair-vendors.html 

Check out the IDSC Virtual Craft Fair Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1473278372959153/

Here is a bit more about being an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Essentially I am a health and fitness cheerleader.  I provide personal support, encouragement, and motivation to each of my clients.  Having a BB coach is FREE.  You do not have to buy any Beachbody products.  My job is to help YOU meet your health goals and to help you identify the best ways to keep you motivated and to help you through your struggles.  My own BB coach has helped me through some very tough times and has helped keep me accountable.  She has been invaluable in helping me through my journey.

I help run a FREE Facebook accountability group called Forward Motion Fitness.  You can do any workouts (BB, running, cycling, Jillian Michaels) to be in this group.  This is a great place to learn new recipes, including Vegan and gluten-free ones.  This is a wonderful group made up of men and woman who support each other and motivate each other.  To join this group, shoot me a Facebook message or email annatheurer@beachbodycoach.com

Each month, I help run a Challenge group on Facebook.  In this group, participants must use a Beachbody Product --ie PiYo, Les Mills Body Pump, Insanity, etc.  Think of this Challenge as peer pressure in a good way.  I jumpstarted my lifestyle modification through a 21 Day Fix Challenge in April.  I would sign into the group and see new recipes, people work outing which motivated me to workout, support when I would fall of the wagon, and gained new friends.  Of course there is also a prize at the end of the month!  Click here to browse products.  I personally recommend the Challenge Packs.

Finally, don't forget to "like" my Anna Theurer Fitness & Well-Being Facebook page to see discussions on various help topics, inspiration messages, recipes, and more!  http://www.facebook.com/annatheurerfitness

Fear, Love, and Acceptance: Down Syndrome Awareness Month

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  This is our 5 year of celebrating all of those rock that extra 21st chromosome.  I am not going to write about all sorts of facts and statistics.  I have done all of that in the years past. This year, I will share photos of our day to day lives.  To show that Ellie is more alike other children, than different.

I am here to tell you that it is all going to be okay.

I know that shock, guilt, and fear that you felt when your child was first diagnosed with Down syndrome.  Whether in utero or shortly after birth, like with our Ellie.

It is okay to feel joyous at the birth of your child, yet scared and unsure of what your life will be like.  How it is much it different than the one you envisioned.  It is okay to mourn for that child you thought that you would have, the child that never was.

It is okay that you harbor guilt over those first feelings.  It will pass. It may take days.  It may take months.  Or like me, even years.  Yet, it will pass and you will learn to forgive yourself.

Trouble!

There is a reason that there are so few blogs about older children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome.  It is because life is happening.  Life just like any other child, with or without and extra chromosome.  The rawness of it all wears off.  We become immersed with family outs, play dates, after school activities, and yes therapies and the occasional doctors appointments.

Loving school!

There will be days when you cry.  Nights where you lay awake worrying.  There will be times where you witness something seemingly innocuous and it will send you into tears.  Times where you scream “why does it have to be so hard for her?!”

Hold on.

Making friends.

For there will be times of great joy and celebration.  That moment when your child sits up and walks after months of therapy & hard work.  There are the times when your child learns to color between the lines.  She learns to read. Her first play date.  Her first sleep over.  Her first team sport.  Her first job. Her first love.  Those triumphs are that much sweeter as you know how hard she has worked and persevered.  

Ever the fashionista. 

This is a month for Down syndrome awareness.  A time for us to celebrate our loved ones who have that extra 21st chromosome.  A time for us to educate others about the wonders that extra chromosome brings to our children, grandchilden, siblings, nieces, and nephews.  I wish that there was more comprehensive, positive information out there when my Aunt Peggy was born.  I wish there was more support for my grandparents, the trail blazers.  We have come a long way since 1958, but still have a ways to go.

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What is Shakeology, why I drink It, and most common questions answered

On Facebook, I often talk about my love of Shakeology.  Common questions that I get about Shakeology are:

What exactly is Shakeology?

Shakeology is a nutrient dense meal.  What this means is that you can drink Shakeology at any time of the day and know that you are getting an all natural meal complete with protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.  I tend to drink mine for breakfast, but some people use it as an after-workout meal and some as an evening dessert.

There is a clinical study  that proves Shakeology really does live up to the hype.

I just bought a ton of protein powder at Costco.  How is this different?

First of all, it is not a protein powder.  Yes, Shakeology does have 17 g of protein per glass, but it is also full of fiber, vitamins and minerals, omega 3 fatty acids, probiotics, prebiotics, phytonutrients, and digestive enzymes.  Did I mention it is all natural?  What that means is it is made from over 70 different foods that you purchase at the grocery store and it has no artificial flavors.  All in one glass.

Additionally, you can toss all your supplements.  That's right, no more popping a gazillion pills!  This is one of the main reasons why I drink Shakeology.

It is gluten-free.

It is soy-free.

It is nut-free.

There is also a vegan option available in chocolate and tropical strawberry.

It is low on the glycemic index.  

This means if you are a diabetic, you can drink this.  My father who has diabetes tried it when I was visiting them. For me, this is very important as type 2 diabetes runs in my family.  Even among my relatives who are thin.  It is genetic and I am scared of getting it so I try to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index.

It sounds great, but don't think I can afford this.  

A 30-day supply comes out to about $4/day.  About the same cost as a Starbucks frappuccino.  You couldn't get a meal through a drive-thru for only $4.  Try going a week without going to Starbucks and see how you feel.  Can't go without your caffeine fix?  Me neither!  You can make Shakeology with chilled coffee.  Add in a lot of ice and you get the same taste and consistency as a frappuccino without all the fat and sugars.

Add up the costs of all your supplements and then the cost of the 70 super foods:

Left: all the whole foods.
Right: cost shown is from supplements only.
Added together $4/day for Shakeology vs. $49/day 

Do I need a blender to make Shakeology?

No blender necessary.  You can just add water and go!  I prefer to make mine with almond milk and some people use cow or coconut milk.  You can add various things to your shakes such as extracts or cinnamon and shake shake shake!  If you want to add in fruit or spinach, then you will need a blender.


Why do you drink Shakeology?

photo: facebook.com/fitwithbreen

Back in April, I bought the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack.  This included the 7 different 30-minute workouts on 2 DVDs, the color containers that go with the meal guide, and a bag of Shakeology. I went with chocolate, of course!

I was very skeptical.  I hate shakes.  They taste chalky.   I never felt full from them and I like to eat "real" food.  Imagine my surprise when I tasted Shakeology and actually liked it!  Plus I was full.

For me, I like to drink it for breakfast.  My biggest down fall used to be skipping breakfast. I did this because I just couldn't stomach food so early in the morning.  As the day went on, I would become ravenous and would eat junk.  In large quantities.  I consumed the majority of my calories after 2:00pm which is not healthy.  Shakeology keeps me full in the morning and I love that I am starting off the day right.  This prevents me from over eating later.

It reduces my cravings.

Of course, I didn't believe that would happen. I am a chocoholic.  I crave sweets such as brownies, donuts, ice cream, and cookies.  To my shock, I discovered that Shakeology really satisfied my sweet tooth.  Occasionally, I have a 1/2 shakeology before bed.  Like a dessert!  Add in a little mint extract and I have a thin mint!

It made my skin clearer.

I noticed that my skin really cleared up since drinking Shakeology.  Every month I would break out like a teenager.  Not anymore.  My eczema has also disappeared.

While not marketed as a weight loss drink, I have shed a few pounds.  In the past 6 weeks, I have not been able to workout due to an injury from a fall.  I continued to drink my Shakeology and I used it a lot to prevent my comfort/stress eating.  I still continued to lose weight.

Full disclosure: I had a lot of bloating the first week. This is because I had a very low fiber diet before starting Shakeology and also because I kept forgetting to take my probiotic.  My body had to adjust.  After 1 week, the bloating disappeared and I had shed 1.5 lb at the end of that week.


This is video that summarizes what a 100 different doctors have to say about Shakeology.









If you have more questions about shakeology, you can find me at http://www.facebook.com/annatheurerfitness and shoot me a message.

Future posts: Shakeology recipes for chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and greenberry.  Plus, Shakeology Flash Sale coming up!




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Celebrating the day our lives changed forever!

On the evening of September 15, 2009 I was lounging on the daybed in the living room trying to read a book.  I say trying because Tama-Boo was insisting on nudging my face and kneading my 36 week- 5 day protruding belly.  Amelie Cat was "talking" incessantly and wouldn't leave me alone.  Sophie Puppy Paw-Paws was barking like mad and jumping on the windows from the backyard.  The animals knew what I did not.  I was in labor.

As all pregnant ladies have to do nearly every 10 minutes is pee.  I stood up and left a ginormous puddle on the floor.  I hurried up and used the restroom.  My contractions started and they were about 7-10 minutes apart.  I called Andrew at work and said "I think that you need to come home soon.  My water broke.  There is plenty of time so you should go through the Whataburger drive-thru and get yourself some dinner."

First time labor is supposed to take a long time.  Like 20 hours or something along those lines.  Mine was 6 hours.  Within 10 minutes of getting off the phone with Drew, my contractions were 2-5 minutes apart.  And bad.  I got the lovely back labor.  You know that feeling of being repeatedly stabbed in the back?  Yeah, that went on between contractions and then it was more of a slicing movement during contractions.  I called the OB's nurse and told her I was coming in.  I then called Andrew and told him he might want to skip Whataburger.  Fortunately Drew thought I was nuts for telling him to get food in the first place and was practically home.  In the car, the contractions were erratic with anywhere from 1-3 minutes apart.  It was rush hour, of course.

I arrived at St. David's and was 5.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced.  I was admitted to L&D and got an epidural because I desperately wanted one and because my blood pressure when sky high and my heart rate was extremely high.  By the time I was wheeled into the delivery room less than 1 hours later, I was 8 cm.  Andrew and I sat there and watched Jeff Lewis' Flipping Out.  Yes, we watched a DIY show while I was in labor.

For 2 hours, I kept telling the nurses that I needed to push.  For two hours no one physically checked me to see if I was ready.  Finally, they couldn't get Ellie's heart beat or distinguish it from mine (my heart rate was still really high).  They come in to put that screw thingy into her skull and discovered--her head.  Five pushes later, she was out.

They laid her on my chest and I saw her eyes.  I thought, hmmm.  I didn't say anything.  I didn't want to believe it.  What if she didn't?  Maybe I was wrong.  I usually saw the babies at 10 days old. Not all squishy after a vaginal birth. We named her Nadja Marie. They took her away and Andrew went with them to get her cleaned up.  It was 12:17am on September 16, 2009.  I did not see her until nearly 8:00am.  We theorize that they did not want me to diagnose her and they probably wanted to monitor her closely.

I did not sleep during that time.  Why wasn't she with me?  She has microcephaly.  She has those squinty eyes.  Andrew said she was sticking her tongue out. But all her ultrasounds were normal!  Baby Bear was/is indeed sporting an extra chromosome.

When it came time to fill out the birth certificate, Andrew and I decided that she did not look like a Nadja.  She looked like an Ellie.  Baby girl was named after the character in the movie Up!.  In the movie, Ellie is an adventurer.  She is so deeply loved.  Just like our daughter.

It has been 5 years since Ellie Marie was born.  Five short years.  Our little baby is now a little girl.  Her personality is strong.  She is full of spunk and sass.  She has "ideas" and is very stubborn.  She is down right perfect and forever loved

Happy Birthday, Ellie Bear!


A Celebration of Ellie by Slidely Slideshow

More about Ellie's story here.

Updates all around

*TMI alert: this post will have a bit of a poop discussion.  If you are squeamish about issues of the bowel, please skip that section.

Ellie's GI Update:

A few weeks ago, Ellie had a follow-up appointment with GI.  We discussed how small doses of Miralax cause explosive diarrhea, but she will then suddenly become extremely backed up.  Once she goes 2 days without a BM, she will become resistant to high doses of Miralax + Exlax.  There is no explanation for this.  In fact, 3 GI docs have no clue.  Bear is an enigma.

Currently, we have had a few weeks of very loose stools.  Some are so loose that they run down her leg into her shoes.  They go up the back of her pants and lower part of her shirt.  Several sets of pajamas and clothes have met their untimely demise.  As have 3 sets of boots. The bedroom carpet has been shampooed 5 times.  We now have very clean carpets and I am grateful that we own a carpet shampooer. FYI: Pet Enzyme Cleaner is awesome for human excrement as well.  I am petrified that this will happen at school for all the other kids to see.

Additionally, in one month, Ellie lost nearly 2 lb. The first pound happened in the week between her anorectal manometry and the last bought of constipation.  She was eating.  Then, she stopped for a few days.  For a few weeks after that, she was getting around 400 calories.  A 4 year-old should consume 1,400 calories/day.  Children with Down syndrome have slower metabolism by about 10% unless they are active.  Even still, Bear should have been getting closer to 1,000 calories/day.  She would ask for food and then it would sit there.  She would throw a brownie in the trash and ice cream in the sink! Within the next 3 weeks, Bear lost nearly another pound.

Ellie's GI doc was rather alarmed.  He reviewed her Upper GI from 3 years ago (back when she was Miss Spits-Up-A Lot) and saw that her small intestine had localized WBCs.  This could have been an early sign of celiacs.  Add in the alternating constipation and diarrhea plus the weight loss and there was a suspicious of celiacs disease.  Ellie has been screened in the past for celiacs as this is very common in people with Ds.  Her test was negative.  That being said, it is possible for there to be false negatives.  The true test is an upper GI with a small intestine biopsy.

The GI doc ordered 5 vials worth of blood work--most specific tests for celiacs, IgA stuff, tests that looks for inflammation, another thyroid and Vitamin D, and the usual CBC and metabolic panel.  All tests came back negative.  Chances are with the 2 celiac screens being negative, Ellie most likely does not have celiac disease.  In the meantime, we have been encouraged to feed this child anything, ice cream, desserts, anything with a heavy caloric content.  Of course this goes against the very foods  she willingly eats--berries.

Tragedy: the icing is touching the cake

Two dear friends of mine spoke with me extensively on the phone.  I am forever thankful for their support, prayers, and advice.  We hypothesized that the unstructured summer routine could have been affecting her eating habits.  As it turns out, they were right.  The day school started, Ellie ate some lunch!  Then she would have an afternoon snack and even dinner.  A later dinner, but a dinner nonetheless!  She is now getting close to 800-1,000 calories and so I hope that there will be some weight gain.  Some days are still rough, but I think the structure and peer pressure of classmates eating have triggered something.

My Back & Hamstring Update:

Five weeks ago, I fell and managed to severely strain several areas of my hamstring and obturator externus muscle.  After 2.5 weeks of crutches, I was cleared to walk very very short distances.  My pain was intense.  Both hamstring and back.  The hamstrings, quadriceps, core, and hip flexors help support the back.  By injuring the hamstring and groin muscle, I affected the stabilization of my back. Physical therapy was tough in that I could only do a few exercise because there was a concern that I would further damage my back.  I lost so much strength and mobility of my right leg.  I couldn't drive more than a few miles.  That slight pushing on the gas and brake pedals utilized my hamstring too much.

Left: hamstring & ischial tuberosity
Center: Obturator Externus msucle
Right: Sacroiliac

One week ago I saw my physical rehab doctor.  He told me it was time for a second opinion as my options are exhausted.  Not what I wanted to hear.  He also recommended a steroid shot in my sacroiliac joint [SI] and in the ischial tuberosity bursa [back of the upper thigh].  The shooting nerve pain that I experienced with both shots suggested that there were the inflamed areas causing my intense, debilitating pain.  Sure enough 3 days later, my hamstring pain significantly decreased and today my hamstring is pain -free.  I am able to walk further distances and this week I can start doing squats.  I never thought that I would be so excited about squats!  By the end of next week, I may be able to restart my PiYo workouts which really help my back.  My back still isn't great.   The mornings are okay, but the evenings are horrible.  I still can't drive more than a few miles but, Andrew has been a big help in taking Ellie to therapy and helping out around the house and my mom flew down from St. Louis to help out.

A week ago, I couldn't extend my leg at all.  Progress!

Being unable to workout has been very difficult.  It has been 5 weeks.  The PiYo was one of the main therapies that helped my back.  I have been trying so hard to maintain my healthy lifestyle.  Normally, at this point, I would have given up. Fallen off the wagon.  Returned to my stress-eating ways.  Fortunately, I stocked up on my chocolate shakeology and have been experimenting with various recipes to shake it up a bit (more on this in a future post).  It has prevented me from binging on donuts and ice cream since I have the chocolate flavor.  Amazingly, I have lost an additional 3 pounds in the last 5 weeks and I attribute this to the healthy eating and Shakeology.

I need to get back to this!

As my friend Mary always says "Forward With Hope!"

Ellie's First Day of School

Yes, I am an entire week late with this post.  Last Tuesday, yes a Tuesday for some ridiculous reason, Ellie started school.  Due to her late September birthday, she is receiving another year of preschool instead of entering kindergarten this year.  I am secretly, well I suppose not so secretly anymore, thrilled.  I am not ready for my baby to be a kindergartner.  Plus, Andrew and I both feel that another year in preschool will be very beneficial seeing as so much of the first 1.5 years were dedicated to behavior.

Every day this past summer, Ellie woke up and signed "school" and said "*ss" while signing "bus".  I suppose we need to work on those b-words seeing as she was screaming "*ss" for the whole world to here.  She takes after her Mama.

So imagine her delight when Chunky Chicken learned that she was really going to school!  Only, there was no bus.   The confusion was evident on her face.  She had her flashcards and crayons and plopped down in the middle of the driveway to wait for the bus.  With a lot of cajoling, mom and I finally got her into the car.  Oh, I didn't tell you that my mom was visiting?  Drew was out of town on business and I was still having A LOT of back and hamstring issues.  My mama flew down from St. Louis to help us out and she was indeed a big help.  My house was finally clean! . . . for 24 hours.

Anyway, there was no bus because transportation services had down that she was in the early morning class.  In June, after school let out, Ellie's teacher told us she was moving to the late morning class.  This wasn't conveyed to the transportation team until the week before.  I received 4 phone calls tell us that her pick up time would be 7:18am.  School would start at 9:45am for her.  True, the school is within walking distance and ordinarily this wouldn't even phase me, but I just got off crutches!  I can still barely drive because pushing on the gas pedal requires the use of my hamstring.  Anyway, it took a few days and the bus kinks were finally worked out, much to Ellie's delight.

As we arrived at school on that first day,  Ellie nearly dragged my mother into the classroom.  She was that excited!  My mother tried to get a picture of me and Ellie at the door, but as usual when it comes to mother-daughter pictures, she was more intent on running away. . . to the classroom.

As you all know, my little girl hasn't been eating.  All of that changed with the start of school.  My little Bearity-Bear ate all of her lunch two days in a row.  Peer pressure!  Routine!  The last two days she only nibbled a few bites, but that is still progress! It was such a joy and relief to know that she was finally eating!

At the conclusion of the first week, the teacher and aide have informed me that Ellie is doing very well.  She is following directions.  My jaw dropped with that one.  She is listening when she is told "no".  Another shocker.

This year, The Bear is going to float into the typical pre-K classroom.  It won't start for another few weeks, but I am eager to see how she does.  It is a bit risky because she has to walk down the hall and not run into Mr. M's 5th-grade class and proclaim him to be a "dada".

Finally, no week would be complete without Bear getting into trouble.  This time, there was an attack by the dreaded fire ants on the playground.  Fortunately, this fire ant incident only results in 6 bites, mostly around her waist band.  They looked pretty nasty, but seem to be clearing up without any signs of infection.  [see this past spring's incident]

I am excited to see what this year will bring and I must say that I am very happy to see the Ellie Bear is happy to be in school again!


Ellie's First Day 2012-2013
Ellie's First Day 2013-2014