Holiday Raffle to Benefit The Arc

The Arc of Whatcom County is sponsoring a holiday raffle to help fund valuable programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Enter today and win fabulous prizes, including: The Chrysalis Package (overnight stay in a full view, deluxe room with two in-room massages), Ski Getaway, gift certificates, jewelry, and much more!

Tickets are only $2 each and available at The Arc (please call 360-715-0170 or email me: amym@arcwhatcom.org). There will be volunteers outside Haggen @ Barkley Village today(Friday the 6th) and next Thursday and Friday. (The beautiful calendars will also be available for sale...enjoy!)

Your generous support helps fund programs for individuals with developmental disabilities in our Whatcom County. Thank you!

CHARGE get together

Last weekend, our CHARGE families got together for an afternoon of fun, love, encouragement, questions (and more questions), and of course lots of snuggling and adoring one another's kiddos! (We missed you Bogner and Storrs family!)

We are so incredibly blessed to have these families to walk with on this journey.

"I got it handled Mom...no worries."











"Oh no you don't Burke. Gimme back my dinosaur toy. Or better yet, let's wrestle!"










"Meet Burke's cute twin brothers...Judah and Levi."










"So fun playing with these two!"











"And oh boy, did I like this toy!"



















"Ok Burke, I'll take one of those. Thanks dude."
(I had asked Burke to give Max some of the goldfish crackers. So cute to see them sharing!)















"Ok Mom...time to go. Hop in!"

sleeping issues

Yikes...we just cannot figure out Max's sleeping issues. We tried melatonin for several months, but that only helps him to get to sleep. We needed something to KEEP him asleep because he wakes up just about every night at 3am ready to rock and roll.

So we started him on a new medication this weekend. But unfortunately, he still was up and about at 3am...and there just isn't getting him back to sleep. I am talking with the doctor today about increasing the dose and hopefully that works. A lot of individuals with CHARGE need larger doses of medication because of their different metabolism. I will always remember Max coming out of heart surgery and his anesthesiologist was amazed that Max was actually moving his arms and legs. He was asking me, "Seriously, what does it take to get this kid to sleep???"

Ey ye ye Max...we need our sleep so we can stay healthy and be productive! Work with me here buddy....

the cutest lil' ewok

Max's cousins, Thomas and Jackson, are VERY into Star Wars these days. They were dressing up as Hans Solo and Chewbacca and thought it'd be fun for Max to be an Ewok. Right they were! The three of them were sooooo cute together, and I must say Max is a perfect Ewok...all cute, cuddly and silly! (Grandma Mary made the costumes for all three boys and she did awesome!)

On our way to our church's Trunk or Treat in the afternoon, we did a quick photo shoot. Seriously, do you not just want to cuddle like crazy with this Ewok??? :)

forehead...meet wall

As we know, Mighty Max has little balance and often meets the pavement up close and personal. Well, tonight his forehead met the corner of the walls and BANG. Yikes!

So off to the hospital and he got some staples in his beautiful lil' head. He was so tough through it all...crazy tough actually.

*A funny side note...
Our neighborhood is doing a fun group adventure on Halloween. Each family is hosting an activity to add to the usual trick or treating. My game includes a surgical glove (to make a witch hand) and just last night I was thinking...hmm, I don't see us needing a hospital visit in the next few days. Where am I going to get some gloves? Well apparently Max decided we really needed those gloves! :)

federal $ for CHARGE research

U-M scientists win $6.8 million in federal stimulus-fund grants for stem cell research

A portion of that money will be spent on CHARGE research:

Donna Martin, associate professor of human genetics and associate professor of pediatrics at the Medical School, was awarded $264,156 for a study that will use cultured mouse inner ear and neural stem cells to understand the mechanisms behind hearing and balance disorders in CHARGE syndrome patients. CHARGE syndrome affects one in 10,000 newborns worldwide. It is characterized by eye defects, blockage of the nasal passages, retarded growth and development, and ear anomalies that include deafness and vestibular disorders.

the sweetest sips...ever!

My little boy made me sooooo happy tonight!

The last few days he has experienced a slight interest in taking sips from a cup...this is HUGE progress! I have been introducing a cup to him for some time and he has always refused.

But tonight, he actually WANTED to try lil' sips!!! We were enjoying a yummy dinner of homemade cheeseburgers, french fries and baked beans. I was drinking a diet coke and thought hmm...this could be an interesting taste for him to experience. We are only able to do the smallest of sips (because of aspiration risk) but he did great!!! He kept pointing for more...and even let out a tiny lil' burp. Quite cute! AND an added bonus - he fed himself many bites of baked beans. Great, great, great!

Yep, my little boy sure knows how to make his mommy happy! :)

* Oh and Max, I would loved to have captured this exciting moment on film. BUT...as you know, you managed to destroy two cameras within two days. So if in 15 years you want to see a video of you taking your first sip...well, let's just hope I have a good memory to relive it for you. Silly kid. :)