Vote YES on Prop 100

If Ari could talk, she would surely ask each of you ever so politely to "Please vote YES on Prop 100" (in Arizona). A vote of YES on this proposition would prevent drastic cuts to services in education, therapies, and healthcare to Arizona's children, including Ariana. This prop deeply affects your own children too. It's been repeatedly stated that "If Prop 100 fails, so will Arizona's education system." This proposition is right down the line, so your vote, and your husband's, and your sister's, and your adult child's... all count. Very. Much. So please take the time to put partisan matters aside, and make a vote that will really help in this election.

My Best Friend's Wedding

I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in one of my best girlfriend's weddings last weekend. It was beautiful and perfect and fun to the hilt. Deepest congratulations to my amazing friend Erin and her lucky hubby Ryan.

{stunning bride}{the bridesmaids}{my love and me}

{my first time as a bridesmaid! What do you think of the hair?}

Gabe & Ari's Birthday PaRtaY

We celebrated Gabe & Ari's birthday party last Saturday, and we really had a great time. We had the party at our favorite park, which has an awesome playground, complete with a swing for children with special needs and a splash pad that turns on in the summer. This was only the second weekend that the splash pad was in operation, so our timing (although belated for their real birthday) was perfect. The birthday was a Mickey and Minnie theme, complete with all the trimmings; including Micky & Minnie ears which I forgot to put on our little guests. We lunched on pizza, pesto chicken pasta, fruit salad and green salad, and of course, had far too many cupcakes for dessert. Thank you so much to everyone who celebrated with us and to those who couldn't make it this year but sent their love and good wishes!

March Milestones

Well, it seems that I'm late as usual to do the milestones post. Oh, well. One of these days, I will catch up and surprise myself (and anyone else who happens to read this) and post it right on the first of the month. Anyway, here goes. Gabe and Ari are 3 and 1 month, and Isabella turned 18 months at the end of the month.

I've been updating about Ariana's little developments throughout last month, so there isn't too too much that's new since then. But... there are a couple things. Ari has started using the Plasma Car, which we call a "scooter". Up until now, Ari has only ever ridden as a passenger in front of either Jake or I on the scooter. This month, she's doing it by herself. She isn't fast, and she isn't really coordinated, but she understands how to make it move, and she makes it go! She has gone up and down the hall by herself, only needing assistance at the turns. Of course, I stay by her side, should she loose her balance and tip over, but she doesn't really need me, as she stays up pretty well on her own. She loves being in charge of her own mobility. I can see her using this as a way to get around when she gets older.

Right along those lines, Ari has been trying to drive/steer her manual wheelchair using her left hand. While this will never be a primary mode of transport (it veers to the right, since she doesn't use both hands), but this is demonstrating that she is able and driven to move herself.

This month, Ari has begun to tell me (by nodding) that she likes school. I always thought she did, because she would get really excited to go each morning. But after each day, when I asked her if she liked school or if she had fun, she would shake her head 'no'. Ari is well past the point of understanding this query and knowing the difference between 'yes' and 'no', so it wasn't a question of that. I think she was still adjusting. This month, when I ask her the same question, she always gives me a certain nod 'yes'. Which makes me happy :).

Ari has started giving closed-mouth kisses! She even makes a *smooch* sound with her lips when she does it. I hear her practicing that smooch all the time. It's awesome. Funny thing: Before we took Ari for stem cells, I read about a child who underwent Stem Cell Therapy who, prior to therapy, only gave open-mouth kisses. Post stem cells, the child learned to give closed-mouth kisses. This was one of the few, small changes that the child experienced as a result of the procedure. His mom commented, "Who can put a price tag on kisses?" Another mom wrote this:

Since returning home (we’ve been home about a month and a half), she’s had the very best gain that could possibly warm a mom’s heart……… Before the [STC], whenever she would give me a kiss, she could only kiss me with her mouth wide open. Within 2 weeks of being home, she’s been able to close her mouth to kiss me………and even better, she gets a little pucker on her beautiful little lips!!!!!!! And her pucker is getting better and better too! Poor kid…..she must be thinking “enough kisses already Mommy!” I get kisses from her ALL the time! It’s my favorite thing! She’ll kiss me, I can’t help but to get all excited like it’s the first one, and she’ll laugh…..I say “okay, one more kiss!” “Another kiss for mommy!” “Just one more!” “Okay, last time…one more” “Quit laughing and pucker up!” She gets as proud of herself over each and every kiss as I do!

Next, and this is a biggie, she’s been able to support her weight on her little arms when I put her in a 4-point crawl position! Do you have any idea how huge this is?! She has NEVER been able to do this before, even slightly. When I would place her in that position, on her hands and knees, she would just collapse down like a little rag doll. Now, she’s supporting her weight on all four limbs! The legs are better than the arms……..she’s able to push herself up to a kneel position, all day long, like she’s been doing it forever, an old pro at that…..her little legs push up….then back down…..back up…..back down. I usually position her arms for her, then she’ll hold strong…..until she starts laughing so hard from being proud of herself and then the arms will go back toward her body automatically. But she can DO it now……and it’s getting better daily! Do I even have to tell you that the first time she did this, I cried huge happy tears?! I was all blubbery with the biggest smile on my face.

Her sitting is getting MUCH better too. We’ve been sitting on the stairs together, me on the stair above the one she sits on, and we read books, and she sits up pretty much independently. I don’t even hold her at all, just put my arms around her like a cage while holding the book (but not touching her), and she sits up strong. She wobbles some, like she’s had one margarita too many, but she compensates her balance 90% of the time and catches herself and rights herself.

I posted that because of how completely identical it is to what we are experiencing with Ari. Every last detail. Jake thought I wrote it, and it doesn't even sound like me. All things that give me hope.

Gabriel has been going though some changes behaviorally this month. One day, he will be totally ornery... and I mean really, really naughty (pushing & hitting his sisters, giving them something just to take it away, throwing fits every 10 minutes for no reason at all). And the next he will be a perfect little prince. Today was a prince day. And I thanked him for it! What are some of the sweet Gabe behaviors? Well, for one, awakening me in the morning by cupping my cheeks in his hands and kissing me over and over, saying "Wake up Mommy. It's day time. I love youuu!" Others include looking for opportunities to share with his sisters, being ultra-agreeable, willingly and lovingly offering "Can I help you, Mommy?" or "I'm sorry I made a mess, Mommy. I'll clean it!" or "I want to give Bella a kiss! Please?!" He drives me nuts sometimes, but I just love this kid!

Last month, Gabe also had a really horrible time staying in bed at night. He would come down the stairs every 5-10 minutes, totalling about 30 trips that we'd have to make throughout the night to take him back to bed. I nearly lost my mind. He didn't care if we ignored him, threatened to take away his beloved bear and blankie, reprimanded him, made really angry faces. Nothing worked. I'm talking weeks of us taking him back to bed in stony silence (a la "Supernanny" technique). Then he got sneaky. He would just hide behind the couch while we were watching a movie or hide beside my bed or behind my floor-length mirror while we were sleeping. It was really creepy. I thought many times, that I needed to restrain him for his own safety. When someone sneaks up on you and is breathing over your face in the dead of night while you sleep, I swear, you're not responsible for your actions immediately upon being awakened. So, we tried to flip the door knob around (because he can unlock it), but we aren't too handy, so that didn't work. Then, in an act of desperation (and necessity is the mother of invention), using Ari's bathrobe belt, we tied the outside handle of Gabe's doorknob to one of the handles on the linen cupboard outside his room, so he couldn't open his door all the way. He freaked out for 15 minutes that night. And he freaked out for 10 minutes the next day at nap time (oh, did I mention naps were an issue too?). And then he was straightened out. Just like that. Now, he gets up only to pee (once or twice if at all). He'll remind us at bedtime, "Don't put the pink tie on the door, okay?", to which we reply "Okay. Don't get out of bed, okay?". And that's our little understanding.

This last month, Gabe still was infatuated with Disney villians of all types. His most recent favorite (okay, I'm venturing into April a bit) was the hoodoo Shadowman from "Princess and the Frog". His previous favorites were Captain Hook and the evil Hun from "Mulan". He memorizes and recites their lines, sings their soundtrack songs, and everything. Maybe I was reading too much into it, but I found it disheartening. It's just that the only educational piece of a Disney movie is its noble message and in creating a distinction between good and evil. Gabe wasn't getting this out of the movie at all. And since he was identifying with the "bad guys", I felt that made the movies inappropriate. So, fast foward again to April. We have had several lessons on what a good guy is and what a bad guy is. He now knows what side he stands for. But since Disney good guys all tend to be a little bit dandies, we have started to introduce Spiderman. Spiderman wears a cool costume, wields weapons (spider webs), has powers, and helps people. Wow, I think we've finally got it.

Isabella is just a different girl than she was last month. This happens every month. I can't even put her into words like I can the other two. She is just really over my head. Every day, she does something that just blows me away. Like, she is speaking in sentences. She says at least one thing every day that I had no idea she knew the meaning of... much less how to articulate. And I'm not talking about a new word here and there. Last night, I was tucking her into her crib and she said "Goodnight... Ay ya you (I love you)". Then she says "See you ina mornee (in the morning)". I was baffled, but just then she followed up with "Heyyyy! Where you goee (going)?!" I was like, what??? I know this may not be totally out of the norm for an 18 month old female , but she has never said this before. She completely hid the fact that she was capable of saying these things until last night. She does this all the time! It just catches me off guard to see this chubby little thing speaking sentences at me. She argues, negotiates, jokes. And every time, I'm shocked. It makes me wonder, what else do you know baby?

Speaking of joking, Bella's sense of humor just thrills us. You've seen her funny faces (if not, view it here). She is a little actress. I have no idea where she gets it, because I sure as heck don't have as much awareness of my own facial expressions (if you know me, you'll know what I mean). She is a true ham, and knows just how to get the laughs. Whenever she wants a laugh, she'll do her little act, and then clap and nod, encouraging others to follow suit. And when she happens to see something that tickles her or she gets the punch line of a joke, she'll giggle and say "Aha, funny? It's funny." I love it.

Bella has been running all over the place this month. And she started walking up and down the stairs, while holding on to the railing or a hand.

Like my other children, Isabella loves music. She's always been a dancer, but she's started singing quite a few songs. She sings "Twinkle Twinkle", "ABC's", "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" and several others. I love her sweet little voice.

Little Loves

{Making Ari's bed while she was at preschool}{Taylor sibs on the stairs}

Easter at Home

We stayed in town for Easter this year. I thought it was a really great weekend -- simple and fun and full of beautiful weather.

On Saturday, we went to the Edward's house and my kids got to dye Easter eggs with two of their best friends, Lana & Kiera. Gabe was so distracted with his newest favorite movie ("The Princess and The Frog") that he was in a trance the entire time. I wonder if he even remembers dying the eggs :). Ari and Isabella were very into it, but weren't sufficiently satisfied until the eggs had been eaten!

In the evening, we went to our friends', the Erickson's, church for an Easter egg hunt. Thousands of eggs were scattererd on the grass, so it wasn't as much of a hunt for eggs as it was a gathering of eggs. The kids loved it, and it was definitely a good one for beginners.On Easter, we just hung out and watched a little bit of General Conference. The kids got to eat from their Easter baskets, which contained candy-filled eggs (well... maybe not filled. Each egg contained the equivalent of about one M&M or jellybean, which was still enough to give them a sugar high) and "bunny food" a.k.a. trail mix. I made a roast chicken and roasted asparagus and steamed king crab legs for dinner. It was just our family, but it was really, really nice. I hope everyone had a good Easter as well.