new developments

here's Max in front of the bamboo garden at Huntington Gardens last week in the grown up stroller!

so we've been going to Huntington gardens almost every day. And this week we changed his car seat to one that stays in the car for bigger babies - and that means changing his stroller to the actual bugaboo seat instead of just putting the car seat on the stroller. This is a BIG change in many ways. The biggest one is that he would take a nap in the car and I would take him in the car seat and he would just keep on sleeping. So we could be out for 2-3 hours and he would nap almost the entire time in the stroller - in the car and never wake up.

Now I have to take him out of the car seat and then put him in the stroller and strap him in - which means he wakes up.

So.....long story short - I no longer leave the house at the time of his first nap like I used to. This way - he actually gets his full nap and it's undisturbed. But it means we had to stop going to my Monday women's AA meeting, my Tuesday Meeting at Club 21 where I had just started to go to a weekly volunteer meeting, Max's Wednesday playgroup with mom's club, And Friday's playgroup at club 21 he misses half or all of it.

And his second nap is from about 2-4 or 3-5 so we've been missing the Thursday playgroup in the afternoon and Friday's Music class.

So basically we are missing everything he is used to doing with me every day.

I realize that this is going to change once his naps go from 2 down to one nap but it's a big adjustment.

on another note - Max is starting to take his first steps!!!

Oh yes

one, two and three.

He is trying and trying to walk. It's amazing to see.

and - on yet another note

Jerry and I are celebrating our 8th year together. Today was the day we met. At our friends wedding in La Jolla. This morning we were sharing with each other that this is the best year yet. It just keeps getting better and better.

and...

Max started OT today to work on his fine motor skills. This is the only thing that he has a slight delay with. We are working on his pincher grasp mostly. But feeling glad we got this started right when he needed it.

one more thing....

and an update on the eye surgery - we have an appointment this thursday with another doctor and another appointment on March 22nd with yet ANOTHER doctor. We are basically seeing every doctor that our friends have recommended and we heard the names of these more than once by people we love and trust. I should write a short paper on each doctor and what we like and don't like about each of them. I'm sure you know me by now - I will be posting about all of them here real soon.

thanks to everyone who sent support and love our way. We need all of it!

We feel surrounded in a bubble of love for sure. I am SO glad this blog world, e-mail, phone and actual face to face human interaction exists! We are blessed with many friends and family members who are praying for - loving - and thinking of Max and that means the world to us.

Today - early this morning our friend Audrey had to take her daughter Estelle in for surgery for 3 different procedures. I was a bit emotional about this because I am close to knowing what this is like. I haven't heard anything yet - but we are sending them a lot of love tonight. Audrey is one of the founding members of Club 21. Her daughter is an AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL little girl. I love to watch her - she defies what you think it is to have Down syndrome. She is articulate, clear when she speaks, and a real "pistol" as her mom calls her. We love this family and we hope all is well tonight.