We had a great party today for Brady's birthday ~ the Patriots won (and the Red Sox!) and we had great food with friends and family. All the kids got along pretty well (only a few injuries) and it didn't rain or was 100 degrees. It was nice and cool, which made the house less hot. I will post pictures tomorrow after I upload them to the computer.

I am going to be lame and count this as my post because I am too tired to write anymore!

Here I am on Day 6 of the "31 for 21" challenge and I have already resorted to pictures and song lyrics in my entries. In college I was a journalism major, and the professors always encouraged us to keep a daily journal... just sit with a pen and paper for 10 minutes and the words will all flow naturally. You will be surprised what you end up writing. SO here I go... free writing starts.... NOW!

I am sitting here with mozzarella cheese residue on my hands since I just made a lasagna for Brady's birthday party tomorrow. His birthday is actually October 13 (last year it was Friday the 13th!) but next weekend my parents are out of town, my sister is out of town, his buddy James will be in England... just wasn't going to work. So we are celebrating tomorrow, having a whole New England Patriots theme, with football food and decorations. I actually ordered his cake - it is a cute Patriots bobble head character (my husband is only interested in "who" the bobble head is - is it Bruschi or Brady???) with a Happy Birthday Brady on it. I usually make birthday cakes over here since Michael has a peanut allergy, but we've been lucky with this bakery and haven't had any allergen issues.

I crack up that we are doing Patriots theme... as opposed to Teletubbies, Thomas the Train, even just a big "2". Can you tell this is the second child?? Michael's second birthday cake was a cool-looking dirt road with trucks on it. All I know is that Brady has the perfect outfit to wear -- a Tom Brady football jersey onesie his godmother bought him last year. (For you non-football fans, Tom Brady is the quarterback.) Both Tom and Michael have jerseys, and I was going to resort to wearing a red shirt... then when I went to the grocery store tonight I found a pink Patriots shirt. Hopefully it will fit so I can be part of the team too.

We're having football-type food, munchies and a few non-meat dishes for the vegetarians coming (it's a cheese lasagna). Tom just realized on Friday afternoon he has Monday off, so I'm sure he'll be having a grand ole time tomorrow.

I will (of course) update with some pictures of the party tomorrow night -- hope everyone has a nice Sunday!

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

The road is long

With many a winding turn

That leads us to who knows where

Who knows where

But I'm strong

Strong enough to carry him

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

So on we go

His welfare is my concern

No burden is he to bear

We'll get there

For I know

He would not encumber me

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all

I'm laden with sadness

That everyone's heart

Isn't filled with gladness

And love for one another

It's a long, long road

From which there is no return

While we're on the way to there

Why not share

And the load doesn't weigh me down at all

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

He's my brother

He ain't heavy, He's my brother

The calendar is never blank.

We just got booked in to the Boston Children's Hospital Williams clinic in mid-January. We go to the hospital daily for three days and see every specialist, along with OT, PT, developmental, consultants, you name it. I am pretty excited about it because I know we'll get some great feedback, but also some local help as well. I think they also have two families at a time so we'll hopefully meet up with another WS family. Brady's PT is interested in going with us one day too, which will be such a great addition. She'll get the first-hand knowledge.

This is not to say I'm not excited for our second Louisville trip also -- we're doing that at the beginning of January (Amy??). So basically, we'll be overloaded on information to start the new year, but I can't really help that right now. The Louisville trip includes a meeting with Dr. Morris, whom we didn't get to see in June. I enjoyed going last summer; I think I greatly benefited from that trip. I am interested to hear if Dr. Mervis sees any major changes in Brady.

I will probably need a little R&R come February. Las Vegas, anyone?

I have a confession to make: having a special needs child has made me less tolerant over stupid problems. The issue lies in what I consider a "stupid problem". I have actually gained more patience in general ("Is it really that important for you to be so upset?") but I am finding there is very little out there that I consider a major problem to be unnerved about. I am not comparing our shortcomings to someone else's -- just putting everything into perspective has made me realize that some things are not as bad as they could be.

It is a problem, really. I am realizing I have less and less sympathy for people who's major problems look like they belong in high school ("Are you mad at me?"), or problems that are easily avoidable ("Ummm... maybe you shouldn't have started dating a married man.") or problems that are blown out of proportion ("Yeah... a hangnail is a very serious condition for you to call in to work.")

Am I becoming a bad friend? Sometimes I feign sympathy because I don't have the guts to tell someone I don't agree with their thought process. And sometimes I know that's really all friends need to do -- just be a sounding board for people so they can figure out their problems themselves. I am sure I have bored a friend or two with things they didn't think were so important. But I am wondering if I will ever go back to having that non-judgemental ear.

Sometimes the most important problem for you is a minor one: sometimes you just need the simplest of things go right because everything else sucks. For example, your computer breaking down isn't the worst thing in the world, but it can be that last little thing to drive you over the edge. ("Look at everything in my life -- can't AT LEAST my computer work?????") I hear that~ it happens. And God knows I've been there. I have to remind myself to keep in check.

Who knows -- maybe it isn't because of Brady that I feel this way. Maybe I would've felt this way anyway since I am (gulp) getting older and less tolerant. I do look forward to that glorious senior citizen age where you can tell everyone exactly what's on your mind and people just expect it. Maybe I'll become more understanding by then.

This is what happens if you wait too long to put an almost-two-year old in for his nap....

Here is Brady hard at play.... he has become more interested in playing with toys over the last few months.

31 for 21

Today is the first day of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. I have been learning more about this syndrome as I now frequent Michelle's site (http://mdbeau.blogspot.com/) about her daughter Kayla. She has received a challenge to "31 for 21", upon which she put out for everyone else. This means to post every day in October (31 days) to raise awareness for Down syndrome, 21 referring to the 21st chromosome that people with Down syndrome have. You don't necessarily have to write about Down syndrome in each post, but to explain that is why you are kicking it off would be nice!

As I sit this first hour writing, I am smiling to myself at how much has changed in the past two years since Brady was born. Not regarding the Williams diagnosis, or just having another child in the house, but just the friendships that have been created and brought together because of our children. When Michael was just a toddler, I created friendships with women whom I am still close with to this day -- even though our children may not be close anymore, we still share a bond.

With Brady, my ties with people across the country through the internet are just as close. Why, just this day alone, at 1 p.m. in the afternoon, I have already mentioned Erik, Clare and Lisa (LOL). I speak of them and others as if they were just at my house yesterday. How can this be??? Well, Clare could have been :) but Avery is in Indiana, Erik in Oregon, Daven in New Mexico, Tatum in Maryland... and the list keeps growing.

I found Michelle's site through another blog and now I follow along Kayla's journey, as I do with all of the other WS mommies out there. It is helpful and refreshing to have the support and education from everyone... thank you all.