Interesting new trend

Lately I've noticed ad companies using new tactics that most people find very forward thinking.  I like to think of them as emotional ads.  Like this one using a down syndrome little girl.

Also the P&G commercials that talk about moms being behind every olympic athlete.  Doesn't a part of you want to say 'aww'?

While I love the idea that the world is in some ways progressing by using something other than perfect models to sell things I find it all a little fishy.  All of these emotional ads seem to be a clever way to tug at your heart strings, even if for just a second.  Maybe ad firms finally realized that hitting the emotional button on a woman works a lot better then seeing fancy cars and bikinis (ad firms finally realized that woman spend more then men).  I think it's great to see a cute little girl with down syndrome be on an ad (an ad other then one telling you to donate money to some charity) but I'm a little nervous about this tactic.  Will commercials, magazines, and billboards soon be covered in tearjerking images?  Will I constantly feel the urge to cry (which isn't very hard these days) everywhere I turn?  Isn't this worse than what has been on the media for years?  Fabio brought laughs, these bring an emotional roller-coaster.

Photo Overload!

So I am finally posting pictures...of Michael only.  I don't want to go through the ones of Josh and I yet.  Let's face it, you just want to see my cute little guy anyways :)

He loves Grandpa.  He stared at him while he washed the dishes for a half hour.

Notice the drool

I took Michael to the aquarium and he spent the whole time chewing on his stroller strap instead of looking at the fish

He's pretty good at getting a sippy in his mouth, but he prefers to chew on it

Whenever I hold him up to the piano he swings his arms like crazy trying to make as much noise as possible

He's been rolling under things lately when I'm not looking

He just got caught

I still don't know how he got under here without hitting his head

Don't you love mid-sneeze pictures?

 We went to Flaming Gorge about two weeks ago with my family.  Michael did really well!  He loved the water and would splash around in it.  You'll soon see what his favorite part of the boat was

Huge life-jacket

First time in the water 

This is what we like to call Magic Mike!  This is the pole for the table

8 months

I wrote this before we left and never posted it because I haven't uploaded pictures on the computer  in the last few months :P

Michael is growing like a weed!  I can't even remember my little baby anymore!  Good thing I have tons of pictures of him when he was born!  Here's what he's been up to

• He sits up by himself
• he is close to crawling, he pushes himself backwards
• he eats almost anything we give him, except peas and green beans
• he's also eating bigger chunks of food
• he holds his sippy cups and some food by himself
• he makes more and more sounds, mama and dada are among them
• He is just incredibly cute!  Somehow he is just getting cuter!

He is a very dependent little boy that is constantly surprising Josh and I.  We are very lucky parents!

What would I do?

We came home to hear some interesting news.  Josh's second (maybe third or however that works) cousin just had her baby boy.  She currently has 4-year-old triplets and this is her first baby since then.  When he was born he wasn't breathing very well.  He was rushed to the NICU where it was determined he had Down's.  Luckily the little boy doesn't appear to have heart problems, just the breathing problems.

When I first heard the news I was in shock.  I remember everything being measured at my 20 week ultrasound to see if Michael could have Down's; I was told they would do more extensive tests if they assumed anything.  I can't imagine not knowing and not being prepared for that.

Thankfully the mom majored in special ed and knows a lot more than most of us would.  She has also been prepared for this by having triplets.  As is expected in these kinds of situations I started to think about what I would do if that was my baby.  I don't know if I could ever handle.  I'm very grateful for my healthy, happy little boy!

Our last month...

Josh and I have been pretty busy.  Josh is working all the time and he is still taking one online class.  I've been in my sick stage of pregnancy but I think I'm coming out of it.  It seems like that alone is enough to keep us busy, but we have been doing a lot of other stuff.

• Josh and I celebrated out two year anniversary :)  We went up to Park City, had an amazing dinner at Ruth's Chris, and got massages 
• We went to Lagoon with the Crump's for a type of family reunion
• Celebrated Josh's grandparents 50th anniversary 
• Had family pictures
• Went to a family party for the 4th
• Celebrated Josh's birthday with a dinner at Tucanos with my sister and her cute family

Unfortunately I know we've been doing a lot more but I don't remember it (I don't even remember the last time I posted).  I will post some pictures soon, I have a bunch of cute ones of Michael rolling his way into tons of trouble!

Anger or Sadness?

I've had a few friends having babies lately and they are all the same, a cute bundle of joy that they get to hold and cuddle with.  I'm happy for them, I really am, but something eats at me.  I know it stems back to when Michael was born.  For those of you who don't remember, Michael wasn't breathing when he was born.  He wasn't blue and his heart rate was great, but he wasn't breathing for a few minutes.  On top of that he had blood sugar issues, an infection (strep-F....ya I thought there was only A and B), and later Acid Reflux that made his breathing issues worse when he was eating.  Needless to say I didn't hold my baby after he was born.  I didn't hold him for 3 hours after he was born, and even then I was urged to go away.

I've carried a lot of anger (or maybe sadness that has made me bitter) with me because of all of this.  I wasn't ready to push, so why was I told to?  Why wasn't there a doctor in the hospital when I was told to start pushing?  Why wasn't there a doctor in the hospital when I gave birth?  Why couldn't I at least see my son when he was born?  Why was I left in the recovery room for 2 hours and not told anything about him?  Why would the mother-baby unit nurses not let me go see my son when it was obvious that I could walk just fine?  More importantly, why did I decide to deliver in Logan? I hated my doctor from the beginning, but I had little choice in the matter (there aren't enough doctors in Logan).  I knew I wouldn't be happy giving birth there, but I did anyways.

All I can do is hope things are better this time around.  I'm going to scream if I have to; I'm going to get what I want!  I'm going to have a decent doctor who understands that if I can't have my baby with me (which I can guarantee I won't because I will always have small babies with blood sugar issues) I need to go to my baby right away.

A part of me feels like I need to examine these feelings a little more so I can let them go, but I also know I don't want to think about them.  I don't want to remember how it felt at the time and how it still feels.  It's hard to avoid when all of the babies I've seen lately are perfectly healthy and with their moms.  O well.

Michael's 7 months!

Michael turned 7 months old a few days ago.  He has been such a great little boy :)  His milestones are becoming less distinct, but I can tell he's growing more and more every day.
Here are Michael's fun facts:

• Michael is getting more mobile.  He is still rolling everywhere.  I can tell he's getting really close to crawling.
• He has one tooth in.  Michael's teeth have been a long process.  Every few weeks I've felt a bump that is almost through, then two days later it's soft mush again.  He finally has cut through the gums
• He claps :)  Well, in his own way.  When we tell him to clap he will hit both of his hands against his stomach as fast as he can
• He has started to say 'mama'.  He says it when he's crying.  I don't know if he associates the word with me or if he knows he will get attention when he says it.
• He has basically tripled his birth weight and grown about a foot :)
• He loves the boat!  We've taken him out twice now and he does great!  Except he hates the life jacket
• He is becoming more independent.  Since I've started getting sick I leave him to entertain himself more and more.  So far so good.  

He's been a great little boy for his 7 months and 5 days so far :)  We are excited to continue to see him grow!