Down Syndrome Awareness Day September 13, 2008

Today was a wonderful day! It was Grandpa's Birthday and so many of my family members came to the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk to show support for me and my friends. My Uncle Randy and Aunt Sandy came. My Sister Jeni, her husband Thomas, Kinley and Madilyn. My Sister Joni, her husband Steven and Brooklyn. Grandma and Grandpa Gardner. I was so happy Grandma could come. She has stage 4 liver cancer and she doesn't get out much, but Grandma and Grandpa would move mountains for me, I believe, if they could.

The theme for the day was Prince and Princesses. Grandpa came proudly as my Prince. He's not only my Grandpa, but pretty much my father figure. Kinley came as Belle and Madi wore Kin's matching cabbage patch dress. Brooklyn came as Snow White. I handed my Snow White dress down to Brooklyn. Joni's proud. Snow White is her favorite Princess. Me? I went as Cinderella :) and a gorgeous one at that. My mom beems with pride over me. She loves dressing me up and playing with me.

After our buddy walk around the block we had lunch, then we had games like the fish pond and the lucky ducky game, decorated castle sugar cookies and put stickers on our crowns to take home, and a cool pink temporary "Princess" tatoo.

Mom and Jeni don't know it, but me and Kinley are really true partners in crime. I love water so I side-tracked everyone's attention at the ducky came and started splashing the water and trying to get in the lil pool, cuz I love to swim and everyone knows it. While everyone was watching me, Kinley spotted the bag full of prizes, snatched it up and ran ...ran with it with every bit of energy she had. Ha..ha.. what a team we are, but they caught her.. but..ha.. we not only did it once, but ya... we repeated the crime...ha..ha..ha...... Mom and Jeni are gonna have to pick up the pace to keep up with us for the next 20 years. I use my innocence and Kinley she uses her energy to get the job done. After the games we had snow cones and the drawing for the raffles. We won some Disney books, a cheesecake pain, an oil change..and mom won a lip and eyebrow wax at a beauty salon (ouch why would someone want one of those)!

I was asleep in my car seat not even 2 blocks after we left the park. I was worn out, so I know grandma and grandpa, and mom were too, so I took a nice nap at home.

Then, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner for Grandpa's birthday. I got to see my newest neice, Maeleigh, too cuz my brother Jeremy and his wife Laura brought her to the party. I'm excited to have another "partner in crime". Mom's excited with another granddaughter cuz to her that means.. more "Barbie Parties". Bratz is a dirty word in our house.

My ear is starting to feel better. I was sick again last week and mom took me to the doctor, AGAIN, where they discovered a left ear infection and raging yeast infection, put me on another antibiotic and a cream for my sore hiney. I've been really sore and mom lets me run around without a diaper to air it out, but it's taking it's time getting better because although the antibiotic is good for my ear, it makes my yeast infection grow and even worse, but I'm tough. I take all this uncomfortableness in life pretty good. Mom thinks I'm a real trooper.

I'm here to teach my mom how to enjoy the simple things in life and bah the nagging stressors in life. They aren't what is most important. Life is about loving each other, helping each other, and enjoying the little pleasures life gives us.

Sick, again

Mom took me to the doctor again on Tuesday, Sept. 9, because I have still been irritable and started developing a diaper rash. My left ear is infected and I have a yeast infection in my diaper area, probably due to the antibiotics I've been on. Of course, now I am on another course of antibiotics (10 days) for my ear, a cream for my rash, and I've gone from my bowel obstruction to diarrhea, which all contributes to my sore sore raw bottom, making me very miserable and mommie very sad and feeling at a loss at what to do for me next.

Tomorrow is the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk. My grandparents are going, even my grandma who is fighting stage 4 liver cancer is going to be there for me. My nieces, Kinley, Madilyn and Brooklyn are coming, my cousins Tarah and Alex, my aunt Sheri, uncle Randy and Aunt Sandy. I'm excited I get to wear my Cinderella costume and a crown, as the Theme is Prince and Princesses. If you don't know already, my name Sadie means Princess.

It's also my grandpa's Birthday tomorrow, so we get to party at his house tomorrow evening also. Mom sure hopes I'm feeling better and I can enjoy my day.

My new favorite movie is Peter Pan. We play it over and over and over..again.... I clap my hands and wave them in the air with excitement when it begins. When it ends I sign "more" to mom. Mom signs "more" and says Peter Pan back to me and I flap my arms and giggle.. and sign more again. Mom says.. whatever it takes to get me to sign!

Feeling Better Today

Mom took me to the doctor yesterday, and of course while there my belly was soft. I didn't see my regular physician, but Mom does like the doctor we say also. He said he could still feel some stool in my bowels and to keep giving me MiraLax. He asked if I was always so quiet and still. Mom said no, that I just learned to walk and is usually all over the place, checking things out. He asked a lot of questions about my health and asked mom if she knew I had a very loud heart murmur. Mom said, yes that was normal for me. He told mom my symptoms could mean several different things, that with the many health issues I already have complicates things, from my thyroid acting up, stomach, heart, etc., etc.

So, he advised us to go home and if I wasn't feeling better in a few days to come back and they would run more tests.

That afternoon I drank some Pedisure and my stomach bloated up, swelled and got all tight again. I got clammy and sweaty a few times, similar to when I have had heart issues in the past. Mom's been so worried. Last night she just broke down after putting me to bed. She's been praying extra hard for me lately.

This morning, however, I woke up, ate some of my Barbie waffle, drank a cup of soy milk, later a cup of juice, but refused lunch. I've been more active, playing, walking around the apartment, laughing, waving at myself in the mirror and acting more myself. Mom thinks even my color looks better. We are hoping this is the end of my current round of whatever has been going on with my body. We are all worn out with worry and the stress of it all.

Still Not Feeling Well

Sunday I still didn't want to eat. All I had yesterday was a couple bottles of Soy Milk and couple crackers. I had just a couple small bowel movements since the one in the ER. Today I was whiney and lied around a lot, wanting mommy to hold me, but she had to work at the computer. It was the last day of her pay period and she's been behind on work. I slept 11 hours last night. This morning I took a couple bites of my waffle and drank my milk, visited grandma and grandpa, ate a few fries and drank a cup of apple/cranberry juice, and then went to the gym with mom to clean. I slept off and on today. My grandma rocked me and I fell asleep just a couple hours after getting up. I don't want to walk, crawl, or play. I didn't even want to jump with kinley at the gym on the trampolines. I just don't want to do anything. Tonight I drank a little more juice, my tummy started huring and swelled again, and got tight. I had a couple really wicked diapers, and then I fell asleep. Mom's got a feeling something isn't right, so if I'm still not acting or feeling right tomorrow we'll go back to the doctor, maybe get another x-ray to see if I cleared my bowels. I'm just so tired... Mom's going to pray harder for me tonight than usual. She's really worried and cries easily when she looks in on me.