i have now been asked a few times so far in this pregnancy if i was scared. i assumed they meant to have another child with Down syndrome. i wanted to share my response with everyone just in case some of you were wondering but afraid to ask. my response was and is:
no. i am not scared.
two nights before i had my first ultrasound with this baby i had a dream, i dreamt that i was having twins. i was holding these two beautiful babies one in each arm and notice one of them was born with Ds and the other one was not. i can't express the happiness that filled me in my dream. i said to myself this is wonderful! i now have two typical children and two children born with Down syndrome:) now this may sound odd to those of you without a child with some sort of gift like Down syndrome but i'm hoping a few of you out there understand where i'm coming from. it was nice because i felt max would have another sibling who would have just a bit more in common (not that i feel lilly or this other soon to be family member isn't going to be close with max but to have someone else in the family with Ds... wow, that would be wonderful!). anyways when i went to my ultrasound and found out there is just one baby in there, i said to my husband i was a little sad that my dream wasn't true:( not that i am not super excited and thrilled to have this one baby in there because i am:)
i shared with these people that if i could take the "Down syndrome" out of max, I WOULD NOT! that is part of what makes max who he is and i love it:) now, i can see if max had major health issues and if Ds was a part of that, maybe that would change my opinion. but he IS a healthy, happy, beautiful little boy. just like lilly, max is going to and already in my book has made such a positive impact on the world, my world.
when max was first born, i can say that i had feelings and long discussions with nick on having another child. about the many reason i felt that lilly would need that other sibling to be there to help her with future issues and just to have another person in the family to talk to. now since max's little personality is shining through and to see lilly and her little brother interacting together just like any other sibling, not to mention all of the wonderful families that have come into our life, lilly's life since having max, i no longer feel that way.
before nick and i started trying to have another baby i told nick i no longer felt that way, and that i wanted to have this third baby here in our life because i think our family has so much to offer another life. there is so much love in this family, i want another child to grow up with this love, acceptance, and appreciation for life.
and yes by max being born with Down syndrome i am more likely then the average person to have another child with Ds even though in max's case it was an act of God... not genetic. so i guess whatever God has in store again i will be more than happy to take. again no, i am not scared i am excited to see what i am a part of creating:) Down syndrome or not:)
max's nose and the concrete lightly came in contacted the other day, nick and i have been calling him rudolph ( i wonder if that nickname will stick?)
this is a picture of the start of the project.
a little more then half way:)
nick, ben and adam working:)
some of the kids jumped on as soon as the swings were up! time for a lunch break.
the finished swing set... in the back of all the hard works relaxing:)
lilly, her cousin and her new neighbor friend playing tea party in her little house:)
too cute:)
max's first time down the slide.
he loved it.
lilly and a few of her cousins playing:)
max walking around the yard with his little walker:)
this morning max and i spent some one on one time together:) we wanted to do a little practicing of standing on his own.
a few kisses of encouragement:)
i never thought of letting him lean on anything to practice standing and his pt lisa came over for a visit last thursday and did this with him... i was shocked by how long he stood there by himself:)
wooo whoo max!
way to go max! 
with all that hard work of standing on his own... it's time to sit:)
grandma and grandpa elrick with lilly and max.
max opening his presents:)
max got a green ball that smells like a lime.
what kid doesn't love opening presents!
lilly and her new barbie.
now let the easter egg hunt begin!
lilly found an egg!
max contemplating "should i eat this grass?"
daddy and lilly looking for eggs:)
aiden checking on max:)
such a sweet moment.
i wasn't able to get lilly or max to look at me, so... and action shot of them looking at a stick works for me:)
i feel really good about this picture:) it's hard to get a perfect one of nine kids.
grandma minten, lilly, max, and aunt jenny.
grandma pingel gave max a chip and he just sat in his chair as happy as could be and continued to ask for more when every chip was gone:) what a good little boy:)
we had the pingel side over for supper, it was a really nice night. the kids played outside for a large part of the night. over all the day was great, we all had a good time seeing all of the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents.
lilly and the birthday boy:)
max just hanging out with his big cousins:)
smile max:)
pizza and cake! yum:)
lilly super excited to watch her first movie at the movie theater, it was "how to train your dragon" it was a really cute movie:)
lilly and aiden waiting for the movie to start:)
aiden fell asleep as soon as the movie started.
cheese:)
the kids after the movie:)
so sweet.
max loves rocks.
really loves the rocks.
that lilly can jump so high.
nice smile lilly:)
