Disney World Excitement

The kids had a chance to go to Disney World for two days this year... We woke up and got out of the door in South Florida at 5am so we could check in early at the All Star Music Resort and head over to visit Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. My parents came along for the wild ride as well. Our first day was kindly sponsored by a number of ABC O&O reporters who work in Toledo, so we were able to park hop for a day - that's why I was so intent on visiting two parks with the kids. They got a chance to visit a couple of very cool animal experiences - one a "hike" through an animal area (including having a chance to see many gorillas) and the other was a safari ride through the Animal Kingdom natural preserve. It was amazing to see the number of animals we saw in such a short amount of time.

After a bus ride over to the Hollywood Studios we stood in a very, very long line (110 minutes or so) to ride the Toy Story Mania 4D experience. It was so, so cool. Even the waiting line was exciting. We got the full Andy's Room experience as we waited. We also got to see June and Quincy from Little Einsteins. (Jordan loved that) We ran back to Animal Kingdom to enjoy dinner and play in the Dino-Rama area.

We took the kids and the grandparents back to the hotel and ran off to spend extra hours on our own in the Magic Kingdom. The holiday decorations on the castle are just plain beautiful. I don't remember it that way two years ago. Randy and I rode all of the rides we normally don't get to ride because of the kids. That was pretty fun.

The next day we had a quickie birthday present opening time for Jordan before running off to the Magic Kingdom. I presented Jordan with her 3 year old t-shirt that I won in the Type-A Mom's Back to School party back in September. Her t-shirt was from Tote And Tee - a very cool online store with very sweet shirts. Jordan looked beautiful and excited in her shirt. It certainly screamed: I'm a big girl. We added a necklace full of Disney pins and a crown to complete the "look" for the day. That is... before she went to her big birthday gift: A trip to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to get princess hair. We learned a big lesson during this trip: You want to be in the Magic Kingdom the moment is opens in the morning. No one is there. We walked onto four rides before 9:30. It was amazing. We all enjoyed the Buzz Lightyear ride, the Monsters Incorporated Laugh Floor (which we saw the night before and I LOVE it.), It's a Small World and Peter Pan. The kids were in heaven.

The boys and girls split so Jordan could see Mickey and Minnie and the boys could get a Fast Pass for Splash Mountain. Mickey and Minnie were wonderful and took bunches of pictures with Jordan. The boys got us passes and we met up with a former student of mine and his wife. She broke her foot recently and that mishap taught us another lesson about Disney: You want to be injured but not too injured to enjoy Disney. A wheelchair gets you to the front of every ride along with the rest of the people you're visiting the park with. That access made it possible for Cameron to ride every roller coaster. They got to enjoy a pile of rides while Jordan got pretty. Walking around the park with a little white and pink poofball was really funny to watch. I can't tell you how many random people took pictures of Jordan and I giggled inside thinking about how many of those photographers are looking at their pictures now and just realizing the little girl who was dressed up only had one hand! That was another lesson we learned during this trip: If you dress your little girl up to a level that is just shocking and a bit over the top, people won't notice little differences like a missing arm. (hee hee)

The princess treatment wasn't over... We watched a holiday parade where Santa even noticed Jordan and wished her a happy birthday. We rode the Jungle Cruise and then took Jordan and the rest of the family to a Cinderella-themed dinner at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridan hotel. It was quite the experience... I documented that in a separate post. Anyway, the day exhausted Miss Jordan and after she passed out in my arms, I passed her over to my parents to take her back to the hotel room. Apparently that hand off didn't go as well as we had hoped. (Thanks Mom and Dad - sorry about that) While Jordan slept, her brother, dad and I rode Space Mountain and enjoyed the SpectroMagic parade.

It was so much fun and I think we packed in four days of fun into two long days. Randy and I were sore from the long walks and the hours I carried Jordan in my arms when she was tired (yes we had a stroller but sometimes Mommy's arms keep a three year old from falling apart).

Now that I've written so much, I'll now present a review of the view I collected during our adventure. I call it "2 Days of Disney in less than 10 minutes." It runs 7:30 and it was edited using Motionbox so the cuts are a little rough - no dissolves or pretty stuff. But it does show a very busy family in a very fun place!

A Florida Christmas

We returned to South Florida for the first time in two years... Two years. That seems so wrong. But when it takes many days to drive and flying is so expensive... I understand why we had to wait. But man, let me tell you. It was a perfect time to be there. The temperature was perfect. We had one rainy day out of seven. We got to swim and enjoy the beach. The kids got to ride bikes a bit. And to top it all off... We got to spend some really great time with my parents and a little bit of time with my brother.

On Christmas Eve, we attended a service at my parents' church. The whole family was actually asked to come to the front and do the Advent candle lighting. Jordan joined me at the podium while I read the meaning of the Advent. At the end, I got her to wish the whole church a merry Christmas. It was sweet -- And it's always cool to sneak in a side of Jordan cuteness.

Gift opening is a big deal for both kids -- But I've always considered a three year old as the "perfect" age for the holiday. You can start explaining the real reason why we're celebrating and a three-year-old isn't greedy enough to be nutty and pig-headed during the gift opening process. It's a pure kind of excitement. I'm not sure if that theory is proven... Cameron has maintained a very sweet attitude - even if he's six and a half. Either way, the gifts are simpler when you're little... And man was every gift exciting to Jordan.

Some very cute things emerged during the holiday season. Jordan LOVES holiday music. She would break out into song when you least expect it. She would start dancing anywhere if she heard a song she liked. She would DEMAND you turn up the song if it wasn't loud enough for her liking. Music and the holidays are a happy mix for this little girl. The best moment was watching Jordan dance to Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." My mom, Randy and I just watched her boogie while she grooved - she had no idea we were watching. She was dancing for not reason except for the joy that song brings to her. It was such a wonderful and sweet moment.

Another wonderful thing about this trip - The weather was so nice that the television was rarely turned on. Jordan was focused on playing with dolls, bothering her brother and being outside. It was just relaxing and wonderful. Some of the gift highlights: Jordan got a new Leapster!! She recently started stealing her brother's and now she has her very own. It's very exciting.

And now... Some video. First, here's Jordan right before we opened presents on Christmas Eve:

Next, excitement over the present distribution process:

So much to catch up on.

Here is a picture of Jordan right before she walked into her new school yesterday. She was so excited. I had a new backpack to give her. She spent all morning wearing it and saying: "I'm ready to go to school!" Her first day in the classroom went pretty well. She played with all kinds of new friends and was so happy to tell me a few things about her day.

From what she had to say, she was happy with most kids but one made her sad. She doesn't know everyone's name yet, so when I asked her who made her sad, she just said "somebody." At this point I have a pretty good memory of names for about half of her class. To make it a little tricky, the classroom has many early education college students working with the kids - so that's another set of names I need to learn! With the semester ending soon, I'm guessing many of them are leaving so that's a little less pressure for me! Jordan's new classroom is a great place for her to learn while college students learn from her. It's a great environment and I'm excited that she's there. The teacher-student ratio is just crazy small because of the connection to the university. There's an observation booth to help researchers and instructors learn and teach. I could sneak in and see how things are going if I want to! The coolest part was ending my day yesterday by just walking over to Jordan's school and walking with her to my car in the campus parking garage. That little perk will be hard to let go of when I end my current fellowship and move back to work more often at the TV station.

Before Jordan officially started at her school, she visited a couple of times last week. On Thursday I went in with her and helped teach the kids about her difference so they weren't confused, scared or just under educated about why Jordan is just like them - just with one hand. I had the teacher read Harry, Willy and Carrothead. It's about how one friend had one hand, one friend had red hair and another friend kept making fun of the redhead. We talked about how the teacher needs glasses to see so that doesn't make her strange, she just needs those glasses to help - and that's exactly why Jordan uses a prosthetic arm (I encouraged the name "helper arm"). Jordan didn't wear her arm that day so I could pass it around for the kids to see. They were stunned and amazed. They had a lot of questions, but mostly to me and not her. One kid asked Jordan why she had one hand and she just said "I don't know." I encouraged her to say "That's just how I was born." Either way, Jordan was more excited about having one of her own books read in the class than the fuss kids were making about her difference. She seems completely not shocked, stunned or concerned about the kids asking questions. I made it clear to the kids that it's okay to ask questions, but it isn't okay to grab Jordan's helper arm or little arm without asking. I saw two kids ask Jordan to show her little arm while they were playing and Jordan was kind to show it off. Then they all moved on and played together. I was really happy to see the kids learn a lot and seem really okay with it. Only one little boy kept saying: "Ewwww. Gross!" The teacher said she'd make sure she talks to his moms to make sure they helped him better digest Jordan's difference. I also left behind a book called The Making of My Special Hand. It gets kind of specific on how a little girl had a myoelectric hand made for her. It shows all kinds of examples of hands and what it takes to get one made. The teacher thinks her more scientific kids will really enjoy that one.

On Jordan's last day at her old school, I got weepy. It's hard to walk away from somewhere you've spent so much time with. I'd have one or both kids in that school for the last five year. Five years. That's the longest I've lived anywhere in my life! Now I've lived here for five and a half years with not plans of moving away. It's a great feeling. But that long connection means it was much harder to leave. Of course, Jordan didn't seem to mind at all. She spent all day Friday telling everyone it was her last day of school. She wasn't sad, she was excited.

Over the weekend, we were VERY lucky to have a visit from my aunt and uncle. I love them both a ton and it's so great to have the kids have fun and play with them. They spent a lot of time playing board games - including Monopoly. I caught a really cool moment when Jordan was sitting on my Aunt Jan's lap trying to roll the dice with BOTH hands. It was so cute. It was also special to be able to have time that was quiet, calm and not as stressful as the last month or so has been with all of my travel and deadlines. It has clearly affected the kids - they're even more stubborn and having a tough time with the word "no." Traditional stuff after a lot of grandparent time. I'll get them back to normal just in time to get spoiled for the holidays. That's okay. It comes with the job of parent. As my mom said: Four steps forward, and one step back. Exhausting kids or not, it was awesome to simply hang out, play games and have fun with my aunt and uncle. Plus, I spent so much time cleaning my house, there is a less stressful feel to it. We'll see how long I can make that last!

Family time!

Jordan is enjoying family time for Thanksgiving... Another year for us all to be very thankful. For one thing, we are lucky to be loved by a wonderful family. We may not all live that close to each other, but we've found so many ways to stay in touch. The kids' blogs are a great way for everyone to know we're doing okay. But each and every family member goes out of their way to find ways for us to see each other in person. Holidays and non-holidays - we've all found excuses to get together and spend time playing with the kids. Randy and I are blessed to have a wonderful work environment. My fellowship has also allowed me to get to know new friends and colleagues. Then there's this growing online world that has offered us so much support and information. I appreciate the comments, emails and connections I've been able to make on this blog, Sammy's Friends, Facebook and Twitter.

We're very lucky and thankful to be so blessed.

It's my fah-mah-wee

We finally made it home. I'm so happy and sad at the same time. Every year, our time in Maine has become a natural constant in our lives. It's a great chance for my little family connect with my side of my family. The kids get to play with my parents and my brother. It's such a constant that my Mom reminded me that I didn't mention them in any of my vacation posts.

Jordan proved our family time was meaningful in a sweet little way when she went to bed. She was reunited with her stuffed animals who live on the top shelf of her bookshelf. She showed me a couple and I asked if she was going to sleep with them and she said yes. I walked away to unpack. I didn't notice she had put all of her animals and dolls into her bed. When we finally walked to her bed I told her there was no way she could sleep with that crowd. And she started crying: "It's my fah-mah-lee! I sleep wit them!" She wanted to sleep with her family. She had spent so much intense family time, she wasn't ready to let go.

She had some very sweet moments with all of our family members over this trip. It's so wonderful to watch her hugging and squeezing and squealing and giggling with my parents and my brother. She was super cute with my dad. She would walk up to him sometimes and say "I a princess." Then my dad would correct her. He considers his daughter (me) his princess. So he'd tell Jordan that she can be the little princess. Jordan was totally cool with that. She was full of snuggles and cuddles for him.

Jordan had all kinds of special time with her Uncle Jon as well. She covered him in sand and he got to show her the joys of burying your feet into the sand. It was cool to watch my brother smile that goofy uncle kind of smile that you don't get to see on his face on a regular basis - Since he doesn't live nearby.

And that's exactly why we all hang out each year. So the kids can play and experience and have a time where it's just natural to hang out with family that isn't normally so close at hand.

We had such a great time. It's going to be hard to get back into the regular swing of things.

Our special trip

I just love spending time with my Aunt and it was so great to take Jordan back to Dallas to see her last weekend. I happen to be out of town AGAIN - this time I'm on my own to attend a journalism forum. But I just wanted to tell everyone a little more about Jordan's great trip with Aunt Jan.

First, Jordan and I were totally off schedule. I had to wake her at 3am to get us to the airport. The first thing she said as I lifted her off her bed: "I go back in the bed." I don't know why I find that so funny. Anyway -- She LOVED being on a plane. We had a window seat so she could enjoy the view and look at the clouds. "I fly in the sky!!" She pointed out everything she could see. It was just so cool to see her register the idea that she was flying and on her way to see Aunt Jan and Uncle Chuck.

Even though we were a little off on sleep the entire time, Jordan was SO dang funny. She was goofy, she was giggly. She was so great. She made all of us laugh and smile. In between a little tired issues here and there, it was just fun to watch her hang out with family and have fun.

We actually ended up sharing a bed - and the first morning she woke up and was SO excited to find me in bed with her. Her tone was utter disbelief that I would be in bed with her.

Strangest moment: Jordan decided she hated the two pairs of shoes I brought to Texas. Not only did she hate them, she was throwing a fit with them. So I did something I don't normally do: I relented. We went shopping and got the girl a new pair of shoes. It's silly I know. But I had her SO out of her element and she was SO tolerant that if shoes were what she wanted to freak out about, I was going to help her deal with it. We went to the Disney Store and picked out a plaid pair of Minnie Mouse shoes (you don't actually SEE Minnie, she's in the insole if you're curious). Either way, the girl LOVED those shoes.

Life got back to normal pretty quickly when we got back home. Jordan has been pretty good at school (until she bit a girl at school today). She also had her third dance class. Today she had to go to time out because she decided not to participate during a part of the class. The teacher said if Jordan is happy, keep taking the class... But we can wait until she officially turns three if we'd like. The teacher and I schemed to decide if this was the right time for dance class... it may or it may not. Who knows. Her last class is next week, so this was just a little peek into the dance world. Maybe we'll wait until next winter. Either way, Jordan LOVES it... At least talking about it.

Really busy

I'm so behind on pictures and life stories about Jordan. We got back into town yesterday morning at 3am after spending a long weekend with my Aunt. She's been battling cancer and we were able to get into town in between chemo treatments. My Aunt is amazing and it was SO great to be with her while she felt pretty good. Miss Jordan was awesome. She dealt with the horrible travel schedule, danced around and sang. She fell in love with my Aunt and Uncle's dog and their friend's dog who was visiting for the weekend.

I'm exhausted and I haven't gotten to updating all of the pictures and stories about Jordan.

Let's say this: She LOVES planes. She's so excited about "flying in the sky." She had to brag about it to everyone at school yesterday. She also had to show off a new pair of shoes we bought at the Disney Store. I have allowed my daughter to totally buy into the Disney mystique. I'm totally okay with it. My husband wants to shoot me. I've never been a princess type, but if my daughter likes it, I'll play. (I can't believe I just wrote that since I swore my daughter would never wear pink and we'd avoid all gender-assigning games and toys)

Oh! And Jordan was dry the entire trip. She even went potty on the plane! Incredible!

I promise to write more, but I'm working late tonight and I want to enjoy a nice day outside and read a book for a little while. It's one of the first times I've been alone in a long time. It's also really nice out and I don't want to miss sitting under a tree for a little while!

Family time

Jordan got to enjoy a surprise visit from Uncle Barry and Beth yesterday. She was so excited when she saw her Uncle. The coolest thing: She knew who he was before we had to tell her. That's pretty special. By the end of their visit, Jordan was calling him "Beardy" with periodic proper pronunciations. Very cute stuff.

Today Jordan got to hang out with the big kids at a Science Night event put on by Cameron's after school program. It was super cool and Jordan even got to help create slime! Gross, but she really liked stirring. Maybe I'll get her to help me make pancakes or cookies that involve stirring. I think it's that play kitchen of hers that has got her into mixing and creating.

By the way, for those of you who were wondering, Jordan's prosthetic has been back for a week. It seems to be working a bit better... It still has a strange click when the hand opens very wide. But the sensor just seems placed a bit wrong -- it either goes crazy and constantly opens and closes from Jordan's muscles or it barely opens and closes. There doesn't seem to be a happy medium. So I'll just keep considering the arm as a tool to help her grow muscle -- And I've seen her use it for all kinds of gross motor things. Today I watched her push a chair into a table and pull up into a big chair. I even showed her how she could use it to drink from a water fountain.

One little thing

Say a prayer for my Aunt Jan. She's amazing and battling cancer. She has battled and battled and continues to kick it's butt. She's currently going through an experimental treatment that left her a bit fried and somehow still with us.

I just talked to her on the phone and I just want to make sure as many people as possible are praying for her. While she's fighting this, she's still thinking of me and offering me advice. And that means the world to me. She means the world to me.

I love you Aunt Jan!!

Lucky girl

Jordan's grandma and grandpa left yesterday after spending some great time with the kids. I swear, even though I was away from the girl for only four days... She has grown up even more. She's talking, showing more 'tude. It's just amazing how she's sprouting rapidly into a little person.

Quite possibly the sweetest moment yesterday was when Jordan got to go to her new classroom for the first time. She was SO excited to go to school. But when we got to the doorway of her new room, she did NOT want to go inside. My parents were saying goodbye to her before I took them to the airport. They both gave her hugs... And then my dad and Jordan had an amazing little heart-to-heart moment. This picture says it all. Apparently my dad talked to her about how she could play with her friend Dylan and she should go have fun. It worked. She had a great day.

I'm so happy the kids had grandparent time without us around. My parents haven't had that many opportunities. I think it's special for them and for the kids.

By the way, Jordan is finally starting to figure out that hair bows are useful. I bought her a few yesterday and it seems that she's finally figuring it out: They keep her hair out of her face. It's pretty cute. I'm hoping this little turn towards useful hair tools will help us control the crazy hair until I get her bangs grown out.

Family time!!

Jordan and the rest of the family just got back from spending time with Daddy's side of the family. You can see the girl enjoyed playing with her Uncle. For someone who moved out of state, we sure have been lucky to see him so often.

We also had a chance to spend with Jordan and Cam's great-grandparents who can't travel like they used to. Jordan was not into giving kisses to her Moma Dot - until right before we were leaving Moma Dot and Daddy Jr's house. The trick: Make sure I'm not in the room. I'm hoping someone in the house got a picture of Jordan doling out the smooches. I tell you, there's something about me that keeps her from sharing the love with everyone else.

So there are some fun things going on in the language department: Many, many words. Some of the funniest. Jordan's Grandpa is named Poppy. Jordan has recently stopped calling all dogs Bubba in honor of our fat pug, she now calls them "puppy." But the difference between "puppy" and "Poppy" is slight. Only an expert hear can notice that difference. Another funny one: "hot" and "hat." Oh, and her blankey is officially named "Lamby." She is still walking about the house assigning items: The couch is Daddy, my computer is "Mommy." Ditto for my chair in the kitchen and of course my van and bike and phone. Now wait, the phone is "Elmo" because she can watch Elmo on it.

Anyway, during our drive home tonight, Jordan got chatty. I sat next to her to help her eat her dinner... And girlfriend wouldn't stop talking. She talked and talked and a few times I could notice a word or two. But whatever she was telling me was SERIOUS. I just nodded my head and responded to the words I thought I heard. If this is what we're headed into -- it's going to be tricky to think with all that chatter.

Oh! One other thing: Poppy trimmed Jordan's hair for the second time in her life. Just a little off the back to help even out the natural layers she's growing. It looks great and it think it will help lighten the load and help the curls pop out a little more. Hooray curls! (I only say that because I don't have any and I think they're cool)

Little developments every day

We're moving into a stage where milestones creep up very organically. It's natural and slow and amazing when you realize she just did something "grown up."

As we walked into school the last three days, Jordan grabbed the railing and walked up the stairs all by herself. Cam and I were so excited. She's getting braver by the moment. The steps at school are a little smaller than the normal kind... Which I am so happy she has easier steps to practice on. I was a little nostalgic about not being able to grab her other hand to help just in case she needed it. I'll get over it.

So the whole family went to school yesterday to meet Cam's new teacher. Jordan LOVED walking up and down the hallway of the school. She LOVED saying hi to people. She LOVED upsetting her brother by no going where he told her to go. She LOVED checking out the classroom and trying to grab paper that she should grab. It drove her brother nutty. Randy and I just tried to make sure she didn't grab something that would cause danger to herself of the classroom.

I'm kind of looking forward to taking the kids on the walk to school every morning. It's a little exercise, a little family (except Daddy will have to go to work before we head out to school) time, a little outside time. It will take work time out of my morning, but I think that's probably a good thing.

On our way

Yesterday was an awesome day... We played at an amusement area and then we got to take part in a soccer clinic with the Revolution -- the top ranked Major League Soccer team in the country! Cam and Jordan had a blast. I've had a little time to upload some pictures to Flickr. We're about to head out to our big four day camping adventure.

Zoo fun!

Jordan got to go to the zoo today!! She went when she was WAY too young to really understand where she was. This was the first time Jordan could enjoy it. Not only did she get to enjoy it, she also got to spend more time with her Uncle Barry. We also learned some interesting thing about Jordan.

She likes animals... She loves animals. She's not a huge fan of animals when they're really up close. But giraffes, monkeys and hippos from a far distance are awesome. She was exhausted after today's adventure. I'm going to upload a TON of pictures. There one that I think is really cool. She's walking in a crowd with her Dad. Just walking. Very simple. But it's beautiful to me. Just beautiful.

Uncle Barry time

We just got back from visiting with Uncle Barry. Jordan had a ton of fun smiling and playing and watching all of the dogs barking in the neighborhood.

A couple of funny stories during the trip:
About ten minutes into the visit, I went outside to get the diapers and bags out of the car. I heard Jordan crying in the house and figured she was just mad I wasn't there. When I get in, everyone appeared to be in crisis mode. It turns out Jordan was crying because she got into a pan of paint. She had paint on her legs and on her arms... But it hasn't made it to the face or hair before she was rescued. No harm done other than forgetting to bring the painted clothing home.

Jordan spent time on a school playground with Cam and Uncle Barry while I took pictures. She wanted to climb and climb and climb. There was also a ramp that was on an incline that challenged her. She would go up and down and up and down and up and down. By the time we left, she could walk up the incline without using the railing. She could get about halfway down before reaching for the railing. She is braver than ever before.

Jordan has one pair of shoes that keep her ankles steady when she walks. I've really wanted to get her sandals as well. So I took her to my favorite kiddie shoe store. We found a sweet pair of sandals that have a bit of ankle support. The employee handed me the sample shoe and Jordan immediately reached out to see it. She grabbed it and started trying to put it on. She loved that shoe. She hated having her feet measured. But once we put that sandal on, she was sooooo happy. It turns out she wears a size 5, but her trainer shoe that's a 4 still fits for a little while longer. So after we bought her new sandals, she kept lifting her feet up to check out her shiny new shoes. She LOVES them. She'd giggle and stare at her feet. I swear I didn't teach her to like shoes. It's just a natural love. It's amazing. It was so sweet. When we got back to Uncle Barry's house, she would lift her foot up to show off the shoe. Hilarious stuff.

Simple sadness

For the last four years, we've had it really good. Really good. We've had a job that has been incredibly fulfilling, although exhausting. We have two awesome kids, although exhausting. But there's been a very fortunate family connection. My brother-in-law lives less than two hours away from us. He has been a really important part of our lives.

This morning we found out he's moving and I'm devastated. His love for us and our kids has been incredibly special... And his ease to visit has been really special to Cam and Jordan. He's one of the few people who she'll let her hold other than me. I knew this was a possibility all along. But it's rare to fall into such a comfortable pattern.

We go there, hang out, play with his fiends. The in-laws can meet us there and watch the kids while we play. We can go there, go to the zoo or a children's museum. He's always made his home our home. You just don't get that lucky. I moved a ton as a kid and I had to accept change. I'm in a position in my life where I've decided to stay put. It's a new experience. So just as I settle in, Uncle Barry has to move on.

So I will celebrate the wonderful four years we've had living so close to Uncle Barry. Maybe someday we'll be lucky enough to have him live near us again.

Let's get to work

We had our First Steps meeting yesterday. Our PT and OT met with our case manager. It turns out that we didn't really have to have the meeting this week, but it did give us the opportunity to get approval for two months of intense PT to get Jordan into the walking mode. Since then, we've taken the family to the grandparent's house. It's clearly a better environment for walking just because it isn't Jordan's home. The best walking I've gotten is outside. That's how I caught this shot of her: Holding my hand. Notice she also happens to have a pen in her hand. Even if she's holding my hand, she feels the need to hold onto something else. I'm just thrilled to see her moving around comfortably, even if she needs assistance.

So the upped PT means Jordan will get as many as 3 PT visits at school a week for the next two months. She'll also have two a month at home. I call those visits "train mommy" time. It's great to be around family members who want to work on the walking thing along with me. Jordan's Poppy is all about finding ways to movtivate Jordan to move from one piece of furniture to the next. Another development - The girl is getting better and better at standing on her own. 10-15 seconds at a time!

You know. I read this stuff and obviously I'm obsessing on the tiniest details of Jordan's development. Randy says I'm psycho documenting Jordan's growth. I tell him it's just easier to document compared to when Cam was little. I had to build a web page a week for him... And I'm impressed I did that much. (If you're curious visit reevesbaby.com) BTW, I switched my Flickr pictures to private for friends and family only. So if you want to keep up with our photos, join flickr and request to be friends with NerdyMom. If you use a funky username, you may want to identify yourself. If I don't know who you are, I'll assume you're an amputee freak and I'll block you from coming near my flickr account.

How she grows

I've been drowning in work, child care and travel. I haven't been posting about my world enough lately. But I have to say life with my girl is getting more and more interesting. For a couple of days, the boys of the family were out of town enjoying basketball. So I got to enjoy Jordan time to myself. She and I played outside and enjoyed some good giggles and talking about the dogs. She loves saying: "Hi Bubba!" Bubba is our little black pug dog. She ADORES our dogs.

Jordan got to enjoy her brother's performance in "Curious George and the Puppies." She was more interested in the fact that there was someone sitting in front of us and could kick.

Then we went off to enjoy a little basketball fun with family and friends. It was really my first time with Jordan away from home since she's gotten a bit more adventurous and mobile. She was climbing up steps, scooting and pulling up on a bunch of furniture. I was tired!

To make the past week more exhausting, I agreed to analyze 60 different news websites for a national contest. 60 websites is a lot of work... Especially since more broadcast companies use similar content management systems. I was trying really hard to find the elements where each station was trying to (get ready for this one) break outside of the content manager box. (yeah, I'm talking like I'm teaching my class) This hard work has been pretty exhausting. I'm happy to be done.

So here's a little blast from the past:

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I'm tinkering with an embeddable audio player for my work web page. I have a reporter who is working on a story with images and audio... and I'd like to use our standard content manager to post the items.

While I was out of town with Jordan, we got her new, expensive shoes. It turns out her feet were an entire size bigger!! That's kind of surprising. The shoes are cute. I did buy little bells that you put over the shoe tie to keep Jordan from undoing the shoes. It's kind of cute, but tricky to get on in the morning if Jordan isn't in a good mood. Hopefully better fitting shoes will help her with moving around!

Oh... Best part of last week: I took Jordan and Cam to the children's museum that we love to visit. This was the first time Jordan was old enough to really love it there. She stood up and enjoyed so many different experiences: blocks, water, sand... toys. It was wonderful. I'll try to get pics uploaded to Flickr soon.

More family time

Jordan got to hang out with all of us this weekend... Along with Grandma Lee! As a part of her visit, Jordan started using more words again: "hi," "dada," "bubba," "dudley," "dog," "duck," and "night night."

Big fat sweet moment: I was rocking her in my arms just before I put her down into her crib. I told her night night and she waves her hand and said: "night night."

I melted. It was so perfect.

Things are warming up again. I bought her a jacket that's too big for her -- but easier to fit her prosthetic... And easier to roll it up for her little arm when she isn't wearing her robot arm.

How much is too much

I've hit the classic working mom hump. My husband has decided that I'm not doing enough at home and too much at work. What is the right balance? How important is our housework compared to the time I spend with the children?

My priorities are my kids, my family and my job over housework. Apparently I have to drop some work items and place more importance on the housework.

I'll be honest. I don't know what I'm going to drop. But clearly I'm going to have to drop something.