Favorite Thing #3- Primo EuroBath

My absolute favorite infant/toddler tub:  Primo EuroBath

This tub is BIG and will last a long time- from birth through about age 3.  One side is inclined for babies not yet able to sit up, and the other is flat for baby to sit.  I used this tub with all three of my kids, and it has been especially helpful with Evan since it took him longer to learn how to sit up with his low muscle tone.  He was far too big for the standard infant tubs, but I still wanted the security of a baby tub.  Even though he has been sitting up for a while now, I still use the inclined side to rinse his hair and wash his bottom.  He enjoys splashing and playing with his bath toys while sitting on the opposite side.  There is plenty of room to play while keeping baby secure in a smaller area- not the big scary, slippery bath tub!  

We are fortunate to have a large counter in our bathroom, so I kept the tub there to save my back until baby really learned how to SPLASH.  I also placed a hooded towel in the bottom of the tub during the early days so it wasn't as slippery for a bitty newborn.  After baby grew strong and splashed a LOT, I moved the tub and sat it inside the big bath tub where it continues to work well.  

My heart is breaking...

I was just going down the list of blogs I follow, and a title caught my eye as it was not the usual upbeat kind of title I find on Sherry's blog.  "Time to mention this, I guess" - my heart immediately sank, worried that something may have gone wrong in her adoption process- Sherry is the wonderful mom I posted about previously, working to bring home sweet Lesia featured on the right-hand side of my blog.  It seems there was a raffle to be held in efforts of raising money for the adoption funds of not only Lesia, but another little guy they are working to bring home from the same orphanage as well as the three they brought home last August.  Apparently over $16,000 was raised, and now it's gone.  All. Gone.

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20110125/NEWS01/101250371/Pa-woman-charged-for-conducting-fake-raffle-to-benefit-family-adoption-fund

This sickens me.  I have no idea how any human being could do this to someone.  All those friends and family members who contributed money for these sweet babies- gone.  I often wondered why Lesia's fund on Reece's Rainbow hadn't been growing and now I know.  People were contributing through the raffle instead, and now this disgrace of a human being who was supposedly organizing this has run off with the money.  I do pray Sherry is able to recover the funds.

If you have a few dollars, please consider donating directly through Reece's Rainbow- the money will go straight to Lesia and stay with her no matter what.  Please consider sending a check to avoid Paypal fees…Reece's Rainbow, PO Box 4024, Gaithersburg, MD 20885 and be sure to specify Lesia's name at the bottom.   Just $5, $10, $20, or even $21 in honor of that extra 21st chromosome.  My thoughts and prayers are with you, White family...

Will babies with Down syndrome disappear?

This is the title of a new article written by the staff of Children's Hospital Boston, and it scares me.  Go take a moment to read its entirety, and then come back to read my personal opinion on the matter.

http://childrenshospitalblog.org/will-babies-with-down-syndrome-slowly-disappear/

There has already been a decrease in the number of births of babies with DS, as reported by CHB in September of 2009:


Research reviewed by Skotko showed a 15% decrease in births of babies with Down syndrome between 1989 and 2005 in the United States. In the absence of prenatal testing, researchers would have anticipated the opposite - a 34% increase in births - due to the trend of women waiting longer to have children; known to increase the chances of having a baby with Down syndrome.


That article can be found here:  

http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/Site1339/mainpageS1339P1sublevel560.html

The scary truth is this- over 90% of those who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome choose to terminate.  This is extremely depressing to me.  If only I could meet with these moms before they make this fatal decision, and give them the opportunity to meet my precious Evan.  Let them see the joy and excitement in his eyes- is this child suffering??  Let them see the joy and excitement in MY eyes.  Am I burdened by this child sporting an extra chromosome?  Hell no.  Evan is the light of my life, and anyone who sees us out and about will pick up on this very quickly.

Honestly, if I were given the option of taking this simple blood test during my first trimester, I would take it in a heartbeat.  Not because I would choose to terminate, but because I am a major planner and choose to be prepared, just as I chose to learn the sex of our babies during ultrasound.  Gotta know whether to buy pink or blue of course, and choosing names- whew! :)

I have to say, receiving the huge shock of Evan's diagnosis minutes after he was born was a tough pill to swallow at first.  I did not appreciate the false sense of security the routine triple screen blood test gave me during my pregnancy.  I had this blood test done while pregnant with my other two children as well, and all three times the results were within normal range.

Sometimes babies with Down syndrome can show soft, medium, or strong markers on routine ultrasounds.  For more information on these markers read here:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYD/is_21_35/ai_67316721/

A soft marker could be mildly enlarged kidneys or a flatter shaped head; an example of a medium marker would be a shorter femur or humerus length; a strong marker could be a heart defect.  "Typical" 46 chromosome carrying babies can have any of these conditions also, but the chances of the baby having Down syndrome is increased since these occur more often in babies with DS.  If one or more of these markers are spotted on ultrasound, doctors usually recommend further testing to pregnant moms in order to confirm or rule out a DS diagnosis, but the current tests available are invasive and carry a risk of miscarriage.  Some moms go on to have the testing in order to be prepared, or to decide whether or not they wish to terminate.  Other moms opt out of the testing due to the risk of miscarriage, and wait it out until baby is born for the final answer.  Evan did not show any of these markers on ultrasound, so again, no indication whatsoever of that extra little chromosome hiding.

Right now with the current testing being used- moms who get a prenatal diagnosis often find out around 20 weeks gestation or so, since this is typically when they have their first "big" ultrasound to check for any markers.  At this time, mom can often feel the baby move, and just seeing that precious little one move around on the monitor makes the whole experience so much more "real".  Taking this baby's life simply because it has an extra chromosome may weigh a little heavier since moms have often formed a strong bond with their baby already.  Still baffles me how women can terminate simply because of this fact.

Imagine a woman learning of this extra chromosome as early as the first trimester- before feeling any of the little flutters inside, before the waistline has really started to grow- the only true signs of a life inside may be a missed period or some nausea.  Would she hold as much value to this life?  Would it be easier to just throw it away and start again?  I shudder to think about how much the abortion rates would rise... these precious lives wasted when they could have so much to offer this world.

I definitely have some mixed feelings on this new testing.  One condition I would like to see before this blood test is offered, is for OB's and genetic counselors to get themselves better educated on people with DS.  Far too often, a very grim picture is painted for the expecting parents of what life will be like with a child who has DS, but that certainly isn't reality, and these doctors have never known an individual with DS.  Times have changed dramatically in the past 20+ years since many of these doctors graduated medical school, and the future is much more bright for those sporting designer genes.  Numerous colleges across the country have developed programs for those with intellectual disabilities, allowing them to live on campus as well.  People with DS are getting their driver's license, attending community colleges as well as the universities with programs previously mentioned... getting married and living on their own.  People with just 46 chromosomes may not accomplish all this!  While the life expectancy of a person with DS was a mere 9 years old back in 1929, and even as recent as 1980 it was only 25, now these individuals are living to 55+ simply because they are finally given a chance in life.  Expecting parents need to be well educated before making such a tragic decision instead of just dumped with all the negatives about what COULD be wrong (health concerns etc).  Tell these future parents their life will never be the same- it will be much more fulfilling than they could ever imagine.  Down syndrome isn't the end of the world.  It seems like it was merely the beginning of mine.

Great Playdough Recipe!

This dough is awesome- much softer than store-bought dough, and will last a very long time if kept in a zipper seal bag.  I typically double the recipe so each child (2-4 kids) has a good amount to play with, and then store in a gallon size bag.  Enjoy!

1 c. flour
1 c. water
1/2 c. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. cream of tartar (this is very important!)
food coloring and/or glitter if desired

Mix all ingredients in medium pan over low heat.  Stir continuously (it can burn easily) until firm.  Let cool, knead, and have fun!

Favorite Thing #2- BreathableBaby Crib Shield

These seem to be difficult to find in stock anymore- not sure what's going on, but it's a great product!

The Breathable Baby Crib Shield System is used instead of a crib bumper.  Crib bumpers have been frowned upon due to suffocation risks as well as the ability for baby to use it as a step to climb out.  The side panels of the Crib Shield are made of the breathable mesh similar to the sides of a pack-n-play, only a bit softer to the touch.  I used this with my first two kids, and after passing it on to a friend when we thought our baby days were over, I was sure to buy another for our surprise blessing!

Things I love about this-
     *the breathable fabric
     *covers the entire side of the crib so baby can't use it as a step to climb out
     *smooth satin trim is lightly padded and covers the rails so baby isn't chewing on the crib ledge
     *protects baby's legs from getting stuck between rails
     *excellent for keeping pacifiers from falling out of crib! (all three of my kids were binky babies!)
     *machine washable- just be sure to fasten up all the velcro strips before tossing it into the machine

Drawback- can be difficult to use with certain crib styles.

Our first crib had a tall arch on the rear side as well as a wide piece of wood along the top of that rail- the velcro fasteners did not fit across this side so I kept that panel off.  It was the side against the wall, so wasn't too much of an issue.  When I passed the crib shield system on to a friend, she had the same issue and sewed a longer panel so it would attach.

While shopping for a new crib for our newest baby, I was sure to choose a crib style with lower rails on both long sides- no big arches or wide trim.  The sides on our new crib seem to be taller however, and I did have to sew a few longer velcro strips to the bottom fasteners since they weren't long enough to attach at the bottom of the crib side.  This was a very easy fix.

So while some minor adjustments were needed, overall I absolutely love this product.  I hope that since it is difficult to find online, perhaps they are redesigning the product to fit more cribs.  I will give it 3.5 out of 5 stars due to the design flaws.

My Favorite Things- product review #1- The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat

After going through the process of replacing a car seat, I found the strong urge to shout my praises from the rooftops of the wonderful experience I've had, as well as share other products I highly recommend.  I have to admit, I am always restraining myself whenever I hear about someone's new baby on the way- I absolutely LOVE baby registries and find myself wanting to share all my recommendations.  Instead of bombarding people, I figured I'd compile a list and let people take from it what they want.

The product that prompted this post- The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat

I am extremely picky when it comes to purchasing car seats.  First, I scour all the reviews I can find- namely the safety ratings.  This seat has been given the highest rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  There are deep side wings and it has been side impact tested.

Next, I look at the height and weight limitations.  I want to be sure my child will stay in this seat for a long time, especially in the safety of a 5-point harness.  Previous seats I've purchased maxed out at 40 lbs. for the maximum weight with the 5-point harness.  Be careful since many seats will advertise they accommodate a child up to 70 lbs. etc. but that is when it is converted to a belt positioning booster.  The 5-point harness must be removed before then.  This seat will accommodate a child up to 65 lbs. and 50 inches tall in the 5-point harness (it does not convert into a booster).  I also wanted a seat that will keep Evan rear facing as long as possible- this seat can remain rear-facing up to 35 lbs.

Third component- ease of use.  The newly designed latch installation is a breeze to not only install but un-install.  In the event of having to remove a car seat, it is often a struggle to try to loosen the extremely tight belt so you can remove the latch hooks.  These hooks have a simple to use release button which are also easy to reach once the seat is installed.  No fumbling around, digging between seat cushions to try to reach the clip.

The belts are also extremely easy to adjust, and can be adjusted WITHOUT having to uninstall the seat.  No taking the belts out to be re-threaded- there are simple releases on the sides to slide the belts higher or lower depending upon how tall your child is and if your child is rear or forward facing.  It is also very easy to adjust the incline and there are several to choose from.  I did find that while installed for rear-facing, when baby is sitting in the seat it is a little difficult to tighten.  Loosening is a cinch, but some strength is involved to tighten the belts.  I'm not sure if this is true for forward-facing also as I have not used it for forward facing yet.  However, compared to other seats I've used- it is much easier getting him in and out and I rarely have to tighten or loosen the belts anyway.

Fourth component- ability and ease of washing the cover.  The entire cover can be removed without uninstalling also!  I wish it was machine washable, but honestly, I don't remove the cover to be washed unless there was a spill or accident.  Instructions say to hand wash in mild detergent.

Fifth component- price.  I have to say, so many people recommend Britax seats, but I can not bring myself to spend the $300+ on a car seat.  This seat has the stellar safety ratings as well as some extra features not found on Britax seats, and is less than half the cost.  As I'm writing this post, the color posted above is available at Amazon for $129.00 (other colors are priced slightly higher).  It is also available at Walmart.com for the same price.  When I first purchased this seat I bought it from Walmart since I could easily return it to the store if for some reason I didn't like it.

The icing on the cake for me- FREE REPLACEMENT if you are in an accident.  I'm not sure how many other companies do this, as I had never been in an accident before with a car seat in the car.  But, please make note- if you are in ANY type of accident at ANY speed- the car seat MUST be replaced no matter what brand.  The plastics and foam inside the seat are weakened as they have done their job to protect baby.  I was just rear-ended two days ago at a very low speed- only scratches left on the bumper, and I called the company to verify that I did indeed need to replace the seat.  The customer service rep. confirmed that yes this was true.  She asked me several questions pertaining to the accident as well as placement of the seat and if baby was in the seat during the accident, and then proceeded to tell me they would be sending me a replacement!  I was instructed to call back with the confirmation number given to me when I receive the new seat, and they will give me further instructions to place the old seat in the box from the new one.  UPS will come pick up the old one so they can evaluate it for damage etc.  I thought this was a fabulous policy!

Overall, I absolutely LOVE this seat and give it 5 out of 5 stars.  I hope this review is helpful!  I have added a tab at the top titled, "My Favorite Things" where I put a link to this post and will be adding more recommendations.

Update on Evan's progress

Evan had his one-year review just before the holidays with his Early Intervention team- all the specialists and therapists that come into our home on a regular basis.  Hard to believe it's been a year already since they first came to our home to see our precious little newborn.  Of course they all ooooo'ed and ahhhhh'ed over his red hair! :)  We meet every 6 months as an entire team to discuss Evan's progress so far- all the goals he's met in his IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan), and make new goals for the next 6 months to a year.  Evan has an Occupational Therapist (OT), Physical Therapist (PT), Speech & Language Pathologist (SLP), and Education Coordinator who come individually each month, some more often than others, to work on his skills.  This is all provided by the county school system free of charge.

Jennie, Evan's OT, is also a feeding specialist, and we've been adding feeding goals to his IFSP along with the fine motor skills Jennie works on with him.  She was coming twice a month to work on these skills.  Unfortunately, Jennie was out for 3 months- October through December, since she had major back surgery.  We had the other member of the county's feeding team fill in since the feeding was higher priority to me- Sharon is an SLP so was unable to address the fine motor skills, but I was ok with that.  Evan needed work with accepting new textures as he would gag on anything not pureed smooth, sometimes making himself vomit, and also needed to learn how to chew food instead of just swallowing it down.  He has come a long way as far as the textures go- he has not gagged on anything in a long time.  He is eating lumpy foods like cottage cheese and tiny pasta stars, and mixed textures like crumbled cheerios on top of infant cereal.  Evan is eating almost all table foods, but they are cooked until soft and put through a hand cranked food grinder first.  We still need to work on the chewing piece.  He's slowly making progress but still needs to become more efficient before moving on to finger foods.  Jennie is back with us now, so we will continue working on these goals as well as the fine motor skills we left behind.  At 12 months, Evan was at a 7-8 month level in these areas.

Patty is Evan's PT, and has been coming twice a month, working on the gross motor skills to build core strength and encouraging Evan to crawl and pull up to a stand.  Gross motor is definitely a strength for Evan.  He has been a mover from the start.  I will never forget him being sick in the hospital with RSV and pneumonia at 3.5 months old, but still doing abdominal crunches in attempts of sitting up!  The nurses would see him and about go through the roof.  "Evan, you're only 3 months old!  You're not supposed to be doing this yet!"  He had already earned the nickname "Abs of Steel" by Miss Patty weeks prior as the crunches were a favorite of his.  Evan is now crawling with speed; first it was an army crawl with his arms, but now he is up on his hands and knees the majority of the time.  He is also pulling himself up to a stand using any piece of furniture he can get his hands on or around- the couch, end tables, and entertainment center are favorites; and if he's lucky, someone will leave something within his arms reach that he's not supposed to have- a huge trophy for Evan!  Such trophies include the tv remote, wii remotes (he especially enjoys going after the cord on Justin's wii remote as he's trying to play a game), and any other toy Kaylin or Justin may leave sitting on the couch.  Miss Patty is now working on encouraging him to alternate feet and begin to cruise along the furniture.  Evan was at about a 10 month level in his gross motor skills.

Rochelle is Evan's SLP, and also comes twice a month to introduce new ASL signs and encourage him to imitate sounds and signs.  He doesn't really imitate sounds yet, but he signs "more" regularly and can copy a few others.  Kids with Down syndrome are highly encouraged to learn sign language as a means to communicate since their speech skills are more delayed, and it will take Evan longer to learn how to talk.  Studies have shown that babies/toddlers who learn sign language actually learn how to speak faster than if they didn't sign.  They have that language piece and are able to express their wants/feelings without getting completely frustrated.  The words will come later as Evan learns how to produce the sounds orally.  Evan's speech skills are at about a 10 month level also.  The whole family is learning sign language, mainly through a WONDERFUL DVD series I highly recommend- Signing Time.  Kaylin and Justin love the videos and are even teaching some friends at school the signs they learn. :)  I worried about how difficult it would be for me as an adult to learn a new language, but everything in the videos is to music and it has been easy to pick up.

Molly is Evan's Education Coordinator, and she comes once a month to play games with him and see how he's doing overall.  She is like his general education teacher- singing songs and providing ideas for play.  She evaluated his social/emotional and cognitive development, and Evan is at about a 10 month level in these areas also.

At 12 months old when these evaluations were completed, everyone, including myself, was quite pleased with Evan's progress across the board.  He's keeping up pretty closely with his "typical" peers, and at a 2 month delay still qualifies for services so we can keep all our wonderful therapists!  Jennie is increasing to once a week so she can work twice on fine motor and twice on feeding, and all others are keeping the same schedule.  I look forward to another year of tremendous growth for my little guy!

Back to life, back to reality

So, this morning was the first we've actually had to turn on the alarm clocks since Dec. 23rd.  First day for the kids to go back to school after the holiday break.  I have always hated alarm clocks.  Prior to becoming a parent, I thrived on sleeping late.  I had always been someone who required at least 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  I seriously worried how I would handle the lack of sleep when Kaylin was born, and was absolutely amazed at how well I adjusted instantly.  While 20 years ago I would shudder at the thought of waking before 8:00 AM, I don't think I could sleep that late if I tried anymore.

Our kids take after Mike in the waking department.  We have alarm clocks in both Kaylin and Justin's rooms, but for entirely different purposes.  For Justin, 100% of the time his clock serves the purpose of telling him when he's ALLOWED to get out of bed- no earlier than 6:00 AM.  He must WAIT for the 6 before he can get up for the day.  And let me tell you, 95% of the time that boy is out of his room at exactly 6:00, so I often wonder what time he really wakes up and how long does he wait to come out of his room?  His alarm has never been set to wake him up.  I think I have had to wake him ONCE for school.  Ever.

Kaylin did receive an alarm clock for waking purposes since she started sleeping later at the start of Kindergarten, but she has also been known to wake early and must follow the 6:00 rule like Justin.  She is a GRUMP if someone dares to wake her, and she requested to use an alarm clock instead of me going in to wake her for school.  That alarm clock was my saving grace.  She makes no complaints if her alarm goes off- she gets up immediately, turns it off, and out the door she goes.  These days she rarely sleeps until 6:45, the time her alarm is set to sound.  She is usually up around 6:15, shortly after Justin.

Evan is my little sleepyhead.  At least one of the three takes after their mama in this department!  Unless woken by a noisy brother or sister, I usually have to wake Evan on school days at 7:30 so we can get to the bus stop on time.  If he wakes on his own beforehand, it's usually around 7:15, but on weekends I sometimes have to wake him at 8:00 just to keep his daily routine with meals and naps.

I set my alarm merely as a back-up since we already have two little walking alarm clocks who refuse to go downstairs without company.  Just a couple times a year they may both actually sleep past 7:00- it is VERY rare, but it happens.  Of course it's never when I can actually enjoy it!  Either Evan is already making noise (which is also rare before 7:00 but if it happens, it's usually when the others are still sleeping, go figure), or it's the cat.

Now take note- EVERY day from December 23rd through yesterday, January 2nd- at least one of them was up at 6:00 sharp.  No alarms, no schedules to keep, total freedom.  6:00.  Every.  Day.

This morning I was sleeping so soundly when all of a sudden my alarm goes off.  The instant it starts sounding, Mike shoots up and scares the crap outta me, more so than the sudden alarm.  I had visions of the Looney Tunes cartoon when the two mice play tricks on Claude the cat while he's sleeping; he shoots up into the air, clinging to the ceiling for dear life with his claws.  That was Mike's reaction to my alarm.  My heart is pounding as I am stumbling for the snooze button to shut the alarm up.  It takes a few seconds since I haven't used it in so long- my fingers are out of practice!  None of the kids have made a single peep and it's now 6:30.  Go figure- I would have been able to sleep until perhaps 7:00 dare I imagine, but no, the alarm clock had to ruin that opportunity.  I brush my teeth, gather clothes to put on after my shower- still no kids.  Go figure.  Kaylin wakes to the sound of her alarm at 6:45 and Justin shortly after.  Go figure.

We had a bit of a rough start to the day- kids didn't want to be rushed to get dressed in time for the bus, Evan cried going to the bus stop- I think because I misjudged the temperature outside and didn't put a warm enough coat on him.  The sun shines on the front of our house, so when you step out the front door, it's very misleading.  We've had a few warmer days over the weekend and today the temps dipped down a bit.  A few steps down the sidewalk proved this to be true.  The bus would arrive very soon since we were a little later getting out the door, so I left the kids with the other parents at the corner and walked Evan back home- poor thing still crying the whole way.  :(  After we got home and Evan got his morning bottle, the rest fell into place.  He even took two great naps today- taking advantage of the quiet house he has missed the last week and a half.  Kaylin and Justin admitted they had a good day at school as well.  Hopefully, tomorrow morning will go a little more smoothly!

Christmas in our house

Now that the holidays are over, it's back to our regular routines and schedules.  Back to alarm clocks, packed lunches, therapies, and volunteer schedules.  I have to say, I was antsy about getting all the Christmas decorations down and finding normalcy again, but part of me is always overcome by a sort of sad feeling while packing it all away.  It seems while packing away the ornaments and lights, I'm also packing away the excitement and joy each Christmas brings.  But I know it will wait patiently inside those cardboard boxes until the next holiday season.

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas this year- it felt very peaceful and calm compared to last year with Evan just shy of 2 months old.... the sleepless nights and constant pumping left me feeling so far behind in my shopping and wrapping.  This year was so much more relaxed as I felt fully prepared, though I did have two last-minute purchases for the kids which sent us way over what I thought our budget was going to be!  My Christmas present- $1,100 of maintenance to the van- oh joy! ;)  Mike came home the week before Christmas with a new 40" television.  Cha-ching!  And let's get back to those Christmas presents for the kids.

Kaylin decided to ask for Kirsten, an American Girl doll.... but not just any American Girl doll.

Kirsten happened to be retired last year and no longer available from the American Girl catalog or website.  Knowing Kirsten could no longer be bought in stores from her trusty American Girl sources, Aunt Karen and Aunt LouLou, Kaylin's plan was that she would ask Santa since he can just make her in his workshop!  Oh, I tried rationalizing with her- Santa usually brings other toys since he knows Aunt Karen and Aunt LouLou give you American Girl stuff.... how would he know how to make Kirsten if she isn't available in stores?  Kaylin just wasn't buying any of my excuses.  Santa could do it.  She had faith.

I really wasn't going to cave- I had acquired enough presents to fit under the tree, and the penny-pinching person inside me really has issues spending $95 on a doll, let alone about twice that amount to get one that's been retired.  This is why I leave all the American Girl stuff to the wonderful aunts. ;)  But, less than a week before Christmas I found myself searching on eBay, and I found one.  Brand new in the box, shipped out that very same day to land on our doorstep the very next.  I reassured myself that Kaylin's reaction upon opening this doll would be worth all the money spent to get it, and maybe it would buy me a few extra years of her still believing in Santa since she's getting to that age.  I can't believe my baby girl will be 8 years old next month!

Justin was a difficult one to shop for from the very start.  He's so easy to please, not asking for much- the only items on his list were two games for the Wii and a specific zhu zhu pet.  When Kaylin gets this amazing American Girl doll, what will Justin have to WOW over?  I want this holiday to be just as special and exciting for him, too.  The boy is all about video games, so I decided to get him the new Nintendo DSi XL since he enjoys playing Kaylin's DSi.  Justin's ended up costing slightly more than Kaylin's doll.  Cha-ching!

My saving grace was Evan- since he's but a year old- obviously he's more interested in the wrapping paper and tissue at this point. ;)  He'll be pleased just to have time with the recycle box!  But of course, he had presents to open as well- just far less wallet-breaking.  Mike and I had also agreed we wouldn't exchange this year between the two of us.  There was nothing we really needed; For him to go shopping is an extreme chore (unless it's for a new TV ;) ) and honestly, I always have trouble deciding what to get him also.  Our present is watching the joy on our children's faces and seeing the magic of Christmas in their eyes.

The kids on Christmas Eve- just after church.  Evan missed his afternoon nap and was quite tired- can you tell? :)

 And Christmas morning.  Yes, Evan still has the sleepy look- Kaylin and Justin were up at 6:00 sharp as always, and finished opening all their presents before Evan even started to stir.  I can't believe he slept through all their commotion!

And, the magical moment of Kaylin discovering her American Girl doll.  Think of the movie, "Christmas Story," when Ralphie and his brother have finished opening all their presents, and then Ralphie later discovers another hidden.... The kids' presents were arranged under the tree- each child with their distinct wrapping paper, coordinating with the wrapped presents in their stockings.  Justin's presents were piled on one side, Evan's on the other, and Kaylin's were front and center.  All except for the doll, that is.  Kirsten was wrapped up in the same paper as Kaylin's other presents, but tucked safely behind the tree, out of sight.  Evan's presents remained on one side since he was still sleeping, so she didn't even think to look back there.  She seemed content with what she received- when she sat on Santa's lap she had asked for an ipod, so the pretty pink mp3 player she received was a big hit.

After while, I asked Kaylin to go turn on the Christmas tree lights.  I knew as she bent down for the switch on the power strip, she wouldn't miss it. ;)  (If you are reading this through e-mail you will have to go to my blog to view the video.) Gotta love her new ear muffs she just got as well. :) To mute the music on my blog so you can hear the video, find the music player on the side bar to the right.

THIS is what Christmas is all about.