Thank You Sundance

     Oh Sundance so many great and sad memories were made when I lived here. Thank you for welcoming me and my family into your community a place where I felt a sense of independence because for 32 year I lived with my parents. After I got married I lived above my parent's house in New York. They needed me I was there, I needed them they were there, so moving thousands of miles away from them and into this new life as Floridians was not easy...walking into apartment 722 I felt a rush of happiness, family helped with the movement including my dad that was the co-pilot, while my husband was driving the U-HAUL truck from Brooklyn New York.... The furniture was set up on their destine spot and I was feeling good, until my father said goodbye, he was going to stay at my aunts house in Orlando to catch his flight back to New York the next day. His goodbye was not the usual goodbye as when I lived in New York..this goodbye had a meaning to it....I was not going to see him everyday and that is when I sat on the rug of my bedroom and just cried...I cried like a child who lost his/her parents at the mall. I felt so vulnerable and so childlike, I told myself, "this too shall pass....."
                     In this kitchen, I was able to prepare delicious food, bake cake and prepare my first thanksgiving meal as a family of three. In this apartment my son learned how to crawl, took his first steps, bumped his head. 

              
                  In this living room is where we watched movies, played games, entertained guests and took naps...

In the master bedroom is where diapers where changed, good night sleeps happened, and where sick children with fever were taken care of. In the kids room, this is where guest stayed over and kids played.

The balcony, where a good cup of coffee or a wine glass went well. I did most of my praying in this balcony and sure did my many cries and asked many "why's". 

   In this apartment is where my daughter was welcomed home too. It is also the home where the hardest news was heard about Amalia's condition, where we found out through a phone call, " Yes, she tested positive for Trisomy twenty-one." This was the home that heard my many cries, heard many laughter and heard many silence. It was a place that I called "home." In this community called Sundance is where we celebrated my son's and daughter's baptism. It is the place where if we did not want to go to the beach, the community pool was the perfect place for a nice swim. Although we are moving forward in life, I say thank you Sundance for allowing the two bedroom, pet friendly apartment be called "HOME. " 

 Thank You for the great memories!

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Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

No love for Shamu

  Ethan has a Shamu hand puppet that I bought him when we came to Sea World in Florida when he was eight months old.

He carries that puppet everywhere he goes, even during bath time because he thinks it will perform the way he saw at Sea World or like what he has seen in the movie Free Willy. Last Thursday I took Amalia to her eye doctor and we had to wait a while because the doctor was running late. Ms. Amalia was getting cranky and I decided to take Shamu and entertain her but to my surprise she did not take it well. Amalia showed me a side I have yet not seen. She showed me fear. She was afraid of the puppet.

Once I placed the puppet in my hand and just showed her she squinted her

eyes, pouted her lips and cried. I comfort her and tried again, because I thought that it was because she was tired. NOOOO.....I just showed her Shamu and this time she yelled and pushed my hand.

 It brought a smile to my face, not because I am a mean mom or want to torture my child its because she is afraid of something. I do not remember if I read somewhere or someone told me, children with Down Syndrome do not sense fear what so ever. The Doctor came in did her check up, by the way she probably would need another eye surgery, however I could not stop thinking of her reaction. Once we finish with the doctor I drove back home and tried again with Shamu, just because I thought this is her environment, her home that she is familiar with and BINGO, she pushed my hand away from her face and screamed. She can not see the puppet from a distance, she does not love Shamu.

I hope when she gets older, she fears strangers and not stuffed animals or hand puppets.

                                    

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2 Timothy 1:7

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control

Hebrews 13:6

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”



And this too shall pass......

  Not quite sure how to write this blog...the couples of day my emotions have been like a roller coaster...one moment I am happy and can conquer the world..minutes later I am crying my eye balls out for no apparent reasons....When I feel sad or neutral..wait NEUTRAL is a feeling? Yes, for me at least. Neutral is that feeling where you are numb, don't smile, nor laugh, not angry nor sad, just NEUTRAL. I tell myself this too shall pass, because I know if I feel a certain way I can at least do something about it but neutral..yeah that is a challenge....and this too shall pass...I catch myself saying this quite often. For instance, when Ethan refuse to be potty train because his sisters wears diaper..i say...and this too shall pass....when  Ethan rather sleep on my bed and have me sleeping by the edge pillow less..I say and this too shall pass.... when Amalia has not yet sit up or even attempts too...and this too shall pass....when Amalia does not want to hold her bottle or even attempt too....and this too shall pass....when i feel overwhelm and crying seems like the only rescue at the time...and this too shall pass....when i dread going out food shopping with two little ones, in where i need to place my food items around Amalia car seats and having a three year old constantly telling me " Mommy cookie, cookie, cookie"..and this too shall pass...(sigh).....this list can go one FOREVER, but this too shall pass...ha-ha-ha....One day when all these moments do pass by, I am going to wish I had them back.

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Philippians 3:13-14

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

If I could turn back time.......

     Monday night I was watching the movie 17 Again. The movie is about a guy whose life didn't quite turn out how he wanted it to and wishes he could go back to high school and change it. He wakes up one day and is seventeen again and gets the chance to rewrite his life. I would go back to Grover Cleveland High School because I had the most awesome time during my high school years. I had spunk, I was able to do so much and careless of what others had to say. I was what I called "in control of my life." Ssophomore year I became part of a singing chorus called Clover. Tried out for the school play at the time, which was West Side Story. The adrenaline of competing for the lead role was out of this world. It turned out that usually the lead role was given to the seniors and not to a sophomore, but fate was in my side I earned the lead role of Maria. The show was a success and the Christmas concert, how can I forget, the lights, the band, the dress code of black bottoms, white top and red accessories, it was just awesome!!!!!......Enjoying that feeling of achieving and doing great things, I joined the mentor team where we went to freshman classes and taught about peer pressure and socializing. In my Junior year, I continue with the mentoring group, the chorus, etc... My senior year, the year where we will go for our SAT, college application, college fair, and THE PROM!!! WOOHOO!!! I was a busy 12th grader..tried out for the school play "Guys and Dolls." I played the lead role of Miss Adelaide. I ran for senior vice president and won. Who can forget, the 70's theme party. Afro's, bell bottoms, platform and lots and lots of polyester......

                          My high school friends, Eidy, Cindy, Jazmin and Alexandria, those were my girls, we ate lunch together, hanged out together, made each other laughed, cried and rode the bus together and we went, along with our date, to the prom together and still keep in contact thanks to facebook, (ha ha). Thanks to facebook, I have come close to high school friends that we did not exchanged many words back then, but knew who each other were. One of those awesome friend who I like to consider her "my cup of coffee," because she knows what to say and always have time and makes time to encourage me, to tell me everything is going to be okay. That friend, who has been like a sister is Margaret C.

                          There are few things I would like to change if I can turn back time to high school. Be more friendly, apologize for wrongful doing, join sports........ask a high school boy to the prom and not the jerk of a boyfriend I went to the prom with, (no longer with jerk). But other than that, I had an awesome high school ride. Class of 96 rocked.

                                  High School Prom was at the elegant Crest Hollow Country Club.

              


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Proverb 18:24
A man of many companions may come to ruin,  but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.


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Sharing time:

If you can turn back time, what time would that be and why?
            

                        

            

Nap time

It is about that time...you know, the time where stay at home mom pray for...... NAP TIME. Nap time suppose to be a good thing, but for me it is not the nap time itself its the waking up from a nap time that I dread. Ethan does not wake up from a nap happy, nor smiley, nor energetic........its the opposite of what a nap should do. He wakes up whining, then kicking his legs, then screaming and then crying. It does not matter if I let him be or console him he will be with this funky attitude until HE decides to stop. Its the most dreadful time for me and I am not sure why he wakes up like that. I tried many techniques that will make him wake up with a great attitude:


Techniques I tried:

•  I did the nap time schedule, where Ethan and Amalia will be placed down for a nap. Results fail with Ethan. Amalia happy as ever.
• Amalia was placed to nap first and I entertained Ethan to the max so he can be super tired and he can have a great nap and see the benefit from it. Result fail with Ethan. Amalia happy as ever.
• Put soothing melodies and left it on during nap time. Result fail with Ethan. Amalia happy as ever.

I even let him fall asleep on his own......whenever he felt he needed it........he will fall asleep on the living room sofa, did not not move him....left him there.......result fail, but he does look cute when he sleep.

This little Diva likes to pose while she naps...so darn cute.










So, you see i tried some technique and so far Ethan still wakes up with a not so good attitude. I want to correct this before he attends preschool. On the other note, Amalia wakes up with a huge smile, at least one child enjoys napping!




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 Any advice will be appreciated on how to deal with the after nap time nightmare.

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Proverbs 3:24
 If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Celebrating Life.

      Truly had an amazing weekend.  We were invited to go over a friend's house for dinner and we had an amazing time. When we arrived we were received with such love. The kids were all jumping to give Amalia kisses and giving Ethan high fives! I was given a compliment from a six year old named Jessica who loved my hair style and my high heels. We walked in and the dinning room was decorated with flowers and candles. I  said to myself "who needs a restaurant, this rocks." After a while of settling in, putting baby diaper bag on the one single corner chair, the group formed. You know the man go to the backyard, the women stay in the kitchen and the kids, well they are everywhere! We chatted, laughed and made memories.
       Dinner time, we sat and  I said grace thanking the mighty Father for all of his blessings. The food was delicious, these ladies can cook. The Menu, was the old fashion typical Dominican food: White rice, pinto beans, spare ribs, potato salad, potato bacon casserole, avocado, green salad with carrots and beets, arepita yucca. YUMMYYYY!!!...........Engaging in delicious food and great conversation it was like old times, when my parents had dinner gathering and now I experienced that.




        Couple of hour later, we had some homemade delicious pina colada and hot chili and cheese nachos. We danced, we even watched a belly dancing tape and tried to imitate the girls, we did pretty good. The night turned into a movie night, the kids fell asleep.........around two in the morning picked up my sleepy little ones and home we went.

Tell me one of your memorable time with friends?

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Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity

1 John 4:7-9

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

Catching up!

My sincere apology for taking a six month vacation from blogging. A little brief summary of what has happen since that last time I  wrote. Amalia had eye surgery to correct her eyes from crossing, or like the medical term strabismus, result success..... until three months ago I was told she would need another one due to her right eye not only turning inward but outward as well.  Ever since she had open heart surgery she has been going to the cardiologist and so far so good, except for her last visit. Her lung pressure was mildly high, medical term called as Pulmonary Hypertension and in six weeks needs to go back for another check up. If it is still mildly high she will need to go under few more test to determine if it is a life term health issue or just temporary or seasonal. If the result becomes life term she will need to take Viagra as the medicine for life, yes Viagra. It turned out that Viagra is just not for erectile dysfunction, its for lungs too. Moving on...... She turned the big ONE on August 8, picture coming soon. Other than that she is continuing with Occupational therapy and now Physical Therapy! Woohooo!


           What about Ethan you wonder...... well he is doing good. Potty training him so far not bad. Accidents, of course but he getting there. Pediatric advice he needed speech therapy but guess what he is just not much of talker but when something interest him, he will let you know! He goes through his regression period. Wants attention exactly when I am about to feed Amalia or when shes getting therapy or just when I hold her to cuddle, he acts up by acting like an infant.


              What about me you ask........ I am doing well, on September took a nice road trip to New York City the place I call home. The road trip was awesome, because Amalia and Ethan behave wonderful, smooth ride. I was soooo thrilled to see the "Welcome to New York City" sign, and when I did it just put a smile on my face. Drove by time square showing the kids the lights and all the lively actions New York have on people. The sad thing it rain sooo soooo bad that I could not do the "New York" thing: taking the train, that i miss so much, walk around central park, visit my old job and etc. Spent time with family of course and did some important errands that needed to be done and with a blink of an eye we were back on I-95 heading south.  Other than that we are doing well. Thank You GOD for your blessing!.. Pictures coming soon. Have a blessed day!