Ashley... Our little angel

2010 Bluebonnet Pics

2010-04-01T15:55:00.000-05:00

Weekend at Great Wolf Lodge! My and Luke loved the waterpark!
Our first visit to Morgan's Wonderland with the Cassels. We loved the park but obviously you see what area we liked the most!

Bluebonnet pics at gamma's house!

My first game in Miracle League as a Red Sox! I strutted all over that field!

Miss Daisy!

2010-03-10T11:22:00.003-06:00

I love my bounce house!!! I will climb up and then slide down face first as fast as I can!

Check out miss Daisy!!! She's my new toy that I love to chase around and harass when I'm giving Luke a break. I will also get on my swing with her and take her for a spin! Daisy does like to play with me... most of the time anyway!

So my daddy's doing! We are cute though!

Luke officially takes first dibs on the beaters!

Luke's birthday and lights!

2009-12-10T11:08:00.000-06:00

Silly brother likes to wear everyone else's shoes! Even mine!

Check out this possy! These are all the people that are trying to unlock this angel mind of mine and help me! I love the man in this pic the most - this is Ed Weeber who has made mice that are just like me back to typical! He and all these people rock!

My silly brother... he insists that every tractor have a trailer attached to it and no matter how big or how small! So funny! I like to harass him and pull them apart - hahahaha!

He looks cute but he still better know that I am the only angel in our family! :)

I love going to the lights in Marble Falls!

Silly bath time... I love it when my bro acts just like me!

Luke with his fleet after his birthday! He loves each one of them! Which makes me want them even more (hehe!).

Daddy made me this cool swing - I love laying on it and sunning during the afternoons!

Luke is enjoying his birthday! All tractors!!!

Luke loved his tractor cake for his birthday!

Good family time!

2009-11-10T10:42:00.001-06:00

Five generations!

So, the people to love me and my Pooker has grown! I got the coolest cousin now that I can play with now and can gang up on my brother with!

This is my daddy running in the San Antonio marathon - he did awesome!!! Go daddy!

After I finished digging all the seeds out of the pumpkin, mommy decided to put Luke in the pumpkin! They thought about trying to put me in too, but I said no way! :)

Lovin' on my daddy!

Pumpkin fun!

2009-10-10T10:34:00.001-05:00

Luke was a conductor for Halloween!

I fit right in with the other cheerleaders for Halloween!

I love going to Strawberry Farms! I hung on to the goat's horns and everything!

Camping

2009-09-10T10:32:00.000-05:00

Good times camping!

Circus Fun!

2009-09-01T15:40:00.006-05:00

My mommy and daddy really tried hard for these family photos... but I just want to kiss and laugh!
Luke at his first day of Mother's Day Out! Such a big boy!!!

My brother Luke just loves his blankees... I caught him!

Mommy, I'm coming to get you!

Daddy and Luke playing on the couch... yes, Daddy gave Luke the tomato in his mouth!

Barnum and Bailey Circus came to Austin and my parents thought we should go home with... no, I mean watch, them! Luke loved all the animals, horses, and motorcycles, and I loved the light show and fireworks!

Luke is getting into wearing hats now... and all I want to do is take them off his head! And not gently I might add, I will take him down no problem!

July fun and Disney!

2009-08-19T10:21:00.006-05:00

My parents and I on "Its a Small World" ride at Disney... I really enjoyed it until I realized that it is a boat ride and we were floating in water! Then, I wanted out of the boat!

Greg, Natalie, and Evan on the ride with us... where's my buddy Danika?
There she is! Isn't she a cutie with those sunglasses?!

Mom and I on another ride... I loved my staycool vest! I was the only one not drenched in sweat at the park!

The princess castle at Magic Kingdom.

Enough with the pictures, I want to go back to the rollercoaster!

Danika, Greg and Natalie on the way to Magic Kingdom

Mom and I when we first got the hotel. I was a total show-off in the lobby with my mad walking skills!

Achhhh! This is what Luke says to me anytime I come near him and his tractors. Silly boy, I don't want your tractors... I just want to hug, kiss, and tackle you!

Luke at the park with daddy... he loves to swing!

Not one of my finer pictures... this is me when I had my sleep study. I can't believe I was able to sleep (although not long - only 3 hours) with all the cords. However, when I did wake up at 12:30, I took off after the cords and pretty well destroyed them all!

I love it when he pushes me in his dump truck!

I don't even mind it when he rams me into the front door!

Faster, Faster!!!

Luke is the master tomato thief! He goes through the garden and picks all the green tomatoes and hoards them away! He gets aggravated when he can't keep them all in his hands so he fills up his mouth with them too!

Luke trying to get all 16 green tomatoes to fit in his tiny hands! :) Mom is never going to have any red tomatoes to eat!

Camping at Inks Lake

2009-06-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

Ashley decided to take her wagon for a walk... she's aiming right for a group of geese! And the water is right down the hill!

Luke decided to use the charcoal to paint his face!

Luke is filling his trailer up with charcoal and Ashley is playing with the waterhose at the lake! We all love to go camping!

Spring time!

2009-05-10T12:46:00.000-05:00

We went to Stone Mountain and had our annual bluebonnet photo day. Of course, we were as cute as ever... :)

We went out to Strawberry Farms and we loved feeding the goats! Ashley and Luke both loved picking the strawberries and eating most of them!

I love helping my mom wash her car on Sunday's!

Getting caught up!

2009-04-24T10:27:00.007-05:00

Luke learning to walk/run down the hall... and he actually didn't wipe out when he was doing this!

Taking a bath with daddy - fun times!

Me and Luke on Halloween as we went around the neighborhood - fun night!

Me and my friend Haley at the pumpkin patch... fun day!

Luke loves to sit on the dishwasher!

Me and Luke helping with cleaning up the kitchen... mommy says we are her little helpers, even though we are not really into helping so much!

Luke and mommy at Gpa's 70th birthday party!!!

This is Luke's serious face!

Just hanging out

2008-09-19T22:51:00.003-05:00

Check me out on my bus going to school!!! I love the bus and love going to school! My 1:1 Hollie is such a sweetie and I have grown to really love her! My nurse Bonnie, Ms. Elisha, Ms. Annie, Ms. Elaine, Ms. Lisa... wow, there are a lot of people that I have to entertain during my 3-hour school day!

Oops, my mommy caught me! I somehow untied the tunnel right on top of my bobo! I guess when I kept holding him inside was when my mom came around to help Luke out. We were having such fun!

Luke loves to pull to stand on everything now! My mommy says that me and Luke are at the same developmental stage... but c'mon, I'm so much funnier than he is! We both pull up on everything but we're just not always steady : )

CA trip to see Danika!

2008-09-19T22:39:00.003-05:00

Check out my BFF Danika!!! She's so cool! We got to go to Aptos and visit with Danika and her family, and I fell in love with all of them! I gave the biggest hug to Danika's dad right when he walked in the door! I also totally tried to dominate the water spout in the bathtub, and Danika was sweet enough to let me most of the time! ; ) Mom said I bordered on bullying to get to the water, but what can I say - I love water! We had a great time visiting with them, and mom promises we will get back to see them again real soon!

Good summer times!

2008-09-19T22:22:00.005-05:00

Do you think I like watermelon??? ; ) I was so sticky after this - such good fun!
Playing at the lake! It inspired us to get an RV so that we can go to the lake every weekend now! All this so that I can go swimming... oh yeah, and so that Luke can go fishing one day!

Luke is up and crawling now... but I can still outrun him down the hallway!

This was a couple months ago when he was learning to sit up.
Man, this photo makes me look bad... he looks so peaceful when he sleeps. I heard mom utter something about how she wishes I would do this... whatever, I'm too busy having fun! Lazy boys! ; )
More fun at the lake...
Luke scooted over and found a treasure! He really liked the lake, but not as much as I enjoy swimming there!

Ashley Turns 3!!!

2008-09-19T22:05:00.004-05:00

ASF Walk and Swimming

2008-06-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

This is my bobo's serious face... come to think of it, I don't think I have a "serious" face. No worries, I don't think I need one!
Well, I finished my third race at the ASF walk in Houston and really enjoyed the medal I got at the end! It was really a rough trip, but I survived. The day before, I got a splinter all the way up my big toe and had to go to the minor emergency to have it removed. So, I couldn't walk and was quite grumpy about the whole trip. The 4 hours of travel really took it out of me, my mommy and gamma! My mommy said that gamma deserved a medal for wrestling me the entire trip! Good thing some relief forces came in when my gampa, Bryan, and my missy arrived! I sure do love my gampa!
This is Luke's first big kid meal - umm, yuk! He wasn't the biggest fan of rice cereal but he totally enjoyed playing with it!
I love summertime! My missy has the best pool ever! I love going to see her and play with the squirters, whale slide, and watching all the kids run and play! Luke is not such a fan and prefers to stay away from the cold water... party pooper. No problem though, I can keep this swim party going all by myself!!! I'm also considering moving in with my missy and Bryan since they obviously know how to entertain me! ; )

Bluebonnet Day!

2008-04-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

A photoshoot in the bluebonnets... don't worry about my bobo's facial expressions, he's fine! I'm taking good care of him ; )

I'm just letting him win... I need to build his confidence before I convince him to come to my princess bed (aka my "wrestling pit")!

Luke is trying to show off that he can stand too - my PT Jan said that he can't beat me to standing independently or walking. I guess I better get back to work!

Me and my friend Jaden in the park during the Easter Egg hunt... we had a blast!
Luke before bathtime feeling manly!

Mommy gave me an Oreo during our evening walk around the block --- it was great!

Just a nibble... c'mon, be a sport.

Okay, I'll just love!
Luke and his roostertail!
Dad and Gampa, I'm ready to go hunting... and not just for milk! Luke is quite the little man these days. He started rolling over at 3 months, 3 days old so there's no worry of hypotonia with him! Thank goodness! My Gpa calls me "Cool Hand Luke"... I do think I have the coolest hands!

Ashley's new bed

2008-03-13T12:00:00.001-05:00

Check out my new Cinderella bed! I love it! Feel free to send my mom an e-mail if you're interested in how we made it.

Uncle Tadd and Aunt Maggie come to visit!

2008-03-13T11:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Luke is learning to smile and laugh!

I wasn't doing anything... ; ) I love to give Luke "rides" in his flutterchime! Mom just makes sure to have his safety straps on... chicken ; )

Wake up already, you're making me look bad!

Luke loves to smile, especially at me! ; )

My uncle Tadd and aunt Maggie came to visit me (and Luke I suppose) for the weekend. We had such a great time playing with them, and they even took me swimming! Thanks for coming!

Check me out in my walker! I've had it a few months now, but I finally decided to use it to walk in the last few weeks. I love to walk out in the street, and I've learned so many new things with it. Like how to balance it on one leg, I can totally tip it all the way back if I want, and the idea that these wheels are "locked" to prevent them from rolling backwards --- yeah right, I totally fixed that!

I go on the potty!

2008-01-20T19:05:00.000-06:00

We got to visit with the Kociuba's a couple weekends ago. They gave Luke some great baby things and I got a cool horse!!! I love to play with it in my playroom!

I've only threatened to truly get in the dryer by myself, but this time, I really did it! Right when mom turned around, I went for it!

I'm so sweet sweet!
Who's blog is this anyway??? Okay, I'll let Luke share some of the lime light, but c'mon, this is my blog right?! This is my brother when he is 4 weeks old... he's still so boring ; )

I'm such the big girl lately! Today is Day 5 of me going potty on the big girl potty all day long (with only a couple accidents along the way)!!! Gamma, mommy, or daddy take me to my potty every hour or so and if I need to go, I will!!! Thank you gamma for showing my 'rents how smart I am!!!

Luke Aaron has arrived!!!!!!!

2008-01-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

My little brother Luke arrived on December 16th at 5:11pm! I told everyone I wanted a 4-year old brother, but it looks like that didn't happen ; ) But, he did come out a whopping 9 pounds, 3 ounces so he might turn out to be big enough after all!

After almost two days of not seeing my mommy and daddy, I finally got to see them - and the new baby! This is a photo of when I first met Luke... I was slightly interested in him, but I mostly wanted to climb over him and get my mommy!

Luke at home after his first bath - very tired!

We had Christmas Eve at our house and everyone showered me and Luke with tons of gifts! I was definitely more helpful this year in opening my gifts and loved the wrapping paper! I have also laid claims to all of Luke's toys!

Luke barely fit in the stocking (we stopped putting him in at his tummy!) and we had to cut the back of the hat to make it "fit" --- big man!

My uncle John came to visit me and Luke all the way from Mississippi - I love having men in the house!

Everyone holding Luke --- does this mean that I'm not the center of attention any longer??? Sounds like I will have to make life interesting to get it back! ; ) How about a double ear infection and a week of no sleep? That's what I did, and boy, did I get the attention then! When mommy left me alone in the kitchen for 5 minutes, I also quickly left and went to check on Luke in their room. Well, mommy came looking just in time - I was standing against the chair and had my hand over in the moses basket about to wake him up. When mommy walked in, I busted up laughing!!! Aren't I hilarious?!

Marble Falls Christmas Lights

2007-12-21T20:43:00.000-06:00

We went to the Marble Falls lights on the lake a few weeks ago with my buddies Brady and Haley. I loved the lights and wanted to practice my walking skills and anything else I could think to do to avoid sitting in my stroller. We had a great time and can't wait to have them over again to play in my jumpolene!

I'm a real cheerleader!!!

2007-11-06T21:21:00.000-06:00

I'm here and ready to cheer!
Giving my friend Laura a big hug!

What an awesome night! I went to the middle school football game to see my daddy, and I got to cheer with the cheerleaders! They were all so sweet and I gave all of them hugs and kisses - literally! Mommy and daddy were so proud of me and how much of a big girl I was being, and they promised that we could do it again soon!

Mom's birthday

2007-11-06T21:06:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday mommy! Gamma and I made you a cake. Its the same cake that you had for your first birthday - gamma said that was a LONG time ago! ; )
You caught me! Mommy says I'm not allowed to play with cords, which is the only reason why I like going under her desk. I think I'm so funny!

This is me all dressed up before Halloween. We had several kids come by the house, and I really liked greeting them at the front door. We then went to the church and I watched all the older kids play games - good times!

Check out my new weapon... yes, the one on my left leg. I've been fighting my AFO so they decided to cast my ankle for a couple weeks to make we quit toe standing. I didn't like it at first, but now I've learned to use it no problem.

Pumpkin Patch 2007

2007-10-28T14:19:00.000-05:00

Went out to lunch with my missy! I get so excited to see her!I love to ride my daddy!We went to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend to pick out my pumpkins. I got to pet the horse and goats and take a hay ride! I was such a happy little girl this weekend!

I helped my daddy carve the pumpkin and even got to sling the insides all across the kitchen! I've been such a big girl lately and am really starting to get this walking thing down! I got a cool new walker, but I prefer that you just hold my ribs and my legs will take off. Daddy calls me his little German soldier 'cause I do it high-step style! Stay tuned --- I'll have my Halloween outfit on in a few days!

Cruisin' to Cozumel!

2007-09-25T13:46:00.000-05:00

I'm loving life right now! I spent last week on the Carnival Ecstasy with my mom, gamma, gampa, missy, Bryan, Gpa, GG, Kari, and Michael. I really had a great time flirting with all the crew members, dining staff, random passengers who didn't initially notice me but now know my name, and anyone else I could flap my hands and smile at! All things considered, I did pretty well sleeping and quickly became aware that my mom was sleeping two feet away... why does she not want to play at 3am? I can't wait to get home and see daddy though!
I swam in the kid pool a few times on the boat, but it was salt water. I kept trying to taste it - nasty!

Having dinner on formal night... I was such a big girl this night!

I had to get off at Cozumel and at least take a few pics to say I've been here! It was pretty hot so we didn't stay long. I had a wonderful time!

First haircut and where's Bob???

2007-09-25T13:34:00.000-05:00

My before and after shot of my hair. We decided it was finally time for my first haircut, if you don't count the one rat's nest that I got in my hair after the waterpark with daddy. It really shows off my spirals in the back!
When my mom took off with the laundry, I just had to come in and check out what is so interesting in this room!

By the way, have any of you seen "Bob"? If so, could you please tell my parents because they have no idea who he is. I go around the house all day long and say "Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob...." --- I've got my parents completely confused who I'm calling for. Just another one of my little secrets! ; )

Angelman Conference in St. Louis!!! And Updates!!!

2007-08-17T15:15:00.000-05:00

I'm dunking my daddy in the pool! I bounce up and down on his head until he finally goes under! And each time he tries to come up, I say "oh no, you get back down!"

My buddy Jaxson... I was playing hard to get when we played together!
I'm putting my face under water, and it is 100% intentional! I really love swimming!
This is me swimming while at the St. Louis ASF conference with my buddy, Jaxson! I had a absolute blast the entire trip, and it was so great to meet all the cool parents and kids. Danika, I missed seeing you, but my mommy promised that maybe something can work out next summer! Playing with daddy!

Mommy hasn't posted lately about my birthday bash on July 1st when I turned two so I'll get you up to speed now. I had a great pool party at Bryan and my missy's house... I know, I know, you are all surprised at the location! ; ) I had a great time, but mommy didn't have any room on her camera for more pics. So, no pics for my blog, but I can tell you that I loved the slides and had a great time with all my friends. I was so tired my the end of the day that I could barely eat my Ariele birthday cake.

The last few weeks, I've also decided to flatter my mommy and started saying "mom"!!!! I've done it to her a few times a week on average and its always on purpose! Everyone is so proud of me! I've said it loudly in her ear, bounced at her feet whining it, and even cried "mom" for her when she wasn't there. They tried to think that it was on accident for a while, but after a few times, they realized that I was more than serious that I wanted my mom!

I've also had eye surgery so there's no doubt where I'm looking now!

And did you hear the good news???? I'm going to be a big sister!!!! Mommy and daddy are going to give me a wrestle buddy! They said that its not suppose to be here until Christmas Day and that I can't wrestle with him/her for a while, but I'm still excited! They didn't find out if I get a brother or sister so we're all going to have to wait to find out! Mommy's belly is starting to get big and she says I can't bounce on her much now... that's okay, there's always daddy!

Okay, you're all up to date! Mommy promises to keep up on my busy life much better now that she's feeling better and we're not traveling so much!

AS Walk 2007 - Houston, Texas

2007-05-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

My mommy and daddy went on a cruise without me a couple weeks ago. They say they went on vacation, but really, I feel like I went on vacation! I had so much fun with my gamma and gampa! Gamma, I need pictures from our fun week to put on here!

We went to the AS walk in Houston on May 19th and had such a good time! All my family and friends raised almost $4,000 for ASF - I have the best circle of friends in the whole world! Thank you Jason and Stacey for raising almost $1,000 alone for AS research!!! You guys are awesome!
This is my angel friend Austin - its been a year since we've seen each other and he's grown up so much! He's learning to walk and has a new baby sister! He really liked my toys and my daddy's OU hat! Something about them being Texas fans made Austin's parents not let him keep the hat - haha! ; )
I love to wrestle! I've never played with older kids before, but it took me about 30 seconds to realize that I wanted to tackle Brady! I acted like such a big girl just bouncing around on my knees just daring him to bury his head in my belly! Brady, Haley and I loved every minute!

Taking the RV to Kansas!

2007-05-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

Uncle Steven, mommy, and I went down the waterslide 100 times at the hotel! I absolutely loved it! I would shrill as we went down and kick my mommy in excitement as we climbed the stairs to do it again. I think all hotels should have an indoor water park (who would have thought there would be one in Hutchison, Kansas!).

Here's me in my gamma and gampa's RV (aka "the rolling terd" for those that have seen the movie "RV") on our trip to Kansas. I loved the whole trip as I had 9 people that had to play with me the whole time! This is me with my bodyguard... my mommy can tell you about the time that I gave him so many kisses at my house that his face was solid wetness! I love my bodyguard - why does he have to be my missy's boyfriend??? ; )

Riding with Daddy

2007-04-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

Daddy's taking me for a ride on the lawn mower - I loved it and laughed the whole way!
On April 16th, I got my tonsils and adenoids out... something about helping me sleep at night. Anyway, I was quite the patient, except for when mommy tries to take a picture of me. Mommy says I recovered so well and she's so proud of me. I loved drinking pediasure and did decide to start eating a few days later and gained all my weight back!

A Day in the Bluebonnets

2007-04-06T22:40:00.000-05:00

Mommy and I went for a photo shoot in the bluebonnets this week. They are absolutely beautiful right now so I put my best smile on and we were off! I was able to sneak a few petals in my mouth - yum! I'm such a cutie!!!
This is my new sitting position the past couple weeks - everyone calls me a gopher! I like to bounce up and down on my knees.
Mommy was washing my cups and I peaked over the couch at her in the kitchen. She came running around the corner, camera in hand, and so this is my best "What do you want?" face (with a little residual fig newton on my lip). Mommy's purse was my motivator so now she's curious how to clean off the newton... I offered to help but she wasn't so interested... ; )

I'm coming to get you! Oh no, wait a minute, I'm diving at you! No true crawling yet, but I have taken a couple small steps a few times. I've also abandoned my swim crawl and pretty much do an army crawl. I pull myself on my elbows across the floor, doing both arms at the same time. I can't say its more efficient, but I really don't want to resign to doing the "typical" 4-point... I'm not really into typical.

Pretty in Pink!

2007-03-05T21:28:00.000-06:00

I love to get in the crawl position on top of my water toy from my Uncle Tadd and Aunt Maggie! Its by far still my favorite floor toy! You would just think I'd be crawling everywhere, but no thanks... not yet
Check out my cool toy... no, I mean box! There was an awesome wagon inside this box that my daddy put together, but check out this box! So much fun!
I've waited 20 whole months to see you clearly! I really wanted to pull them off at first, but once I could see the ceiling and all the different toys in my toybox, I decided to finally leave them on my head. My world just got so much bigger.... shout out to my angel sis, Danika, for encouraging my mommy to get me some glasses!

Riding Casper!

2007-02-18T21:42:00.000-06:00

Daddy, get off my horsey!
Hanging onto my daddy's arm... he's holding onto the horn so that I won't hurt myself. Can you see my angel wings??? ; )
I'm absolutely loving this! I've been giggling at my gampa and daddy this entire time!!!

I spent this Sunday riding my horse, Casper, at my gamma/pa's house. I was so excited to see them, but at the same time, I couldn't let go of my mommy. If you come near me today, I will show you my bottom lip and let a well of tears down... I'm not ready to let my mommy go to work this week yet.

Shopping spree with Gamma and Gampa!

2007-02-18T21:22:00.000-06:00

Wow, I had no idea such good things were hiding in my closet!

Weeeee!!!! I will throw my hands in the air when my daddy asks if I want to fly around on the floor!!! I will hold on tight too!
My hair is changing... mom says its getting more and more curly in the back.Gamma and gampa took me to Toys r'us on Valentine's Day and they couldn't leave one thing in the store! I tried out every scooter, tricycle, and moving car they had to offer... I left with quite a loot! Check out my cool new "ADorable" car! I realize I'm such a big girls riding around in this. Thank you gamma and gampa!

2007-02-01T20:48:00.000-06:00

Brrrrr, its freezing!!! You can see the icicles behind me, and this steering wheel is frigid!

I had a photo shoot at gamma's house. I love the camera and am very well aware of when to turn on the charm!

I decided to slide out of my chair and head for the grass... bad choice cause I don't like the pokey green stuff! Time to pull to four-point!

I'm ready to crawl!

2007-01-31T14:54:00.000-06:00

And I'm up! I'm really really up! I just figured this out a couple weeks ago! This is so cool, but why can't I see anyone???

Oh yeah, that's better, now I can see what I'm going to dive for! I want to be in this position all day long. I pull all fours up, then down, then up, then down again... I could do this all day. So, when mom lays me down for my nap, I think this is the best time to practice. At gamma's, I can really get my crib rocking! I have great rhythm, and if you try to sneak a peak, I'll be watching! Now, I haven't done any actual crawling yet, just dive and swim crawl after I'm up, but my next goal is to truly crawl by Valentine's Day. I have a couple weeks so we'll see what I have time for. Mom and dad want me to quit waking up at night (they say I've been keeping them awake at night again), but when else am I suppose to practice???

So tired! I worked out hard all day so when dad got home, I just wanted to cuddle up for some sleepy...

Check this out! My gampa made this contraption just for me! He did all the designing and its perfect! The foam is the best part. Anyway, they just strap me in this and I can walk whereever I want to go. I'm not that keen on the whole thing yet but every day I warm up to it a little. Why should I walk by myself when they can just carry me? But, when I want to get my toys, or the dog, or the bag that I'm not suppose to grab, this thing is great!

Learning to "Swim Crawl"

2007-01-06T14:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, here I go!!! My mommy said that the goal was for me to crawl by Christmas --- well, I had bigger plans! I decided that typical 4-point crawling is too barbaric so I went for my own style. I like to call it my "swim crawl". I get on my side and throw myself forward using the opposite arm and leg to push with. And I did this two days before Christmas - I beat my goal!!! I also did it the day before my gamma and gampa got back from their cruise - that should teach them for leaving me cause you never know what I might learn to do! Well, here are a few pics of my progression. I now swim crawl like a champ and as of last week, I can crawl on top of couch cushions to get my favorite toys. Mom and dad are sooo proud of me!!!

Almost there!!!
And got it!

This is me figuring out the 4-point stance. I like to keep my legs froggy in the beginning, but keep reading because it gets exciting...

Swimming time!

2007-01-05T21:25:00.000-06:00

I love these steps! I've never paid much attention to them before but for the last couple weeks, these are the best thing! I love to lay on the top step, blow bubbles in the water, and twist to stand up and lick the rail! You can notice my bottled water next to the pool, but why would I drink from that when I have this entire pool to drink from?!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-31T21:10:00.000-06:00

Boom boom boom boom boom... Jaws! I'm hilarious!
Checking out Santa... his beard is so interesting! I managed to take a few strands with me on the way out!

I went to see the lights one more time with my buddies Brady and Haley! Brady had a sucker that Haley wanted so once I saw this, I decided I wanted it too! Everyone was trying to get us to look at the camera at the same time, but come on, really??? No thanks. You're going to have to take what you can get.
Jackpot - check out my cool new toy that Santa brought me! It's perfect for me to be miss little independent. I love to scoot it along the floor and get close to you!

2006-12-18T22:31:00.000-06:00

Rock is my protector... such a good boy! I just need 10 minutes, just 10, and I'll be good to go!

I'm being silly before church - I looked so cute in my new outfit gamma gave me! She couldn't wait until Christmas to give it to me... I can't say that I blame her! This is my new baby. I like to give her kisses and lick her head - mom gets excited about the kisses but not so much on the licking...
Yum!!! Dinner was awesome! And yes, some of it did get into my mouth, Rock's mouth, the rug, the sides of my chair, and if you look real hard, on the sides of the kitchen walls. I'm doing a great job feeding myself, but I guess you could say I tried putting it in a lot of places!

I just wanted to show off on how I can sit here all by myself, reach over to get my toys, get back up, and never skip a beat! I'm waiting for my gamma and gampa to get back from cruising - I miss them terribly. I guess I'll sit here patiently until they get back... or maybe I can go find something to get into... : )

My new Auntie M!

2006-11-30T21:59:00.001-06:00

I'm so crazy! I discovered the "Wee" game in the parking lot on the way home from Houston, and it is such fun! I fly back and forth between them and quickly turn around for more! I went to visit my Uncle Tadd and Aunt Maggie and had such a great time! I now have the coolest Auntie M! I visited them right after mom and dad found out I was an angel, and it was great to go back and see them again. They got me this cool poodle blanket and pillow, and I love to find the tail. After Little Rock, I went for my rundown at Baylor Medical Center in Houston. I was so tired during the visit, but I still managed to show off my angel charm. Mom and dad got a lot of info from my cool docs, and frankly, I'm a little upset they figured out some of my secrets. It seems like my night-time wakings are going to be on their way out since they started me on a med for my nighttime seizures. I didn't enjoy waking up to them, but I'm going to miss my dad's company at 3am. Off to find some other reason to disturb our slumber...

My daddy spent the whole Sunday making me this scooter. By the end, it had wings and 8 wheels and seemingly proofed for my insistent nosedives. They keep trying to find ways to help me crawl... will someone please tell them I have no desire to put my pretty little fingers on the ground?!

2006-11-30T21:59:00.000-06:00

I'm so crazy! I discovered the "Wee" game in the parking lot on the way home from Houston, and it is such fun! I fly back and forth between them and quickly turn around for more! I went to visit my Uncle Tadd and Aunt Maggie and had such a great time! They got me this cool poodle blanket and pillow, and I love to find the tail. After Little Rock, I went for my rundown at Baylor Medical Center in Houston. I was so tired during the visit, but I still managed to show off my angel charm. Mom and dad got a lot of info from my cool docs, and frankly, I'm a little upset they figured out some of my secrets. It seems like my night-time wakings are going to be on their way out since they started me on a med for my nighttime seizures. I didn't enjoy waking up to them, but I'm going to miss my dad's company at 3am. Off to find some other reason to disturb our slumber...

Hangin' out with Jaden

2006-11-12T20:54:00.000-06:00

Meet my friend Jaden! Jaden is 11 months old and her parents are so cool! We played together most of the day Saturday and had such a good time! We were both having bottle time, and I thought it would be a good idea to clean her forehead with my tongue (mom missed the pic but you can see me staring it down!). We both took naps but not for very long - I oculdn't wait to get up and play more! I was so tired after our playday that I slept pretty well that night. I can't wait to play with Jaden again soon - big hugs to Jaden's mom, Lindsey!

I love the zoo!!!

2006-11-07T21:55:00.000-06:00

I so tired! I went swimming and spent a whole hour pacing the warm water and bouncing off my mom's arms. While we were swimming, I met a lady that has a best friend whose daughter is a 2-year old angel. She lives in Austin and I'd love to meet her! This lady knew right away that I was an angel... I just couldn't hold back my infectious smile! After swimming, mom tried to squeeze in lunch before naptime, but I decided to take an early break. I am snoring here!

So, after my bath, dad wrapped me up with a toy inside, and I had a party! I stayed all wrapped up for a good 5-10 minutes just hanging out and talking to myself... I could just feel mom and dad's eyes peering at me wondering what I was doing under the towel! My leg later snuck out and my secret party was over... that's fine though, there's always nighttime!

My mom recruited some help for our second trip to the Johnson City zoo - my gamma, missy, mom, and dad all tag-teamed me. I'm typically particular about who gets to hold me, and mommy normally wins, but this trip, my missy was the winner! Anyone I choose always wins... my parents like it that I have an opinion so they don't fight it. Is now the right time to mention that I rule my world?! I also love this hairy cow - my gampa needs to get me one of these! This is the camel that tried to eat my hand on my first trip so this time, I tried withholding food from him, but he's got persistent lips that even my tight little fingers couldn't compete with. Such great fun!

I'm Rebecca!

2006-10-31T21:29:00.000-06:00

So, after having a bunch of kids come by the house asking for my candy, I decided to go visit my daddy at the football game. I got all dressed up and was so excited to go see the game! Everyone thought my costume was adorable, and I loved greeting everyone. Pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, and great costumes with lots of people - I love Halloween!

Carving Pumpkins!

2006-10-30T14:06:00.000-06:00

I'm hanging out with my gamma and gampa - I thought it was so funny when the ring falls off my head! I'm not feeling that well today since I got strep throat from one of my friends at the church nursery. I was telling mom that I should be able to stay in church and talk to the preacher - when are they ever going to listen!

I love my new toothbrush! It vibrates and I act like I'm brushing my teeth... really, I'm just giving my tongue a massage!

It's pumpkin carving time!!! Last year I just watched mom and dad, but this year, I dived right in! I got so excited with just feeling the inside of the pumpkin so I would rub pumpkin seeds everywhere! Off the to the tub!

Pumpkin Patch

2006-10-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

I am just having a great day! These smiles are just priceless!

We went to the Pumpkin Patch with Jason, Stacey, Brady and Haley. We had such a great time - we went for my first hayride, kids' maze, and got to see a baby donkey (1 day old!). I got to ride on a tractor and thought that the stearing wheel was dirty... no worries, I took care of that. I loved seeing my friends and wish I could hang out with them more often. I can't wait for Halloween!

Halloween party!

2006-10-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

What a week! I went to my first official Halloween Party for my g-pa's birthday. I loved my dad's cigar and my mom's braids - what great things to suck on!
well, I decided to interrupt my slumber for an early-night party - I'll finish telling you about my week tomorrow!
Okay, like I was saying before, the Halloween Party was great! There was dry ice, lots of decorations, and everyone had great costumes. My g-pa (great grandpa) was so surprised with the party that he and I shared the same belly laughs all night!

I'm really only interested in standing and think that crawling is for boys. I don't want the strong arms. I'm getting a mouth full of teeth and can't understand why no one will give me their finger to prove it... chickens.

Dad thought it would be cool to give me his root beer bottle - I made a great face when I got a taste but he wasn't quick enough with the camera.

While mom was cooking dinner, I took a cat nap with daddy - I just don't understand why I can't sleep with them all the time...

Mom took me to the Johnson City zoo today - I loved it!!! I smiled and laughed the entire way on the train ride. The camel wanted to eat me so I kept squeezing his lips! I had the whole train to myself so I could see all the animals as they came up. I got to see lemars, kangaroos, a black bear, lots of antelope, bison, baby horses, exotic deer, and lots of babies. The weather was great (clowdy, no wind, 65-70 deg.) and mom promised we would go again every chance we get. Sorry, no pics - mom had her hands full with me!

Hangin' out with Mom and Rock

2006-10-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

I've had a pretty good week, especially Wednesday night. See, I've been telling you how nice I've been to mom and dad by sleeping pretty well at night, but I decided this night I would have a change of heart. I think they need a taste of my true potential every now and again. So, Wednesday with gamma went like any other day - great swimming, lots of food and fun - so I crashed around 8:30 like always. Mom saw my big bumps on my gums so she gave me motrin before bedtime, but it was not enough to stifle the twinge of pain my new molars were causing. I woke up every hour and stayed awake most of the night. I wiped both mom and dad out by 6 am! They just can't hang with the big girls! I did have a new tooth poking out by morning though so, all things considered, it was worth it! I really like showing off my new chompers too so feel free to pass me your finger - I'd love a nibble. : )

My mom snuck this picture of me standing really quickly.. what made her think I would need those pillows behind me? As if I wouldn't want to stay standing to strike a pose?! I also like to show my toys off to Rock - I would love to share with him. I'm off to have a three-day weekend with my daddy - yea!!!

I've got pigtails!

2006-09-29T12:42:00.000-05:00

I've had a great couple of weeks... well, except for a few days. Mom had to go for two days to L.A. for "work", you know, that bad thing that takes my mommy away. She kept warning me it was coming since she's never left me like this, but I thought for sure my cuteness would keep her from going. My mommy did finally get released from "work" and came back home. She has yet to quit apologizing to me, and I plan on milking this for as long as it lasts! While she was gone, I made sure to have a good time and rode my tractor with my grandpa.

I also got new kicks recently, and I love them! I would prefer to eat them as opposed to walking on them, but whatever. Mom said they help me stand straight, and I think they might help me attack the Christmas tree in a couple months. Yes, I am very excited about this, and mom and dad are starting to think that this might be the last year a Christmas tree gets to just sit in our house undisturbed! Do they not think I will cause some chaos this year?! Such smart parents but still just so naive ; )

My gamma put my hair in pigtails this week - aren't I adorable?! My hair in the back isn't long enough since I spent the better part of my first year rubbing it off. Rock thought I was super cute too and decided to give me a big kiss - yuk! I've learned to fend off his persistent licking of my face, but he caught me (and my dad) by surprise this time!

My First Year - Summarized

2006-09-29T11:04:00.000-05:00

As I'm an only child, I don't have much to be jealous about because, simply, I'm the only one anyone focuses on! On the same note, I spent my entire first year of life not realizing that I could be sharing my secrets with other angels. So, my mom thinks that I should share with everyone how my first year went and so long as she mentioned all the great night parties, I agreed...

Ashley's story (My mom thought she should tell this)

Pregnancy - I swear she had eight legs! Being my first and only child thus far, I had no idea babies could be that brutal to ribs! When she finally came, everyone realized how wiggly she was and what she really was doing inside me!
Labor/delivery - Long (24 hours) and an ABGAR score of 9 (she had meconium). No issues noted at delivery (i.e. hypotonia). She was in the 50 percentile in all categories as she had been during pregnancy.

First 4 months - She was great at nursing, or so I thought, because she wanted to eat all the time. She would nurse for 45 minutes, sleep for 1 hour, wake up, and we did this cycle over and over! I now realize that the reason she would nurse for so long was probably the weakness in her sucking strength. She would tire out and could never get full enough to sleep for any substantial period. It was seriously the most difficult thing I've ever done. College, CPA, even working 5 years in public accounting hailed in comparison. I would not wish the sleep deprivation that we went through on anyone. Sleep has been our most difficult challenge of AS thus far (see below).

4 1/2 months - Discussed all of our issues at various points with our group of four pediatricians. I did not have any idea that there was something not right with Ashley, only that no sleep was occurring in our house, how she would wake up in a shrilling scream from sleep all night long (diagnosed in May as acid reflux), and she would have various rashes (now determined to be food allergies). I would complain that if she's not sleeping, I do not understand how she was expected to develop. They gave no merit to my concerns. They did suggest that we try giving her rice cereal, and she did start sleeping a lot better (4 hours straight at some point in 24-hr period). This also instigated Ashley's problems with constipation, which we still give her meds as necessary. I think this will resolve itself though as she becomes more mobile.

6 months - Christmas time. I am still clueless that Ashley is anything but typical. I did think it was odd that when we went shopping for Christmas presents, the ones I knew she would like were 0-6 month toys. I just dismissed it as toy manufacturers being out of touch. Ashley has always been so engaging - from very young, she would notice you the second you walked in a room, always smile and laugh at you when you talked to her, enjoyed story time, etc. She just preferred to do all of these activities on her back! She has rolled over a couple of times by now from her back to her stomach but nothing consistent. She sleeps in the exact same position all night on her back. I also mentioned this to doctors in passing but no response was ever given. She will sleep 4-6 hours in a row at night but likes to have at least one 3-4 hour parties at night and a couple of other awakenings. She prefers to sleep much more during they (2-4 hour nap in the afternoon). We tried limiting this but it did not change her nighttime habits.

7 months - I went back to work at 60% schedule and my mom, who is an R.N., watches Ashley for the three days. I'm sure she had figured something was different about Ashley at this point, but her engaging behavior was so deceiving to probably prevent my mom from really discussing it. I understand, she would have regretted bringing it up this soon if it turned out to be nothing.

8 months - She was still not sitting up on her own, we still cradled her head and back when we carried her, and this was the end of the time period given for kids to learn to sit up in our baby books. So, after my mom's subtle hints and grave realization that her gross motor delays could be indicative of something lifelong, I took her to another pediatrician for a second opinion. We were told she was hypotonic, had slight microcelphaly, and probably other things. She suggested we visit with a pediatric neurologist or geneticist to determine the cause for the delays. The next morning, I called and got an appointment with a geneticist that day who diagnosed Ashley on the spot. We sat there for an hour going through family history and questions and he could see the anticipation and fear in our expressions. He would respond with "Its okay, we're getting there." He later said that he knew from the time Ashley came in that she was an angel. This news was like staring straight into an oncoming train. I really think that he knew he was preserving the last hour of our "Pre-AS" life. I had never heard of AS, but my mom had worked with a couple AS kids before, so she immediately started crying. This is when Mark and I knew it was something serious. He got an old book out (mistake!) and gave us the genetic speech, lifelong dependent... I will never forget that day - March 16, 2006. They drew blood, and the FISH test came back March 21,2006 as deletion positive. The ironic thing was that she had an outfit on that said "Snow Angel" on her shirt - Mark and I went to sleep laughing about that and the fact that he will never have to worry about all the threats that he's had prepared for the boys that would one-day come around. I think back to this time as the end of the innocence. Not in a negative way necessarily, just that when she came out a healthy baby on July 1, 2005, we let the dreams run. We now realize you have to mourn that loss, and it doesn't happen in one day.

9 months - We started ECI and receive OT weekly. She is doing pretty well and just started rolling over consistently and purposefully.
10 months - Stream of doctor appointments - eye, neurologist, and ENT. We have noticed since a couple months old that her left eye wonders outward and we realize now that that is probably due to the hypotonia. They try patching it and conclude that she may need surgery at 2-3 years to correct if needed. We got an EEG at the neurologist and it concluded that she has typical AS brain activity. He suggests 1.0cc melatonin for sleep. S witch neurologist since this guy is terrible and not familiar with AS. We visit the ENT since Ashley has snored every day since birth. Due to weakened throat muscles and hopefully she will outgrow it. We just wanted confirmation that there were no physical obstructions causing lack of sleep.

11 months - Visit new neurologist, John Seals. Great doctor and identifies the screaming as a result of acid reflux. Makes perfect sense now, and, by this time, I'm ticked that the pediatricians haven't cued in on this. We visit a GI doctor and Ashley is put on prevacid. This, combined with melatonin, has really helped Ashley's sleep. She now sleeps ~6 hours in a row but still likes to have 2-3 hour parties at night. We went to the AS walk in Houston and got to meet Austin, a couple months older, and he has a wonderful family. His blog is given as a link. In previous months, we had visited other AS kids, which was much more difficult than meeting those at the walk. By 11 months old, Ashley is sitting pretty well on her own (maybe five minutes) and often chooses to lay down when she gets something good in her mouth. We also started her on 12.5 - 25.0 mg of trazodone, which has greatly improved her sleep. We are starting to feel like actual people again enjoying life. She has made numerous developmental achievements once she started sleeping!

12 months - Ashley, who turned one on July 1st, decided to stand up against the couch on July 14th!!! In therapy, we have her stand against the couch and reach for toys on the couch cushions. Mark had her standing there propping her butt up, and then he realized she wasn't using it! He removed his hands, and she just stood there, hand holding onto a toy on the couch, butt in, and both feet flat on the ground for about 30 seconds! He said he was going crazy behind her (silent of course not to disturb her!). We later had her stand in the middle of the room, holding one hand just for balance! Tears flooded down our faces!

Since her birthday, she has been standing a lot. We also just started private PT weekly so that has really helped. You just put her in position and she will stay there against a couch, toy, or leaning on you in some way. She's not inclined to take steps on her own and her legs still seem to drift outward after a while. She has just started holding the 4-point crawl position in the last few weeks, which we are so excited for! It looks like we will be baby-proofing the house soon. She has never consistently been around other kids her age so I think that has slowed her down a little bit in the gross motor skills area. We just started leaving her in the nursery during church and that has really helped her figure the stand/crawl positions out. We are always so sleep deprived that hanging out with my friends who have kids her age rarely happens. We are now making a more conscious effort to have such interactions.

She has always made a lot of noise although I wouldn't go as far as to call it "babble" like typical kids do. We'll be starting speech therapy soon. She will do some sound mimicking. She doesn't wave bye-bye nor roll a ball back and forth with you. She is great at getting whatever she wants, which is something I really fear with all of the communication difficulties. After her diagnosis, we feared that the screaming at night was due to seizures, but now that she's on prevacid, it seems that was all due to reflux. We have seen a couple mild seizures - eyes roll back in head one time and Mark has seen her do very rhythmic motions during sleep. We have discussed these with the neurologist but he is not concerned with these.

So, this is Ashley's summary for the first year. I know that being new to AS, this is the kind of info you want to know.

My new dog Rock

2006-08-19T23:31:00.000-05:00

Check out my cool new dog! His name is Rock, and we adopted him from a service dog organization in Dripping Springs. He was going to be their all-star service dog, but, due to hip dysplasia, he couldn't complete the program. My parents thought he was just too sweet to pass up so we adopted him on the spot! He really likes to hang out with me when I drink my bottle (I like to offer him some when mom's not looking). We also have the same interests in toys, but mom thinks we should keep them separate.

I also just got a ball pit which is great! I will play in it, but only if my mom is watching and playing with me... I wouldn't want her to miss out on all this fun!

CASS Conference - London, Ontario

2006-07-29T19:40:00.000-05:00

My mom, dad, and grandma (yes it takes all three to take me cross-country) took me to meet my fellow angels. My family was a bit nervous at the thought of coming to the conference, but after being there for a few hours, they realized that angel gatherings are the best opportunity to meet such sweet, kind people. I got to meet a great new angel, Aiden, who is 2 years old and is a super cool kid. He has beautiful orange hair, a brand new sis, and very cool parents. I also met Dante and his sweet parents (and Dante, I have tasted the oak table but not yet taken a good bite - I think I'm waiting on more teeth!). I also heard about Rachel, who is my same age, and her parents were super cool too. I'd love to meet her one day. I plan to make sure my parents keep in touch with all of them and definitely plan for more conference dates later on!

After the conference, we went to Niagara Falls, where I got to be amongst great big crowds and lots of energy! I also got to eat at my third Rain Forest Cafe in NF (First in Chicago, second in San Antonio). After enjoying the fish tanks so much, I talked my gamma into trying to take me to every Rain Forest Cafe - I'm so excited!

Since this was a "vacation", I decided to let my family sleep this trip, which they were quite happy about. I stayed in three different hotels, and pretty much slept each night. I'm such a softy... I guess all the excitement tired me out.

My First Birthday!!!

2006-07-09T23:26:00.000-05:00

It's my first party! I had so much fun with all my friends and family! I got to have some great cake that my mom and gamma made for me and took a dip in my baby pool after. My mom and dad can't believe its been one year, even though I kept telling them I was trying to make it as long as possible with all those sleepless nights. I guess I should raise the bar in year two!

All About Ashley - My Grand Intro

2006-07-01T15:14:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Ashley Ann, and I am the absolute best thing that has ever happened to my parents! Before I came, my parents enjoyed long meals at nice restaurants, sleeping in on the weekends... well, I guess they used to enjoy sleep anytime. But now that I'm here, I have shown them the finer things in life such as how beautiful the stars are at 3 am and how rushing through a meal to play with me is actually a good diet for mom! I guess I owe you an explanation as to why I have disrupted their insanity and conformed it "angel style." On March 16, 2006, my mom and dad were told that I am truly an angel, but not just any angel. I have Angelman Syndrome, which removed the unnecessary part of Chromosome 15 that would require me to do things in life I don't really care for --- like being quiet when I don't want to, not being able to take others' glasses and taste the lenses, having to work every day when I get older, do my own laundry... I think you get the picture. My mom and dad can probably give a doctor explanation for it, but mine pretty much sums it up. So, these are a few pictures from my first year. My mom has a ton more pics but since she is just now getting around to creating my blog, she's starting from now. So, I will make sure she stays on top of my site so that all my angel followers can keep track of where I am. Keep watching for me!