End of Summer

I'm leading a pretty good life for a 9 month old - this was my second major vacation of the summer! This time Grandma, Mom, Callie and I DROVE out to Northern Michigan. (Dad flew out for a week - we stayed for almost 2 weeks!) It took us 12 1/2 hours - and I was perfect! Someday Mom is going to stop being surprised by this fact. Callie was wonderful too - we were ALL surprised by that fact.

This is our cottage in Michigan on Lake Leelanau. My Grandma has been coming here every summer for 50 years...

Northern Michigan is the Cherry Capitol of the world. It can be pretty chilly there in the mornings and evenings - so all 3 of us got to wear our cable knit sweaters! I wouldn't be surprised if Connecticut calls and asks us to be their poster family.

On beautiful days I would sun myself on the dock. I don't want wrinkles - so I kept careful tabs on my hat... always making sure it was well positioned, keeping me shaded, and of course - looking adorable.

Another great day sunning on the dock in yet another adorable outfit.

The lake water was pretty warm - so I went swimming with Mom. (Callie got in the water the minute we pulled in the driveway - and she didn't get out until we left to come home.) Mom and Dad weren't sure what I would think about it - but I LOVED it. I kicked my feet and laughed and splashed... and then I'd stick my tongue out and try to drink the water.

I was always handed daintily into the water... Callie opted for more of a flying leap off the dock type entrance.

I kept up my gymnastics training while on vacation - I'd soothe myself by stroking my cheek with my toes while taking my bottles. It puts me to sleep every time. So now Mom has to keep careful tabs on the length of my toenails.

I also kept up my physical therapy work by playing and working every day.

No matter how large a blanket they would lay out for me, I would ALWAYS roll off the blanket, across the rug and under the table. It was like a fort.

For a few days it was really cold, windy and stormy... so we went out to do touristy stuff. We shopped in a few different towns and toured local vineyards and orchards. No one let me taste or sample anything anywhere. Lame.

And we went cherry picking! Mom later showed me that you're supposed to pick the fruit - not the leaves. Since it's the very end of cherry season and the farmers have already harvested their trees - they don't mind that we take a few.

Cherry trees make a great background for a great family picture!

There are apple orchards too. All this posing takes a lot out of a girl! I decided to make a silly face for this one.

We visited a sunflower field - I loved them so much I decided I wanted one of my very own. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite big enough to grab the whole flower - so I settled for a few petals.

The following picture is not approved for all audiences:

I went skinny dipping! I laughed the whole time. Grandma says skinny dipping and the full moons usually come out on clear nights with lots of stars - but that's past my bedtime so my cute little bum had to be flashed around in the day light hours.

There are the most beautiful sunsets over the lake.

It was a wonderful vacation!

Mom goes back to work next week - I would imagine it is quite distressing for her to be leaving me after our summer of fun. I get my nurse Aida full time again - so that's a good thing. Aida already knows that I'm the boss - so I won't have to train her.

I've also seen a lot of doctors - mom is trying to squeeze it all in while she is off work. At the beginning of August I weighed 16 pounds - and I had gained 2 pounds 5 oz in 2 months. My pediatrician says he likes to see babies gain 1-2 pounds in 2 months - so I exceeded expectations. Put that one as a first in my baby book! He says there's no such thing as TOO much weight gain with me.

I saw my Pulmonologist and he is very happy with my lungs - but not the fact that I still spit up so often and for so long after a meal. So I'll start seeing a gastroenterologist in September just to be safe - and I started trying a new medication. After working so hard after surgery to clear out my lungs, he's wants to make sure I don't breathe in some of the food as I spit it up.

I also met a Geneticist. He's an expert on genetic disorders and can help us with all the things sometimes associated with Down Syndrome (like the posibility of high thyroid levels, near-sightedness, etc.) He was really happy with how I am doing - he says my gross motor skills are the furthest behind - but not to worry - I'll be playing soccer before Mom and Dad know it! He said my fine motor skills and cognitive ability are great - so he recommended that in addition to a physical therapist I get an educator as well. He thought I'd really benefit from some school (at my house - just like physcial therapy) and lessons - so we're going to write that into my plan at the end of September when it comes up for 6 month review. He's also sending me to an Ophthalmologist.

Phew! We sure have had a busy summer. It's been a lot of fun! It seems like it will also be a busy Fall meeting some new doctors!