Carrington's Giggle and My First You Tube

Ok am I most excited about my Princess Carrington's giggle or the fact that I was able to learn how to upload a video?!!! Hmmm that is a tough one:) But here is a glimpse of what Carrington has learned to do: GIGGLE. This girl just laughs all on her own. I was carrying her (as I always do) as I was cleaning up the house and she was just laughing, without me tickling her or prompting her. I just love the sound of her voice and all of her facial expressions. Sarah, aren't you proud of me?! Ok so all I know how to do it this but maybe in another year or perhaps another adoption I may figure out even more:)

Guess Who's Going to Have a BIrthday?

Guess who will be having their very first birthday ever in just one week? Yes, the Princess will be celebrating her very first birthday on September 8th. Now this is not her first birthday, in fact she actually turns 4 years old, but it is her first birthday she gets to celebrate. I was thinking about that the other day; about how I really did not miss out on her firsts. Here are just a few of the first I thought about:

1. You see, all of Carrington's teeth were removed when she was in the hospital so now I will get to see her first tooth come in.
2. This birthday will be the first one she ever celebrated.
3. We watched her sit up the other day.
4. She rolled over for the first time when she was in the hospital
5. She will have her picture taken with Santa year
6. She is celebrating all of our holidays for the first time
7. Daddy gave her her first taste of ice cream
8. She wore her first pair of shoes
9. She will say Momma (yes momma before dada)
10. All places she goes to are firsts
11. I am her first mommy
12. She drank from a bottle for me
13. She picked up a toy on purpose and played with it
14. She has her very first pet (ok so we have 3 but who's counting)
15. And I will get to hear her first words. Even though she does not speak with words right now I know she knows I am her mommy! That is priceless!

You know those advertisements that talk about the price of certain things and then lists something as priceless? Well here is my version:

Price of an international adoption of a princess: $24,000

Price of a 5 week hospital stay: $134, 523.65

Price of a special car seat to give Princess security: $165

Price of 1 can of Elecare formula which last 1 1/2 days: $52

Price of our Princess Carrington living, laughing, and loving: PRICELESS!

Last chance to win

Tomorrow is the last day to donate to my friend's, the Basile family's


Beach vacation. This looks like a dream for this mom to enjoy so I guess I has better not give you the link to go to so you can not only have a chance at a fabulous beach vacation in Florida but also to help bring precious Laina chicky, as her mom calls her, home to her mommy and daddy and big sister Zoya. Ok, I will post the link if I must:) www.auburnmommy(dot)blogspot(dot)com. Let's help bring Laina home so she can feel the love her family is just waiting to shower upon her.

Just Because....

JUST BECAUSE

She sings because she CAN

She has beauty that runs deeper than the eye can see

She can show her emotions

JUST BECAUSE GOD SAID IT WAS TO BE I AM BLESSED TO BE THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PRINCESS' MOMMY!

Changes for Carrington

We discovered that when we moved Carrington from her infant car seat where she was snug and sort of protected from all the noise etc of the world around her it really stressed her out. So out I went in search of a big car seat where she would feel more secure.
This car seat has a lot more padding and yet goes up to 65lbs. She was not too happy because I was fidgeting with her in it trying to adjust the straps.
Due to a certain princess now having so much fun in her own crib we have had to figure out a way for her cord not to wrap around her neck like it has.
So this is my solution...split a swim noodle in half lengthwise and string the cord through it.
Honest mom it really wasn't me who was wrapping my feed cord all around my neck because I was having a party in my crib!
Carrington took her first feed from a bottle. At first she had no idea how this substance was getting in her mouth.
Then she started catching on to this stuff they call food with perfect tongue positioning; no tongue thrust.
Look at her licking her lips after finishing.
Now she is in a food coma. Reminds me of the character Garfield after he eats a lasagna.
Check out that very happy and full belly of little Miss Princess!

5 Months and 10 Pounds

Here we are today celebrating the first 5 months home for Princess Carrington. March 17, 2011 Carrington arrived on Texan soil only to be swiftly rushed to Cook Children's Hospital to begin a 5 week long journey to save her life.

Here we are today rejoicing in the fact that our little Princess has put on 10 pounds and filled out her beautiful baby clothes sent to her by so many loving people worldwide.

Here we are today staring at our Princess as she promptly brought herself up from lying on her tummy to a full crawl position on all four (big thanks to our Miss Vicki, the best PT ever!!!!!).

Here Brian and I are tonight laughing our heads off as we listen to our sweet Princess giggle up a storm as she scoots all over her crib which sets just a few feet from our bed.

Here we are today, and every day, thankful that God believed in us long before and even after He sent us over to bring Carrington home (as well as her other siblings). How ever have we deserved such a blessing, such an honor to watch all of her firsts. You see we have not missed her "firsts", we just get to see a whole new set of "firsts" and these are even sweeter than the others.
From this fragile and neglected little body...

To this filled out and loved little one.

From this hurting and scared little girl...

To our little flower full of spice and raspberries for all to see.

From an ignored and emaciated sweetheart...

To a most loved and treasured member of the Burman family.

Thank you Carrington for showing your Mommy just what exactly in life is important. It is not the clothes I wear, accessories that match the clothes, the way my house looks, or the type of car I drive. It is not how much "me" time I have nor is it the vacations I take. It is that life is precious no matter who you are and if God so wills something for my life than it is He to whom I shall give my attention to. Thank you for blessing my life in ways I never knew would be a blessing. Each day for the past 5 months with you has made me smile and burst with joy for each little accomplishment of yours and just for the fact that you are alive and bringing so much to those around you and far away. Thank you for teaching me life's most valuable lesson: Love!

My New Header for My Blog

I want to give a super big thank you to Sarah B. for helping my mommy make my blog header look so special! My mommy tried to put a new picture in of me and instead she deleted it so she asked Sarah B. to help fix it. I just love my princess crown so sparkly! This is the same Sarah who made me my pretty hat, scarf, and matching booties. She is one talented young girl! Go look at the blogs she has and see all of the neat things she makes and how they help so many orphans.

http://www.matthew18vs14.blogspot.com/

http://www.handiworkforelijah.blogspot.com/

http://www.forhisgloryhandiwork.blogspot.com/

Playdate

Today Carrington and her big brother Ethan had a special day with me in that we all went to our friends' house for a playdate. Carrington played with her very special friend whom I cannot help but call little Miss Sunshine as she is always smiling. Carrington was just sitting in the exersaucer when Little Miss Sunshine was standing up and the conversation began. The two of them were just looking at each other and babbling up a storm. At one point they both were sort of swatting at a toy together. This just made my heart smile as I could envision these two little precious gifts just growing up and being friends, having more play dates, going to the NDSC and hanging out. Yes, the immediate dreams that went through my mind really made my eyes mist up a bit.

Now Ethan thought he hit the jackpot when he walked into our friend's house and saw she had two boys for him to play with. Ethan has really been struggling with the triplets (yet not Carrington as he just loves her) so this was a great time for him to do boy stuff. Each of the boys were playing superhero and Star Wars so life was good for them. And then to bring in the cool Mommy points we had a coupon and gift card to Papa Murphy's pizza so we picked one up and brought that over for lunch. I don't know if you have ever seen 3 young boys when it comes to pizza but let's just say their eyes were open wide:) The really neat part about today is that not only did Carrington and Mommy get to hang out with our friends but Ethan made two new friends today as well. While I was able to visit Ethan just played his heart out and Carrington just swapped raspberries with her new friend. To watch these young boys whom all have siblings with Down syndrome just carry about their play and talk about their sisters truly was special because you know these boys are going to protect their sisters and be the best big brothers to the girls. Change comes from within a family and in both of our families the change began when God put in our hearts the passion for adoption. My goal as a parent is not to train my son to grow up and adopt a child with special needs but rather to teach him the value of all God creates and to be there for his siblings. I realize Ethan is only 4 and there are days he wants me to take the triplets back to the airport (he really did say that one day) but in our opinion it is very important for him to realize that God created us all different and that having siblings with special needs is not a burden but rather a blessing.

This picture is blurry because the girls were both blowing raspberries to each other and moving all around.
Little Miss Sunshine just looked at me as if I was interrupting her and the Princess' most important conversation. Just look at how Carrington is focused on her new friend.
A most important discussion is going down here:)
While the girls were in the other room chatting away the boys were in the playroom fighting the bad guys of Star Wars. Look how happy 3 boys can be with bellies full of pizza and lemonade.

My First NDSC

(Mommy has been working hard on a super cute video of our trip down to San Antonio for the National Down Syndrome Congress but for some reason she cannot upload it so I guess she will just have to post pictures.)

Yes, Carrington is right. I have been working so hard the past several days to put together a video of all the things we did at our first NDSC. Ok, so I was able to make the video (don't ask how long it took me to do that) but I have no idea how to put it on here.

Our family learned of the NDSC last year and we vowed that we were going to attend it this year. We were lucky because it was in our own backyard of San Antonio, TX which is a mere 4 1/2 hour drive for us. Dana and Teresa were our helpers with the children for this conference which enabled Brian and I to attend the workshops. Now I have been around children and young adults with Ds for over 26 years but never have I been so impacted as I was this conference. My beliefs have always been that everyone has value and worth and that is no different for individuals with Ds. The atmosphere at this very fancy hotel/conference was one of total acceptance, love, appreciation, and success. Everywhere you turned someone would say hello, compliment how beautiful my children with Ds were (as well as my other children), or just show compassion and would occasionally stop my runaway Evelyn before she took a wild ride down the escalator. I watched (ok so maybe it was like stared in a good way) at the young adults who had Ds and how they were hanging out together, ordering coffee at the highly overpriced but yummy Starbucks, and just doing their own thing. More than one time I would get on the elevator and one of these amazing young people would be on there and would strike up a conversation with me. I just wanted to keep riding the elevator so we could just continue talking. At one point I considered not going to a single workshop but rather get a camcorder and just walk around recording the amazing things that were happening right before my eyes. Can you imagine how this could impact those over in Ukraine who have no hope nor love for our little ones with Ds? This could show them the potential of these angels and hopefully change their views of our children. Yes, I am well aware of the potential of individuals with Down syndrome, of their worth, and the fact that they deserve the same love and respect we all seek but this trip was different. This was life changing for me and for quite some time I could not figure out what made it so different. Then on one elevator ride it hit me: I am a mom of children with Ds and I am looking at the future that is possible for MY children. Talk about one of those "Mommy Moments" you will never forget. I only wish I could share with you all just what is going on in my heart and head after this weekend but it is something that is so personal I can't really find the right words. Next year the convention will be in Washington D.C. and we will be there for sure.

Now we also realized that this convention was a bit much for the Princess to handle. True she was like a mini celebrity there with so many of the people who prayed for her coming to meet her and see just how wonderful she is doing but unfortunately we think that the noise and expanse of the convention area was just too much for her so we had to take her back up to the room so she could settle down. She has pulled out most of her hair and seems to do so when she is stressed. As her Mommy I needed to know what was hurting her so much and after much talk with my friend Rachel I think it comes down to her needing to feel secure in a small space without so much noise and light. That is what she was used to back in that place she was forced to languish in for 3 long years but as her Mommy I did not want her to have to face those conditions any longer. Rachel also pointed out that she is not facing those conditions but rather just needing to adjust to her new life a bit slower and different than my other children. So now we must back up and analyze what is it she needs and focus on that for a bit of time. Carrington was blessed to meet so many of you all and she also met Andrea Roberts, the founder of Reece's Rainbow.

As I try to look into the future of my children I see so many possibilities for them. While others seem to be so concerned with the idea that my children will live with me for the rest of their lives I am more looking at the fact that my children are going to LIVE; the where is not important. I can see our family attending these conferences for so many years to come and one day watching as my children with Ds order coffee with their friends, eat dinner with their friends, and just talk about what matters to them. That is all I want: happiness for ALL of my children.

Now here are some of the pics ( in no order bc I am so tired) that I wanted in the video (you know the one I cannot upload).

Madelaine and Ethan stopped long enough for me to get a snapshot of them enjoying the pool at our hotel.
Ethan and this water slide were inseperable.
Princess Carrington meets Andrea Roberts. What a special time this was for both Carrington and us!
I was so blessed to meet Monica and David, the couple with Ds who have a show on HBO which chonicles their life as a married couple of 6 years.
Hudson rode on a real Texas bull.
Ethan was all grins as he sat in the saddle of this giant bull.
Reagan was having the time of her life at Morgan's Wonderland
Hudson was all about safety in the hotel pool.
Madelaine and Ethan were all snuggled in the bed. Did I mention that all 9 of the Burman Bunch were in one room?!
Evelyn loved the merry-go-round at Morgan's Wonderland.
Madelaine took Reagan to fish off of the pier at Morgan's.
Daddy had to show Ethan just how you catch a fish. My only thought was please don't catch one, they are yucky!!!!
The love of my life and protector of our family! It was over 105* that day but Brian made sure we all had fun!

Owen and Hudson found what interested them:water!
Reagan was in awe of all she saw as we went through Morgan's Wonderland.
Owen was cautious on the ride for the first time but then he did warm up to the fun we all were having.
Ethan just loved this dragon he got to ride.
My sweet Madelaine has such a loving and playful soul.
Hudson would not let go of the pole but he really was all excited.
The whole Burman Bunch at the entrance to the park at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio.
I just love this little gift from God! She kept giggling as I kissed her.
Daddy was such a sport to go down this roller slide with his Princess.
What a beautiful work of art to greet all who enter Morgan's Wonderland.
All the kids climbed aboard the jeep just outside the ride.

My First NDSC

(Mommy has been working hard on a super cute video of our trip down to San Antonio for the National Down Syndrome Congress but for some reason she cannot upload it so I guess she will just have to post pictures.)

Yes, Carrington is right. I have been working so hard the past several days to put together a video of all the things we did at our first NDSC. Ok, so I was able to make the video (don't ask how long it took me to do that) but I have no idea how to put it on here.

Our family learned of the NDSC last year and we vowed that we were going to attend it this year. We were lucky because it was in our own backyard of San Antonio, TX which is a mere 4 1/2 hour drive for us. Dana and Teresa were our helpers with the children for this conference which enabled Brian and I to attend the workshops. Now I have been around children and young adults with Ds for over 26 years but never have I been so impacted as I was this conference. My beliefs have always been that everyone has value and worth and that is no different for individuals with Ds. The atmosphere at this very fancy hotel/conference was one of total acceptance, love, appreciation, and success. Everywhere you turned someone would say hello, compliment how beautiful my children with Ds were (as well as my other children), or just show compassion and would occasionally stop my runaway Evelyn before she took a wild ride down the escalator. I watched (ok so maybe it was like stared in a good way) at the young adults who had Ds and how they were hanging out together, ordering coffee at the highly overpriced but yummy Starbucks, and just doing their own thing. More than one time I would get on the elevator and one of these amazing young people would be on there and would strike up a conversation with me. I just wanted to keep riding the elevator so we could just continue talking. At one point I considered not going to a single workshop but rather get a camcorder and just walk around recording the amazing things that were happening right before my eyes. Can you imagine how this could impact those over in Ukraine who have no hope nor love for our little ones with Ds? This could show them the potential of these angels and hopefully change their views of our children thus giving the children a chance at living Yes, I am well aware of the potential of individuals with Down syndrome, of their worth, and the fact that they deserve the same love and respect we all seek but this trip was different. This was life changing for me and for quite some time I could not figure out what made it so different. Then on one elevator ride it hit me: I am a mom of children with Ds and I am looking at the future that is possible for MY children. Talk about one of those "Mommy Moments" you will never forget. I only wish I could share with you all just what is going on in my heart and head after this weekend but it is something that is so personal I can't really find the right words. Next year the convention will be in Washington D.C. and we will be there for sure.

Now we also realized that this convention was a bit much for the Princess to handle. True she was like a mini celebrity there with so many of the people who prayed for her coming to meet her and see just how wonderful she is doing but unfortunately we think that the noise and expanse of the convention area was just too much for her so we had to take her back up to the room so she could settle down. As her Mommy I needed to know what was hurting her so much and after much talk with my friend Rachel I think it comes down to her needing to feel secure in a small space without so much noise and light. That is what she was used to back in that place she was forced to languish in for 3 long years. So now we must back up and analyze what is it she needs and focus on that for a bit of time. Carrington was blessed to meet so many of you all and she also met Andrea Roberts, the founder of Reece's Rainbow.

As I try to look into the future of my children I see so many possibilities for them. While others seem to be so concerned with the idea that my children will live with me for the rest of their lives I am more looking at the fact that my children are going to LIVE; the where is not important. I can see our family attending these conferences for so many years to come and one day watching as my children with Ds order coffee with their friends, eat dinner with their friends, and just talk about what matters to them. That is all I want: happiness for ALL of my children.

Now here are some of the pics ( in no order bc I am so tired) that I wanted in the video (you know the one I cannot upload).

Madelaine and Ethan stopped long enough for me to get a snapshot of them enjoying the pool at our hotel.
Ethan and this water slide were inseperable.
Princess Carrington meets Andrea Roberts. What a special time this was for both Carrington and us!
I was so blessed to meet Monica and David, the couple with Ds who have a show on HBO which chonicles their life as a married couple of 6 years.
Hudson rode on a real Texas bull.
Ethan was all grins as he sat in the saddle of this giant bull.
Reagan was having the time of her life at Morgan's Wonderland
Hudson was all about safety in the hotel pool.
Madelaine and Hudson were all snuggled in the bed. Did I mention that all 9 of the Burman Bunch were in one room?!
Evelyn loved the merry-go-round at Morgan's Wonderland.
Madelaine took Reagan to fish off of the pier at Morgan's.
Daddy had to show Ethan just how you catch a fish. My only thought was please don't catch one, they are yucky!!!!
The love of my life and protector of our family! It was over 105* that day but Brian made sure we all had fun!

Owen and Hudson found what interested them:water!
Reagan was in awe of all she saw as we went through Morgan's Wonderland.
Owen was cautious on the ride for the first time but then he did warm up to the fun we all were having.
Ethan just loved this dragon he got to ride.
My sweet Madelaine has such a loving and playful soul.
Hudson would not let go of the pole but he really was all excited.
The whole Burman Bunch at the entrance to the park at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio.
I just love this little gift from God! She kept giggling as I kissed her.
Daddy was such a sport to go down this roller slide with his Princess.
What a beautiful work of art to greet all who enter Morgan's Wonderland.
All the kids climbed aboard the jeep just outside the ride.