Perfect Day

It was truly the perfect day.

 

I am struggling to come up with the perfect words to thank our family, friends, and complete strangers who surrounded us today to celebrate Baby Baker.

 

They came from all over the southeast all to shower us with love.

 

I am humbled. I am amazed.

I am honored. I am blessed.

 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words,

so I hope these will provide the words I am struggling to produce.

 

All for you, sweet boy. We love you to pieces.

 

 

 

Our wonderful Sunday School class brought so many of Baker's buddies they had to bring a bus!

 

 

This girl had a pretty great weekend, too. There was some serious bling involved!

Congratulations, Nikki!

 

Counting our many blessings.

Thank you, Lord. I just want to thank you, Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Our sea of green. So much love. So much support.

So much.

 His bride couldn't be here. So we made sure she was here.

Flat Mal.

 

Little Man got hot. I love a diapered babe.

 

 

Our team, Team Baker. You rock, guys!

 

 And of course a little grandmother love before we headed home.

 

Absolutely the perfect day.

 

I told you yesterday our total was $3109, but today I turned in several hundred more dollars.

I have lost count.

The total matters less than the people who gave.

The ones who passed me in the halls at school apologizing for only being able to give this much, the ones who bought t-shirts and then wore them today showing their support in their absence, the friends I haven't seen since high school, family, parents of friends, friends of friends, blog readers.

 

You gave, you supported, you loved.

We appreciate.

More than you know.

 

We love you and are grateful to consider you a part of this most incredible journey.

 

Be blessed, friends.

Just as you have blessed us.

 

 

 

Team Baker

This is so much fun to write!

I am absolutely giddy as my fingers dance across the keys to update you on our progress!

 

Ok, back in this post, I told you our goal was to raise $800 and bring 50 walkers to the 13th Annual Buddy Walk.

 

Let's just say I far underestimated Team Baker!

It is with joy that I let you know we have raised

 

$3109.00

 

and are bringing 72

of Baker's bestest buddies to walk alongside us!

 

Go Team Baker!

 

I am so humbled by your contributions, your prayers, your support.

There has not been a moment of this journey where I have felt alone.

Thank you for wrapping our family with love and encouragement.

I am forever indebted to you.

 

Our team will be recognized tomorrow at the Buddy Walk.

We will walk across the stage and be awarded the

SPIRIT AWARD

for bringing the largest team!

We've got spirit,

 yes we do,

we've got spirit,

how 'bout you??

 

The money is still trickling in, and it's not too late to give.

While it won't go to our team totals for awards tomorrow, it will be donated to PADS -  a wonderful organization bringing awareness and increasing advocacy for Down Syndrome.

 

The proceeds for this Walk are going towards the UAB Adult Down Syndrome Clinic. This facility is being renamed The Stallings Center

(after University of Alabama's head coach Gene Stallings'

son John Mark who lived with Down Syndrome).

 

Many of you are inquiring about tomorrow.

 

Here's a quick recap:

 

We will meet at Regions Park for a picnic lunch at 1:00.

 

Look for these bright green shirts to find us!

 

 

Brian, Baker, and I will go on stage about 2:00 to receive our award.

 

During this time, our team will make their way to the starting line.

If you have signs, bring them with you!

We will join you at the starting line for a walk to celebrate Baker

and other individuals with Down Syndrome.

I'm wearing waterproof mascara, just sayin.

The actual walk is 0.25 miles long and will take about 30 minutes.

 

Please come dressed comfortably.

 

After the walk is complete, we will gather back at the tents to fellowship.

There will also be other activities during this time - inflatables, clowns (scary), a photo booth, etc.

 

Come ready to have a great time!

 

Check back tomorrow night for a celebratory post filled with pictures celebrating the memories of our day.

 

Go Team Baker!!

Favorite Things Friday

Hello Friends!

 

I hope this Friday finds you joyful about the week's end.

How is it that short weeks pack such a punch?

Wowza!

 

What's in store for your weekend?

Pumpkin patches? Football? Family? Friends?

We're gearing up for our first Buddy Walk!

You can look here for details,

or check back tomorrow for Team Baker totals and a few pregame pictures!

Get excited!!

 

My Friday is comfort after a long week of sleepless nights.

Yep, you heard right.

My little sleeper is sleeping no more.

 

Baker was in the cradle in our room,

(actually it's the cradle my husband slept in when he was a babe - 

Brian completely refinished it and it is a beaut!)

until Monday night when he outgrew it.

Yes, he fit in it on Sunday night, and then Monday night, BAM!

Baby fit no longer.

I'm serious.

 

So, we moved the monitor into Baker's bedroom,

and an air mattress for me to sleep on

which until now has been a changing room.

A very nicely decorated changing room.

Needless to say, there was no sleeping on Tuesday night or

Wednesday night for this mama.

Then, Bake got sick.

So any gains we made on the first two nights were ix-nayed later in the week.

Let's just mark this as a work in progress.

Night numero uno - fail

Paty gown - always a success

 

 Wanna know what's no longer a work in progress -

back to belly!

We have been working diligently on this in therapy and at home.

Last night Little Bit shocked my socks off and just did it.
No prompting.

No coaxing.

No assisting.

Just rolled over.

Baker's good like that.

Now it's back to belly,

belly to back,

back to belly,

belly to back.

You get the picture.
A rolling machine.
No laying right here for just a minute while mama does this or that, no sir.

He's unstoppable!

Buckled in, blocked off, we're bout to get real serious around here.

 

In other Baker news, he has become a serious thumb sucker.

My favorite is when he sucks both at the same time.

Major cuteness.

Not my favorite when he chokes on them.

Silly boy, you could prevent that from happening.

 

 

Bake turned 5 months old this week.

In just a few short months, he's captured my heart in a serious way.

 

Precious lil' punkin booty!

 

More pictures of my little 5 month old to come.

Baby boy has the crud again.

Breathing machines, nasal aspirators, and snotty snuggles,

OH MY!

As Long As

I have had this on my mind lately.

I may not say the words exactly like they have been impressed on my heart,

but I am going to strive to convey them in such a way.

 

I warn you, it is a little longer than I typically write,
and my thoughts are more scattered than collected.

But today, God has given me the gift of time.

Time to write. Time to reflect. Time to rejoice.

 

Of all of the words I have said that I wish I hadn't said,

there are none I wish I could retract like these:

"As long as he or she is healthy."

 

In learning of my pregnancy, my husband and I were inundated with the question,

"Do you want a boy or a girl?"

And we responded in unison,

"It doesn't matter as long as he or she is healthy."

 

Really?

What exactly does that mean?
What I really meant to say was nothing at all.

Or if I did respond, I wish I would have said, 

"God has answered our prayers of a baby,

so we are trusting in Him in His plan for our lives."

 

Because it doesn't matter if he has an extra chromosome,

or requires physical and occupational therapy twice a week,

or has medical bills that have most certainly sacrificed an entire forest of trees for all the paper,

or has seen more doctors in his short 152 days of life than I have seen in all 10,175 of mine.

 

With my response, I was somehow insinuating a lesser love if he or she wasn't healthy, or was born with a disability.

Like my love for our child would be conditional.

 

 But that isn't the case at all.

I love my little.

So much that sometimes I think my heart might burst right out of my chest.

So much that tears fall without prompting as I gaze at this wonderful gift wrapped in the most beautiful package.

So much my body physically aches in his absence and longs to smell his sweet scent and kiss his rosy cheeks.

 

Oh, how my love for my baby boy abounds everyday,

with each new expression,

and little leg roll (yes, we seemingly add these daily),

each new coo and aahhh.

 

I am so thankful for my Baker.

I am thankful for God's perfect plan for our lives.

I am thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow in this

wonderful journey called motherhood.

I am thankful for God's mercies anew every morning.

 

What an incredible blessing.

What an incredible gift,

that I was chosen to be a mommy, Baker's mommy.
In my imperfection, God gave me one of His most special children.

Thank you, Lord.

You are so good, so good to me.

 ______________________________________________________________
 

I had a conversation last week that prompted this post.
The person on the other side did not understand my joy,
could not understand why I was not mad, not grieving.
Why I was praising God instead of cursing Him in this.
I tried to share my heart then, just as I am now.
 

No, we did not pray for Baker to have Down Syndrome.

In fact, we prayed very diligently and purposefully for the opposite to be true.

Even after we knew, I prayed that I would wake up to discover it was a dream,

that it had all been a mistake.

Not us, not our Baker.

It was a selfish prayer I prayed for me, for my husband, for my parents, for my in-laws, for my sisters and brothers, and brother-in-law, for my friends.

For my child.

 

All mothers want the best for their children.

They want a world of ease, comforts, blessings, success.

I am no different.

 

God answered my prayer in His own way, and today, I can tell you with confidence I am so glad He did.

I no longer pray that Baker won't have Down Syndrome.

Today, if God asked me if I would give Him Baker's
one extra chromosome back in exchange for a "typical" child,
I wouldn't do it.

I couldn't do it.

 

Baker has been such a such a source of strength and encouragement for me.

He is such a fighter.

He fights so intentionally to overcome barriers that hinder a child with Down Syndrome from reaching developmental milestones at the same rate as their peers.

But each new milestone we were told he would never reach is affirmation.

Affirming that God doesn't make mistakes,

affirming that God is reigning on His throne,

all the while holding us in His comforting grip.

 

Today, I am throwing the phrase "As Long As..."

out with last night's dinner.

I encourage you to do the same.

Today, I will  

love unconditionally, live joyfully,

rejoice wholly, celebrate wildly.

I encourage you to do the same.



Wedding Weekend

Little Man attended his first wedding this weekend.

I got to take two, TWO, dates to this shindig!

Perks of being a mommy to a baby boy and a wife to a handsome hubs!

I felt pretty special, and extremely blessed,
on the arm of my two handsome fellas.

My best bud got hitched this weekend.

 

There are six of us.
We go way back.
All the way to elementary school.

We've been through the drama of junior high,
the heartaches of high school,
personalized CDs and Papa's College Custard,
beach trips and bachelorette parties,

and weddings!

Oh, the weddings!

 

We've been there.
To each of them.

And have the dresses to prove it.
Picture Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses.
You know, the scene where James Marsden opens her teeming closet
only to discover a newsworthy closet of dresses.
Themed dresses, colored dresses, short dresses, Little Bo Peep dresses.

I would like to sincerely thank you girls for your choice of classy dresses.
You know, ones that don't require a staff or flippers.
 

Mallory, affectionately known as Mal-Mal or Mal-Pal,
married her dream come true yesterday.
She was the most radiant bride.

She's had this amazing glow ever since her sweet fella Chad

popped the question in NYC (he's good y'all, real good!),
 a glow I don't see disappearing any time soon. 

We started here, at Ms. Amy's house.
 

 

She is the most fabulous hostess,
has a china cabinet that would rival any department store,
and can cook.
Boy, can she cook!
I was legitimately terrified I would not fit into my bridesmaids dress
after sampling her decadent spread.

The bride treated her bridesmaids to beautifully monogrammed pashminas
(which were a welcome accessory on this chilly weekend)
and gorgeous pearl earrings.
Thanks Mal Pal!

We then spent the afternoon getting pampered and
preparing our infamous toasts.
These normally run about 8 minutes and are slap full of inside jokes and precious memories.
These are all wildly humorous to us,
which leaves us thoroughly confused when the other guests
stare back with a look of
"wrap it up, wrap it up NOW."
When we perfected our speech,
we got dolled up for the Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner.
This was a fabulous night with my favorite girls and their suave sweeties.

We awoke Saturday morning to Wedding Day!

Hair, makeup, and Spanx, oh my!
We smiled for pictures, chatted of weddings past and babies new,
and fell on the concrete steps outside
of the chapel during the photog session.
Okay, the last one was not we, just me.
Not the most graceful moment of my life,
but the battle scar is pretty impressive.

It was a perfect day.

A beautiful celebration of love.

Congratulations, Mallory and Chad!

 

The Clarks with their littlest,

and most handsome guest.

They love some Baker Bell.

 

 

Watch out Chad,

Bake's laying it on thick!

 

 

The most wonderful girls!

 

 

I can't even imagine how many pictures we have together.

Just like this.

 

Sweet mommy and snoozing baby.

Not everybody can hang! 



 

It was a fabulous weekend of fancy dresses,

dapper dates,

dancing the night away with my best girls,

parading my boy around to his adoring fans.

 

It was life loving at its finest.