August brings back to school blues

I can't believe its been a month since the convention in California! Wow! Summer is flying by so fast! For the first time in a long while, I really don't want to go back to work. I'm having an amazing time with the kids, and Tim & I are really in sync right now with each other. Perhaps it is all the sleep our little princess is giving us this summer! Well, let me catch everyone up a little. First, I'm sorry I didn't blog right after convention. But honestly, I just wasn't ready and I've been so busy trying to get through my to-do list that I created while I was there. The convention was wonderful, as you know if you've read so many other entries by other participants. It was very emotional for both Tim & I and a little overwhelming at times. But, overall, I'm so glad we went. For the first time, I feel like we're a team when it comes to Abbi. He more than participated in the sessions, and we met some really nice families. We enjoyed socializing with the WS adults so much, and we've definitely made some friendships that I hope continue to grow. The best part of the convention for me was that it gave me HOPE! I really believe that Abbi will have a bright future, and that I CAN handle all that goes along with being a parent of a special needs child. Plus, it reassured me that we're on the right track with what we're doing with Abbi and also gave me some insight as to what we've got to fight for in terms of her therapies. So, that's where the list began. I've been following up on some yearly tests, like the blood calcium level. I'm planning to see Dr. Mervis in Louisville at the end of the month and we're also having her visit the eye doctor and dentist as well. We had her eyes checked last year, but at the conference they mentioned doing it yearly for awhile. So, I've scheduled that and we're looking for a good pediatric dentist. I thought we'd wait another year, but once again in one session they suggested the sooner the better.
Anyway, besides those appointments we've continued her other therapies and she's really blossoming this summer. She's saying about 10 words now; some more coherently than others! She's trying to walk!!! She cruises everything and will stand on her own in the middle of the flooor. And, much to my chagrin, she's climbing everything! She climbs out of strollers, shopping carts, her feeding chair, ect... She's making me work a lot harder these days, and as you can probably tell, I'm loving every exhausting minute of it! Charlie and Abbi are interacting more as siblings and actually wrestling over some things! My sisters did a wonderful job with the kids and returned them to me with healthier habits. Charlie is trying vegetables and eating more than cheeseburgers and pizza! Abbi is sleeping through the night in her own crib and drinking beautifully from a sippy cup!! She sings E-I-E-I- O with Barney, which is the only fault I can find with her Aunt Veneicia for introducing her to that purple dinosaur!
Okay, I'm done. I hope you enjoy some of the updated pics.