Christmas 2009

Here are a few pictures taken in the past month. I have been a horrible blogger and I will try to do better this year!

We got 8 inches of snow Christmas Eve! We had our first blizzard in a long time here in Tulsa. A white Christmas it was and still is.... temps have been in the 20's this week so we STILL have snow on the ground and are expecting more tonight!

Noah and Baileyanne shoveling Grandpa's driveway Christmas Day. We came home and they helped shovel ours too!

Baby Sydney got wrapping paper for Christmas.... no complaints! We did get her a few things though she didn't even notice.

Baileyanne and her American Girl Doll... Grandma went to Chicago and got her matching nightgowns.

Noah made a haul this year! We get each kid three presents because Jesus got three gifts and then they also get one from my folks. He was one happy kid! He liked his Nerf Blaster (Daddy did) the most!

Long time...No Blog

Y'all visit this blog more than I do! Thank you for having faith when I don't! Not much really has been going on around here.

Sydney went for her 4 months shots today. She is a whopping 16 lbs, 26 inches long which puts her in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. That kid knows how to eat! She also knows how to get up EVERY morning at 4:15 am and roll over and start playing and talking , and talking, and talking... real sweet, yah, not so sweet at 4:15 in the morning! I can't complain. I go in her room, roll her over back on her tummy and she goes right back to sleep...,most of the time. She really is a good baby. She sleeps from 7:30 til 7 which is nice for a 4 month old!

Baileyanne spent the night at Granny's last weekend and apparently she didn't want to take a bath so she went into the bathroom and wet her hair and then proceeded to ask Granny if she could blow dry it. That kid... is a mess. She is our mess and we are very proud of her. Now if only I could get her to do that at OUR house!

Build a Bear, Bumbos, and Milestones!

Here are some recent pics taken the past two weeks. I went back to work this week and I am still adjusting to having three kiddos and working part time. I wouldn't change my life for anything right now. Baileyanne is doing AWESOME at school and let Granny use the hairdryer on her hair for the first time in her life. Folks, THIS IS HUGE! She is no longer afraid of the vaccum, the blender, the mixer, the hairdryer, or the lawn mower. We have come SO far! I got tears in my eyes when Granny called last night to tell me that Baileyanne let her dry her hair! She is becoming more and more confident as she grows. We are VERY proud of her and how far we all have come.

We took the kids to Build a Bear for the first.... and last time. That place is not cheap! They had fun making their new friends. They didn't want to leave. Baileyanne did great accept when they went to stuff her kitty, the machine scared her quite a bit. A little bit of redirection and she was fine. Sydney also rolled over this week for the first time! She will be 4 months on the 11th. I can't believe how fast the summer went by! Exciting things happening at the Duncan house!

Dan reading to the kids before bed.

Tummy Time

Smiling at Daddy

First time in the Bumbo Seat

Watching Mommy get ready in the morning.

Watching mommy make cookies on the kitchen counter

Watching Dora! LOVES the TV.... probably a little too much!

The kids enjoying some Gelato at the food court in the mall

They were so proud to carry their new friends through the mall.

Baileyanne and her new Cinderella Kitty

Noah picked out a Batman outfit for his bear.

On our way out!

Noah giving his bear a bath

Baileyanne brushing her new kitty

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school. I can't believe I have a kindergardner and a third grader! I was ready for them to go back to school. I think that we were all ready to get back into a routine around here! This time last year, I dropped both kiddos off at school and went to Target BY MYSELF... this year, I dropped both kiddos off and went to Target with Baby Sydney. Things have changed a lot since last year though we are adjusting and enjoying what God has in store... with a third kiddo! Here are a few pictures from the past few days.

Baileyanne being "Big Sister" She just LOVES her Baby Sydney!

Why is it that we love our children so much more when they are asleep?!? :o)




Baby Sydney LOVES her bath!

Not too sure about this thing!

The kids thought that it would be fun to put Baby Sydney in the doll stroller. They pushed her around the house a few times and lost interest.

Daddy walking the kids into school

First Day of school picture on our porch

Her Inner Voice

Follow the link below to read an AMAZING story about an 11 year old Autistic child that has been locked inside her own body for 11 years and now shares with her family and friends her true emotions and feelings by using a computer and physical actions. This was on the ABC news this evening. Both Dan and I thought this was very intriging. I always wonder what Baileyanne is feeling and what she wants to tell us, though can't express herself. We are getting there, though slowly she is learning to talk.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/MindMoodNews/story?id=8258204&page=1

Three Months Old

Sydney Grace is three months old already! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. She is really developing a personality. She loves to eat and is sleeping through the night!

11 hours at night... on her tummy.

Our little Love Bug

All smiles...

Our sweet little girl.... looks both like her brother and her sister at that age.

He DOES give us more...

This was written from a friend of our family. Her son is in ICU at St. Francis Children's Hospital here in Tulsa and I have been following her blog. IT IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR to us, hearing this year after year after Baileyanne was diagnosed with Autism. This really made me think about what we have been through and where we are today. Please pray for Baby Issac.

Myth: “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”


I’ve heard this many times lately. And at the risk of offending someone who has said it, I am going to tell you all to stop saying this to anyone who is living what we are living. Because it is false – scripturally inaccurate – and competely untrue in our situation“God won’t give you more than you can handle.” comes from this verse: ”No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Notice, this has to do with temptation. God is faithful to help us make right choices when we are tempted to make wrong ones. Every time. Yes, He is.HOWEVER, this verse doesn’t apply to our circumstances because we aren’t being tempted at all, and this situation wasn’t caused by our sin. Isaac is fearfully and wonderfully made DIFFERENTLY in order to fulfill God’s purpose for his life in a way that he otherwise couldn’t. God knows the number of Isaac’s days, and Isaac’s purpose will be accomplished before they are over. Just like Danny taught the world that “God is sovereign and faithful” in five and a half years with a beautiful smile and no words at all.I know most people who have said this to us don’t mean it this way, but “God won’t give you more than you can handle” sounds like we are expected to handle all of this in our own strength and that if we cry, get angry,or rely on others, we have failed.

The truth for our situation is not found in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Instead it’s found in Philippians 4:“11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”


These verses say that sometimes our circumstances do stink. Things can be fantastic, or they can be terrible. But we choose our reaction to our situation. We can choose to be content – knowing that we can’t handle it, but God is in control and that He will be faithful to care and provide for us. We can let Christ strengthen us to do what He has allowed to come before us. Our strength rests in He who created the heavens and the earth. When we are weak, He makes us strong. When we are tired, He strengthens us. And when we can’t go any further, He carries us.

It is true that He DOES gives us more than we can handle so that He can handle it for us.

Eights

8 Things I look Forward to:

Going back to work... call me a loser! (I miss the kiddos)
My baby girl learning how to walk!
Moving closer to my folks someday in South Tulsa
Baileyanne graduating out of special ed... I believe the day will come!
The kiddos going back to school in two weeks!
Getting back into my size 6 shorts!
Getting closer to God day by day
Being a more positive person and not complaining so much... I am learning.

8 Things I did Yesterday:

Went to Target with three kids
Took the kids swimming at a friend's house... started raining and we had to get out.
Took the kids to the Raddison Hotel to swim where my folks are staying while their house is being sprayed
Folded 3 loads of laundry
Cleaned out Noah's closet
Organized school clothes
Went to bed early... nothing on TV
Got haircuts with the kids

8 Things I wish that I could do:

Lose this baby weight before I go back to work!
Be more patient with the kids
Love my Autistic daughter more
Go on a cruise for our 10th anniversary in March... we'll see
Keep my house clean
Have a daily quiet time
Not be so anal about a clean house and spend more time with my kids
Not stress about money... and trust God and KNOW that He is in control!

8 shows I watch:

The news when I get a minute
Grey's Anatomy
The Bachelor
The Bachelorette
Desperate Housewives
Deliver Me: Home Edition
The Amazing Race
The Today Show (have always had a crush on Matt Lauer)


I am tagging:

Beth
Jessica
Kathy
Kerri

Baileyanne Update

My baby turned 8 last week and we are SO proud of how far she has come! When she was diagnosed with Autism, there were MANY things that we thought she would NEVER do... get dressed by herself, talk, read, play with other children, tell us that she loves us... list goes on. We have been SO blessed with her progress and we are SO proud of our little girl. Today, she swam half way across the pool during swim lessons. Two years ago, she wouldn't even get IN the pool. Everytime she got wet, she would strip every item of clothing off, including her bathing suit. I remember sitting at the pool crying one day because all I wanted was for her to get IN the pool. She requested a Cinderella birthday party and with no hesitation, we celebrated Princess Baileyanne turning eight. She LOVED reading all of her birthday cards and was SO excited when she opened her new princess castle.

Baileyanne is not the only one that has come thus far. In the past year, I have truly "learned" to love my daughter. She brings tears to our eyes everytime she does something new. For many parents, milestones are not a huge deal... though with Baileyanne, we celebrate everytime she accomplishes something new. She is our rock and she has made us very proud. I am not ashamed of having an Autistic child anymore and have learned that she is ours and God has trusted us with her for many reasons. I love you Baileyanne. Happy Birthday Pretty Girl!

Princess Baileyanne

Cinderella Cake

(we got it at Reasors for $21. Merritts Bakery wanted to charge us $65.
They did a FANTASTIC job!)

"His name is Henry, He's a nice horse"... and other pics from our busy week!

I was changing sheets on the kid's beds and in between rooms, this is what I came back to. I went to check on Baby Sydney and apparently her big sister was "playing" with her. She moved her twice without her waking up. She said that she was "taking a nap"

Gotta love all of the sweet sleeping pics. I tell ya, someone is getting some sleep around here, and it's not me!

We took Baileyanne for her first horse riding lesson. She did great! She LOVED Henry the horse and did not want to get off! We will be doing this once a month in South Tulsa. There are stables that cater to Autistic children. There is research that physical therapy with horses and Autistic children is VERY beneficial for their physical and emotional development. They have special connections with these children and it is amazing to watch!

We went to a Autism Family Fun night put on by the Autism Foundation of Tulsa at a local pool/splashpark. I forgot my camera though here are a few pictures that I took BEFORE we left. No, Baby Sydney didn't swim though we had to dress her up in her bathing suit!

Baileyanne playing Candyland with the "girls"