Favorite Phase

I love the stage Joy is in. She loves everyone!
We can almost hear her say, "OH! It's my Mom!" as she grins with her whole body!
She is a lover of people. The ladies at church just love her. Every week someone new tells me how cute she is. :)

My Young Women just adore her. They hold her every chance they get!

Here is a random picture of Sammi feeding Joy.

More therpay and musings

Here is Joy today enjoying Becca's flute practice. Sorry it's sideways, turn your head! :) Joy is the most joyful person I have EVER meet. We are so grateful to have her!


Friday was therapy. Here are more photos. Miss Carolyn says that "Joy's got it goin' on!" She is doing really well. She is thrilled that Joy is babbling and saying "Da Da." She also says that she thinks Joy will actually crawl earlier than most DS babies! I knew it!!!! Ya-hoo Joy!!




And last of all something I have been pondering about lately. All babies love babies. It is so cute to watch. But Joy, to me, seems to be different. She loves babies. She is so interested in other babies. We went to visit a friend of mine at the hospital after she had her baby and Joy practically leaped from my arms to be able to see this little guy. She was 5 months old at the time. Maybe it's just her very loving and sweet nature. I wonder if there's something more to it. She's never jealous if I pick up another baby. She just loves. There is a part of me that wonders if it's because she's a twin. She spent nine months with another baby, growing and developing. What is the "twin thing?" There is something about being a twin. There is a connection between twins that others don't share. I wonder if that isn't why she loves babies so much. Of course, I could be wrong. It could just be who she is, who she always has been, and who she always will be.

Joy and Jacob (who is ONLY 3 months old!!!)

Joy and her cousin, Michael (in July of 2007)

Babbling

Joy babbles!!!! All babies babble, right? Nope.
Babies with DS usually start babbling around 10 months - IF they babble.
And babbling is a very good indicator that the child will be verbal later in life!
Wahoo!
Our therapist was telling me about one of her clients who is five and now talking. She was very excited - 5 years old and now talking???
Anyway, I think (I could be wrong)that Joy will be talking way before then. We'll see.

But.....she's babbling. She's making all the sounds she's supposed to - the vowels, the d, the g, the b, occasionally the m. She also says da-da!
She may be a little delayed on the normal charts, but she's ahead on the DS charts!
She is her own little human - and she's wonderful!

Our pictures today are of Joy gnawing on a pizza crust from Lizzy's 5th birthday and outside on her swing. Enjoy!

Latest therapy pictures and a personality change

Here are our latest therapy photos.
Joy is working on sitting up. She can do so for about a minute - sometimes. Other times, she just flops over. :)

She loves to stand - no, she isn't standing all alone there. She is leaning against a chair, but it's a great picture! She likes to stand up against things. You have to be really careful, though, because she has no balance! :)

And the third picture she is working on looking up and on extending her arms. She has to learn to extend her arms and bear weight on her arms before she can crawl.

And the personality change..........................Joy has always been the sweetest, best, and easiest baby. Her cry sounded like a little kitten's mew. She was always so undemanding and pleasant. :) Well, she turned 8 months old and that has changed. She is a very spoiled, loved, catered-to little baby girl. Her sisters adore her! She can't go very long without being covered in little girl kisses and hugs. If she whimpers, they rush to her side. But Joy will have it no more! She is determined to have us hear her voice! She has become loud! If she doesn't want that bottle and she wants the green beans on your plate, you will hear about it. If you are making dinner, you will hear Joy announce, "Hello! You're not worshiping me!" :) She is something else! We love this new side of her personality. She knows what she wants that's for sure! :)

You are a gift!

Someone gave us a small plaque that sits on a shelf next to Joy's shoes. It reads, "You are a gift!"

Joy is our gift! She is a wonderful, happy baby.
She does not like the camera, though.
So today I had Becca talk to her while I used the camera to try and capture some of her happiness. Enjoy!

Oh! Her newest thing - she has discovered her feet! It is so funny to look over at her holding onto her feet.