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Post by dannysmom on Nov 6, 2005 19:16:55 GMT -5
My mom makes the best stuffing, this is her recipe:
1 package sausage (we like the hot, but you can use sweet if you like) 1 small onion finely chopped 3 stalks of celery chopped large package season bread cubes
Make the bread cubes (stuffing mix, I believe we use pepridge farms) ) according to package instructions (usually butter, water or chicken stock) You don't use the instant kind (stove top) you need the kind of stuffing (bread cubes) that are not already pre done and just add water...you'll know what I mean when you see all of them at the store.
Take sausage out of casing and pan fry until brown Sautee onion and celery in butter
Mix stuffing mix, cerely and onions and sausage together. You want it real moist, so you need to kind of use your judgement on how much chicken stock to add. You can do this all the day before...because your last step is to bake it at 350 until warm through and the top gets a little crusty.
It's delicious. Sorry the instructons aren't exact you kind of have to eyeball it to your liking.
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Post by dannysmom on Nov 6, 2005 16:01:05 GMT -5
As far as cleaning the clutter...a neighbor who is selling and also a friend of mine are using those PODS. I am not sure if they are available in every area..but it is a BIG box that you fill up and they take it to their storage area and keep for as long as you need them too. That way, you can really get rid of unwanted clutter, extra furniture etc. Good luck with the move!!!! Sounds very exciting to me packing up and moving to a new city!!
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Post by dannysmom on Sept 16, 2005 16:38:45 GMT -5
Chester, I totally understand the overly tired kind of funny!! I was laughing so hard....my husband was wondering what was going on..when he ever saw it he couldn't stop laughing either.
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Post by dannysmom on Sept 13, 2005 16:05:41 GMT -5
I am 36, but it said I was 33.9.....I sometimes can't believe I am not 25 anymore!!
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Post by dannysmom on Apr 11, 2008 18:49:36 GMT -5
Valerie, I just love seeing pictures of your Nicholas. He always brings a smile to my face. He is such a beautiful boy!!! And I just love the first sentence, what a character!!!!
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Post by dannysmom on Apr 7, 2008 21:20:04 GMT -5
I turned 39 this past October....which means.......this Oct 26th....I'll be 40. My hubby is 6 months older......so he turns 40 in 2 weeks!!!
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Post by dannysmom on Apr 2, 2008 18:42:35 GMT -5
Wow, he is getting so big....and he is SO handsome!!!! I love all the pics ....thanks for sharing!!!
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Post by dannysmom on Mar 25, 2008 18:52:01 GMT -5
My Daniel is almost 3.....and by no means does he have an extensive vocabulary.....but he certainly does talk. His articulation isn't very good, but it's improving. His first word was ball....and he was maybe around 16 months. He had babbled alot making sounds...but ball was the first real word with definite meaning (he'd give you the ball and say ball). He made me wait until he was almost 2.5 to say Momma and actually call me Momma. The mmm sound was hard for him, but he most definitly says it and means it. My daughter is named Elayna...and he's called her Eee-yaa forever. One of the first words he said with meaning was Eee-ya. To this day.....he still says it exactly the same way.
He says bu for blue and eeys for keys. He says izza...for Pizza (his favorite food). His favorite uncle is Nick and he so lovingly calls him Ick. That's the way most of his words are...missing the first sound. He has a few 2 word phrases...he can say all done (very clearly I might add...there is no question when he's done) and he is learning colors right now (he can identify red, blue and purple)...so purple ball is another 2 word phrase he says very clearly.
So at almost 3, he's coming along. Probably 50 spoken words that if you know him, you'd understand him. If you didn't know him....you'd probably understand 10 (if you were eating a cookie and he came up to you and said Okkie.....you know to give him one!! LOL
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Post by dannysmom on Mar 20, 2008 11:20:31 GMT -5
Jackie,
I needed a story just like this today. My husband was a college basketball player. One of the first thoughts I had when Daniel was born was he wouldn't play basketball like my husband did. Thoughts of my husband and all his college friends from the team....I was just so devestated at the thought Daniel wouldn't do those things. As we all know, I was so wrong!!!
I now have hope that my Big Dan will shoot hoops with his Little Dan someday....and if he's anything like your Emily.....Little Dan might actually win fair and square!!!
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Post by dannysmom on Mar 16, 2008 22:49:25 GMT -5
I love talking about my son.....but he's still young (3 in June)...but I'll answer what I can. Yes, Daniel talks....he most definitly gets his point across. Seeing how my daughter developed her speech....and seeing how Daniel is devleoping....yes, it's different. It's taking him longer to figure out how to make the sounds. However, he does figure it out...and he's trying. When he does speak, he sounds just like a typical little boy....but he has the speech pattern of probably an 18 month old. That's ok though....because he's constantly making progress and he will talk and I believe talk well someday. He's got the basics down...he's a pro at No, All Done, Cookie and Pizza. He also says Momma in the most beautiful way . We have a friend who has a 15 year old daughter with Ds. She speaks VERY well. We sat with her last fall at our Buddy Walk. She was just a doll. Very funny personality....outgoing and friendly. Her mom says she has tons of friends and is enjoying her high school experience. She will take drivers ed....but her mom wants her to be just a bit older. A few weeks ago, I was walking into the supermarket and out walks a woman with Ds. If of course gave her a big smile and hello which she promptly returned with a smile. I was getting my son into the carriage....but I'm kind of a Ds stalker so I waited to see where this woman was going. She was pushing her own carriage full of groceries. She walked over to a car, put her groceries in her trunk and DROVE AWAY. Ok, so she drove herself to the market, shopped, paid for her own groceries and drove home. So, yes....people with Ds do drive Ok, onto food. He's a carb lover....so breakfast is waffles, pancakes or eggs. He loves pizza, chicken, broccoli (yes he does ......pasta. Pretty much mostly everything we eat. He can get fussy.....but so does every other 2 year old. Favorite thing right now is reading books. He's learning colors....so he loves his Curious George rainbow book. His favorite color is blue. . He says it like "Buu". As far as how tough it is as they get older. Well, Daniel is still a baby.....but I will tell you, it has gotten easier just in this last few years. He had heart surgery, so his first year of life he had surgery at 8 weeks....and I spent the rest of the year worrying about his heart. Thankfully, his repair was very good and we are now only seen yearly by a cardio. Now that I've let go over fear for his heart....I've just enjoyed being his mom. I won't lie.....I would rather not have him need therapy....but he loves his therapists and they love him. They give him the extra help he needs to perfect his speech...and develop his fine motor skills. They've become part of our extended family. I always tell his special educator "You are the nicest person I never wanted to meet". But you know, you get used to it. I no longer dread evaulations.....it's not the funnest part about Ds.....but hey, it comes with the territory. Typical kids have their things that aren't fun either. So, it's all in how you look at it. In the beginning....I hung on every evaulation...hoping those scores would show he was typical. You know....some of his scores do show he's typical....and others show his delays. But you know......as you see your son develop and grow.......you'll come to realize that it really doesn't matter if he walks at 2 years old instead of 1......he'll get there when he's ready. I know I've told you before that Daniel held out a loooong time before saying Momma...he was saying things like Purple Ball before Momma....but he got it....and it sweet Keep those questions coming......I love talking about my son.
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Post by dannysmom on Mar 15, 2008 17:54:28 GMT -5
Dawn, I admire your honesty.....and while our personal circumstances are different, I do know how you are feeling inside. As many people have said before, people take their cues from us.....show them how much you love your son and how happy you are together. Park in the closest spot....don't be ashamed of your car.....you HAVE a car and you take wonderful care of your son. So you don't have a ton of extra money...so what!! Many of the richest people in this world do not have a bank account. Money is an awful way of keeping score. Happiest is more about what is inside.....than the fancy things that surround us. Be proud....and enjoy yourself today. You've been blessed with an angel....and I promise you, you will be one of the richest people at the party
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Post by dannysmom on Mar 15, 2008 18:12:45 GMT -5
I think I tell my son a million times a day "I love your face". I kiss it and squeeze and love it so much.....I swear I could bite him all day he's so damm cute. He's a love bug. When I pick him up at school....as soon as he spots me across the room, he drops whatever he is doing and runs full speed ahead and screams MOMMA....he hugs me and pats my back ever so gently. You just wait, Noah will too......and you'll love it more than you could ever imagine. I swear to you....I have many friends and relatives that WISH Daniel was theirs. I've even had the conversation with some of my girlfriends........they want to steal him!! LOL. He's a gorgeous little boy who is very smart in my eyes. Remember, no matter what your IQ is....no one is good at everything......and everyone is good at something
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Post by dannysmom on Mar 9, 2008 9:50:03 GMT -5
I am speechless.....I am SO sorry this has happened. Many prayers coming your way. Please keep us posted, I do hope you get resolution to this issue. I live RI which is the smallest state...but still very populated and we don't mix the ages here. I just don't know what to say here except I will pray....
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Post by dannysmom on Mar 9, 2008 9:25:30 GMT -5
This is a great topic and one that I have thought alot about myself. For me, my son was my 2nd child...and we didn't know prenatally. I agree, that the birth order of our children does change the experience as welll as if you find our prenatally or not. I am a firm believer in God is in control and our experiences shape who we are. For us, having a typically developing daughter meant that I knew what typical development was first hand. I did alot of comparing and reading my daughters baby book. I soon realized that doing that was VERY unhealthy and it wasn't fair to Daniel to compare him to his older sister.....because he is who he is.....and she is her own unique self. As for how I feel about more children........I know both ways. I've had a typical child as well as a child with Ds. I'll be honest in saying I don't know what we are going to do. My husband REALLY wants another child....and so do I. But that fear inside me (not necessarly Ds...but any of the other million things that can happen) is still there. Odds don't matter to us any longer.....I don't think any of were told (prior to any testing we might have done) "oh, you have a GREAT chance to have a child with Ds". We were all in the minority no matter how high our odds were. And as much as our kids are blessings.....I do understand when you say....we were given the news that so many people fear. I love my son more than life itself....but yes, he has many challenges that I wish he didn't have to face. However, I also realize he has many blessings as well. Our experience shape who we are....and for us, I can see benefits for both experiences. For moms who children with Ds comes first......this is all you know for the moment. Not having that older sibling to compare (even though we aren'' supposed to compare, we are all human and we all do it from time to time) can make for an easier experience. And on the flip side, having your child with Ds be the younger sibling means you got to experience typical development and also being a mom already means you know how to take care of a baby already. I remember in Daniel's early days being very grateful for already being a mother and at least knowing how to change diapers and make the bottles and how to feed him etc. The way I look at it....hey we can't change it. Take the best you can out of your unique experience and enjoy it . I haven't gone on to have another child after my child with Ds....and I'm sort of envious of those moms who do. If I never have any more children.....My Daniel will never know what it's like to be a big brother, and my daughter will never know what it's like to have a typical sibling. I'm going to have to give this more thought today. Maybe I do need to starting working on a sibling for Daniel
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Post by dannysmom on Mar 1, 2008 10:53:44 GMT -5
I'm torn on this one too. If she is making these dolls from her heart....she just may be a kind person with little talent.
I'll be interested to see her response to the emails. I'd also be interested to see her create a typical baby. If her 'typical' creations are also as ulgy....then she may just in the wrong business.
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