21 Things About Hailey

1.  Hailey was the only pregnancy that we found out the gender.  I had them re-check 3 times...I was positive she was a boy.

2.  Hailey's name was chosen 8 years before she was born...both boys would have been named Hailey had they been girls.  She was supposed to be named Hailey Michelle, but she surprisingly came on her grandpa Don's birthday so we thought it fitting to name her Hailey Dawn.

3.  Hailey was my easiest pregnancy....easiest delivery....and easiest baby.

4.  Hailey first signed word was "more" followed by "eat".

5.  It would be no surprise to you that Hailey loves to eat and loves almost all foods.  Her favorite fruit is a banana.  She also loves cheese....she says "cheese" with a giant grin like she's posing for a picture.  She loves Mexican and Chinese food.

6.  Her favorite toy is her toy piggy bank.  At first it was a therapy tool and she didn't care for it, but now loves it!

7.  Hailey loves to empty things....diaper bags, the boys' backpacks, baskets, DVD shelves, toy bins, bookcases, cabinets...if it can by emptied, Hailey is your gal.

8.  Hailey has been a girly girl from Day 1.  Her therapists no longer wear jewelry to sessions because it is too distracting for Hailey.  She will only go after the bling....it was a good motivator for crawling though!

9.  Hailey will NOT drink out of a sippy cup or straw....she flat out refuses.

10.  Hailey makes sure she is the center of attention no matter where she goes.  She will yell at people to get their attention, then smile and wave to keep their attention.

11.  As of right now, Hailey's only medical issue was her heart defect which has been fixed (I thank God every day for that).

12.  Hailey's first spoken word was Daddy, probably followed by ball.

13.  Hailey is the only one with dimples.

14.  Hailey is very stubborn, but it isn't a trait that we give Down syndrome credit for...if you've ever met Hailey's family...parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents...you would agree.  She gets it honestly!

15.  Hailey is the nosiest child I have ever met.  I had the archaic misconception that she would be a quiet, unengaged child.  The thought cracks me up now.  She misses nothing...has to be in all the commotion...in the center of attention.  She is definitely not a wallflower!

16.  Hailey's favorite songs are Itsy Bitsy Spider and Patty Cake.

17.   Hailey does NOT sit still for long periods, but will sit if she is being read to.  It is one of her favorite activities. 

18.  Hailey is quite opinionated for 20 months old.  She likes to do things her way or do them for herself.  I think it is a trait that will serve her well later in life.

19. Some people have the misconception that children with low-muscle tone are lazy.  Lazy is the last word I would ever use to describe our daughter.  She works hard at everything she does.  Nothing comes naturally for her.  Hailey works on a skill and then repeats it again and again.  We have to teach her each step for larger goals.  For crawling, we had to teach her every step involved.  For walking, we have worked on cruising furniture, kneeling, half kneeling, cruising the wall, etc.  Nothing comes easy.  I fear the day anyone calls my daughter lazy because the claws will probably come out!

20. Hailey is the only one of my children that likes to swing.  The boys would scream until we took them out of the swing!

21. Hailey does everything on her own time.  She will not do anything when you want her to do it!  She will wave when you aren't looking...she will make sounds or say a word when you aren't near her...we are all now living on Hailey time!