Wordless Wednesday

Pic of our baby girl

Sorry, this is a picture of a picture, so it is not so good. We think she definitly looks like her brothers when they were newborns. I am now about 29 weeks pregnant and doing well. I am just getting more and more uncomfortable and gaining a ton of weight. I can't wait til she comes, but I am totally not prepared. I haven't gotten her any clothes yet, and she doesn't have a room or place to sleep. I hope to get the boys moved into our now playroom soon, but they both need new beds and bedding. Then she will go into their old room in the crib that Logan will probably need yet for atleast another 8-12 months! I think that she will be in our room in a pack and play for quite a while unless I figure something else out!

Fun at the park

Last weekend, we spent Saturday at Lakeside Park in Fondulac. Dale attempted to help Devin catch his first fish, but without much luck. Thankfully, this park had some other attractions for kids. They have several playgrouds for all ages, some fun rides and a petting zoo.

Today, Logan goes to get fitted for his Sure Steps. He has really given up on trying to crawl, which is sad, but he is now working hard at trying to pull up on things. He is now pulling up to his knees and reaching for toys! And, with a little help, he can get to standing and stand for long periods of time to play.

Here are a few picks from the park.

Birth to 3 Evaluation and SureSteps

Every 6 months Logan is evaluated by Birth to 3. All of his therapists and his teacher come over and we sit down to look at goals met and make new ones for the next six months. I have to admit that Logan really surprised my over the last six months. He met almost all of his goals. They included things like sitting independently, going into sit alone, interacting with people in his environment, banging two toys together, activating toys, releasing toys, and starting to use one finger to push buttons. Six months ago Logan had no interest in toys and was not motivated to move around and explore his environment. He is really a completely different kid and so much fun! Some new goals are imitating sounds and motions, using some words or signs to communicate, locating some body parts, filling a container and using a pincher grasp to pick up small objects. We would also like to see him doing some self feeding and drinking from something other than a bottle. Also, some other big goals are crawling on hands and knees, pulling up to knees, pulling up to stand, taking steps along furniture and improving posture. These big goals make me the most nervous, but also the most excited. I am scared to get my hopes up for these to happen, but if they do...that would be SO amazing! They would be a huge change for him and his mobility.

This morning he attempted to pull him self up on a table toy. He also got up on his knees by a cushion on the floor all by himself! This was super cool to watch. It means he may not have the strength to pull up, but he wants to!! I am going to try to catch these attempts on video soon.

I made an appointment for next week for him to get fitted for orthotics or SureSteps. His PT wants to be aggressive with this because Logan does like to do a lot of standing now and we don't want him to get used to standing without them and have to adjust to them later. I am thankful that she is willing to set us up with them earlier than later.

See you in Sacramento!

To answer the question about next year...the NDSC Convention is in Sacramento, CA next year (the weekend of July 31st). It would be fun to have a group from WI go together next year. We plan to book a hotel ASAP, but we will decide for sure if we will go later. I booked our hotel almost 1 year in advance for Boston and I got one of the last rooms available where the convention was held.

NDSC Convention

We had a great time in Boston. The convention had many exhibitors displaying and selling their products or services related to DS. There were also great speakers and many workshops to attend. We also got to meet authors of many popular books and listen to professionals on DS topics and important issues. I especially enjoyed meeting families and listening to many self-advocates speak. Sunday, we spent the second half of the day touring Boston by trolley and boat. It would have been nice to spend an extra day or two checking out the city, but we saw a lot in the afternoon that we had free.
Logan enjoyed spending a complete weekend with 100% of our attention on him, and it wasn't just Dale and I who were giving him a lot of attention. It was great to show him off! He was a hit with everyone as were all of the little ones at the convention, and there were a lot of them. All of the babies were super cuties and their parents were so warm and friendly. I wish there would have been more time to just sit and talk with all of them.
There were also many teens and adults with DS who were attending the youth and adult conference (separate from the general convention). It looked like many of them attended every year and loved meeting up with there friends. Seeing them enjoying themselves made me excited for when Logan can attend that portion of the convention. There was also a siblings conference with workshops and activities for siblings of people with DS.
Some fun moments were when Logan was recognized by some blog readers. We ran into many families I have met online. Meeting them was amazing because I just never thought I would meet them and especially their kids in person! I am hoping we will see them at future conventions and that Logan and there kids can become great friends.

Some famous faces were Chris Burke, the authors of Gifts, Welcome the Holland, Road Map to Holland and some doctors who are dedicated to our DS children.

Water taxi that we took from the airport to the hotel.
Seaport World Trade Center where the convention was held. The Seaport Hotel is right behind and across the street.
Walking around the city. Check out Logan's smile! He was having a great time watching the traffic! We are standing on the bridge over where the Boston Tea Party took place.

Having dinner at a restaurant on the Boston Harbor.

Another pic at dinner.

Logan and Violette (I know her Mom on DS forums)

Mayson (fellow blogger), Logan and Violette. We also met Payton and Mason and Erin. I wish we could have got more pics of the families we knew and the new friends we made!

More of Violette and Logan!

Dad and Logan at the Banquet and Awards Dinner Saturday night.

The three of us at the banquet.

Dad and Logan boarding the Harbor Cruise.

USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument in the background.

Sight seeing in style!

Logan enjoying his first plane ride!

Enjoying the view on the way home.

Back From Boston and Happy 14 Months!

We got back from Boston tonight, but I am completely exhausted. I will share pics and highlights tomorrow. I just want to wish our Logie Man a happy 14 months!

Water Baby

Logan loves his new crab floaty! It took us a while to find a baby float that didn't tip over. He likes to lean instead of sitting up straight. This one works great! It even has a little space in front of him to put a little water and toys so he can splash! It also has a shade canopy that can be taken on and off.

Moving Forward

Logan is now able to belly crawl forward to get toys. He doesn't do it if you put the toy too far away, but if it is just a few feet away he will push himself forward on his belly with his toes to get it. It's great to see that he is motivated enough by the toys to go get them. There was a time when I thought toys would never be motivating enough for him.

Wordless Wednesday

A glimpse into the future: