Atlantoaxial instability {advice needed!!}

Needing advice T21 friends...just got notice from Children's Hospital that Logan is due for his yearly neck x-ray. We checked for Atlantoaxial instability when Logan was about 3 years old. At that time we had a scare that he had it due to a misread x-ray, but through further testing it was found that he did not have it. BUT Children's recommended that he have an x-ray repeated every year because "kids with DS can develop the condition later". I think they said they wanted to repeat until he was around 10 or 12?? I can't remember now. Anyway! I think this yearly x-ray is unnecessary! Anyone else hear of this new recommendation?? We were also told that he should NOT do anything that puts pressure on his neck! NEVER! Like forward rolls (summer saults). I think this is a little extreme! He doesn't have AAI and he LOVES gymnastics! Is this neurosurgeon just being too extreme??! He says this is the new recommendation for all kids with DS!

Nolan {our newest}

Here's Nolan now at 7 weeks old and also as a newborn at just 6 days old! It was so fun to photograph him as a newborn and I can't wait to try new things as he grows! He better like the camera!

Logan & Nolan {love}

Logan LOVES Nolan! He takes every opportunity to get close to him and lay his head on him. He has now started to try to put toys in Nolan's hands. I am excited for when Nolan can really interact with Logan. I expect that Logan will love playing with him and teaching him things!

It's been a crazy 7 months!

We're back! I have no idea where to begin, but I will quickly summarize where we have been the last SEVEN months....has it been that long?!!
Shortly before my last post I found out I was pregnant! We had been trying for a while and were relieved to be on our way to another new addition to our family. I am not a happy pregnant lady, so I was in survival mode and dealing with 24 hour morning sickness and many other aches and pains.
Logan finished up a year of early childhood and we were gearing up for 4 year old kindergarten! Logan turned 4 in May, but ended up in the ER with severe vomiting an hour before his party. And he was finally really excited for his party and understanding what was happening.
Devin finished kindergarten and was happy to be out of school for the summer. He prefers to be at home with his "stuff" and his family, but he quickly started to get excited to meet his new 1st grade teacher.
Aubrey is growing fast and has learned to be a "go with the flow" kind of gal! Being the third child has made her very patient and easy going. She won't be in school until 2012-13, so we will have plenty more time together....which I am so thankful for because I feel like I have spent the last time with her over the past three years. Balancing time with the kids is such a challenge.
In the fall, we again put on the Fox Cities Down Syndrome Awareness Walk in Neenah, WI. Thanks to all the help from family, friends and the fabulous walk committee the walk was again a HUGE success. I feel like my year revolves around the walk...which is fine, it keeps me busy and I have something exciting to look forward to each year. It is a challenge but gets easier each year.
After the walk, it was my busy season for photography. It was crazy, but fun to work with so many babies and families. I found that my true love is photographing newborns and I am excited to make that my focus from this point forward.
On December 1st, I gave birth to my fourth child, Nolan! Leading up to his birth I was fearful how it would be to go from three to four kids, but it has been a surprisingly smooth transition. It was much harder going from two to three, and part of that challenge may have been due to the fact that Aubrey (my third) was an extremely challenging baby. Nolan, on the other hand, is SO sweet and easy going. The other kids adore him and I have yet to see any jealousy issues or negative behaviors...we'll see if that lasts. Logan, in particular, is very loving towards Nolan, but we have to be very careful not to leave them alone in the same room together. Logan tried to pick up Nolan whenever he can. The picture above pretty much sums it up. :)
Well, I guess that gets us to the present. I will start my photography business back up this week after taking a month off. The kids have gotten back to their extra-curricular activities like swimming lessons and gymnastics. Logan has gotten back into hippotherapy and is loving every minute of it. It is busy around here, but that is the way I like it. Now, if I could only get a child or two potty trained so that I don't have three in diapers!!