Baeten Family

Nolan {our newest}

2012-01-19T22:36:00.002-06:00

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}

2012-01-19T13:41:00.002-06:00

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!

2012-01-17T09:05:00.003-06:00

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!!

I miss blogging

2011-06-05T22:18:00.004-05:00

I just realized I really miss blogging!! It was nice to hear from a few fellow bloggers after my last post. I have been neglecting taking pictures of my kids lately, but blogging makes me take more...so I am going to try to post a little more often. We'll see how that goes! :)

Logan still LOVES to swim! We got him this little pool for his birthday. He has no fear of water though, so we have to keep a close eye on him. About 12 inches of water is perfect for him and Aubrey.

My kids LOVE their ipad! And it has really been a great learning tool for all of them. I dream of someday creating a list of educational apps online...don't know when I will ever have time, but I think it would be awesome to hear which apps are working for other parents of children with Down syndrome. We have many favorites!

I think Logan knows more about the ipad than I do! I just hand it to him and he goes in and out of his favorite apps all by himself. He even knows how to move apps around and unfortunately how to delete them too!!
Devin is such a great teacher! He loves to play school with Logan. Logan LOVED 3yr old early childhood this year and he still asks to go just about every day! He also asks to go every time we drive by his school.
This week, we found out how fun a big box and some balls can be! One of Logan's therapists told us this kind of play can help Logan with his strength and he loves it! He has to work hard to move around in it. He used to not be able to go from laying down to sitting up in the ball pit at therapy, but now he can!! Go Logan!

A Logan Picture :)

2011-06-02T22:59:00.002-05:00

I have no time to blog these days, but I thought I would post a new picture of my little man!

Logan at School!

2011-03-09T20:39:00.003-06:00

Logan LOVES school! He lights up when we talk about it and he always has big smiles for his teachers. I go in and observe often and it's so fun to see his progress. He is more and more talkative and catches on to the songs and routines quickly. His least favorite thing always seems to be PT, but his PT at school it learning what Logan likes and is making it fun for him. Logan is the kind of kid who would much rather sit and look at books than practice climbing the stairs. He is also making some progress with drinking out of an open cup!

More Letters by Logan

2011-02-14T11:10:00.004-06:00

Logan has always loved flashcards and now he shows us how they are done!
Our next goal is lowercase letters and letter sounds. How do I teach him lowercase now without him getting confused. I plan to add the lowercase next to the uppercase on the flashcards. Does anyone know of a good app for ipad that he would like? He an extremely visual learner and learns best with repetition. He learned his letters with this toy...

It actually used to annoy me how much he played with this, but now I feel bad because he was actually learning as he played! I may also try to tape lowercase letters over the uppercase!

I got him this Leaptop toy for Christmas because it did a better job with letter sounds. He and Aubrey have one and they play with these SO much! It also has music, which they love and you can program it to say their name. It always says "L for Logan" when Logan presses L. But unfortunately, it doesn't have lowercase.

This LeapFrog toy does have lowercase, which is great! Logan does play with this on A LOT, but he presses the letters too fast. When you press a letter, it shows you how to write it, but Logan usually presses another letter before it finished drawing one. I can see Logan using this to learn how to write letters when he gets a little older. If you are wondering, it can be set to do upper or lowercase.

Here's Logan showing us his flashcards.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Logan's ABCs 1/31/11

2011-01-31T11:50:00.002-06:00

Listen to this! He says each letter just before I do. The first card is actually the sight word "stop". Right now he recognizes his own name and stop.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Go Pack Go!

2011-01-26T11:05:00.002-06:00

Bye Bye Train

2011-01-03T22:49:00.005-06:00

Logan loved the train under our tree this year. We got the GeoTrax Christmas Train Set. The kids loved how is lights up and plays Christmas music. I am sad to put it away.

A couple of new pictures of Logan and Aubrey :)

Happy Holidays

2010-12-30T23:38:00.002-06:00

Happy Holidays!

We had a happy and healthy holiday.

This year, I thought I would give a little recap of 2010 because I honestly can't believe we made it through the year! It was so busy and quite stressful, but I look back now, and I can now say it was all worth it. During the year however, I did doubt whether the stress and sleepless nights were taking too much of a toll on my family.

In 2010, I continued to grow my photography business and I am so thankful for the 75+ clients who visited my studio. I have discovered that I have a true love for photographing babies and children and I look forward to continuing to meet more wonderful families in the years to come. I feel truly honored to capture the beautiful little faces of my clients, "because they don't stay little"!

This past year, I also planned the 1st ever Down syndrome awareness walk in my area. It turned out to be a huge commitment, but now that one year is under our belt, I am extremely excited for the years to come! Some of the obstacles were challenging and stressful, but I also met some amazing people a long the way. The generosity of so many was amazing to see. I can also now see a very bright future for Logan in our community with an increase of acceptance for people with Down syndrome. Logan is now a famous little man in the small community we live in after having his face on the front of our local newspaper along with a great article that even listed facts about DS! Now, he gets recognized everywhere we go! That alone, was a huge step towards DS awareness where we live! Now, it is time to have that kind of impact in all communities!

Logan is doing great! He loves school and he is talking more and more every day! I have been amazed by how much information he absorbs and remembers. He loves music, books, tractors, animals and his little sister.

Devin is going to be 6!! He is doing well in Kindergarten and loves to play with his friends in school and out. He is a wonderful big brother and was a huge help to me over the past year. I am so thankful for his patience!

Aubrey grew up without me realizing! She was 2 before I knew it. I am looking forward to a less busy year, so that I can enjoy each day with her a little more. Maybe it is just a third child thing, but I feel like I wasn't able to enjoy each milestone with her like I did with the boys.

Here's a few pictures of my sweet little girl.

Happy New Year!!

A rare post...

2010-12-15T15:28:00.004-06:00

We are still here! Someday, I will get back to blogging.
I have been busy with photography and getting those last minute family photos taken and sorting through the daily deliveries of orders.

Logan LOVES school! "school" has pasted up "tractor" as his favorite word.

We are thinking about potty training around here, but I fear the process and how LONG it may take. I am in holiday survival mode for now. The potty supplies are bought and I have a strategy in mind, but I am too intimidated at this point. I also am not sure about "double potty training". One seems scary enough. I attended a workshop on potty training children with DS last month, but am still in need of advice. My biggest fear is starting and giving up...once I start, I know it's best not to stop. I am open to any advice from Moms who have been there. Has anyone potty trained two at one time? Is that a bad idea? I may go nuts!!

Logan uses a spoon!

2010-11-17T09:44:00.002-06:00

Over the last few weeks Logan has finally decided to use a spoon and he does it well!!

In the past, and still every now and then, Logan got frustrated with his spoon after the first bite and would throw it across the room. If the food fell off before he got it to his mouth, he would give up. Now, he uses the spoon and rarely gives up! It's not always pretty, but I can tell that he is very proud of himself. He especially loves to eat cereal in the morning with a spoon. He asks for multiple refills, I think so that he can practice and show off even more! It's so cute. :)

Great job Logan!!

Happy Halloween 2010!

2010-10-29T21:37:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween! Here's my astronaut, fairy and elmo!

2010 Down Syndrome Awareness Walk Video

2010-10-27T22:58:00.001-05:00

Here it is!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy 2nd Birthday Aubrey!

2010-10-24T09:46:00.006-05:00

Aubrey is 2!! She is a real girly girl. She is enjoying that fact that we now have some girl stuff around here and she also now has a girl room all to her self! She is also doing awesome in her big girl bed!

A walk sneak peak!

2010-10-12T22:14:00.002-05:00

I now have LOTS of pictures from our photographers and participants, so I am putting together a video. When I am done, I will post it here.

Star Struck!

2010-10-05T21:54:00.002-05:00

I can't wait to share pictures from the 1st Annual Fox Cities Down Syndrome Awareness Walk!

The 1st Annual Fox Cities Down Syndrome Awareness Walk was a huge success!

991 walkers, 65 volunteers and 18+ vendors were present at the event!

Just over $60,000 was raised for DSAW-Fox Cities!

It was emotional for me to watch families enjoying the day and the being able to connect with others. The day was a dream just two years ago and I can't believe that it came true just a couple of days ago. Two years ago, I dreamed of a way to bring our families and friends together to celebrate what we have in common and to share it with everyone we know. Down syndrome has changed my life in ways that I will forever be thankful for. I think we can all agree that it is now clear that this event was just what the area needed in order to provide us with momentum as we go into the future. Continuing to spread Down syndrome awareness will ensure that our loved ones with Down syndrome will enjoy full acceptance, full access, full life and full potential.

Rachel Coleman's Keynote Presentation the night before the walk was inspirational! I still can't believe I met her in real life!

Logan's First Day of School

2010-09-08T22:35:00.004-05:00

Logan's first day of school...well, I was told he did well and that they heard lots of words! Logan is quite a bit smaller that the other three year olds and we have big things to accomplish this year like going up and down the stairs to and from his classroom and following directions. Logan HATES having his hand held. He insists on being free to go where he wants to go. He can also be stubborn when it comes to trying new things or transitioning to a new activity. He does much better when he knows the routine and what's coming next. I hope that he will find a routine at school, but it may be hard because he only goes two days a week for 2 hours each day.
I was told I need to find a way to keep his backpack on his back. It is the tiniest backpack I could find, but it is still too big for him.
I am excited to see what this year brings and to see how far he comes with the help of his teachers and therapists at school.

After school today, I did a little "first day of school" photo session with Logan! He is so funny!

The Billboard!

2010-09-02T22:57:00.003-05:00

It was a dream of mine to have a billboard "some day". I never thought "some day" would be TODAY! That's Logan's friend, Brandon and Katie up there.

If you want to do a drive-by, it's between Main and Winneconne in Neenah on Hwy 41. You can see it when you are going south and it's on the left side of the highway.

Devin's in Kindergarten!!

2010-09-02T22:53:00.002-05:00

My little man is looking so grown up! He started all-day 5K this week. I like that I am getting more time with Logan and Aubrey, but it's hard to let Devin go all day long. I am so used to being there for everything. He did enjoy his first day...and that's a great start!

My two stinkers

2010-08-31T16:06:00.003-05:00

Logan and Aubrey got "too quiet" in their room yesterday. I walked in to see this! They emptied the shelves and climbed up! I think it's so funny how Logan is at the highest point! I wish I would have been in the room to see that! He is very competitive with Aubrey and I am picturing him pushing her out of the way and climbing up as fast at he could. He looked so proud up there, but I don't think he knew how to get down! (I think they take all those books off the shelf at least once a day! It drives me crazy!)

Logan's Horse Show

2010-08-30T22:32:00.005-05:00

Logan had a great time on Saturday showing off his riding skills! He loved the horse trophy even more!

Freckles and Dogs

2010-08-21T22:58:00.006-05:00

So, over this this summer, Logan got something new...FRECKLES!! The cutest little ones on his nose! As if he wasn't cute enough already!

And today, Logan got some time with my aunt's dog Rosie. Logan wanted to sit as close as he could to her. It was the cutest thing! Logan would sit by her and lean his body on her like he was snuggling with her. Logan even gave her a few hugs. Ahhh...so sweet. I don't want a dog, but seeing him with her made me realize how much fun Logan would have with a dog. Maybe someday. :) I wonder if Logan having a dog that was loyal to him would help us all in any way. Logan often tries to wonder off. I worry a lot about it and wonder if we will soon be installing an alarm system to make sure he doesn't get outside and wonder off. Would a dog let us know that Logan left the house? Do dogs do that kind of thing?

Devin and Aubrey at Disney

2010-08-19T22:50:00.012-05:00

Finally, some more pictures from our trip to Disney. I also didn't give any details yet, so here's what we did. We visited ALL FOUR parks and I think we rode just about every ride we possibly could have went on and we went to most of the shows too! I was amazed by how many rides Logan and Aubrey could go on! All of us were able to enjoy most rides all together! My favorite ride was a toss up between Aerosmith's Indoor Coaster at Hollywood Studios and Mt Everest Coaster at Animal Kingdom. They both were awesome! Didn't event realize how much I love thrill rides until this trip!
Devin's favorite rides were Soarin and Test Track at Epcot. Aubrey and Logan loved the many slow moving indoor rides and of course the flying Dumbos, Dinos and Magic Carpets! I quickly figured out that they didn't mind the dark rides, so they even went on rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and Peter Pan. Aubrey is obsessed with birds, so she loved the Safaris at Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. There is just something for everyone! And of course, what kid doesn't love parades and fireworks!
I would never go in the summer again!!! Too hot and humid, especially for the kids. We had fans attached to the stroller and water squirt bottles and that really didn't help. It also down pours just about every afternoon...BRING PONCHOS! We did and they were a life saver! Also, don't be afraid to rent a stroller for your older child. Devin is 5, and we didn't rent one for him the first day. BIG MISTAKE! He was so crabby, with the heat and the long distances. We rented him one every day for the rest of the trip and he was a much happier kid and we didn't have to remind him to keep up. Oh, and bring your own fans and squirt bottle fans...much cheaper at walmart than in the parks. We brought our own from home.
Of course, the Down syndrome convention at Disney was amazing! I learned a lot about what I was most interested in this year, and that was speech and PT. It was also so cool to run into people with DS every where you went.
Anyway...here are some more pictures. Mostly of Aubrey and Devin, and some attempts at some family photos. Oh, and we brought along some help as well. Grandma Bonnie and Auntie Amy came to help. Couldn't have done it without them!

Devin loved Mission Space at Epcot. Made you really feel like you were going up in a rocket. Devin was our Pilot and he even did the more intense version of the ride. GO DEVIN!

His favorite! Awesome ride flying over the entire state of California!

All the kids grew to love the bus rides everywhere.

The two toy story rides were awsome! This one, was a 3-D arcade game. I have to admit that I LOVED it.

Waiting to go on the ride in "Andy's Room"!!

All the kids enjoyed seeing Playhouse Disney live!

This has to be the craziest family picture yet! Yikes!

Poor babies looked like this all week!

Devin did Splash Mountain, but didn't want to do it again. LOL

This restaurant was an awesome experience. There was a meteor shower every 20 min inside! So cool. And it all had a "Build a Dino Workshop" (a version of "Build a Bear")

Building for Kids Children's Parade

2010-08-04T21:56:00.012-05:00

Our DS organization (DSAW-Fox Cities) recently participated in the Children's Parade in Appleton. We had an awesome turnout and were able to spread some DS Awareness to our local community!

Save the Date AND Register Now!

2010-07-29T13:11:00.001-05:00

Logan at Disney!

2010-07-27T23:16:00.007-05:00

I have decided to start with Logan... I think the pictures will explain it all.

He cried every time it was time to leave the pool. :(

It was SOOOO hot...this quickly became his favorite activity.
A ride on the famous tea cups!

And Dumbo of course!

This Snow White ride was scary! I guess that's why they call it Snow White's Scary Adventures.
(He really loved it! :)

And his ultimate favorite part...the characters!!

Sit down Logie!...I said that a lot!

Logan on the plane...he was such a good boy!

We're Back!

2010-07-22T00:28:00.003-05:00

We are back from the NDSC Convention in Florida! I hope to show some pictures soon! It was so fun to meet some blog friends in person!
For now...here's a pic from tonight. I did the impossible!! All three together! I think this may become my new header...if I ever get around to changing it.

Some new pictures

2010-07-07T21:19:00.004-05:00

Here are some new pictures of my kids...check out that grip...GO LOGAN!

Aubrey's hair is slowly growing...in the back.

One month flies by...

2010-06-30T00:15:00.004-05:00

A month never went by so fast!! We are still here, Logan and the family are doing well. After two months of being stuffed up with ear infections and sinus infections, Logan is finally cleared up (after some strong antibiotics) and as happy as ever! He is talking up a storm and I hope we can keep it that way. My photography business has been crazy, the DS walk is getting way too close and we are gearing up for Orlando and the NDSC Convention!! I can't wait to meet many of my DS blogger friends. Hopefully I will have time to read some blogs and catch up with all of you before we meet up!
Hopefully I will be back to blogging soon!!

(Registration is open for our 1st Annual Fox Cities Down Syndrome Awareness Walk!! Click HERE to register!! Come see Rachel Coleman and Signing Time! Live.

Logan Talking! 6/4/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-06-04T21:51:00.001-05:00

I finally got Logan talking on video!! I got him imitating and doing some flashcards.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mother's Day Pictures

2010-06-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

I also found these mother's day pictures that I haven't blogged yet. Better late than never!

Here's where Logan's love of tractors started!

Dale's parents have this great spot for pictures in their backyard! My father-in-law built this awesome bridge! I had fun experimenting with some images!

Logan's Birthday Party

2010-05-31T20:09:00.004-05:00

I finally had a moment just now to look through the pictures I have taken over the last couple of months and I realize how many times I should have blogged some of them.

I even forgot to blog Logan's birthday party! Logan loves tractors and getting rides of them from his Grandpas. He even put his first two words together, "papa tractor"!! So naturally, we had a tractor birthday for him.

We had a beautiful day and the kids spent most of it outside!

Logan loves bounce houses! He got a brand new one for his birthday!

He stuck his hand in his cake right away! Oops!

Logan also got a silly quacking duck!

Logan reading a new tractor book. You can see his lips making the sounds for "tractor"!

This tractor gift shakes and sings the chicken dance!!

Logan Update

2010-05-26T22:46:00.002-05:00

Today, Logan's ear tube and adenoid removal surgery went really well. His ENT said that his adenoids were larger than expected, so he will really benefit from having them out. Also, his ears had a ton of fluid and even puss. His ears drained A LOT today, so I hope that he will be feeling and hearing better soon!
Thanks for all the prayers.

Surgery Tomorrow

2010-05-25T20:56:00.002-05:00

I have been extremely frustrated with Logan's congestion, sinus infections and ear infections lately and the fact that his ENT didn't feel it was necessary to put his tubes back in or deal with the rest of it. So this morning, I took Logan back to the ENT he used to go to (before we had some insurance changes). His old ENT, who I always liked much better, decided we should put his tubes back in and take out his adenoids tomorrow!! After two rounds of antibiotics in the last 20 days and no signs of the end of his sinus infection, I was so relieved to take a step in the right direction. This morning, his ENT also found that his ears are FULL of fluid! I am hoping that after tomorrow, Logan can finally get some relief!! Poor boy hasn't been able to breath through his nose is so long.

Well Check and Cardio Appointment

2010-05-17T20:54:00.002-05:00

Logan's well check went pretty well. He has had super yucky nasal congestion for about a month and a half and he is now on his second round of antibiotics and an allergy medicine to try to clear it up. If not, we will discuss getting his adenoids taken out. His growth is slow, but steady. We also had blood drawn to check his thyroid. His umbilical hernia is still there, but his doctor wants to wait til 5 or 6 to fix it if it doesn't close.

We visited his cardiologist, we hoped for the last time, and we found out that he will need to go back next summer. His hole has closed, but one side of his heart was slightly enlarged. The doctor needs to find out if that is just the way his heart will be or if it is a trend. He thinks it could be from all the nasal congestion he has had lately. He said not to worry.

Hippotherapy!

2010-05-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

After all the craziness with AAI and getting the ok to do this, we have finally started!
Logan is having a blast with the hippotherapy! He wasn't afraid and makes it through his entire sessions with no problem. I have already noticed him using his speech a great deal while on the horse. In fact, he talks their ear off the entire time!
We have also decided to do OT and PT along with the hippotherapy at Country Kids the entire summer. Logan did not qualify for summer school, so instead of sitting out of therapy for the summer, we will get it here. We were also told that it is great to do a little bit of PT and OT before and after riding the horse.

Happy Birthday Logan!

2010-05-13T07:22:00.002-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Bye Bye Birth to 3...

2010-05-12T17:32:00.004-05:00

Hello reality. We had our last visit from Birth to 3 yesterday and it's all starting to hit me now. The fact that those people who have helped us and been on our side for the last three years are now gone. Now I feel lost and it feels like the days shortly after Logan was born when we didn't know exactly what the next steps were going to be. We have followed the typical protocol and have enrolled Logan in the local school's early childhood program, but it's all new and it's hard to trust others who we don't know and who don't know Logan. We developed an IEP, but it just doesn't feel right, or at least not yet. I always feel unsure that I am doing every I can for Logan. Now, as he turns three, I hope that I did enough over the past three years. We are faced now with all new challenges and we are facing them in new environments with new people.

Logan got to enjoy a cupcake with his Birth to 3 teacher and speech therapist on his last day. We are really going to miss the entire Birth to 3 team!

Visiting Amber & Joel in CA

2010-05-10T20:14:00.007-05:00

Last weekend, Aubrey, my Mom and me traveled to Los Angeles to visit my sister and her husband. Aubrey and I really made our rounds in LA! My sister lives in Santa Monica, just 4 blocks from the beach! Aubrey did SO well. It was a great opportunity for her and I to get some one on one time.

Aubrey's First Plane Flight!

Uncle Joel and Aunt Amber...they are living in LA while Joel records a record with his band! It's been a long road, but it is almost finished!!Our View from our hotel...Santa Monica Pier and the Beach.3rd Street Promenade...Santa Monica. We shopped here and also went to a fantastic farmer's market. DASH Boutique, Calabasas (you will recognize this if you watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E!)Playing at the playground in Malibu.At the beach in Malibu.Well....this one's obvious. This was some serious shopping...well more like browsing. Lunch at The Ivy in Beverly Hills.Shopping at The Grove.A view of all of Los Angeles from the Griffith Observatory, it doesn't fit in one picture...it would take about three.Aubrey insisted on walking through the airports with her new doll in hand.Bye Amber and Joel!

Jamaica

2010-05-03T22:29:00.004-05:00

Finally...here are some pictures from our trip. We went with three other couples from WI and had a great, relaxing time!! Can't wait to go back!

AAI Results

2010-04-24T15:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Logan an I went down to Children's Hospital to have his x-rays and MRI read by a neurosurgeon. She told us that the x-rays where very unclear, but may show a very slight case of AAI, but their quality make them fairly useless. Now, for the good news, the MRI was very good. Those pictures showed no significant abnormalities. The doctor gave us the ok to go ahead and do hippotherapy! She does want to see him once a year for the next several years to repeat the x-ray, because she wants to see if their are any changes as he grows. Best case, he will be cleared to maybe even do somersaults in his gymnastics classes someday! I was very relieved to get the pictures read by a very knowledgeable doctor. I feel very confident now that we got the right results!
So, for now, we just need to continue avoiding letting him put pressure on his neck (like somersaults) because his low muscle tone in his neck gives him less stability.

Sneak peak of our trip...

2010-04-22T22:51:00.002-05:00

Dale and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary last week in Jamaica. Here's one little peak...it was amazing!

Closer to AAI answers...

2010-04-21T21:26:00.004-05:00

The Down Syndrome Clinic of WI suggested that Logan have an MRI and then have the results read by a pediatric neurosurgeon.

So, tomorrow morning Logan will have his MRI in Green Bay and then Friday morning we will go to Children's in Milwaukee to get the results.

This is little Logie last summer...he was taking a few steps in the grass. This spring he is able to go anywhere outside without falling. Also, he is climbing the ladder up to our slide and can go down alone on his bottom and land on two feet!! He also can walk up and down hills outside. Last year, he would sit down at the just the site of a hill. Goes to show how far he has come!!!

Happy 18 Months Aubrey!

2010-04-09T20:52:00.003-05:00

It's a little scary how much they look alike! Poor Aubrey still can't grow hair on top her head!

Logan

2010-04-09T20:47:00.003-05:00

I can't get enough of this boy! You're the cutest Logan!

AAI Update

2010-04-07T20:40:00.002-05:00

After several days of asking questions and getting no where....Logan's pediatrician decided to call the Down Syndrome Clinic of Wisconsin. At first, Logan's doc was not going to recommend hippotherapy, but couldn't give me any idea of the severity of Logan's AAI. So, I think he felt like he needed to know what is typically done following a positive x-ray for AAI. I'm not sure what will be recommended now, but the DS clinic told Logan's doctor to set Logan up for a sedated MRI and to have a neurosurgeon at the Children's Hospital in Milwaukee read the results.

If you are curious, this is what Logan's results said. (I have to say that Logan cooperated beautifully though!!)

Positioning is less than optimal as a result of poor patient cooperation. There are some findings suggestive of craniocervical assimilation. There appears to be a hypoplastic or absent dens allowing abnormal mobility at the C1-C2 articulation. Depending upon clinical circumstances, CT or MRI could be considered for further evaluation.

I am hoping to know FOR SURE, if we need to limit Logan's activities and if we need to have future exams of his neck.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T21:36:00.002-05:00

Atlanto-axial Instability

2010-04-01T14:45:00.004-05:00

Last week, Logan had x-rays done on his neck to check for atlanto-axial instability because we want to take him to hippotherapy. Hippotherapy promotes the use of the movement of the horse as a treatment strategy in physical, occupational and speech-language therapy sessions for people living with disabilities. Hippotherapy has been shown to improve muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, motor development as well as emotional well-being. Logan needed the x-ray before starting therapy.

Atlanto-axial instability or AAI describes an increased flexibility between the first and second bones of the neck. Most individuals with Down syndrome have some increased flexibility of joints, called ligamentous laxity, which can affect any of their joints. AAI refers to this condition when it affects the joint between the first and second cervical vertebrae. Since the vertebrae surround and protect the spinal cord, instability of the joint could place the spinal cord at risk for injury.

85% of individuals with Down syndrome have no evidence of atlanto-axial instability. 13-14% show evidence of instability by x-ray only and have no symptoms. This is called asymptomatic atlanto-axial instability. Only 1-2% have symptoms that may require treatment. These individuals are referred to as having symptomatic atlanto-axial instability.

Symptoms may include neck pain or persistent head tilt, intermittent or progressive weakness, changes in gait pattern or loss of motor skills, loss of bowel or bladder control, increased muscle tone in the legs, or changes in sensation in the hands and feet.

I was told today, by Logan's doctor's nurse, that Logan has AAI, but she couldn't give me any other details. I asked if he can do hippotherapy or what restrictions he will have for physical activites, but she didn't have any information for me. She is supposed to talk to Logan's doctor and call me back.

I wish I knew more! If anyone has had experiences with AAI please contact me.

I am sad that Logan's physical activities may be limited. He wants to tumble in gymnastics and I was looking forward to getting good x-ray results so that he could start doing those things in his class.

I hope to get some answers soon, or I will be contacting other doctors who are more experienced with AAI and Down syndrome.

Random Pictures

2010-03-27T21:13:00.006-05:00

My kids love inflatables. Logan especially, has started to enjoy them and it's cute to see him and Aubrey following each other in them! They are so similar right now...they can do a lot of the same things! They are definitely little copy cats of each other!

Wordless Wednesday | Aubrey

2010-03-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

3-21

2010-03-21T23:44:00.003-05:00

Happy World Down Syndrome Day!

Logan Update

2010-03-16T20:34:00.002-05:00

Turns out...shortly after Logan's negative behaviors began we did find out he had a double ear infection. He's been on antibiotics for 8 days now and his behavior is improving. He still gets frustrated at meal times, but he is overall more agreeable. I have also discovered that his frustrations are due to his inability to communicate what he wants. I think he is now particular about what I feed him and how I feed it to him. I'm not sure when he wants to feed himself and when he wants me to feed him.

I've been so proud of his speech lately!! It is coming so far so quickly.
A couple of weeks ago he had a session with his B-3 early childhood teacher and here's the words he used during that session.
Imitated:
circle
open
shut
fish
horse
duck
push
nose
color
Logan
eat
mmm
pop

Spontaneous:
go
eyes
dog (barking)
uh oh

Today, he had a session with his speech therapist, and he set new record for spontaneous words!!
Imitated:
duck
up
puppy
wow
tractor
signed fish and butterfly

Spontaneous:
flower
woof
apple
ball
boat
signed kitten
car
down
truck
mmm
cookie
hat
bath
oink
glasses

My favorite were APPLE and BOAT! I hadn't heard those before!! Go Logan!

Diva

2010-03-06T09:48:00.000-06:00

It's done!

2010-03-05T21:59:00.003-06:00

Devin's "School" is complete! Now, we can't wait for the snow to melt so we can all go out and enjoy it! Thanks Dad!

Double Trouble

2010-03-05T21:52:00.004-06:00

These two are trouble together! They have become quite the pair lately...they fight often and make big messes! Aubrey's latest thing is dipping tissue paper in the toilet and rubbing it on her head...yes, toilet water on her head!!

Thank you

2010-03-05T21:29:00.003-06:00

Thank you for all the thoughts on my last post. I was so relieved to hear that others are going through the same thing!!

Logan is a little bit better. He is still getting angry easily and throwing things, but it is not all the time. Meal times are still the toughest, but I am finding that some of his anger is definitely from him becoming a pickier eater. I agree with many of you that said he is showing typical two year old behavior. You are right. I forget that he is at that stage of his life.

As for his class with other 2 year olds, I decided to move him to a class for 1 and 2 year olds and things are much better. This new class is less structured and has more free play. I wanted Logan to start to experience a more structured environment, but he is just not ready to sit and listen for several minutes at a time. I feel strongly that he be with typical kids, but I have learned that he needs to be with kids a little younger than him in order to successfully participate. He fits in perfectly with kids at his developmental age (19 months or so).

I need help.

2010-02-25T20:33:00.003-06:00

Is it a behavior issue...or is he not feeling well...or a combination of both?

About three weeks ago, Logan started getting very upset when he sits down to eat and I put his food in front of him. When I set the food down in front of him, he immediately pushes his plate of the table onto the floor and yells or cries. If I force him to eat a bite (which really seems mean), he will usually resist the first few times, but then will start to eat (most of the time, but not all the time).

At first it was just every now and then, but it now happens at every meal. Last week, Logan came down with croup and a bad cough and I blamed his crabbiness at meals on that. I figured it was hard to eat when you are congested.

Now, he is getting angry everyday, all day. Everytime you want him to do something or even when he is just playing alone, he constantly gets mad and throws whatever is in his hand. Just like he throws his food.

A couple of days ago, I noticed that he is getting two teeth. They broke through his gums, but are just starting to come in. We thought he had all the teeth that he was going to get because his dentist said he was probably missing his upper canines. It has to be painful because there really is no room for them. Could his anger during meals times be because of his teeth, or is it a behavior problem?

Today, I took his to his first day of a class a the YMCA. It is a class for two year olds and I thought that he would do ok because he is typically so easy going. I was very nervous because of his recent behavior, but I was hoping he would be ok and have fun. Boy, was I wrong. His behavior was awful. He cried and threw everything he got his hands on. That is nothing like him!

I do know now that he isn't ready for this class, even without the behavior problems. This was the first time I have put him with typical kids his own age for a class...and it was very eye opening for me to say the least. He isn't ready to sit and listen to books being read or to sit and do art projects. I wanted to give it our best shot, but he's just not ready.

I don't know if I am going to give the class another chance...I'm not sure I could get myself to do it again. I have already contacted the YMCA to see if we can transfer to a different class for younger kids.

My hope is that we can just wait out the behavior stuff...maybe if it is his teeth, then it will pass. Or maybe it's a phase that will also pass. All I can say is that I don't know if my patients will last...I'm already to the end.

On a more positive note....
I have been meaning to post about a speech therapy session that Logan had a couple of weeks ago. His speech therapist recorded the words he said during the session. The stared words are ones he said spontaneously and the rest were imitations.
eyes*
woof*
baa
duck
beep
uhoh
woah
tongue
oink*
roll*
no*
ball*
okay*
hat
ooh ooh ah ah
nice
lights*
chomp
up*

I wish I could get him to talk to me the way he talks to her. He also followed many directions during the session.

A new member of our family

2010-02-17T13:20:00.003-06:00

Meet Lucky! Devin's new little buddy!

Look what Logan can do!!

2010-02-15T22:18:00.003-06:00

Mr. Logan can now put together his Mr. Potato Head!

Logan's Mirror 2/12/10

2010-02-12T11:05:00.001-06:00

Logan loves to play by his mirror! I think it has really helped him with his speech and identifying body parts...as you can see! :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Aubrey's first time playing in the snow!

2010-02-12T10:40:00.002-06:00

Logan says "lights"!!

2010-02-03T22:07:00.002-06:00

Logan has been doing a great job imitating words!! I recently mentioned how he discovered the "L" sound and tonight I caught him on video!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Logan and Aubrey's Gymnastics Class

2010-01-30T22:13:00.005-06:00

Logan and Aubrey also finished up another semester at The Little Gym a couple of weeks ago. It has been amazing to see how Logan has changed over the past 20 weeks. He is so comfortable with the routine in class and follows along perfectly from one activity to the next. He loves it so much that I wish we could go everyday!

Logan gets geared up for class with a song and some bell shaking!

Logan and especially Aubrey, LOVED their teacher!! She was fantastic!

Check out this little show-off!! He decided he would stand on the beam all by himself! Look at that flexibility! And if you can't see...he has a huge smile on his face. That little sinker always knows when he is doing something extra fantastic!

It took Logan and Aubrey a while to feel comfortable with the parachute, but now, they are naturals! Shaking it, going under and walking while holding on are all easy for them now. They both are awesome at following directions.
Logan now can climb up on just about anything at the gym!

I'm so proud of how far they both came this past semester!

Logan-New Pictures

2010-01-27T14:41:00.002-06:00

I convinced Logan to sit for me for a little while yesterday and I got some really cute pictures of him! He started off wanting to run away, but then I gave him something to sit on and we starting making silly noises at each other.

Logan has been pointing a lot lately. He points and says "whats sat?"
He also likes to point at lights and say "lights". To Logan's speech therapist, here's proof that he is correctly making the "L" sound!! He really over dramatizes it, but it makes for perfect practice! :)

Happy 5th Birthday Devin!!!

2010-01-26T21:38:00.003-06:00

Devin,

I love you so much! I don't know how I would get through the day without your silly jokes, caring words and creative ideas. I can still clearly remember the moment I saw you for the very first time and can't believe how quickly you have grown! We have had so many great moments together and I can't wait to have many more special moments in the years to come!

Love,

Mom

Silly Logie!

2010-01-21T12:11:00.004-06:00

Logan LOVES to play with my sunglasses. When we saw these particular glasses, we knew we had to get them for him!! He has so much fun with them and they look darn cute on him too!

Love this photographer!!

2010-01-20T23:16:00.002-06:00

If I have never shared this site before, I meant to. I could stare at her photographs forever! Check out Conny Wenk's work and the beautiful people she photographs!! (hint: they have a little extra )

I want to be an electrician!

2010-01-19T10:27:00.004-06:00

Last week, Devin had "I want to be day" at school. Lately, he has made it very clear that he wants to be an electrician. Ever since we had some work done at our home and he had the chance to shadow our electrician, Devin has been very fascinated by electricity and how it all works. Over the holidays, he pretended to wire his bedroom by stringing lights all over his room and making them all turn on and off together. It's so cute, but we have had to have many serious talks about how dangerous electricity is.

Anyway, he did wire a switch to bring to school to show his class. I also made him promise he would only use batteries to practice his electrician skills!

I told Devin that Logan has Down syndrome

2010-01-19T00:18:00.004-06:00

Tonight, I told Devin that Logan has Down syndrome. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. I had came across a children's book that I thought would be helpful for Logan's classmates some day when they had questions about Logan. The book came in the mail today and when I opened it I decided I would read it to Devin before I put him to bed for the night. I knew if I thought about it too much I would talk myself out of it and put it off for a while.

So, I told Devin I would read him the new book and we walked to his room and sat down. As soon as I showed Devin the cover and read the title, he immediately pointed to the cover and said, "that looks like Logan!". At that moment I suddenly had a sinking feeling and felt a little nervous. I was thinking, "should I do this now, tonight"? "Is it too soon to bring it up?" "Is Devin too young to understand."

I read the title of the book and Devin got excited about figuring out the secret. As I read, he looked at the pictures and responded to the questions like "I like school, how about you?"

When I was done, I just said, "Logan has Down syndrome just like Ben." Devin immediately said, "do I have Down syndrome too?". He asked in an excited voice, like he wanted me to say "yes you do."

Then Devin asked "why?" and then I panicked a little. I said that some children are born with it and some are not. I mentioned the names of some of Logan's friends who have DS and I told him that each of them has it, but their brother's and sister's do not. Then, Devin asked, "do girls have it too?" He assumed that just boys have it because the story was about a boy and many of Logan's friends are boys. But, I reminded him of the girls we know who have DS.

Then that was it...he seemed satisfied with it and asked me if I would read him another book. I kind of wanted to continue our conversation, but I knew he wouldn't understand much more than that. The book did a great job of describing how Ben is different, but also how he is more like other children. It described how Ben needs extra help with his speech and I was able to tell Devin that that is why Logan has therapy. I knew that Devin wondered why he didn't have therapy too like Logan, and now he knows.

I do think that I will read Devin the book a few more times to see if there is anything else he would like to know. I also plan to donate at least one copy to our school library and Logan's future classrooms.

I would love to hear how others told their children about their sibling with DS. How did you do it? How did it go? Did I do the right thing? Is there anything I should watch out for now with Devin?

My Picassos

2010-01-18T14:07:00.002-06:00

I think Logan and Aubrey really enjoy their time home with me weekday mornings while Devin is at school. Even though they do fight over nukies and strollers, the rest of the time they get along great. I caught them the other day having a little giggle time together. They were both pounding their hands on the ground and laughing at each other. It was SO funny to watch them. I grabbed the video camera, but was too late.

Here, they are writing on the chalkboard, which they could not do if Devin was home because has to have it to himself of course.

Aubrey is 15 Months!

2010-01-17T13:43:00.003-06:00

Aubrey turned 15 months at the beginning of this month! If you were wondering where her montage was when she turned 1 year, I did make one, but I can't access it on my computer so it's taking a while to finish it on Dale's computer. So, it is still coming, I promise!

Aubrey is still my "little monster". I mean that in the best way possible....it's just that she still makes a lot of monster noises and her smile is still so mischievous! She is definitely one-of-a-kind! Lately, her speech has been coming so fast! She was signing little, but now she can say just about everything that she needs to. Her words are SO cute! I especially love "drink", "mama" (of course), "nukie", "papa", "devin", "cheese", "cookie","cracker", "all done" and "hot". But nothing beats her "uh-oh!"...at least I get a little warning when something bad has happened. I can hear her across the house say "uh-oh" and I know she spilled, dropped or did something else she wasn't supposed to!!

The only way I can get a picture is if I put her on a high chair she can't get down from...I'm so mean! Here are few of the many faces of Aubrey...

Little House

2010-01-16T13:16:00.000-06:00

The kid's little house, or "school" as Devin insists to call it, is almost done! It turned out really cute thanks to my Dad. He designed it and did all the work. Devin can't wait to "teach" Logan and Aubrey in his school. He has big plans for a chalkboard, book shelf, table and chairs, milk/snack cooler and much more! He is very serious about his school. So, if you see him, make sure that you call it a "school", it's not a playhouse!!!

Devin and Gymnastics

2010-01-15T12:53:00.000-06:00

Devin continues to add new skills in his gymnastics class at the Little Gym. Today was the last day of the fall/winter semester, so he invited his Grandpa to watch him for show week. Next, week he will start with a new class and an older group. I can't wait to see what he can do when he is challenged in the new class. Right now he does an awesome cart wheel and can do some really great pull overs on the bars. He is also very comfortable on the beam and floor stuff. It also helps that he is so fearless!

Here he is flipping over the bar all by himself!
Getting a little help from his instructor. Nice form!

He has a mean front support! He is so strong! Congrats on another semester well done!

IFSP and Transition Meeting

2010-01-14T20:08:00.000-06:00

Logan had his IFSP yesterday and I can't believe that he is almost done with Birth-to-3. It's really sad to think that he is growing up so fast and the program has had such a positive impact on his development. I feel like his therapists genuinely care about him and I fear that I may feel very alone after he turns three. He will transition to our local school district and a representative attended the meeting, but I don't think the support with be the same. I am feeling that Dale and I will now have to step up and take charge of what happens from this point on, instead of a program taking care of us. Even though I am nervous about the change, I do feel ready to advocate for him and I am thankful for our strong support system of families going through exactly what we are going through.

I also am not ready to let him go...he's still my baby. At only about 30 inches tall, he is the size of most 18 month olds. I just want to keep him home with me! He's just way too little to go off to school!!

An escape to warmer weather...

2010-01-13T19:56:00.005-06:00

Shortly after Christmas, Dale and I took off to warmer weather. We traveled to Phoenix for some golfing and the Packer game. We had a great time with friends and it was a great way to start off the new year and recharge before getting back to our routine at home and with the kids.

Aubrey and her mullet

2009-12-30T22:53:00.000-06:00

I can't wait until Aubrey's hair is long enough so that I can play with it everyday! For now, I have to wait for her mullet to go away. But, I did manage to get these two piggies in the other day. They were so cute!!! The hair on top her head isn't even long enough for a little clip!

Christmas Recap

2009-12-29T22:26:00.006-06:00

Happy Holidays!! We got a lot of snow over the holiday around here and we were able to enjoy some sledding and snow ball fighting!

Devin created this awesome ginger bread house with his uncle Justin.

Aubrey looked adorable Christmas eve in her red dress!

Aubrey and Logan at their great grandma and grandpa's.

Christmas morning!

Aubrey loved the dolls and accessories she received!

Devin had a "Wall-E Christmas". His favorite gift was M-O...the little robot in his hand.

Aubrey and Logan with Grandpa!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-29T00:02:00.001-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I have pictures to post soon!!

Ear Infections Number One and Twins!!

2009-12-13T21:24:00.004-06:00

No...we are not having twins! We already have them! Aubrey and Logan have ear infection number one of the season. Hopefully this will be the only one, but if not, Logan will be heading in to get his second set of tubes. The two of them spend so much time together and are so much a like these days. Their developmental age and size are almost identical and I get asked if they are twins daily. Right now, I would have to say that Logan is slightly ahead of Aubrey with speech, but she has passed him in gross motor skills.
Aubrey has developed quite the personality. Poor Logan is starting to get pushed around by her....hopefully she will just keep him on his toes and not trample over him. She is a great example for him to follow (skills wise), but she irritates the heck out of him. She is always in his face!! Poor boy!

Help bring Lily home!

2009-12-08T22:36:00.001-06:00

Good friends of mine are raising money to adopt Lily, a 5 year old girl in Eastern Europe who happens to have Down syndrome. Help bring Lily home by visiting their blog and bidding on items in their auction. Item #9 happens to be a session with me for your family! It's a full session including the high-resolution CD and $50 in prints! Get on over to their blog and help bring Lily home!!

Times Square Video is Online!

2009-12-07T15:35:00.005-06:00

In September, Logan appeared in the 2009 Times Square Video at the NYC Buddy Walk. The entire video is now available to view online. Click Here to watch! Logan is at 10:48. (which is about 1/2 way through) I love how the video shows how their abilities are more important than their disability.

Building a christmas gift

2009-12-06T01:03:00.005-06:00

My kids are getting a playhouse for christmas and my dad and brother started it last week. Just as they got going it started to snow! Devin enjoyed helping them and playing in the snow!

Holidays

2009-12-01T21:08:00.003-06:00

This holiday season has been a bit different than the last few years...I can't seem to keep the ornaments on the tree. My trees are now decorated on only the top halves. Aubrey and Logan steal ornaments and run with them. I have to admit that it is darn cute though.

A quick post...

2009-12-01T00:10:00.003-06:00

Logan has been doing a few super cute things lately...I am working hard to get them on video. When you ask him now old he is he holds up two fingers on one hand and he also attempts to jump and says "jump" when you ask him to. It's so adorable. I can't wait to see the look on his face when his little feet get off the ground!!

Getting around outside

2009-11-24T19:04:00.006-06:00

A few pictures of the kids enjoying our last day before the snow comes!! Logan is so cute with his hat...he insists on putting it on himself!

Logan's 30 Month Check-Up

2009-11-23T14:41:00.003-06:00

Today, Logan went to Dr. B for his 30 month check. We discussed his sleep/energy issues and his umbilical hernia. I really was hoping for a sleep study now, but he convinced me to wait til 36 months to see if he will continue to grow out of his suspected apnea. He thinks it is getting better not worse and that we may see it continue to get better. But, he said he would go ahead with it at 36 months if I still was concerned. I guess I am ok with that.
As far as his hernia, it seems that his intestines are still poking out a bit and he said that he will have a surgeon look at it when Logan is 4 yrs old. He suspects that it may need to be fixed at that point.
Here are his stats, I was a little disappointed about his height. He grew less than an inch over the last 6 months and is about to fall off the chart. On one hand, it is so fun that he is such a little guy yet. I can still pick him up and it's like he is taking his time growing up....I don't mind that. But, on the other hand it is sad to see him next to kids his age. He is the size of most 18 month olds.

Height: 33 inches (1%) (75% on the DS chart!)
Weight: 28.5 pounds (27%) (95% on the DS chart!)

Logan also showed off a little at his appointment. He showed the doctor how he is trying to jump and he used a couple of words. Of course, his doctor is very proud of him and how much he changes each him he sees him.

Help a child this Christmas!

2009-11-20T14:16:00.007-06:00

Reece's Rainbow is an organization dedicated to promoting the international adoption of children with Down syndrome. By raising money to offer adoption grants on waiting children, they are able to give adoptive families the extra financial help they need to bring a child with Down syndrome home from a miserable existence in overseas orphanages. Their Sponsorship Program provides a unique opportunity for anonymous donors to contribute to the adoption journey of our families. These children are viewed as outcasts with no ability to learn or be functional members of society. They languish in mental institutions, hidden away from the world in shame.

Please watch this video and consider being a waiting child's Christmas sponsor. Reece's Rainbow has a Christmas Angel Tree Project where if you donate $35 dollars or more for a child, you will receive a beautiful porcelain photo ornament of your sponsored child to hang on your tree! This is a very special way to "share Christmas" with an orphaned child, and to make it possible for other families to afford the high cost of rescuing them from orphanages and mental institutions around the world!

If you choose to give, consider choosing Lily. Click HERE and make sure that you specify that you want to support "Zoromski Family - Lilya". Lily needs funds to be able to join her new family here in Wisconsin!

CLICK HERE for the Reece's Rainbow Video!!!

Big Announcement!!!

2009-11-19T13:01:00.002-06:00

Check out the side bar to the right! Yes, our local group, the Down Syndrome Family Network of the Fox Cities, is proud to announce that our special guest for our 1st Annual Fox Cities Down Syndrome Awareness Walk will be Rachel Coleman!!! Rachel will be performing Signing Time Live at our walk!!!

Rachel Coleman is the co-creator and host of the children's DVD and public television series Signing Time! Rachel’s oldest daughter Leah was born profoundly deaf. After learning American Sign Language (ASL), Rachel wanted to create a way for all children to learn to communicate with her daughter.

Rarely do we see individuals who believe in the power of one to change the world. Idealistic as it may seem, Rachel Coleman is just such a person. Signing Time! was developed based on her personal experiences. Rachel learned from her two daughters the power of ASL. Leah, who is deaf, showed her mother how much easier it was to have a baby that signed and could tell her what she needed. Rachel was especially excited to see how knowing ASL accelerated Leah’s spelling and vocabulary skills as she grew up. Her daughter Lucy, who was born with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, was never expected to communicate in any fashion. But by growing up in a home where ASL was the primary language, she learned to sign, found that ASL was a powerful means of physical therapy and eventually learned to speak the words she’d grown up signing. As a result, Rachel committed to share what her daughters had taught her with the world. This was the motivation behind Signing Time.

Signing Time teaches the basics of ASL to children of ALL abilities a fun and engaging way. Since the release of their first video in 2002, Signing Time has spread to customers in all fifty states and twenty different countries almost entirely by word of mouth. Parents and professionals everywhere praise the Signing Time series for opening up a world of possibilities for their children, whether they are using ASL as a means to communicate with their babies before they develop speech, or learning a second language, or even for children with special needs for whom speech is a challenge.

Signing Time's mission is to create programs and opportunities designed to dissolve the barriers that exist for children (or anyone) with disabilities.

What would you do??

2009-11-18T14:51:00.001-06:00

Logan has his 30 month appointment on Monday. I am anxious to see how much he has grown and I also am considering a few other things. I am thinking of asking for a sleep study to try to get to the bottom of Logan's low energy issues and strange sleeping habits. He is a very light sleeper and also has a very hard time waking up. He also sleeps in very crazy positions. Would these be reasons to have the study done? I am also considering asking if we can have Logan's umbilical hernia fixed. Logan was born with a VERY large umbilical hernia, which has for the most part resolved itself, but he has been left with A LOT of extra skin that sticks out quite far. I am torn about whether it would be silly for me to put him through getting it fixed. I have been told he will grow into it, but I am not convinced that he will. I also know there are much worse things that I could be dealing with. I understand if your are thinking "she's crazy" to worry about something like that. I have to ask, but it may end up being something cosmetic, if it has healed completely. I am even embarrassed to ask his doctor, because I don't know how he is going to react. Do you need a picture to know what I mean?

A new look!

2009-11-18T10:58:00.003-06:00

I have given the blog a little makeover and I am hoping that this motivates me to start to blog regularly again! So, if you are reading from facebook, google reader, email, etc...stop on by and check it out and check back often...I promise that you won't be reading the same post for weeks at a time! :)

Help bring Lily home!

2009-11-17T18:59:00.003-06:00

A friend and member of my local DS support group has made the amazing decision to adopt a beautiful little girl who happens to have Down syndrome. Click on the button below to visit Michelle's blog and read about their journey. Please consider helping their family with this very costly process so the Lily can join their family and avoid being institutionalized.

Grab This Button

Down Syndrome Births Drop in U.S. as More Women Abort - ABC News

2009-11-02T10:05:00.000-06:00

Down Syndrome Births Drop in U.S. as More Women Abort - ABC News

Great Crayons for Beginners!

2009-10-31T15:06:00.004-05:00

Last week, Logan's OT mentioned some crayons that write very brightly without pressing down hard. I looked and couldn't find them, but I came across some window crayons and I bought them for Devin (because he is obsessed with decorating!). They work great on the windows, but they also work great for Logan to color with. He doesn't have to press hard at all and he gets great colors from them! He also discovered that they write great on my table. I want to let Logan use them on the patio door too, but I haven't done it yet. I'm not sure if it is a good thing for him right now, to be encouraged to write on walls.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T20:07:00.004-05:00

I just love costumes for little ones!! Here are my kiddos this year!

Where has October gone?

2009-10-29T22:44:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I only posted three times this month!! And it was Down syndrome awareness month! Lately, I have been struggling with how to prioritize my time....and I guess blogging fell low on my list, but I am slowly getting more organized and feeling less frazzled. I just have too many things going at once right now. I am figuring it out though. I've found that I love photography, but struggle to decide how much time to devote to it. Time with my kids is number one, but there is always laundry to do, cleaning to attempt and groceries to shop for when I would rather play with my kids.
Down syndrome awareness month does mean a lot to me...in fact, I have spent a lot of time this month planning for next October. Planning for the Fox Cities Down Syndrome Awareness Walk has kept me thinking about what is important for me and other families who love someone with Down syndrome.
Logan is doing fantastic this month! He is showing off new skills each week at gymnastics class, he is talking more each day, he is a little comedian who can make anyone laugh, he has started coming to me for hugs at random moments during the day, he loves to look at books, he loves cars, he hates bed time, he watches and signs along with his Signing Time DVDs, he loves to play with playdoh, he can draw lines and circles, he "runs" around the house with his brother and sister and he says hi to strangers at the store.
I can't wait for next month to find out what he will do next!

No Cavities!

2009-10-19T14:36:00.002-05:00

Logan visited his new children's dentist today. He sat perfectly and let them look at all of his teeth. All looks great and we were told he has all of the teeth that a typical child would have right now. He will get his teeth cleaned 6 months from now! Go Logan!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2009-10-09T13:25:00.002-05:00

Click on the collage to view it larger.

Aubrey will be one on Friday!

2009-10-07T23:33:00.003-05:00

As if she couldn't get enough of her cake with her fingers! She stuck her face right in it! Here's a sneak peak of her cake smash today!