No, those two words really don't go together. But Clare did have her regular 3-month endocrinology appointment today. Usually the appointments are fairly routine - Has she missed any doses? Nope. Do you see any symptoms? Nope. Let's check her levels and see you back in three months. Great.
Today, however, was one of the best endocrinology appointments of all time. (Might be a stretch, but not really, if you've ever endured an endocrinology appointment.) First, Clare's blood pressure was 104/58. I don't think I have ever seen it that low! She sat so still while the nurse took her blood pressure. Then like the good little heart patient she is, she offered her second arm for another measurement (many times, Clare has to have her pressures checked in all four extremities). It was her lucky day that the nurse only needed one blood pressure measurement. A big relief that Clare's increase in her medication dose did the trick in bringing her blood pressure back down. With this news, when we see her cardiologist in March, I am fairly confident we will not be sent to have an MRI done of Clare's renal arteries.
Second big news was how much Clare has grown! She now measures 34.5 inches and weighs 23 pounds, 4 ounces. That's an increase of over 2 pounds and an inch. She has actually made it onto the growth chart for height (at the tenth percentile) and has more of a curve in weight (she will probably never be on the chart for weight, but a curve is better than a flatline).
Our third big news is that Clare's endo is trialing her off her thyroid medication. By age three, the crucial brain development stage when the thyroid is ultra-important has passed. The thyroid is still very important, but it's a safe time to see how Clare does without taking Synthroid, the synthetic thyroid hormone. In the long run, coming off her medication for six weeks won't harm her. Clare's dose has never increased since she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at six weeks old. So her body is producing some of its own thyroid hormone, and her endo feels she is a good candidate to trial off the medication. He will test Clare's thyroid levels in six weeks and see how her body does on its own. I am excited to trial her off the medication (one less med would be great!), but I am also not holding my breath since Jamie was also trialed off at the age of three and his levels plummeted. He is now on Synthroid for life. Clare's endo is also going to check her calcium levels in six weeks. If they are in the solid normal range (as they have been for the last year), then he states the chances of Clare developing hypercalcemia are slim and she is in the clear. We will do a couple rounds of blood work on her thyroid levels and see the endocrinologist again at the end of April.
So now the fun.... enjoy our crazy, adorable, sweet, lovable children!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Evals Here, Eval There, Evals EVERYWHERE!
Clare had her six-month evaluation with Easter Seals today. Her OT, PT, and a speech therapist (along with a student shadowing our PT) came to our house and spent the afternoon with us. I had the joy of 1) observing Clare's evaluation while pretending to not observe so Clare would not be distracted while 2) making sure Jamie stayed out of everyone's way while at the same time making him feel involved and useful and not missing out on the fun while 3) entertaining, breastfeeding, rocking, swinging, bouncing Simon while 4) answering loads of questions about Clare's current activities while lastly 5) overseeing the furniture repairman who was repairing a gouge in our new bunk bed set. It was a challenging afternoon for all involved!
Clare continues to lag behind when it comes to gross motor skills. She is currently at a 12-14 month level, which is up from her pre-walking 10-month level at her June evaluation, but still very low. I know Clare’s hurdles are that she does not climb. She cannot run or jump, has trouble on uneven surfaces, does not do stairs, and cannot even manage stepping up and down on curbs. She even panics when faced with a low threshold that she has never encountered. She has the three floors of our house down pat, but wants to hold hands when at someone else’s house and needs to step from a carpet to wood floor (which has an almost nonexistent difference in height). We are working on the stairs and encouraging her to step up and down alone, but she prefers to be carried.
All evaluators noted Clare's difficulty with visual perception and focus. We will be exploring in the near future having her seen by the special developmental opthamologist and researching vision therapy. There are pages I could write about everything they noted in that area. Bottom line is that Clare is having trouble, and we are going to try to fix it!!
Clare’s speech and fine motor skills are more at a 24-month level. Her vocabulary has exploded, and she chats all the time (about 50% is understandable). The cats and baby dolls get lots of scoldings these days (apparently there is a lot of biting going on in the house because I hear many “no bites” and see frequent finger-shakings at animals and dolls – I do feel bad for them because the time-out spot of choice is in the play kitchen oven). Clare has started telling knock knock jokes. Okay, she has a repertoire of one, but I am pretty impressed with it, especially since she came up with it all by herself:
Clare: Knock knock
Who’s there?
Clare: Midnight
Midnight who?
Clare: Meow
The speech therapist noted that although Clare can manage almost all the consonant sounds, she has a lot of soft sounds (such as soft “b” and “p”). She foresees that Clare will definitely have speech therapy added to her schedule once she starts school.
On the positive side, Clare is at age-appropriate levels in her receptive language skills and self-help skills. We were very pleased to hear this (even though we knew she was doing well in those areas). Following Dr. Mervis’ advice in not coddling Clare, we are encouraging her to be more independent and do things for herself. She sleeps in a bottom bunk bed now, helps with dressing and undressing, brushes her teeth, washes in the bathtub, and has recently started potty-training (very recent, many M&M bribes, and Elmo is learning, too). Clare is slightly afraid of our small potty, so we are taking it slow. But it is gratifying to hear that our hard work is paying off in that Clare is where she should be in that area. These are the skills that Dr. Mervis said will make a difference in Clare’s adult life. We are even experimenting with no more coddling when it comes to food. Clare is served what the rest of the family eats and we go from there. I have seen her eat things I thought she would not be able to eat, and now we are wondering how much of Clare’s eating frustrations are due to her oral motor skills and how much are due to her wanting her own way.
The next step is for the school district to review Clare’s evaluation and set up their own. We were told they will most likely want at least an evaluation by an educator, since there was no educator present at today’s evaluation. Whether the school department wants OT, PT, and speech evals is up in the air. We should be notified about 6 weeks before Clare’s third birthday when her evaluation with the school’s team will be. Then there will be classroom placement, IEP writing, and more. We are at 10 weeks and counting until Clare starts preschool. A date that seemed so far in the future is now looming closer and closer.
Clare continues to lag behind when it comes to gross motor skills. She is currently at a 12-14 month level, which is up from her pre-walking 10-month level at her June evaluation, but still very low. I know Clare’s hurdles are that she does not climb. She cannot run or jump, has trouble on uneven surfaces, does not do stairs, and cannot even manage stepping up and down on curbs. She even panics when faced with a low threshold that she has never encountered. She has the three floors of our house down pat, but wants to hold hands when at someone else’s house and needs to step from a carpet to wood floor (which has an almost nonexistent difference in height). We are working on the stairs and encouraging her to step up and down alone, but she prefers to be carried.
All evaluators noted Clare's difficulty with visual perception and focus. We will be exploring in the near future having her seen by the special developmental opthamologist and researching vision therapy. There are pages I could write about everything they noted in that area. Bottom line is that Clare is having trouble, and we are going to try to fix it!!
Clare’s speech and fine motor skills are more at a 24-month level. Her vocabulary has exploded, and she chats all the time (about 50% is understandable). The cats and baby dolls get lots of scoldings these days (apparently there is a lot of biting going on in the house because I hear many “no bites” and see frequent finger-shakings at animals and dolls – I do feel bad for them because the time-out spot of choice is in the play kitchen oven). Clare has started telling knock knock jokes. Okay, she has a repertoire of one, but I am pretty impressed with it, especially since she came up with it all by herself:
Clare: Knock knock
Who’s there?
Clare: Midnight
Midnight who?
Clare: Meow
The speech therapist noted that although Clare can manage almost all the consonant sounds, she has a lot of soft sounds (such as soft “b” and “p”). She foresees that Clare will definitely have speech therapy added to her schedule once she starts school.
On the positive side, Clare is at age-appropriate levels in her receptive language skills and self-help skills. We were very pleased to hear this (even though we knew she was doing well in those areas). Following Dr. Mervis’ advice in not coddling Clare, we are encouraging her to be more independent and do things for herself. She sleeps in a bottom bunk bed now, helps with dressing and undressing, brushes her teeth, washes in the bathtub, and has recently started potty-training (very recent, many M&M bribes, and Elmo is learning, too). Clare is slightly afraid of our small potty, so we are taking it slow. But it is gratifying to hear that our hard work is paying off in that Clare is where she should be in that area. These are the skills that Dr. Mervis said will make a difference in Clare’s adult life. We are even experimenting with no more coddling when it comes to food. Clare is served what the rest of the family eats and we go from there. I have seen her eat things I thought she would not be able to eat, and now we are wondering how much of Clare’s eating frustrations are due to her oral motor skills and how much are due to her wanting her own way.
The next step is for the school district to review Clare’s evaluation and set up their own. We were told they will most likely want at least an evaluation by an educator, since there was no educator present at today’s evaluation. Whether the school department wants OT, PT, and speech evals is up in the air. We should be notified about 6 weeks before Clare’s third birthday when her evaluation with the school’s team will be. Then there will be classroom placement, IEP writing, and more. We are at 10 weeks and counting until Clare starts preschool. A date that seemed so far in the future is now looming closer and closer.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Old Man Winter
We have already been hit hard this winter with snow, snow, and more snow. (Snowiest December on record for over 100 years and still coming.) I love it. I don't mind the freezing cold mornings, bundling kids in layers upon layers, navigating our badly-plowed road (it may be a different story come March, though!!). Jamie loves the snow. He treks out every chance he can get. Unfortunately, it is not as often as he would like since neither Clare nor Simon want to be out in the snow. But we have gotten a few good days of snow play. I even got the chance to snow blow all by myself during one huge storm while Shawn was gone for a couple days! (I am not usually allowed to touch the toys... I mean tools.)
We are settling into our winter, post-Christmas life. Clare has (and had) a round of doctor's appointments and evaluations coming up - orthopedic, neurology, feeding team, Early Intervention evaluation, preschool evaluation, lung scan, and, of course, the ever-present cardiology and echo (but we're still a few weeks away from that one). More updates as we check the list off one by one!
Clare had her "annual" eye doctor appointment before Christmas. It it is supposed to be annual, but the trauma of experiencing her first appointment when she was just a few months old was enough for me to keep pushing it back and pushing it back. (Trauma for both mommy and Clare - as in inserting a speculum to keep Clare's eyes open.) Finally, after being questioned by almost every doctor and her therapists whether Clare had her eyes checked recently, I realized that I could not hide any longer. I am pleased to say that 1) no speculum required this time and 2) no problems with Clare's visual acuity, no drift, no strabismus, nothing requiring glasses. (Although many of Clare's WS-buddies wear glasses and are adorable, I have to think it is also a pain in the butt. I have enough pains in that area.) However, both Clare's OT and PT noted that Clare has problems with visual perception. We are discussing the option of having her evaluated by an opthamologist who specializes in this and looking into vision therapy. Also, since Clare does have some vestibular issues and trouble having her eyes follow and focus on objects without moving her head, we may try an astronaut spinning program with her as well. There is a whole bunch of technical mumbo jumbo to go along with this, but I am running on empty today, so I am not going into it all. Let's just say that the fun never ends around here!
While we may be adding doctors and specialists to our busy life, we are also trying to knock them off one-by-one. Clare was officially discharged from her neurologist last month. He does not see any neurological issues coming into play with Clare at this time. So now he has seen her, knows her, tracked her baseline, and if anything comes up in the future, we can take it from there. We had Clare's orthopedic appointment as well. It is also official that there will be no more AFO's (which is good since they have been sitting in the living room closet untouched for about four months now!). Clare does roll in on her ankles when walking; other than that, she is very steady on her own and does not need any special shoes, supports, or braces. Clare is doing great walking indoors. Outside is still very iffy. I have not really pushed her on the outside portion with winter. Ice, snow, slush, puddles - just not fun learning conditions! Come spring and summer, we're going to concentrate on Clare becoming more comfortable walking outside. The orthopedist did take a look at Clare's left foot because of her toes and stated she does indeed have a clawed toe. (Her toe right next to the big toe curls down and the big toe and third toe lap right over it.) Her first joint is very stiff there and her toe muscle seems weak. Right now, it is not impeding her walking and is not causing any pain or discomfort (or at least Clare does not complain about it). It will have to be surgically-fixed in the future if it becomes a problem, but for now, the doctor is going to keep an eye on it. Clare does not need to return to orthopedics for a year.
As much as I love the Christmas season, I do look forward to getting back into our routine. Back to preschool drop-offs and pick-ups, swim classes (of which Simon has joined the ranks), and all the appointments. Plus we're gearing up for the Ninja Turtle birthday party some nameless-almost five-year old is having in a few weeks!
We are settling into our winter, post-Christmas life. Clare has (and had) a round of doctor's appointments and evaluations coming up - orthopedic, neurology, feeding team, Early Intervention evaluation, preschool evaluation, lung scan, and, of course, the ever-present cardiology and echo (but we're still a few weeks away from that one). More updates as we check the list off one by one!
Clare had her "annual" eye doctor appointment before Christmas. It it is supposed to be annual, but the trauma of experiencing her first appointment when she was just a few months old was enough for me to keep pushing it back and pushing it back. (Trauma for both mommy and Clare - as in inserting a speculum to keep Clare's eyes open.) Finally, after being questioned by almost every doctor and her therapists whether Clare had her eyes checked recently, I realized that I could not hide any longer. I am pleased to say that 1) no speculum required this time and 2) no problems with Clare's visual acuity, no drift, no strabismus, nothing requiring glasses. (Although many of Clare's WS-buddies wear glasses and are adorable, I have to think it is also a pain in the butt. I have enough pains in that area.) However, both Clare's OT and PT noted that Clare has problems with visual perception. We are discussing the option of having her evaluated by an opthamologist who specializes in this and looking into vision therapy. Also, since Clare does have some vestibular issues and trouble having her eyes follow and focus on objects without moving her head, we may try an astronaut spinning program with her as well. There is a whole bunch of technical mumbo jumbo to go along with this, but I am running on empty today, so I am not going into it all. Let's just say that the fun never ends around here!
While we may be adding doctors and specialists to our busy life, we are also trying to knock them off one-by-one. Clare was officially discharged from her neurologist last month. He does not see any neurological issues coming into play with Clare at this time. So now he has seen her, knows her, tracked her baseline, and if anything comes up in the future, we can take it from there. We had Clare's orthopedic appointment as well. It is also official that there will be no more AFO's (which is good since they have been sitting in the living room closet untouched for about four months now!). Clare does roll in on her ankles when walking; other than that, she is very steady on her own and does not need any special shoes, supports, or braces. Clare is doing great walking indoors. Outside is still very iffy. I have not really pushed her on the outside portion with winter. Ice, snow, slush, puddles - just not fun learning conditions! Come spring and summer, we're going to concentrate on Clare becoming more comfortable walking outside. The orthopedist did take a look at Clare's left foot because of her toes and stated she does indeed have a clawed toe. (Her toe right next to the big toe curls down and the big toe and third toe lap right over it.) Her first joint is very stiff there and her toe muscle seems weak. Right now, it is not impeding her walking and is not causing any pain or discomfort (or at least Clare does not complain about it). It will have to be surgically-fixed in the future if it becomes a problem, but for now, the doctor is going to keep an eye on it. Clare does not need to return to orthopedics for a year.
As much as I love the Christmas season, I do look forward to getting back into our routine. Back to preschool drop-offs and pick-ups, swim classes (of which Simon has joined the ranks), and all the appointments. Plus we're gearing up for the Ninja Turtle birthday party some nameless-almost five-year old is having in a few weeks!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Christmas Season
The plethora of photos and videos are to make up for my lack of actual words written lately. But we are finally digging ourselves out from under the pile of Christmas presents, cookies, and decorations, so here we go!
Christmas seemed to come so fast this year. Shawn and I made a pact to sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday season. I try to get the majority of my shopping done before Thanksgiving, so I do not have to face the mall, traffic, or the hordes of people in December. I am proud to say that goal was accomplished at least. But there are still always the zillion last-minute runs to Target and the grocery store. And, after bemoaning the fact that Walgreens was actually advertising it would be open on Christmas Day (my words: "Isn't Christmas sacred anymore? Who needs to be at Walgreens on Christmas Day. The tin foil can wait."), I had to eat my words with a run to Walgreens on, yes, Christmas Day for the batteries and baby food that Santa forgot to bring.
This year, I had to remind myself over and over to SIMPLIFY. That was my Christmas theme. And we did. We cut back on the amount of gift exchanges we were involved in. We went to one less Christmas party. We decided not to put out all the Christmas decorations this year, but just a select few. Shawn and I even instituted a 2-gift rule for each other. I admit that at times I was still overwhelmed by everything that needed to get done before Christmas (or I felt needed to get done) and had a couple of Christmas panics. But, on the whole, I feel like we did very well in keeping the chaos to a minimum, the consumerism at bay, and the true meaning of Christmas in abundance. Several nights, we packed the kids in the car after dinner and drove around admiring Christmas lights. I baked more cookies this year than I ever have. And not by buying the mix at the store that you add water and an egg to, which I did last year in a feeble attempt to make some cookies. Everything was from scratch - lemon squares, M&M cookies, special Christmas brownies, sugar cookies, you name it. We faithfully lit the candles of our Advent wreath every night, reading Bible passages and singing songs as we prepared ourselves for the birth of Jesus. Jamie and Clare did extra good deeds throughout Advent, and we wrote them down nightly on little slips of paper to put them in a special Jesus stocking we hung on the tree. They then bought baby Jesus a birthday present (this year he received a stuffed pony), which was carefully wrapped. Both the stocking and present were left under the tree on Christmas Eve. This was the first year Jamie started singing Christmas carols and learned "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" by heart. Instead of her normal "hi," Clare greeted everyone with "ho ho ho." Simon was the only child who was all smiles sitting on Santa's lap. Now we are counting down the twelve days of Christmas until January 6, the Epiphany of the Lord, the Feast of the Three Kings, when the wisemen came to pay homage to Jesus. (Which also happens to be Shawn's birthday!) That will be when our Christmas season truly ends.
I want my children to remember the traditions we have in our family surrounding Christmas. They may not remember that this was the year that Santa brought Jamie the ninja turtle van or Clare her baby doll stroller or Simon his train, but I hope they remember the joy, fun, laughter, and wonder we had getting ready for Christmas. I know I will.
Christmas seemed to come so fast this year. Shawn and I made a pact to sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday season. I try to get the majority of my shopping done before Thanksgiving, so I do not have to face the mall, traffic, or the hordes of people in December. I am proud to say that goal was accomplished at least. But there are still always the zillion last-minute runs to Target and the grocery store. And, after bemoaning the fact that Walgreens was actually advertising it would be open on Christmas Day (my words: "Isn't Christmas sacred anymore? Who needs to be at Walgreens on Christmas Day. The tin foil can wait."), I had to eat my words with a run to Walgreens on, yes, Christmas Day for the batteries and baby food that Santa forgot to bring.
This year, I had to remind myself over and over to SIMPLIFY. That was my Christmas theme. And we did. We cut back on the amount of gift exchanges we were involved in. We went to one less Christmas party. We decided not to put out all the Christmas decorations this year, but just a select few. Shawn and I even instituted a 2-gift rule for each other. I admit that at times I was still overwhelmed by everything that needed to get done before Christmas (or I felt needed to get done) and had a couple of Christmas panics. But, on the whole, I feel like we did very well in keeping the chaos to a minimum, the consumerism at bay, and the true meaning of Christmas in abundance. Several nights, we packed the kids in the car after dinner and drove around admiring Christmas lights. I baked more cookies this year than I ever have. And not by buying the mix at the store that you add water and an egg to, which I did last year in a feeble attempt to make some cookies. Everything was from scratch - lemon squares, M&M cookies, special Christmas brownies, sugar cookies, you name it. We faithfully lit the candles of our Advent wreath every night, reading Bible passages and singing songs as we prepared ourselves for the birth of Jesus. Jamie and Clare did extra good deeds throughout Advent, and we wrote them down nightly on little slips of paper to put them in a special Jesus stocking we hung on the tree. They then bought baby Jesus a birthday present (this year he received a stuffed pony), which was carefully wrapped. Both the stocking and present were left under the tree on Christmas Eve. This was the first year Jamie started singing Christmas carols and learned "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" by heart. Instead of her normal "hi," Clare greeted everyone with "ho ho ho." Simon was the only child who was all smiles sitting on Santa's lap. Now we are counting down the twelve days of Christmas until January 6, the Epiphany of the Lord, the Feast of the Three Kings, when the wisemen came to pay homage to Jesus. (Which also happens to be Shawn's birthday!) That will be when our Christmas season truly ends.
I want my children to remember the traditions we have in our family surrounding Christmas. They may not remember that this was the year that Santa brought Jamie the ninja turtle van or Clare her baby doll stroller or Simon his train, but I hope they remember the joy, fun, laughter, and wonder we had getting ready for Christmas. I know I will.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Experiences in a Waiting Room
I had to bring Simon to the pediatrician’s yesterday for his flu shot booster. While I was there, I popped into Clare’s cardiology office to see if they would do a blood pressure check for me (the luxury of having Clare’s specialists right next door to the pediatrician). We have been monitoring Clare’s blood pressure at home, but Shawn’s machine is out on loan right now. It has been ten days since we have been able to check her blood pressure. The last time we checked, her top number was still 130, so I wanted to alleviate that concern. Thankfully, it was down to 109. The increased dose must have finally kicked in!
Upon exiting the doctor’s office, I was busy bundling the kids back up in their jackets, hats, mittens, in the waiting room. I had noticed two women sitting in the chairs – one in her 50's, the other probably around 30. Clare was walking around making friends with a little boy on the other side when the older of the two women suddenly asked me, “Does your daughter have Williams syndrome?” Shocked, I replied, “Yes, she does!” That is when the younger woman piped up, “I have Williams syndrome, too!” I took a closer look at this well-groomed, beautifully-coiffed (what a great word!), beaming woman. And sure enough, behind her glasses, I could see the puffy eyes. I saw the button nose. She had a wide smile with gorgeous teeth. She instantly started cooing over Clare and Simon. I had tons upon tons of questions flashing through my brain (Do you live with your mother? Are you here to see the cardiologist? Did you have your teeth done?) but clamped down on the urge to let them spill out, not wanting to be rude and nosy. Instead, we exchanged small talk as I continued to gear up Simon and Clare. The mother stated that she could tell instantly from the moment we walked into the waiting room that Clare had Williams syndrome. The daughter told me that Clare looked just like she did at that age, with the same curly hair. I did not get any answers to the burning questions in my mind, but, strangely enough, I did receive some peace in my heart. A little glimpse into what the future would be like – me bringing Clare to the cardiologist’s, even when she was 30 years old. And it wasn’t so bad.
On another note, Clare has made the transition out of the crib. One of our goals upon leaving Louisville was to transfer Clare into the toddler bed. When we arrived home, Shawn set up the bed in Jamie and Clare’s bedroom. Our plan was to leave both the bed and crib in there for about a month, and then slowly have Clare start transitioning into the bed. (This is how we transitioned Jamie out of the crib.) That night, however, Clare refused to go in the crib. “No, no, no,” she yelled. Shawn asked her where she wanted to sleep. She emphatically pointed to the toddler bed. And that was that – her crib days were over. Shawn snapped this photo a couple nights after Clare stopped sleeping in the crib. It is a bittersweet milestone to watch your once baby girl sleeping in her big girl bed. Or at least near it.
(And, yes, the mess is Clare’s post-bedtime mess that she likes to make before falling asleep on the floor at night. And the big lump of pillows, blankets, and animals on the left is Jamie somewhere.)
Upon exiting the doctor’s office, I was busy bundling the kids back up in their jackets, hats, mittens, in the waiting room. I had noticed two women sitting in the chairs – one in her 50's, the other probably around 30. Clare was walking around making friends with a little boy on the other side when the older of the two women suddenly asked me, “Does your daughter have Williams syndrome?” Shocked, I replied, “Yes, she does!” That is when the younger woman piped up, “I have Williams syndrome, too!” I took a closer look at this well-groomed, beautifully-coiffed (what a great word!), beaming woman. And sure enough, behind her glasses, I could see the puffy eyes. I saw the button nose. She had a wide smile with gorgeous teeth. She instantly started cooing over Clare and Simon. I had tons upon tons of questions flashing through my brain (Do you live with your mother? Are you here to see the cardiologist? Did you have your teeth done?) but clamped down on the urge to let them spill out, not wanting to be rude and nosy. Instead, we exchanged small talk as I continued to gear up Simon and Clare. The mother stated that she could tell instantly from the moment we walked into the waiting room that Clare had Williams syndrome. The daughter told me that Clare looked just like she did at that age, with the same curly hair. I did not get any answers to the burning questions in my mind, but, strangely enough, I did receive some peace in my heart. A little glimpse into what the future would be like – me bringing Clare to the cardiologist’s, even when she was 30 years old. And it wasn’t so bad.
On another note, Clare has made the transition out of the crib. One of our goals upon leaving Louisville was to transfer Clare into the toddler bed. When we arrived home, Shawn set up the bed in Jamie and Clare’s bedroom. Our plan was to leave both the bed and crib in there for about a month, and then slowly have Clare start transitioning into the bed. (This is how we transitioned Jamie out of the crib.) That night, however, Clare refused to go in the crib. “No, no, no,” she yelled. Shawn asked her where she wanted to sleep. She emphatically pointed to the toddler bed. And that was that – her crib days were over. Shawn snapped this photo a couple nights after Clare stopped sleeping in the crib. It is a bittersweet milestone to watch your once baby girl sleeping in her big girl bed. Or at least near it.
(And, yes, the mess is Clare’s post-bedtime mess that she likes to make before falling asleep on the floor at night. And the big lump of pillows, blankets, and animals on the left is Jamie somewhere.)
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Joy
In searching my photos for a good one of Clare to submit to the Williams Syndrome Association for their annual Valentine Fund, I came across this one. My friend Jamie (who is an amazing photographer) captured it during apple picking in October. It is so gorgeous and my baby is so gorgeous, it just brought me so much joy. I wanted to share it.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
I Heart Huckabee!
S~Living in NH at this time it is hard to not get involved in Politics...
Here is a picture of me asking Mike Huckabee about his Healthcare plan.Saturday, December 01, 2007
Quest for a Perfect Christmas Photo
I love sending photo cards of the children at Christmas. So I am constantly on the look-out for a great photo. Being in WV this Thanksgiving, the kids were all dressed to match and my grandmother's house is beautiful. Perfect!
Almost passable except for the semi-smile from Clare, the fake smile from Jamie, and Simon slowly slipping away from his brother.
Take Two: Now the boys look happy, but what is with that face from Clare??So photo-taking at my grandmother's house was a bust. No need to fear. While we were staying with my sister and her husband in New Jersey on the way home, we visited the spectacular Longwood Gardens. These gardens were incredible and there were a plethora of possible photo sites. Here we go...
I loved this Christmas tree display. However, I was not crazy about the fact that the kids were wearing their outerwear. Plus the whole standing idea did not work.
Let's try sitting down. Nope, Clare just wanted to stand. Jamie did a great job holding Simon, but Simon was too distracted by the flowers and lights.
I loved this Christmas tree display. However, I was not crazy about the fact that the kids were wearing their outerwear. Plus the whole standing idea did not work.Let's try sitting down. Nope, Clare just wanted to stand. Jamie did a great job holding Simon, but Simon was too distracted by the flowers and lights. We finally find a display that is not only gorgeous, but located right at a bench (no standing, no sitting on the floor). We are inside the warm conservatory of gardens and the kids actually match (and not on purpose).
By this time, we have been touring the gardens for close to three hours. The kids are exhausted and are on Day Nine of our road trip. Jamie was definitely done with the day, Clare is trying to catch shadows, and Simon, I am not sure what's going on in his little head. 
After promises that this is the absolutely last photo stop, cajoling for smiles, and lots of aunties saying "Jamie," "Clare," "Simon," we finally get smiles from all three. Too bad Clare has Simon in a choke hold.
And then poking his eyes. And now I am done and calling it a night. The quest continues... Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Surprise.... It's An Echo!
There's nothing like returning home and discovering that Clare's echo is now only three days away instead of four weeks.
Due to the fact that Clare's cardiologist is unexpectedly going to be out of the office for December and January (and Clare had an echo scheduled for December 18), she did not want Clare to wait until February to echo her. While we were away, the office rescheduled Clare's echo to today. The suddenness of it made me nervous for some reason. Why didn't the doctor want to wait until February? After realizing that it had already been over two months since Clare's last cath, I started to feel those familiar butterflies flitting around in my stomach.
I am happy to say that the echo was fairly good news. (With Clare, there never is a truly good echo unfortunately.) Her narrowings are only slightly worse, her valve is still only slightly leaking, and her pressure gradients remain about the same (as far as the doctor could tell because she didn't actually get a good study on that particular number at this echo). All in all, Clare continues to be clinically stable and does not need another cath right now. Her blood pressures are creeping up, though. One of the benefits of being a defibrillator salesman is that Shawn has blood pressure machines in our house. So we take Clare's blood pressure often (which then naturally extends to taking Jamie's, since he begs and begs). Lately, her numbers have been high. Today, in the doctor's office, her top number was 130. And that's on blood pressure meds! Clare's cardiologist is still concerned that there may be some narrowing in her renal arteries, but she does not want to risk sedating Clare to obtain a MRI of those arteries. She increased Clare's dose of blood pressure medication (since Clare seems to be going through a growth spurt - we've hit 22 pounds!). We're going to take her blood pressure twice a week until we see the doctor again in early March. If her pressures do not decrease with the new dose, then Clare will have to undergo a MRI.
Due to the fact that Clare's cardiologist is unexpectedly going to be out of the office for December and January (and Clare had an echo scheduled for December 18), she did not want Clare to wait until February to echo her. While we were away, the office rescheduled Clare's echo to today. The suddenness of it made me nervous for some reason. Why didn't the doctor want to wait until February? After realizing that it had already been over two months since Clare's last cath, I started to feel those familiar butterflies flitting around in my stomach.
I am happy to say that the echo was fairly good news. (With Clare, there never is a truly good echo unfortunately.) Her narrowings are only slightly worse, her valve is still only slightly leaking, and her pressure gradients remain about the same (as far as the doctor could tell because she didn't actually get a good study on that particular number at this echo). All in all, Clare continues to be clinically stable and does not need another cath right now. Her blood pressures are creeping up, though. One of the benefits of being a defibrillator salesman is that Shawn has blood pressure machines in our house. So we take Clare's blood pressure often (which then naturally extends to taking Jamie's, since he begs and begs). Lately, her numbers have been high. Today, in the doctor's office, her top number was 130. And that's on blood pressure meds! Clare's cardiologist is still concerned that there may be some narrowing in her renal arteries, but she does not want to risk sedating Clare to obtain a MRI of those arteries. She increased Clare's dose of blood pressure medication (since Clare seems to be going through a growth spurt - we've hit 22 pounds!). We're going to take her blood pressure twice a week until we see the doctor again in early March. If her pressures do not decrease with the new dose, then Clare will have to undergo a MRI.
Monday, November 26, 2007
The Indicator
We are home from our road trip! Lots and lots of visiting family, hours in the car, and information loaded into ten days.
We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with my grandparents in West Virginia. My older sister came down with us and my mom flew in as well, so we were surrounded by family. We were able to leave Jamie with my mom and sister at my grandparents while we took Clare to Louisville, Kentucky (and, of course, Simon) to meet Dr. Mervis. There is so much to tell, it would take an exceedingly long post and no one wants to read that. So I will try to keep it brief!
After two days of various tests and assessments, Dr. Mervis concluded that Clare is doing very well cognitively. Dr. Mervis stated that Clare's receptive language skills are "exceptional" - one of the best she has ever seen in a child with Williams syndrome of Clare's age. In fact, Clare tested "average" as compared to typical children her age. Her verbal skills are "very good" compared to children with Williams syndrome, and she tested "low average" as compared to typical children. All news we were thrilled to hear. I had prepared myself for a scolding that Clare was not receiving any formal speech therapy. On the contrary, Dr. Mervis was very impressed with Clare's language skills and told us to keep up whatever we are doing. She encouraged lots of labeling, reading stories, and continuing to build Clare's vocabulary.
Dr. Mervis' assistant noted that Clare is a "good indicator." At first, I had no idea what she meant then realized that it was because Clare points out objects, shows you stuff, knows what she wants. I liked The Indicator as Clare's superhero name. I wonder what her special power would be.
Dr. Mervis did note that Clare is delayed in her non-verbal reasoning skills and mastery motivation. She is easily frustrated, does not always like to finish a task to completion, and gives up easily. Dr. Mervis feels that much of Clare's temper tantrums are due to her lack of non-verbal reasoning skills. Instead of being able to make a choice in her head, Clare simply throws a fit. She recommended lots of positive attention and praise for just trying, even if not succeeding. Activities such as puzzles and matching games will help Clare build up those skills. Hopefully by helping Clare learn to make choices, consider options, not giving up, and express herself verbally, we can lessen her tantrums. We're already using the phrase "use your words, Clare" over and over (one of those annoying "parent phrases" you hear, but then find yourself uttering!). And Clare is responding. She now says "help, please" or "help, Mama" if she needs assistance instead of issuing a high-pitched noise of frustration.
Dr. Mervis was satisfied with the quantity of Clare's therapies right now. She recommended that once Clare is in school, she should have OT, PT, and speech in school with an additional hour of OT per week in an outpatient setting. I admit that I was partially dreading this trip to see Dr. Mervis because I was afraid of what she would have to say about Clare. To hear her say that Clare As she put it, "Clare will not get dumber." Intellectually, she is more than capable of holding a job, live independently of her parents, and maintain relationships. It's now up to us to encourage, support, and give Clare those self-help skills to live in this big, big world. And in the immediate future, goals such as preschool, potty-training, and transitioning out of her crib are in the forefront.
On the way home, we stopped at my younger sister's in New Jersey for a couple days. It was neat seeing her apartment with her new husband. (It's still slightly weird to think of my sister as grown-up and married, even though she is only two years younger than me.) The whole family was excited to finally arrive home late Sunday night. We were exhausted by the end of the trip, as I am sure my family was as well! Ten days with three little ones when you are not used to it (or are used to it!) is a whole new experience. But I am glad we made the trip, and we are very satisfied with the feedback we received from Dr. Mervis.
We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with my grandparents in West Virginia. My older sister came down with us and my mom flew in as well, so we were surrounded by family. We were able to leave Jamie with my mom and sister at my grandparents while we took Clare to Louisville, Kentucky (and, of course, Simon) to meet Dr. Mervis. There is so much to tell, it would take an exceedingly long post and no one wants to read that. So I will try to keep it brief!
After two days of various tests and assessments, Dr. Mervis concluded that Clare is doing very well cognitively. Dr. Mervis stated that Clare's receptive language skills are "exceptional" - one of the best she has ever seen in a child with Williams syndrome of Clare's age. In fact, Clare tested "average" as compared to typical children her age. Her verbal skills are "very good" compared to children with Williams syndrome, and she tested "low average" as compared to typical children. All news we were thrilled to hear. I had prepared myself for a scolding that Clare was not receiving any formal speech therapy. On the contrary, Dr. Mervis was very impressed with Clare's language skills and told us to keep up whatever we are doing. She encouraged lots of labeling, reading stories, and continuing to build Clare's vocabulary.
Dr. Mervis' assistant noted that Clare is a "good indicator." At first, I had no idea what she meant then realized that it was because Clare points out objects, shows you stuff, knows what she wants. I liked The Indicator as Clare's superhero name. I wonder what her special power would be.
Dr. Mervis did note that Clare is delayed in her non-verbal reasoning skills and mastery motivation. She is easily frustrated, does not always like to finish a task to completion, and gives up easily. Dr. Mervis feels that much of Clare's temper tantrums are due to her lack of non-verbal reasoning skills. Instead of being able to make a choice in her head, Clare simply throws a fit. She recommended lots of positive attention and praise for just trying, even if not succeeding. Activities such as puzzles and matching games will help Clare build up those skills. Hopefully by helping Clare learn to make choices, consider options, not giving up, and express herself verbally, we can lessen her tantrums. We're already using the phrase "use your words, Clare" over and over (one of those annoying "parent phrases" you hear, but then find yourself uttering!). And Clare is responding. She now says "help, please" or "help, Mama" if she needs assistance instead of issuing a high-pitched noise of frustration.
Dr. Mervis was satisfied with the quantity of Clare's therapies right now. She recommended that once Clare is in school, she should have OT, PT, and speech in school with an additional hour of OT per week in an outpatient setting. I admit that I was partially dreading this trip to see Dr. Mervis because I was afraid of what she would have to say about Clare. To hear her say that Clare As she put it, "Clare will not get dumber." Intellectually, she is more than capable of holding a job, live independently of her parents, and maintain relationships. It's now up to us to encourage, support, and give Clare those self-help skills to live in this big, big world. And in the immediate future, goals such as preschool, potty-training, and transitioning out of her crib are in the forefront.
On the way home, we stopped at my younger sister's in New Jersey for a couple days. It was neat seeing her apartment with her new husband. (It's still slightly weird to think of my sister as grown-up and married, even though she is only two years younger than me.) The whole family was excited to finally arrive home late Sunday night. We were exhausted by the end of the trip, as I am sure my family was as well! Ten days with three little ones when you are not used to it (or are used to it!) is a whole new experience. But I am glad we made the trip, and we are very satisfied with the feedback we received from Dr. Mervis.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Words
Today while doing some Christmas shopping at Toys 'R Us, Shawn pointed out this poster to me in the checkout line:
As the parent of a special needs child, I have grown a pretty thick skin when it comes to words. What's politically correct to say? What's the proper terminology? What's accepted language in this day and age? Can I use the word "retarded" to describe my child? Can others? Personally, I would not use the word "retarded" to describe Clare. We have no measurement of her IQ. I don't know if she actually falls in the lines of retardation. But she is delayed. She is slow to learn. She is not doing many things that are age-appropriate. So I would not be surprised if someone else used the word "retarded." (In a professional capacity, of course!) After dealing with Clare's heart issues, hearing that she is retarded is definitely not the worst of what we've heard. I will take that any day over hearing some of the stuff we have heard regarding Clare's heart.
Yet I can understand how "retarded" has become politically incorrect to say. People use the word as slang now. It is used as an insult. But I feel we are now bending over backwards to find the right words to say. I am not allowed to refer to my son as "normal" because it implies my daughter is not. I AM allowed to say that Jamie is "typical," but then what do I call Clare? Atypical? And I have to make sure I am clear that Jamie is only typical of his peer group. And Clare is typical of hers. Am I permitted to use the words "special needs" anymore? How about "cognitively delayed?" Shawn and I personally thought that "genetically-challenged" sounded appropriate. Better than "differently-abled." Are you kidding me??? Part of it makes me laugh because it sounds so ridiculous. But another part of me wonders why we can't just say it like it is.
I know Clare is not normal in many ways. She is not typical of other children her age. I do not need a poster using the words "differently-abled" to make myself feel better about my child. You can refer to one of my children as "normal" and the other one as "special." It does not hurt me or offend me to hear those words used concerning Clare. They're just words. And it's the truth! Clare does have special needs. Yet I do love it when someone tells me Clare is acting like a normal kid. Whether it's because she is throwing a temper tantrum, throwing her food, refusing to take a nap or whether it's because she is chatty to all she meets, loves to play with baby dolls, and likes having her fingernails painted. When I question one of her doctors or grill a fellow mom about what other children Clare's age are doing, I am happy to hear that Clare is exhibiting "normal" behavior. That's the stuff that reminds me to treat Clare like a normal kid. To not use her "abnormality" as a get-out-of-jail-free pass. To not let her get away with things because she is not a typical 31-month old. To not just say, "Oh, she has Williams syndrome," and, therefore, excuse her behavior. I am not doing Clare any favors by making excuses for her. She may be "differently-abled," but that does not mean she is unable. Or is that helpless, incompetent, inadequate, unfitted.... oh, who knows anyway?
As the parent of a special needs child, I have grown a pretty thick skin when it comes to words. What's politically correct to say? What's the proper terminology? What's accepted language in this day and age? Can I use the word "retarded" to describe my child? Can others? Personally, I would not use the word "retarded" to describe Clare. We have no measurement of her IQ. I don't know if she actually falls in the lines of retardation. But she is delayed. She is slow to learn. She is not doing many things that are age-appropriate. So I would not be surprised if someone else used the word "retarded." (In a professional capacity, of course!) After dealing with Clare's heart issues, hearing that she is retarded is definitely not the worst of what we've heard. I will take that any day over hearing some of the stuff we have heard regarding Clare's heart.Yet I can understand how "retarded" has become politically incorrect to say. People use the word as slang now. It is used as an insult. But I feel we are now bending over backwards to find the right words to say. I am not allowed to refer to my son as "normal" because it implies my daughter is not. I AM allowed to say that Jamie is "typical," but then what do I call Clare? Atypical? And I have to make sure I am clear that Jamie is only typical of his peer group. And Clare is typical of hers. Am I permitted to use the words "special needs" anymore? How about "cognitively delayed?" Shawn and I personally thought that "genetically-challenged" sounded appropriate. Better than "differently-abled." Are you kidding me??? Part of it makes me laugh because it sounds so ridiculous. But another part of me wonders why we can't just say it like it is.
I know Clare is not normal in many ways. She is not typical of other children her age. I do not need a poster using the words "differently-abled" to make myself feel better about my child. You can refer to one of my children as "normal" and the other one as "special." It does not hurt me or offend me to hear those words used concerning Clare. They're just words. And it's the truth! Clare does have special needs. Yet I do love it when someone tells me Clare is acting like a normal kid. Whether it's because she is throwing a temper tantrum, throwing her food, refusing to take a nap or whether it's because she is chatty to all she meets, loves to play with baby dolls, and likes having her fingernails painted. When I question one of her doctors or grill a fellow mom about what other children Clare's age are doing, I am happy to hear that Clare is exhibiting "normal" behavior. That's the stuff that reminds me to treat Clare like a normal kid. To not use her "abnormality" as a get-out-of-jail-free pass. To not let her get away with things because she is not a typical 31-month old. To not just say, "Oh, she has Williams syndrome," and, therefore, excuse her behavior. I am not doing Clare any favors by making excuses for her. She may be "differently-abled," but that does not mean she is unable. Or is that helpless, incompetent, inadequate, unfitted.... oh, who knows anyway?
Friday, November 09, 2007
Bored
After 2+ years, I changed the background color of the blog because I was bored. The soft, pale orange is much more soothing to my eyes than pink. I was never a pink girl anyway.
And, speaking of being bored, Clare learned how to crawl. Now that walking is so last week, she decided to try something new. It is cute to watch her crawl. I have never seen a child crawl so slow, so deliberately, so determined to actually crawl. Not crawling to get somewhere, but crawling because she can.
And, speaking of being bored, Clare learned how to crawl. Now that walking is so last week, she decided to try something new. It is cute to watch her crawl. I have never seen a child crawl so slow, so deliberately, so determined to actually crawl. Not crawling to get somewhere, but crawling because she can.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Smart Boy
There are some days when I am exhausted by the end of the day (just some days??). Then there are other days when I am exhausted from the very beginning. One day recently, Simon was up for quite a chunk of time in the middle of the night (tooth #2 is cutting). After finally getting him back to sleep around 4am and drifting off myself, I was startled awake when my bedroom door opened at 5am. Shawn being out-of-town, I dimly registered that Jamie had announced he was "all done with sleeping" and ready "to watch a movie." I mumbled something that must have sounded like agreement because I found myself snoozing to the dinosaur sounds of Little Foot and Cera as the pillows next to me were rearranged again and again. It was not until later in the day when I was cleaning up my room that it came back to me that Jamie had also asked for something to eat during his movie. Again, I must have said something about helping himself in the pantry closet downstairs and opened his choice of food for him (since he cannot open most wrappers himself). It was only later, as I was sweeping crumbs off the bed and collecting wrappers, that I realized that Halloween candy and Nutter Butters were the breakfast of champions that morning.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Time to Catch Up
I know my last few posts have been pretty devoid of any information on how life is going. It's busy! With ferrying Jamie to and from school three times a week, a huge chunk of our time at home has gone away. Less time to do laundry, dishes, household cleaning, general clutter-clearing. Which means I am scrambling to fit these things in throughout the day (often losing a good portion of my "Tree" time), which equals less blogging. So there's my excuse!
Jamie is thriving at school. We recently had our first Parent-Teacher Conference (and I had butterflies in my stomach about it even though I did not get to go, just Shawn). You want to hear the teacher say how much they e
njoy having your child in the class, what a well-behaved child he is, what a smart child he is. Thankfully, Jamie's teacher said all three about him! She was surprised to discover that this was Jamie's first year of school and said he was very academic. As a former geek myself, I loved hearing all this. Even though Jamie attending his private preschool is a sacrifice in some ways for us, everything we put into it is more than worth it when we see how excited he is to go to school each day, how he has already grown by leaps and bounds in two short months, how Jamie and school are a perfect fit. Outside school, Jamie continues his weekly swim classes. What a fish that boy is! He loves the water and is a better swimmer than I am! As you can see by the recent photos, superheroes are still the #1 obsession in our house, and our house is a much safer place since Batman lives here.
njoy having your child in the class, what a well-behaved child he is, what a smart child he is. Thankfully, Jamie's teacher said all three about him! She was surprised to discover that this was Jamie's first year of school and said he was very academic. As a former geek myself, I loved hearing all this. Even though Jamie attending his private preschool is a sacrifice in some ways for us, everything we put into it is more than worth it when we see how excited he is to go to school each day, how he has already grown by leaps and bounds in two short months, how Jamie and school are a perfect fit. Outside school, Jamie continues his weekly swim classes. What a fish that boy is! He loves the water and is a better swimmer than I am! As you can see by the recent photos, superheroes are still the #1 obsession in our house, and our house is a much safer place since Batman lives here.Clare also enjoys her swim classes. She has finally started to "get it" in swim class. She will kick when I instruct her to and loves to "jump" into the water. We are working 
on climbing out of the pool. She has not been able to do it on her own yet (as she has not figured out how to climb anything yet - stairs, furniture, etc.), but she loves to repeat the instructions: "elbow, elbow, knee, knee." I hear her reciting them throughout the class. Her language has really taken off. She is not always understandable, but we catch bits and pieces of phrases. She has started to string words together as well. Her first two sentences were (typical of Miss Clare): "Emmies in a bowl?" (her word for M&M's, the all-time favorite food around here - we hear this question about twenty times a day) and "I have boo-boo" (whenever she gets a band-aid, which is quite often). Clare will mimic anything and her new catch phrase is, "Eight, nine, blast-off" (from the Little Einsteins TV show - a popular one with Jamie and Clare). She wants to do everything Jamie does these days and has discovered the fun of stickers and markers (as the photo illustrates). We are gearing up for our big road trip in less than two weeks down to Kentucky and West Virginia. Clare will see Dr. Mervis, the WS expert, for two days, and then we're spending time with my grandparents and family. I am looking forward to the trip to receive some input and insight into the world of Clare, but I am also nervous about what the doctor will have to say (not to mention the 14-hour-plus car ride each way with three kids - thankfully my sister is coming with us!).
on climbing out of the pool. She has not been able to do it on her own yet (as she has not figured out how to climb anything yet - stairs, furniture, etc.), but she loves to repeat the instructions: "elbow, elbow, knee, knee." I hear her reciting them throughout the class. Her language has really taken off. She is not always understandable, but we catch bits and pieces of phrases. She has started to string words together as well. Her first two sentences were (typical of Miss Clare): "Emmies in a bowl?" (her word for M&M's, the all-time favorite food around here - we hear this question about twenty times a day) and "I have boo-boo" (whenever she gets a band-aid, which is quite often). Clare will mimic anything and her new catch phrase is, "Eight, nine, blast-off" (from the Little Einsteins TV show - a popular one with Jamie and Clare). She wants to do everything Jamie does these days and has discovered the fun of stickers and markers (as the photo illustrates). We are gearing up for our big road trip in less than two weeks down to Kentucky and West Virginia. Clare will see Dr. Mervis, the WS expert, for two days, and then we're spending time with my grandparents and family. I am looking forward to the trip to receive some input and insight into the world of Clare, but I am also nervous about what the doctor will have to say (not to mention the 14-hour-plus car ride each way with three kids - thankfully my sister is coming with us!).Simon turned six months old today. I cannot believe he is already six months old! Where has that time gone? He is such a happy, easygoing baby. Everyone comments on what a happy baby we have. Even now, when he is cutting
his first tooth, he is still all smiles. With a lot of drool and chewing on his fist, but still all smiles. Simon is definitely our easiest baby so far. (I keep saying he has to be, being #3!) We are all enjoying how precious it is to have a baby in the house again. I love that Simon's needs are so simple because (1) it makes life easier for me (always thinking selfishly!) and (2) it reminds me to stop and enjoy each and every moment because Simon's first year is flying by. My little man loves all the attention his brother and sister give him, loves to be sung to (which can be tricky because Clare usually loathes to be sung to), and has recently entered the world of solid foods. So far, he is not sure what all the fuss is about.
his first tooth, he is still all smiles. With a lot of drool and chewing on his fist, but still all smiles. Simon is definitely our easiest baby so far. (I keep saying he has to be, being #3!) We are all enjoying how precious it is to have a baby in the house again. I love that Simon's needs are so simple because (1) it makes life easier for me (always thinking selfishly!) and (2) it reminds me to stop and enjoy each and every moment because Simon's first year is flying by. My little man loves all the attention his brother and sister give him, loves to be sung to (which can be tricky because Clare usually loathes to be sung to), and has recently entered the world of solid foods. So far, he is not sure what all the fuss is about.Throughout the busyness of life, Shawn and I are enjoying this time with three little ones in the house. It is often loud and crazy, but also full of love and laughter. (And it took me only four days to complete this post!)
Picture Post
Happy All Saints Day!
And while we're at it, Happy (Belated) Halloween!
Trick-or-treating on her own... a dream come true...
And while we're at it, Happy (Belated) Halloween!
Trick-or-treating on her own... a dream come true...
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