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Post by Emilysmom on Feb 23, 2008 10:44:27 GMT -5
I thought I'd also mention something that I've found to be interesting. Many years ago, when I first found Uno Mas, I used to LOVE going to the photo album and ooohhhing and awwwing over all the kids. Emily used to walk up behind me and look at the pictures too. One day, there was a picture of a young girl with Ds (a bit younger than Emily, but with long dark hair like Em) and she said "HEY!!! That's me on there"!!!! It surprised me at the time! And several times since then, we've seen pictures of girls with Ds and Emily has said "she looks like me"! Interesting, huh??
Susan
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Post by laurasnowbird on Feb 23, 2008 10:52:39 GMT -5
I'm thinking of one of the get-togethers, must have been Chicago, and it seems like it was Robin's Chase who was soooo enjoying going through the photo albums.
ALL of my kids love looking at their pictures. Ethan especially cracks me up, because when I point the camera at him to take a picture, he is VERY impatient with the picture taking part.....wants to "SEE" the picture. We have to explain that he has to stand still for it first, LOL!!!
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Post by dpurvis on Feb 23, 2008 13:00:27 GMT -5
Ashleigh LOVES looking at our photo albums and like our wedding album. she was so funny one day when she was looking at our wedding pictures - about half way through she said
"Hey - how come me and Corey wasn't invited?!?!" She also loves the home movies of Christmas, birthday parties, etc., she will watch those over and over!!
Keep taking those pictures, Jessika, You'll never be sorry - You will love them and so will Noah!!
Debbie
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Post by faithhope on Feb 23, 2008 14:08:28 GMT -5
OH I am so happy to hear that all your kids love pictures and especially that they do recognize themselves. Honestly that is what scares me the most is the not knowing if he will be in his own world and will not be able to know simple things even. I can and have go on and on about the worries, but I will not, at least not know, for now I will just try to concentrate on the positive.
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Post by ALLISA on Feb 23, 2008 14:21:23 GMT -5
I And several times since then, we've seen pictures of girls with Ds and Emily has said "she looks like me"! Interesting, huh?? Susan AWWW......that reminds me once when Erin was a baby and I was grocery shopping with her.....a young woman with DS ( I'd guess she was between 20- 30) was shopping with her mom. She stopped me just to ooh & ahh over the baby in my carriage.....then she stopped.....and said..... "look at her eyes....they look like mine and her ears look like mine, too"......she was SO THRILLED to see a baby that was "like her" and even said...."she's just like me" and prouldy/happily ran to find her mom and report the good news !! LOL It is a very fond memory for me ~ |
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Post by dannysmom on Feb 23, 2008 14:25:46 GMT -5
These are all such great questions....and keep them coming. I know I love talking about my son and all that he has done....so please ask as much as you want!!! As far as pictures, my son loves them. He's 2 and a half.....and he most definitly can pick out Mommy, Daddy his sister Elayna and his Nana and Papa and his favorite uncle Nick out of a picture. As a matter of fact, his teacher made him a DVD set to music (Sweet Dreams by the Dixie Chicks) and there are tons of pictures in there and he LOVES to watch it. He calls out everyone's name when their picture comes up. So to answer your question......yes yes and more yes. My son is only 2....and he can already identify many people pics  Edited to add: I just read your post above where you say you wonder if he will be in his own world and not understand things. I had the EXACT same thought when they told me my son had Ds. I learned at birth and had many of the same questions as you do. I wish you lived closer to me because I would love for you to meet my little man. He is FAR more typical than he is not. He's in a typical daycare/preschool setting for 8 hours per day (I went back to work this past April). He is just one of the kids. Yes, most of them talk alot more than him.....but he does talk and gets his point across very well. He sits at the lunch table with all the kids and feeds himself lunch. He drinks from a straw sippy cup and also does this all by himself. He loves to color, paint (yes he does put the paint brush in his mouth....but so do many 2 year olds .......he's just a regular little guy with a little something extra. He can follow simple instrutions like "go put your drink on the table'. 'Bring me the ball". He's identifying his colors and pretty consistently identifies red, blue, yellow and purple. He'll bring you ball and tell you the color. My fav is 'purple ball'...just because he sounds so cute saying it!! He walked at 20 months.....and that was about a year ago. He's not quite running yet....but certainly gets to where he wants to go rather quickly. He climbs all over the furniture like every 2 year old does. If he wants something in the store and I say no.......he TOTALLY understands what that means....he will pout his little lip out like any 2 year old would!! Our life honestly is rather typical now. We go out to dinner, shopping at the mall. We love Chucky Cheese......we go away for the weekend. We do everything that we would have done if Daniel had 46 chromosomes. Our life is no different than I imagine it would be before I knew he had Ds. Now it isn't perfect.....but no one's life is. We have our ups and downs and struggle just like any other family. But I promise you, Ds doesn't change 'that' much. Your son is still your son who you will love, cherish and enjoy whether he has 46 or 47 chromosomes. Hope this helps...and feel free to PM. I have tons of pictures so if you like to see him, feel free to let me know |
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Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Feb 23, 2008 14:32:55 GMT -5
Jessika, you'll be amazed how much all kids are alike. They really are Sometimes the 25 yr old I have running around is a bigger booger than Brookster.  And harder to take care of.... ugggg. Can you tell he's p'sd me off already today |
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Post by Chris on Feb 23, 2008 15:45:56 GMT -5
Sarah loves, loves, loves to look at photos and videos of herself. She has also had a love affair with the mirror since she was a baby. Yep, she absolutely recognizes herself! She has a better than average visual memory.
Not only does Sarah recognize just about anyone she has ever met, she knows the locations of everything. For instance,when we go to one particular street, as soon as we go in that direction, she starts signing "ice cream" since she knows the ice cream parlor is there. She knows the way to school, her aunt's house, MacDonald's, the pizza place, everywhere! I keep saying she is better at directions than my 17 year old daughter! One thing you will find is that your son may be above average in some areas. Don't assume that having a cognitive impairment means he is not smart!
Chris
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Post by katiesmom on Feb 23, 2008 19:40:26 GMT -5
Katie loves ALL kinds of books, but especially loves to see photos of herself and have me tell her stories about when she was a baby. She also loves to see my baby book and my husbands baby book and to have us tell her stories about when we were little....she remembers them all perfectly too. Noah is going to LOVE all those pics his adoring parents are taking of his every move! Deane |
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Post by Jessie on Feb 23, 2008 20:48:11 GMT -5
Jason is a total ham when it comes to getting his picture taken. One time he grabbed the digital camera (without us knowing) and took about 80 pictures of himself!! We totally cracked up at the pictures he took.
Just the other day we had another meeting with his speech therapist at school and we had sent in some recent pictures of our extended family. She said he is so proud of all of the pictures and whenever there is a new kid in the class, Jason is sure to show that new kid the picture of his dog!
He absolutely 'gets it' and is not in his own world.
Great question!!
Jessie
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Post by Kristin on Feb 24, 2008 0:39:06 GMT -5
Clarice loves pictures of herself and family. She can tell you who each person in a photo on the wall of our house is, even if she hasn't met them. When I take pictures with my digital camera, she immediately wants to see them. Clarice gets disappointed if I'm not using a digital camera to take the pictures because she can't wait! I purchased her a kids digital camera. She loves using it!
Jessika-our kids (and Noah, too) can do almost anything another kid can. Sometimes the procedures or directions have to be modified, and most of the time it takes them longer to learn, but they can almost always do most things other kids do! Higher math might not be in the picture, but I know plenty of kids who can't get through algebra and do fine in life! One of the things I enjoy about my daughter with DS is that she takes delight in many of the "simpler" things in life that most of us overlook!
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Post by Myria on Feb 24, 2008 8:06:49 GMT -5
Hi Jess! You know, Ayden LOVES looking at pictures of himself. I know he doesn't have self-awareness yet, so he doesn't know that it's himself he's laughing at, but every time we scan thru the pictures on our digital camera, he yells at us until we show him. Then he smiles and "talks" to the pictures, it's so cute!
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Post by chasesmom on Feb 24, 2008 23:53:18 GMT -5
Jessika, we haven't been properly introduced but yet I feel like we are related and you haven't a clue who I am. I should be sound asleep in bed because 5 comes early but Susan (Emilysmom) told me about you and how I was going to love you and told me to come read your posts. You are my twin almost 16 years ago, reading your thoughts and feelings brought back so many memories and I cried thru each post of yours I read, reliving Chase's birth and what I felt at the time was my nightmare, that my whole life would change and nothing would ever be the same again. Your poem...it was so completely beautiful Jessika, and the last sentence, it said it all...more than you could ever know. Chase was and Noah will be.... everything we both never knew we wanted and needed. Thank God. I would love to spend hours talking to you, it would be so easy, like I was looking in the mirror talking to myself years ago I have had so many years to adjust to this different life with a disabled child so it is easy for me to say it now, but trust me when I say, it will be okay, you are going to be Noah's biggest advocate, woe to the person who dare step in your way I hear in you the fear of the unknown future and I wanted to tell you that I work for a program for people with disabilities, young adults ages 17 to 26 and many of them have DS. They all talk and walk and use the bathroom and they all happen to be very cute too might I add  My students have lives, friends, do every day things like others do, they are there to learn to be more independent, learn to cook, do laundry, clean house, get a job or volunteer work, learn how to get and keep friends, learn appropriate social skills, play sports, read, improve their math skills which seem to be their weakest point, and make me laugh and smile every day I go to work!!! While I was not ready for a lonnng time to meet anyone with DS either, once I did, I was thrilled when I saw my first preschool room of children with DS, LOL, they were NOT what my fears or the books I had read led me to think I would find. Oh I am going on and on, sorry....hugs! This is suspose to be about pictures isnt it? LOL!!! Anyways, I love you and I love your atitude and the fact that you ask anything and everything,,,never lose that ok? And if you ever want to talk...we do chats on yahoo and you are so welcome to join us! In a year or so, when you have adapted, I'll start sharing my funny Chase stories, he was such a little devil when he was little, don't listen to people when they say your little Noah will be a quiet complacent child, he will be a regular little boy set on getting what he wants much the same as other little boys and cute as a button! I happen to think Chase is/was one of the cutest boys in america...LOL and so does Susan's Emily, they are going to get married, we have had it planned for years and Emily and Chase are in agreement with it, very much so...LOL!!! (I'll tell you that little story sometime!) Back to the pictures...Chase's favorite thing is STILL to drag out the pictures and go thru them, at least once a week but unlike others, mine are no longer kept all nice and neat in photo albums, he has removed them all and has them stored in a big suitcase and yes it is full! He can tell you every single person, including the people he hasnt seen from our unomas get togethers for the last hmmm, 8 years I think it is! He loves everyone's pictures Laura was right, it was Chase who spent forever going thru pictures at the chicago gathering. If you look down at the bulletin part titled get togethers there is pics of him at our last gathering in Michigan with Emily and the other kids. Life is good...I can't imagine my life without Chase. Has it changed me? Yes but only for the better, your poem said it all Jessika. Grab your son, grab your husband and hang on for the ride of your life, it comes complete with curves and dips, hills and climbs....and it is so worth it!!! HUGS Jessika... hugs hugs! Robin |
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Post by Jodi on Feb 24, 2008 23:54:50 GMT -5
I am waaaay behind in my scrapbooking, but I have to admit, this is one of the things Ryan LOVES to do!! I have printed a bunch of pics and put them in flimsy albums for him to just keep in his room. Sometimes he will actually get on the computer and somehow he knows where to go to find the pictures and he will actually flip through them for a very, very long time!
Jodi
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Post by justinsmom on Feb 25, 2008 9:32:07 GMT -5
Justin loves looking at pictures and knows who everyone is. Although he does favor himself he sees a pic of himself and he gets all giggly saying awwwwwww mommy Justin cute ;D and then proceeds to get the camera for more pics LOL. |
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Susan, Proud mom of Michael (32), Justin (25) Emily (22ds), and Jordan (20).
And harder to take care of.... ugggg. Can you tell he's p'sd me off already today 
My students have lives, friends, do every day things like others do, they are there to learn to be more independent, learn to cook, do laundry, clean house, get a job or volunteer work, learn how to get and keep friends, learn appropriate social skills, play sports, read, improve their math skills which seem to be their weakest point, and make me laugh and smile every day I go to work!!! While I was not ready for a lonnng time to meet anyone with DS either, once I did, I was thrilled when I saw my first preschool room of children with DS, LOL, they were NOT what my fears or the books I had read led me to think I would find.
jackie