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Post by Kristen on Jan 4, 2006 21:55:44 GMT -5
We had a reverse walker for Carter for a while - is that similar? After watching him walk up stairs on the little play thing at therapy holdign both of the railings and dong really well with that, I said, why don't we have a walker for him? Well, it took a few months but shortly after he was up and walking alone! We wrote it into his IEP and sent it to school with him over the summer to ambulate in the hallways and sure as shooting - the third week they sent it home because he was doing it all on his own! One day he literally could hardly stand on his own and the next he literally walked across the room. He met all of his IEP goals for PT we set in May before school started in August, it was that fast.
OK, gotta share the heartwarming story...I was goin to have my acrylic nails taken off shortly after Carter was born at the saoln I went to. It was in a hotel and there was somekind of conference going on and a bunch of families with secial needs kids were there. Carter was still in the hospital, it was that early on. I was going in and there was this cutest little boy outside in some kind of walker and his Dad was playing with him - the boy would sneak up and Dad would say whatcha doing? The boy would laugh and run off and come back - you know that game. Seeing that was one of my first and very brief moments of peace I felt after all that had gone on. I felt like it was a sign and things were going to work out after all. I still see it in my mind. Fast forward 2 1/2 years. I had Carter and we were leaving his center based PT session and he was in his walker. I had him all wrapped up like an eskimo - it was windy and cold, but he absolutely INSISTED he was walking - into the wind, of course! I was struggling to hold him wiggling all around and Syd and the walker so I said fine already, it isn't far! I still see this in my mind, too. My little boy in his navy blue coat and hat and mittens with his handmade red scarf going into the wind with that little silver walker. He was having a time, but I backed off and let him do it himself. He had a hard time with the mittens on, so he wrapped his one arm over and around the bar to drag it. He was veering close to the bushes, but he would pull it back and keep going, head down, full of determination. A man was walking towards us and he stepped aside, I looked up at him and he had tears. He said, they really can do anything, can't they? Look at your boy go, just look at him! I think my boy was to that man what that little boy I saw all that time before was to me. Who knew a silly walker could have such a story to it?
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Post by Kristen on Jan 4, 2006 21:26:32 GMT -5
We had some real bozos at the beginning, too. It took a while, but I finally found one I like pretty well. I am always a bit reserved because I have been burned a lot, but he specializes in autistic kids so even thought Carter does not have autism I thought, oh good, a child with special needs won't freak him out! Turns out he has NEVER had a child with DS as a regular patient before - when he was in an office with associates they had them, but never him. He downloads special growth charts and reads all the lists of tests and things to do and check for - it's kinda cute how nervous he gets, actually! He really seems to like Carter and Sydney both, so he's a plus so far (even if I hate the hospital he is now associated with).
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Post by Kristen on Jan 3, 2006 13:47:22 GMT -5
OMG! I once severed the web between my thumb and index finger and it took some time to get feeling back (and 8 stitches)! You do too much, you know that?
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Post by Kristen on Jan 3, 2006 13:41:32 GMT -5
She'll fade away, I'll bet anything. Does he ask about her when she doesn't call for a long time? Then I would say no harm, no foul if she agrees not to call anymore. If he does, then I guess you all have to take one for the team and let her call now and then.
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Post by Kristen on Jan 3, 2006 13:45:31 GMT -5
You rock - it took Syd over a year to sleep that long. 11 months not to wake up every three hours, then wake up again screaming her head off when we put her down. DH jokes and says if she was the first, she would be an only. I *think* he is joking However, I do know that I would not have been pregnant six months later like I was after Carter! She was definately the answer to my prayers of please God, let me be like other moms and have a baby that keep her up at night (Carter slept a LOT and I felt sorta cheated). I should have been more specific that I was referring to Carter - she made up for it in spades LOL!
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Post by Kristen on Jan 1, 2006 20:14:26 GMT -5
I say do whatever. Who cares if she is sleeping in a carseat - no one! Her health, rest and comfort are the most important things! Maybe in the future they will figure something out for her, but for now I say go for it!
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Post by Kristen on Dec 21, 2005 13:26:56 GMT -5
That is absolutely rediculous! Have you found a new school yet?
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Post by Kristen on Dec 19, 2005 20:26:01 GMT -5
I think it depends on the person. I tend toward being a little shocking, so it did not phase me in the least when my best friend's mom said YOU got an angel? YOU got one? How wonderful for you! I said are you crazy woman? She said NO! You are the mama for him and he knew it, you're going to raise him to be the best Carter ever and you know that. This kid isn't getting one break (then comes the shocking part) he's going to be so smart and show all those stupid people and don't worry - you can always get him plastic surgery if he wants it! God bless her! THat just made me think yeah, he's gonna be fine and everything else is all just surface anyway! Not everyone would take it that way, so I wouldnt' go repeating it, but it made me laugh. Somethign that didn't make me laugh at the time, but I still think of her is when I went to the salon and ran into another regular and she asked about him and I started crying ans she said oh, honey, how old are you? I said 25. She waved her hand at me and said oh please, you're still young. You wait and see what comes up and happens to other people as you get older and you'll see this is not a big deal. I was like, yeah, right! Well, I think I see what she was saying now.
I feel for your friend's friend, I really do because I was a wreck. Three years later I am the proudest mom in town. I don't care who looks, asks, talks, doesn't talk, whispers, wonders...I am SO PROUD of this boy of mine, I could burst!
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Post by Kristen on Dec 11, 2005 20:59:24 GMT -5
Carter mottles when he gets out of the tub. I get really red in a warm shower and I have Raynauld's, too! I chalked it up to sensitive skin, but I do know kids with DS are more susceptible to the mottling. Poor Carter - he didn't have a chance between heredity and predisposition, did he? He does tan easily, which was a little surprising and has never burned. DH is part greek, so that probably helped him out!
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Post by Kristen on Dec 11, 2005 21:00:12 GMT -5
Happy birthday little dude! I canNOT believe it has been so long!
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Post by Kristen on Dec 11, 2005 14:26:06 GMT -5
You may not have had grace, but I bet you left an impression! One of the hardest things initially was to see a baby, not DS. On one hand, I am ashamed at myself, but on the other, there are so many labels and stereotypes surrouding this dx. it's relly hard NOT to at first. Except for a brief look in the OR after he was delievered that I can't really remember except that it happened, I have never, ever laid eye on my son without knowing he has DS. I think about it less and less and a lot of th etime now it doesn't even pass through my mind, but it used to and I was very angry for a long time that I never was allowed to just see Carter as just my baby before all this other stuff was thrown at me. I very much envied the women who saw their babies in a regular delivery room and held them and had that memory before they were told. I suppose on the other hand it reinforces that he was always him and DS is just part of how God made him. Anyway, I know what you mean about seeing your son for HIM!
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Post by Kristen on Dec 8, 2005 20:09:11 GMT -5
MB, you do have a sense of grace about you, you know? I do understand what you are saying in your message. My feeling bout Carter's future is very much my feeling about his sister's - honey, whatever it is you do, just promise me you will do with passion! If Carter becomes a zealous dishwasher, I will make more just so he can wash them. If he beomes a ditch digger, I will tell him those are the most wonderful diches I ever saw and let's dig one aroudn the house and make a moat. If he becomes a professional cheerio flinger, I will take pride in cherrios flung father, faster and with more style than any other cheerio has surely been flung. Then I will come here hat in hand and eat my words, every last bitter one of them.
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Post by Kristen on Dec 5, 2005 12:46:25 GMT -5
I have actually seen it a number of times and came to that conclusion after thinking hmm...Then I saw it and watched it closer and thought hmm...some more. THEN a friend of mine said have you seen that awful commercial? What is THAT supposed to be? Then I said ok, thank you, I must not be the only one! Then I saw it discussed on another board where they were saying similar statements to my observation and I was like ok, thank you, I am secure in my thoughts and general dislike for the commerical. And then my life went happily along.
Can the boy read? I would certainly hope so! In my esitmation as well as that of several others he was not portrayed as such. It was more along the lines of the eternally happy guy than anything else and I chalked it up to buying into the stereotype. Oh, and no, I have never flung something at a loved one as any kind of gesture.
Oh, and for future consideration, you might want to hide the overriding disdain you have for me. There are people who would like to come here and post their thoughts and compater them with others and even more who want to read and gain information because they have recently recieved a dx or are going through a rough time. All that eye rolling and sarcasm detracts from their experience and might make them not want to return. I would not want them to lose this as a resource.
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Post by Kristen on Dec 4, 2005 20:37:59 GMT -5
I saw it and I hate it. My first thought was gee, this is what I have to look forward to - a Cheerio flinger who can only pretend to read the paper? GREAT STEREOTYPE!
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Post by Kristen on Dec 5, 2005 13:41:38 GMT -5
Jessie - you have an excellent point - where the is smoke there is fire and I do agree 100% with that. It was actually the first thing I thought and did not note it in message, but I do totally agree.
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