I sure seem pretty "normal" to me. :)
“They grow up so fast.”
You’ve heard every parent say that. Granted, Noah is growing up fast but I feel we get to savor his development a little longer than a typical child. We are enjoying his milestones at a leisurely pace.
We attempted the jumperoo at four months (like the box says), but our therapists quickly scolded us and told us he wasn’t ready. It was quite obvious he wasn’t. He did not have the core strength to do anything in the jumperoo and his tiny little feet couldn’t touch the ground.
And as you can see in the video, they still can’t. 🙂
We Each Have Our Own “Normal”
I sure seem pretty "normal" to me. 🙂
It is easy to get frustrated because sometimes you just want your family to be “normal” or better known as typical in our world. I am trying to remind myself to cherish each moment and to not rush Noah through his stages.Don’t get me wrong mommies who have children with Down syndrome are just as competitive (better known as comparative) as the best of them. We will try anything to help our bambinos reach their milestones ASAP. It’s why I was at Our Children’s House at Baylor when Noah was just three weeks old.
We work hard to get our babies to hold their head up, to roll over, to even just stare at us. We were in a dark room with lighted objects to help with his tracking. Noah spent countless minutes on his belly multiple times per day. You should see how hard this kid works just to do what is supposed to come naturally.
This kid works hard, and plays ever harder!
So now at seven months we attempted the Baby Einstein Discover and Play Activity Center (Yay, Craig’s List!), and you will notice his feet still do not touch. But guess what, that didn’t matter one bit to him, because as you can see in the video and pictures, Noah can now enjoy these toys with the best of them!
So we are learning not to rush God. Instead we just continually give Noah over to God, use all that available resources that we have, and have a lot of fun with Noah and all the little blessings Down syndrome brings with it. 🙂
"My daddy always tells me how much of a blessing I am." 🙂
For those of you that has a child with Down syndrome (or any disability) what’s been one of the surprise blessings you have experienced?
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I find myself constantly thanking God for Anna and the strength he has given me. I find myself not taking for granted the milestones of achievement and cherishing ever moment of her life. Anna herself has been a surprise blessing and the doors that have begun to open up have been amazing. I have three older boys Dustin (18), Josh(16) and Owen (4). Anna has brought my family closer together. My older son was not around much over the last year and now i see him daily, he is always stopping in to see his sister. He has no problem scooping her up if she is sleeping in her crib :). Josh much prefers the kids when he can tease and communicate with them, he holds her, but she is too wiggly for him. Owen loves his sister to pieces. In the month that Anna has been with us, Owen has yet to be upset with his sister or resentful if I can not meet his needs the instant he needs something. He constantly tells her how much he loves her. Our families, friends and church love our daughter unconditionally and have supported us in ways I can't begin to describe. Our kids have a lot to teach this world don't they?
@Jill - Yes they do!
It sounds like you guys have a very fun family! And you have 3 boys! I know you must be on the go all the time! My mom had 4 boys so I know what a house like yours is like! :)
Thanks so much for your comment! Oh, and by the way - we have a facebook group (www.facebook.com/noahsdad.com) if you would like to post a picture. We'd love to see your family! :)
Oh, and you should grab a Gravatar! -----> http://en.gravatar.com/
Surprise blessing? Let's see....perspective! Appreciation! True unconditional love! Opening my eyes up to a bigger and less narrow world than I knew before...
@Gretchen --Amen! It sounds like you are learning some of the same lessons as us! :)
Thanks for your comment about his exploration...God has been very gracious to this little guy. He has been through a lot in the short seven months she he arrived, but he sure seems to be doing well!
We've learned not to use timetables or "typical" milestones (whatever that mean?!) in regards to Noah's development. We just let God be God and watch the little guy grow up! It's a ton of fun. :)
And oh! Look at Noah exploring that Baby Einstein. I noticed when he was trying to turn the little spinny things. That is such great exploration.
Emily and I talk about how it's a gift to learn compassion in a new and real way. Neither of us are naturally merciful, compassionate people and Seth has caused us to have a different perspective towards people and generally be less critical. That's a blessing!
@Joel, Amen!
I am not a mother of a special needs child, but, am a special needs educator in an elementary setting. I have had children ranging from autistic to Down's Syndrome. I learn something from each one of them every day. Are some days difficult--yes! Are some days challenging--yes! Would I trade my job for anything in the world--NO! I love each and every one of them and can't imagine my life without them. I have so enjoyed reading a snippet of Noah's daily life and admire what all of you, as parents, are doing. I wish you the best of luck and blessings to you all. God Bless.
Janet
Indianapolis, IN
Janet,
Thank you so much. And thank you for what you do!
I hope you stay connected with us! Feel free to offer any feedback, advice, tip, tricks, etc that you've learned along the way. I bet you have a lot to share with us! So please feel free.
Also we have a facebook page where a lot of nice families hang out. Feel pree to come and be a part! Looking forward to connecting!
http://www.facebook.com/noahsdadcom
You're videos are always well done and quite inspiring. May I ask what program you are using?
@Kevin,
Thanks so much. We just try to show the world raising a child with Down syndrome is much more like other families, then different by posting a daily one minute video. We pray God uses them to give hope and encouragement to many!
I appreciate the comments on the videos. I use Final Cut Pro X for them.
By the way...you should grab a Gravatar ---> http://en.gravatar.com/
I have really been enjoying your daily videos. Noah is truly a gift and you are both so blessed. My grandson Seamus was born with Achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism). We cherish every moment with him. He turned six in July and lives life to the fullest. We thank God every day for his presence in our lives. He has made us sensitive to the many challenges that people with dwarfism face daily. Our daughter also keeps a blog. http://www.camengafamily.blogspot.com
You said: Granted, Noah is growing up fast but I feel we get to savor his development a little longer than a typical child. We are enjoying his milestones at a leisurely pace.
My husband thinks of elainas development in very similar terms. He says we are lucky because we get to enjoy the baby stages longer, when other parents complain they grow to fast.
I have a 9 month old baby girl who has down syndrome and she is a blessing, much in the same way my five year old typical girl is a blessing. I believe all children are teachers and that they are all eager to learn. Each at their pace and each with their particular interests. I adore my girls, they are the greatest gift life has bestowed upon me. I enjoy their uniqueness, celebrate with them when they overcome their own challenges, I cherish their smiles and love them both unconditionally. I am a very lucky lady and am grateful every. single. day.
Thanks for this post. My son is 7 months and has down syndrome aswell. This post is exactly what I needed to read. I will just 'savor his development a little longer '. Thanks for all the inspiration