The Future

I often worry about the future and what it may hold for Luke. I don't want him to be lonely. I want him to have friends and be happy. Just like the rest of my kids. But for some reason, I worry about it for him. With the others, I just assume they'll be ok, be independent and productive and happy and all the rest of it. I know that is not particularly logical, and that they could be miserable and lonely too, but that doesn't stop me!

I also know there are lots of people with DS who live independently and are very happy. But who am I to let reality get in the way of my worrying? I want Luke to live in his own place, but I have never lived alone, and have no desire to. So I worry about sending Luke to live alone.

Anyway, I have a solution. Or rather, Vanessa and I have a solution. Vanessa is the mother of Luke's friend Aidan, who I am about to introduce you to. We all met in therapy at the Champion Centre- and Vanessa and I get on like a house on fire. Meeting parents whose child has the same syndrome as yours is a strange thing. You have something in common, but it may be the only thing you have in common. However I have found a real friend in Vanessa, and I expect many other mums I have met and will meet there.

This is Aidan. He is about 3 months younger than Luke. He is also the youngest in his family. Like Luke, he is a mover and a shaker! We love Aidan.

Here are the boys just hanging out together.

Probably getting into trouble together (and we suspect there will be plenty of that into the future!)

This is one of Aidan's favourite pastimes. Sorry Vanessa, but I had to put it in! :)

So the plan is that the boys will be friends throughout their lives. And no we have not consulted them, and no we are not planning to! They may like to go flatting together, and get up to boy stuff together. Like trouble. And I am happy with that, it gives me some respite from my worry. Luke has a friend who will 'get' him, who will not judge him, who is on the same level as him. This is the beginning of a beautiful thing.

Which is not to say that there is no competition between them, or actually between their mothers, as to who will walk first. Because there is. And that's normal too!

Look what Daddy made me.

Neil made these parallel bars for Luke over the weekend. There is a set at the Champion Centre which Luke is beginning to use, and so instead of being frustrated, we got busy. I say 'we' but read 'Neil got busy' unless bossing him around counts! Thanks to Gillian for her tips too.

I think this boy is pretty cute, and he's finally feeling better. Yay for spring :)

Sick kids again

What a nightmare. Since my last post, we have continued the theme of sick kids in my house. Ben got a fever again and was home from school on Tuesday. Took him to the doctor on Wed and he had his strep throat back. So 10 more days of a different antibiotic for him. The doctor also swabbed Luke's throat, and we got the results on Thursday afternoon. His strep was back too. So 10 more days of antibiotics for him too. My sore throat was back too, so off to the doctor for me, as the long weekend was coming, and I didn't want to be paying another small fortune if I got sicker then.

Then we had the paediatrician for Luke- a regular check- on Friday afternoon. He passed with flying colours, and all his blood tests came back clear, which is great news. We are still waiting for an exact measurement on the size of the ASD- just to see whether it is now so insignificant that we can leave it forever, or whether he needs a further scan when he is 4 to keep an eye on it. Either way, I'm happy. Other than snot and a weird viral rash, he was fine.

Cue Friday night, when after his antibiotics he started vomiting. Great. Poor little boy had a very gurgley tummy, but once it was empty he slept through the night. Yay! Shame his brother and sister did not oblige. So off to the emergency doctor on Saturday for a change of antibiotics. I wrote Neil a list of what had been going on and sent him. I think I have had my fill of doctors lately. The guy he saw has a 17 year old daughter with DS, another of those weird coincidences :)

Luke was all better yesterday, and with diminishing snot levels. Someone has to keep Kleenex and the local doctors in business ;)

Here's hoping for a week free of doctors!

Getting Agile

Luke is now able to get pretty much anywhere and do pretty much whatever he likes. Like climbing onto his brother's head when naked!
Or climbing up onto the couch for a cuddle [the big boy's tongue out is for the camera, not the brother :) ]

Arriving on the scene

He can also balance, like on the end of his couch. Such a show off!

Now he just needs to walk. I am getting impatient, and I know it will happen, but I am not good at waiting. He has been creeping and crawling for a year, and still no walking. Trying not to feel discouraged, but...

Sick Kids

Luke testing the dirt- I don't know what is up with him but he's always doing it!
Helping Dad in the garden.

We have just started school again, after the holidays. Emily was sick in the week before the holidays started, with the flu. Then Luke got it, and ended up being admitted to the hospital to be assessed for pneumonia. Luckily he did not have that, but came home with some antibiotics as a preventative measure. Then Ben got a fever and cold and a sore throat. That turned into strep throat during the week, so had to take him to the dr while we were away and get antibiotics for him. Next Luke got a fever again. Took him to the same dr, who was not convinced but took a swab just to be sure. Guess what?? Luke has a strep throat too, so more antibiotics for him. Then I got it- such a sore throat and a fever. And of course on a Sunday, so off to the after-hours clinic for me, and more antibiotics for my strep throat. So Ben's are 4 times a day, Luke's 3 and mine twice a day. All I am doing is giving medicine, working out who is due to have medicine, and who has had it already! And we have been exposed to the chicken pox, so that will probably be next. I don't think we had a single day with everyone in the family well.

The New Highchair

I have been unhappy with the highchair we had for a while now. It was fine with Ben, because he was quite tall, so he could see and reach the tray reasonably well. This is not the case for Emily and Luke, who I had to prop up with cushions or towels when they were smaller and always had trouble seeing and reaching over the lip to get anything. I have been eyeing up an expensive European wooden chair, which can be used as a highchair, and also as a chair for many years to come, as it fits at the table, and has an adjustable seat and footplate, as well as a removable tray.

Well, I recently found a NZ made version, and it is about 1/4 of the price, so of course I got one! The tray is at a great height, and it fits at the table, so Luke can join us in family meals. It is easy to clean as well, which is a huge improvement, and it looks great. I love it!

It also caters for a range of eating styles...

and he can see what is in his bowl...

and he just loves it!

This method is much more efficient than bothering loading up a spoon!

Or you could try two spoons at once!

Love it, love it, love it!

Fugitive Friday

I'm out of here Mum
Caught!

No, he can't even get close to getting out, but he sure is trying ;)