Every Week Breeds Success

Josiah is blowing me away with all that he is accomplishing!

On Thursday, D (physical therapist) came to work with J.  As usual, she was met with smiles and babble.  He engaged quickly and easily.  For the next 75 minutes, he simply astounded us.  Side-sitting, which always brings out tears, resentment, and frustration, was embraced!  Josiah tolerated side-sitting (both sides) without complaint, reservation, or crankiness lol.  One mirror, appropriately placed, provided the very entertainment he needed.  "Where's the cute boy?"  "Where's the handsome boy?"  "Hi, Me!!!" is all Josiah needed to hear.  He not only looked at himself in the mirror, but he kept reaching out to the cutie in the mirror.  At times, D & I merely motioned to one another - we dared not jinx the moment.

Belly time is gradually becoming more difficult.  Josiah has mastered rolling over, so keeping him on his belly is a difficult task.  Now, while on his belly, D is working on keeping his knees pulled up under his belly and rocking him onto his heels.  Josiah has been practicing pulling his knees up under him.  However, he doesn't like to be placed there and rocked.  He complains!  I know he'll get used to it soon - as he has all other 'new' movements.  Then he'll master it :)  It's one step closer to crawling.

Despite his left arm being slightly weaker than the right, Josiah is reaching more with his left arm now.  D and C (occupational therapist) have noticed the improvement.

What, I think, excited me the most on Thursday is this: D sat Josiah on his bum, in between her legs, facing away from her.  With very little support, Josiah was able to sit for an extended time.  Mama was thrilled, to say the least!!!  Is sitting in this child's NEAR future?  He is an amazing little man! 

Whilst sitting, and during belly time, Josiah is 'weight bearing' with his arms VERY well now.  This, too, is a marked improvement.  He is definitely getting stronger.  He is working hard and it is paying off. 

One of my fears early on was food (aside from the breastfeeding struggle).  Due to Josiah's high palette, I was worried about the food issue.  It is very common for children with Down Syndrome to have issues around eating.  One big issue tends to be food getting stuck in the high palette.  Another HUGE issue is the tendency for the tongue to protrude out of their mouth.  Well, Josiah's tongue doesn't protrude - we are so fortunate for that.  And, despite the high palette, Josiah has transitioned to eating (baby food) like a trooper.  He likes almost everything (not tolerating different foods is another common problem).  He keeps his mouth fully closed while eating (again, the tongue poses no problem).  Finally, he's eating fruits, veggies, and meats.  I couldn't be more delighted.

Every week proves that Josiah is not a child to be underestimated.  Every week breeds improvement and success!

I wish everyone could understand the joys of raising a child like Josiah.  Every accomplishment is met with amazement.  Every smile is pure.  Every laugh, sincere.  Every moment, a joy.  Every snuggle, real.  Imagine how wonderful the world would be if only more people could share in that miracle....