Josiah had his second visit to the Down Syndrome Clinic. We were up at 4am; we woke the boys at 5am. We knew it was going to be a family trip; we had to leave too early for school to be an option. We were only five minutes late leaving. 6:20am - we left the house.
It's amazing that traffic can be such a nightmare at that early hour of the morning. Of course, when you take into account the rain, it stands to reason. None-the-less, we arrived at our destination at 8:20, parked, and walked into the lobby at 8:40. Official check in time is 8:30, so C and the big boys headed for breakfast. Josiah and I headed up to the DS clinic.
By 9am, he was getting height/weight checked. Height 29.5 inches. Weight 21lbs 5oz. Yay!!! The boys joined me upstairs after a short time. They came bearing Mama's breakfast - so sweet.
Before long, we were called in to see PT (physical therapy). A nice padded mat was on the floor. On it, were several fun toys. Josiah was pleased to have some floor time, especially after the long car ride in. He cleverly showed off his ability to roll, sit, get into and out of sitting, side-sit, and the like. Josiah was proud to demonstrate his ability to get onto all fours and rock back and forth. He even scooted forward a little. The PT told us what we have known for weeks - Josiah is just on the cusp of crawling. It's going to happen any day now.
Next, we met with nutrition. The meeting was brief. Josiah's weight is no longer a concern. His height to weight ratio is the 50th percentile....so he's simply perfect :)
Next stop - Dr. D, whom we adore. Josiah was happy to smile for her. Dr. D. was proud of how far he has come since June. She is very pleased with his progress.
Final stop, this time, was OT (occupational therapy). It was close to 12:30 and Josiah had reached the end of his tolerance. He was in tears by the time we reached the last room. I quickly pulled out a few jars of baby food. He ate. He nibbled on a few goodies, from the OT. She wanted to watch him eat. Finally, he nursed and fell asleep in my arms. He was a shot little tot. It was around 1pm. He had reached the end of the road. Best of all, everyone is pleased with his progress.
The day would have been longer, but a few hiccups made for a shorter day. The dentist was at a conference, so we couldn't check in with them. Josiah is being treated for an ear infection, so audiology was off the table. We also need to schedule a cardiology follow up, as well as a first vision appt. So, four appointments to go....all outpatient and closer to home.
By the time we stopped in the cafe for lunch and made our way home, it was about 4pm. We were exhausted but very content.
This little miracle continues to amaze us everyday. Our life is so very blessed.
Hopped over from Noah's Dad's blog! Josiah is just beautiful! Looking forward to our upcoming appt at our local DS clinic! Look forward to following your journey! God bless!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenifer & welcome!!! Will this be your first visit to your local DS clinic? We really like ours :) Thanks for following along our journey!
DeleteJulie, it is our first visit! Looking forward to it! :-)
DeleteHi Jenifer! Have you had your first DS clinic visit? How did it go? :)
DeleteHello there, I just found your blog from Noah's dad. I am mother of four. My youngest baby boy Levi has ds. He is 15 months also. Josiah is so adorable. I'm curious about the ds clinic that you went to. We do not have that in Arizona. I will be following your blog now.
ReplyDeleteHi Jody! I'm so glad you found us :) Welcome! Congrats on your four beautiful children. Levi and Josiah are the same age :) How's he doing? We went to a clinic in Boston...children attend the DS clinic once every 8-10 months. We went last June, and again in January. I'm guessing Fall will be the next one. It's really wonderful. Josiah gets weighed, sees OT, PT, cardiology (sometimes), dental (usually), the MD, and anyone else he needs. It's a little bit of a long day, but it is so well worth it. Is there a DS clinic within driving distance?
DeleteHi Julie, my little Levi is doing wonderful. We do not have any ds clinics here. We have been seeing a pt at our home. We see his Dr. On regular visits. That seems like it would be nice to have. Josiah is so cute!
ReplyDeleteMy Levi is is such a blesssing to us. He makes my heart smile.
Hi Jody :) I'm glad Levi is doing so well. I think every state/major city should have the DS clinics....we love ours. How's Levi's PT going? Josiah sees PT weekly, and OT & speech every other week through EI. We're really lucky to have the services we have. Love to you all.
DeleteHello Julie, Levi does pt once a week. We love her. She is really awesome with him and can talk him into working out hard. Levi has no interest in crawling. He drags his hind end on the ground to get where he wants. He can scoots on all fours but doesn't like it. We were doing st once a week and have had to put that on hold due to finances. I was told that before he is two he really doesn't need ot. What is your thoughts on that?Levi turns 16 months tomorrow. Our state is putting all the children with ds into Early Intervention starting next month. From what I'm told they are going to be decided what therapies he needs which kinda scares me. I will let you know how it goes. Levi gets weighed in April.
DeleteHow is Josiah doing with his therapies? He is so cute. My Levi is Blondel with blue eyes.
Sending love
Jody
I'm glad you like your PT, we love ours too- she's wonderful & Josiah works hard for her. Like Levi, Josiah isn't crawling yet but I think he wants too lol. Josiah rocks on all fours, scoots a little, then inevitably rolls to get where he wants :). Our OT is somewhat repetitive of PT but does focus more on fine motor & feeding (we've been slow to transition Josiah to table food). When was Levi born? Do they share a bday? Josiah was born 10/12/11. You're lucky to get EI....that's what we have & they are awesome!!!! Let me know how you make out. Josiah starts speech next week...very excited :). He's doing well with his other therapies. Love to you & Levi <3
DeleteHi Julie and Josiah, yes my Levi's birthday is 10-12-11:) Very amazing date! We were doing st for about 5 months. Levi does really well eating. He loves to eat. I don't know where hr puts it because he is little. We weighed him on Thursday and he weighed 18 pounds 7 oz. 29 1/2 inches long. He is eating both baby food and table food. He drinks very well from a straw. I still breast feed him in evening. He is drinking 2% organic milk though.
ReplyDeleteI wish my Levi was trying to crawl. He doesn't like being on his tummy. He scoots on his rear. He also ad to start wearing some shorts for about ten minutes a day because he likes to do splits to sit up and to get down. Does Josiah do that?
Anyways we are planning on getting him back into st in April.I will see what EI feels like he needs. We have never done OT yet. Does Josiah do any sign language? He can clap and nod yes. He knows sign for milk but wont do it. He also understands when I tell him eat and more but wont sign. I could go on forever. It is nice to find someone the same age. Very cool.
Anyways much love,
Jody