A New Springtime

He loves His Wash Pod

 I had been wanting to try this new style bath tub ever since I heard about it over at the "Sew Liberated" blog. I was pricing them and viewing them on the internet but not quite sure if they were a gimmick or if Malcolm would even like it. Since I had always used a lay down type tub I wasn't real sure about it. 

 I had looked in a bunch of different stores and couldn't even find one, then one day when the girls and I were shopping at Home Goods hannah spotted one. I looked at the price and it was less than half of what I had seen them for. I was thrilled and decided to try it out.

 
I am so glad I did, baby boy truly enjoys his wash pod, as it is called. He just splishes, splashes and smiles the whole time. I can't wait to see his expressions every night!

 

The pod is supposed to mimic the womb with the water surrounding the baby.  When malcolm  is in it he brings his legs and feet straight up in front of him and it looks like  he is in a prenatal position. I just love seeing him so excited. I do have to have a firm hold on him because he is a bit wobbly and he slides around a lot. I only put a very small amount of water in it because if it is filled up too much the water is too close to his mouth and chin. Safety first as with any baby bath tub but this has been a joy and he really has a blast in it!

 

 

 

Down Syndrome and the Not So Moody Blues

God gives a peace that surpasses all understanding. Sometimes things aren't perfect or they do not turn out  the way I think they are supposed to but lately I am able to experience joy in these events.

 
Having a child with Down Syndrome is nothing like I ever expected it would be. I am just so absorbed in all of the love and blessings that have been poured out upon our family from the gift of this precious little one. His siblings feel the same way and are always entertaining him with toys, hugs and even music.

 
I am learning to give thanks to God even when things do not go my way. By no merit of my own, only by His grace I have come to understand His love in the " less than perfect situations" in my life. When things look bad there is always something beautiful that God brings forth from it.  I am becoming enlightened to think even more in the opposite direction of what the world says.

 
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto thee."   Down Syndrome has no power over God and I am seeing so much beauty in imperfection. 

 
So as my ears  hear the harmonica play I am savoring the tunes of the not so moody blues. The melody is sweet and the tunes are up beat even when times are a bit out of sync.  Play that song  baby and praise God in all things!!

Gross Motor Skills

 Malcolm is doing great in the development department. He gets plenty of love and stimulation from his siblings. We are always trying to make sure he has the opportunity to strengthen his muscles.

 
Children with Down Syndrome usually have low muscle tone (hypotonia) so it is to their advantage to do certian repetitive exercises.  I learned of a book called "Gross Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome, a Guide for Parents and Professionals" by Patricia C.Winders, P.T. from another blogger at Pondered In My Heart.

 
At first I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the info in the book but soon realized it is broken down by stages and each stage is broken down further into activities. Today we worked on stage 1, activity 1,  Supported  Side-lying.

 
 The activity consists of putting your baby on his side supported by a cushion or some sort of back support. Put a colorful toy in front of him and shake it to get his attention. Try to get him to reach out and grasp the toy.

 
Something  I learned was that  the right toy is very important. The baby must be able to see the toy and it really needs to be one that is fairly easy to grasp, not to fat and have enough places to be able to grip the toy well. The toy in the second and third picture isn't suitable because it is too flat and could not be put in a  standing position where baby could see it or reach out for it.

 
 With the right toy and  hard work Malcolm was able to achieve the goal of grabbing the toy. In this position he really had to use quite a few of his muscles to reach out and focus on getting the prize.

 
I was so proud of his efforts, he was determined to get it and he did.

 
His lil' hands were workin' and he had a great time trying to get it to his mouth. Not bad for 3 1/2 months.

 Even though he didn't get the toy in his mouth he managed to suck on his arm. He has been doing this often but I'm trying to discourage it because he gave himself a hickie the other day.

 
Any way stage 1 , activity 1 was a success for today. Malcolm is a champ and is on his way to the special olympics (lol). Maybe some day but for now we'll keep practicing this and working on these gross motor skills. Go Malcolm!!

 

 

 

 

Creating a Play Space

I have once again changed that spot in the upstairs hallway. I think it will stay like this for a while. It is a play area for Malcolm and his playmates.

 
Now is a good time to purchase bookshelves and rugs because all of the stores have them on sale in the back-to-college section.

 
I wanted to have a bright fun pottery barn look. They have such wonderful playroom designs. Aqua colored frames and a tin beach pail decorated with fabulously colored flip flops give a summer feel to the space.

 
It is the perfect spot for exersicing baby boy. We even had some Christian kids songs playing for his audio stimulation. I have been collecting toys for him, all hands on type things for his gross and fine motor skills.

 
I love making improvements in the home for the kiddos. It's alot of fun and a well organized, comfy, little nook can give them many hours of imaginative, healthy play!

    

• bookcases $12.47 ea.
• rug $20
• frames $3
• toy bucket $1.99

Total about $50 for a play space not including toys of course.

Under the Sea

Lil' Malcolm is starting to make the cutest noises, he is cooing and starting to smile. It is such a joy to see and hear him communicate with us. Eliana has been showing him how to use his ocean themed play gym.

 
She likes showing him the different toys that dangle from the canopy.

 
He is totally amazed by her and seems to enjoy all of the attention and companionship.

 
He moves his arms with excitement as he listens to the sounds and watches the blinking lights. She never seems to tire from pressing the buttons or saying, " You so cute Malcie."

 
I don't know if we are going to the beach this year but these lil'ones have their own bright and colorful underwater world right here at home.

 
I love watching these precious lil' ones interact and share the love they have with each other. I just want to soak it all in before they grow up. My heart feels so full and it wants to burst when I see the way they bond together!

Capturing A Moment

I just adore capturing moments like this...

 
It was such a darling surprise, I had put him down in the living room in his car seat to get a breather, and the next thing I knew he was sound asleep.

 

 During my pregnancy it was very difficult to motivate myself to do any extra handcrafts with the kiddos. The creativity was all put into the growing baby. Lately, I have been able to do a bit more artsy fartsy projects so I decided to work on making alphabet rocks with the girls.

 

 
So far we have made it up to the letter 'j' and added a couple of lady bugs.

 
We have also read and studied the art in Lon Po Po, a Chinese version of "Little Red Riding Hood"   drawings by Ed Young.

 
These are the drawings the kids did, imitating the illustrator's style.

 
Eliana has been giving art a shot, too. Of course she is much better at drama!

 
Here she is copying her baby brother, it's a play called, " I Want to be the Baby Again".

 
Do you see the resemblance?

 
For this drama called, " I Want to be the Muti-Tasking Mama", she deserves an Academy award!!

 
I think the cat has got the right idea. Forget the crafts, forget the multi-tasking and forget the drama; just stretch out and take a nap. If I could only be so lucky.

 

As the day winds down, I sit and look at my road side find, a simple black and white table.  It excites me because  I can set up my sewing area once again. Summer is coming and school will be out. In the extra time I would like to hear the whirl and rhythm of my sewing machine. I want to make some unique clothes for the babe and the other kiddos.

When life  becomes busy, hectic and  sometimes even chaotic I try to remember there are always some good moments to capture in between!

 

 

 

See with New Eyes

Summer is coming and I am already enjoying the cute, colorful, little summer outfits and the lil'boy who wears them. As you can tell, he is the apple of my eye.

 
I never get tired of looking at him and with his Down Syndrome his uniqueness makes him even more precious. There is an even stronger bonding going on especially during nursing.

 
When I was younger and wasn't walking with the Lord, I had certain thoughts and expectations of how I wanted things to be. I would always worry about having a child with a mental or physical disability. I wanted my children to be perfect in a wordly way.

 
After learning much about my own  illnesses and limitations over time, God showed me the beauty of it all. In time, I came to learn that  Jesus is my stength,  my Divine Physician and  He loves me with all of my imperfections.

 
Baby Malcolm is always losing one of his socks and I just love looking at his piggies. Because of his Down Syndrome he can move his big toe quite far apart from the other toes. The first time I witnessed this I began to laugh and I yelled to the kids, " Come and see what Malcolm can do!" Luckily he did it again and we all began to giggle with joy. Right away the kids began to tell me how they can move their double jointed thumbs, and bend their knees far backwards, etc.  It was a great show and tell!

 
The important thing I am learning is not to see as man sees but as God sees. When God sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse's sons he was surprised when God chose David to be king, the youngest and seemingly weakest of them all.

It is amazing, the works of God, and I feel so blessed and priveleged to be the mother of all  my children who all have sicknesses, weaknesses, and imperfections but who are all sons and daughters of our  Lord Jesus Christ.

A Typical Love Affair

Eliana just loves lil' Malcolm. She always has something in mind for him. "Can I hold him ?, Can I hold him ?" is the question she asks quite frequently throughout the day.

 
They make such a cute pair. She likes to show him all of her toys and dolls even if he's not interested.

 
If she is persistant he may pretend to notice...

 
and if he doesn't she will help him along. Here she is coaxing him to shake the dolls hand.

 
When she finally gets him to do what she wishes, she turns away and ignores him.  A typical love affair.

 
He never seems to mind her silliness...

 
and she aways gives him her best performance!

No Paparazzi Please

 
This is what I get to witness each day. I am so blessed with these glorious sights.

 Moments like this go by all to fast so capturing them are so important!

 

 

 

 

Buddy and Butterbean

Buddy and Butterbean are the two knicknames I have for these two!

 
I couldn't stop snapin' the photos due to the cuteness factor.

 
I just can't get enough of either one of them and Butterbean can't get enough of Buddy!

 
He doesn't stand a chance of not getting enough stimulation. Butterbean may have a future in physical therapy. (LOL)!

 
She squeezes his squeaky star for him and talks to him whenever I will let her.


I never knew I would fall in love so much. All of my children have stolen my heart but this one, has got me head over heals. I have heard people say it is the extra chromosome and I think they are right. I just want to hug him and kiss him 24/7. I don't want to make light of Down Syndrome and I haven't experienced much of it yet because Malcolm is only 7 1/2 weeks old but I am truly enjoying this stage of his life. I guess what I want to say is; be not afraid of Trisomy 21. It sounds so awful when we hear of these "disorders" but I think fear of the unknown is worse than the actual condition.


Love conquers all things. All praise and glory to God!!