Sweet Potatoes

First foods - Sweet Potatoes.  Brogan is really grubbing on this!

Give me that spoon MOM!

Happy Turkey Day

We found a craft online for Audrey to do because she had so much energy!  We also had her empty the silverware from the dishwasher and put it away.  She likes that job.

Audrey is so funny!

Brogan and Down syndrome and his big sister

I don't know about anyone else - but when I look at my son, I just see how cute and beautiful he is.  Is there something wrong with parents of Ds kids?  I don't think so.  I really don't see anything wrong with our boy.  I want a recount.

I think my daughter is beautiful too, and she doesn't have Ds.  She adores her brother and thinks that he is a beautiful baby boy.  She's a little too young to understand that her brother has Ds, or even what that means.  She does know he is beautiful, he is hers, and she loves him.

We've gotten a few books about different kids for her to look at and we read them to her.  She's also been a part of the hop-a-thons for Jerry's kids.  It seems to me that she's indifferent to kids with disabilities - at least at this young age.  She just doesn't think they're different or weird.

She saw him through his days in the NICU, and it was hard for her.  I realized how hard when we were moving last month, and I had gone into the store to get her a "Moon Pie".  Her brother started crying, and she couldn't find a bottle, she couldn't show him a toy or do anything that would make him stop.  By the time that I got back to the car, SHE was crying.  When I asked her what was wrong, she said that "Brogan was crying and I couldn't make him stop!  I don't want him to go back to the hospital.".  

That made me feel like such a bad mom for including Audrey in the visits to Brogan in the NICU, but how could I not let her see her brother.  It's hard for her, but I told her that we take good care of him and he will be ok.  If he's crying, he's just upset and she knew that mommy would be right back.

It hurts my heart so much to see the effect all of this has had on her.  She is my precious darling girl - long awaited for.  Brogan is my precious darling boy - also very long awaited for and very wanted.

Audrey and Brogan, June 6 2008

Harley Boy

Love this shirt! Cute shirt from the Harley shop over in Idaho. I thought the picture was pretty cute AND THEN I noticed the THUMBS UP - HA. He's a rider already. His dad, his mom, his mom's dad, his dad's dad... all the grandpas are riders. He's born to it.

Me WANT - Harley Davidson

JUST one thing - can't Harley Davidson use the correct grammar? "I WANT A HARLEY" is so much better. He's working so hard on his core muscles for sitting. can't a supposed american icon work just as hard to be literate? Brogan is so strong and happy to work out. He loves the exercises we do with him, and he's not floppy or weak. This makes us really glad.

Roasting Marshmallows

Audrey's first time roasting marshmallows! We lived in town and never were able to make a "camp fire" before. But out here, we've got such a nice place to go hiking and make camp fires and have all kinds of fun! This will be great when her Girl Scouts are looking for activities! We're thinking archery, camping, making a fire, bird watching... and more.

Audrey Roasting a Marshmallow! Nov. 23, 2008

Big Boy Bathtime

First big boy bath without the "newborn sling". Look at my darling boy - he is so absolutely charming!

We decided to let Brogan have a bath in his tub sitting up! He had a great time and did so well!

Brogan 6 1/2 months

I'm so proud of Brogan. He is a very good baby. I remember how demanding his sister was, and am so thankful to have a boy. I don't think having a boy that has Down syndrome has anything to do with his loving disposition, I just think he's a real sweetie to begin with.

Sweet 6

Audrey really enjoyed her birthday this year. She's a super 6 year old!!!

Halloween!

We LOVE Halloween! Of course - Audrey's birthday is the day before, so it's always a happy time of year!

Halloween Gorgeous!

Happy Birthday to Audrey!

Happy birthday Audrey Faye - now you are 6!

So when she asked about grandma's gift, a very pretty outfit with faux fur trim I told her -oh no sweetheart this is only fake fur, not real fur. Her response: "GOOD".

Audrey asked me to write "Thank You Ritesh" so that she could copy it. Ritesh is my good friend at work. She loved the many bangles that he gave her for her birthday.

Meanwhile... Mommy and Brogan's weekend fun.

While Dusty and Audrey were having their fun with the 3 wheelers this weekend, Brogan and I enjoyed our own kind of fun:

I love to cuddle up with my baby and take a nap.

Brogan has discovered his bedroom window. He loves to roll right over onto his tummy and look outside. I did some unpacking while he played (in between naps). The whole family enjoyed their weekend in our new home.

On the lookout for wildlife!

Little Miss Hot Rod!

Pacing to and fro on Sunday- in anticipation of a phone call from a guy we're buying a small Yamaha 3 wheeler from for Audrey. Now living up to the name Hot Rod.

Audrey and Dusty had a blast this weekend! Saturday they drove quite some distance to buy a used 3 wheeler for Dusty. So far he's pulled some junk out of our "ravine", and cleared some logs. He's also used it to go get the mail and bring in the trash - our driveway as most of our friends know is quite steep, long and treacherous for a guy with a bad knee.

Audrey and Dusty having a blast.

On the way - Dusty and Audrey stopped at a motorcycle shop to get her a motocross helmet! Pink of course. She loves her helmet so much, that Dusty told her she could wear it any time, but she couldn't sleep or eat with it on!

Finally the guy called Dusty back on Sunday and they were off to go get the Audrey sized 3 wheeler. A happier girl I've never seen.

Miss Hot Rod posing with her Helmet on!

Hey Dude!

I couldn't resist! Brogan's hair is made for a mohawk! Here he is - and check his 'tude! So cute. u can imagine him saying 'yo, dude do I know you? hey - what's up'?

See that "red" that looks like dye around his hairline? It is red hair! It's not dye! It's his own natural - golden red, not blonde color.

Get it on film!

Oh boy - just when we started moving in to our new home we saw deer. It was so exciting!

A mommy deer with a yearling. Audrey, when she saw them said to me "we should have got them on film". So here they are on film. The same mommy and fawn have been visiting us since we got here. This is a shot of the level side of our driveway - up at the top and to the left! I swear our driveway goes on forever until we reach the clearing that has our home. This is a wonderful thing - the moment you get to the top of the driveway and see our little clearing with our home plus the feeling that the car actually made it up there! WoW!

Driveway from the top



Audrey, we got them on film just for you.

What a great sister!

Great day at the park in downtown Duvall.

Visiting Duvall - we're looking in this area for a home to move to. It's so much closer to work for me than Algona.

Wrestling with crocodiles and smiling

Brogan smiling at the animals on his play mat

Just look at those sweet cheeks and pretty smile. That's our busy boy playing on his play mat. He likes to play all day and we have several areas for him to get busy. He has his play mat, a surfboard tummy time mat, he loves his crib and mobile, a super bouncy seat with the rainforest animals all singing music, a bumbo seat to sit up and get strong while reaching for toys, and a great swing are some. Not to mention the best play areas of all - Dad's chest and mommy's arms.

The next Steve Irwin - this family was a great fan of Steve's. His enthusiasm for everything he did was wonderful and we just couldn't say enough positive things about him to honor his contribution to humanity.

Here is Brogan wrestling with his toy crocodile nonstop - look at the blur; ha ha. Look at those cute dimples in his knees! We were on the road a lot today, so Brogan was in his car seat most of the day and when we got home he was really ready for some playtime. So he beat up his crocodile, talked to his hands and had a pretty good time with some of his other toys.

Brogan is such a busy baby that he gets hot and sweaty so I dress him up for going out but he is really comfy in a onsie t-shirt at home and near bedtime. He has socks on in this picture as I haven't yet taken them off of him. He really enjoys having naked feet. He touches things with his feet all of the time. It's really cute! All those wonderful tactile sensations to grow his brain and curiosity. Humans are fascinating.

Doing the Puyallup in the Rain

Last Saturday (Sept 20th) we planned and went to the Puyallup fair. It RAINED. Audrey had a great time though going on rides and looking at animals.

After Dusty got his mandatory Earthquake Burger, we got to fulfill my wish - have a family photo taken. So here we are, wet cold and tired but happy.

Brogan was a real trooper getting big drips on him while daddy fed him a bottle under a tree. He wasn't phased a bit. He really likes it outside.

Audrey loved loved loved the dress and hat she got to wear for this photo! Brogan was ok with his outfit, but didn't want to wear the coon skin cap so that didn't make it in the shot. Dusty was told to just look serious - my does he ever! I felt like a damp rag, I guess I could have powedered my nose! Oh well. A memory to cherish.

What Kind of Down Syndrome?

Brogan 4 1/2 months

Family doesn't know what Down Syndrome is and want to know what kind? They really are asking "what's the severity?"

Well for every kid it's different. But, this is what I've read:

2.1 Trisomy 21
2.2 Mosaicism
2.3 Robertsonian translocation
2.4 Duplication of a portion of chromosome 21

Brogan has Trisomy 21. So whatever type Brogan has - he is missing a lot of the typical features of Down Syndrome that doctors look for.

Definition of Down syndrome features
Down syndrome features: Children with Down syndrome have multiple malformations and mental impairment due to the presence of extra material from chromosome 21.
Among the more common physical features are hypotonia (floppiness), small head with brachycephaly, epicanthic folds across the inside corners of the eyes, upward outward slanting palpebral fissures (eye slits), Brushfield spots in the iris, small mouth, small ears, excessive skin at the nape of the neck, a single transverse palmar crease, and short fifth finger with clinodactyly (incurving). A wide space, often with a deep fissure between the first and second toes, is also common.
There is an increased risk of congenital heart defects (50%); leukemia (<1%); Hirschsprung disease with absence of nerves from the bowel (atresia (12%); eye disease (60%), including cataracts (15%) and severe refractive errors (50%); acquired hip dislocation (6%); obstructive sleep apnea (50%-75%); and thyroid disease (15%). There is no increased risk of solid tumors.
There is mental impairment. The degree is variable, ranging from mild (IQ: 50-70) to moderate (IQ: 35-50), and only occasionally to severe (IQ: 20-35).
The social quotient may be improved with early intervention techniques, although the level of function is exceedingly variable. Children with Down syndrome often function better in social situations than might be expected from their IQ.
An excellent set of guidelines for the health care of children with Down syndrome is available from the American Academy of Pediatrics.


This comes from: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16226


So how is Brogan doing? Read and Learn. The doctors have not noted any of the features listed and are very surprised at his stength and intelligence.

I told Dusty that instead of rating as a genius he's probably have to settle for normal. Dusty scored two points below the IQ requied for MENSA.

Features and DS

As the doctor was looking at Brogan as a newborn, he told us that Brogan didn't really have any "features" of a Down Syndrome baby.

Dusty and I looked at one another - "Features? What are we doing, buying a car?". That word, along with many others that we would be hearing just didn't make a lot of sense. Obviously I know what the physical features of a human being are, but wouldn't it be more correct to say "Characteristics?".

Whatever - I just wanted to place my complaint against the word "Features" as relates to our son or any baby.

September, 2008

Dog named Roscoe

Roscoe was a rescue dog - we adopted him from the King County animal shelter.

We never got any of his background like where he came from or why he was given up - what we did get were his pedigree papers. He's a purebred Staffordshire Bull Terrior who had champion parents. Our guess was that he belonged to an elderly lady that may have passed away and her kids just took him down to the shelter to get rid of him.

Audrey and Roscoe are great friends. He's a wonderful kid's dog. I know Staffy's have a bad rep, but believe me, this guy is all heart. He also "talks" which is hilarious. Especially when he's worried about something, like being at the vet... then he has a lot to say!

This is Roscoe, and he's a great Staffy.

Surprising the Doctor

Amazing Brogan's doctor is always a pleasure, and he is always very happy to see how well Brogan is doing!

Brogan is the rollover king! He rolls from back to front and then after a while, rolls from front to back again.

When Dr. Ory set him on the examination table for his 4 month "Well Baby" checkup, he rolled right onto his tummy which surprised the doctor. He was happy to see that this boy has great muscles. Poor muscle tone is a characteristic of Down Syndrome babies, but our guy is just a tuffy. Brogan is an Irish name meaning "Sturdy and Strong".

His 4 month checkup went very well, with Brogan's doctor coming away completely amazed at Brogan's progress.

That's our boy! Brogan is very strong and is also using his mind. As his mother of course I would say he is exceptional. He is also a beautiful baby. We do get "oohs and ahhs" wherever we go, and I've heard people comment when we walk by, what a beautiful baby. I sure think so.