First DS Support Group

Today we went to our first Down Syndrome support group at a local park.  It was a beautiful day for it!  We met several children age 3 and under; Davis was the youngest one there.  I can't even explain how wonderful it will be for me to learn from these other parents who have walked in my shoes and for Davis to make new friends.  We plan on meeting once a month.  I already learned a lot in the short hour we spent with the group today about the others' experiences with sign language, siblings, therapies, etc...  I grabbed my camera to try to get a picture of Davis with his new buddy Gavin before he got too sleepy, but he beat me to it and fell asleep in my arms.  We'll get a picture next time!

In the meantime, check out this video I got this afternoon of Davis in his crib.  What a sweet, happy boy!

 

Davis goes to the beach...and the cardiologist

Last week, we rang in Summer 2012 in Florida on the white, sandy beaches of Destin...Davis, Matt, and I met up with Gramma, DD, Aunt Kelli, Uncle Chad, and cousins Haley, Wyatt, and Grant.  It was a big crew!  Davis didn't know what to think of it all at first.  Once he got settled and the hot sun cooled off a bit, he got to see the ocean!  He loved it; he looked at the waves and felt the salty breeze on his skin and in that wild hair of his.

I think he found the beach to be a peaceful place in paradise. :)  Look at that face!

Little D was happy to get home though and back to his beloved swing.  And after a calm weekend, he had his check up with his cardiologist.  He got an EXCELLENT report!  Davis weighs 12 lb 6 oz and is almost 24 inches; this puts him right at the 50th percentile on the Down Syndrome chart for weight and slightly above average for height, which is awesome since this chart includes the DS kids with and without heart defects.  The doctor said over and over how pleased he was and that Davis is doing just as good as we could hope considering his heart problem.

We will go back for another check up in one month, at which he will have his final echocardiogram before consult with the surgeons at Vanderbilt.  This puts us right at target for a surgery date at around six months of age in August unless something changes.

So keep up your prayers or positive thoughts or good vibes, whatever you have to spare, for little Davis as he approaches surgery time, and for his Mama and Daddy too.  We thank you!

3 months old!

Yesterday was a significant day for Davis - he turned 3 months old!  I just cannot believe it; he has grown and changed so much in the last 3 months.  He is one incredible little guy!  Here is how he feels about it:

My happy smiley guy!

On the 22nd of each month, he gets his picture taken in his child-sized leather recliner his Gran Gran gave him with his homemade teddy bear.  Here you can see his progression at 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months:

Davis's most significant development in the last week is he has become very aware of his hands - he stares at them all the time and is beginning to use them more often.  We play with brightly colored rings with various textures so that he can practice grabbing and feel the differences.

He is also very vocal!  He loves talking to people and his zebra-buddy.  Once he is willing to cooperate with the video camera, I'll be able to share this cuteness.

Sign Language

Today Davis's early interventionist came to the house to work with us.  This is part of our Family Service Plan we devised for Davis with our TEIS case worker.  It's going REALLY well - Davis LOVES it!  And I learn a lot too about things I can do throughout the day to encourage him to further his development.

We worked on gripping with hands, mouth exploration, and neck support.  He is getting so strong!

She brought over some information about using sign language with Davis.  I am super-excited about starting this with Davis, and we began implementing it into our routines today.  We are starting with just a few words: milk, play, sleep, etc...  Some folks speculate that using sign language with babies will cause language delays, but research actually shows that it encourages language development.

So I'm curious...has anyone reading this post used sign language with your child?  And if so, how did it go?  Any tips or suggestions for us?

My 1st Mother's Day

Last night was like the night before Christmas - I was looking forward to my first Mother's Day so much that I couldn't sleep!  As any mom knows, those first few weeks after having your first baby are such a whirlwind that I think it takes awhile to wholeheartedly realize that you are actually a mother and that your life will never be the same.  It's like you're acting on pure instinct versus intellect, which is good when you are that sleep-deprived.  Well, last night was my moment; I was fully realizing all that motherhood encompasses...and that I truly am a mother to this wonderful, intricate, beautiful little human being.
 

Matt and Davis had lots up their sleeves for me today, those sneaky boys. ;)  I got to sleep in until 8:00 (I never thought I would say sleeping 'til 8 was sleeping in) and woke up to flowers, chocolates, breakfast, and the cutest face in the world.        >  

Davis got to meet his Gran-Gran's extended family today!  I think he is particularly smitten with his Great Granny though:

  
Now if that's not precious, I don't know what is.  Isn't she lovely?  I hope I look this beautiful if I'm ever a Great Granny!
 
I also can't get enough of the little shoe-socks on those chubby legs. ;)

 










Davis was passed around from one family member to the next, staring and smiling at all the faces.  He was one tuckered out little boy!  That's me with sleepy Davis and his cute frog bottom.      > 

We made a lot of memories today, happy ones.  I am one lucky, blissful mama, that's for sure!

Happy Mother's Day!

Meet My Little Guy

Okay, so I'm finally doing it...I'm starting a blog featuring Davis, my 11-week old son.  I love to write, and I REALLY love my son, who seems to have already touched a lot of lives.  So why not?

What makes Davis so special that he needs an entire site all about him?  Besides all the typical special things about a baby (Daddy's hair, Mommy's smile, cozy snuggles, cute sounds, etc...), Davis has Down Syndrome.  Down Syndrome occurs when three copies of the 21st chromosome are present in the cells of the body.  This extra chromosome creates a unique set of physical features and usually causes some cognitive delays.  People with Down Syndrome are also at risk for certain health problems.  However, they often lead fulfilling lives, holding jobs, getting married, living to old age, and contributing to society.  I encourage you to check out my Resources page to learn more about Down Syndrome.

You may be wondering why I have chosen the blog title "Happy Heart of Davis."  Let me share a bit of our story, and you will understand.

Matt (my handsome husband) and I found out about Davis's DS when I was around six months pregnant.  Earlier in the pregnancy, I had declined the typical blood testing which screens for abnormalities including DS.  But an ultrasound detected a heart defect called Atrialventricular (AV) Canal Defect.  Basically, this means that Davis has a rather sizable hole in his heart, causing the heart to not pump blood through the body efficiently and overworking the heart.  This type of heart defect can occur in non-DS babies but often does occur with DS; therefore, I had an amniocentesis performed in order to determine if our baby had this extra chromosome.

I had a rough time coping with the AV Canal diagnosis, knowing that my baby would have difficulty and have surgery at a young age, but I didn't really prepare myself for a DS diagnosis.  However, once we discovered that our little baby did indeed have Down Syndrome, and after the shock wore off, I actually was very much at peace with the presence of this extra chromosome and everything it entailed.  With my special needs work and educational experiences, I had envisioned what it might be like to parent a special needs child and concluded many years ago that if my fate included being the mom of such a child, I would be okay with that.  So it was really as if it was meant to be.  I immediately accepted Davis exactly as he was and honestly loved him even more after learning about the DS.  I knew it was nothing to fear, and I thereby made it my mission to make this little boy's life as happy as possible.

After a very long and strenuous labor, Davis Matthew was (FINALLY!) born on February 22nd with his parents, grandmothers, and aunts there to welcome him to the world.  After a brief moment with his little body on my belly, the NICU doctors and nurses assessed him and decided he needed to be admitted into the NICU.  Besides the problems we already knew that would make it difficult for him to initially cope with life outside the womb, he was born with a little hole in his lung that occasionally happens during delivery.  Davis lived in the NICU for ten days, during which I visited him every three hours in order to participate in his feedings, even through the nights.  It was a difficult period, but his nurses took great care of him and I got to know him pretty well there.  He was just the sweetest thing with all this dark hair!  Everyone that met him fell in love instantly.

Today, Davis is doing extremely well!  His pediatrician says he is thriving!!!  He visits the cardiologist every few weeks, and the AV Canal is monitored by chest x-rays, EKGs, and echocardiograms.  Davis is on a medicine to help his body cope with the heart issue, and he will be having heart surgery later this summer at Vanderbilt.  He is expected to make a full recovery!

Davis is a very happy, content baby.  His only complaints are sometimes he has reflux, which is very common with DS babies, especially those with heart defects, and sometimes he gets tired from his little heart working so hard.  Davis is reaching all his milestones appropriately thus far; he smiles and coos all the time!  He loves cuddling, swinging, joining mommy for walks in the stroller, and meeting new people - he is already a social bug!  He also loves playing with his early interventionist who comes to the house once a week.  She teaches us new ways to play to help Davis learn and grow.

My intention with the blog is not only to allow those of you who have met and care about Davis to follow his progress with his heart surgery and during his childhood but also to educate others about Down Syndrome and show that being different is okay!  In fact, we are all different whether we have a disability or not.  Life is no less valuable because one is not "normal" - I don't really believe in "normal" anyway.  I just want to spread my positivity about Davis to anyone who wants to hear it, and ultimately to him as well. 

Haven't seen enough of Davis yet?  (I know - he's addicting!)  Well head on over to Kristen+Dave Photography to see his precious newborn photos which were posted on World Down Syndrome Day earlier this year.

Be sure to follow this blog by joining the site or sign up for emails to get the latest info on Davis!