What's up with Little D

Things are crazy around the Reeves household!  We sold our house and must be out in two weeks; at this point, homelessness is in our future as we have not yet found a new home!  Not really, there are plenty of places we can go as a last resort.  But between looking for a place, packing up our stuff, caring for Davis, and everything else I've been trying to do, the blogs have taken a backseat (I also write a blog with my sister Kelli called Holistic Sisters featuring healthy recipes and practical tips for a more holistic way of living).

But for those of you that follow Davis and his progress (and his cuteness), I thought I better give you a little update before things get REALLY crazy.

Davis turned four months old!  I cannot get enough of his 4-month picture here with his buddy bear - I saved it to my desktop and stare at it constantly.  I can't believe my little guy is growing up so fast; you hear parents say this, but to actually witness this in your own child is unreal.  He passed his 4-month check-up with flying colors!  He is a bit small as far as his weight (not length - 25 and 1/2 inches!), but nothing to worry about - he's still got his chubby legs, roly-poly arms, and a couple of chins.  

He has reached all his 4-month milestones and is progressing quickly with his current goals, which include full support of his head, rolling in all directions, and feeding himself.  His next cardiology appointment is in two weeks, and I'll be sure to update the blog with information regarding his heart surgery.  I will be able to share more frequently about Davis when our living situation is settled, which should time perfectly with his heart surgery.  In the meantime, as Great-Granddaddy Will T. would say, Peace Baby! ;)   

Recordings of Cuteness

Here are a couple videos Matt and I got of Davis last week that display his current interests and recent developments.

In the first video, you can view Davis learning how his hands work to make things move and hear some of his vocalizations, which he pretty much does constantly now.  He is very focused on his hands these days and loves talking to anything visually stimulating.

In this second video below, we are recording our realization that Davis is quite ticklish!  We couldn't get him to laugh quite as much as he was immediately before we shot the video, but you can still see his cute smiles and hear a little chuckle.

Okay, so we're not the best videographers; but our next mission is to get video of his bedtime storybook and of his new favorite activity of bouncing on someone's lap.  It truly is the cutest thing ever as far as we're concerned!  And I hope to have brightened someone's day - there are not many things sweeter to witness than the happiness of a precious, innocent life.

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!