Make your own book!

I love books! And I try to transmit the same passion to my kids; probably that is the teacher in me... I also find books like excellent helpers when we are trying to teach something to our kids, like good manners, love, potty training, eating healthy, even complex themes like parents divorce! Basically anything you want! And that is what I do, I use books with my girls all the time, but to make it a little bit more interesting for them, I turn my girls in to the protagonists, in the main characters of the story books and they love it! You don't have to be a Nobel Prize, to write a children’s book, you don't even have to write one! You can use the story of other children’s books that talk about the subject that you are interested in, just adapt the story to your Children and use your kids’ pictures, I do it this way and I love it so much that I even write my own stories once in a while...

I love to write my own books for my kids, this way they are very specific about what I want them to learn; everything is written with them in mind, and is so fun for the whole family, once I write the story we take lots of pictures for it; sometimes I even use my kids’ art work! After that, I just have to put everything together.  The complexity of the story of course depends on the kids’ ages.  My daughters are 2 and 4 years old, so simple and direct is the key, two or three lines per page and one or two big pictures... When I start making them books, I just print the pages and put them in a folder and that’s it, but the books with them like protagonists are so successful with my kids that I start making more and more, I bought a very economic laminator machine for $28, and started laminating my books to make them childproof, and with my favorite ones I even make a professional looking book, as there are so many websites that do it for around $20-30.

I started doing these books, because I was having a hard time figuring out how to explain to my older daughter that her little sister has Down syndrome, and I thought that doing it with books was an excellent alternative.  I tried to find all the books that I could about the subject, but still something was missing, and that is how I wrote my first book, I wanted to just make a very minimal introduction about the Down syndrome, but what I really did with this book is teach my girls that everybody has differences and similarities and that sometimes those differences are what make us love each other even more.

Here is a link of one of my more recent books, simple, easy going and bilingual:

 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.438437426189907.103154.100000709608003&type=3&l=74ae55a931

My baby is walking…

We just celebrate Camilas’ second birthday… but we are celebrating way more than her birthday; we are celebrating her tenacity and perseverance, her spirit of fight and dedication, after all she is my little warrior!!!

This last 3 or 4 months I been seen her more determinate and with all her strength in one single objective: walk; sometimes brake my heart see my baby dedicating hours and hours every day to make exercises, work so hard to learn something that should be natural, but I think she understand that all her hard work soon will give her a lot of satisfactions…

What are we doing to help her? Well beside of her therapies and classes four times a week, in home we try to take advantage of every instant to stimulate her and to have a learning experience with each activity, every game and each moment that she have, and we always do it  like a team, I think part of all the achievements that she have is because the whole family is involve on her learning and evolution, even Laila how is just four years old, she perfectly knows how to stimulate her little sister, what kind of toys use for each propose, she even use terms like fine and gross motor skills!

Little Camila is already 25 months old, and like I mentioned before, she have al her energy in one think: walk. And she is so close to success! She already walks for up to one minute all by her self and she even turn without fall! But she still has to practice a lot before we can say officially that our little princess walks. One month before her second birthday, seems like she don’t have anything else in her head but walk! She was practicing her steps over and over, like if she wants to get it over night!

How ever, the truth is that to get to this point , we had a whole process, a team work with therapists, her teacher and the whole family, but specially Camila, because without her determination, and her spirit of fight and perseverance, I believe all her achievements would take a lot longer…

I also believe that one detonate that make her finally but all her energy on walk, was incorporating the physical therapy class at the pool, that is nothing else that  walk with the water up to her waist or chest, and if her feet star floating to much the therapist but some weights on her ankles. Were hard months for her, hard work and effort because she have to attend therapies and classes almost every weekday! Plus the exercise and activities in home even so we always try to make her fun and a game for her, I know she get tired as much has she enjoy.

Anyway! Here is some of the things that I been doing to help my daughter with her first steps, without stop doing all the exercises and activities to promote the crawling because they still give her the strength that she needs to stand up for example:

KNELLING, after crawling, be able to stand up is not only the next step, but one of the most important before start walking; we need to motivate and help them to stand, and also motivate them to be on their knees the most possible during the play time, like I mentioned before in the post about crawling;  when they are on their knees, make sure they don’t put any weight on their ankles or butts, at this point Camila was already crawling and with enough strength to have appropriate knelling position; so I increase the complexity o the position making sure she wasn’t putting weight on any furniture or table, specially making sure she wasn’t putting her tummy against  the table or anything. Example, if she was on her knees playing in the sofa, is ok having her hand or even arms on the sofa for some support but always have to be a space between the sofa and her tummy and chest, this way she is getting strength not only on he abdominal muscles but also she is working on balance, both skills very necessary to stand up and in the future, walk. So let’s motivate our baby to knelling each time we see the opportunity.

MASSAGES, I love them not only because the positive impact in the physical development of our kids, but also in the affective area massages are a wonderful tool, since my older daughter was born, each time I change her diaper or after bath time, before sleep, even when she was getting to noisy in church!  I  always give her a massage, when possible, I use baby oil or lotion, in a further post I will talk more about massages, but you can start with basic circular movements in all the baby body except on her back bones, but I even massage their  faces, hands, fingers toes, head, everything! You can find more suggestions about massages in baby magazines or books.  The time frame really depends of the baby, between 5 and 15 minutes. I always try to use the bath or massage time to talk about the parts or their body or sing a song. And with Camila y try to focus on her legs and abdominal area, because with the massage I am trying to make her more aware about those body parts, and invite her to exercise and use those body parts to gain strength and better control.

EXERCICES; since Camila was new born, I started giving her some exercises, suggestion of my aunt Doctor and actually she really enjoyed it. Over the time I increase the length and complexity of the exercises; looking for more ideas of exercises in books, magazines, pediatrician, therapists, her teachers… one of our favorites is with a oversize yoga ball, that I really thing is one of my bigger helpers to get Camila walking; after a brief session of exercises in the carpet, I sit Camila in the ball and I start moving her in all directions one at a time center to right, back to center, center to left, back to center, center to front, back to center and center to back, back to center. 12 repetitions, giving her some support holding her from the legs.  If she struggles I hold her from the hips or even the waist if I have to.  After, I put her belly down on the ball supporting her with my hand on her back and I roll the ball until her right hand touches the carpet, then I roll the ball back until her left foot touches the carpet; 12 repetitions and then left hand and right foot. And repeat but this time with the back in the ball and I support her with my hand on her chest.

TIP: Normally Camila really enjoys the exercises on the ball, but when she is not too involved I do half of the repetitions or I try to do something fun for her like bouncing her on the ball.

STANDING UP;  when she was ready, all by herself she started standing up, at first when she was sitting, she would hold the end of the sofa or any kind of furniture and pull to stand; I used to put toys and all kinds of “motivational” objects at the edge of tables, sofas and chairs to get her more interested to stand up and get the prize. It is very important to practice this over and over, the objective wasn’t that Camila stayed standing for long periods of time, at this point the idea was that she sit and stand as many times as possible, I tried to make sure that she bent her knees when she stood up or sat down.  The next step once she was a pro in this, was pulling to stand when she was on her knees, the idea was that she put one foot on the floor and pull to stand; after she was doing this without difficulty, she started standing up when she was sitting on the floor, and again pulling on any surface available like a sofa or chair; the last step, was when she  was standing up without any kind of help or support, even if it was just for a brief moment. The most important thing here is practice, the more that they practice the sooner they will learn, and the secret to make our babies practice is motivation, with your  loving words, claps, songs, toys, books, even food! Anything that you know your baby will like.

WALKING HOLDING THE SOFA; when Camila was a pro standing, she started trying to give a few little steps, holding the furniture, at first it was really hard for her because even when she moved her foot to make the step, she usually forgot to move the other foot, so she ended going to the side; with my hands I used to help her to move her legs in the walking motion until she started doing it by herself, at first very tiny steps, but with time she got more confidence walking.

WALKER; Important, it has to be a push walker and not the old fashion types where the child is sitting in the middle; those walkers are unsafe and even if the child is walking with it, it is not actually exercising the muscles that the baby needs in order to walk independently like the abdomen and legs. In these old fashion walkers the only thing that the baby moves is the feet and not all the time in the right position.

In our last trip to Mexico, Camila tried one of these walkers and only for one day; not only was it really hard for her to move with it, but in several occasions she was about to fall, she climbed to the tray and tried to “walk out”.  Fortunately we were always close by to “rescue her”. Anyway! With that in mind, it has to be a push walker type, or even a little plastic chair that the child can push. In Camila’s case, it really surprised me how fast she became a pro with the walker! She really liked it and learned in just one day!  Probably because of all the previous activities and exercises that she had being doing, she saw the walker the first time, pulled herself up and started pushing and walking, just like that! At first I helped her a little bit, because she had the tendency to push faster than she could really walk,  I also helped her with turns and obstacles but after a few days she was able to move all over the house with her walker, she just needed a little bit of motivation once in a while. Most of the walkers come with lights and music and colorful toys that keep the babies interested.

At this point I think they have all the tools they need to someday, walk independently.  It’s just a matter of time, and practice (a lot of practice).  Our work?  Encourage them to do it and keep them motivated.

CONFIDENCE;  This is always one of my top priorities, make sure my daughter feels safe and confident, I am always close by to prevent accidents that can make her feel scared and insecure.  I don’t want her to think that walking is dangerous. Also, to increase that confidence,  we applaud all her successes and every single try.  Camila loves when we clap for her, she even requested every single time she did or attempted to do something, she tells everybody “bravo” and she make sure everybody is clapping.

RIDE ON TOY;  Santa Claus gave her a ride on toy where she sits with one leg on each side of the toy and she has to walk in other to move the toy.  It took her a while to really be able to use this toy, about 5 months after she became an official walker. but we practiced a lot, I still need to help her with the turns, most of those ride on toys can’t really turn unless the child lifts them a little bit from the front part, Camila’s toy is really nice because she can actually stir and turn at any direction she want without having to lift the toy,  which make it a lot easier for her.

HOLD HER HANDS;  Very basic!  But the most important, let your baby walk, as much as she want, hold her hands and let her walk, the most practice the baby get, the sooner that she will walk independently.  And I know sometimes is way more easy just hold them or put them in the stroller. But is really worth.

The truth is that this list is just what most of the children do when they start walking, but sometimes they pass by each stage so fast that we don’t even notice.  For kids with different abilities, usually take them a little bit longer in every stage.  Camila begging this process when she was 19 months old,  with the kneeling position; 4 months after, she begging to do 3 to 5 mini steps by herself,  at 26 months, she was walking up to one minute without help and about 8 to 10 meters, including turns without loosing her balance. At that point she was able to walk long periods of time if we hold one of her hands. But her main way to move around was still crawling, she needed a lot of encourage and motivation, practice.

And now, she is 33 months old, she is a pro walking, everywhere! Anytime! She officially became a walker  January 2, 2012 almost 26 months old. Completely stop crawling! Loves to dance and even run!! “bravo” my baby!!! What a wonderful way to start a new year! I love you baby!

Right now we are working in going up and down stairs, and using the tricycle, but this is another story, I mean, another post. J

An angel has arrived to my life...

Some how I need to talk about that day; because it mark my life before, and after Down syndrome.  But the funniest thing is that I hardly remember those days... During the pregnancy the tests come back with low risk of Down syndrome like the majority of the pregnant woman's,  (I always thought those tests are unnecessary because even if your baby have Down syndrome you still will love him, maybe even more!) so we decide don't make any further tests, the only estrange thing I remember, was Camila's movements, always so soft, even weak, but  I always thought that was because I wasn't getting any weight ( terrible nauseas), she born 3 weeks before the due day...

Twenty months ago I arrived at the Hospital, excited for my princess’ arrival, and sure that would be one of the best days of my life, and it is, but at the same time it makes me sad to recognize that is also one of the saddest days, and since then, I started my fight for some day to be able to say that was a very happy day and finish the sentence there…

I remember perfectly, October 8, 2009, I wasn’t nervous at all, I wasn’t scared either, I was simply happy! I knew that nothing could be worse than the three days of induced labor that I had with Laila, but honestly I never expected a five minute delivery! Ok, ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but really it was very fast, she was so so tiny and fragile, she don’t even look like a real baby,  I was afraid to hurt her when I touched her, I was scared of the apgar results, but thank God they were normal; I wanted to hold her but they just let me do it for a brief moment, because they had to finish the check up.  My husband explained me that they see some Down Syndrome characteristics in my little princess, we had to wait for the pediatric evaluation, the pediatrician examined her for a long time, at least that is what it seems to me, when he finished, he informed us that she does have some light physical futures that may indicate Down Syndrome, but that she was so small that maybe she just looked that way because her extreme thinness and for how small she was. 

They made some blood tests to confirm the diagnostic. I didn’t notice before, but the second the doctor left the room and I saw my daughter I knew it, I knew my daughter hads Down Syndrome, maybe that was one of the things that I mentioned the most in my night prayers when I was expecting her, “please God give me a healthy baby, complete, that can hear, see, ten fingers and ten toes, without Down Syndrome, without any kind of problems” all those things the moms pray for I suppose; but even so  I prayed for the same every night, honestly I never even thought of the small possibility of my baby having Down, that just can’t happen to me, it was impossible, neither my husband nor I have any relatives with Down Syndrome, we are not in the risk age, I took good care of my pregnancy, I’m healthy, I took all my prenatal vitamins, folic acid, I go to church every Sunday, I’m a good person, this just can’t happen  to me, and I know none of these factors are associated with down syndrome, but that is something that my head may understand, but not my heart, my heart just feels a terrible blame! Maybe if I had eaten better, maybe because I painted the house before I knew I was pregnant, maybe if I was a better person, so many “maybes”  torturing me. Immediately after such thoughts, I started feeling a deep sadness, because in no way did I want the birth of my daughter being a sad memory, much less that my baby received that bad energy, I needed my baby to know how much I love her! Since the first second I knew she existed, and how happy I was for being her Mom, and that if I could turn back the time I would have her again and I would love her as much as I love her now!

She had to stay 8 days in the hospital, it was so hard making her to gain weight, she had done all kinds of tests, and everybody kept telling us how lucky we were because her heart is normal, when we left the hospital they told us the hearing screening test was abnormal, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t ear, she was just so so tiny that probably they just can’t make the test right, or that is what they told us, of course after  thousands of tests and even having to let them put tubes in my little princess ears (very scary, and  I know it’s a relatively simple procedure, but when they have your baby there all sedated it’s just horrible), but still the conclusion is that she has unilateral hearing loss, meaning that she can’t ear from her right ear, and the hearing in her left her is “almost normal”.

A few days after, a new knock, for some reason almost devastating for me;  my daughter had hypothyroidism, she would need to be medicated all her life, I started reading, I wanted to learn all about the persons with Down Syndrome; but unfortunately I just found desolate realities, or at least, it seems that way, I couldn’t find a little bit of support, hope,  just a endless list of all the diseases and problems  that my daughter will be more like it to have just because she  has Down Syndrome, just general information.

I admit that in situations like this ideally we should get help, from family, friends, neighbors, parents support groups, but unfortunately, when we most need help, it is when we are less able to receive it.

I recognize that before Camila arrived, my marriage was marvelous and simply perfect, but with Camila’s arrival, it united us even more, it truly converted my husband and I into one, stronger and more in love than ever, ready to fight anything!

A nurse from the hospital, father of a 4 year old boy with Down syndrome suggested that I go to a parenting group that he went too; we went once Camila was almost 1 month old, but it was so painful, I didn’t feel prepared, honestly, I still don’t; I know that it would be a big help, but I also accept in those moments I didn’t have the energy, of confronting it, I didn’t have the energy to touch the issue with friends and family, without breaking down in tears; all of my energy was concentrated in keeping myself together, without going to pieces, I confess that during the nights my little baby was in the hospital, and having to return home each night with empty arms, I just thought about crying, throwing myself into bed and crying until I fell asleep and forget about everything!  But just then the blame come back, I couldn’t, to many things to do, specializes, doctors, breast feeding helpers, everything so exhausting, so fast, that I couldn’t  have the luxury of being depress, plus, my older daugther need me too.

Maybe one of the most difficult situations was facing the words of relatives and friends, all of them with good intentions I know, but there is always someone that seems to be giving their condolences, o who tell you  that God bless you with a special baby because you are special, other people  just say something like nice! I eared those kids are very loving! One day after Camila’s birth, one relative ask to my husband and I “How it feels to have a baby with Down syndrome?” I thought it was so unapropied. It make me so upset eared all those  prefabricate words, I couldn’t understand my self, in one hand it make me very angry knowing how some people feel pity for me, I don’t want my daughter or my family being cause of pity; but in the other hand I also get so upset with people that seen celebrating because I know they have no idea of what they were talking about, about something that is sooo far so unreal for them, they can’t possible imagine how devastated I was feeling and don’t matter what everybody say or not, I just feel so angry with everybody! And then I feel so upset with my self for being angry!

When Camila was about 2 months old, a relative told me that maybe was a punishment from God, because I wasn’t close enough to him. Nothing in my life ever make me more upset and sad at the same time, but I still was strong enough and I remember telling her, “no, Camila is not a punishment from God, she is a blessing and if God send us Camila is because we are closer than ever to him, and is an honor that God think that our family is strong, stable, loving and good enough, to give us one of his most loved Angels, my daughter!  And I will never thank God enough for her.

But in spite of all this feelings and emotions,  I loved and adore my daugther with all my soul since de first instant I saw her, with all my strength and every day more, and I never feel even a pinch of rejection or deception for her. I always thank God for my little angel.

When we got the confirmation of the diagnostic, two genetics would talk to us two days after she was born; two genetics I thought to my self,  this couldn’t be good, I knew which would be the diagnostic, I know they talk to us for hours, I don’t remember a thing,  I got lost in tears when they confirm that my baby had Down Syndrome, down syndrome for the rest of her life, down syndrome forever.

Having Camila made me face so many things, I always thought that everything is possible, that everything can be change, everything have solution, everything has a cure, is very difficult to think in the word forever, specially talking about babies, is so hard to think that is nothing to “take it away” because obviously is nothing that can “cure” Down Syndrome, and is not medicine or surgery that can “cure” her hypothyroidism, and also any surgery can  “cure or stop” her unilateral loss of hearing (at least not yet...).  I never thought I would face so many impotence, so many forever’s, so many for the rest of her life… Me, that always thought I have everything under control. 

My husband just keep asking why us, if we are good persons, never did wrong to no one, we love God, we go to church; and something happen on my heart and I felt so happy  because this happen to us; and I told my husband, that is why, that is why this happen to us, precisely  for all those reasons, because God know we are good people, because we have so much love for each other, because we have a wonderful family, God trust on us, he believe we are special enough for have a special child. God knew we will take a good care of her and that we will love her more than anybody else in this world, that he couldn’t find better parents for her than us. I told my husband just imagine, if God would send Camila, our Camila to alcoholic or drug addicts parents, they would never be able to give Camila all the love and care that she deserve, and then we thank God for putting Camila in our arms, under our care and not to somebody that would not love her like we do.

Even so, I thought it would take me years to get through all this, if I ever get though it. But it didn’t take years, it take just a couple of little smiles, a couple smiles of my beautiful and beloved daughter and everything started turning pink and perfect, and that same smile is the one that gives me the strength to do everything in my power and even out of my power for her, to help her exploit to the maximum al her capacities, and even more important, to make sure she is love and happy.

My baby isn’t any different of any other baby, she cry when she is upset, when she is hungry, if something hurts or if she need a new diaper, she smile when she see mommy or some familiar faces, now that she is saying her first words, she makes sure everybody can hear  when she says “eat or sleep”; she yells “mamaaa, papaaa, Lailaa” when she is alone, she claps to herself and says “bravo” when she has an achievement; now she is an expert crawler, she  pulls, brake, destroy, anything on her way, my diaper bag is never safe with Camila around…. And mommy’s computer is Camila’s favorite “toy”; this is my baby, the one that makes everybody smile anywhere she goes, the one how still prefer to sleep on mommys' chest, the one that gives kisses to everybody, the one that make me immensely happy with each tiny little hug, with each kiss, with each achievement, with each trying…

I know is still so many open hurts to get heal, but I also know that we are in the right track and now I also know that is ok to feel sad if your child have a disability or deficiency, that doesn’t means that you love your child any less,  is the opposite! Is because we love them that we feel sad, and worry about their future, is more than obvious that this will change ours lifes, it would require more union, more strength, more hard work, more love, from all the family members, more time and dedication, but in the process we will find out how wonderful that it's, and how much we will learn with our baby and each success don’t matter how small they could be, will be like glory to us and will be the cause of so much happiness! Success and happiness that when we have a “regular” child, pass trough sometimes without even noticing those everyday achievements.

I also think that inside of our self is the power of make a difference in the life of our Children, and why not? In the life of others! Lets help our kids to go above and beyond, to end with the taboos about Down Syndrome people, to exceed all what is witted in the books and to educate this society that like everybody else, persons with Down Syndrome have feelings and emotions, strengths and weakness; but specially very capable of give and receive love and ready to transform the life of those who have the fortune to know them.

I love you Camila, thank you for let me be part of your life, thank you for make me so happy!

TOYS, TOYS, TOYS!!!

Toys can be the perfect helper when is time to help our kids to learn something, with my first daughter how is four now, we just bought tons of toys! Anything she want, anything we like (of course all mommy’s and daddy’s favorites when kids) they don’t even fit in the house! Like my husband said, we have a little fortune in toys! Like kindergarten teacher, I tend to look for educational toys, so most of them are good anyway!

Put getting to the point, with Camila, I change my strategy either reusing Laila’s toys or buying new ones, I always have a specific purpose with each toy Camila get; we always have specifics goals, and I buy the toys  thinking in those specifics goals I’m working with, either sit, crawl, stand, eat solids, talk, etc.

Here is a list of some of my favorites!

FOR SITTING

• leapfrog drum

This is one of my daughter’s favorites toys, and thanks to this drum Camila learn to sit, perfect size for be between the baby’s legs, lights and music, and is also a bilingual toy (Spanish and English) that in our case, being a bilingual family, is just more than perfect!

• ball (22” – 25”)

  

  try to use soft ball with bright colors, and help your baby sit hugging the ball, this position is easy when learning to sit because the ball give them support and security.

  



• bumbo seat

• vtech discovery nursery farm

This is a prize winning toy! At least with my girls! Laila’s favorite toy since she was 4 months (and she still play with her little piano like she named), and Camila’s favorite too! Is a very complete and versatile toy, lights, songs, animals, numbers, colors, and I can keep going (and no, I don’t get any commission for this haha).

FOR ROLLING AND CRAWLING

• Fisher Price Baby Playzone Touch & crawls friend

This is my favorite! Complement of Camila’s godparents; the baby just have to touch the toy and this move and turn all over the place, surprising fast pretty good in carpets but even better in tile or linoleum floors (my home is 80% carpet and work just fine!), have lights and very happy songs.

• vtech move and crawl ball

As the fisher price toy, this roll everywhere! But slower, giving time to the baby to get to the ball, was specially perfect when Camila was rolling or army crawling, also plays different songs and lights.

• Balls

Balls are simple and always  catch kids attention; is always good idea, have  a few options, like sensory balls, fabric balls, hard ones, soft, heavy, light balls, homemade balls,  oversize balls! Just make sure they are not choking size;  I use them in so many different ways, Camila like to fallow an oversize yoga ball since she was rolling until now that she is an expert crawler, and I also use this ball for make all kind of exercises on Camila, really one of the most functional “tools”  we  get for our little princess. She also like to roll and fallow tiny little balls that make that have a bell inside.

• earlyears toys Swirly Orb



• yookidoo swap n go snail

This is another cute helping toy, as the others, this also moves and play music, and also have detachable pieces, is a pretty complete toy that you can use with different purposes. 

FOR KNELLING AND STANDING

• tumble forms raised rolls

I borrowed these from Camila’s teacher, and are great for different purposes unfortunately  they take some space, I have them in different places on the living room,  and she like to crawl over them, but before she was crawling I put camila in fourth over the roll, I help her climb over the roll, we also used like a bench she sit on the roll and plays in her activity tables; now for add complexity we put toys in each side of the roll, that she have to grave and put over her table.

• Basic Play Set by Childrens Factory

I Love this toy! Great for introduce the stairs, which is always a good  idea to teach specially if you have stairs in home, even if you "always" close the gate; plus climbing is always good for strength and the little slide will help the abdominal muscles.

 

 

• vtech sit to stand walker

Like most of the vtech toys, very complete and entreterning learning toy.

• chicco flip n play table

• Zany Zoo Wooden Activity Cube

This toys help Camila to get on her knees, and specially the zany zoo, help her to stand.

• Furniture

She is starting to cruise in the sofa, tables, chairs, and this is something that you already have in home! Encourage your baby to do it and help her. Stairs area other great tool.

• Empty box of dippers
• Blanket

I sit Camila inside the dipper box and I pulled with a scarf all around the house, she have so much fun! And in the same time she (fortaleze) her abdominal muscles.  Now that the box of dippers isn’t that challenging any more; I changed for a blanket (occupational therapist suggestion, we sit Camila in the blanket and pull her everywhere. 

FINE MOTOR TOYS

• lamaze soft shape sorter





playskool toys busy poppin pals toy

• Fisher Price Little Superstar Classical Stacker

• sassy stacking cups

• stacking cubes

• early years toys stacking activity cubes

• vtech count and learn school bus

• Jumbo rope with wooden rings

OTHER GREAT TOYS

• Bubbles

Bubbles are multiuse, the perfect incentive!


• vtech record and learn photo album

This toy is wonderful! We put pictures of Camila, Laila, mom and dad, grandma and grandpa one of us in each page and we record our names or however we want her to call us, we also put a family picture as well; each time she turn the pages she can hear our names, in my case she ear mama, mama, mama; and she can press a button if she want to hear us again or just turn the page, it also have other activities, like songs, numbers and colors. Now that Camila know us we are thinking in put pictures of parts of her body, you can also use it with colors, shapes, animals, commun objects, etc! Practically you can put pictures and record anything you want your baby learn.

• fisher price ocean wonders seahorse

•  baby Einstein take along tunes

• V Tech Baby learning laptop

Signing language is fun!!

My daughter have unilaterally audition, she can only hear from her left ear; we find out this almost since she born; at first we thought this will really affect her development and speech, more because due her good ear we can’t use an hearing aid, at least not now… so the whole family started learning sign language, at first the basic, mom, dad, more, all done, eat, milk, etc, etc. but we have so much fun in the process that my older daughter and I, are signing almost everything, all the time; signing is great even if you don’t have any audition or speech issues; and Camila is starting to get it! She is already signing: more, eat/food, all done, mom, and we are sure pretty soon she will be signing even more! If interest at all, here is a few ones for start, and let me know if you want more information about it...

Developmental Milestones and Skills Table for Down Syndrome Children

I don’t know about you but it makes me crazy that it is hard to find a developmental chart for kids with Down syndrome, and for “regular” kids you can find them anywhere! Online, books, really anywhere! But for Down syndrome kids it is another story… Even if you ask the Doctors or teachers, they like to say that with Down syndrome kids each case is completely different, they don’t know when they will learn a new skill, bla, bla, bla. The point is that we all know that, even the regular kids, meet expectations in their own times; but is nice to have at least an idea of what to expect.

0 – 2 months

Smiling

3 – 5 months

Prone: turns head to both sides

Neck righting

Upright: head bobs but stays erect

Prone: optical righting

Prone: raises and maintains head at 45 degrees

React to the door bell or estranges sounds

Vocalize; make a sound different that crying

Smile in answer to your smile

6 – 12 months

Put hands together

Fallow an object up and down, side to side

Laugh

Play with a rattle

Fallow voices

Get upset if you take a toy away

Prone: head and chest are raised to 90 degrees with forearm support

Roll from stomach to back

Rolls from back to stomach

Hand to foot play

Pivots in stomach-lying 360 degrees

Sits

Moves a toy from one hand to another

13 – 15 months

Clap hands

Finger feeding

Talk 2 or 3 words

Try to get a toy out of her reach

Make the bye-bye sign

Moves from sitting to stomach lying by moving to the side

Assumes quadruped

Belly crawls

Pulls to kneel from sitting using a surface with an edge

Pulls to stand from sitting on the floor

16 – 18 months

Take a small object from the floor

Play peek a boo

Understand the word “no” but not always obey

Imitate

Baby talks (like if she is talking in foreign language that doesn’t exist)

Moves from sitting to quadruped by moving to the side

Moves from quadruped to sitting

Pulls to kneel from quadruped using a surface with an edge

Moves from stomach-lying to sitting by moving to the side

Creeps in quadruped (crawls)

Pulls to stand from quadruped

Pulls to stand through half kneel

Moves from standing to sitting on the floor with knees bent

Cruises in one direction

19 – 22 months

Using spoon/fork

Play with a ball with someone else

Indicate what she wants in a different way than crying

Bear walking

Steps 10 feet with two hand support

Climbs onto the sofa with the seat cushion removed

Stands without support for 10 seconds

Walks 10 feet with a push toy

Climbs off the sofa with the seat cushion in place

23 – 26 months

Talking words

Drink from a sippy cup

Fallow simple orders

Climbs up a flight stairs

Takes 2 independent steps

Walks 10 feet with one-hand support

27 – 34 months

Talking sentences

Climbs down a flight of stairs

Walks 15 feet without hand support

35 – 39 months

Walks down a 4-inch curb without hand support

Walks up a 4-inch curb without support

Walks (fast walk) 100 feet in less than 25 seconds with hand support

Walks across on 8-ft long, 7-in wide balance beam without hand support

Walks up stairs marking time holding the rail

40 – 49 months

Start toilet training

Undressing

Walks down stairs marking time holding the rail

Jumps

Walks up an 8-in curb without hand support

50 – 81 months

Putting clothes on

Runs 100 feet in less that 25 seconds

Walks up stairs holding the rail alternating feet

Rides tricycle 15 feet

Walks across an 8-ft long, 4-in wide balance beam without hand support

Walks down stairs holding the rail alternating feet