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| 4 Generations! |
Lots has been happening around here since the weekend. My Mum has travelled up to stay with us for a few days which has been wonderful. Nathan and I have really enjoyed spending time with her and catching up, and it's been so nice to have cups of tea made for us and have her spoil us a bit. The kids love having their Granny here and it's been fun to watch her meet Noah, her Great-Grandson, for the first time too. Felix has enjoyed having some special attention when the other kids have been at school. There's nothing like a Granny who just sits and reads stories, sings and plays outside and you have her undivided attention. Felix has made the most of it. We're all going to miss her when she goes home.
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| Climbing in and out |
Yesterday Felix had a HUGE first. I was sitting outside with him while he was playing in his sandpit. He spent some time climbing in and out of it and I was amazed at how agile he is getting and how quickly he can do it now with no help from me at all. Then something fantastic happened. He was sitting on the front porch when he suddenly stood straight up from squatting without pulling himself up on anything and stood there for ten seconds. He then calmly sat back down again like he's been doing it for months. I couldn't believe my eyes. I think I held my breath the entire time. When he sat back down I cheered and clapped my hands and he excitedly copied me.
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| Practising standing |
For the rest of the afternoon when one of us asked Felix to stand up, he would try really, really hard. He managed to get one foot forward ready to stand and put his arms up high and pushed up with all his might. He was grunting and groaning. It was so awesome to see his persistence and determination to do it again. I was also impressed that he knew exactly what we were asking him to do. His comprehension just gets better and better. He didn't manage to get all the way up again, but I don't think it will be too much longer before he's able to do it consistently. What a guy!
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Standing for a second or two
(A bit blurry-I was too excited!) |
The Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist visited Felix at our place today. It was good to be able to brag to them about all the new things Felix has learnt since they saw him last. They were really impressed with his signing, particularly as he doesn't need prompts all the time, but will sign the appropriate word when he hears it. He showed off his pig sound which is his favourite at the moment. He played with some blocks and put them in the container when he was asked, and he enjoyed interacting with some puzzles which made noises when the correct piece was put in the right place. My Mum enjoyed being there to see what happens in some of Felix's therapy sessions and made sure she had a brag about all the clever things he can do too.
Those who regularly read my blog will know about a lady I have been speaking to who is pregnant with a baby with Down Syndrome. She has struggled over the past couple of weeks with the decision of whether or not to continue her pregnancy. I am over the moon to tell you that I got an email today and she is definitely continuing her pregnancy!!! To her, I would like to publicly welcome her to our beautiful, big family. A Community of people who love someone with Down Syndrome, and whose lives have been enriched and enhanced by them. You are about to embark on a wonderful journey. There are many who have travelled the road you are about to walk down and there will always be someone beside you. You will never be alone. Big hugs to you... I'm so happy for you!
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| So much to be proud of this week. You're such a clever little man! |
At my school, there is a year eight girl who has down syndrome. I m also in year eight, and nobody is mean to her or anything but Im not sure what to do. Today at lunch, a couple of boys sort of teased her a bit, and she was a bit aggresive, and acted as if she was going to beat them up. Everyone thought this was hilarious, but they soon got bored, and she kept sayng "oi" whch I think she picked up from them, and then she would try to get them to laugh again, and they just tought, what the hell and all. I want to talk to her and stuff, but I dont know what to say, as she is a bit aggresive, and when I have tried to talk to her before she turns away or dosnt reply or mumbles somthing I cant understand. How do I talk to her, in a way she knows Im not trying to tease her, and Is there anything I can do to make her understand that pulling up her skirt and growling at them isnt maybe a good thing?
ReplyDeleteWow! It is so nice to know that you are concerned for the girl you know with Down Syndrome and want to do something to help her. Sometimes people with Down Syndrome might react aggressively because they have had to defend themselves from people who have teased them. I would suggest that you just keep trying to talk to her. She might not be used to people trying to make friends with her, so don't be worried if she doesn't reply to you. Just keep making the effort and maybe over time she will realise that you are trying to be kind. Some people with Down Syndrome don't speak very clearly either so that might be why you didn't understand her. Once she feels comfortable with you and knows that you're not going to be mean to her like some of the other kids, maybe then you could suggest to her that 'pulling up her skirt and growling' might not be a good idea. It will probably take some time so just be patient. It's hard when you're teased a lot to know who you can trust and trust takes time to build.
DeleteI really hope that when Felix goes to school, there are some awesome kids like you who will be willing to get to know him even though he is different in some ways. I really admire the fact that you are obviously willing to ask questions and to learn about people with Down Syndrome. That means so much to me personally. Good luck with the girl at school. Let me know how things go. x x x