Happy New Year

Perfect...even when he's not feeling well

I hope you have all had an enjoyable New Years Eve, and a great first day of 2013! I'm looking forward to this year with a positive attitude, despite it's rough start, and I'm hoping for good things for our family this year.

Having a sleepy read of his book

Unfortunately, since my last blog a couple of days ago, Felix's health hasn't got any better. The croup hasn't flared up again, but he has been running a fever and has been miserable. Carrying him around has been like holding a newborn baby; he has been completely limp and floppy. Nathan and I managed to stay awake until midnight last night, but Felix woke at 2am and spent the rest of the night tossing and turning in bed with us. I must admit that, although it's awful to see him so sick, it was a bit of a novelty being able to cuddle him in our bed because he never does that. He's always been such a great sleeper.

Early this morning, we decided to take Felix back up to the hospital because, after two days, his fever didn't seem to be getting any better. I always worry about going to the hospital because we've had some bad experiences with Doctors there and, not having had sleep, I was ready to lose my temper with anyone who treated Felix badly. We didn't have to wait too long for a Doctor and, when he came in he was smiling; a good sign I figured. Then he stopped, squatted down so he could study Felix's face, and said, "Oh...he's a Down!" Straight away I felt my defences go up and I was about to say something, when he told me how he had "..another Down yesterday...They're actually quite common! My brother has a child who is Down. I'm trying to do some research so I know more about it."  OK... I'm glad I bit my tongue. Long story short, it appeared that, although the Doctor suffered from a chronic case of 'misuse of terminology', he did seem to want to learn more about Down Syndrome so that he would be able to be a more effective Doctor to children like Felix. He ended up being really lovely with him, speaking gently and stroking his face, so it was quite a positive experience for Felix, and us.

Cuddles with his big brother

The Doctor said that, apart from a little bit of redness in Felix's ears, there didn't appear to be an infection anywhere. He gave us a prescription for antibiotics anyway and told us to bring him back if he didn't get any better. Usually I don't give antibiotics to our kids, and Felix has only actually had them twice before but, in this case, I've decided to give them to him anyway. He seems to be much sicker than just a regular 'flu and he has had ear infections missed before, so I don't want to risk it.  Felix had a period of about an hour and a half tonight when he ate a little bit and sat on the floor and played for a while, but then he fell back to sleep in my  arms. I'm really hoping he has a much better night tonight and the fever will break so his body can heal. He's so precious and I hate seeing him sick.

Sitting around with Felix has given me lots of time to reflect on the year that has been, and the year to come. I have been blessed so much, with our beautiful family, and some wonderful friends. I'm thankful for the times we have shared together and look forward to many more this year. In 2012, we welcomed our gorgeous Grandson, Noah, who is an absolute delight. We celebrated the engagement of our eldest son, and look forward to his wedding this coming year. We have watched Felix grow and develop into the most amazing little boy. He has done things we were told he would never be able to do. Every day brings something new and we cherish every second with him. I can't wait to see what he will learn this year!

This past year has also brought sadness for so many within our Down Syndrome Community. There have been so many little ones who have lost their fight for life way too young. I have grieved with these families, and have struggled to understand why these children were taken away. Right at the very end of the year, another little baby, only a couple of months old, passed away leaving his family with a gaping hole in their lives. Through the deaths of these beautiful, much loved children, I have been reminded to hug our children even tighter and to savour every moment; to love them deeper and to remember to always say, "I love you".

Happy New Year from Felix and his Mum x x x

I wish you all the best for this year. Thank you again for your support and love for our gorgeous Felix. I look forward to sharing more of his life with you in 2013 x x x