Bryce is CRAWLING!!!

Today is Tuesday, May 12, 2009.  Bryce is 12 months 18 days old and he officially crawled today for the very first time.  He has been up on his hands and knees rocking back and forth for months now.  He has been reaching with one hand or moving one knee forward, but for the last month, he couldn't quite put it together.  But, today he did.  We had physical therapy this morning.  Then this afternoon after a long nap and some milk, he was in a great mood.  He just acted like he wanted to do it.  So, after lots of encouragement, HE DID IT.  David was home, so I yelled down to him so he could see Bryce crawl too.  We got it on video and Bryce crawled about 4 feet 10 different times.  I was so excited.  I'm still so excited.  

For typical children the range for crawling is 6-12 months.  For Down syndrome, the range for crawling is 8-22 months.  I'm thrilled that Bryce even falls within the range of crawling for typical kids.  He's on the early side for Down syndrome.  What a great day!!

Cutest Baby Award

And the cutest baby on earth award goes to Bryce!  Today after church I had to go to Costco to get things for the birthday party next weekend.  Bryce was so tired.  He had already missed his morning nap because we were at church.  It was time for his afternoon nap.  I knew if I didn't make it to Costco today it would be very hard to find another time.  So, we had to do it.  Now if this had been Payton and maybe Braydon there would have been no way.  Crying, screaming or worse would have ensued if I had tried this manoeuvre with them.  Costco was packed.  We just finished with a three day snow storm of two feet of snow.  The people were out today.  Bryce fussed for about 5 minutes, then laid his head down on the cart and went to sleep.  As I was navigating the aisles with my giant rolls of paper towels and massive amounts of food, people left and right were going crazy over my sweet sleeping baby.  What an angel!

Bryce's First Haircut

I took Bryce to get his first haircut today.  As usual, he was the best behaved out of my three children.  Payton cried throughout her entire first haircut.  Braydon cried for most of his first haircut as well.  Bryce had a few moments of uncertainty, but for the most part he stayed strong.  Bryce's first birthday is next week, so I figured I should go ahead and get his haircut.  It was getting long around the ears and he did have a tail.  I waited as long as I could to get that haircut.  

Braydon's hair is so thick that he needed another haircut even though it had only been 2 weeks since his last one.  I had handed Braydon's haircut duty over to David because Braydon would  cry so much, during a cut.  But, David took him to Sports Clips and Braydon never got a good cut there.  Twice they cut his hair straight across the front.  He looked like Jim Carey in Dumb and Dumber.  No more of that.  

Of course if Bryce and Braydon were getting their hair cut, Payton had to too.  She finally lets me fix her hair now.  She gets excited to get her hair cut.  It's so funny, because she used to cry and cry during cuts too.  I'm glad we're past that.

I spent $60 on haircuts!  Crazy!

Spring

Spring is here!  Finally!  What a long winter it has been.  But, strangely not really.   In terms of snow and ice, we didn't really get that much around here this year.  But, we sure got hit with a constant barrage of colds, ear infections, sore throats, and stomach viruses.  Someone was sick in our house for two months solid this winter.  Currently both of my boys are taking antibiotics.  But, I see the light or the sun rather.  

Today, we spent the morning at the park behind our house.  It was so gorgeous out.  70 degrees, no wind, perfect.  What was even more perfect was that two of my neighbors were there with their kids too.  It was so great just sitting and chatting with them.  That's what is hard about winter.  Not being able to have the random meetings at the park with friends.  It's such an unexpected surprise.  

This afternoon, we colored Easter eggs.  A fun, but messy tradition that must be maintained year after year.  I love coloring Easter eggs.  This was the first year that Braydon was old enough to enjoy it with help.  Payton even did everything herself.  Poor Bryce had to be content to sit and watch.  

To round out our perfect Spring day, Payton had her first spring soccer game tonight.  I love going out to the field to watch the kids play sports.  It's such a great family time.  Although it was very windy by tonight and Bryce was not happy about the wind at all.  Other than that it was a great time.  

I think I've made it.  The winter is behind us.  Easter is in 4 days.  Hallelujah!!!!

Coincidences?

Before Bryce was born I didn't know anyone who had Down syndrome.  There was no one in my immediate circle of friends and family who had DS.  Although, throughout my life, I can remember crossing paths with many people who had DS.  Maybe this happens to everyone.  But, I can remember since I was very young coming into contact with lots of people who had DS. 

My first memory of noticing someone with Down syndrome was when I was in about the second grade.  I remember playing on the playground with a little girl who had DS.   We played in the sandbox together.  She went to my school, but back then there was no inclusive education, so I never had any classes with her.  

Much later in life, the year after I had graduated from college I was at a neighborhood swimming pool.  There was a woman there who worked at the grocery store where I shopped.  She was with her baby girl.  I hardly knew this woman and I asked about her baby.  I couldn't really see her because of the sun glare and they were under an umbrella.  She told me that her baby was 15 months old.  I commented on how tiny she was.  (I really wish now I hadn't said that.)  She told me the baby had DS.  I don't remember what I said after that.

6 years later, I was at yet another grocery store.  (this time in another state.)  As I was standing in line to check out, I noticed a mother with a little boy sitting in the front of the grocery cart.  This little boy had DS.  But, this mother looked very sad.  She might have only been sad because she was having a bad day and it had nothing to do with DS.  But I felt sorry for her.  

2 years later while Payton was taking a ballet class, there was a little girl in her class who had a sister with DS. While I waited for Payton's class, I would see this little girl running around the playing for the entire 45 minute class.

1 year after this while I was pregnant with Bryce I used to take Braydon to a tumbling class while Payton was at school.  There was a little boy in that class with us who had DS.  

Another strange thing was the church David and I joined.  There must be hundreds of churches to chose from in the Denver metro area.  David and I joined a church 4 years before Bryce was born where the head pastor, Harvey Martz, has a son who has DS.  Harvey's wife, Judy, was the President of the National Down Syndrome Congress.

  

Also, when I was in high school, one of my favorite TV shows was Life Goes On.  It was a drama about a family.  One of the children in the family was a young man who had DS.

Before I had Bryce, I read two novels that centered specifically around Down syndrome.  The books were Jewel by Bret Lott and The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.  

Before Bryce was born, we did not know he had Down syndrome.  

Do these types of things happen to everyone?  Does everyone cross paths a lot with people who have DS?  Maybe they do.  Maybe this just shows the prevalence of DS in our society.  Or maybe somehow I was being prepared for Bryce.  Maybe all of these "coincidences" were there to provide comfort for me.  Maybe God was trying to prepare me somehow, since I was completely blind-sided by the diagnosis.  

I don't know.  I like to think of them as more than coincidences.   Over the past 9 months, I have thought about all of these events often. And I have found comfort.

A Glimpse into the Public School System

Today Bryce turned 9 months old.  While he is still very much a baby, I have already come face to face with some of his future in the public school system.  The reason being that Payton will be starting kindergarden next year.  One of my fears when we first found out that Bryce had Down syndrome was the prejudice he could face.  As I have been put into contact with the Down syndrome community over the past 9 months, my fears of this have been somewhat put to rest.  Things are much better now than they used to be they say.  The stereotypes aren't what they used to be they say.  I believed them and I still do believe them to some extent, but not completely.  

About three months ago, I went to look at a Charter School that is in our school district for Payton to attend next year.  There is a long waiting list to get into this school.  To attend the school, there is a lottery system and one just has to hope and pray that their number is picked.  Some of the advantages of this school are smaller class sizes, uniforms, Spanish starting in kindergarden, music in all grades, traditional school schedule (we have year round schools), mandatory parent involvement, autonomy from the school district, among many other reasons. Since my tour, the school bond did not pass in our district and most of the schools will be undergoing major budget cuts in the upcoming school year. The Charter school won't be as affected by these budget cuts.  At the end of the tour, I asked the administrator conducting the tour about students with special needs.  I told her that my baby had Down syndrome and we were hoping he would attend the same school as his siblings.  She flat out said to me, "oh we don't have the space, resources, or budget for a student with such significant special needs as a child with Down syndrome."  Wait a minute, this is a public school, what about a free and appropriate education for all?  What about the Individuals with Disabilities Act?  What?  What?  What?  I was so shocked, hurt, and angry by her response that I didn't know what to say.  I did manage to ask if they had ever had any students with any kind of special needs like autism.  She replied that one time a little boy in kindergarden had autism, but it just didn't work out and he had to switch schools.  

I couldn't believe the prejudice I was already facing.  Bryce was 6 months old for God's sake! Through some research I have done since then, by law, that school has to accept Bryce as a student (that is if Payton even gets in.)  I was pretty sure about that going into the tour that is why I was so incredulous at that administrator's response.  

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I had my second glimpse into the public school system.  I had to enroll Payton in the neighborhood elementary school just in case she doesn't get into the charter school.  As I wrote, the schools here are year round, so there are 4 different "tracks" into which the students are divided.  One of my neighbors, I'll call Steve because that is not his name, teaches at the neighborhood school Payton would attend.  I mentioned to Steve that I had enrolled Payton at his school, but was a little unsure about the tracks.  He said he could tell me about the tracks.  He proceeded to explain that "B" track is the most like a traditional school calendar, but that is where they place most of the "Speds".  "Speds?" I have never heard this DEROGATORY term in my life.  He meant the students in special education.  He went on that since the "Speds" are in "B" track that a lot of parents don't want their children to be in this track because they don't want to have to "deal with it".  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  This guy lives across the street from me.  It hurts me to say that his wife is one of my friends.  Did he not know that Bryce has Down syndrome?  Did he not care?  Did he forget?  He is a teacher!  He is supposed to be one of the understanding ones.  He is supposed to be a part of the safe world for Bryce.  

It makes me mad.  I'm not afraid to fight for Bryce.  I will do it.  I will get him into the school that is best for him.  I can already see at the tender age of 9 months, the obstacles that are ahead.  I say bring it on.  Get ready, because we are coming.  That Charter school has 5 years to get ready for us!  Both of these "educators" have A LOT to learn about compassion, understanding, and love.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

So, apparently in 1994, Congress passed a resolution that Martin Luther King Jr. Day should be a day of service for our country.  Instead of taking the "day off" people should have a "day on" and help out in the community somehow.  I didn't find out about this resolution until a few days ago. That is quite a legislative lag if I've every heard of one.  

For a while now, I have been wanting to get my kids involved in community service.  The idea is that if they help others they won't become so self-involved and self-centered.  Acquiring material possessions will not be the focus of their lives.  We have done a few service projects here and there, but I thought why not do one on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?  The problem is how much can a 4 year old and a 2 year old really do?  So, we decided to pick up trash at the park.  They were really excited about this.  I think a lot of the excitement came from the Backyardigans episode they have been watching about a space-age garbage truck.  But, whatever works.  I got everyone different colored plastic gloves and off we went.  The only problem we ran into was that apparently we live in a very clean place.  We went to three different parks and couldn't find any trash.  It was very disappointing.  After driving around a while, we finally found some trash across from a school.  The school grounds themselves were immaculate, but we found all the trash that had blown away from the school.  The kids thought it was great frolicking in the field collecting "stinky trash".  (Stray school papers and chip bags hardly constitute as being stinky, but this is kid talk.)

Next it was time for service project number 2.  The "yes we can" can in honor of Barak Obama's campaign slogan.  (I didn't come up with this on my own.)  We decorated soup cans and covered the tops with a slit to hold coins.  The idea is for the kids to collect coins to donate to their favorite charity.  I picked their favorite charity to be the Mile High Down Syndrome Association.  We went to five neighbors' houses and everyone emptied their coin jars into our cans.  The best part of it all, was when I was trying to get the kids to explain to our neighbors what we were doing.  After a few moments of silence when someone had answered their door, Braydon blurted out, "trick or treat."  It was hilarious!  I can understand the confusion.

Here's the link on how to make a "yes we can" can:

http://crafts.kaboose.com/yes-we-can-can.html

Fun Day!