Specialists

For those who are interested in who we see if you are looking for a specialist:
Cardiologist: Michael Cheung RCH
Respiratory: John Massie RCH
Gastroenterology: Tony Cato-Smith RCH
Endocrinology: Margret Zacharin RCH
Opthamology: David Mackie RCH
Audiology: RCH/Australian Hearing
ENT: RCH
Physio: SCOPE
OT: SCOPE
Speech: SCOPE
Teacher of the Deaf: Aurora
Hearing Impaired Early Learning Group: Aurora
Orthotics: Orthotic Innovations Surrey Hills, David Philips
Paediatrician: Bill Capell
Dietician: Box Hill
Stomal Therapist: Box Hill/RCH
Osteopath: RMIT Clinic, Paediatric Specialist: Nahla
GP
Down Syndrome Victoria: My Time Parent Support Group

I guess this is why my calendar is pretty full!

Do the Shuffle

Nathan is on the move. He has worked out how to shuffle on his bottom. It looks like hard work. He basically lifts his legs up, while seated, and splits them out wide and scoots forward. There is an awful lot of heel banging that goes on and it is inch by inch progress. But he reaches his destination. At the moment he only moves about one metre. I'm sure as he adjusts and masters his shuffle technique that he'll be travelling greater distances.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9TpNrYfxes

tears

For the last month Nathan has been extra sensitive to any loud, high pitched or sudden noise. Any of these set him off into tears and extreme clinginess. Babies crying, toddlers screaming, plates clanging, toys banging the list seems to be growing. It doesn't seem to matter if his hearing aide is on or off. It is extremely difficult as in most of the places we go and the groups that we interact with toddlers and babies are present. Toddlers generally don't like to share toys, toddlers fall over or bump heads, toddlers squeal and cry. It seems we get over one incident and then another child will squeal or cry and we begin again.

Nathan was very sensitive to loud noises when he first came home from hosiptal but he has greatly improved and it seemed for the last year it hasn't been an issue. I am not sure what has brought on this behaviour. Hope it doesn't last too long.

New Skill. Getting to sit by self

Nathan is now getting to a sitting up position by himself. He likes to practice things in his cot before trying them out in the big wide world. So that is where we first found him sitting up, in his cot.

We were very excited to find him like this and so went over the top saying how clever he was, as you do when your child does something new. Now we have a new dilemma during the day. We lay him down for his sleep and he sits up. we lay him down and he sits up etc. I have tried leaving him for over an hour and he happily sits and calls out. Therefore not much daytime sleeping is happening. On two occasions he has fallen asleep while sitting up. He has then ended up with legs spread and his face down on the mattress in front of him. We have then been able to move him into a more comfortable position when he is fast asleep.

At least it is only in the day. Next will be standing!!

Early Learning Group

We had our first day at the early learning group for children wth hearing impairments.
We had a fun morning. We took home a DVD with songs and actions in sign. Nathan is picking up the actions fairly quickly. Almost as quickly as us.

The ELG is every second Tuesday. We have a Teacher of the deaf come every other week to focus on speech and listening.

let's go sliding

Nathan has worked out how to slide around on the wooden floors. He spreads his legs, places his hands between his legs and pushes himself backwards.
He's starting to get quite quick at moving around. I'll have to watch what I leave lying around!

let's get moving

Nathan is now trying to walk with support.
He took his first self initiated steps last weekend in a cafe at Barwon Heads.
He lifts his little legs up like a Taiwanese soilder. Can't think of a better way to describe it right now. It is very cute and I am so excited taht he is making connections with moving his legs. He still needs loads of help with actually staying up and shifting his weight from one side to the other but we don't need to give him as much prompting anymore. Very exciting.

He is also making progress towards crawling. He can stay on his hands and knees for a bit and moves his hand forward and his legs. Still such a long way to go to build up strength stamina and get it all together but huge steps from where he has been.

No progress on the bottom shuffle. Still 360 circles!!!

first words 'bye bye'

Nathan said his first words the other day.

He waved and said 'bye bye' to the carer.

Not Mummy or Daddy

I still had a tear in my eye and was very proud of my little man.