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"Classes are Canceled and Dominican University is Closed Today, Friday, Feb. 1, 2008 Due to Snow."
I'm torn between commenting on their weakness (it's just snow people), the acknowledgment that the roads are terrible and this is a commuter school, and thinking about making pancakes.
Pancakes it is!
I'm torn between commenting on their weakness (it's just snow people), the acknowledgment that the roads are terrible and this is a commuter school, and thinking about making pancakes.
Pancakes it is!
IEP and TSH
Jan. 30th, 2008 06:45 amWe've lived a charmed life. Nico's only medical concern has been his hearing, and it was obvious that he could hear, so the question was merely one of degree. In fact, he passed a behavioral hearing test the other day, so even that wasn't a concern. As of 8:00 last night, we have a new concern - hypothyroidism. More on that in a minute.
We also spoke to all but one of his therapists yesterday and developed our next 6-month plan.
( Read more... )
We also spoke to all but one of his therapists yesterday and developed our next 6-month plan.
( Read more... )
Hypothyroidism
Jan. 29th, 2008 09:34 pmGood article. Suddenly relevant, maybe. Great site by an MD and dad.
Nico's results on the TSH are just slightly above normal.
The next big word of the day, class, is Endocrinologist.
Nico's results on the TSH are just slightly above normal.
The next big word of the day, class, is Endocrinologist.
Nico at high speeds!
Jan. 24th, 2008 08:14 pmTwo days ago, I went into the bathroom to start Nico's bath. I had left him, as we do, hanging out on the floor of his room, playing. I suddenly hear the sound of little hands on tile, and turn to see my son crawling merrily after me. He went right into the bathroom, was steered away from the cat box, saw some bathtoys on the ground, and went over to bang little plastic cups together. The barrier of his room threshold, had been broken (it was really, we think, the change from carpet to colder tile that had kept him from crawling out). Don't worry, we have a baby gate.
Today, I took out my guitar and started to play, and then did a pied piper routine as I got him to follow me out of his bedroom and into the kitchen, then sort of back again. The kitchen was filled with neat new things and he got a bit distracted.
Later, I took one of his favorite toys and put it in the kitchen and watched him crawl around after it. I've got two videos of these. I need a cheap video editor as the best video of all was too big for youtube - it shows him crawling after a ball, hitting it, and having to crawl after it again. Halfway through the video he sits up and does his other neat trick, which is casting shadows by moving his hands, and watching the shadows!
Anywhere, here are the ones I have for you.
( Read more... )
Today, I took out my guitar and started to play, and then did a pied piper routine as I got him to follow me out of his bedroom and into the kitchen, then sort of back again. The kitchen was filled with neat new things and he got a bit distracted.
Later, I took one of his favorite toys and put it in the kitchen and watched him crawl around after it. I've got two videos of these. I need a cheap video editor as the best video of all was too big for youtube - it shows him crawling after a ball, hitting it, and having to crawl after it again. Halfway through the video he sits up and does his other neat trick, which is casting shadows by moving his hands, and watching the shadows!
Anywhere, here are the ones I have for you.
( Read more... )
Nico - Year 2
Jan. 24th, 2008 07:08 pmI often find it extraordinary that Shannon and I have had Nico for a year now. It still seems so new, startlingly new. It's been a wonderful year, filled with the kind of blessings that cheesy advice books discuss. It's been a very hard year, also filled with the kind of difficulties that cheesy advice books give out. At least I assume this is the sort of thing they discuss. I don't really read them.
( Some musings, next post will have awesome videos of my baby. )
( Some musings, next post will have awesome videos of my baby. )
And now from the sports desk
Jan. 21st, 2008 07:51 amI'm back at work back at home. I had a great time at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
madtruk's house, and enjoyed wearing a Kevin Williams jersey while surrounded in a seat of green and gold Packer fans.
My analysis, and no one else has said it explicitly that I've seen - it was really cold, Favre is old (in football years), and he got fatigued. His passes in the second half lacked their usual crisp accuracy and drifted inside. Inside means short - it means underthrowing - it could mean arm fatigue.
Also, when you've had a running back run for 201 yards in a game the week before, the game plan that got him 8 carries in the first half, 4 in the second half, and 1 in OT seems suspect.
Almost time for Spring Training!
madtruk's house, and enjoyed wearing a Kevin Williams jersey while surrounded in a seat of green and gold Packer fans.My analysis, and no one else has said it explicitly that I've seen - it was really cold, Favre is old (in football years), and he got fatigued. His passes in the second half lacked their usual crisp accuracy and drifted inside. Inside means short - it means underthrowing - it could mean arm fatigue.
Also, when you've had a running back run for 201 yards in a game the week before, the game plan that got him 8 carries in the first half, 4 in the second half, and 1 in OT seems suspect.
Almost time for Spring Training!
Nico's latest efforts
Jan. 10th, 2008 10:25 pmReally, things couldn't be better. We're a little pressed for money, but love having Shannon or me home with the baby every day. We don't see each other as much as we'd like (I work mornings and early afternoons, she works 3 evenings and late afternoons and takes classes two of the other evenings. Not that much overlap). We really liked my winter break and are sad that it's over. But basically, everything is just fine.
Nico is what drives "fine" in our world. When he's good, we're pretty good. When he's not, we're not. He turns one tomorrow, and the last few weeks have been rich with development and new stages. His communication is progressing by leaps and bounds - words, signs, expressions - he has so much to say and so many ways to say it. We, as parents, just try to keep up. Is that open hand over his mouth a sign for "food?" Is it trying to sign "mamma" but missing? Is his "da-da-da-da-da" trying to say daddy? Does he know which one of us is Daddy? When he put his hand to his head was it the sign for daddy? Is he clapping his hands to say hooray or to sign more? What the hell is he doing by sitting in his highchair, raising his right hand in the air, and leaning his head against it and grinning? He's saying something, but what? It's thrilling.
( More, with videos! )
And that's the news!
Nico is what drives "fine" in our world. When he's good, we're pretty good. When he's not, we're not. He turns one tomorrow, and the last few weeks have been rich with development and new stages. His communication is progressing by leaps and bounds - words, signs, expressions - he has so much to say and so many ways to say it. We, as parents, just try to keep up. Is that open hand over his mouth a sign for "food?" Is it trying to sign "mamma" but missing? Is his "da-da-da-da-da" trying to say daddy? Does he know which one of us is Daddy? When he put his hand to his head was it the sign for daddy? Is he clapping his hands to say hooray or to sign more? What the hell is he doing by sitting in his highchair, raising his right hand in the air, and leaning his head against it and grinning? He's saying something, but what? It's thrilling.
( More, with videos! )
And that's the news!
And down to Knoxville they did ride.
Dec. 22nd, 2007 03:56 pmDel McCoury is one of the great living legends of bluegrass. I've been trying to branch out from Ralph Stanley and broaden my bluegrass repertoire, so went to Youtube.
Here's a lovely little song about a red-headed girl and a motorcycle from 1952. Some of you might have heard it already (sarcasm warning as my sarcasm seems to have been missed a lot lately!).
( Read more... )
I really admire people who take someone else's song and just own it when they cover it. I'm a good mimic, taking on the vocal tones of others and replicating them in ways that work for me. But I tend not to reinvent others' work this way. Good stuff!
Meanwhile my son and some spaghetti are locked on mortal combat. Too soon to tell who will win.
Here's a lovely little song about a red-headed girl and a motorcycle from 1952. Some of you might have heard it already (sarcasm warning as my sarcasm seems to have been missed a lot lately!).
( Read more... )
I really admire people who take someone else's song and just own it when they cover it. I'm a good mimic, taking on the vocal tones of others and replicating them in ways that work for me. But I tend not to reinvent others' work this way. Good stuff!
Meanwhile my son and some spaghetti are locked on mortal combat. Too soon to tell who will win.
Goin' Mobile
Dec. 19th, 2007 06:43 amAt the current moment, Shannon is washing dishes, I am considering a stack of exams (as in, "You're not so big! You don't scare me!"), and our son is moving across his room from one toy to another, one corner to another: his blocks, his rocket, the bottom bins in his toy shelf.
A few weeks ago, Shannon turned to me one night after the boy had gone to sleep and said, "I got a little sad today, because I realized our son would not be mobile by Christmas." I got a little sad too, and we hugged and were quiet for a little while. Such conversations are rare for two reasons - first of all, our son is not particularly delayed in any meaningful category. If Nico didn't have Down Syndrome, we wouldn't be worried that he wasn't speaking or crawling or walking, even though plenty of babies of comparable ages do all these things. We'd rely on the truisms that babies develop at their own rate and just keep encouraging out boy along. But he does have DS, we do worry, and we should worry if it springs us to action - all the research suggests that parents and therapy can make an enormous difference not just in when the baby reaches developmental milestones, but also in the long-term development. So being spurred to action is critical.
Second (of the reasons such conversations are rare), is that both of us try very hard to set goals, to track developmental milestones, but not to compare him against some chart of when things are supposed to happen. Such a path leads to madness and fear, but the charts are everywhere! Baby books are filled with them. More importantly, therapists come to the house with lists of "one-year" or "two-year" tasks that a child could accomplish. In our health care system, such lists are a critical component as one's child only qualifies for services if the child has an observable delay - or, as it turns out, has an extra chromosome. Nico is not delayed in most ways (and is within typical spectra in all ways), yet qualifies because of his diagnosis, but still the charts come out.
( The road to mobility - now with videos. )
A few weeks ago, Shannon turned to me one night after the boy had gone to sleep and said, "I got a little sad today, because I realized our son would not be mobile by Christmas." I got a little sad too, and we hugged and were quiet for a little while. Such conversations are rare for two reasons - first of all, our son is not particularly delayed in any meaningful category. If Nico didn't have Down Syndrome, we wouldn't be worried that he wasn't speaking or crawling or walking, even though plenty of babies of comparable ages do all these things. We'd rely on the truisms that babies develop at their own rate and just keep encouraging out boy along. But he does have DS, we do worry, and we should worry if it springs us to action - all the research suggests that parents and therapy can make an enormous difference not just in when the baby reaches developmental milestones, but also in the long-term development. So being spurred to action is critical.
Second (of the reasons such conversations are rare), is that both of us try very hard to set goals, to track developmental milestones, but not to compare him against some chart of when things are supposed to happen. Such a path leads to madness and fear, but the charts are everywhere! Baby books are filled with them. More importantly, therapists come to the house with lists of "one-year" or "two-year" tasks that a child could accomplish. In our health care system, such lists are a critical component as one's child only qualifies for services if the child has an observable delay - or, as it turns out, has an extra chromosome. Nico is not delayed in most ways (and is within typical spectra in all ways), yet qualifies because of his diagnosis, but still the charts come out.
( The road to mobility - now with videos. )
Little Bear
Dec. 18th, 2007 07:19 amThese pictures are for creidylad who has supplied us with many clothes over the last year, and not too many of them frilly and girly (despite having two girls).
( Read more... )
creidylad who has supplied us with many clothes over the last year, and not too many of them frilly and girly (despite having two girls).( Read more... )
(no subject)
Dec. 7th, 2007 08:36 amWe're home. The boy sleeps. All is well if, for him, a little uncomfortable.
(no subject)
Dec. 7th, 2007 05:15 amUp early and off to the hospital. Today they put tubes in my son's ears.
(no subject)
Dec. 6th, 2007 05:03 pmOn the slippery wood floor, through a combination of pivoting, backing up (which happens when he gets up on all fours), sliding, and pivoting again, my son is moving around.
It's delightful.
It's delightful.
(no subject)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 03:32 pmNico wants everyone to know that pears are the new bananas. This has been a public service announcement.
