Feeling sad on a great day

This morning was a great morning.  I got invited to pamper a MOPS Group with some of my Mary Kay product.  It was my old MOPS group I used to attend so it felt really good to go back.  But after I got home and was just thinking about the morning, something hit me like a ton of bricks.  I don't think I've felt like this for awhile.  I realized how far behind Asher really is.  I realized this after seeing all of my friend's kids who are the same age or even younger then Asher running around and playing.  I don't know why it's never really bothered me before.  Why did it hit me today?  Asher has been in child care situations before with typical kids and I see it there too that he's behind but for some reason reality hit hard today.  Will I always feel this sad when I see him with typical kids?  Or will I be able to brush it off and not even think about it?  Just feeling a lot of heartache today over it all.  He's making some huge progress. Especially these last two weeks.  He's army crawling forward, he can push up onto all 4's by himself, he even sat up on his own yesterday!  Yay!  I happened to miss it but he did it!  But at 18 months old I know he should be further along.  We work with him daily and I know we're doing the best we can.   Maybe some of you experienced parents out there there are further along in this journey can help me.  I'd love to hear your comments.  I know I can keep him away from interacting with other kids but at this moment I feel like just doing that.  Can I keep him in a bubble?

 

 

Here's a recent picture of him going after my cell phone.  We use what we have to to motivate him.

Blessings!

S

Updates on our journey - it's been awhile

Blogging has proven to be more difficult then I thought.... I read other's blogs and constantly think "I have to blog" but never can take the time to get to it.  As I am sitting here this morning trying to do so, I keep getting interrupted by the kids wanting something, a curious 8 year old peeking over my shoulder and reading everything I type, the dog wanting something....me needing a coffee refill.  LOL.  So many distractions.  I don't know how people find the time to blog with no interruptions to do so.  I guess I'll so mine in increments when I can. 

So, for the first update.... Asher has his first ER visit back in December, right before Christmas.  He's pretty much been sick since the begging of October off and on.  Just colds thanks goodness but this one in December was much worse.  It started with Zoey coughing and being home from school.  By Thursday of that week we were all at the Doctor - all 3 kids had it.  Turned out it was the flu.  The doctor said Zoey and Haley were beyond any medicine point that would work but Asher we really had to keep an eye on.  He was borderline having pneumonia.  Eeek!  We were sent home with some breathing treatments and told to watch him closely.  By that same afternoon, I woke him up from his nap after several hours and he was just lethargic.  He laid in his playroom and didn't do much of anything.  One phone call to the Doctor and we were told to head to the ER.  This was fun, three coughing kids in the ER.  We probably sounded like we had the plague walking in there.  They thought I was there for Zoey because she sounded the worse.  Nope, my poor little guy.  He had a 103 fever at check in.  I must say for my first ER visit, it wasn't so bad.  All of the nurses were swooning over Asher and just loved the girls.

Here he is feeling better after some motrin and some oxygen.

Here he is feeling better after a few days!

After some motrin, some oxygen and a dose of tamiflu, we were already seeing improvements.  In the meantime, the girls were coughing so bad, Haley kept going to the bathroom to throw up.... at least we were at the Hospital right? What an exciting adventure.  

Merry Christmas!  Glad I'm feeling better!

Asher and Haley meeting Santa at our local DS Christmas Party.

Trying Cream Puffs.

Asher loves his feet!

Here's Asher at one of our playdates at the mall with some friends

We have such a great support group here in Colorado Springs with our local Down Syndrome Association.  We have a monthly meeting where we usually have speakers that have taught us various topics.  This month was Music Therapy which Asher loved.  Here is a picture of Asher at one of our play dates at the mall with some friends.  We also have Mom's Night Outs once a month.  I look forward to those as well.  I am so grateful for this group and the friendships I have developed.  It's always great to have someone to talk to that knows what you're going through and has been there.  There is always tons of advice offered.

Happy Valentine's Day!

One of the things Asher does now is wave!

 Asher is almost 16 months now!  He is working on crawling forward.  He will inch worm backwards.  He actually looks like he's doing the worm. Remember doing that?  LOL.  He's sitting much better now although the girls still get scared and ask me to put the bobby pillow behind him when he's sitting.  They take such good care of their little brother.  He's becoming quite mobil in his own way.  He rolls to get to where he wants to go.  Although that's good, we really need him to crawl.  He loves using his legs and standing.  He even did some cruising along the couch during one of his therapy sessions.  He's become more active which we love to see.  He even managed to escape from his bumbo.  Still not sure how he did that.  Guess I need to get a tray on it.  For now I decided not to put him in it anymore. Except at bath time.  He likes to be upright in the bathtub.

We had our first OT (Occupational Therapy) session just this last Friday.  I loved his therapist.  I think we'll be seeing her once a month and she'll report things to Asher's PT (Physical Therapist) to work on, who we see weekly.  She gave us some ideas on how to wake him up and keep him active. He tends to be lazy is what I call it but I guess we just need to wake his muscles up and let them know to engage.  Everything is so new to us.  We are learning all of the time.  Just as Asher is learning as well.

Asher loves spending time with his big sisters and is always curious about what they are doing.

Sickies

MY KIDS ARE SICK!  Those are words that any mom hates hearing and saying.  We have been dealing with illnesses since the beginning of October in the Borkowski house.  Unfortunately, we have a bad one right now as well.  It started with Zoey and made it's way through the other two kids and mom and dad as well.  The long nights of listening to your kids cough.  Wondering if you should take them to the ER.  Am I overreacting?  Are they breathing?  Checking the internet for every symptom.  Moms, you have been there right?  It's scary.  And you feel so helpless.  Day times have been filled with wiping up boogers, cleaning up puke, taking temperatures, forcing them to eat.... just something.  And stay hydrated!!!!  Meanwhile, I haven't been able to leave the house much.  I've had to run errands early in the morning or late at night when my husband is home.   Christmas is coming.... I can't even think about it with my kids being sick.  I haven't finished shopping or figuring out our meal or.... much of anything.  It all has to wait until these 3 get better.  Waiting another hour until the doctor opens so I can call again and get them in.  5 days of this is enough!  Even if he just tells me it's just a bad cold.  At least I'll have that reassurance.  For now I just wait and listen to them each coughing while sleeping....

Here are some pics of my sickies:

Zoey eating a candy cane because it felt good.

Sleep is the best thing when you're not feeling good.

Asher asleep in his carseat in the kitchen with me so I could make dinner.  This was the only way to comfort him that day.

Prayers would be appreciated!

Asher's first Birthday

Just a few picture updates of our now 1 year old!  I can't believe he turned 1 on October 25th.  He had quite the interesting Birthday as all of the Borkowski girls came down with the flu.  Somehow the boys managed to not get it.  No big party, just a small family affair with a smashing of a cupcake ofcourse.  Haley, who was the last to get sick, decorated his present with pom poms. Big sis Zoey was showing him how to use his new toy.  We can't wait to see him pushing it around the house.

Down Syndrome doesn't define me!

To them, he is just their little brother.  I see them look at him with love and I know that will always continue.  They will always fight for him and stand up for him.  He will definitely be in good hands with these two.  

Down Syndrome doesn't define who Asher is, it's just something he has. 

 

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Did you know that October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month?  How fitting since it's the month that our little man decided to come into the World.  He was 2 1/2 weeks early.  He was suppose to be a November baby like Mommy but decided he wanted to join Daddy in celebrating in October.

This month I'd like to educate my friends on Down Syndrome, even though I am still learning more and more about it each day myself.  At first I received most of my information from the internet while pregnant with Asher. I have to say it was scary.  Most of the stuff that was put out there was all of the scary stuff.  But now that I am part of a community here locally, I am hearing the amazing stories as well.  The joys and the beauties. I also follow many blogs that just talk about the day stuff.  The "normal" life stuff.

Most of my friends have been posting facts about DS and their little ones this week and I have enjoyed reading them.  I wish I could share them all with you.  They have the same ups and downs like "typical" children.  They even have the "terrible two's and three's...."  LOL.  They are.... children!  That's probably the most important thing I want you to know.  Asher is a little boy first and foremost.  That was an important thing for me to remember when I brought him home.  He was a baby.  He needed me.

Here is an interesting thing I found on Pinterest that I want to share with you:

 
 I'm still learning the correct lingo myself.  Anyway, that's my education on DS for today.

And here's a cute picture I took of little man today.  Our weather here in CO turned cold and some people have reported the "s" word.... snow.  Don't worry, we're getting back into the 70's again on Sunday.  Hugs from Asher!

There's been a lot going on for the Borkowski's lately.  This above picture and the one below of Asher was taken and the Balloon Classic today.  It's a traditional Labor Day weekend activity for us.  The end of Summer, ah.  Not sure if I'm happy about that or not.  This year we weren't able to go to any of the glow's because they didn't happen.  Blame the crazy CO weather for that.  In fact there were only two launches this weekend as well.  They launch every morning Saturday - Monday and glow Saturday and Sunday night typically.  The launch happens shortly after sunrise so you can imagine how early we had to get up.  What a beautiful site though!  People come from all over to see them.  I have a ton more but here are just some of the highlights from today.  You can check my Facebook page or Clem's for more as well.  Happy Labor Day from the Borkowski's.