Cora's check

I hesitated to write before this post, for this I apologize for the days that have past since the last posting, I hesitated because I wanted to wait until the next weight check for Cora.

I continue to walk in faith and sometimes still find myself holding my breath as I watch all the progress Cora has made in the last three weeks.  Has it only been three weeks?  Yes, I counted it and it has been only three weeks since the new part of Cora's journey started.

Cora, at her weight check today, showed another weight gain of 4 ounces in the last week.  That means in the past three weeks she has gained a total of 1 lb and 2 ounces.  I know, pick your jaw up off the floor!  I had too when I saw the scale and the numbers today!!

Cora can sit on her booty while you put a jacket on her.  She can sit on her booty, reach for toys, look around, point to things and still keep her balance.  If she starts losing her balance she will put her arm out to try and catch herself.  There are still little crashes now and then if my reflexes are not fast enough , but for the most part, Cora will sit in a sittting position for a great length of time.  It is absolutely beautiful to watch her.

She continues to sign more fluently and often without a prior prompting from me and grows more interactive with everyone around her.  Her eyes are getting bluer and her hair has completely grown back where it was rubbed off.  Gone is the baby girl who quietly watched the world around her!

Since adding the Reliv to her daily routine, Cora's quantity of food has not increased, it is the quality of food that has increased.  I am sure that there are parts of the Down syndrome that effects the body that even medical science cannot understand or even recognize yet.  For whateveer reason, the Reliv enables her to gain the nutrients she needs and therefore, she is no longer failing.  She continues to thrive in many aspects of her life.

I really don't care to analize the why's or how's of it all working for Cora.  I am just so happy to have her thriving and blooming like the rose of  life that she embodies.  For me, answered prayer is my reason for her thriving.  That and the willingness to be open to how the answer was given, even if it came in a powder form, in a nutritional product, in a can.

Cora practicing her "put in"  and "take out"

Drop it..... before it drops you

Cora was weighed again this week....are you ready for this?  She has gained another 5 ounces.  That brings her weight to a whopping 16 lbs." and 9 ounces.  That is such an absolute blessing and I am going to take it and run with it! 

Cora's strength and coordination continue to get better as well.  She has started asking questions with her signing.  This is a new development for her.  This morning the kids were talking to me and they started talking about their papa and gg.  At this point Cora looked around and signed "papa" and I told her that  papa was not here.  She smiled at me and then she signed "gg" and I told her that gg was not here either.  At this point she nodded her head yes and went back to playing with her toys.

This is the first real interactive conversation and exchange that Cora and I have ever had.  With her asking the questions and my answering them.  It is usually myself or the kids asking her or telling her with sign language and words.  For the first time, Cora initiated the conversation and asked the questions.  Huge cognitive development and I again take this blessing and run with it. 

Cora is blooming in so many areas and very quickly.  I was given hope in the idea of adding the RELIV products for Cora.  In hearing so many other stories of moms that have made this leap of faith, it has delivered hope and blessings to myself and Cora.  A mere nutritional product that offers Cora a better life, one filled with weight gain and so many extra blessings.

Imagine if I had been closed minded to the idea?  Imagine if I had been so set in my ways of doing things that I would cling to the belief that the answer was in a medical intervention instead of a nutritional product.  Imagine if I wasn't willing to DROP any preconceived ideas of medical help, or wouldn't DROP the idea that I couldn't listen to my own instincts?  Clinging to these knowings, clutching them to my heart without any willingness to listen or change my first belief?

Here is where today's life lesson is.  Because I was willing to DROP those ideas and DROP the notion that only medical intervention would help Cora.  Because I was willing to listen to my instincts and with my unending belief  in answered prayers.....in DROPPING those beliefs and adding new ones, Cora is improving in all areas of her life.  If I hadn't been willing to DROP those ideas and beliefs, they would have surely ended up DROPPING Cora.  They probably would have dropped her into that continual down ward spiral.

Be willing to take a look at your life and Drop whatever it is you are clinging too ......before it drops you!!

The first picture of Cora sitting by herself.  Isn't it absolutely lovely! 

Starting to thrive!

Well my fellow blog followers, its only good news that I have today.  What a blessing that is, right?

Cora drinks her Reliv shakes twice a day.  I usually mix it in with her cereal and fruits or veggies and she gobbles it right up.  Loves the taste of it whether its in her milk or her food.  Such a blessing to have been given the gift of this product.  Being that it is a food product and a natural one at that, it is safe for her to eat, and eat it she does!

We haven't been to the clinic for this weeks weight check yet, but I can tell she is still gaining weight.  Cora is much more solid when you lift her up and her muscle control is increasing as well.  The easiest way to share our good news is to tell you what she has accomplished in the past two weeks since starting her Reliv products.

She can now - Interact and play with lots of laughter and jabbering (on a much grander scale than she was before).  Cora can sit unassisted for at least 5 minutes...able to catch herself before she topples to the side and balance herself on her little booty!  Before she was only able to sit for maybe 30 seconds.
When she is sitting she will reach and play with toys.  When she drops a toy instead of acting like it doesn't exist she will hunt for it and ask for help if she can't find it.  She is signing more words and communicating on a broader level.  Cora would sit in my lap for 1 - 2 hours without really wanting down, or wanting to play, or be active.  She now sits in my lap for about ten minutes and is launching herself toward whatever has caught her attention.  There are so many things that I could share but I think it would fill too many blog pages for this post, so I will share a story with you instead. 

It goes like this:

When we were in the grocery store the other day and I had Cora in her stroller and the older girls were with me. I stopped to get a box of cereal and turned to put it into the grocery buggy that Cora's older sisters were pushing for me.  All of a sudden the girls started laughing and clapping and I looked at them surprised.  Then I looked around and in the stroller with Cora were two boxes of cereal!!  This was the first time that Cora had ever been strong enough to sit up in her stroller, hold herself there and grab boxes off the shelf.  I started clapping and we all three were cheering her on!  Such a wonderful thing, a child grabbing boxes of cereal off a grocery store shelf.  Most parents would find this physical act annoying, but it found us cheering for a repeat performance!!

There are so many things that Cora is doing now that she couldn't before.  Its all because of adding these two products to her life. I hold on to the hope that the "failure to thrive" is a distant sorrow and a distant struggle for Cora.  Because instead of struggling to survive...Cora is now starting to thrive. 

We should all be that fortunate in our lives.  To be able to stop surviving and start thriving in all aspects of our life.  For Cora, its a definite blessing to be actively participating in this life lesson.

Cor

 finally a semi-still Cora!  Quick, take the picture!!

Proof is in the Product

Well, Cora got wonderful news today.  The new product that she is taking is working.  She not only has more energy, is sleeping better, has longer play abilities, interacts more and just plain loves life in a fuller way....she also has gained weight!! 

Indeed this is cause for celebration!  Cora has been on the product for 10 days and here are the comparisons from last week's visit to this week's visit:

last week = weight 15 lbs. 13 ounces         height 27 3/4"   head circumference  17 1/8"

this week= weight  16 lbs. 4 ounces           height 28"          head circumference 18"

Cora has changed so very much in the past 10 days and I look at the gained weight and realize that she has put on the kind of weight that a "typical" baby does.  Wow, to be called "typical" is a gift in itself.

Proof is definitely in the product and the results it is giving.  Its also in the little fat roll that suddenly appeared on top of Cora's knees.  Such a beautiful little fat roll!!

Phoenix and Cora - both laughing at the good news!

Cora's toolbox is filling up...

Through the months Cora's "Toolbox of Life" has been getting gifted with tools for her survival and thriving.  This journey has brought us some well known tools and then some not so well known. 
Cora has received some medical and non-medical tools, as well as individuals in her "Toolbox of Life" on this journey she is building.  With the latest piece added to her pretty pink leopard (that's how I picture it anyhow) toolbox, she is again accelerating on her journey.  I am in absolute amazement at what the latest tool has given her and is offering her.  I am a firm believer  in the product, just by the results I am seeing in Cora.

With that, I will gaze into her beautiful pretty pink leopard toolbox and tell you what I find....

I see -
Early On
Dr. Bove
Mott Children's Hospital
Auntie Brenda
Auntie Maria
Many more Heart Sister Auntie's with their unconditional love, prayers and support
13 doses of medicine that is now down to 8 doses/day
Dr. Statler
Pickford Medical Center
Community of Christ church group prayers
Blog followers and their prayers
Siblings that offer her continued hugs, encouragement, and love
Diane and her energy work massage
Darrell and his bio-energy work
CoQ10
Dr. Christianson
and all the other people that have a hand in Cora's continual healing....

I see so many gifts that are filling Cora's toolbox.  Its been a week on this new product and I am already seeing a change in Cora.  I am not the only one, others are commenting on how much more alert Cora is.  It has also been mentioned that her eyes are clearer and bluer.  She is aware of things that she never was before and can do longer playtime before she needs a break.  If at all possible, I think she is even babbling more. she has started dropping a toy off her high chair tray and will look for it immediately and try to get your attention to pick it up for her.  She has not had that much awareness before and when dropping something from the high chair, or the car seat, would forget that she had it and go on to something else.  This past week has me and Cora traveling on a different route on our journey, yet the road has become smoother.  Cora has indeed been blessed with the latest addition to her toolbox.

Cora's toolbox is getting fuller, but its not too heavy for this Mama to carry.  In fact, I think the fuller it gets, the lighter it feels.  Make sense?

Cora likes the product

Well, here is the official news.  Cora, in the last few days since being on the new product, has gained weight and inches.  Yep, you heard it here first!  She now weighs 15lbs 13 ounces , is 27 and 3/4 inches long (was 27 1/4 inches) and her head measurement increased from 17 inches to 17 1/8inches.  WOW!  Here's hoping she finally gets above the 10th percentile on her weight and growth chart and the Doctor's can finally relax.

I am so very thankful for this growth and weight increase.  Yeah and Yippee!!  I look to continue the supplement with Cora and I am finally, after a year of struggle, looking forward to next week's weight check. 

Life is looking up for our Miss Cora...and I was right...her hand is getting pudgy.  Gotta love that pudgy look on an infant. 

Cora adds a special recipe

I have spent the last weeks in looking and listening for an answer to Cora's weight issue.  You can only feed a baby so much food, and Cora is definitely willing to eat, but to have it give the nutritional value that is needed is the trick.

For Cora, with Down syndrome, how am I to know what her body natural lacks due to that extra chromosome on the 21st pair?  Does it make it more difficult for her body to absorbs the nutrient she needs?

With this in mind, Dr Statler introduced me to woman that works for herself and has a product that is all natural.  This woman told me about the product and how much it has helped other children with failure to thrive, attention disorders, skin problems, etc.  I thought it was to good to be true, yet I stayed open minded and listened to other parents she connected me with.  They all told of the same results.  Within a few months there children were doing better and thriving.  Some of  these parents were seeing results within at little as two weeks.  Cora now has this product mixed into her milk two times a day. I feel safe giving this product to Cora and we have Dr. Statler's approval.

A miracle cure...no.  A simple explanation....probably.  But the results are in and time after time the children and grownups feel better and experience better health.  This marks a new chapter in Cora's life and a slight veer to the road our journey has been traveling on. 

Back to the beginning of this blog.  I have spent the last few weeks praying, looking and listening and staying open to ideas for Cora's weight gain and health.  I think it is no coincidence that at a time when I felt at my lowest and at a complete loss for how to help Cora that I was given the answer for her. With continued faith I travel down this new path with my hand holding tight to Cora's.  I think her hand might be getting a little pudgier.....

Cora greets June

Cora is greeting June with a big smile and a playful mindset.  She has been so full of games the last two days.  With the weather being rainy and cooler, Cora has been able to play and carry on without struggling or getting tired quick.  I never realized before how a person who has heart problems struggles with heat and humidity.  Another life lesson that Cora has taught me!

Today Kelsey was holding Cora and pretending to sneak up on me.  Cora would get a big smile and when I would turn around and act like they scared me Cora would clap her hands and let out a big squeal.  I love to see the interaction between Cora and her siblings.  She is so completely loved and accepted for who she is and where she is at, without any preconceived judgements.  The kids show no jealousy of the time it takes to care for Cora, only concern and helping hands. 

While many people have told me of the struggles a sibling will have in coping with a younger sister who has Down syndrome, I strive to make all my children feel "special",  no matter what their "needs" are.  This kind of parenting seems to be working out well in my household.

We all celebrate the little gains for Cora and Cora eats it up with a smile and a clap of her hands.  Like I told about in the earlier blog, Cora's appetite has indeed increased and she is starting to show a little progress on the scale.  This week saw her with a weight gain , and while the doctor was excited for the weight gain, she scheduled her for the usual weight check.  Ita a precautin, just to make sure that the weight gain is from the appetite and not water retention from the change in meds.

So, on this rainy day in Pickford, you will find Cora playing with her siblings.  The CD player is playing a 2Cellos CD softly in the background and interrupted only by a loud ear piercing yell from Cora and shouts of laughter from her siblings.

Our shared journey continues to be blessed by a loving and giving Creator, because a few months ago the family that surrounds Cora wondered if we would hear laughter from this beautiful baby girl. This is what the past year has been all about...getting Cora to the point where life is fun and playful, instead of chaos and struggle.  I look forward to seeing what tomorrow brings!