Cora's Christmas

This year Christmas was filled with laughter, food and a healthy and happy Cora.  Such a difference from last years quiet and reserved one.  As her mama, I am so proud of her continuing success that she has achieved throughout the days that have passed since last Christmas.

Cora was enthralled and fascinated with the Christmas day and all the activities that were involved.  She learned how to open her Christmas stocking and her three presents.  At first she did not want to rip the paper on the presents (I have been really working with her on her being softer with her hands) but after a few examples from older sister she dived right in and opened the presents.

Cora's first love of the day was a baby doll that she found while rummaging around in her stocking.  Santa was smart when he brought that gift for her as Cora fell instantly in love with her baby.  She has this way of scooting herself in a circle while pivoting on her bottom and her day was filled with holding the baby doll and spinning around to watch what everyone else was doing.  There was such a wonderful look of curiosity and amusement on her face that I found myself watching her reaction as much as watching the others open their presents.

During the day, no matter what she was playing with, she would look around and pick up her baby and rock it and kiss it.  She was in love with her baby and spent the day nurturing that love.  Such a blessing to see this baby girl loving and nurturing and playing.  In between loving her baby doll she would sign "food" to anyone that was snacking and she was enjoying all the different tastes of the foods that were shared with her.  At one point, she started to try and feed her baby doll some of her yummies!

As this year comes to a close and the new year is fast approaching I look forward to watching Cora continue to nurture her baby doll just as I will continue to nurture my own baby.  I think I have the advantage though, my baby gives hugs and kisses... 

 What's in here?

 A baby doll!

 What are you eating?

 A very tired Cora.

Christmas is full of truths

Cora is exploring this season with the gusto of a normal , almost two years old, toddler.   She may not be walking yet, but she can surely get around!  She is being fitted for some ankle supports to help her with the standing part of her therapies and those will be delivered soon on Santa's sleigh.  While it isn't a toy, it is something that Cora needs in her toolbox of success and I am sure she will understand that...besides, everything becomes a toy for Cora.  She finds comfort in the simplest of things and can play for minutes on end with whatever she has discovered.  Lately, she is enthralled with big sister's PSP handheld game.

Still, as the day of presents looms closer and closer, she is learning what this holiday is all about.  learning these life lessons are an important part of her growing up into a thriving part of this family.   Here are some of the life lessons she has learned in the past week:

1)  You are not allowed to open other people's presents and ruin the surprise of what is inside because the other person might not appreciate it.

2)  Wrapping paper does not make a good hat, it tears too easily and causes static cling in your hair.

3) When sampling  goodies that a family member makes it is polite to only take one bite, even if you love the taste, and it is not polite to grab the item and squish it in your hand so you don't have to share.

4)  Chocolate is amazing no matter what form it comes in....cookie, fudge, candy, etc.

5)  Pushing the play yard with your hands and feet so you can be closer to the presents and the tree is allowed, however, reaching through the fence panel and pulling presents into your play yard is not a good idea.

6) singing into the empty roll left over from wrapping paper is fun!  Its especially funny when you look in the bottom when big brother is singing into the top!

Along with these life lessons Cora has also learned new words with her signing.  We are now up to her recognizing almost fifty signs, using twenty signs and still getting better at her verbalizing words.  She continues to thrive in our house and we all continue to treasure the moments that we are sharing with her.

So, in keeping with the holiday season, we hope you are all feeling the love and blessings that come around this time of year.  If you find yourself with nothing to do, make a wrapping paper hat and laugh out loud at your own discovery....that's what Cora does everyday!

Continuing forward

Cora made it to the Upper Peninsula Down syndrome Association Christmas party in Marquette this week.  We were so fortunate to meet other families that have children similar in age to Cora and to see the development and skills of all ages.  Our children are so different and yet so similar.  One thing that was a definite given, all the children enjoyed the company of each other. 

There was a little fella there that was a few months younger than Cora and Cora instantly wanted to hug him.  She clapped her hands in happiness and hugged him really hard.  Then she signed "baby" and "more" to be able to keep on hugging him.  This little fella wasn't into older girls though and one hug was enough for him..haha!

For me, as a parent, it was rewarding to talk to a couple who's son is fifteen years old.  I listened to there advice and their struggles from years past and took away a greater wealth of knowledge than what I arrived with.

This journey with Cora continues to teach me about always being open to new ideas and suggestions and not being closed to those very things. 

While there this past weekend Cora also saw her Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor and he was delighted in Cora's growth and healthiness.  Her ears are normal and her canals are not terribly small, so it was a great visit.  He did remark several times on Cora's high function and abilities for having Down syndrome.  He told me I was fortunate and blessed.  (His son has Down syndrome). 

I am left, these past few days, with a feeling of happiness that I have not experienced before.  While there are storms that still rage in other areas of Cora's life, the seas we are sailing right now are calm and soothing.  This offers me a chance to catch my breath and a moment to relax, reflect and watch the sunset.

As I sat and held Cora during that Christmas party, and watched the other children sing Christmas carols and saw the patience of the other parents, I finally felt like we weren't alone.  A moment to relax indeed, and bask in the sunshine and happiness of others who are exactly where I am and understand everything I am feeling.  I saw those parents interacting with their children and I could see the pride in their faces.  It was a happy time in this journey and with it came the knowledge that Cora has a very bright future and along this journey she will be giving hugs to those that really want one!

 Cora and oldest sister Kelsey

A thankful heart

Cora spent the holidays asking for, and sampling, every one's food.  The kids and the extended relatives all thought it was wonderful that Cora was well enough to spend this holiday with them.  I cooked, and cooked and cooked some more for all the eagerly awaiting hungry people, and it paid off.

This past week has seen so many changes in Cora.  She loves turkey but doesn't like the pieces if they are too big.  She adores stuffing and pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes.  She, however, doesn't like the cranberry sauce.  That's okay though because its wasn't my favorite either.

With her increased awareness of grown up foods and the variety of taste that they offer, she has slowly started to wean herself from the baby foods.  Its truly is more of a sensory issue with Cora than a taste issues and I am so thankful that I had the foresight to be giving her tastes and textures of different foods all along.  While she still has a difficult time eating anything that is solid feeling, she is getting the idea of what teeth are for and her molars can do great work with many foods.

She is changing.  I see a maturity finding her and creeping up on the baby behavior.  She is losing her baby inpatients and starting to show toddler awareness and curiosity.  Cora will point and sign for someone to explain what has caught her attention.  She will look at you for the sign, and then practice the sign. She will listen intently as you show her and explain to her what the object is and what it does.  Gone are the days of spontneously grabbing for what has caught her attention and in its place is a child who looks and listens with an intensity that rivals my own.

I see these changes and part of me is saddened.  Not by her progress, merely for the loss of the baby days and the baby ways.  In its place is a blossoming and learning that comes with time and age.  I am filled with a thankful heart for these changes, despite the accompanying sadness, and any mama that reads this knows exactly what I am describing. 

This mama's thankful heart is filled with gratitude and wonder at Cora's changing ways and most of all , it is filled with overwhelming love,happiness and excitement for the upcoming Christmas holiday.  Cora is caught in moments of acting like a normal child and these moments become treasured, just like the memories of her first true Thanksgiving. 

With that we are both enjoying this holiday time with thankful hearts....and Cora's normal working one beats on with the rhythm of life and in time with her curiosity.  Yes, we are very thankful indeed.

Big sister Emily found a way to make horsey riding more fun...and Cora agrees with her!

Happy Thanksgiving

This year finds Cora at home instead of at the children's hospital and for that I am very grateful.  She will be able to have her first, at home, Thanksgiving.  One spent with her siblings, her grandparents, a great Aunt and great Uncle and a few family friends.  Life is wonderful and full of Cora blossoming on a daily basis. 

This year I am filled with more thanks that I can put into words.  Cora and I both have so very much to be thankful for....and the biggest thanks of all?  Her being home, doing well and eating turkey dinner surrounded by her family.

May this Thanksgiving be filled with many blessings for you and your loved ones.  Enjoy!!

Cora speaks up

The days are flying by.  I think it is the time of year and the holiday spirit.  Or, maybe its just the crazy life of Cora that keeps me so very busy these days.  Either way, the days find Cora progressing well.

I have to come to realize that this journey will continue to give me unexpected blessings, as well as jaw dropping surprises.  One of these moments happened yesterday.

Cora had an appointment with her eye specialist to see if her tear ducts had improved or if she needed the tear duct surgery.  The good news was that the surgery does not look like it is needed.  If she continues to improve with her eyes developing normal drainage then that is one surgery she will completely avoid.  This was such a blessing to hear because I was concerned about her having another surgery when she is not yet a year out from her last one. 

During this appointment Cora was showing her concern of having others around her.  She has started becoming very stand offish towards anyone that she doesn't know that wants to touch her.  While she cooperates and is willing to sit still for the procedure, she does not like to have the doctors or nurses that she doesn't recognize , touch her.  The eye doctor leaned in to look at her eyes and to see how they followed an object.  He gently took Cora's chin in his hand to keep her head from following the light and to get her eyes to follow instead.  Cora reached up, pushed his hand away and said, "DOON TOUS".  I was completely surprised.  He looked at me and asked, "Did she just tell me, "don't touch"?  I said, "She sure did.  Isn't that great?  That's the first time she has said those words!"  I was so excited and Cora was just looking at the doctor with that stern, serious look she has.  He told me that he was impressed that she could speak clearly enough for him to recognize what she was sayingas most infants with Down syndrome cannot.  I just smiled and thought to myself, YEEHAW!  More words for Cora.

It wasn't until later that I thought about the rudeness of Cora's remark.  Then I figured is it really such a bad thing to have Cora telling a stranger "don't touch?".  Yes he was a doctor, but to her he is a stranger that she only sees once in awhile.  How do you explain to a 19 month old the difference between appropriate touch from a doctor and not from a stranger.  I don't think you can. 

So instead of pondering of the rudeness and suddenness of her actions, I celebrate in her Independence and ability to get her point across.  Yeah Cora!! 

 Cora staying warm while I work on fences for the horses....

On a side note:  to have Cora saying words with a clear meaning is a huge milestone for any infant with Down syndrome.  Their facial muscles are not as strong and are more relaxed and harder to move into the correct position to form words.  Try saying "Don't touch"  or other words with four marshmallows in your  mouth.  Or maybe put one or two  in each cheek and then talk...this is as close of an example as you can get and as close to the feeling Cora experiences when forming her words.

Cora grows on...

Cora is a whopping 21 pounds and 31 1/2 inches long today.  The official measurements are in as she had to go to Pickford Medical Center for her synergist (sp?) shot.  It helps keep her from getting pneumonia during the winter months.  She will get these monthly shots again this winter to  help protect her and her heart from respiratory infections.

I knew she had been growing because I have had to buy her all new onesies and shirts.  Here upper body is doing most of the growing and its so funny to see a shirt that fit her a few days ago will no longer button or fit over the little tummy. I, however, did not realize she had grown that much.  A blessing indeed!!

Cora doesn't realize how big she is getting either.  Things that she used to be able to do, like sit in her plastic tub that holds toys she can no longer fit into.  The look on her face is priceless when I watch her try to fit into the tub that used to easily hold all of her body and now leaves her legs and head hanging out both ends.

With this physical growth and the changes to her body she is getting more adept at many things.  She can now reach the top of her crib rail and will work her way up the crib bars with her hands, get on her knees and stretch her finger tips to hold the rail.  It is lovely to see the look of happiness on her face when she achieves her goal of hanging on to the rail and being up on her knees.  The world is growing right along with Cora and she loves the new views she is getting along with the added height.

Cora was gifted with a baby doll crib today and she loved it.  She kept signing baby and pointing to the play crib for one of us to put the baby to bed.  Then she started to play on her own with the new baby doll crib. Eeventually one of her older sisters couldn't keep from helping Cora into the crib.  Cora was so happy and silly with this turn of events, but alas she was to big for this toy as well! 

Today found Cora growing, are you growing too?  My faith continues to grow and deepen as I travel this road on Cora's journey and it is my hope that today you find your faith growing as well.