Ben Update

Ben is doing great! He has been sleeping through the night since Mothers' Day (great gift, huh?!).

He can now lift his head up past 90 degrees when on his tummy. (Since he sleeps on his tummy, he has a lot of practice that way.)

He smiles and giggles and prefers talking with his brother than playing by himself.

He is content to play in his crib until we get our lazy selves up to get him.

With regard to his health, the "small hole in his heart" is not something the doctors are worried about. It will either heal by itself (or they will do something after he is one - probably with a non-surgical procedure). His lungs, bowels, hearing, and sight are all fine. In short, many of the things that can be major concerns are not for Ben (at least not right now).

Jen has been doing some speech therapy exercises with him (to strengthen his mouth muscles for eating and talking later) and he will be starting physical therapy twice a week in about a month. He will have an occupational therapy evaluation in a couple of weeks and an ophthalmologist appointment in October. He also will have his thyroid checked at six months. (He's supposed to have that checked every six months until he's three and then annually after.

Ben has a very strong preference for his right arm and looking at things to his right than to his left. His physical therapy will help with that. Also, since he is a little slower with holding his head steady and using his legs, that will be worked on too.

These are all due to the low muscle tone that is inherent in babies with Down syndrome. The therapies are to help keep him from falling behind too much.

Of course, it is still too early to tell the severity of Ben's Down syndrome, but right now he is very healthy, happy, and doing all the things a baby is supposed to be doing. -- We love him so much and he has brought such joy into our lives and the lives he continues to touch. Praise God!

Please keep Ben in your prayers. He is evidence that they work! :)

Blessings to all,
Scott & Jen

Daniel Update

Daniel continues to amaze us. He is such a sponge and always energetic. He continues to have so much energy that he wears us out just watching him. He also constantly makes Jen and I look at each other and wonder "where/how did he learn that?" (all good things!).

Some of the highlights...Daniel knows:

• colors
  

• shapes
  

• that mommy likes to shop at Target and drink coffee coolers at Barnies
  
  

He likes:

• swimming (almost every day. In fact, sometimes the only way we can get him to take a nap is to say "if you don't take a nap, we can't go swimming later." That usually does it!)
  
• playing with his friends
  

• cooking - especially cookies and daddy's cake (which, of course, dad likes too)
  

• watching Veggietales, Teletubbies, The Wiggles, Barney & Friends, and other videos
  

• playing songs on and singing with his guitar (His favorites are singing "blue swade shoes" with Elmo and a song that The Wiggles sing.)
  

• climbing
  

Daniel can count (sometimes to ten) and he's a great helper with Ben. He loves his little brother. When Ben's crying, he says a prayer to Jesus to "please help Ben's tummy feel better". He talks to him, hugs and kisses him, plays music for him, and just dotes on him. Ben could not get any more stimuli than he does from his big brother!

He likes to eat goldfish crackers, pizza, pumpkin muffins from Paneras and pancakes by mommy.

He knows that Jesus takes care of us (and heals his "owies") and that God gives us everything that we need. He also has fun at "daddy's church". -- Since he has been going there since birth, he is very well behaved there now. -- That's the key; getting them used to it early! :)

Blessings to all,
Scott & Jen