time keeps ticking!!

I started a blog a while back titled "schools out for the summer", but had a writers block and never completed it - I was going to continue on that blog entry, but school WAS out for the summer and is commencing again in just a few weeks!  Where has the time gone?!?!?  We've had a pretty busy summer thus far - from 2 camping trips, a few agricultural fairs, We've been to the Peterborough zoo 3 times, out visiting our favourite people (the Hoogstra's), and to the beach almost every weekend! And things are progressing :) Parker is walking! Lincoln is loving his days at home with his new play set and newly renovated back yard (to accommodate the playset)!  It took a whole day with 5 people to set up this play set, and it only took about a month for Lincoln to brave the slide ALONE!!  It kind of looks like a death trap really, u cant see the bottom, and its SUPER fast!! Our speech block just finished today, (which was once a week for 6 weeks) and were they ever impressed with how well Lincoln is doing!  He loves imitating and will copy every word (or try to copy - he is trying SO hard to talk!), and has just started combining 2 words together - which is huge!!  His first two word combinations were - "Parker, NO... and Parker, bath" (as we were waiting for him to join us for a bath!) So, hes a bit bossy, but we can only continue to encourage combination words - even if they dont sound the best. Our speech path said she is so impressed with how well Lincoln is doing since his last "re-assessment" in May, that if he continues to progress this quickly outside of the block, he will be in for another block sooner than the usual 6 month block break up!!  We are currently also working on "P, B, and M starts and finishes eg. top up pup mom more move baby cup etc.  Now, a speech block is really just a play session with ideas on how to encourage more sounds to come out, so if the PBM starts and finishes keep coming as smoothly as they are now, we will get in quicker to have another block to start something else!!   Not only is Lincolns speech progressing, but so is potty training!  Children with down syndrome tend to have a delay in potty training due to their ability to contract those "certain" muscles that help them start and stop.  We started around the beginning of July, and are doing pretty good!!  He still doesnt tell me when he has to go, but as long as i'm on top of it - we usually make it to the potty every time, and go thru one pull up a day!!  He does respond to me asking him if he has to go which is a good help too! We let him flush the toilet (yup, he thinks it soo much fun, he takes it as a reward lol) and give a sticker for every successful potty break on a piece of paper that is hanging in the bathroom - that has his favourite cartoon character traced on it - we've gone thru a buzz lightyear, mator the tow truck, a minion and are currently on a lorax poster - so to keep up the excitement, we're always in the hunt for a new movie to watch!  Lincolns eating is still going great!  we just tell him (or sometimes he tells us) when its time to eat, he sits in his chair and is content with his fork and bowl sitting beside dad until he says "all done"!  He occasionally likes to pretend Nama and Papa are over, and points to the empty chairs saying papa - its cute. He is still pretty picky on what he eats tho, as far as "different things."  He loves every dinner, loves every lunch, but is still un sure about raw fruit.  Parker will walk around with a banana and eat it whole, but Lincoln still needs his mashed - strange.  We had their cousins over for a visit on a hot day, and everyone got a popsicle and Lincoln actually ate a whole one!! but none since - now usually i give freezies, and Lincoln wants one every time Parker gets one, but he prefers i dont cut his open - silly boy, theres no flavour in that!!  AND - ONCE, parker was eating raspberries, and Lincoln did put 2 in his mouth and ate them, but had the strangest face afterwards.  He loves apple sauce, but hates apples ... so, we are still working on that. Other than that - not too much is new!  We are excited for school to start again to see how things can continue to progress now that new sounds are starting and the thought of picking up a "different looking" piece of food is starting to set in as well!  Until next time - thanks for reading :)

life is good!!

As a mother of 2 boys, who dont usually nap, one would wonder how i can say life is good... but it really is!!  I am so proud of the day to day accomplishments the boys have!! We celebrated their birthdays about a month ago, Parker turned one, and Lincoln turned 3.  They had a great "toy story" themed party, and got enough money to go towards a great swing set that we are looking for for outside! (as we dont need anymore toys, we thought money towards a playset would be best!)  However, I did get the boys a few things myself.  I was so lucky, while picking up party supplies at the local rexall (cause we live in haliburton, yup, i get my party supplies from a drug store lol) they had a 2 foot buzz light year!  If you dont already know, Lincoln is obsessed with toy story, and mostly buzz lightyear! When Lincoln opened up his present (which also contained lotso huggin bear, and rex the dino) Lincoln pulled out buzz, with the biggest WOW of his life!!!  (sometimes Lincoln is known as mr. WOW because ... well, i guess he thinks life is amazing ;) ) ran over to dad, and was grinning ear to ear!  It was the reaction i was hoping for - but times 100000!!!  He sat on dads lap, picked up buzz's hand, high fived him, stood back up, and started jumping with him!  Followed by a kiss!!  It was the best ever!! Lincoln is almost running, loves jumping, and will soon be able to ride his trike (thanks to physio and the alterations that are being made so the bike is perfect for Lincoln!!), and parker is a motorer!!  He is self standing for a few seconds at a time, and has taken the odd step!  Oh it shall be a fun summer!   We are happy to welcome the beautiful weather (finally)!!  Playing outside is so much better than being cooped up in the house all day! Things are going well for Lincoln in the rabbit room, and he has so much fun playing with the other kids his age!  He is trying so hard to talk and is making all kinds of new sounds!!  We finally got another speech session booked, and in a couple weeks, hopefully we will have new ideas on how to progress Lincolns vocabulary!  I often wonder if I will skip the "why" stage, because Lincoln might know all the answers by the time he talks!  When i get Lincoln from daycare, there is this one child, who is fascinated with Parker, (actually, all the children are fascinated with Parker - its like a swarm of bees that just attack you when we enter the room lol, but this one child in particular)  asks soo many "why" questions... ie.  why is there a hole in his pants, why does he crawl, why is he Lincolns YOUNGER brother, oh what fun !!!  Lincolns eating is getting better too! (hope i didnt just jinx it...) He will now sit down and eat on his own, so dinner at the Holden's is no longer as exciting as being at a ball game constantly cheering and cheersing!   So, as far as up coming appointments, Lincoln has speech in a couple weeks, an occupational therapy appointment in a couple of weeks, a pediatrician appointment as well, and physio was yesterday, and Lincoln will be discharged from physio once he can ride his bike! they usually discharge children after they can walk, but our therapist likes us i guess :)  Lincoln also had the ages and stages questionnaire done again for the age of 3, and the results were pretty much the same as the 30 month ASQ - pretty much on par! yippee!!  So hopefully we'll pick up some new ideas, keep on keeping on!!  GO LINCOLN GO!  (Lincoln is at school today, and Parker - well, i guess he's having a nap today - as i stated they dont nap, parker has been asleep this whole blog entry, which hasnt happened in weeks!!  Thanks for reading!!!

~The Holden's

graduation!!

Today was a pretty exciting day, besides the fact that both kids woke up FAR too early today, when Lincoln was told he was "graduating" to the RABBIT room at daycare (which is a bigger room, with more kids - his age, and NEW TOYS), the smile on his face was priceless!!  Its like his mood changed instantly!  He did a few trial days a couple of weeks ago, where they emerged both rooms together, and Lincoln seemed to LOVE it (besides the *falling into the toilet on pajama day* day) .....he slept like a baby those nights!  Must be a pretty busy room!!  He usually doesnt nap anymore.  He is a pretty confusing little guy, and very hard to read.  Somedays, he needs a cat nap, and i have to keep it to that (1 hour MAX or he has enough energy to party in his crib til 2 am) and other days, when i wake him up from his nap, hes soo grouchy til the time he goes to bed.  Very hard to read, but he naps every time he goes to daycare - cat naps...so we'll see if a cat nap is enough for that busy "rabbit" room!!  Lincoln has been doing great! His early interventionist visits him at daycare about every other week, and is impressed after every visit!!  His physio therapist is happy with his progress, although she would like to see a little more.  Lincoln still doesnt run... but, am I really in a rush to get him to run away from me?  We do his exercises to work on his balance, and its a matter of time - so the race is on! Parker is almost walking, therefore, almost running!  Oh, how the next few months should be exciting!!   Lincoln hasnt had a speech session since the start of the year because his therapist took a year leave of absence to work at a hospital in Hamilton, and they havent replaced her.  Its too bad really, because I think now is the time to have a "block" session.  I have talked to a few people about setting up a session with the five counties speech pathologist in Lindsay, but have yet to hear back.  Ive been thinking about cutting out sign language - although its a great way for Lincoln to communicate with us on what he wants, I know he is capable of saying some words, and when we try to get him to say them for us (he says them at school so i hear), he just insists on signing.  Funny story, we were visiting with my sisters kids, one who is Lincolns age, and one who is Parkers age.  Her boy Lincolns age (Zack) talks a little bit, and when he was telling us a story, we would tell him to tell Lincoln the story, and he would *sign* Lincoln the story.  It was pretty cute knowing that Zack knew that he could communicate with Lincoln in sign language :).  He has stayed pretty healthy, maybe thanks to the multi vitamin i give him every day, or perhaps an immune system that isnt so bad after all!  Unfortunately, Lincoln is back on laxatives :(  after a few days of not so pleasent bowels, and a fever to follow due to a majour back up, we decided to put him back on them.  I thought we had his diet all figured out, but then you get daycare in there, and Lincolns obsession with cheese and garlic bread, its hard to give him enough apple sauce to keep him flowing.  All in all, Lincoln is a happy, typical (almost) 3 year old!! He loves pretend play, silly jokes, climbing on and off things, art projects, and anything else 3 year olds like to do!  He is still a little behind, but he is trying so hard!  Im sure he will learn and pick up a few things in his new room at daycare - and likely all for the better!  Everything is followed by encouragement - a woot woot, or a clap, or a hip hip hurray, and Lincoln will do it again.  Exhausting at times - expecially dinner time, but our way of teaching him that it is good to do things on your own!  Imagine - after every bite, while eating dinner as a family of four, with parker in a high chair nicely feeding himself, Lincoln in his booster seat sitting beside dad, as we cheers forks full of food to get Lincoln to eat, or, after a nice fork full, cheering with our mouths full so he will do it again - yup... still a terrible eater (unless its cheese or pizza or speghetti), but we make due, and try to make it as fun as we can!  Thats what this journey is all about!  Finding ways that work for us, and finding ways to make it as fun as can be!
Happy Easter !!!

Happy New Year!

The festive season has gone again!  Lincoln says ho ho ho everytime he hears the word santa, or sees a santa hat, He's reading all his christmas books (which is about 3 of them) over and over again, and his new favourite song is rudolph the red nose reindeer!  We saw santa twice, and Lincoln only wanted to have something to do with him once.  Parker on the other hand - suprisingly, sat quite well with Santa, both times!  Not much new to report, Lincoln is still in school (day care) two full days a week, and he now just walks right in with no tears when I leave, which is nice!  His teacher says he has great days, and some days she tells me not to worry too much if he doesnt eat for the rest of the day - He eats like an animal there!  Sometimes, even eating 3 bowls of spaghetti.  CRAZY!  We had our early interventionist in the other day, to do some work on the ASQ (ages and stages questionnaire), and Lincoln is bang on par with an average 30 month old (he is 32 months) with the exception of a little delay in the gross motor department because he doesnt "run" (but he did just start walking)  and a delay in speech, but he combines 2-3 signs of sign language, which is how he communicates (for now).  I was so amazed and shocked at this good news! I knew he was a smart cookie!  He has really become my little side kick!  He loves helping me out - whether it be grabbing mommy Parkers socks, or putting a diaper in the garbage, he is always willing to lend a helping hand, which is great, cause who doesnt like a little help here and there :)  He understands pretty much everything i say (except poop ON the potty, he will sit on the potty, get off, poop, sit back on the potty... we're still working on that).  The kids got spoiled for christmas.  It was a busy time of year with alot of travelling seeing as none of our families live closer than 2 hours.  But the kids behaved, and loved every gift they received.  Lincolns favourite word all week was WOW.  Every time he got a new present, it was WOW, until he opened it, and WOW again!  My favourite part was when I got a new shirt, LIncoln was reading one of his new books, or playing with wrapping paper or something, and when he turned around to see me in my new shirt, he said WOW (again) - i think he thought I looked good :)  that was a warm fuzzy ;)  So, being as we spent most of our christmas away from home, it was just like christmas all over again when we unloaded the fully loaded car, and got to give them all their gifts again - at home!  We are officially WOW'd out !!  So cute.   This week is a busy week for us again, Mike is back to work, its -24 outside, Daycare is still closed, Lincolns LAST and FINAL (fingers crossed) echocardiogram at sick kids is on friday, and then the kids will be off to Nama and Papa's for the week while my husband and I soak up the rays in PANAMA~  Should be a good time, and we are really excited for a little break from the kiddies... although We will miss them ALOT! I've never been away from the kids for more than a night, so this could be interesting.  Hopefully the sun will distract me :)
Thank you EVERYONE for reading/following.  I have hit 3000 visits to my blog, which is so amazing!  I love sharing my story as much as you enjoy reading it!
-The Holden's

The joys

Well, as Down syndrome awareness week comes to an end, i can truely say that I am happy with the choice of blogging everyday during.  I have had over 700 visitors on my blog this week - which is amazing!  even if it was the same 100 people every day of the week, thats 100 people who got to learn more about life with Down Syndrome.  I have also learned a thing or 2 that I didnt know already this week. God is in the business of changing hearts, and a sprinkling of people with Down syndrome among us is one way he uses. Hopefully by reading my blogs you have gotten a different prespective or clearer view on what Down syndrome really is. Some people think the idea of having a baby with Down syndrome is about the worst thing that can happen to a family.  But I can assure you, it isnt. WIth the prenatal screening made available to expectant mothers, the abortion rate followed by a positive in womb diagnosis, about 90% would terminate the pregnancy.  I thought this was a pretty high statistic, but after much research, 90% seemed to be the majourity.  SHOCKING!  We did not have the prenatal test done, if we did, would we have found out?  Perhaps.  Would we have terminated?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Down Syndrome children are a miracle.  Chromosomal anomalies are known to be the single most common cause of miscarriages. Historically, about 50% of miscarriages were thought to be due to abnormal chromosomes.  While Down syndrome is the most common trisomy seen in liveborns, it too carries a significant risk of miscarriage. Approximately 25% of fetuses with trisomy 21 will miscarry or be stillborn. so miracle?  I think so!  People with down syndrome are just a little extra.   A little extra enthusiasm, a little extra innocence, a little extra charm. Oh, and did I mention an extra chromosome? The most important fact to know about individuals with Down syndrome is that they are more like others than they are different.  Its hard for me to narrow down the joys that having a child with Down syndrome has brought to me. To be honest, my entire world is more joyful because of Lincoln. I have met incredible people as I have walked this path with my amazing little boy. I have learned life lessons that no one could have taught me in any other way.  If I could pass one unexpected joy onto a new family just beginning this journey, I think I would pass on this...

When you receive a diagnosis of Trisomy 21, whether prenatally or shortly after birth, you learn that your child will take longer to achieve certain milestones. Many people say it is a mourning process that takes place as you realize your child may be late to walk or talk, or read or write, or gain independence. You are immediately launched into a world of predictions when the reality is, there are no predictors for this new baby, any more than there are for any other babies. So, you begin. You read and research and talk to other people. You learn the new language. You sign up for therapies and intervention. And you start to realize that it will be o.k. Its o.k. to take it a bit slower and to meander through the milestones instead of racing through them.  It has been so joyous to see Lincoln move through his milestones a bit slower. He smiled very early but, he took his time learning to walk. He lives in the moment every day. 
So many firsts, and so many more to come. 

Thank you so much for reading!  please feel free to comment!

What people with Down Syndrome are capable of...

  There is no set "severity" of individuals with Down syndrome. The people with it have a wide range of abilities and disabilities. The effect that the extra genetic material has on an individual's development varies widely. The future development of a baby with down syndrome doesnt predict what the future will hold. Some children have few additional health problems and some have serious health problems as a result of having Down syndrome. They all experience some degree of learning disability, with some children progressing within the lower ability range of the non-disabled children in ordinary schools.  They never stop learning. They continue to learn and pick things up through to adulthood.  That being said, each child or adult with Down syndrome must be considered as an individual and his or her needs determined as an individual, taking account the possible effects of Down syndrome on development, but not assuming that Down syndrome alone will determine development.  So keep the goals high!  If a person with down syndrome is capable of writing their driving test, and pass - they get their license.  If they are capable of looking after themselves with no or little help, they can live on their own!  Can they have babies?  Both women and men with Down syndrome can be fertile, although both sexes have a reduced fertility rate. Some people with learning disabilities can successfully parent their children, given the right support. However, many couples with learning disabilities decide for themselves not to have children because of the responsibility and hard work involved, or for financial reasons. Where one parent has Down syndrome, there is a 35% to 50% chance that the child would inherit the syndrome. This chance is even higher where both parents have Down syndrome. .We dont know of where LIncoln will be in the future, but as far as his memory, He is doing very well.  He can do age 3+ puzzles... probably with his eyes closed.  His fine motor skills are the same as the average child.  The delay on him walking and his ability to chew foods is simply a result from low muscle tone, not the functionality of his brain.  Speech and language development is usually the children's area of most significant delay. Most children understand more than they can say and signing is an important bridge to speaking, which is why we really encourage Lincoln to use his signs instead of moaning and pointing to what he wants.  He knows more than 35 signs ranging from eating, sleeping, friends, play, book, school, help, please and thank-you just to name a few. He is quite quick at picking them up.  My brother decided to teach him the sign *poop*, and now, everytime he poops, he grabs his diaper and signs poop - this to me was a sign that he must be ready to start potty training.  nope, he would sit on the potty for 3 mins, get off, poop, sit back on, get off, poop.  So, we're working on that.  Typically, potty training will be delayed as well, but I guess its really on how hard you work at it just as everything else!  I enjoy working hard at our goals. I'm a stay at home mom - what else do i have to do?  besides play with my children, help them learn in the way that learning is possible for them individually, and oh - cook/bake.  Lincolns my side kick.  Even though he wont touch what we bake, (he hates sweets... hes never even tried them, and i am sure if he would just put it in his mouth he would realize how GOOD chocolate actually is!!)  he is really good at adding ingredients and stirring.  We usually have extra chocolate chips in everything:) The development of individuals with Down syndrome is influenced by the quality of care, education, and social experience offered to them, just like all other people.  Children with Down syndrome are children first, with the same social, emotional and learning needs as other children. They wish to be included in the world of childhood in their community and to learn and play with all the other children.  No two people with it are similar - they may have similarities, but are each their own unique person.  Everyone is an individual, so stereotyping them as happy, loving people is just that - a stereotype.  Sure they have those characteristics, but lets not pin point down syndrome people with a *type*.  People with Down syndrome should not be seen as different but rather as people who happen to have some additional needs.  So all in all, people with down syndrome are capable of doing ... anything really.  Time will tell what Lincoln's capabilities are, and we are doing our very best to maximize every opportunity, and will continue to support and encourage him in the future to make the best out of his life!

Re-cap....

BEST FRIENDS

I know I have some new blog readers - as my viewer counts seem to be out of the roof :)  I am so happy that my message and attempt to raise awareness seems to be successful!  For the new readers, I am going to re-cap on our last two and a half years - and for my followers, a summary/repeat as I mentioned would likely happen during my blogging week.  When Lincoln was born on April 18, 2009, we were thrilled to announce to family and friends, 3 weeks early, that we had a boy - although some people knew we were having a boy because my husband really wanted to find out, and I didnt.  We had a 3D ultrasound where the tech told Mike and his family members who were present, that I was carrying a boy.  I thought for sure we were having a girl, and had to ask the nurses twice - a boy?  really?  its a boy?  imagine that, 24+ hours in labour, after he was born, hearing the words "its a boy" and the only thing i said was ... REALLY?... so yes, my husband is really good at keep secrets!  His vitals were good, and APGAR tests scored 9.5 out of 10.  PERFECT! We were in the hospital for 3 days, as he was having a hard time latching, we thought we had finally got the hang of it, but when he wasnt gaining weight for the first 3 weeks of life, i resulted in pumping, and feeding him breastmilk thru a bottle.  The next weigh in, he had gained 2 pounds, and 2 pounds the weeks after.  So, i continued to pump. (crazy i know).  When Lincoln was about 3 months old, He refused the bottle.  Hours would go by, and surely he should have been hungry, but would still refuse the bottle.  I am a google addict.  So i researched it.  What did I come up with?  I do remember coming across one site, where mothers who were having the same problem, and most of them had mentioned health issues.  Impossible i thought to myself, so resulted in more research.  GERD - that must be it... Gastroesophageal reflux disease ...a condition in which the stomach contents (food or liquid) leak backwards from the stomach into the esophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach). This action can irritate the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms.  So, I took Lincoln to the clinic, where we only had a nurse practitioner.  She threw my idea about GERD out the window... and insisted that I wasnt waiting for the proper hunger cues.  As a new mom, who do you listen to?  your health care provider... OK - so lets just try this again... NOPE, still doesnt want the bottle... so what did I do?  came up with the thought that, he likes sucking when he is sleeping, so I attempted to put the bottle in his mouth once he decided to sleep (about every 2-2.5 hours)  IT WORKED!  He was drinking 5 oz every 2.5 hours!  perfect!  That lasted quite a while.  And every appointment I had with the nurse practitioner, i would still mention to her that he would only drink when he was sleeping, and she just said he was being silly.  He was gaining weight, and thats all she cared about (or so it seemed).  By 7.5 months, i was tired of pumping, and thought i would slowly introduce formula.  Lincoln would drink the formula bottles, NO PROBLEM... so that was a quick transition.  He still wasnt eating solids by that time, as everything he would swallow would come right back up.  The nurse practitioner decided to book us an appointment with a paediatrition from Peterborough.  Tick tock, tick tock - by 9 months, we had the appointment.  The pediatrition looked at Lincoln and decided to order blood work for chromosomal abnormalities.  She informed me that they range from colour blindness to down syndrome.  She knew the moment she looked at him that he had it, but told me afterwards she couldnt tell me on the spot - which i completely understand!  who wants to break the news that their 9 month old has down syndrome?  now what?  we wait... tick tock tick tock, way too much googling....a simian crease - hmmm, no, not my Lincoln... He doesnt "look" like he has it...or does he? 5 weeks go by... THE RESULTS ARE IN - but we have to go to Peterborough to go over them... yup - obviously theres something they found.  We were then informed Lincoln had been diagnosed with Down syndrome.  She listened to his heart, and thought she heard a murmur... and said we would be referred to the hospital in the future for an echocardiogram.  We took the news, and walked out the door.  I burst into tears.  How could this be? i thought to myself... my poor little boy is going to be "different" his whole life... Did I care?  NO - I personally didnt care.  I cared for LIncoln... and his future.  His future of being in school... and all the kids letting him know that he is different, people making fun of him because he "looks" different.  It was a quite hour and a half ride home, where two phone calls were made in the back seat.  I thought I was fine with the news, until i tried telling my parents and my husbands parents.  When I had to say..."he has down syndrome"  it was very hard. and that was the end of the conversation.  So needless to say, thats all the phone calls i made.  My mom and sister showed up the next day - clearly knowing that I could use the support.  All was ok.  Lincoln was the same Lincoln he was before the diagnosis.  Meh, whatever... I kept thinking about how great all of his accomplishments were going to be.  I really didnt care!  the next day, Lincoln was having a hard time breathing, so i booked an appointment with the nurse practitioner.  When we got there, she grabbed a Dr, and they both sent us to emerge.  X-rays were preformed, and I was just waiting to get out of there so i could go back home where my mom and sister and nephew were waiting for us.  We never made it home.  We took an ambulance to Peterborough because LIncoln had to remain on oxygen because his stats were sooo low.  pneumonia.  ok God... whats next I thought. bad things happen in 3's right?.. so there had to be something else.  YUP... the echocardiogram was preformed ... ASD they told us.  Oxygen levels were low - pulminary hypertention - as a result from the hole in the heart.  WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW. As i sit here and re cap myself on the week of the diagnosis... all I can think is .. that was alot of events .. Thank you LORD for keeping me sane!!  I read a blog yesterday where a mother went through the exact same thing - except when the baby was a newborn.  As I read it, I thought.. man, that must suck... wait a minuite - I went through that, and it didnt suck... God kept us strong, and all thoughts were positive!  Thats how i stay sane.  We were in the hospital for 5 days, and when we got home, we snuggled our little boy just like babies like to be snuggled.  About a month later, we had an echocardiogram booked at sick kids in toronto.  2 holes they say, semi large, but not too large.  Plugging the holes was something they thought was necessary to clear up the pulminary hypertention.  SO - back to my *googling* on why my baby wouldnt eat...a medical problem.  A heart murmur, 2 holes in the heart... and this wasnt once heard by my nurse practitioner?  OK - time to get a DR!  We had a meeting set up with a geneticist, waste of time really... but standard procedure.  She wrote a letter to our local clinic here, stating that Lincoln NEEDS a DR.  not a nurse practitioner.  what a releif - maybe this time my health care provider will actually LISTEN to me!  And I love our Dr.!  ok, so, surgery time.  turns out - he had 3 holes measuring to be 12mm in diameter.  That part of the heart chamber is 5 cm... so more than 1/5th was wide open.  HOLY CRAP!  How was this missed?  I can keep questing myself, or move on... its fixed!  pulminary hypertention resolved.  Perfectly healthy!  Now we were set up with five counties.  Speech commenced, physio thearapy commenced, occupational therapy commenced - and here we are ... on the road to success.  When Lincoln turned 2... what better present to give him than a life long friend, someone to stand by him when other kids at school decide to poke fun at him, someone to encourage him .. a BROTHER!  Parker was born 8 days before lincoln turned 2.  They are already great friends.  Lincoln is tuffing parker up - his favourite thing to do it count to 3 and BODY SLAM him.  Parker doesnt seem to mind as he just laughs when Lincoln does it.  and no, that doesnt mean i let him do it.  Lincoln wants Parker to be as tough as him.  And Lincolns pretty tough, if you consider what hes been through!  We keep pushing Lincoln to reach his goals.  He now walks full time - started when he was about 2.5 years old.  He now eats finger foods, all the time.  NO more purees! (just when the new one started - ok, so no more purees for Lincoln).  What else?  He is in daycare part time - which he seems to LOVE. His teacher is great, and He always has extra long naps on daycare days!  So theyre working him hard too! (and it gives me one on one time with Parker).  With that said, thank you everyone for reading, and encouraging me to keep up with my week of blogging to raise awareness.  I had a hard time thinking of what to write yesterday, although it was a pretty busy day, with babysitting my friends 2 kids, a teething baby, and a toddler who didnt want to nap...it was hard to think of something. I didnt think i could think of anything new to write... so I went to bed wondering what to write tomorrow... a re-cap popped in my head, and here after 45 mins of writing, i have a novel. 2 more days to go... time to get this brain thinking...