Runny Nose Blues

It is that time of year when our little ones are exposed to germs in record numbers, resulting in what I have come to call the runny nose blues (or is it the runny nose greens...eeew). It seems like all winter long we are wiping noses and whipping out the booger snoofer in an attempt to keep baby’s face clean and her nasal airways open.

It doesn't have to be this way. A while back I wrote about Five Great Goops, and today I will add a sixth one... elderberry syrup.

Medicinal use of elderberry dates back to the Greek physician, Hippocrates (and probably back even further) with the good doctor referring to it as his “medicine chest”. Modern studies have shown that he was correct. Elderberries are loaded with flavonoids which boost the immune system and the Elderberry extract, Sambucus is used to treat both bacterial and viral infections.

I had heard about Elderberry syrup from a friend when she noticed my daughter’s non-stop runny nose but being skeptical I had to see it in action to believe it. My answer to runny noses was a trip to the pediatrician, and in my daughter’s case a round of oral antibiotics was prescribed. The antibiotics did clear up her sinus infection, but a week after the treatment ended, the boogers were back. I immediately went out and bought a bottle of Nature’s Way Sambucus for Kids.



A teaspoon a day of Sambucus for a 1-6 year old wards off the common cold, sinus infections, and the like. In our case, with all of my children, it works. If I see a wet nose or I know one of my kids was exposed to a sick child, I give them the “intensive” dose for a couple days.

As with the introduction of any herbal addition to your child’s diet you should talk to your pediatrician first. Elderberry syrup can interact with some medications, and has possible laxative properties (though I haven’t noticed any.)

BabyLegs Giveaway

A while back I posted about how some babies have difficulty regulating their body temperature, and how using leggings can help but today I am going to share another reason why I love leggings.

Some babies hate shoes, or at least it seems that way. No matter the style or fit, they will pull them off or bite at them trying to get them off. This isn’t really a big deal at home (unless you are in that “working on standing phase” and want your little one to have some practice in shoes) but in the car it can be annoying, or even dangerous if your baby has a strong throwing arm.

I have one daughter who is relentless with her shoes and one or both of them is off by the time we reach our destination. The only way to keep her shoes on her is to cover them with leggings. She will still work at getting them off but most of the time her efforts are foiled.


(click the pic to see Kimani's leggings)

If you are tired of digging under the car seats for the missing shoe, or just want your baby to look super stylish and be protected from UV rays this summer, check out BabyLegs and grab a few pairs of sanity savers.


(click the pic to see Autumn's leggings)

Your Turn
BabyLegs is giving away a grab bag of leggings and other goodies worth $50 to one lucky Down Syndrome New Mama reader. To enter the drawing leave a comment here letting us know that you “liked” the BabyLegs Facebook page or that you are now following BabyLegs on Twitter by July 20, 2012.

Tech Baby Loves the iPad

Don’t all babies just love electronic gadgets? T.V. remotes, cellphones, Wii consoles... how many times have you had to pry one of these no-nos from your little one’s grip? And it’s a well-known fact among the diapered crowd that toy versions of grown-up stuff really don’t cut it.



Consider getting your baby an Apple iPad. The iPad is a perfect toy for your baby because as she is playing with it, she is learning from it. And as she grows, it can grow with her into a diverse learning and communication tool.

Five Favorite Apps for Baby

Sound Shaker by Tickle Tap Apps 1.99 - touted as the 21st century rattle, Sound Shaker lets children create and play with chime, whistle, drum, barnyard animal and mystery sounds by simply tapping and tilting. Repeated taps generate new sounds, while longer taps grow sounds and trigger surprise animations. Tilting makes sounds spin and collide in whimsical combinations.

Itsy Bitsy Spider by Duck Duck Moose 1.99 - A musical book based on the popular song, with fully interactive, original illustrations. Follow the spider through the captivating, inter-connected scenes as he goes up the water spout, comes down with the rain, and watches the sun dry up all the rain.


Sound Touch by Sound Touch 3.99 - Sound Touch has 6 categories, which are shown at the bottom of the screen as pictures – animals, wild animals, wild birds, vehicles, musical-instruments and household. Each page has 12 items displayed with bright, cute cartoon items. Tap a picture, and a real life photo of the item pops open, accompanied by the sound it makes. Tap the picture anywhere, and it disappears. There is a sound option in settings that makes it so that the app says the name of the item prior to making the sound.

Peekaboo Barn By Night & Day Studios, Inc. 1.99 - This cute app features barnyard animals and the sounds they make. Babies can open the barn doors to find a new animal animation by touching the screen. They’ll learn about cause and effect and become familiar with animal names and sounds. As a bonus, you can record your own voice saying the animal name.

Talking Tom Cat By Out Fit 7 Ltd. Free- Baby’s first pet :-) Tom the cat responds to your touch and repeats everything you say or babble with a funny voice. When you pet him, he purrs.








Ok, stop. Yes, I know an iPad is a really expensive toy for a one-year-old, but consider it an investment. New iPads start at $500, and first generation iPads can be found on auction sites and lists for about $200-ish. Here are some ideas on how you might afford an iPad for your baby with Down syndrome.

Chip-in birthday gift: Perhaps for your baby’s first birthday you could create a chip-in fund and let family and friends know that you are trying to raise enough for an iPad for your little one.

Medicaid Coordinator Alternative Funding: If your child has Medicaid or the Medicaid Waiver, your coordinator may be able to find you grant funding for your baby’s iPad.

Win one: iPads are a popular draw for online fundraisers. Keep your eye out for the chance to win one. Usually you can get a drawing entry by donating a small amount or even just by posting the fundraiser on your FB, blog, or Twitter account. Right now through March 31st, Patti over at A Perfect Lily is giving away a beautiful brand new iPad 3 as part of a very special adoption fundraiser, so be sure to head over there and get an entry to win.

Update: Two more chances to win an iPad... (valid to 4/6/12) over at Our Chinese Butterfly and (valid to 4/8/12) over at The Stars Aligned.

Babyproofing the iPad
If you do get an iPad for your little sweetie, be sure to babyproof it with a back shelland a screen protector. You will be glad you did.

Your Turn
Do you already have an iPad for your child with Ds? What are your favorite apps?

Eat Your Choline

Are your pregnant with a baby who has Down syndrome, or nursing a newborn? A recent study performed by Cornell University has shown that more choline given to developing babies with Down syndrome has lasting cognitive and emotional benefits.

Where can you get choline? There is a lot of it in eggs, beef, cauliflower, navy beans, tofu, almonds, peanut butter, and in Nutrivene-D. The recommended daily dose of choline for infants is about 150 mg a day. For pregnant moms it is 450 mg and for lactating moms it is 550 mg.

I am not sure how many eggs or how much beef liver you would have to eat to pass that much choline to your baby through breast milk, so you may want to ask your pediatrician if Nurtivene-D is right for your child.

To get you started eating your choline, here are two recipes:
For baby...
Vegi Puree (32.3 mg total choline)
1 oz. breast milk (4.5 mg choline) or milk (4.0 mg choline)
1oz cooked navy beans, mashed (8.6 mg choline)
1oz cooked cauliflower, mashed (10.9 mg choline)
1oz cooked carrots, mashed (2.5 mg choline)
1oz cooked sweet potato, mashed (3.7 mg choline)
1tbsp melted butter (2.6 mg choline)
Put in all in the food processor or blender and puree it until you reach the consistency your baby likes.

For you... (and baby, lol)
Nigerian Baked Beans whose leftovers become Summer Stew (284 mg total choline)
(from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian (modified by L.L.Barkat)


(ds.mama substituted navy beans for Great Northern beans and shortened the cooking time.)
Stir briefly over low heat..
1 onion, chopped and already sauteed until light brown (5.7 mg choline)
4 cloves garlic, minced (2.8 mg choline)
1 TB curry powder
Add onion and garlic mixture to...
1 1/2 cups dried Navy Beans, already soaked and cooked until tender (retain cooking water) (144 mg choline)
2 tomatoes, chopped (16.4 mg choline)
1 1/2 TB peanut butter (15 mg choline)
salt and pepper to taste
Bake all together about 45 minutes or until tender and sauce is thickened.

For Stew the Following Evening... ( adds about 100 mg choline)
• cut 4-5 potatoes (22 mg choline per potato) into 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks, add to beans with enough water to cover, and cook 15 minutes or until tender
• garnish with one onion sliced very thin, browned until crisp
• add a generous scoop of herbed butter (5.2 mg choline) and stir until melted

Picture credit: L.L. Barkat.

Five Great Goops

Glop, goop, and goo... some of my favorite things for babies (and mamas) come in bottles and tubes.

Lansinoh Lanolin
There is a good possibility that my breast feeding days would have been over early on if not for Lansinoh lanolin nursing cream. In the beginning, even if you are doing it right, breast feeding can be extremely painful on the nipples. This cream makes a real difference and it doesn’t have to be washed off prior to nursing. If you are pregnant and thinking of nursing, get some. The hospital you deliver in will probably have travel size tubes of it, so make sure you remember to ask for it.

detachol
One of our favorite nurses gave us a bottle of detachol to take home, a PICU parting gift. This magical goo removes anything that gets stuck to your baby’s skin or hair. Band-aids, electrode stickies, medical tape, tree sap, gum... you name it, detachol will get it off pain free.

Boudreaux’s Butt Paste
I’m not sure why this diaper rash cream seems to work better than the rest, but my babies’ bottoms have sworn by it for years. It looks like mud, smells pretty, and clears up irritated skin in record time. For an almost free sample (you pay postage) visit buttpaste.com.

Nordic Naturals DHA Oil
I have written about the wonders of DHA/Omega 3 oil in the past. Since then Nordic Naturals has introduced a DHA product designed for infants. It comes in an easy dose bottle and is unflavored (though I am not sure if that’s a good thing with fish oil, lol).

Coconut Oil
Babies with Down syndrome respond well to body massage and therapeutic touch. There are a lot of massage lotions and oils on the market but I prefer to use coconut oil because it doesn’t clog pores and has a very low allergy risk compared with other nut oils. It doesn’t leave baby’s skin greasy and it doesn’t stain clothes. It smells delicious (if you like coconut :-), has a long shelf life, and protects against dry skin. As if all that weren’t enough, there are even Internet rumors that coconut oil is beneficial against alzheimer’s disease.

Spring Giveaway
It is still Spring... thank goodness I didn’t miss an entire season without giving a little something away ;-) This time you can win a bottle of Nordic Natural’s new baby DHA product (and a cute growth chart for your wall). A representative from Nordic Naturals contacted me to say how pleased the company was to know that their product is especially beneficial to children with Down syndrome, and they offered to donate this season’s giveaway goodies. To be entered to win, just leave a comment on this post by June 20th.

Your Turn
Got a favorite goop? Tell us about it. We love to hear what other people are using and why. If you comment, you will be entered into the drawing so if you don't want to win, make sure you tell me to keep you out of it.

Pooey Looey

Warning: Ya’ll are going to think ds.mama is a bit nuts after this post. But I swear to you as crazy as it seems, it works. And successfully getting my 18 month old with Down syndrome ready to potty train is worth all your laughter and scorn :-)

Ah... potty training, a daunting task to accomplish with any child... Some people see potty training as an event, something you settle down and do one week. Not me... in our house potty training is a process that begins with elimination awareness and eventually ends two years or so later with saying bye bye to pull ups at bedtime.

During our last IFSP meeting, I mentioned that one of my goals over the next six months was to begin pre-potty training... Six shocked faces stared silently at me. Summer was 16 months old and her team was probably trying to figure out how to break it to me that she was nowhere near ready to start potty training.

Little did they know, I have been “pre-potty training” Summer since she was about six months old. I had learned some interesting things about potty training with my first few kids and I decided as each one came along to add to the “pre-potty training” repertoire all that I was noticing. I also had a friend who bravely did the EC method with her only child, and had relative success with it. I thought to myself, why not take the best of all this and see what happens.

Pre-potty training tricks
The very first step you can take, at any early age you choose, is to help your child connect elimination with a special sound. Notice how your infant child acts when he is poopin. There is likely going to be some grunting, wriggling, and a red face. Take the time to identify to your child what is happening. I sing a goofy made-up song to a warped version of the Sanford and Son theme song.... It goes something like, “A poo poo pooey, a pooey looey, a poo poo poo poo poo poo poo, a pooey looey...” Ahem, you get the idea (and yes, I do refrain in public).

If I have missed the event, I sing it when I am changing her diaper. The only time she hears this goofy song is when she is going or has gone poo. Over time, she has made the connection.

The next step is to help your baby associate going potty with a potty-chair in the bathroom. You can begin this step once your baby can sit on a chair or low bench on her own and can understand cause and effect and sequence. (An example of understanding sequence is that your child knows his routine and expects certain things to happen next. I usually start this step around 16-18 months old.)

Find a sturdy, comfy potty chair to keep in your bathroom. Make the sign for bathroom and then put her on the potty (clothes, diaper, and all) when she shows that she is getting busy. Sing the goofy poop song, and imitate her grunting. Yup, you read that right. Do some face to face grunting and then tell her it is her turn. She will imitate you back and you will be happily surprised at the results.

I do not start off doing this every day or for every elimination. When we have the time, and she seems very alert and is in a good mood, I will take her into the potty and let her practice. Sometimes if I am sure she hasn’t already started going, I will let her sit diaperless and actually go in the potty.

My pre-potty training goal is to teach her body to expect to go on the potty when she needs to poo. I have given her elimination awareness, a sign to use, and practice in the position. Next year, when she is ready to start actual potty training, she’ll already have these basics ingrained.

Your Turn
Ok moms who have been there, done that... do tell. How and when did you start potty training, and what worked best for your child?

From Theory to Practice :-)

Tausha: No Way!!! That did not just happen!!

Supplements—DHA & EPA

What is it?
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 essential fatty acid derived from fish oil. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is another omega-3 fatty acid and it is often found in products that contain DHA.

Why would I want to give it to my child?
DHA is required in high levels by the brain and retina as an essential nutrient to provide for optimal neuronal functioning (learning ability, mental development) and visual acuity.

Studies have been done on children with autism and with other developmental differences, and the results showed that after 3 months of taking DHA & EPA, there was a 6 month improvement in reading and spelling levels, as well as significant behavioral improvements.

When I asked our developmental pediatrician about omega-3 oil, he said that there is proof that it has positive impact on brain development in infants and children. I had already been using it for a while but this was reassuring to hear.

Where can I get it?
Moms can start introducing omega-3 during pregnancy by taking fish oil supplements. Then later your baby can continue to receive DHA & EPA through your breast milk. Some formulas are enhanced with DHA, (but as far as I know, only Baby’s Only by Nature’s One derives the DHA from eggs. More on this topic under side effects.) Omega-3s can also be found in enhanced milk as well as in enhanced eggs (I wonder what those chickies eat).

The easiest way to get it, and one of the safest, is through Nordic Naturals Children's DHA which has the highest omega-3 level of any cod liver oil. Nordic Naturals products have consistently high standards and test under the maximum allowances for toxins and heavy metals.

There is also a plant derived omega-3 fatty acid, a-linolenic acid (ALA), but the metabolic conversion of ALA to DHA/EPA (combined) by metabolism is very limited in humans and certain forms of ALA have risks associated with taking them.

What are the side effects and risks?
One of the positive side affects of taking omega-3 oil is that it helps to keep your baby from becoming constipated. Like some other oils, it helps to keep things moving along.

The Nordic Naturals website lists possible repeating (or spitting up) as a side effect. It says if this happens it could be because, “your body may not be manufacturing enough lipase, the digestive enzyme our bodies make to digest fats and oils. If you haven't ingested fish oils for a long time, it might take a week or so for your body to adjust and make more of this enzyme.”

Aside from that, I have found no other negative feedback associated with the Nordic Naturals omega-3 fatty acids, DHA & EPA.

Mercury and other toxins are a risk associated with some brands of omega-3 oils so do brand research before you purchase an omega-3 supplement.

Several sites mention dangers in the processing of ALA oils, Mortierella alpina oil and Crypthecodinium cohnii oil (sometimes listed as M. alpina oil and C. cohnii oil). These oils are extracted from fermented fungus and algae with a neurotoxic chemical solvent. The C. cohnii oil (algae) & M. alpina oil (fungus) used in many infant formulas are treated with hexane solvent, acid, and bleach. Some infants have experienced serious adverse reactions to these additives. Hmm, I wonder why.

Based on my research I did when choosing a formula and supplements, I found that Baby’s Only formula and Nordic Naturals omega-3 oil were the safest ways to get DHA & EPA into my babies. All of my children are still taking one or both of these products.

Your Turn
Is your child taking some form of DHA supplement? If so, what are you using and what results are you seeing if any?

Sources
DHA/EPA Omega-3 Institute
Omega-3 Fish Oil Blog
Nordic Naturals
The Cornucopia Institute

Oral Motor Myths

Myths... a high-arched narrow palatal vault (that would be the “roof” of the mouth), tongue protrusion, mild to moderate conductive hearing loss, chronic upper respiratory infections, mouth breathing, habitual open mouth posture, and the impression that a child's tongue is too big for his mouth... all myths.

Speech and language pathology expert, Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson published an article back in 1997 titled, The Oral Motor Myths of Down Syndrome. In the article she lists seven structural/functional disorders (the myths above) that she feels can be prevented.

In other words, infants with Down syndrome are not born with these oral motor differences; instead they develop them based on inappropriate therapeutic approaches to feeding difficulties present at birth due to low tone.

Rosenfeld-Johnson writes, “Orally, these children look pretty much like any other infant with the exception that they have a weak suckle. This critical observation draws us to the connection between feeding muscles and muscles of speech. In quick order, a cascade of events unfolds for these babies with weak suckle.”

The events she refers to begin with making it as easy as possible for the newborn to eat which sets in motion a downward spiral of circumstances that lead to the development of the above-named oral motor irregularities.

There is an assumption in the medical community that babies with Down syndrome do not eat well, and that they inevitably demonstrate all or most of the seven structural/functional disorders seen in many people who have Down syndrome. Because successful nutritional intake is one of the primary goals that needs to be reached ASAP with a newborn, nurses and doctors often push solutions that may be in direct conflict with the best oral-motor therapy techniques for improving a baby’s oral motor skills.

I can tell you from experience that this is true. I had a baby with severe heart defects that could not eat enough on her own to survive. She could not successfully nurse, nor would she drink well from a bottle. I did not know about Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson’s theories. If I had known, I would have used them as support for my stubborn ideas about feeding and continuous oral motor stimulation.

So what are SRJ’s recommendations?
1. When a baby is being fed, his mouth must always be lower than his ears.

2. A breastfeeding mom should stimulate the mammary glands while her baby is nursing to increase milk flow. Over time, as the baby’s strength increases, gland stim will no longer be necessary.

3. A bottle-feeding parent should use bottles with disposable liners. This allows the air to be pushed out of the bottle causing a vacuum and making it possible to feed in a position where the bottle nipple is presented from below the mouth. The caregiver can push gently against the liner if necessary to facilitate the flow. Rosenfeld-Johnson explains, “This position encourages a slight chin tuck and the child draws the milk up the nipple predominately with tongue retraction. This position and retractive action prevents milk from flowing freely into the child's mouth. The child no longer needs strong tongue protrusion to enable swallowing. It is also important not to make the hole in the nipple larger.”

The article clearly explains how feeding approaches can alter your baby’s future both positively and negatively, making it a valuable read.

Your Turn
Can following these fairly simple suggestions have a significant effect on your baby’s future oral motor structural and functional formation? My child’s oral motor development has been consistent with what was presented in the article, so based on that (and the fact that the points in the article made sense) I would say give it a try.

What about you? Did you by chance feed from birth according to SRJ’s method? Did you not? Does your child exhibit any of the mythical characteristics, or not?

Dear Santa Claus,

Once your baby can sit or has better body and head control, you can introduce stage two toys. (Not here yet? Check out the stage one toy recommendations. Or if you have already moved on to the next stage, check out these toys.) I’m going to list 10 toys you might want to put on your baby’s Christmas... Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Three Kings Day... list. Though this post comes too late for Eid-el-Fitr (and Black Friday), you will hopefully still get some good ideas from it.

Fisher Price—Roll-a-Rounds Swirlin Surprise Gumballs

Lights! Action! Wow! This oversized “gumball” machine releases four see-through balls that have “candies” in them. Each time your baby taps the lever, he is rewarded with lights, music, and a gumball that swirls around as it makes its way out of the dispenser. This toy teaches cause and effect, as well as the concept of in/out. The lights and sounds can be turned off and the volume has two settings. Comes with 3 AA batteries (but the ball dispensing would still work with no batteries). $22.99 Toys-R-Us
Picture credit: Sheridan from Genetically Enhanced

Fisher Price—Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage

This toy gets an A+ for entertainment value as it will keep your baby interested for long periods of time. It also gets high marks for teaching cause and effect, encouraging self-recognition and communication, and promoting sitting, reaching, and fine motor hand control. For an in-depth description of this toy, check out Ria’s review. (3 AA batteries included) Overpriced ($83) at Amazon.com. Look for it in-store at Toys-R-Us.

Slinky

Who knew a slinky could be so much fun? Put your baby’s amazing feet to work with this toy and then sit back and enjoy the show. The plastic version comes in two sizes, several bright neon colors, and is easy to untangle. This toy encourages your baby to practice gross and fine motor skills, but even if it didn’t have any therapeutic or educational value, I’d still recommend it because it is the most fun your baby can have for five dollars :-) Small plastic version, $4.99 Toys-R-Us

Fisher Price—Rainforest Jumperoo

Many babies with Down syndrome love to bounce and the Jumperoo provides the perfect opportunity for it. Once your baby has good core strength, he’ll enjoy pushing off with his feet and bouncing himself like crazy. The jumper has lights and sounds with various settings, but your baby might be too busy jumping to notice!. Babies up to 25 lbs. and 32 in. can enjoy this toy. (3 AA batteries not included) $69 at Amazon.com
Picture credit: Joey from Our Bundle of Joey

Fisher Price—Sesame Street Singing Pop-Up Pals

This pop up toy features Sesame Street figures who sing clips of their songs when they pop out. The toy teaches cause and effect and prompts your baby to practice his fine motor skills to twist, press, click, and slide the knobs. The characters’ doors close in two different ways adding to your baby’s coordination skills. The sound can be turned off and the pop ups still work (nice feature for when you run out of the 3 AA batteries that come in it). $21.99 at Toys-R-Us

Fisher Price—Moo Sounds Milk & Cookies

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Your baby will! This little jug comes with 5 cookie-shaped colored discs that your baby can put in and take out. For beginners the jug opens up completely and for those who have practiced a bit, the cover fits on with just a cookie-sized slot in it. When you dump the cookies out, the jug “moos”. This is a great way to work on the concept of in/ out, colors recognition, and beginning counting, while also working on the coordination skills of targeted placing and reaching for objects. (2 Alkaline Button Cell batteries included) $9.99 at Target

Melissa & Doug Nesting Boxes

What’s more fun than building a tall tower? Knocking it down of course! Your baby will likely master the destruction part of this game before the building part. That’s ok because she has you to stack and restack the boxes for her :-) Eventually she will learn to stack the boxes and to nest them by herself. You can work on the concepts of up/down and in/out with this toy, as well as practicing the motor skills necessary to build and knock down the boxes. These nesting boxes have the alphabet on them and lots of pictures that you can use to teach some common words to your baby. Melissa & Doug Deluxe 10-Piece Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks are $9.99 at Amazon

Fisher Price—Stack 'n Surprise Blocks Songs 'n Smiles Sillytown

Pop up, peek-a-boo, stacking, music, lights, and a race car... there is much to do with this toy. Your baby will practice fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cause and effect. This set comes with 8 stacking blocks (one that is a car) and features a pop up section and a tumble down section, as well as a car ramp, and a stacking shelf. After seeing how much fun Summer (and her 3 yo brother :-) had with the Count and Build Snail Pail set, I knew this one would have a spot under the tree this year! (3 C batteries included) Songs ‘n Smiles Sillytown is about $40 at Walmart and the Count and Build Snail Pail is $19.97 at Amazon.com

Munchkin Mozart Music Cube

Music therapy here we come :-) This cube features 5 individual instrument buttons: harp, flute, French horn, piano and violin, and an orchestra button that plays all the instruments at once. It has 8 Mozart compositions and the lights flash in rhythm will the songs. The buttons are big and easy to push with hands or feet. The toy teaches cause and effect as well as the different sounds instruments make. (3 AA batteries not included.) $15 at Amazon.com

Discovery Toys—Go Go Caterpillar

Our PT brought this toy over one day and Summer was very interested in playing with it, though for a while she seemed a little mad that it “ran away” :-). If you are ready to urge your baby to crawl or scoot, this is a good toy to have. Your baby can make it roll away by gently pressing on its back. The wheels are filled with beads that fly around as the caterpillar zooms across the floor. The toy reinforces the concept of cause and effect, and prompts your baby to strengthen his gross-motor "Go Go Baby" muscles. $15 at Discovery Toys


And Santa, please bring shares of Fisher Price stock for mom and dad...

Your Turn
Got a favorite stage two toy recommendation for Santa? Want to tell us what gifts are you giving to your children with Ds this year? Please do, inquiring minds want to know :-)

That Rowdy Tongue

The rumors are true... some of our children are well-endowed with super-dee-duper tongues that come in quite handy for long distance frosting frolicking. The tongue, being a muscle, is susceptible to hypotonia and thus may be a bit difficult for your baby to keep under control.

Don’t stress about it because there are lots of things you can do to teach your little one how to manage her tongue. In the early years you will need to do the work of training this muscle for her. The payoff is greater oral motor control which means an easier time eating and speaking, as well as keeping her mouth closed when in a resting state.

The best exercise you can do is called tongue-walking. Every time your baby’s tongue is hanging out you can walk it back in by using your finger (keep gloves or antibacterial hand sanitizer on hand) to gently tap tap tap from the end of it up the center of it until you have reached the middle portion of it. Your baby’s tongue will instinctively retract and tighten in response to your touch. Do this exercise a few times in a row several times a day and anytime you spot her tongue being lax.

Other exercises include various versions of “kissing”. Put your face up close to your baby’s face and make a rounded kiss shape with your lips. Then make the kissy sound. Your baby will try to imitate you thus pulling in her tongue and strengthening her lips and cheeks. You can also do this using the “m” sound positioning of your lips. Make the sound “ma ma ma” and then put your mouth in the closed “m” position right on your baby’s mouth and hum the “m” sound so she can feel the vibrations on her lips. This also encourages her to imitate you and helps her to feel what that closed mouth “m” sound is like.

When your baby is ready to move on from the nursing or bottle stage, you can offer a cup that has a straw. Mr Juice bear or the NUK straw cup (available online at beyondplay.com and in-store at Walmart, respectively) are great options. Teaching your baby to drink from a straw rather than a sippy cup will stimulate good lip closure and keep her tongue in. (Sippy cups allow her tongue to slide out under the spout enabling bad habits.)

As your child gets older you will be able to add gentle touch mouth cueing to get her to pull her tongue in and close her mouth. There may always be times when she is tired, excited, or concentrating hard that her tongue will try to make an escape but by working with her from a young age you will minimize this and help her to gain control over that rowdy tongue.

First Library Additions

I love books. I spend a lot of time in the bookstore and at Amazon. My kids love books too and my baby with Down syndrome is no exception. Right in the beginning I realized that I needed to be more intentional with my book purchases for her. Suddenly I could see how overwhelming the pictures were, how senseless the content was, how difficult to manage the tiny pop up windows were...

When infants can’t understand the words yet and have no schema for the pictures, any old book will not do. Here are some ideas of what to look for in a good baby book:

--A single image on a page without other distracting imagery. Pictures with high contrast, particularly black and whites, are the best.
--Pictures of baby faces, recognizable body parts, or objects/actions common to a baby’s day. Books that show babies doing things.
--Books that isolate colors, that have textures to touch, or that teach concepts like object permanence.
--Books with good cadence content (songs or rhythmic language) and books with word repetition.

Lots of times a book will meet one or more of those qualifications but have too much detracting from it...too many images on a page, blended colors, and things you don’t want to show your baby (like lots of unhealthy treat foods).

The following books make good first reads (and second, third, fourth, etc., because you know you’re gonna end up reading those same favorites over and over and over.)

Recommendations for Stage 1 Books



Brown Bear—Eric Carle 7.95  One bright picture per page (until the end) and simple repetitive language. I read this book out-of-synch so that when I am saying “I see the animal and its color” I am on the page with that animal. I think this is less confusing for a new baby.

Today is Monday—Eric Carle 6.99  Wonderful high contrast colored pictures and repetitive language. Babies love to stare at the pages in this book.

Peek-a-who—Nina Laden 6.95  High color contrast pictures, simple rhyming language, and object-permanence teaching peek-a-boo pages. Check out Ria’s in-depth review of this book.

baby! talk!—Penny Gentieu 1.29 (used)  This is one of my all time favorites. Its full of babies doing baby stuff like playing “So big”, “Peek-a-boo”, and “Patty-cake”. Each left page has a single baby doing something and each right page has a group of babies doing it. There are lots of talking points (Look at that baby drink her bottle) and lots of baby games to do. It is out of print but buy it used or borrow it from the library, its worth it.

Moo Ba La La La—Sandra Boynton 5.99  Classic Boynton when she was great. I gave our copy away in PICU one day and ended up replacing it with the super-sized version. It is just a fun, rhyming book that babies seem to really enjoy.

Rainbow Colors Peekaboo—DK Publishing 6.99  This is a great book that has simple pictures, isolated colors, textures for touching, and fold-out pages for teaching peek-a-boo. It is part of a peekaboo series and not all of these books by DK meet the qualifications of a good baby book. Another good one is Farm Peekaboo.

Hush Little Baby—Marla Frazee 7.00  My favorite lullaby. The pictures aren’t great for a baby but the words are the originals. It makes a nice bedtime song.

Look at Baby’s House—Peter Linenthal 6.99  Black and white delight! This book is only black and white and has simple content about a baby’s day. Babies are captivated by the pictures.

I Can, Can You?—Marjorie W. Pitzer 8.76  This book has pictures of young children with Down syndrome doing everyday activities. It is a little “old” for a newborn but it is important for your baby to see children in books who resemble her.

Little Angel—Sandra Magsamen 7.99  A baby should hear this (poem) story everyday. It is a beautiful message about being wanted and loved. (Heck somebody please read this to me at bedtime!) The pictures are just ok, the finger puppet is cute, but it's the words that make this a must have book.

(Not pictured) Baby Talk—DK Publishing 4.99  A simple book of babies doing everyday things like eating or sleeping. Each left page has a single picture of a baby and each right is a colored fold out that hides the same baby doing what the words say on the fold out. It teaches object permanence (can’t get enough of that) and feelings.

Your Turn
What was your baby’s favorite first story? Got a baby book review for us?

Summer Giveaway

What would you say to a woman who has just found out she is carrying a baby with Down syndrome and is torn about what to do?

Answer this question by July 31 in the comments section of this post or in a post of your own and you will be entered into the DSNM summer giveaway. During the first week of August, I will post my answer to the question and link to all your posts. I will also list the random winner who will have the choice of either prize pack listed below.

The Child Pack
The child pack consists of a bottle of Nordic Naturals Children’s DHA, strawberry flavored, in liquid or soft gel form (your choice) along with the book, No No Yes Yes by Leslie Patricelli.

The Parent Pack
The parent pack consists of the book, More Than a Mom: Living a Full And Balanced Life When Your Child Has Special Needs by Amy Baskin and Heather Fawcett. (Ok, Dan, I hear you... if it were me I woulda named it More Than a Parent...) and a Lindt Classics Caramel Assortment box of candy. (Can you tell ds.mama likes to read and eat bon bons?)


The real prize is that the words you write may well be read by a mom who needs to hear the truth from a parent who knows what that is.

10 Things Mama’s Gotta Have

I try to imagine what life was like for a mom 100 years ago. Honest to God, my great-grandmother must have been a saint to raise all those kids without baby swings, pack-n-plays, batteries, or premoistened butt wipes.

Fortunately we do not have to suffer like she did. Here are my top ten picks for making life with your new baby a little easier on mom (and dad!)

Infantino Peek-A-Boo Bunny Mobile

Each of my children got a mobile that matched his or her crib set. There were hanging bunnies or bugs that, when wound up, went round and round to a soothing lullaby. Nobody seemed all that interested in them. But when my little girl was doing time in the PICU, a nurse attached the Infantino Peek-A-Boo Bunny mobile to her crib and wow, she adored it. I liked it too. It plays your choice of three songs (15 minutes long), one of which is a very cute catchy tune that has baby laughter in it. It has two volume settings, a night light, and a remote. But the best part is the set of plastic bunnies with musical instruments that spin slowly around. Their ears flip over their eyes, whistles move, drums beat, faces appear and disappear. They could rename this the ”object permanence concept” mobile. 39.00 Amazon

BébéSounds Angelcare® Deluxe Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor

There is no reason to think that a baby with Down syndrome is at any higher risk for SIDS or any other sleep dangers but since we already have enough to stress about, I opted for this baby monitor. It lets you know, after 20 seconds, if your baby stops breathing. It has an amazing range of over 800 feet so I can go outside and work in my garden during nap time. I have had no interference or sound quality issues with the receivers. The only con with this monitor is that if you forget to turn it off when you take your baby out of the crib for a midnight feed, the whole house is going to know about it in 20 seconds! 103.99 Online

Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym

There are lots of nice baby gyms out there but this one is my favorite. It has lots of link points to attach toys to the mat or to hang them over and around your baby. There are several modes of lights and sound play, including a baby-activated mode which plays for about 10 seconds per toy yank. This is great for teaching cause and effect. The playmat is brightly colored, quilted, and easy to take off and wash. This gym has been the source of much entertainment for my daughter since before she could even roll over. I take it with me whenever I go to other people’s houses or anytime I take the pack-n-play, since it fits so nicely on the floor of it. 54.95 Baby Earth

Changing Table Mobile

Hmm, how do you keep your baby cheerfully distracted with her hands out of the goods during diaper changing time? Hang up a changing table mobile. I have had ours since baby number one and it has been a hit with all of them. This was the only toy that tempted my little girl to reach straight up against gravity when she still had little strength or muscle control. Ours has two bugs and a mirror toy that are attached by magnets. This allows her to pull the toys down and play with them while she gazes at herself in the mobile mirror. Unfortunately, I cannot find ours anywhere, new or used, so I have picked out what I hope is a close enough substitute, the Infantino Wall Mounted Mobile - Lion. 22.41 Amazon

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo

This is the perfect contraption for when your baby has enough core strength to stay upright and hold her head steady without support. 10 - 15 minutes a day in this jumper is a good way to strengthen your baby’s legs and encourage the foot stepping (pre-walking) reflex. Later on when your baby has good core strength, he’ll enjoy pushing off with his feet and bouncing himself like crazy. The jumper has lights and sounds with various settings, but my daughter favors the spinner filled with beads. 89.99 babiesrus

Space Saver High Chair and Booster

Sometimes children with Down syndrome have a hard time eating and maintaining core muscle strength to hold themselves upright. The Space Saver highchair has a 5 point restraint strap to help your little one stay well-supported while she focuses on eating. It also has a three position seat recline to give your baby more or less support as needed. The tray is wide and goes on and off easily. The seat cover wipes up nicely (but does make my daughter sweaty on her back if she is in it for a while.) For a baby who wants to eat but isn’t physically ready to manage sitting up unsupported through a whole meal, this is the perfect seat. The official description says not to use it for a baby who cannot sit unsupported but I am guessing they are referring to the booster chair feature. This chair was recommended by our physical therapist and has made a huge difference for my baby at mealtime. 48.88 Walmart

Infant Seat Cover

Babies are not as adaptable as adults to temperature change. They lose heat quickly and they overheat quickly. The infant car seat cover is great for keeping your baby bundled up from the cold yet can be opened up swiftly and easily when you are in a heated car or building. It is so much easier than wrestling with a snowsuit or multiple blankets. I prefer this model because I like to keep my baby’s face clear of fabrics and coverings but there are other options out there that close up. 29.99 babiesrus

Cuisinart Mini-Prep Processor

Sooner or later you are going to have to branch out beyond breast milk or formula. All those little jars of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd foods are going to add up, especially if you are going organic. And, after a while your baby will move beyond 2nd and 3rd stage but she might not be ready for what’s cooking for dinner in your house. Invest in a mini food processor and whip up homemade baby food with the perfect consistency to suit your baby’s development. Black bean soup, red beans and rice, white turkey chili... you name it, your baby can eat it once you’ve zipped it through the mini processor. The Cuisinart mini processor is small enough to store almost anywhere in your kitchen and it is easy to handle and clean up. 29.95 Amazon

Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing

I do believe I would have lost my mind sometime in the last six years if not for this swing. It swings side to side and front to back and has two recline positions. It has songs, lights, and a spinning mobile (none of which I ever use anymore.) The mobile part has plastic loops that are perfect for hanging links from and attaching all sorts of toys to entertain your baby. It takes four D batteries and they last for a good long time in it. There are some reviews that complain about the motor and our swing no longer has more than one speed but it does not matter, this swing is still the best baby apparatus ever created! The newer models (rainforest and precious planet) don’t sit the same or swing the same, or have those wonderful loops for adding links. 119.00 babiesrus

Boppy

I confess... after my first child, I threw out both my Boppy and a lovely imposter pillow. I never used them for nursing and my typical baby didn’t need them for propping or playing. Then a few years later, along came my little darling who couldn’t do much of anything for quite some time. I ran out and bought a new Boppy so she could see the world (ok, the PICU) from a better view. At home she uses it for propping up on her back or front. I use it to keep her from rolling away when I want her to stay focused. I use it while she is in s supported sit to hold her toys up where she can reach them easier. It comes in handy during my physical therapy work with her as well. 25.00 for the pillow at Amazon, slipcover prices vary. 24.99 for the organic pea in the pod version.

Your Turn
Ok, bubble bath, chocolate, and ear plugs aside, what’s your “mama’s gotta have it” item? And, can anybody recommend a really good baby bathtub?

MaggieMae had a great idea... that we should all write our "Mama's Gotta Have It" posts and share them. She writes,

"and then the blogosphere will have some really useful hands-on, money-saving tips and product recommendations for all of us mothers of children with and without Down syndrome, with and without developmental delays, all with their very own flavor, talents and challenges..."

So how 'bout it? If you do it, let me know and I will link your post here.
MaggieMae: Down Syndrome Awareness -- Gotta Have Its AND How I Used Its!
Ria: Top 10 Baby Gotta-Haves
Lisa: Things Mama's Gotta Have

Picture Cards, Make Your Own

Language development... we’re all working toward it everyday with our children. We talk to them, sing to them, read to them, sign to them... But we know that reciprocation, our children being able to verbalize to us, comes later than their ability to understand language. So in the meantime we are teaching them other methods of communicating with us, using sign language and picture cards.

There are some good picture card resources out there. For free on the web, you can download and print cards from the See and Learn Language and Reading program. I like these cards because they use children with Down syndrome as models, the images are very realistic, and access to the cards is free. However, you still have printing costs, laminating costs, and the colors on the cards blend together too much, which I think might make object differentiation hard.

You could also purchase premade packs of First Word card sets. There are several packages to choose from, the colors are good but the sets are pricey and not all of the pictures in each set will be useful with every baby. Do I really care if my baby learns what a car key is?

To get the perfect set of picture cards for your baby, you have to make your own. It is easy to do and you will end up with a set of cards that is realistic, durable (chew-proof!), and specific to your baby’s world. When you make your own cards using your baby’s spoon, bottle, books, family members, etc., your baby can immediately recognize the object. Using cards from other sources means your baby has to be able to generalize that the picture of a cup is a representation of his cup. When your baby sees a picture of himself reading one of his books, it makes more sense than seeing a picture of just a random book cover.

All you need to get started is a camera, prints, and self-sealing lamination pouches.

Step 1. Take pictures of the objects your baby uses... his spoon and bowl, his bottle with milk in it, his cup, him reading his favorite book, you, his siblings, happy faces, sad faces, the family pet, toys, his crib... You can look at premade card sets to get ideas or jot down notes as you go through a couple days with your baby.

Step 2. Crop and print the pictures so that the object is the main thing in each picture.

Step 3. Laminate the pictures back to back so that each card has a front and back picture. Do not put pictures that could be offered as choices in the same pouch. You want your baby to be able to see both choices at the same time so that he can point to the card that has the object he wants.

Step 4. Show your baby the appropriate card prior to doing whatever is on the card. Before you know it, your baby will realize that the card represents the upcoming action or activity. Long before he can say he prefers an apple to a banana, he can choose the picture of an apple at snack time.

You can also use the cards when you are reading to help your child with generalization. When you get to a picture of a ball in the story, show your baby the picture of his ball. It is important that you also say and sign the word when you use pictures. Picture cards are a resource for enhancing language development and facilitating communication, not a total replacement for signing/speaking.

Your Turn
What picture cards are you using with you baby? Let me know and I will add a link here to your post about it.

Lori: Special Connection Homeschool: Introducing Reading with Sight Words
Perplexing Situation: Friday Organization