Ok, ds.mama was tagged by rickismom to write about seven things I love. I confess, I usually complete these sorts of assignments in comment boxes rather than posts but this time is different because there is something on my list you need to know about.
1. You. That’s right friend, you. I am so happy to be a part of a community of people who share their hearts, their hurts and their triumphs. A group who advocates, educates, and cultivates. A community that welcomes newcomers with open arms and goes faithfully to visit the blogs of newborns, or those who are ill. I love all you ds.mamas and ds.papas for what you do and I am proud of you.
2. The French language. Pierre can whisper in my ear all day and night ;-)
3. My babies.
4. Their father.
5. A really powerful summer thunderstorm at dusk.
6. God.
7. Eating gourmet food that I didn’t have to cook.
Your Turn
Tell us what you love.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Baby Boy Bounty
Big brothers J and Red are happy to tell you that there is a new little brother at their house. Be sure to make your way over to their mom's blog to see him and wish them all well.
If you would like our community to know about the arrival of a child with Down syndrome, please send an email to ds.mama with the baby's info and an email address or blog/website address of the baby's mom or dad.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
It's Raining Boys
Brady and Madi proudly announce the birth of their son, Kelvin Kyler Love. What a perfect last name for this sweetie. Stop in and give this new little guy a virtual hug.
If you would like our community to know about the arrival of a child with Down syndrome, please send an email to ds.mama with the baby's info and an email address or blog/website address of the baby's mom or dad.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Birth Announcement
The Stevenson family is proud to announce the birth of their first child, Beau Thomas. Beau was born via c-section at 29 weeks. He is currently in the NICU but doing great and shooting for an early August parole. Stop by their blog to check out this cutie and give them a warm welcome.
Thank you Rebecca for the sweet announcement graphic. If you would like our community to know about the arrival of a new baby with Down syndrome, please send an email to ds.mama with the baby's info and an email address or blog/website address of the baby's mom or dad.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Only One Week Left
There is just one more week left in July... one week left to enter DSNM’s summer giveaway. Why don’t you take a minute right now to tell a wondering mom-to-be what having a child with Down syndrome is really like.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
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?
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?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Finger Foods
Letting your baby feed himself finger foods is a great way to give him a chance to practice fine motor hand dexterity as well as tongue and jaw control. But what serves as a good choice of finger foods to offer your baby? Below is my list of favorites that meet basic early foods guidelines.
My 10 Favorite Finger Foods
Puffs or Cheerios (I prefer Happy Baby Puffs and Cascadian Farms Os)
Scrambled eggs (yolks at six months, whole eggs at one year)
Steamed broccoli or cauliflower
Small chunks of muffin or breakfast bread, such as banana bread
Well-cooked pasta pieces
Pancake chunks (no butter or syrup)
Red beans and rice (spice it up for high-flavor)
Chopped up Egg Mini-Balls (from Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron, whole eggs at one year)
Chunks of soft-breaded fish sticks (fish at one year)
Small chunks of cheese quesadillas (cheese at nine months)
When it comes to food, I am a proponent of starting ealier rather than later when food habits and expectations have begun to take hold. You, your pediatrician and perhaps speech or OT will have to determine when your baby is ready to self-feed. However, this will probably happen when your baby can sit well-supported in a feeding seat with a tray and is ready to move on to the munching phase (beginning to mash food in his mouth by flattening and spreading his tongue while moving his jaw up and down. The DS Nutrition Handbook, pg. 10). Your baby does not need to have teeth to enjoy finger foods. If you notice that your baby shows interest in what you are eating (watches you eat, leans toward you as you eat, sticks his tongue out as you eat), he is probably ready to try self-feeding.
Finger Food Guidelines
Food pieces should be about the size of a Cheerio or large pea. The food should be able to be broken down easily by saliva and gumming. Only place a couple pieces of food at a time on the tray to avoid overstuffing (which can lead to choking.) It is a good idea to use a plastic bib with a pocket to catch the misses so that you can dig them out and give your little one a second chance with them.
Feeding No Nos... Never leave your baby unattended while he is self-feeding. Try to avoid foods that are wet with straight edges (for example, steamed carrot chunks or chopped banana) as they will stick to the tray setting your little one up for frustration. Skip the choking hazards... hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, chips, seeds, whole grapes, whole olives, corn niblets, cherries, and peanut butter.
Choking
If your baby begins to choke, do not try to dig the food out of his mouth. This can cause it to be jammed further in his throat. Pick him up and turn him over with his head lower than his torso. Give him a firm thwack with your palm on his back right between his shoulder blades to expel the food. If you cannot dislodge the food right away, call 911 for help.
Recipes
Red Beans and Rice
4-5 Cups Cooked Rice
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper
1 Small Onion, chopped and browned
2 Garlic Cloves
2-3 Tablespoons Bearitos Chili Spice
1 Can Pinto Beans, drained
In a large skillet, brown chopped onion in olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and cook two minutes longer. Add beans, chili spice, and salt and pepper to taste. When heated through, add the cooked rice and mix well. Splash with a dash of olive oil. This can be served with shredded cheddar on top. Cool and put a scoop on baby’s tray.
Cheese Quesadillas
2 Flour Tortillas
1/3 Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Place tortilla on a greased baking sheet. Top with cheese and remaining tortilla. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Cool and cut into tiny pieces for baby.
Egg Mini-Balls
3 hard-boiled eggs, mashed
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon finely diced onion
1/2 cup crushed cornflakes
Mix first 4 ingredients and shape into mini-balls. Roll in cornflakes to coat. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven on greased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes until browned. Cool and chop up into chunks for baby.
Your Turn
What was your baby’s favorite finger food? Does your baby like self-feeding?
My 10 Favorite Finger Foods
Puffs or Cheerios (I prefer Happy Baby Puffs and Cascadian Farms Os)
Scrambled eggs (yolks at six months, whole eggs at one year)
Steamed broccoli or cauliflower
Small chunks of muffin or breakfast bread, such as banana bread
Well-cooked pasta pieces
Pancake chunks (no butter or syrup)
Red beans and rice (spice it up for high-flavor)
Chopped up Egg Mini-Balls (from Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron, whole eggs at one year)
Chunks of soft-breaded fish sticks (fish at one year)
Small chunks of cheese quesadillas (cheese at nine months)
When it comes to food, I am a proponent of starting ealier rather than later when food habits and expectations have begun to take hold. You, your pediatrician and perhaps speech or OT will have to determine when your baby is ready to self-feed. However, this will probably happen when your baby can sit well-supported in a feeding seat with a tray and is ready to move on to the munching phase (beginning to mash food in his mouth by flattening and spreading his tongue while moving his jaw up and down. The DS Nutrition Handbook, pg. 10). Your baby does not need to have teeth to enjoy finger foods. If you notice that your baby shows interest in what you are eating (watches you eat, leans toward you as you eat, sticks his tongue out as you eat), he is probably ready to try self-feeding.
Finger Food Guidelines
Food pieces should be about the size of a Cheerio or large pea. The food should be able to be broken down easily by saliva and gumming. Only place a couple pieces of food at a time on the tray to avoid overstuffing (which can lead to choking.) It is a good idea to use a plastic bib with a pocket to catch the misses so that you can dig them out and give your little one a second chance with them.
Feeding No Nos... Never leave your baby unattended while he is self-feeding. Try to avoid foods that are wet with straight edges (for example, steamed carrot chunks or chopped banana) as they will stick to the tray setting your little one up for frustration. Skip the choking hazards... hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, chips, seeds, whole grapes, whole olives, corn niblets, cherries, and peanut butter.
Choking
If your baby begins to choke, do not try to dig the food out of his mouth. This can cause it to be jammed further in his throat. Pick him up and turn him over with his head lower than his torso. Give him a firm thwack with your palm on his back right between his shoulder blades to expel the food. If you cannot dislodge the food right away, call 911 for help.
Recipes
Red Beans and Rice
4-5 Cups Cooked Rice
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper
1 Small Onion, chopped and browned
2 Garlic Cloves
2-3 Tablespoons Bearitos Chili Spice
1 Can Pinto Beans, drained
In a large skillet, brown chopped onion in olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and cook two minutes longer. Add beans, chili spice, and salt and pepper to taste. When heated through, add the cooked rice and mix well. Splash with a dash of olive oil. This can be served with shredded cheddar on top. Cool and put a scoop on baby’s tray.
Cheese Quesadillas
2 Flour Tortillas
1/3 Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Place tortilla on a greased baking sheet. Top with cheese and remaining tortilla. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Cool and cut into tiny pieces for baby.
Egg Mini-Balls
3 hard-boiled eggs, mashed
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon finely diced onion
1/2 cup crushed cornflakes
Mix first 4 ingredients and shape into mini-balls. Roll in cornflakes to coat. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven on greased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes until browned. Cool and chop up into chunks for baby.
Your Turn
What was your baby’s favorite finger food? Does your baby like self-feeding?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
There's a New Prince in Town
Make sure you go check out a new little man on his momma's new blog, The Wonder of Wysdom. Wysdom has already proven to be quite the fighter having undergone OHS in May. His mom is studying to be a Holistic Nutritionist and I look forward to the information she will sharing with us all.
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