And how many times have I tried to find the time to update Louie’s Gummy Smiles blog spot? I have lost count! Between moving house, Louie’s brother starting school, his sister starting nursery, sports days, graduation days…………………..it just never ends! So here I am waiting for the rice to cook, grabbing 5 minutes!
Last entry was Louie at 6 ½ months, he is now 11 ½ months & doing us all proud. Since I last wrote, he has cut 2 bottom front teeth, has successfully bounced himself off of his play mat & is now almost on the verge of crawling!
We have been seen by the speech therapist, the physiotherapist, the paediatrician again & been to hospital for a hearing test. So it’s been a nice quiet time for us all!
Louie moved house with no bother at all. He has gone from sleeping in his cot in Mummy & Daddy’s room, to sleeping on his own in his little bedroom. His 2nd night at his new home, he went through the night to 6am for the first time at age 9 months – much to my delight & exhausted relief!
For the build up to moving day & the move itself, Louie was put here, plonked there, pushed somewhere else & carried all over the place, as I cleaned, put up curtains, washed windows, un-packed boxes and everything else associated with a house move. The poor soul had to take his naps in the car as the noise & disruption meant there was no peace for sleeps in either our old or new house! But nap he did, and for good lengths of time too – the move was clearly hard work for Louie as well!
Once we were all settled & Louie’s brother & sister had calmed down from all the excitement of the new house, we had a visit from our speech therapist. She was pleased with Louie’s eating & chewing skills, happy to hear him babbling away & singing, and encouraged by the ‘t,t,t’, sounds he was making. She expressed no concerns at all.
Our physiotherapist was so encouraged by his progress, that she said she would pop back in 6 months time then discharge him!!! The paediatrician continues to be delighted with his general development.
Needless to say we are chuffed to bits to hear all this encouraging news.
Our visit to the hospital for Louie’s hearing test was a bit of a waste of time, but through no ones fault. The type of hearing test performed at Louie’s age, is one where earpieces are put in the ear. The child is then expected to respond to any sound they hear by ‘turning’ towards the noise. They are then rewarded for turning to the noise by a bright flashing light & moving object.
As soon as I saw this I was immediately sceptical. Louie’s development is at Louie’s pace & his reactions to sounds are also at Louie’s pace’ – slower than a typical baby’s pace might be. But I kept quiet while the tests were carried out. At the end the technician was very sensitive & almost apologetic when she said that she didn’t feel Louie was developmentally ready! I agreed immediately, which seemed to take her by surprise! Afterwards you get some time to discuss the results with the Doctor. It wasn’t until the Doctor saw Louie’s child record book with all the Downs Syndrome pages in, that she said that the technician didn’t realise Louie had Down's! It was then I understood why the technician was being so ‘gentle’ with me! The Doctor was reassured that I had no worries at all regarding Louie’s hearing so despite the possible starting of glue ear, we agreed to give Louie some more time before we test again.
Our next challenge is Louie’s heart scan which will be due anytime soon – fingers crossed, this really is the big one. First tests at only a few weeks old were fine, just a small opening which we were told was normal for such young babies. Hopefully this will have closed by now.
Two beautiful teeth are now in full view, which Louie takes great delight in sinking into anything he can sink them in to!! Even his brother & sister have to keep diving out of the way as ‘Chubbula Louie’ makes a move for them!!! As with everything with Louie, he is taking his teething in his stride, with little or no fuss at all.
As for his crawling, well it won’t be long now! For about the last month he has found his upper body strength to lift himself up. His knees are just starting to push up a little now too. He has been getting around by dragging himself along, with a swimming action being made by his legs. If I call him & put my hands out to him, he will immediately get onto his tummy & make a move towards me – lovely!
Louie thinks the tiled kitchen floor is great – he can slide all over the place at break neck speed…………just gets a cold tummy on the tiles in the process!!
Louie is as endearing as ever, full of smiles, noises, & wide loving eyes. He has learnt to tell us when he’s getting a bit too much attention from his brother & sister, who think Louie is just the best ‘toy’ they’ve ever had!
I’m not allowed out of his sight though! He has to know where I am otherwise he starts to get very upset, bless him. Even Daddy gets the cold shoulder sometimes with the ‘I want my Mummy’ cry!
He’s a determined sole – I have to move my PC around the floor as I type, in order to get the keyboard away from him as he follows me around the floor! I am now shuffling into the hall, frantically followed by a determined Louie!!!! I have just bundled him upside down & blown a raspberry on his tummy – much to his sheer delight!
Again, well done to our adoring & loving little Louie – we’re very proud of you Son. We are very proud of all our children.
Mummy, 31st August 2008
