For those of you who live where the winters are very cold and very snowy, you know the hope and and sense of rebirth that comes with the first hints of spring. Change is in the air, and it's exhilarating!
Max and I are finally well--rather, he is, and I'm on the mend--after more than a month of virus after virus after virus. We both got really good at sharing.
We're so lucky to have boys all about the same age and live within a few miles of each other. We missed our fourth, Kerry, that day though. Poor Kerry couldn't get child care.
This was a repeat visit for both Sherry and Bonnie. For me, it was the first. I'd been advised as a brand new parent to avoid the conference. It can prove to be quite overwhelming for the newbie. Awash in my pregnancy hormones I expected to fight back tears a few times, but I guess I've grown. It was a welcome breath of fresh air.
A few (among many) things I learned in the breakout sessions I attended:
1. There is no such thing as a communication or reading plateau.
2. In theory, Max could learn to read before learning to talk.
3. Max is at the pre-potty training stage and we should encourage a lot of sit time.
We got an immediate payback from this last one with Max's first pee-on-the-potty just last week. Woo! Oh the things we parents find exciting.
Walking down the hallway I got a nice surprise. Half a dozen or more banners with photos were hung along the rails. Can you see Max?
He's that smiling boy pushing up on chubby arms right in the center. It was taken when he was about eight months old.
It was the first time Max was really able to play on the playground, having begun to walk at Christmas. It was also the first time I didn't get funny looks from other mothers who suddenly became uncomfortable when they asked me how old he was. With no siblings and no friends in town to cushion the blow the park had become a bit of a downer, for me anyway. This trip was refreshing.
Once he got the hang of it he did quite well, considering, but we now have a bowl full of cracked and crumbling hard-boiled eggs. "Gentle" is not a word Max pays much attention to yet. Despite the carnage--Max's first find was Sean's Irish flag colored egg that he promptly smashed onto the coffee table--it was exciting to experience our first holiday tradition together, as a family. I'm looking forward to many, many more.
And now this tired, pregnant, and contracting mom must head to bed. But guess what, the weather tomorrow is supposed to be even better!
Max and I are finally well--rather, he is, and I'm on the mend--after more than a month of virus after virus after virus. We both got really good at sharing.
The Conference
On one of my better Saturdays, I met two of my mom friends, Sherry and Bonnie, at the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress conference.
We're so lucky to have boys all about the same age and live within a few miles of each other. We missed our fourth, Kerry, that day though. Poor Kerry couldn't get child care.
This was a repeat visit for both Sherry and Bonnie. For me, it was the first. I'd been advised as a brand new parent to avoid the conference. It can prove to be quite overwhelming for the newbie. Awash in my pregnancy hormones I expected to fight back tears a few times, but I guess I've grown. It was a welcome breath of fresh air.
A few (among many) things I learned in the breakout sessions I attended:
1. There is no such thing as a communication or reading plateau.
2. In theory, Max could learn to read before learning to talk.
3. Max is at the pre-potty training stage and we should encourage a lot of sit time.
We got an immediate payback from this last one with Max's first pee-on-the-potty just last week. Woo! Oh the things we parents find exciting.
Walking down the hallway I got a nice surprise. Half a dozen or more banners with photos were hung along the rails. Can you see Max?
He's that smiling boy pushing up on chubby arms right in the center. It was taken when he was about eight months old.
Love Is in the Air
Along with rebirth, spring brings love and it's come it to Max. It seems Max has a little girlfriend. At pick-up last Thursday, Max's teacher told me that he and said little girl spent the day giving each other kisses and hugs. Awww.... Oh, and Daddy, eat your heart out. She's a twin!A Walk in the Park
This weekend was so beautiful--sunshine, blue skies, and new growth on the pussy willows. Max and I took advantage of the change and walked over to the park. It took about 15 minutes for this 7-month pregnant woman recovering from a massive sinus infection. Despite all the contractions, however, the exertion was well worth it.
It was the first time Max was really able to play on the playground, having begun to walk at Christmas. It was also the first time I didn't get funny looks from other mothers who suddenly became uncomfortable when they asked me how old he was. With no siblings and no friends in town to cushion the blow the park had become a bit of a downer, for me anyway. This trip was refreshing.
Gone Hunting
This morning was Max's first ever Easter egg hunt. Sean and I colored some real ones last night, and while Sean distracted Max this morning, I "hid" them around the living room.
Once he got the hang of it he did quite well, considering, but we now have a bowl full of cracked and crumbling hard-boiled eggs. "Gentle" is not a word Max pays much attention to yet. Despite the carnage--Max's first find was Sean's Irish flag colored egg that he promptly smashed onto the coffee table--it was exciting to experience our first holiday tradition together, as a family. I'm looking forward to many, many more.
And now this tired, pregnant, and contracting mom must head to bed. But guess what, the weather tomorrow is supposed to be even better!
I love the picture of Max on the slide, and also that he smashed every hard boiled egg. Super fun for him! :)
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