Saturday, July 10, 2010

Look What I Can Do!!!!!!


Getting Landon off the bottle has been a huge deal for me.  Both Mason & Elijah were off the bottle by the time they were both one.  Although I know that this  may take a little longer for our little kiddos with Down syndrome, I can't help but to "still" have that expectation for Landon.  I have tweaked that expectation a bit, but I am "still" determined to make it happen, even if it is a "little" later!!  I have tried so many things.....sippy cups, honey bear cups, open cups, straw cups, etc.  On occasion we would move 1 step forward and then fall 2 steps back.  VERY FRUSTRATING!!  I read blogs upon blogs, I asked friends and I even got to speak personally (on the phone) to one of my blogging buddies for some much needed advice that actually helped.....THANK YOU, LAURA (Anne & Whitney, Up, Down & All Around).  You see, all along the answer was right under my nose, in my own house and did not cost me any more than a few bucks!!!  Had I known then, what I KNOW now.......I could have saved myself from ALOT of frustration!!!  AND, Landon may have been off the bottle a little sooner too:)  




You see, the problem wasn't that Landon couldn't drink out of the straw rather the fact that his brother's were giving him the good stuff....you know, SUGAR (aka, Capri Sun)!!  Did you see him go!!  That NEVER happened when I was teaching him to drink!!  lol  (BTW, he only seems to communicate with his brother's this way...hmmm, I wonder why??!!)

***NOTE TO SELF***


I guess that "note to self" NEVER made it to my notebook!!  HA!  Because, I am always researching toys to see what will be helpful to Landon, you know, cause & effect, gross/fine motor skills, hand/eye coordination, etc.  I pick & choose each toy I buy for Landon with one thing in mind...... how will this toy help Landon achieve his goals?  Endless amounts of money later, I have a collection of toys that get thrown around the house by 3 boys, (and not played with), only to have to clean it all up at the end of a VERY.LONG.DAY.  And ONCE AGAIN, the answer was right under my nose..........

1 active 4 year old + SUGAR ='s





1 EXTREMELY HAPPY & SILLY LITTLE MONKEY (and endless hours of FREE entertainment)!!!!



All joking aside, I am over the moon happy for my little man!!  He has really been working so hard to reach each new milestone.  Last week, while we were at Elijah's "Day of Celebration", Landon was home with Lauren, his OT.  (A little side note:  I am usually home for ALL of Landon's OT sessions).  For a couple of weeks, Landon has been playing with his toys....on his knees. And on occasion, he would attempt to push off one of his feet to "ATTEMPT" to stand.  Always so close....but never quite made it all the way.  When we got home last Wednesday, Lauren informed me that Landon did indeed "PULL TO STAND", not only once...... but 6/7 times.  Are you kidding me??  Do  you know how much time & effort I put into helping this little guy reach that goal??  I know, not 1/2 as much as he did to ACCOMPLISH it!! 

 That's right folks, LANDON DID IT!!!!!!










Oh Landon, we are SO.VERY.PROUD.OF.YOU!!!!!!!




*****Landon did his "first" pull to stand over a week and a half ago.  It took a few days for me to get this on video.  Landon had another OT session with Lauren this past Wednesday (once again, I missed it, as I had to go and pick Mason up from Summer School).  When I returned home, AGAIN, Lauren informed me that not only did Landon pull to stand (numerous times) at our coffee table, TODAY (while I WAS NOT THERE) he took his very FIRST step while holding on to the table.  I am speechless and a little disappointed that I missed "that first" too:(  I am however, so very grateful to Lauren, for all her hard work with Landon and for believing in him.  Those disappointing moments pass rather quickly when I look at the BIG picture........my little man IS reaching new milestone's (and all his hard work is paying off)!!!*****

KEEP.REACHING.FOR.THE.STARS.SWEET.BABY.BOY!!!!  YOU.CAN.DO.IT!!!!!!!

























16 comments:

  1. AWESOME!!! Those milestones were always such a big deal to us too. Now, I barely remember when she did anything anymore, but at the time it was huge.

    And the bottle thing...I was very deteremined to get Kaia off the bottle at age 1 too, just like her brothers. I can't for the life of me remember when she did, but it was around 14 months-ish. Close enough. My friends' kids were on the bottle well over 3! So there! LOL.

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  2. Oh, I am in such love of this little boy. I am beyond thrilled that you are giving us so many videos to watch of him right now. I literally sat here watching him with the biggest smile on my face. When I get to the hospital later today, I simply must have Ella watch them. He is doing awesome and I especially loved that first one where he was drinking out of the Capri Sun and getting so stinkin mad at his brother when he wouldn't share fast enough. We love you Landon!!!

    Oh, and the bottle thing....Yep, I had my first two off the bottle the day they turned 1 and well here we are at age 2 and Ella still won't eat anything else....oh well!!

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  3. Awesome job drinking from that Capri Sun Landon! Love the motivators! Big brother is the best one we have too.

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  4. Yay Landon! LOVE the videos they are sooo cute!He is so lucky to have siblings to entertain him and take care of him. So sweet.

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  5. sorry I didn't realize what a motivator Capri Sun would be for Landon :) glad some of what we talked about has helped!!! I love the video of him CRACKING UP laughing - you would think Elijah was tickling him he is laughing so hard. So proud of Landon pulling to a stand all by himself (and of course VERY EXCITED that he is drinking through a straw, yeah!!!!!!!)
    I love ALL of the videos!!!

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  6. Wow, there is so much exciting stuff going on with Landon right now!! I love the video of him and Elijah, he has such a sweet laugh. That is so cool that's he's pulling to stand and the sugar definitely seems to be a good motivator to get off the bottle. :)

    I loved all the videos and need to get a camera so I can get some taken too!

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  7. Oh Kelly, this is amazing!! I am so proud of your little boy and his HUGE accomplishments! I can't wait to meet him in person (and you of course!!).

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  8. I love how he asks for more by screaming bloody murder! That will do it every time. I'm trying to figure out what I need for Makayla. I know my kids were off the bottle by 1, but I know DS kids are slower. Jax has always been tube fed, so I don't know how long they use bottles. I'm buying some because I'm pretty sure she'll still be using them!

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  9. Great Job Mr. Landon you are making great progress..Yippee for you!!!! Kudos to your big brothers they will be there for you always!!!!! love Thia Tina

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  10. Oh my! I just might have to stick a case of Capri Sun in the mail to myBOY!

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  11. WAY TO GO! We, too, are trying to get off of the bottle. Jack will drink out of sippy cups and straw cups with Juice or water, but once we put milk in there, he won't. He knows that bottle = milk. So, we are trying little by little..I know he'll get there!

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  12. Way to go Landon! I love the videos! Such a cute smile!

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  13. Awesome job, Landon! Leave it to the older siblings to know what the baby needs =)
    Love all the videos, expecially the one of him under the furniture =)

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  14. go Landon! Great milestones and wonderful videos!

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  15. Landon... way to go! Gotta love older siblings! Love the cute videos.

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  16. Aiden is almost 4 and still takes his bottle for medications.

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