Baby Treadmill -- Kinesiologists Design Tiny Treadmill To Help Balance Baby Steps In Downs Syndrome Infants

Ruby's Physical Therapist has suggested we do treadmill therapy.Below is an article I found on the therapy.What do you think about this?

ScienceDaily () -- Kinesiologsts developed a tiny treadmill to help infants with Downs Syndrome learn to balance themselves earlier. Typically, these children learn how to walk at 24 to 28 months, later than the 12 months for those without Downs. The treadmill exercise, used about 8 minutes a day, helps to reinforce the underlying pattern of coordination in the legs. This repetition helps build core muscles and support the drive to stand up. After the babies take eight to 10 steps without help, they are outfitted with light reflecting markers. The information from these markers is recorded on cameras, revealing gait, speed and width of their steps. Researchers show walking is occuring six months sooner with the treadmill.http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2009/0102-baby_treadmill.htm#

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Wordless Wednesday

Eating and Army Crawling

Ruby has had two vital stimulation sessions with her speech therapist and now she can eat a whole jar of baby food! Before she had the vital stim she wouldn't even eat half a jar of food and now she just loves eating!When Ruby gets her therapy her ST tapes small electrodes to her cheeks and turns on a small device that looks like a handheld video game,then while the electricity is stimulating Ruby's tongue the ST feeds her some baby food.Ruby has tolerated this therapy very well.She has some small red spots on her cheeks when therapy is over but these quickly go away within a few minutes.
Last Tuesday Ruby's physical therapist helped her to crawl on her tummy by putting her hands on Ruby's arms and showing her how to use her arms to pull herself across the floor.Now Ruby is using her legs to push and her arms to pull herself and she is army crawling all over the place!
I will try and get some video of her to share :)

Memorial Day

Sunday Verse

God hath not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower- strewn pathways
All our lives through;
God hath not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised
Strength for the day
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way,
Grace for all trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy
Undying Love.
Annie Johnson Flint

My beautiful Ruby

Sunday Verse

For every hill I've had to climb,
For every stone that bruised my feet,
For all the blood and sweat and grime,
For blinding storms and burning heat,
My heart sings but a grateful song-
These were the things that made me strong.

For all the heartaches and the tears,
For all the anguish and the pain,
For gloomy days and fruitless years,
And for the hopes that lived in vain,
I do give thanks,for now I know
These were the things that helped me grow!
Unknown

Are People with Down syndrome Nice?

"Are People with Down syndrome Nice?" This is the question my 5 year old daughter asked me today while Ruby sat in her Bumbo and I fed her some pears.My 5 year old knows Ruby is nice now but she is wondering what she will be like when she gets bigger.I smiled at her and said,"Yes,people who have Down syndrome are just normal people.People with Down syndrome just look a little different and sometimes their brain works slower and it's a little harder for them to learn things and it may be a little harder for them to learn to talk." She said ,"That's why we are learning sign language!"I told her when Ruby gets a little bigger they can play dollies together.She just needed a little reassurance that Ruby is a normal person just like herself :)

Wordless Wednesday

My baby has Down syndrome

This afternoon Ruby had an OT appointment,when I went up to the door of the therapy clinic a young man,who just happened to have Down syndrome, opened the door for me and Ruby and waved us in with a smile.His mother was busy talking to another lady so I didn't bother her but I sure did want to talk to her.
Well, after Ruby's therapy session I headed across the parking lot to the hardware store to pick up a new toilet seat for our bathroom which my husband is redoing.While I was in there I saw the same young man and his Mom and I just got up the courage and walked over to her and said,"My baby girl has Down syndrome,too." She walked over to me with a smile and looked in the basket at Ruby and she said ,"Oh,I've seen you at the therapy office!" I asked her about her son and how his health had been and how old he was.She was so happy to share all about her 18 year old son with me.She talked to me for probably 30 minutes or more.She told me her son had,had many surgeries for different things and showed me his big scar from his heart surgery.She said the doctors kept telling her, her son would not live and she said he was pretty sick for a long time but after he turned 6 years old he has been very healthy.She said he isn't very verbal and no one can understand what he says but her.She also told me that on his good days he is "six" and on bad days he is "2" but that she wouldn't trade him for anything.While I stood there talking to her every once in awhile he would hug her and give her a kiss on the cheek,so sweet!We had a great talk and she told me I could talk to her anytime.It was good to meet her and I think she needed to talk to me as much as I needed to talk to her:)

Update

I had a great time at the book fair on Friday.I chickened out of going to the special needs talk because it was just a handful of moms sitting and talking.Maybe I'll go in next time.

I enjoyed Mother's day,at the church I go to they always give away a small gift to all the moms and then they have a drawing of names to see what three moms get a bigger present.My name was drawn and I got a nice note card set.I hope all you Moms out there had a good Mother's day!

Ruby decided to grab my cookie away from me this evening and here are some pictures of her enjoying it:)

Wonderful video

Please go and watch this wonderful video about ,Robin Hiser,she is a precious woman who has Down syndrome. I was amazed at her ability,what an encouragement! Her sister has become a therapist!

Feeling Better

Ruby and my other kids are feeling much better today!Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts!Since Ruby was feeling better I took her for her PT therapy today.She did great she is just getting stronger and stronger :)
While I was there I saw Ruby's ST and she told me she got the o.k. from Ruby's pediatrician for her to receive Vital Stim therapy,which we will start next Thursday, for her eating issues.The ST thinks Ruby may only need a couple of sessions to improve her swallowing of the baby food.I will let you know how that goes.
I'm so happy everyone is feeling better because that means I wont have to miss our annual homeschool bookfair tomorrow.My husband is taking the day off from work to go with me and my 4 teens and 2 pre-teens and my mom-in-law will be watching the 4 youngest children.I will be attending the seminar for parents of special needs children and am curious to see what I might learn there.I love,love,love books so going to a bookfair is huge fun for me:) My kids usually play chess all day with all the other kids over at the chess tables.Championship Chess sells some awesome teaching sets there!

Pray for Zoey

Wordless Wednesday-Siblings

Cruddy

I woke up feeling like crud this morning,my whole body is achy.Five of my kids are cruddy, coughing and sneezing,SIGH.Ruby was just not herself yesterday and wanted to be held ALL day.This morning she slept until 10:30 which is not like her,she's usually up much earlier.So we'll see how she feels today,we may be making a trip to the Dr. With everybody talking about the Swine Flu it's kinda scary getting sick right now.I'm worried about Ruby getting it since it is harder for her to get over illness:(

Sunday Verse

Sometimes we find within the heart

Of those whom other folks pass by

A strong desire to do their part,

To bless the world before they die.

I mean to breathe an earnest prayer

From day to day as moments fly,

And have within my heart a care

For those whom other folks pass by.

( Unknown)

Mother's Day Give Aways

They are having 31 Days of Mother's Day Give Aways over at parenting.com.Today the prize is a gift card to Merry Maids worth $2800.They have lots of other cool prizes everyday for the whole month!