Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

She is on my list of celeberties affected by Down Syndrome.  Learn a little more about Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers who could potentially be chosen as a running mate by Mitt Romney.

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

Being Thankful...

This reminds me of our family.  So happy just being together...honestly.

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

Weekly Therapy Update

"Raymond practiced sitting in a variety of positions and on the ball to increase hip strength.  Today was the first time he tolerated true high kneel (over heel sit) with support for a few minutes.  He also participated in a variety of preschool gross motor play:  balance beam, songs & rhymes and jumping to improve his overall strength and coordination."

-Lisa, Physical Therapist

07/24/2012

"Raymond worked nicely today.  He imitated signs for play, turn, open, cow, more, cat, dog and bird.  Prompted him to sign "car".  Raymond said "cow", "moo", "oh" (open), "bubble", "buh" (he neutralized the vowel in beep) and "town".

-Kristen, Speech Therapist

07/23/12

"We worked on gesturing through the session.

Animals - cow, pig, sheep, chicken

Colors - red, blue, yellow, green

Familiar Object - shoe, hat, block, car

Counting - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Used some hand over hand for gesturing - Used gesturing for transitioning."

-Stacy, Special Instruction

07/24/2012

"Raymond was interested in the yoga video that I brought but he got very silly and only tried a few moves briefly.  Raymond practiced walking across the 4" beam.  He stood through 1/2 kneel holding one hand when positioned."

-Lisa, Physical Therapist

07/25/12

This is the yoga video that Lisa brought.  Raymond enjoyed it but did end up getting very silly.  He liked watching the children doing the yoga moves.  Isabella watched and participated with the entire 40 minute video.

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

 

Foods for Children with Special Needs

I came across an interesting series of articles by a woman named Jacqueline Silvestri Banks.  In this series, she writes about foods and dietary needs for children with Autism, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.  Here are all three.

Foods for Children with Autism

Published June 4th, 2012 on FoxNews.com

As a certified holistic health counselor and a mother, I’ve had my share of experience helping children with disabilities. Over the next three weeks, I will be featuring three disabilities that are increasingly prevalent: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor at FoxNews.com, has asked that I offer suggestions on diets to support children with these special needs. We will be taking a look at brain physiology, common physical symptoms, nourishing foods and foods to avoid.

First up this week is ASD. The most recent statistics indicate approximately 1 in 88 children in the U.S are on the spectrum.

Autistic manifestations usually begin to appear between the first and second year of life and include delays or abnormalities in language and complex behavior, social interactions, repetitive behavior or unusual interests and preoccupations. According to The Autism Society there is no single cause of autism and most cases involve a combination of genetic risk factors, environmental factors and very early brain development.

Studies published by Autism Speaks show that a set of biochemical pathways (methylation, transsulfration and sulfation) tend to function sub-optimally for those with autism. These pathways are involved in detoxification, heavy metal elimination, digestion, immune function and gut integrity.

Gastrointestinal symptoms and inflammation are very common for those on the spectrum. These include diarrhea, constipation, bloating and GI pain.

Gut inflammation is typically caused by food sensitivities and an overabundance of unhealthy bacteria in the gut. Impaired digestion causes nutrient deficiencies and impaired cellular function, which manifests as poor brain function and immune system deficiencies. When food is not broken down properly, as is the case with food sensitivities, it leads to foggy thinking, insensitivity to pain, withdrawal and irritability.

The most common culprits of food sensitivities are gluten, casein and soy. Other common physical symptoms are frequent infections, trouble sleeping, non-localized pain/inflammation and ‘brain fog’. These symptoms are typical of yeast overgrowth and excessive toxins.

There is a clear connection between the brain and the gut. Supporting the physical symptoms through diet will increase overall health and should reduce the severity of symptoms.

In order to heal the gut, it is important to eat a diet rich in foods with anti-inflammatory properties such as omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil (fatty fish such as salmon and sardines), flax seeds and walnuts to reduce any existing gut inflammation.

Pro and pre-biotics will also reduce gut inflammation as well as increase the amount of healthy gut bacteria. Pro-biotics are found in fermented foods such as kefir, non-dairy yogurt, fermented cod liver oil and cultured vegetables including raw sauerkraut and kimchi. Foods high in pre-biotics are also high in beneficial soluble fiber and include bananas, asparagus, beans/legumes, garlic, kefir/yogurt, leeks, onions and peas.

Butyric acid also helps nourish the intestinal lining and is found in butterfat. Butyric acid as well as omega-3 fats are found in higher concentrations in butter from organic, pastured, cows rather than industrialized varieties.

Omit foods that exacerbate the physical symptoms. Yeast producing or containing foods will cause an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the gut and should be avoided if not completely eliminated. These foods include sugar (including naturally occurring sugars in fruits), bread, plums, grapes, vinegar, aged meats and cheeses. Refined carbohydrates, potatoes and gluten-free grains are known to feed yeast.

Foods containing toxins and natural phenols are typically not optimal, and in many cases, it is imperative to remove them from the diet. Toxins include additives (artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and MSG) and pesticides.

Choose organic as often as possible, especially for those items on the dirty dozen. Animal products that are grass-fed or pastured offer a much higher nutrient content and eliminate harmful chemicals and hormones.

When not naturally detoxified, foods containing natural phenols can create behavioral, emotional and physical symptoms and should be limited. These include grapes, apples, berries and almonds among others. Checking for food sensitivities and eliminating any culprits is also beneficial to managing the physical symptoms of Autism.

Start slowly to avoid becoming overwhelmed; incorporate one change at a time until it becomes second nature. It might seem difficult to add nutrients to the diet of a picky eater but it can be done.

Nutrient dense foods can be hidden in prepared dishes such as meatballs, casseroles, soups, sauces and even muffins as well as offered as a side dish. Natural juices and fruit and vegetable smoothies are a delicious way of adding nutrients. Sometimes, a child needs to be offered a food 15 to 20 times before they decide to taste it so be creative, and don’t give up!

Foods for Children with Down Syndrome
Published June 11, 2012 on FoxNews.com

In today’s three part series on diets for special needs, we will be taking a look at Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome are at a higher risk than the general population for certain health concerns.
Eating nourishing foods can help reduce some of the physical symptoms and increase overall health. Brain physiology and common health symptoms will be covered first, followed by important foods to include in their diets and which foods to avoid and why.
Down syndrome is categorized as a condition in which a baby is born with an extra chromosome. According to the CDC the extra copy of chromosome, number 21, changes the brains normal development, causing mental and physical problems.
Information in the brain is transferred between neurons (synapses). Research has suggested that in Down syndrome the structure and function of the synapses are abnormal, causing cognitive defects. It has been hypothesized that this abnormality is caused by one or more of the genes on the extra chromosome.
Reduced brain volume and smaller volumes in frontal and temporal lobes as well as the cerebellum also affect those with Down syndrome.
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Genetics has noted that those with Down syndrome are likely to develop certain health problems. This is thought to happen as a result of body structures not developing normally.
Children with Down syndrome are likely to be overweight and have a higher risk of obesity. They burn calories at a slower rate and are frequently diagnosed with an under-active thyroid which can contribute to weight gain.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common among children with Down syndrome. Symptoms include heartburn, sore throat, regurgitation and chest pain.
Gluten intolerance and celiac disease is also widespread and can lead to nutrient deficiency and an impaired immune system if dietary needs are avoided.
Finally, periodontal disease becomes prevalent in adulthood so it is important to establish habits to eat foods that will decrease its likelihood.
To keep obesity at bay, feed children nutrient dense foods and limit junk food without nutritional value. A good rule of thumb is to eat ‘real food’ found in nature, and avoid man-made ‘food’ as much as possible.
Include healthy fats such as coconut and olive oil and even organic, pastured, butter containing butyric acid and omega 3 fatty acids.
For an under-active thyroid, an excellent choice is iodine rich seaweed. Seaweed snack packs are great for lunch boxes and kids love the salty taste. It can be used in salads, sprinkled on other food or used as a wrapper for healthy snacks.
Foods rich in vitamin C may help keep periodontal disease at bay. Citrus fruits (for those not suffering from GERD), strawberries, green peppers and broccoli are great choices and make easy finger foods.
Anti-microbial foods such as garlic, onion, thyme, oregano, tarragon and cinnamon are great to use on a regular basis to help kill bacteria that lead to tartar and plaque buildup.
Trigger foods for GERD should be avoided. Common culprits are citrus fruits and foods high in sugars and fat including chips, brownies, cookies, creamy dressings, ice cream, fatty cuts of meat, fried chicken nuggets and french fries.
A food journal is a useful tool for tracking any symptoms; this will help pinpoint exactly which foods to avoid. It will also help track any correlation between gluten and symptoms of celiac disease (diarrhea, stomach aches, bloating, irritability, skin rashes and mouth sores). Carefully read all food labels since gluten can lurk in unsuspected places such as soy sauce and remember that ‘wheat free’ does not mean gluten free.
Because there is an especially high incidence of celiac disease among those with Down syndrome, I suggest avoiding the introduction of gluten containing foods until at least the age of 18-24 months when a child’s digestive system is more developed.
These guidelines will help create a great nutritional foundation. As children with Down syndrome grow and gain independence, they will have the right tools to make good choices on their own.
For older children with established eating habits, start by making small changes to their diet. Making a complete change overnight is likely to lead to resistance and fade quickly, but subtle changes over time will make it easier on the child and the rest of the family to adjust to new eating habits.

Foods for Children with Cerebal Palsy
Published June 18, 2012 on FoxNews.com

Today’s final edition on special needs diets is focused on cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy may have a harder time getting sufficient nutrients due to the physical difficulties of chewing and swallowing.
Ensuring a proper diet is extremely important. First, we will cover brain physiology and the most common physical symptoms associated with cerebral palsy. Food choices can help or worsen some physical symptoms and knowing which ones should be a steady part of the diet and which ones to avoid can have a tremendous impact.
Cerebral palsy refers to several neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and affect muscle coordination and movement.
According to Harvard Medical School, it is caused by brain abnormalities that disrupt the ability to control movement and posture. Cerebral palsy manifests as brain lesions that occur before the age of 3.
These brain lesions are a result of damage before, during or after birth and the symptoms can range from mild, where no special assistance is required, to severe and requiring lifelong care. It is the leading cause of childhood disability that affects bodily function and development.
Specific brain lesions may affect the ability to move the face, mouth and head, creating difficulties with chewing and eating. Because chewing can be affected, the main goal in a diet is to provide high quality foods that are easy to eat or drink.
Proper nourishment is the main concern for children with cerebral palsy. According to the MyChild organization, up to 35 percent of children with cerebral palsy are malnourished. This slow down growth and make gaining weight difficult.
Healthy, high calorie foods are especially important since it can be difficult for many children to physically eat enough to meet their nutrition requirements. Constipation and acid reflux are the most common physical symptoms. This is due to poor muscle tone that affects the ability to push stool through the colon and of the lower esophageal sphincter, which causes the stomach’s contents to wash back up into the esophagus causing acid reflux.
Make every bite count. Limit processed foods with low nutritional value as much as possible and focus on calorie dense, nutritious foods and high quality fats.
Consider adding calorie rich smoothies to the daily diet containing high calorie fruits (bananas, dates, mangos, avocados) and green leafy vegetables along with powdered greens for extra vitamins.
Healthy fats such as nut butters, coconut milk, and coconut oil will also instantly increase nutrition and calorie count and can be added to smoothies or used as a spread on bread.
Leafy greens such as kale, spinach and collards can be added to smoothies and also shredded and added to almost any food: meatballs, pasta, casseroles and sauces. Leafy greens will add extra vitamins and minerals as well as fiber and bulk which can help with constipation.
Make pre- and pro-biotics a regular part of the diet to help build healthy bacteria in the gut and help relieve constipation. Some great choices include cultured dairy products (kefir, yogurt), sauerkraut, kimchi, bananas, honey and whole grains.
Because constipation and acid reflux are due to poor muscle tone, trigger foods can be difficult to identify. Avoiding foods that can add to constipation and acid reflux is the best option since these symptoms will likely not be completely eliminated.
Low fiber foods tend to cause the most trouble with constipation, such as highly processed snack and junk foods, fried food, too much red meat, ice cream and cheese. These foods are also low in nutritional value and should be replaced with healthy alternatives that provide important fiber, vitamins and minerals.
To reduce the likelihood of acid reflux, avoid citrus fruits, spicy foods, garlic, onions, fatty cuts of meat and carbonated beverages.
Experiment with different combinations until you find some options that work for your lifestyle and tastes. Adding vegetables to foods that are easy to eat will ease the preoccupation of not getting enough nutrition.
Sometimes, making just one small tweak can change the entire flavor profile and turn a tolerable food into a delicious one. Remember to start slow, and over time increase the amount of veggies in smoothies and foods. Making slow changes can help change the palate to tolerate a greater amount of healthy food as well as give the digestive system time to adjust to a new diet.

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

For a friend...

This is for a very special friend...

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

For Ellie...

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

A Busy Week

We have had a very busy week...even more so then normal.  To start, I want to share some cute pictures of Lily.  She LOVES the Magna Doodle!!!  We were laying in bed together being silly.

Such a typical Lily face!

She thought it was funny to put the magnet in her mouth like a pacifier.  Isabella must of taught her that because Lily never used a pacifier.

Then she wanted me to do it!

Lily also likes to play with this scarf.  She thinks "babushka" is a really funny word!

Daddy had a few days of this week.  On Monday we went on the Kreider Dairy Farm Tour.  Everyone was excited to see the cows. 

Especially Raymond!

90% of the tour takes place in your vehicle.

We started out looking at the original part of the farm.  The stone building was the original home of Noah Kreider and his wife Mary R. Hershey.  Mary was a cousin of Milton S. Hershey, founder of the Lancaster Carmel Company, later becoming known worldwide for his milk chocolate.  Today, Kreider's Farm is under the third generation leadership of Ron Kreider.  They have over 1,500 dairy cows, 5 million chickens and 26 farms.

Daddy drove so I could take pictures.

We tuned our car radio to the specific station instructed by our guide and off we went.

Chuck - our tour guide.

Lily was excited to see the cows!

I thought it was interesting that Kreider's has a rabbi living on the farm.  He is present 364 days of the year.  Kreider's is one of the few local farms that offers kosher items.  He must be present for all the milking and bottling to inspect the equipment.

Hello!

We then drove into the "cow palace".

Lily screamed and pointed at all the cows all while shaking her head yes.  Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head she was so excited.

Raymond kept saying "cow", "moo" and "wow!"

He was one happy boy!

We then headed over to the milking carousel.  While there, another little boy on the tour asked how they have baby cows if there are no boy cows on the farm.  I think he threw the tour guide for a loop with that one.  The boys parents saved the guide by saying they would explain it later in the car.

We even got chocolate milk.

This was the first time Lily ever had chocolate milk.

These were the cows getting ready to go onto the milking carousel.

Raymond liked looking through the glass at them all.

The tour lasted almost 2 hours.  It was fun and informative.

***

Tuesday morning we took the kids to Ozzy's Family Fun Center.  We've never been there before and were unsure what to expect.  The kid at the desk recommended the Adventure Challenge to us.  He thought all three kids would enjoy it...and they sure did!

Raymond was high-fiving Daddy through the mesh.

Isabella was very brave and climbed very high!

After we were done in the play area we went into the arcade.

Raymond liked this one the best! 

The Fast & Furious car game.  He is such a boy!

***

Later that evening we went to a local carnival.  Isabella has been telling Chris and I that she wants to go to a carnival.  She was very excited when we pulled up.

She got a bunny temporary air-brushed tattoo.

Isabella and I went on this ride.  It was fast and loud.  She loved it.

We played the goldfish game.  I won two fish.  Why is it that I always win those fish?  I need to stop throwing the tennis balls.  Isabella had to go to the bathroom, so while daddy took her, we waited at the stand.  One of the kids who was helping to run the stand kept giving Raymond and Lily tennis balls to throw.  They weren't making it even close to the table but loved every second of it anyway.  I thought it was really nice of that kid to be so thoughtful.

  

We found a small booth with a game to support Rely for Life.  It was something that everyone could play.

Raymond had a blast!

So did Lily Bean!

We also played a ring-toss game.  All three kids tried.  Even though we didn't get a ring on a bottle, the lady gave us an orange A-treat soda anyway.

***

Wednesday was Isabella's dental surgery.  We had to be at the surgery center at 7:30am.  Isabella didn't seem to be worried or scared about having the procedure done. 

We brought along Rainbow Bunny and she stayed with Isabella every step of the way.

The procedure lasted a little over an hour.  When they took me back to the recovery area, a nurse was holding Isabella.  I traded places with her and held Isabella until she woke up.  She was uncomfortable and told me her mouth felt funny.  I gave her a few sips of water and she fell back asleep.  When Isabella woke up again, I helped her get dressed so we could head home.  She started to get very upset and told me she felt like she was going to throw up.  I told her it was okay if she threw up and grabbed the blue bag designated for that.  Isabella started to throw up blood and I was thankful the bag was blue and that she couldn't tell what was in the bag and on her face.  Poor baby!

Once we got home Isabella was pretty tired again.  She was happy to find a package from Uncle Bobby, Aunt Lori and Alexander waiting for her.  Inside was lots of little goodies to help her feel better while she was recovering.

Isabella spent the rest of the day laying in our bed, coloring and watching movies.  One of the movies she watched was 101 Dalmatians.  Lily came in the room and was thrilled.  For those who might not know, Lily LOVES dogs.  She enjoyed sitting in bed with Isabella, pointing at the TV and making little squeaky barking noises.

Chloe was more then happy to help her best friend Isabella feel better.

I started to paint Raymond's room this week.

Lily was ready to help!!!

Raymond didn't have any therapy this week.  So nothing new to report there.

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,