It's hot, hot, hot!

I think we just skipped spring and went straight to summer. I feel like I am sweating all the time...maybe it's just pregnancy hormones. We are doing well. Lots of summer stuff going on....the zoo, the park, the baby pool. Gabe started finally pulling up to stand last week. You may have noticed him wearing orthotics in my last post. Gabe has delayed motor skill for a couple different reasons:
1. Kids with Down Syndrom tend to have poor tone and it requires alot of strength to flex those muscles to get them working. This is why Gabe can pretty much bend in half. Poor tone in his facial muscles is also part of the reason it is difficult to get him to drink. 2. Gabe has hip flexion and can extend the ligaments in his hip. This basically means his joints are wobbly and he can do the splits no problem. I think his calling may be to become a yoga instructor. 3. Gabe was really sick early on and was restrained on his back for the early part of his life while his heart healed. Not having tummy time sets you back some. Don't worry...he'll get there! It's just a slow process. His orthotics are really helping him have stability in his ankles. It's exciting to see the progress. We also learned another trick from out PT: take a cloth hair band (the thick kind) and figure 8 it around his legs and pull it up to this thighs. It really helps with the hip flexion. Hopefully the cruising will come next.
We have introduced Gabe to the potty. We don't have any huge expectation, but we put him on it about once a day and he's gone on it about 4 times...he gets very excited...it's a start.