QUICK UPDATE

Finally...a recent picture of Emmie! I am slowly getting the hang of this. I don't have too much time right now. Aidan's bus will be here shortly, but I wanted to get an entry done.

Emmie started OT (Occupational Therapy) this week. She will be getting OT services once/week. OT will focus on sensory issues & fine motor skills. I will have more information as the therapy progresses. She has only had one session.

Emmie has been grinding her teeth lately. She has 2 in the front on the bottom & 2 in the front on the top. Every once in a while, she grinds them & it sends chills all over my body!!! According to her therapists, she is seeking input in her mouth. She grinds & she also puts her hands in the praying position & bops herself on her upper lip...also seeking input.

This week I decided to take Emmie to the chiropractor. Eric & I have been going to the chiropractor for years & we feel the benefits. It helps with my headaches, back problems & overall health. I will provide more information on this topic in a later entry. I want to give you more details about the benefits...just don't have the time at the moment. Emmie will be getting adjustments 1 or 2 times/month.

Eric arrived safely in Kuwait. He recently moved to a different base in Northern Kuwait. I have not talked to him in over a week & it is getting difficult. I find myself feeling nervous & on edge at times. He called once when I was at the gym & I missed the call. I got a few emails, but nothing in the last 2 or 3 days. "No news is good news" & the military will tell you not to worry unless someone shows up at your door. Isn't that awful?!?!?!! It's crazy! I do my best to keep a positive attitude & trust that Eric is OK. I miss him like crazy! Aidan is doing OK. He misses Eric & says he wants his Daddy to come back. He knows Eric is with the Army & is helping people. What else can I say?!?!?! As always, I am asking for prayers.

A special thank you to all my "Meals on Wheels" girls....Julie, Sarah, Emily, Cindy, Ellen. They have making & delivering homemade meals. It is greatly appreciated!! At dinner time, my priorities are Aidan & Emmie. Sometimes I microwave a Weight Watcher's meal or have some cereal....whatever is quick. It is so nice to have a warm meal ready to eat...THANK YOU!!

I want to leave you with this quote that one of my friends posted on Facebook. It was very inspiring.

“Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” ~Mark Victor Hansen

Gotta go watch for the bus!

HELP DOWN SYNDROME AIM HIGH RESOURCE CENTER WIN $5,000...IT'S EASY!!!!

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*Voting ends January 31, 2010

*Please help Aim High win this money. They have been so good to our family. Thank you for your support.

EMMIE'S 9 MONTH CHECK UP

Emmie is 9 months old. Where has the time gone? Before we know it, she will be one. It's going too fast. I am enjoying every moment with her, soaking it all in. She is sitting on the floor right next to me as I type this. She's doing raspberries & looking around...what a sweetie. :)

Emmie now weighs 17lbs, 11.5oz & is 27 inches long. She is still being charted on a regular growth chart instead of a Down syndrome growth chart. Emmie is perfectly healthy!!! She is doing really well with eating solids. She is mostly on Stage 2 foods & slowly progressing to Stage3. I try to give her table foods when I can. She is like her Mommy & loves eat!

At her appointment, Emily was also tested for anemia. Her numbers were great & she is not anemic. Emmie also got her polio vaccine & her second dose of the H1N1 vaccine (preservative free). She was very brave & barely cried. She will go back to the dr. for her 1 year checkup.

Any American Idol fans out there? Contestant Maddie Curtis from Virginia spoke about her 4 brothers with Down syndrome. She is the ninth of twelve children. Her biological brother has Down syndrome & her parents adopted 3 other boys with Down syndrome. It was so touching to hear her talk about her brothers. "I think some people are a little skeptical of Down syndrome. These 4 boys bring out the best in every person they meet. They see the world in colors. We need to see the world that way."

Enough said.....

BACK ON TRACK!

It's been SO LONG since I have made an entry!! Aidan is at school & Emmie is napping. I am making this a priority today. Here's an update.....

I had the swine flu over Thanksgiving....NOT FUN!!! I don't wish that on anyone!! It was awful. Thankfully, Eric was home & we were with my parents, so I had a lot of help. Pappy (my stepfather) & I had it at the same time. We both felt like we were dying!!!! So glad that is over!!

Eric came home for 4 days at Christmas & it was wonderful to be a family! Aidan's most favorite present from Santa was a recycling truck & some "emergency vehicles". (I think Aidan is going to be a firefighter when he grows up.) Aidan bought Emmie a pink school bus for Christmas & she loves it. The bus is for an 18 month old, but Aidan had his mind made up.

Eric is back in Seattle training & getting ready to go overseas. We don't have a definite date yet, but he should be leaving in the next week or 2. We talk every day or every few days. I miss him terribly & I feel like half of my soul is gone. Saying goodbye after Christmas was awful. So mch happiness & then so much sadness. It is very difficult, but I am taking one day at a time, focusing on the positve & enjoying my time with the kids. I am going to start putting packages together for Eric. I am sure Aidan will love doing that with me. Once Eric is set up overseas, we will start doing the webcam too.

My friend Julie has been kind enough to organize meals for me..."Meals on Wheels!" She got together with a few of her friends & they have been dropping off food every week. I am so appreciative of this gesture. It is wonderful not to have to worry about what I am going to eat for dinner. It is so important for me to sit down with Aidan at night & have a meal together. We both need that.

We recently had Emmie's Early Intervention IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan) meeting. Basically, every 6 months the team (me, Early Intervention Service Coordinator, Emmie's therapists) meets to check on Emmie's progress & make any changes to her goals/therapy. I decided to increase a few things. Emmie will now get Speech 1x/wk, PT 2x/wk, Special Education 1x/wk & OT 1x/wk. This is ALOT, but I feel it is important. I want to give Emmie everything I can to help her succeed. I also feel because I am home with Emmie, I want to have as much "hands on" time with her therapists. I want to learn as much as I can so I can integrate more into her day. Emmie is now sitting up on her own, reaching up over hear head, tries to clap her hands. She has 2 teeth & I can see the 3rd one coming. My sweet little Emmie Grace...she is the best!!!

I took Aidan to the pediatric opthamologist the other day. Eric & I have been noticing his left eye turning in. Aidan is severely farsighted & because he is trying so hard to focus, his eye is turning in. I must say, after hearing that, I felt like I was kicked in the gut! I know it's only glasses, he is healthy & it is so minor. After everything we have been through: Aidan's special needs, Emmie's diagnosis, the deployment, dr. appointments, meetings....NOW THIS! It doesn't seem to end. Aidan may need a patch or eye drops to help correct the eye, but we are not sure yet. He will go back in 2 months for follow up. I took him to pick out his glasses yesterday & he did great! He wanted blue ones, so that's what he got. He was so patient while the optician measured his eyes & fitted him for the glasses. We had to order them because the prescription is so strong. We should have them next week.

So, that's a brief summary of what the Lautenschlagers have been up to!!! I don't want to overload you. I am happy to be back. I am going to make an effort to keep up with my blog. It's hard to keep up. I hope you will all continue to read the blog, make comments, keep us in your prayers. Thank you for sharing in our life!!!