Down Syndrome Clinic

Dylan and I went to the Down Syndrome Clinic at Boston Children's Hospital today.

Looking back at the day, I'd say there are two things for certain: 1. I love my son even more right now than I did this morning. 2. Lugging him around for long periods of time in the infant car seat is realllly not a smart idea anymore. Oww my achin' back!

Have you ever been to one of these clinics before? We hadn't and it was actually pretty cool. Exhausting to be sure, but cool nonetheless.

The first specialist we met with was the Pediatric Doctor. She sat and talked with us for about an hour and a half. An hour and a half! I thought this was quite impressive, as most (Ok, more like all) of my previous experiences with pediatricians have felt very rushed. You know, those appointments where you feel terribly guilty for asking a question. But this doctor was not like that at all. She was great. We discussed Dylan's medical history as well as any concerns that we are currently having. We talked about various issues including signing (I need to start incorporating more signs on a daily basis!) and she gave me the name of a great website called Signing Savvy. She listened to his heart and sang songs to him. Overall, a very positive experience.

Next we met with the Nutritionist. She and I talked about the types of food that Dylan is currently eating as well as what our next steps may be. Along with experimenting with more "table foods", she also recommended giving Dylan vitamin D. I mentioned how the little guy is not having much luck with sippy cups and she suggested the good ol' honey bear cup as well as the nosey cups. Yes, I know I've been saying this for a month now, but I think we'll give those a whirl. No really, this time I mean it! I think.

Then, we met with the Physical Therapist. She worked with Dylan for about .2 seconds and said to me, "Wow! He really likes to arch his back!". Um, YES!! Ugh! Why oh why is he so darn archy? She thinks that it is his way of stabilizing himself. That he is in the habit of doing it, feels more secure that way, and just needs lots and lots of practice with sitting. Dylan showed off his clapping skills (many, many times!) and did an excellent job while on his tummy. He actually pushed himself up onto his hands, which was nice to see.

After PT, Dylan and I went downtown for a couple of beers. Kidding! Just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention...

We met with the pediatric dentist next. While I am fully aware of the fact that Dylan does not yet have any teeth, we still were encouraged to meet with her. She said that it appears that Dylan's top teeth are about a month or so from making their appearance! She thinks that those will be his first teeth as she did not feel the bottom teeth quite as well. Ah!! I can't wait to see how Dylan looks with teeth!!

Last was his hearing test. From the results of the ear drum test (I'm too tired to Google the medical term for it), it appeared that his hearing was just fine. However, upon further examination, she thinks that he may be having trouble hearing soft sounds. He has to go back in three months for another in depth exam.

Whew! It's no wonder the little guy fell asleep in the car on the way home...and then proceeded to sleep for the next 3 and a half hours.