What happened to the Sun?

I was not having a good morning - late to bed, up early, lots of rain and a headache were all making it very hard to find the enthusiasm to do anything! 

As we couldn't get out in the garden we decided to do some sticking.  I am trying to teach Isla more about faces.  She knows the names of each part but I want to see if she could place the eyes, nose, mouth etc in the correct places without my help.  We made a spoon person and she even asked for buttons (on his coat) and stuck a pom pom at the bottom of the handle.  When I asked her what it was she lifted up her t shirt and pointed to her belly button - bless! 

Her attention span is really improving although she is still very distracted when Niamh is around. 

This afternoon we have a ENT appointment to find out if her grommet op was successful - I will let you know later. 

Well the ENT appointment was fairly pointless.  They couldn't see the grommets but couldn't say for sure that they have fallen out so we just have to see how things go. 

On a positive note Isla was a total star.  She held my hand as we walked to the hospital, entertained everyone in the waiting room and sat still whilst the Dr looked in her ears.   She was so excited when Mummy gave her some sweeties for the journey home. 

Niamh loved her dinner of chicken casserole, potatoes and yorkshire puddings.  She rarely turns down food which is a total joy as Isla was so fussy for ages. 

After tea Isla was in a co-operative mood so we decided to do some homework.  Isla's OT had noticed that her eye/ hand co-ordination needs some work so I am trying to lots of activities to help with this. 

First we did some pouring using pasta.  Isla was pretty good at this but of course the pasta finally ended up on the floor! 

We then worked with cocktail sticks.  Isla had to drop them through the holes in the plug hole cover - sounds strange but she loved it. 

The girls have had a great time playing in the garden today.  Niamh is now walking almost all of the time so Isla has decided that she will have to give in a share her toys. 

They both loved painting the playhouse with water.  Niamh even managed to open the window and paint Isla by 'accident'.  The game lasted for ages until Niamh decided that more fun could be had by climbing into the pan of water! 

We then decided to do one of Isla's favourite activities - washing baby.  This time Niamh wanted to join in so we had to improvise and use a biscuit tin as bath tub. 

Hopefully there will be more sun tomorrow. 

We have been singing lots of counting songs this week.  Isla loves to sing and it is often the first thing she signs in the morning.  She has lots of felt board pictures for songs but her favourite is Five Little Monkeys.  She loves to bounce the monkeys on the bed and then throw them on the table so that they bump their heads! 

She also loves Five Little Speckled Frogs and knows all the signs.  We now sit the board on the breakfast table and sing whilst she eats her toast! 

Isla was less impressed with the coloured water activity that we tried.  I had seen this on a website and thought that she would really enjoy the pouring.  She loved watching the food dye change the water but refused to do anything when she realised that I was trying to make her colour match!

Isla decided that she would make her own fun by dressing up in the washing - it was clean! 

As we are trying to potty train Isla this week we have been trying to find things to do at home.  On Tuesday we decided to make fairy cakes. 

The girls helped to mix together the marg and sugar and then stirred in the flour.  Isla enjoyed putting out all the cake cases and watching them being filled.  She then told us that the cakes needed to go in the 'hot' which is her sign for the oven! 

When they had cooled down we had a go at decorating them.  This part was not quite as easy.  Niamh just wanted to eat the deorations and as Isla has some sensory issues she was reluctant touch the icing but we got there in the end. 

Isla doesn't eat cake so Niamh has enjoyed tucking into them. 

2007......what an interesting year!

First, its been a while since I last did this blog. Main reason is two kids! Amazing how time flies...

Isla has fought pneumonia several times with a few short stays in hospital, but like normal, she comes through it and out the other end stronger then before. She is an amazing little girl, who has grown in confidence in everything she does....and with added stubbornness.

We sit and watch as she figures things out; mimics everyone and everything they do and cheekily tries to nick the remote control (she hasn't learnt that it's mums!).   She signs really well now and knows plenty of signs that we are yet to learn.   Her favourite thing is caring for her baby.  She feeds her, winds her, washes her face, changes her nappy and then puts her down to sleep.  She even pats her until she thinks she has fallen asleep. 

Isla gets a baby sister....Niamh. After a long nine months with plenty of tests (none which really filled us with confidence), Niamh arrives in record time.   The labour was 2 hrs and 45 mins from when Em's waters went at home.  Isla took a while to get used to having Niamh around and kept waving bye bye to her.  Now baby is the first word she signs every morning.  You can see just how much she has grown in 5 mths.

Both the girls are wonderful. Isla acts all big sister like with Niamh; makes her laugh; steals her dummy - usual big sister!

Isla has learnt to sign I Love Daddy which is very cute although I think Em s feeling a little left out! 

More next week - happy new year!

Dan x  

Amazing how time flies! Already Isla is two, and so much has happened in 12mths.

Isla didn't have the best of starts to her 2nd year. 10days in hospital with another bout of pneumonia and a partial collapse right lung was how Isla celebrated her birthday. But in true Isla fashion, she smiled and got on with it.

However, she did learn to flash her tummy at every unexpecting person, particularly the men! Something I might have to have a word on........ :-)

She is on the mend now, eating well, and back to her old smiley, nosey laughing ways.

If you go to the montage page, you can see her 2nd year in pictures

Em is 28wks pregnant and blooming! Not long now until Hall Jr appears.......

Until next time, bye bye

Dan, Em, Isla and Bump

As the title says, it has been a while since we posted a blog on the page!

Well.....a great deal has happened since the last blog. We'll start with the most exciting news.....

Em and I are expecting child no 2! Little bump jr is due end of July, well thats the plan. No doubt he, or she will appear early, eager to see the big wide world. Isla is excited, although I am not sure she fully understands what we are saying. Although she does kiss Em's tummy when we say " where's the baby?".....very cute

Em has started as a consultant for Captain Tortue, a children's clothing range - see the Captain Tortue page for more details.

With all good news, there is always some bad. Isla was taken into hospital early Jan 07 with pneumonia......4 days of pretty much hell, but she showed her fighting spirit and as a result of her little visit Isla has come on laps and bounds.

She is climbing the stairs, pulling up to standing, bear walk (which is very amusing!) and eating like a true little girl.

She has also been a nursery since the start of the year and this has helped her development. Isla seems a right little popular girl amoungst the boys! Going to have to watch that one.......

Until next time.......

Dan, Emma, Isla and Bump Jr

x

It amazes me how quickly 12 months disappears now that I am.......30.....and we have a kid. The weeks whizz by, and I am not sure I see the weekends anymore (and not due to hangovers!).

Christmas has come, and Christmas has gone, but what a great few days we have all had.

I took Em to Dublin for the weekend for her birthday, despite spending the best part of 5hrs looking for her passport! We had a great time shopping, walking and sight seeing.

Christmas Eve we had Em's mum and fella round for a pre christmas christmas dinner, and some early present opening! Isla is being domesticated now as she was brought a washing machine (how I wish she could REALLY to the washing) and a tea set (again how I wish she could make ME a cuppa!)......already she is putting her own socks in and watching them whizz round...... Em and I got a much needed king size duvet for our soon to be new look bedroom!

Christmas morning started at 6.30am.....and was over by 8am in the Hall house. I think I was slightly more excited about it then Isla who seemed more than happy ripping the paper and eating it. Perhaps we should have got rolls and rolls of wrapping paper instead!

I was spoilt with bits for my 360, music and clothes, and of course Em was spoilt rotten with music, books and a much requested Sat Nav.......the phone calls might stop from Em asking me where she is...when of course I am not in the car and in fact at work! Only joking........

We spent the day at my mums.....mad and crazy as usual, but a great day with too much food, drink and plenty of presents. Isla was yet again spoilt with tents, tunnels, clothes, noisy things and puzzles. Our house is started to become more like a toy shop then a house!

Both Em and I got some great pressies, and plenty of money to spend in the sales - apparently we are going tomorrow!? How I love the pushing for THAT thing that the store only has one off in the whole of the UK.....

Boxing Day was a less mad day. Saw my grandparents, and uncles - great to show off Isla, how was yet again spoilt!

Despite all 3 of us feeling ill with colds and coughs, its been a great few days....plus Isla is starting to pull up onto her feet, so no doubt I'll have her running the matharon in no time!!

A new post will be here after New Years Eve (once the headache has gone)

Love Dan

x

Another week and some new tricks!

Isla loves 'round & round the garden', in fact she is doing it to us, and then points to herself at the 'one step, two step' waiting for the tickle!...the anticipation on her face as Emma or I go to tickle her....a smile to die for!

I had Wednesday off to go down to Down Syndrome Educational Trust in Portsmouth with Emma and Isla to see how she is getting on. Very well I must say. Talking away, wanting to play with everything, touch everything and generally be centre of attention. The lady that takes her group was very positive about Isla's progress and pointed out some new skills that we had missed. Imagine that, we missed some new skills.......

Isla is coming on well with her crawling, and is pulling up on everything. She is almost pulling up to her feet....I really don't think it will be long before she is cruising.

Emma and I put the Christmas tree up today, finally putting it on the floor after a long discussion on whether we should put it up high to stop Isla pulling the tree down! To my surprise Isla wasn't that impressed or keen on the tree and didn't venture near it. However, I doubt it will be long before something comes off the tree, and she'll look at us all innocent like....obviously the little elves are playing up again!

Have a great week, and we'll have a new blog soon

Dan

Our little girl is growing up....fast!

The end of this week saw us go to Nottingham for a speech and language conference which was very interesting, very useful and confirmed we are doing the right things to help Isla. One of the problems Down Syndrome can cause is a delay in speech. Although Isla can understand us, and babble answers, we will need to monitor and help her with speech and communicating in full sentences. The thearpist was very positive about Isla's progression.

Recently we have struggled to get Isla to eat more then just puree, but then she goes and show us all what a big girl she is. At the conference she was feeding herself chips, chicken, fruit and veg....and I mean proper food...grown up food!

We then went to TGI's and for the first time we brought her a meal....her very own smiley face potatoes, chicken and sweetcorn followed by fruit salad!

As you know Isla can commando crawl quicker then anyone I know.....but this week she took her first real crawl on her hands and knees. As the week has gone on she is crawling more and more. Plus she is pulling herself up on to her knees (bum off the floor) to grab everything on the sofa....DVD cabinet.....coffee table.....toy box......is anything going to be safe again? I have actually put the doors back on the DVD cabinet to save the video and DVD from taking a tumble.....

All in all a great week, even Isla's cold isn't getting her down.

Isla really is growing up!

Thank you all for your lovely comments in the guestbook.  We love reading them.  We have added a few more photos to Isla's first year so please take a look. 

A very proud Mum and Dad

Last Wednesday we went to The Downsed for Isla's Early Intervention group.  Isla loves going there and is so exhausted when we leave that she sleeps all the way home.  She is so noisy during the group and insists on sitting in the middle of the circle!  Big hugs to Isla's friends Leonie, Lily, Tamara and Morgan. 

Last Friday Isla and I had a very busy day, we decided to try out a local Gymbabes class.  Isla loved it and actually crawled through a tunnel for the first time.  She was filthy from commando crawling along the floor!  Her crawling is really coming along now.  She commando crawls really quickly but has also started to crawl on her knees.    I am hoping that she will demonstrate this to her physio tomorrow. 

This week has been fairly quiet, Isla goes to her childminders on Monday and Tuesday as I work but we have been doing lots of work in the evenings.  She is getting really good at her speech sounds and has a couple of new signs.  She is refusing to let us feed her now and would rather sit on the floor holding her own milk.  My little girl is growing up.  She has decided that her new favourite meal is noodles and shrimps. 

On Wednesday Julie, Isla's Portage Teacher, visited.  Portage is a Home Teaching Scheme and Islas loves it.  She is obsessed with Julie's bag of toys and makes her empty it before she will play with anything. 

Lastly this is probably too much information but Isla had a poo in the potty tonight!!!!  Yay proud mummy moment!

Take Care

Emma x

What a week.........Stepping Stones support group has its first meeting, I see Man Utd win 3-0 at Old Trafford and Isla says her first 'real' word!

As you may or may not know, Emma has started a local Down Syndrome support group with her friend Sharon. The first meeting was on Friday 3rd Nov and was a great success! Two new mothers turned up with their adorable little girls; the vice chairman for Hart council came to say hi and again Isla and Tanzie were photographed for the local paper again. The next meeting in Dec is looking even more positive with 3 more new mums coming along.

Stepping Stones   is a support group that meets on a monthly basis to allow parents to meet, chat and share information about the wonderful world of Down Syndrome. The plan is to have guest speakers such as Speech Therapists come along.

On Saturday my darling wife took to me Old Trafford as part of my 30th pressie. Not only was it Alex Ferguson's 20th year in charge, but is was a masterclass display in football. The first two goals were scored right in front of me!

And to top the week off.....Isla said her first real word. 'UP'....... she has babbled ball....babbled book.....mmmm'd mum and mmmmm'd milk, but Friday she looked at me, raised her arms and demanded for me to pick her up with 'UP'......now she is saying it all the time to Emma and I......Isla is growing up

One last thing, we heard last night that my cousin Simon and his wife Kim gave birth to a little girl. Congratulations to you both!

See you soon

Dan

Isla hasn't been her usual sunny self this weekend.  She is cutting a molar and obviously in quite alot of pain.  It seems that all she can eat is ice cream and yoghurt!  It is a shame as she was doing so well with her eating this month.  Hopefully she will be back on track soon. 

She is trying really hard with her crawling and is now pulling herself up onto her knees.  She chases Dan around the house with her own personal style of speedy commando crawling.  Debbie, her physio, has measured her for some support boots which should help with standing and stop her rolling her ankles. 

She loves playing with bubbles and has just started trying to ask for them.  Other 'words' that she is trying include - duck, that, book, baby, bye and ball.  If I tell her that Daddy is coming home she crawls over to door and sits waiting for him - bless her! 

We have been very busy with setting up 'Stepping Stones'  support group for children with Down syndrome.  Last week Isla and I had our photo taken for the paper and next month we are going to be featured in the local NCT newsletter.  The first meeting is on Friday 3rd November so I will let you know how it goes. 

Emma x