Sports Day Fun

Can you spot her???

 Center of attraction??

 She had a blast

All are winners :)

My brothers came down specially to attend this event.

Milestone Diary - Brush your teeth

Toothbrush- Initially we tried Piegon toothbrush with less bristles.
Then we moved to use the regular children toothbrush.

Toothpaste- I hate those sweet flavored toothpastes.
After some trials I settled for "Miswak" toothpaste.
It is non-fluoride and it's not sweet. You have any better suggestions??

How we do it?
Initially I use to brush her teeth.
Then I started singing "AA AA AA , EE EE EE" while brushing so that she understands where the brush goes and how it moves.
Now she insists to brush on her own.
She understands that she needs to spit it but at times she gulps it too :( yucks..I think we will get there soon..

Brushing along with her helps as she tries to imitate every action you do. Right from washing your hands to wiping your face to checking your breath after brush :)

How is our teeth condition?
Only a doc can say I guess. Navya has these little shark teeth. Small and sharp.
With a small mouth, reaching every corner is a tough task.

Adults with autism are hired to test software :)

How cool is that?
Please read the full news here http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/jobs/aspiritech-hires-adults-with-autism-to-test-software/articleshow/10065089.cms

Aspiritech is doing a great work. Please check the company website here http://www.aspiritech.org/

Weekend pics

We had been to Pune over the weekend... Navya had great time with her young friend "Thia"... here are some pics... Enjoy !

Presenting "THIA" - another angel :) 

Too much of love can be painful at times :) 



Can you see the insecurity in Navya's eyes ?

3 years back today (post from daddy)

3 years back an expecting father was waiting eagerly to his wife's ceaserian operation to get over safely and to see the face of their baby... at 10.15 am the doctor arrived with a cute little baby and declared in a low voice that here is your baby girl and they think she is a case of Downs syndrome, will have to do some tests to confirm the same... the newly become father didn't know what DS means but he surely knew that something was wrong... but he was too keen to see his wife back from the OT and to inform the world about the arrival of the little princess... born on the auspicious day... the angel has arrived on earth...

Few minutes later his wife comes out of the OT, her eyes full of the sleep induced by the sedatives... smiles at her hubby and goes to sleep.... thousands of thoughts start pouring into father's head... some negative some positive... but somehow he chooses to keep the faith... and starts believing that the tests will prove the doctor wrong...

The girl is brought home and named NAVYA (meaning fresh & new) and life starts afresh for her parents... more than a month later the father gets a call from the hospital to come and collect the reports... father is worried but he still believes that the reports will come out to be negative... but his faith was to be tested further.... reports are positive... now he cant hide it any further... the mother is in deep shock and denies to believe it.... but the faith is reinstated and they decide to do their best and leave the rest to the Almighty...

And the Almightly and little NAVYA keep on building their faith stronger and stronger with each passing day...  they start experiencing the blessings and the joy which has been specially sent for them... they start loving it... they start living it... they start sharing it...

Their family and friends also reposed the faith time and again... the going hasnt been easy always but they kept faith and some or other door of opportunity opened at the right time...

NAVYA is a special kid in many ways and we are blessed to be chosen as her parents... and wish to be her parents everytime she decides to... however yesterday night we decided to swap the roles in the next life... so Ashish becomes her mamma and Pallavi becomes her baba...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAVYA.... YOU ARE OUR WORLD !!! 

Happy Birthday Princess 

                               - mamma

Body Suit Makeover

To add some fun element to the boring body suit, we painted some of Navya's fav. things on it.
This is how it looks now

 Two most fav. things on the arms(someone is going to turn 3 very soon)

Time to Lick :p

Mamma Fish and baby fishes

Pajama Party in School & Update on body suit

That sounds so cool.

Navya has Pajama Party today. We were asked to send a baby pillow, baby blanket, night time book/toy and toothbrush. And of course the kid in night dress.

Hope her day is fun filled.

Update on Body Suit: After initial disliking, now Navya insists to wear it for long time. This girl amazes us.
Not sure what has worked. But looks like the suit has become little loose, so she is more comfortable.

There have been suggestions that we paint it so that it looks more interesting to her. Nice Idea, might just work on it this weekend.

Wordless Wednesday: Expressions

Milestone Diary: Speech

Ok, I don't even want to measure the gap here. But we have made some serious progress here. Till the age of 18 months Navya was not even babbling.

Navya has below words in her dictionary now.
Mamma (She started calling me 'Em' then 'Mumumma' and now the real clear word 'Mamma' :))
Baba (this is for Ashish)
Didi (this is for her Nanny)
So, all three members in our house have names now.. Yay..

Plus we have some names for relatives too
Kaga (pls read as KAKA which actually means Uncle in marathi, but she uses it to call her aunt(kaku). :)
Aaaji (Grandma)
Mama (my brothers)

Boaht (Boat)
Baaal (Ball) <-- L is silent here
Bebhie (baby) <-- again E is silent here
Bhor (more)
Naah (no)
Haaaaay (hi)
BaBabay (bye)
And for anything else she says 'Mamma' repeatedly, then you have to ask questions and see if she says 'yeaah' as an answer to any of those if you are lucky.
 
Hey, that's a long list; just realized after listing here.

There are many words which she has said clearly but only once. We could not get her to repeat it.
Her therapist says words will come and go. But it's a good sign.
She has asked to use the above words in different different contexts and more number of times. E.g. she has asked us to make a photo album of above words and ask her to teach those words to Teddy Bear. Plus we have to add couple of words to pretend play; decide which words we will introduce and use those words repeatedly during a play. The other instructions are i) stretch a word ii) Speak slowly and clearly iii) use as short sentences as possible. Preferably just two words with action.

I have got the straw and jabber kit from Talk Tools. How I ordered it ?<- that will need a new post all together. Her therapist thinks we don't need a jabber kit. And regarding straw kit we have been asked to use it  in any sequence for drinking thin liquids, no special instructions for that.

Now coming back to today's achievement.
August 23, 2011: After brushing her teeth, she said 'DooDhoo'. I thought she is saying 'DiDi'.
I said 'Didi'
She said "Naah... DooDhoo"
Ah got it. I repeated "DooDhoo??"
She smiled and said "yeaaah"


So we have a new word for Milk :) ... Yaay

Rains... Cold... Cough and Ah that Whizzing

I hate you rains... I hate you...

Seriously, it doesn't take much time to catch cold in this season. No matter how much we protect, Navya catches cold instantly.
And with cold comes the running nose then blockage of nose and in the end that scary whizzing sound. I say scary as it is a real scary one. You see that your baby is not able to lie down, and that breathing sound is so loud that makes you feel your baby is grasping for breaths.
Hush...

And what does your pediatrician say? A usual answer "Her nasal passage is narrow. So if a typical child takes 4-5 days to recover from cold she will take 8-10 days."
"Her tonsils are big. With the infection, they enlarge even more"
So he prescribes the usual cough and cold medicines. And if you again go back with same symptons chances are high that you will get an Antibiotic prescription.

We have had above sessions n number of times. God only knows how many bottles of Allegra and Ascoril syrups Navya has consumed till date.
Those white antibiotic doses give me chills.

The only solution to above problem seems to increase immunity. Alopathy doctor thinks, you gain immunity only when you face such cold/cough attacks. Seriously, I don't think this logic has worked for us.

I have heard how Homeopathy works well with young kids. We had a failed attempt some year back. Navya was on homeopathy for a year with a very well known Homeopathy Clinic. But it did not work out for us.

Some 3 months back Navya had a real bad infection. Whizzing sound + fever.. That was the only symptom nothing else. We were told to take 5 days of antibiotic dose. Fever will subside in 5 days and whizzing will go away slowly in 10 days.
This time around I was adamant that I will not give her another antibiotic dose moreover I was not convinced with the recovery timeline.
I decided to take a chance with Homeopathy. Homeopathy doctor gave an assurance that Whizzing will subside in 2 days.

We kept the faith and continued for 4 days and seriously whizzing did go away in 2 days.

Navya is on chronic medicine to increase her immunity now. We have had 2-3 incidences of cold/cough. But not seen the allopathy  doctor yet and keeping faith in Homeopathy.

I really hope there will be a day soon, when I will not worry when it rains. When she insists to eat ice-cream. When she sits in her bath-tub longer. When she gets drenched in rains.
I really hope so. I am keeping my faith.

P.S: I checked with this Homepath doctor about removing tonsils. She is dead against it. She says tonsils are very useful. They take all the infection and don't let it go inside our body. So incase you don't have tonsils there are high chances that infection will go in to other body parts like chest etc. And Homeopathy has excellent medicines for tonsils, so not to worry.

And a very handy tip, after having ice cream give a little warm water to your child. This will avoid enlargement of tonsils. I learnt it just today :)

Is your child Left Handed?

Did you know, till the age of 5 years children use both of their hands?
And forcing your child to use right hand instead of left can cause developmental delays.
I did not know, find out more in Sunday's Mumbai Mirror or please read here
Interesting Article :)
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/9/201108152011081503342145527a54a17/Left-behind.html

Nice things people say

"Ya Allah, ye baby kitani KHUBSHURAT hai" <-- try reading it in typical Urdu tone..

Autowala asked Navya's Nanny "Ye aapki baby hai?"

She said "Nahin, mere madam ki hai"

again he said "Ekdum foreigner lagati hai"

LOL.....

Anybody for Scuba diving???

No. That's not a scuba diving suit. :)

That's a special body suit to help Navya build better muscle tone. Our tummy is still a big concern, it gives stress on her backbone and also causes balance issues. 2 + years into PT, we are still called Marshmallow :).

Navya is supposed to wear it 6-7 hours daily. I was worried and I quickly asked the doc "Can she wear it when she is sleeping?".
"NO". Of course no, she has to wear it when she is physically active. The material of the suit is lycra+COTTON <- so thankful for this one and it's no more humid hot here, so I hope my little baby will get adjusted to it comfortably.
Today is the first day of this experiment, we are starting with 2 hours. Hope all goes well.

**********************UDATE*****************************
This body suit was suggested by Navya's PT. It is a pressure garment, we are told that when you wear a compression garment and do some physical activity in it, the blood pressure increases and your muscles work thus gain some strength.
We  have a orthopedic doctor who makes our orthotics, he got it stitched. Please let me know in case you need the details of the doctor. I guess you will have to come to the clinic to give your measurements, as detailed measurements are taken. The measurement and cutting of cloth is done here in Mumbai and sent to Delhi for stitching.The body suit has internal padding for zip area and they have put in all efforts to make the suit comfortable.Do write me on pallavi1609@gmail.com to get the doctor's phone number

Navya's adjustment Period
She could wear it only for 1.5 hours yesterday. Will post here once she gets adjusted to it

Trapped in a slow motion race?

It's something like I am in a race, initially quite ahead of everyone and then I see one by one my friends crossing me and taking over, moving so fast that I loose their sight and no matter how hard I try I cannot keep pace with them, meanwhile more people join in and they too move way past ahead of me. It's like those dreams wherein you are trying to catch someone or trying to scream but you can't, you try very hard but all in vein. I guess you know what I am talking about.

Fashionable Friday

When Silence Can Kill... Defend Down syndrome, defend Adoption, Break the Silence

Copying a post from Stephanie here. Stephanie thank you so so much for writing this.
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When Silence Can Kill... Defend Down syndrome, defend Adoption, Break the Silence

Teri Lynn... beautiful Teri Lynn.  Abandoned by her family because she has Down syndrome, exiled by her country because she is thought to be defected and an invalid.

Teri Lynn who is waiting and wondering, WHY? 

Why do people look away from me, why don't they put their arms around me, why am I shunned and treated with such loathing.

Teri Lynn , is just a little girl. WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE AFRAID OF HER! What is to fear!!!! WHY are entire countries afraid of children like Teri Lynn? So afraid that this is what they do to them!

 LOOK AT HER! Don't look away, let your eyes settle on her for a minute. Look into her eyes. Feel her fear! Her despair! She looks like she's in a concentration camp! Where is she? She is in EE , she is in a mental institution where she will live until she can't take it anymore. There she will die ... Alone! 


Teri Lynn a little girl who just wants some love, a kind word, a gentle touch. Teri Lynn who has nothing, but the same monotonous routine day after day. Teri Lynn who hears the same pitiful cries and screams from the other souls being detained by hatred and ignorance in a hell on  earth. 
 
I post these pictures not to make you feel bad, not to make you cry, but to open your eyes AMERICA!!! This is what's going on out there. Yes out there in EE, out there, there is a Holocaust going on! 
 Out there this is LEGAL?????? This is a child!!! An innocent child! Being shaved and tied to a crib, barely fed and eventually overcoming to the abuse! YES, I said abuse!! This is not how you treat any human being! 
You would be arrested here in the States if you did this to a DOG!!!!


The animal rights activists would be on you like flies on SH&T! And you know it!  


We  have a right and a responsibility to stand up and scream for these children. WHO THE HELL ELSE IS GOING TO? Not Their country, not their parents, not their government! They have no one but the few of us who know the truth.


If you know and say nothing, if you know and turn away, if you know and wash your hands of it, than your silence is killing these children. 

We have the ability to spread the word and the truth like wildfire. We have blogs and FB and the world at our fingertips. With a press of a few keys on a computer a post appears, the truth revealed, the ugly truth that has caused so many little ones to die waiting. They are dying!!! They are waiting to be saved, to have a mama, and,they are dying as they wait!!!!! 


What triggered this post was one I read by Lera's mom, Diane. Who has had to defend the reason of international adoption. Defend?? Defend saving a life? Hmm. 


Let me get this straight. Could there really be such ignorance in my country? Ignorance that says take care of your own, to hell with" the rest"? Could my country, which is made up of  "the rest" actually think that? May I remind anyone who calls themselves Americans, unless you are a 100% Native American, you came from somewhere else!You're ancestors paved the path to a better life for you. Had they not you might find yourselves in a completely different situation and lifestyle. 


There are no boundaries when it comes to saving a life.  Jesus didn't hang on a cross just for His "own kind".
He didn't say let them get their own Savior, I didn't  come to save them. He came for all of us. Who are we to draw boundaries, when the son of God didn't!

These children need our voices. Teri Lyn is one of THOUSANDS!!! she is not an isolated case. 

Teri Lynn... in a nutshell needs a family or she will die. I will speak for the children til I draw my last breath!  Hopefully before that there will be change within these countries and they will learn the value of these children.  But I won't stop and if you are just learning about this I hope you too will commit to being a voice for these children. Don't be silent, don't be afraid. 

If you are interested in adopting or donating to Teri Lynn's adoption fund you can find her here. 

I wrote this post  for anyone new stopping by. Anyone who doesn't know the truth about these kids, or didn't even know such atrocities existed.   They do and it must be stopped. Education is the best defense.  Please go out and educate others. Down syndrome isn't a life sentence, but to these kids it's the death sentence!




* And just  a note to any animal activists out there I'm not demeaning what you do.You are much needed to animals being abused. I am just trying to make a point that we don't allow animals to be treated the way  these children are being treated because it is so inhumane.
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UPDATE :)

I checked on RR site today that Teri is adopted now, "out of RR"

So happy to see it http://reecesrainbow.org/?s=Teri+Lynn&x=0&y=0

Thank you so much for praying and donating money

Introducing Angie and her Warrior

Her Reece's  Rainbow profile says

Angie 4F

Girl, born February 2009

Hazel eyes

The nature of the active, lively, well played with toys, malokontaktnaya, few emotions

----------------------------------------------------------

Now this little girl has a Warrior. 

I am so proud to tell you that 

She is barely 27 

She is NOT married

She doesn't have anybody in her family who has Down Syndrome

BUT She is MY BEST FRIEND ( so now you know the link)

When I first introduced her to Recee's Rainbow, she was moved. Scrolling that list of waiting children makes her uncomfortable. But she is keen to make difference in someone's life. Help that little girl to get what she deserves.

Please drop by her blog and give her a word of encouragement. If possible suggest her ways to help Angie.

http://helpangie.wordpress.com/

Milestone Diary: Self feeding

5 July 2011
Today, Navya had her breakfast all on her own :)
She ate a bowl full of sprouts with SPOON without spilling, without any prompting from me.

I wish I had recorded it. It was so cute to watch those two little hands coordinating to make sure nothing falls out from the spoon and the spoon goes straight into the mouth.

Navya you rock!!!

Our progress on Self Feeding
Navya had been eating on her own from at least 1 1/2 years now.
1) First we started with eating dry items using hands; chips,biscuits, puffed rice(murmura) etc
2) Then we started giving her Paratha with pickle; initially we had to make pieces for her, now she can cut-dip-eat on her own.
3) Then we practiced eating with fork; fruits, brownies, pasta etc
4) Then eating with spoon(mostly dry items); it takes lot of patience to practice this. We have tried it occasionally. That's why today's milestone is worth celebrating :)
5) Next we want to practice spoon feeding with bit messy items like dal-rice, pulav etc. Let's see how it goes.

Navya has a strange way of eating certain items like puffed rice/cheeselings. If you give her a bowl of puffed rice, within two mins she will spill the entire thing on ground and then pick up and eat. She loves puffed rice (I find it absolutely insipid)
Last year, her playschool teacher had tough snack time. We are still working on this thing, hopefully this year will be better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Navya has a habit of holding the handle towards the end. No matter how many times we correct it she prefers holding it that way. So we got a pair of spoon/fork with short handle(Brand-Nuby), now she has no option ;)

Back to school :)

Update on schooling: School Principal and class teachers are saying they want to see Navya in Nursery class and not in Playschool. If you remember we wanted Navya to repeat her Playschool but I just had a chat with her Principal and she thinks Navya is at par with other kids and very fit to go to Nursery. And for them Navya's delayed speech is not an issue. Oh yes and she also said, in areas like dance, creativity in crafts Navya does better than other kids. Oh, I am one proud moma today. :)

So Nursery here we come..

A girl can never have enough clothes

Some Inspiration

Look what I found :)

http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report_kids-with-downs-syndrome-make-great-employees_1522699

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/life-of-dignity/746709/1

And some amazement :)

http://ijpos.com/eJournals/ShowText.aspx?ID=764&Type=FREE&TYP=TOP&IN=_eJournals/International%20Journal%20of%20Infertility%20and%20Fetal%20Medicine.jpg&IID=70&isPDF=YES


Note: Please ignore the wording of the reporter.
Seriously words like 'suffering from down syndrome', 'down's syndrome boy' irritates me to the core.

Fashionable Friday

Playschool Convocation

Graduated from Just Kiddin' Playchool Year 2011

Navya had great time in Just Kiddin' last year. Her Teacher N has always given her extra attention and we are really grateful to the Principal and her class teacher for the encouragement and equal opportunities they have provided to my child

After much thoughts we have decided to repeat Playschool for Navya, her teachers and Pricipal are all praises for her but we want to give some more time for her physical development and speech.

I am sure this year she will enjoy even more(hope she doesn't get bored with similar activities :p)

P.S - In India we have Playschool-->Nursery-->Jr.Kindergarten-->Sr.Kindergarten-->Stand I(age >=6)