Owen and Clara

All Feeling Better

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:50:00 +0000

We are all doing much better now. Owen only missed 1 day of school (with the all-day everyday kindergarten, he goes to school Tuesday, Friday and every other Wednesday so he just missed school on Tuesday). Thank goodness he is alsp behaving much better although not sure if he will make it through tomorrow to get his 3DS back.

Clara did not miss any school since she goes to pre-school in the afternoon Tuesday - Friday. Better yet she had a really good week talking in the classroom. Finally she is talking more to her class mates and to the teachers.

Today was Rob's birthday...he is officially over the hill (I have 2 more years :)). Owen had to help me with measuring the ingredients for the cake yesterday evening and with the icing this morning. Then he insisted that the cake must be decorated. We had some purple icing left over from a b-day cake I had made Clara, then mixed up some powder sugar and milk glaze and made some red icing and some orange icing. Owen then had to add some sprinkles.

Owen insisted on getting a somewhat big piece of cake so the initial piece I cut for him I gave to Clara. They both ended up with way too much cake to eat. Unfortunately I finished off Clara's cake. Should of taken a picture of her chocolate cake face. It is always hilarious, she certainly enjoys chocolate cake!!

What's been going on

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:17:00 +0000

Clara Rose Update:

So Clara Rosey started pre-school at the end of July. She is doing really good other than she refused to talk to the teachers for 8 month!!! She would talk to the PT, OT, speech therapist and her buddy Chasey who is in class with her but not her teachers. Finally, after Christmas I had one of her teachers come over to the house. That seems to have been a big help as last week when she went back to school after the long winter break she decided to talk to the teachers. Clara is starting to jump!!! It seems like it has taken forever but she is finally doing little jumps and it is hilariouse to watch her on our little trampoline. Our sitter got her kids a big trampoline for Christmas so I am thinking after this summer she will be a jumping fool. Still not running but is walking fast....I know she will get there. She has continued to get Strep and her tonsils are very large so they are coming out January 26th. She will have to stay in the hospital for th night. I had my tonsils out when I was 20 something and have been told her recovery should be much easier. We are working on potty training and she is doing pretty good. Doing a routine training with a timer set most of the time to remind us it is time for her to be but on the potty. We havestarted at 1hr 15 minutes and hope to move up to 1 1/2 hrs soon.

Owen Update:

Owen started Kindergarten!!! Wow seems like yesterday he was a little baby. He will be 6 in a month!! He really is enjoying school and is always on his best behavior at school...not so much at home. In December he started acting up a bit but figured it was related to the hussel and bussel of the season. I read something somewhere that this was common. However after Chirstmas it escalated and last week he lost his brand new nintendo 3DS from Santa, computer time, and the Wii. Sunday he spent more time in time out than not and lost almost everyone of his toys that are kept in the living room (still toys in the basement but he does not like to go to the basement by himself). Yesterday he succesfully had a good day and earned back one of his toys. Praying for another good day today.

As mentioned in yesterdays post we are all sick with strep throat. Poor Rob came hope from work late last night with a fever. Good thing I preemtively made him an appointment this morning for 7:30 am (he should be home soon). Clara got her first dose of antibiotic yesterday morning so she can go to school this afternoon, Owen did not get his until around 1 so he get to stay home all day with mommy (and daddy I am sure). Will be glad when Clara's tonsils are out, at the rate Owen is going his will be coming out next year. Hoping my sitter breaks down and has her 2 oldest get their tonsils out soon.

Now will end with a few more pictures from this past year (because I always like looking at the picturtes on other peoples blogs)

Owen's First day of School.... isn't he a handsome little man!!!

Visiting with cousin Abby in September. Little abby is about 9 months old here.... she is a chunk

Headed to Wisconsin at the end os October for my Uncle Dean's funeral. We had some time and went to the Greenbay packers stadium and checked out the cheese heads (nope, did not buy them...just tried them on) I love this picture.

While in Wisconsin we went to my cousins sons hockey game. After talking to a dad of one of Skyler's teammates whose brother has DS, turned around to find this beautiful little girl pplaying by the rink. Clara went right over and started playing with her. Still need to send a copy of this phot to the little girls mom.

Clara eating dinner I beleave with her Turkey hat she made at swchool. Silly girl!!

Has it reall;y been that long since We last posted!!

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:16:00 +0000

Wow, hard to beleive it has been that long since I last posted anything. Obviousely Neither Rob or I have made this little blog a prioty and life has just gotten in the way. Lets start by posting a few pictures of the kiddos. Maybe can get another post in tomorrow while home sick with the kids (we all have strep throat...yeah!!)

Clara's First day of Pre-school end of July

Buddy Walk in Columbus, Ohio in September

Rob and the kids snuggled in bed watching Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Christmas Eve and heading to church. Owen has taught Clara how to "pose" for pictures.

Better Late Than Never

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 02:02:00 +0000

Way back on June 6, Miss Clara Rose became a three year old. It's hard to believe how quickly the years slip by. Read on - pictures are at the end.

Throughout this past year Clara has become a proficient walker. Wearing hip helpers throughout the summer months helped to develop and good gait by forcing Clara to lift her feet and bend her knees rather than shuffling her feet and/or waddling. She wants to run to keep up with Owen and the other big kids, but can't quite get beyond a fast walk yet. Keeping up with the fast walking Clara can be challenging - I am not sure we are ready for running Clara yet. Santa brought Clara a mini-trampoline this year and she so desperately wants to jump, but can't quite get her feet off the ground.

Clara has become quite the climber, getting into and out of her booster seat on her own, climbing onto and off of furniture, and even managing to scurry up the steep play set ladder in the back yard. One day, I walked into the kitchen to find Clara sitting on top of the table. She has also become a proficient stair climber, going up and down stairs safely with little or no assistance.

Clara has made it her mission to make sure that all doors and drawers are closed at all times. When she sees and open door or drawer, she will drop whatever it is that she is doing so that she can rectify the open door/drawer situation. Now that she is tall enough to reach the regular utensil drawer, she declared that she will no longer use toddler utensils and insists on using grown-up forks and spoons.

We reduced the frequency of physical and occupational therapies and focused on speech therapy. As a results Clara's vocabulary (including spoken words and signs) has increased significantly this year. As with most kids this age, "no" is certainly Clara's favorite word and she uses it emphatically. Want, mine, stop and all done are also some of Clara's favorite words. She is beginning to be able to communicate her wants or needs to us, although those instances are limited to communicating her choice from a list of options (e.g., Do you want eggs, cereal, or toast to eat for breakfast?). She loves Signing Time and requests (verbally and with signs) that we put an episode on anytime we go near the TV.

Clara has become increasing interactive with her baby dolls - pretending to feed them, trying to put a diaper on them, talking with them, and taking them for walks in a stroller. Okay, so she has colored on a couple with crayons too, but just to make them pretty. To be fair, Clara has also colored her own face with crayon mimicking lipstick application.

Clara's love of all books continued during her third year. She will happily leaf through books for hours even if they have no pictures. At church, Clara loves to page through the hymnal and bible, an activity that generally keeps her occupied for most of the worship service.

Thanks to our good friends Lynn and Diana, Clara attended her first year of Sunday school and this summer will attend her first vacation bible school. We are eternally grateful that our congregation sees Clara Rose and not just her extra chromosome. We are also thankful for our Pastor who recognizes the readiness of children to participate in Holy Communion. Ellen and I are fortunate to be at the rail to witness the passion with which Clara takes Communion.

Thanks to Nana and Papa, Clara made her first trip to Disney World this year. As you will see below, she loved the characters she was familiar with from Disney TV. She was curious about the princesses but a little hesitant to interact with them one-on-one. Cinderella was clearly her favorite princess though. After the first day, Clara decided she was done walking and we were glad to have the guest assistance pass that allowed us to use her stroller as a wheel chair.

Happy Birthday to Me!

The awesome cake created by our friends and The Ribbon Box

Opening presents with Owen standing by to help if needed.

Playing in the fountain at Downtown Disney.

I think Pooh was worried that Clara was going to share her lunch with him. Piglet stopped by later to help Clara eat her green beans

Meeting Mickey at the Tusker House restaurant in Animal Kingdom.

Playing the drums at Animal Kingdom.

Checking out the view from our balcony at Kidani Village.

This was the only picture I got with both Owen and Clara looking at the camera.

Clara wearing Nana's hat while waiting at Soarin. If you think she looks tired, check out the next picture.

Clara passed out with Nana shortly after leaving Soarin.

Clara had her first haircut at the Magic Kingdom. As you can see, she was not thrilled with the process.

Fist Haircut Mickey Ears!

Being cute and showing off the new hairdo.

Almost every day at Disney ended with Owen and Clara passed out in the stroller. We were extremely happy that we rented this City Elite double jogging stroller from Kingdom Strollers.

Easter Morning

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Happy Easter!!!

Bright and early this morning (6:40 am) Owen comes in our room yelling that we had to get up right now, I told him 10 more minutes. He insisted we had to get up right now (mind you Monday -Friday we are usually trying to get him out of bed at this time). Surprisingly enough, it was not the Easter Bunny he was so interested in, he wanted to make sure we got up and ready for church so we could get to the youth breakfast that was being served at 8am!!! So up we got before 7 am, Owen went into Clara's room and started looking at her clothes to pick something out for her to wear, I told him I had a nice Easter dress for her to wear. When I got it out to show it to him, his question was "Why Doesn't it has Easter eggs on it?" Owen readily got dressed (a rare event) while I got myself and Clara dressed and Rob got ready, then on down the stairs we went, Owen was not really interested in the Easter baskets and the stuff in them but wanted to look for the Easter eggs that had been hidden. Mind you these were not plastic eggs filled with goodies, but real eggs that Clara and Owen had colored on Saturday. To me, this was an odd morning....1. Owen insisting we all get up, 2. Owen readily getting dressed and ready to go, 3. He was not motivated by presents, but by food (he is not the best eater), although it may not have been food, but fellowship.

No matter what the reason, we had a good morning, got up and ready, did our little egg hunt, then headed to church in time for some breakfast.

Clara's color is green...

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:55:00 +0000

The other week I was running around getting vehicles to and from the mechanic and came home to the following picture.

Apparently Clara decided Green was her color. Thankfully it was not a sharpie although it did initially leave a slight green tinge around her mouth:)

Victory!!!

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:52:00 +0000

I follow a number of bloggs of families who are in the process of adopting a child with DS internationally or who have already adopted, and of course check out Reece's Rainbow wishing Rob and I were in a position to adopt at this time, but for now I will just have to be satisfied with helping others adopt. On to the Victory. I was so excited to read yesterday morning that Clark and Angie Hook were approved to be Evan's mom and dad by the same judge that denied little Kiril his family just weeks before!!! Now praying that the Davis' apeal to the Supreme Court of Moscow will be successful and Kiril will be granted his right to a family who loves him very much and the Davis' will be allowed to bring their son home.

Brother and Sister

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 16:59:00 +0000

I just love these pictures

Clara watching bubby play a leapster gam while she eats her favorite thing ........grapes!

So bubby, watch ya doing and why did you move from the couch to the trampoline?

Oh, look momy is taking a picture!!!

Kindergarten Registration for Owen!!

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:10:00 +0000

Wow, it is hard to beleive Owen is actually 5 years old and will be going to kindergarten next year. We finally made the decision that He will just attend the regular kindergarten at the public school district. The thing I hate about this is there schedule, instead of the typical half a day everyday, they do an alternating all day program with one group going Tuesday and Friday and everyother Wednesday and thr other group going Monday and Thursday and everyother Wednesday. Yesterday Rob and I took Owen to the Kindergarten registration, it started about 30 minutes late due to technical difficulties which was a bit annoying since we both needed to get to work but life goes on. They had a breif presentation and actually made a good case for their crazy kindergarten schedule (being that the kids get significantly more time in the classroom which I was really surprised at the amount of increase). While Rob and I were learning about Kindergarten Owen got to do a short vocabulary test which of course he excelled at (yep, Owe is too smary for his own good). When we got to the nurses station we got to talk with Josie who I was really glad to see...why you ask...she has a 13 year old daughter with Down Syndrome who currently attends the local middlr school. I had met her breifly the summer that Clara was born but had not seen or talked to her since.

Owen is very excited about kindergarten and they even already gave him "homework". They had bins to give to the kids with different school tools and a calender that goes from April through August with an activity for the kids to do each day. As soon was we got home yesterday Owen wanted to do his homework!!! After dinner I finally got everything out and read over it and got out the little writing book they put together and told him to write his first and last name , a pretty simple task since he does it every day at pre-school. Once he did that he asked what else he needed to do, he was very disappointed when I told him that was his homework for the day. Tonight, again he wanted to do his homework as soon as we got home, todays task was a bit harder, he had to find the letter Q in a newspaper or magazine.

And just for kicks here are some pictures of the big boy himself with his new cousin Abby who was born just before Christmas.

Yep, he likes to be a bit of a ham

While we have newer pictures (including those from his birthday party, aparently they have not been uploaded onto the computer yet.

Black eye, strep and up coming IEP meeting

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:32:00 +0000

Hello all, well 2 Thursdays ago little miss Clara Rose was practicing her stair climbing skills at the sitters and fell (potentially with the help of her buddy Chase, although he said he did not help her, but his mom is suspicious). Anyways, she fell just right that she hit her eye (well, right under her eye) on the bottom of the spindle (that is the hypothesis for where she hit). As soon as Beth (our day care provider and Chase's mom) got to her she knew it was going to become a nice black eye, which is has been. Later that morning while at play group with Grandma Lynn she also managed to hit her cheek on the corner of a table, thankfully that did not leave much of a mark or else people would really have been wondering what happened. On Sunday evening, she started with a fever, the first thing that came to my mind was strep as she also was not interested in eating (not even applesauce or yogurt which are 2 of her favorite things). So off to the doctor we went Monday morning (after I called Beth to see if her daughter Katelyn had strep since usually she gets it then Clara may or may not get it, Katelyn however was feeling fine). As soon as we were called back to the exam room at the doctors the nurse went ahead and swabbed her throat and by the time he was finished getting all her states, the strep test was positive. I have to tell you this, when Brian (the nurse) went to get the cuff out to check her blood pressure she immediately held her arm out in front of her (with a big smile on her face) so he could put in on, just like a pro :) It was very cute. Once the doctor came in she asked about her nice shiner which was clearly not what I was there for but what ever. I stayed home with the kids on Monday and Grandma Lynn was able to come over and watch the kids on Tuesday so that we could make sure Clara was not contagious before sending her and Owen to Beth's on Wednesday. Thankfully, no one else has gotten strep...just the head cold that Clara started with at the same time!!!

Now, onto the up coming IEP meeting. On Tuesday we have are first meeting regarding Clara going to pre-school next school year and to start the IEP process. I think I am a bit at an advantage compared to some parents starting this process, not because I have any background in special ed or anything (because I do not) but because here in Union County Ohio the Union County DD runs their own pre-school for kids with special needs. It is a great program and Owen has been going there as a peer model this year and went there last year as well. Why do I feel this is an advantage, well, I do not have to start to deal with a school district and what they want to do or think is easiest for them. The staff at Harold Lewis is all about the kids and making sure the students get the best start possible in school. However, I am still leery of starting this whole process, I think it is impart because my baby girl will be starting school and in part because I know this is just the beginning of IEP's and everything that goes with it. I have already laid done 1 ground rule, I refuse to sign the IEP without having sufficient time (I have told them 1 week) to review it and do some of my own research to make sure I agree with what they are saying or wanting to do or to make changes. I have told this to our current service coordinator (Erin) who will be involved in the IEP process and transferring Clara from the early intervention program to the pre-school program. Although I do not really feel I will need that extra time while Clara is at Harold Lewis, I have decided that I am going to set it as a standard operating preceder when it comes to the IEP. If anyone has additional ideas or tips on IEP's I would love to hear them (or I guess in reality read them :))

Help Bring Yana Home

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 02:08:00 +0000

For the past several months I have followed a number a blogs of families who were in the process of adopting a child with Down Syndrome or had recently completed such adoption. One of the blogs I have followed is for the adoption of Yana , a beautiful little girl in Eastern Europe (http://www.savinganangel.blogspot.com/). Her family has really struggled to to gather money to pay for her adoption. They have multiple fundraisers going on including Puzzle Pieces, Coffee Sales, T-shirts. They have also had garage sales, and raffles for different items such as Pampered Chef items and book, but still are in need of $13,000 to complete the adoption. They are finally getting close to traveling (the process has been a bit longer than many others due to the region/country where Yana is at). To help in this effort another family is offering several items in a drawing including a brand new Xbox 360 Kinect. Please go to Lisa's Blog (Living in the Light) and simply make a donation to Yana's adoption and leave a comment (this is your entry). Yana deserves to be home with her family, and the other kids with special needs in her region are depending on her adoption to be successfully completed so that they may have the oppertunity at finding a forever family.

Almost Five..Correction, he is Five

noreply@blogger.com (emgeho) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:05:00 +0000

I started this entry the beginning of this past week and never had time to finish it. so now need to change what a started and finish it. :)

It is hard to believe that my little boy turned five on Friday. It seems like it was just yesterday that he was born. Now he is writing and wanting to learn to read, he knows his numbers, letters and colors, is a great big brother to Clara Rose (most of the time) keeping an eye on her when I ask him too, and always proud of her accomplishments. While he is a great lovable and friendly kiddo, he has his moments just like any other kid. One thing that concerns me is his temper and his inpatients. He wants to be able to do something right the first time and when he can't he gets mad. My thoughts are, this is where Clara comes in at. She has such determination and when he starts getting so frustrated I remind him how Clara has had to work to learn to walk (and now to jump) and how she never got mad or frustrated about it. This seems to make him think twice about getting mad when he cannot do something right the first time and pushes him to keep trying. Makes me wonder how much more Clara Rose is going to influence Owen's life compared to a typical sibling. I have an older brother and while I know he influenced me (I took on an attitude of if my brother could do it I could do it too), and although I know my brother is proud of my accomplishments I do not feel I really influenced his life much. I believe for Owen this will be different, while Clara will hopefully have the attitude of "if Owen can do it I can too", Owen will also learn about determination and practice makes perfect from Clara Rose.

Owen at Birth 5 years ago

Owen being a Super Model for Family pictures just a few weeks ago

Where did all the time go? When did he get so big?

Update...a long time coming

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 19:10:00 +0000

Hi all, this is Ellen, Owen and Clara's mom and I am hijacking the blog. While I hope Rob will stop by and put in his 2 cents somewhat regularly, I suspect you will hear much more from me and I hope to keep the blog a little more up to date.

Tubes and Tear Ducts: Tubes are doing great, one tear duct is completely cleared now, the other one (the worst one to begin with) clogged back up in a about a week. Honestly, we have not talked to the eye doctor about this. Not a big concern right now. At the time the tear ducts were probed, she indicated they could put a stint in to help keep it open if the initial procedure did not work.

Christmas: Christmas was great, although took a little encouragement to get Clara to open her presents. Santa brought her a small trampoline which now sets prominently in out living room and which Owen jumps on more that Clara. Clara is still working on jumping, it is a slow process but she is getting there. Owen got his favorites....race cars, race track, trains, train track.

January flew by and I cannot believe it is already February and Owen is almost five (birthday is the 11th). We did get some great family pictures taken by a friend of mine here in central Ohio who just started her own photography business. She has a traveling studio and came out to the house to take the pictures which was great!! We will be starting the IEP process for Clara either last week of February or the first week of March. We also need to decide what we are going to do about Kindergarten next year for Owen (Pay for all-day every-day or send him to the regular all-day alternating day program). Decisions Decisions. Since I know I love seeing pictures of the kids on the blogs I have been following here are a few from our recent family photo shoot.

Ear Tubes and Tear Ducts

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 03:27:00 +0000

Clara's first set of ear tubes fell out sometime this summer and were removed along with some wax by the ENT. By October, she had fluid in both ears that was once again impacting her ability to hear. I suspect that the fluid is also affecting her balance. So, we will be heading to Nationwide Children's Hospital bright and early tomorrow morning to get a new set of tubes. This time, Clara gets a little bonus - she will also have her tear ducts probed. The poor little girl wakes up with at least one eye glued shut every time she gets a cold.

Being Cute During the Wildlights Members Preview Night

Receiving Her Medal During the Last Kidnetics Energy Session of the Season

The Cutest Little Elephant

Clara's Many Looks - Summer-Fall 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:58:00 +0000

Playing in the sprinkler.

Lounging around during our Father's day weekend camping trip.

Is it our turn yet?

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Checking out the fish in the new Polar Bear area at the zoo.

Camping with Grammie and Grandpa on the 4th of July.

Future Rock Star!

Go Buckeyes!

Hooked up and trying to breathe in the PICU of Akron Children's Hospital thanks to an asthma attack.

Enjoying some "agritainment" at the MAiZE.

Having fun at the 2010 Buddy Walk!

Making silly faces at Aunt Amanda's baby shower.

Buddy Walk 2010 - Team Clara's Clowns

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 03:05:00 +0000

On Sunday October 3, 2010, Tam Clara's Clowns ventured out to the Buddy Walk on a cool, breezy, gray day to celebrate and support Clara and all individuals living with Down syndrome . We appreciate all of our friends and family that dedicated a few hours of their day to walk with us. Our third Buddy Walk was extra special because Clara had a chance to show off her walking skills this year. With the exception of a few short rides on Daddy's shoulders, Clara completed most of the walk on her own two feet.

Do you think she was enjoying herself?

The camera on my phone has a delay before it snaps the picture and Clara kept walking toward me before the camera would snap the picture. As you can tell, it was a fun game for her.

Clara was smitten with the cheerleaders. I think they were smitten with her as well.

Clara decided that the pom-poms made good soccer balls. She would shake it a bit then drop it on the ground to start kicking it.

Team Clara's Clowns 2010. Clara is busy watching the cheerleaders who were just to our right.

Labor Day Asthma Attack

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:58:00 +0000

On Labor Day, Clara took her first, and hopefully last, ambulance ride, lights and siren included.

Our intent was to spend an extended labor day weekend relaxing and visiting with family in northeast Ohio. After our family trip to the dentist Friday morning - cleanings for Ellen and Owen, an attempted cleaning for Clara, and a root canal for me - we loaded up for our road trip. When we arrived at Grammy and Grandpa's house, Clara had a runny nose. The kids have been back at school for a couple of weeks so it was not surprising that Clara would be getting a cold.

The runny nose continued on Saturday and Sunday, with the addition of a mild cough. With the exception of sleeping poorly at night, Clara was playing, eating, and napping normally. Throughout Sunday night, Clara's breathing became more labored and she was having difficulty sleeping. She was restless and was only staying asleep for short burst before startling awake.

In the past, when Clara has had difficulty breathing associated with a cold, we have given a couple of puffs of albutirol from an inhaler that was prescribed when she had bronchiolitis when she was six months old. We had discussed this treatment approach with her pediatrician and received acknowledgement that the approach was appropriate. Since we rarely had to use the inhaler and Clara did not start with the runny nose until after we left the house, we did not have the inhaler with us.

On Monday morning, Clara was running a fever and was visibly having difficulty breathing; however she was alert and sat with us to eat some eggs and drink some juice. Since we did not have the inhaler and Clara was running a fever, we decided to take Clara to urgent care thinking that she would have a breathing treatment and that we would go on with our plans for the day. After waiting for two hours, Clara was called back and hooked up to a pulse-ox meter. The meter indicated that her oxygen saturation was 71 percent. Since Clara was not exhibiting symptoms typical of reading that low (e.g., blue coloration), the nurse used another meter based on the assumption that the first meter was not accurate. The second meter provided the same reading; therefore, Clara was connected to a supplemental oxygen supply and given an albutirol nebulizer treatment. Following the treatment, her oxygen saturation only increased to 76 percent with the supplemental oxygen and her heart rate increased to 200 beats per minute; therefore, an ambulance was called to transport her to the emergency room.

Following some discussion between the urgent care physician, the ambulance medics, and Ellen, a decision was made to transport Clara to the emergency room at Akron Children's Hospital. Supplemental oxygen continued to be provided via nasal cannula, which Clara ripped of at least half a dozen times. Additional albutirol nebulizer treatments were also conducted. Once she was stable, a chest x-ray was taken which ruled out pneumonia but indicated that Clara's lungs were hyperinflted. The ER physician indicated that Clara was likely hazing an asthma attack and that her lungs were hyperinflated because ahe was not able to effectively move air out of her lungs. Based on this information, Clara was given an oral dose of steroids (fun experience with an already ticked off, strong, extremely flexible two-year old) and a dose of magnesium through an IV.

After almost four hours in the ER, Clara was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit because her oxygen saturation had been so low and her heart rate had been so high. Although she was exhausted, she was not happy about being wired up and confined. Throughout the night, they were able to slowly reduce the supplemental oxygen without negatively impacting Clara's oxygen saturation. Clara is a restless sleeper and tosses and turns throughout the night. Tossing and turning does not work well with multiple wires and hoses, so Ellen and/or I were awake often trying to make sure that Clara did not end up with cords tangled around Clara.

On Tuesday morning, Clara was transferred to the general care floor. While awake, her oxygen levels were good and stable, even without the supplemental oxygen. However, when she was sleeping, her saturation levels would drop below the specified range if she was not attached to supplemental oxygen. Since she had ripped the nasal cannula off so many time previously, we decided to leave it attached rather than removing it and reconnecting it for nighttime monitoring. However, Clara was allowed to walk the halls and to get on the floor and play. During her walks, she decided that she needed to visit any patient with an open door to say hi. Anyone walking the halls also got a bright and cheery hi!

Happily, Clara made it through Tuesday night without the need for supplemental oxygen. She was disconnected from all tubes and wires and had freedom to roam and play. If her room door was open, she wanted to be out in the hall and visiting the other patients. Let's just say that it is hard to resist a cute two year old giving you a bright and cheery hi accompanied by an equally cute wave.

As we were packing up and waiting for the discharge papers, Clara was sitting on the floors with two of her dolls having a little conversation. During the course of her conversation, she would occasionally point to the door of the room and utter a clear and excited bye-bye accompanied with her cute bye-bye wave, as if she was explaining to her dolls that they were all getting out soon.

While I hope to never have another emergency experience with our kids, I am glad that we are now aware that Clara has asthma. We are prepared to deal with asthma occurrences before they become dangerous and we can coordinate her regular medical care with appropriate medical professionals. Others that care for Clara in our absence will be aware of her condition and will be equipped to provide care in the event of an attack.

Toddler Bed Mischief

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:04:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, Clara figured out how to climb out of her crib. We are not sure how she did it or how she managed to not get hurt. We heard a thump, then Clara was babbling at the gate at the top of the stairs - no screaming or crying, just like nothing had happened. To avoid any repeat adventures and potential injuries, I converted the crib to a toddler bed the next day.

While Clara will go down for naps with little protest at daycare, she has apparently decided that naps at home are no longer acceptable since she can get out of bed at will. After reading some books followed by some rocking we put her in the toddler bed and sit with her for a few minutes to help her get settled. She will stay in bed if someone stays upstairs, but if she sees us going down stairs she is out of bed immediately. We have tried to give her some time to settle down and get back into bed; however, she has decided that throwing her books down the stairs is a great way to get attention. Her book throwing routine is deliberate and thought out. She'll walk to her room to get a book off the shelf, carry the book to the gate, shove the book through the rails of the gate, and repeat. If book throwing fails to get us back upstairs, she proceeds to empty the contents of her dresser drawers.

Oh the joys of the terrible twos.

Gross Motor and Speech Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:56:00 +0000

Clara is making great progress with both gross motor and speech skills. She is now walking full time and is developing enough balance and confidence to step over objects in her path. She really wants to run so that she can keep up with the other kids and loves to try and chase us down if we pretend to be running away from her. In addition to walking, she has become a pretty good climber. She can climb onto and off of chairs and couches and will attempt to climb up Mommy and Daddy, especially if we are eating a Popsicle or ice cream. Unfortunately, Clara also figured out how to climb out of her crib Saturday night. Needless to say, her crib was converted to a toddler bed on Sunday morning.

Coincidentally, Clara's newest favorite phrase is "uh-oh". She can imitate sounds of certain animals when asked - the elephant is her particular favorite with a pretend trunk added for good measure. She is also beginning to communicate her preference when given choices. For example, at snack or meal time we will ask if she wants one item or the other (e.g., apple sauce or yogurt) and allow her to communicate her preference. Her vocabulary consists of a mix of signs and spoken words, although it seems that she relies on signs for words that are difficult for her to speak. She will clearly pronounce words such as Daddy, doggy, kitty, and book but generally doe not use signs for those words. In contrast, she will sign words such as eat, more, and bath without verbalization. With words such as fish, yogurt, and baby, she will both speak and sign the words.

It is fun to watch her personality develop before our eyes. She desires to be independent and will make us aware of her displeasure if we try to help her with tasks such as feeding. She loves live performances, puppet shows, plays, music, etc. Our church youth group recently performed a puppet show sermon and Clara was enthralled. She often starts dancing when she hears music and offers exciting applause at the end of a performance. Yesterday she spent an hour having an animated pretend conversation with two of her dolls.

When we are out an about, Clara loves to wave and say hi to everyone, and gets many smiles in return. She is an ambassador of happiness and thrives on those smiles that she receives in return. Thank you to all the wonderful people who see and compliment her beauty and not the visible characteristics of her diagnosis. While I fear that reactions will be different as Clara grows older, in these moments I am filled with hope as Clara's mere presence brings joy to the hearts of complete strangers.

Clara can also be quite mischievous. She loves to empty out toy bins and open cabinets, and will take every book of the shelf if you are not paying attention. Most recently, she figured out that she could open the toilet lid. In her mind, she had discovered a big bucket of water and decided that it was play time. Even though I was standing right beside her, she managed to get her arms and hands into the water before I could extract her from the situation. After a Lysol wipe and GermX cleaning, I spread the word that bathroom doors had to remain closed at all times.

Fishies!!!

Happy Birthday!! - Clara's New Kitchen

Playing in the Sprinkler on Hot Day!!!

Camping

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:31:00 +0000

On Fathers Day weekend, we packed up the car (as full as we possibly could) and headed north to East Harbor State Park for three nights of camping fun. After receiving 10+ inches of rain in the first half of June, we were fortunate to have three nights without any precipitation, other than the hoards of mayflies.

We checked in and set up on Friday afternoon, then spent Saturday afternoon at Cedar Point. It comes as no great surprise that Owen likes thrill rides. He did not hesitate to get on any ride, including some of the bigger spinning rides like the Monster. Clara also enjoyed the rides she was able to ride. It was a long, hot day, but the kids did very well. Fortunately we were able to take a break during the middle of the day at Soak City to cool down and relax a bit.

Set up on site 34A in the no pet, non-electric portion of the campground. As you can tell, it was not a busy weekend.

Clara lounging in her camp chair while we set up.

Apparently, setting up camp is boring for a two year old. Don't ask me how she managed to get herself turned around without tipping the chair over.

Waiting in line for the boat ride at Cedar Point, and happy to be out of the stroller.

Owen did not hesitate to get on a single ride during his first trip to Cedar Point.

Owen in front of the Marblehead Lighthouse. We had not yet discovered all of the cool rocks that he needed to climb on.

Owen and Clara on the cool rocks at the Marblehead Lighthouse.

Owen checking out Lake Erie at from the Marblehead Lighthouse. He kept referring to the lake as that "big pond".

Another Buckeye Football Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:46:00 +0000

Clara - March 2010

Owen - May 2008

Motorcycle Bike

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:52:00 +0000

When it finally warmed up enough in March to get rid of the February snow, it was time to get Owen his first two wheel bicycle (not counting the training wheels). He had been practicing on a two wheel bike during the winter, riding in our daycare provider's basement. His winter testing in the basement peaked his desire for a motorcycle bicycle (Owen's words) of his own.

When daylight savings time started, I knew that the after-dinner requests from Owen to play outside and ride bikes would begin. It was time for Owen to have his very own motorcycle bicycle. It was dark by the time I got home with the bike, but Owen insisted that he had to test drive it in the kitchen.

We have been on many trips around the block since then. After the first couple of trips, I decided that I needed to be on my bike also because I was getting tired of sprinting to keep up. Riding behind is an adventure in itself because Owen likes to come to a dead stop at random moments to look at something on the sidewalk or to tell me a random story about his day.

Gymnastics

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:48:00 +0000

During January and February, Clara had great fun participating in a Kidnetic Energy gymnastics class. Kidnetic Energy is a non-profit organization in central Ohio that offers dance and gymnastics classes specifically for children with special needs. Clara was reluctant during the first few classes, but she slowly came out of her shell and started to enjoy participation in the various activities. She is currently enrolled in the spring class and becomes more daring with each class.

Our thanks go out to the instructors, volunteers, and the facility for the generous donation of their time and space to create safe and fun activities for Clara and other children with special needs. Follow the links above to learn more about the organization.

Working on the balance beam.

Rolling down the hill

At the end of each class, each child receives stamps on their hands and feet. At the end of the last class, each child received a medal. As she does with most items, Clara proceeded to chew on her medal.

Do I Have Something On My Face?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:21:00 +0000

Self-feeding some shredded chicken during lunch prior to Owen's fourth birthday party.

Bubbles!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:17:00 +0000

Having fun with bubbles during our recent vacation at Nana and Papa's house in Phoenix, AZ.