Hazel's Heart Day

It's been 3 years since this little lover has has her heart exposed on an operating table, laying in a doctors hands. It's been 3 years since feeding her was such difficult work, even harder for her to gain any weight. It's been 3 years since we have had to watch her struggle for energy to eat or play.

The entire day almost passed us by actually, but a sweet friend reminded me just in the nick of time. It's kinda funny how these thing work out. Matt and I had been reflecting a lot over the weekend about how much Hazel has changed recently. It's like she's maturing and growing. The way she is in certain situations is so different than she was 6 months ago - 2 months ago even. We have been talking about how lucky we are that she is happy and healthy. We had a heart apt with the cardiologist where the report was raving and her heart is perfect.

Even though I did't realize at the time that her heart day was approaching, I feel like I did on some level. For some reason I couldn't bare to be away from her for too long (that's not the norm I assure you), but this last weekend - it was. I wanted to hug her, kiss her, play with her, hold her hand, sit with her. I couldn't motivate myself to do anything that wasn't with the girls. I enjoyed them - plain and simple - I was present. Something that really isn't always easy when you have a million things on your mind and a trillion chores to get done.

And with absolutely ZERO forethought of this day approaching, I happened to get this beautiful photo of me and my girl that so accurately portrays the event, the sentiment and strength I get from her. You can see her scar, and her growth. But this time I am holding her heart, because now it's mine and I'm not letting anyone else have it.

Thank you sweet Hazel for being the rock that you are. Your determination is admirable. I will never know another human who I respect more - EVER. You teach me to love better every single day. You carry me. 

Happy Souls, Healthy Hearts

We just had a visit with Hazel's cardiologist and the verdict was better than we could have ever expected. 

Her heart is perfect!!!!

Before her heart surgery it was a mess, and after it was slowly healing. She always had a few areas that the doc was watching to make sure no problems were developing. Nothing major, just keeping an eye on it (AND that's why I LOVE our cardiologist!) When we went in last week, he reported to us that those small issues had resolved themselves and that her heart was functioning all in the "NORMAL" range. Precisely where I want the numbers in reference to my baby's heart to be - NORMAL!!!!

No going back for 2 years and I'm pretty sure he just wants to keep seeing her because he loves her. AND I CAN TELL!!! He adores her. I adore him. I love the way he looks at Hazel first as a child, he looks at her as a whole. All 34lbs and 101cm of her (when your baby was once in failure to thrive you never tire of seeing her weight and height increase with every doctors visit. Oh Yes - of course we had to weigh Nola too - 27.9lbs and 88cms). He looks at her face and her smile, her tempermant and he can tell she's doing great. He asks questions like, "is she happy? What do you guys think, you know her best, any concerns?" We were blessed to have this man looking out for our girl. 

And after was play time at the park with our warrior friends from the NICU (and a couple extras). The one great thing that came from the LOOOOOOONG stay in the NICU was these families. So fun to watch them all play and carry on in the park together. And by "play together" I mean all the kids running in ALL directions at ALL times ALL day. Except for when my kids napped, which was amazing. Mommy and daddy got to have coffee and visit. 

Love these kiddos so VERY much!!!! xo

Have a great day!!

Down Syndrome Awareness Month

 

This is the 3rd year in a row that October has held special meaning for us in this house. Hard to believe that 4 years ago I would not have even noticed a reference to Down Syndrome Awareness Month (DSAM), let alone have a blog that dedicates much of its time to advocating for those who have DS.

I would never go back to the me "pre DS." There's so much I would like to go back and tell myself about the beauty that I was about to experience (not that I would have believed me). It's a very difficult thing to do - accept the unknown. And hear I am now, almost 3 years later, not only accepting but loving, living, breathing, educating, advocating, supporting, challenging and hopefully most of all...

CHANGING.

Changing not only my outlook on Down syndrome, not only our family's and friend's outlook - but YOURS. All of you. Every time you take the time to come over and visit us here on Chasing Hazel. Every time you share something on our Facebook page or like a picture on our Instagram feed, you are showing your support.

Support for Hazel - yeah sure - but also support for all those with Down syndrome.

When you look at Hazel with love in your eyes...

When you celebrate her accomplishments with us...

When you realize that she's a little girl that has learned to walk, talk, play and have temper tantrums...

YOU ARE INVITING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DOWN SYNDROME INTO YOUR HEART.

How many of you have come across an individual with DS in the community and been a little less intimidated to speak to them because you know Hazel?

Oh - I hope A LOT!!!

Yes, this month is about raising awareness but I hope that we have been doing a good job raising awareness all year long and not just this month.

Guys I don't write this blog to make money, I don't receive any endorsements, funds or grants for the time I spend here writing. I don't publish posts because some body asked me too.

I do it for Hazel.

I do it so that you feel a little less intimidated by her. I do it so that you know that people with Down syndrome are beautiful, just as any other person. They have a great deal to offer us. I do it so that you can experience just a little part of the joy and love that we experience everyday. We don't just experience joy from Hazel, but from all the individuals that we have welcomed into our hearts since the beginning of this journey. I know a love now that I can't even begin to explain. My heart swells with pride for all our little friends with DS. Their accomplishments, are our accomplishments.

We are in this together. All of us. We are paving the way. But first we have to take out our power tools and heavy machinery and break the very hard concrete roads that are already laid. We need to change the infrastructure and then pave a new road entirely. Our new roads bend, weave and fork in ways that we never thought possible. At the end they join together and lead us to a most breathtaking view.

I am calling on you. Won't you please help me?

Talk about Down syndrome in your homes, share our Facebook links, open your hearts up to something a little different, teach you kids about it.

If there is anything I can do to help I am IN!!! ALL IN!!!! Email me or post a comment.

Hazel Loretta - A Birth Story

Finally...I am posting Hazel's birth story. I know I meant to get to some other posts for Down Syndrome Awareness Month, but I am also trying to be very conscious that I have another babe on the way that needs me to rest and relax so I am ready when she decides to join us out here. There's always National Down Syndrome Awareness Week in November. Hazel is only going to be an only child for another couple weeks, so I am trying to soak up every minute of her that I can in the coming days.

Long story short - this will be my last post for a while. Bitter sweet for us all (I hope). I miss the blog when I am away from it, but I will come back with lots of new material and some old, that I have prepared ahead. I am not going to completely unplug. I will, as always, be updating my IG feed (follow us at user name Chasing_Hazel) AND I will still be posting pics and small updates via our Chasing Hazel Facebook page (jump on over and give it a "like").

Hope you all enjoy this read. It's a long one so you may want to do it in parts. I put my heart on the line with this one.

Can't wait to share our new little girl with all of you...Thank you so much for your support, your love and your interest in our little family.

Leaving you all with much love in my heart.

*********************************************************************************************

"Did you guys know?"

A very common question that we’ve been asked since the birth of our daughter, Hazel. Down Syndrome - really? Trisomy 21? How could that be?

Yes we did – Wait (pause for dramatic effect) Did we?

Well, that’s the simple answer. Right? It makes perfect sense.

However, the full story is not simple. It is painful, long and feels like the pieces took a very long time to fall into place. The happy ending has already been documented and continues to flourish but for a long time it seemed unlikely that the end was near and the last thing it seemed was happy.

I hope that after reading this story you are able to identify and relate to 2 people who overcame fears, learned how to truly accept what is, and who were completely vulnerable to what the universe had hidden up its sleeve. I also wish that through this story, you might gain empathy for others that have had to surrender themselves to a universal plan that was far beyond anything they could ever have imagined or controlled.

By living this story, I have realized that life has a way of providing the experiences that we NEED to make us more compassionate people. More importantly, it usually has little to do with our own perceptions and ideals about what will help us along. Indeed it is what will enlighten and empower us, we just have to accept it for what it is.

In the end, it all happens just as it is supposed to.

Happy reading!

*****************************************************************************************

As I sat down and tried to write this some months ago, I found that it presented more challenges than I expected. It became painfully obvious that I was having a hard time separating my fertility story, from my pregnancy story, from Hazel’s birth story. I was not ready to revisit the fertility battle, nor was I ready to recollect and explain my pregnancy in detail. Advice was desperately needed. I was determined to get this birth story out there somehow. The advice I received to help me get this process started was, that all of those experiences do not necessarily have to go together and form one story. I could dissect each individual part and write what I felt I could handle and relive again. Turns out that I do revisit the pregnancy in some detail.

Mostly, this is a birth story.

Please click here to continue reading...

Top 3 Physiotherapy Activities

It has been a great summer in terms of PT for Hazel. We have been given a bit of a break. Hazel has been going through a huge gross motor change and focus since she has figured out how to walk. It's so nice to let her just do her thing and watch her try to figure out how her body moves. She's constantly experimenting with movement and balance, dancing and swaying. Some of our best entertainment is to just sit back and watch her go.  

Small Disclaimer: I just want to remind everyone again that these activities were given to Hazel, for Hazel, by her PT. If you would like to try any of these at home with your babes, please ask someone in your local community for support and advice on what will work best for your children. Also, we always follow Hazel's lead in terms of how often we work on certain skills with her. If she doesn't want to, we don't force her (especially with PT - she has a motivation that is all her own - Yikes!)

Please feel free to leave any questions you might have about Hazel's therapies in the comments of this post, or email me and I would be glad to answer.

 

1. Stairs

This one is difficult for us to do on a regular basis because we have a ranch. Whenever we go somewhere with stairs, I try to get Hazel to go up. She can go up if she chooses to, BUT we all know if she doesn't see the value in it, then she really doesn't see the point. So there's that...

We are now starting to work on going down the stairs. It usually results in tears of some kind, but only because she is not in full control and needs help to get where she's going. Although, lately she has been very interested to learn how to go on her belly down the stairs. I think she realizes going down gives her freedom to explore new places. FUN!!!

2. Riding Toy

We are working with her on being able to move the rider herself. The goal being to get her to activate her hamstrings and pull herself along.

And to be completely honest we don't put her on it as much as we should (it's been a little more difficult for me to bend that way for long periods of time). It doesn't usually happen at this point, but she has started to show interest in being on it. I am not sure if it's too slow for her and she wants to get off and walk or if she doesn't really see the point in sitting on the car. She likes to get off and on but no forward movement so far. She has managed to make it go backwards a few times.

3. Walking Toy

Hazel has been showing interest in using the walking toy recently. It was difficult to get her to want to do this, as crawling was so much faster for her and she knew it. Now that she is more comfortable walking, she seems to want to do this more often. I know it seems backwards that she learned how to walk without it and now she wants to push it.

Even though babies know how to walk it is still important for them to learn how to push, pull, and maneuver different push toys. Eventually they learn how to reverse, go in a zig-zag pattern and so on, which is important to children's development.

Here's how we start...

And usually how we end...

I like this push toy because you can determine the weight that goes into it. We have 25 lbs in the base so it WILL NOT tip over when she pulls herself up on it. I think you can get them at IKEA. I also like it because there are no "bells or whistles" on it to distract her from what she is supposed to be doing - pushing it.

Helpful PT & OT Resource:

You can find more information in the book, "Fine Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome."

I love this book. It really breaks down all the tasks and skills that help children to learn and develop. It gives useful toy suggestions and great teaching techniques. Even though it is more focused on fine motor (OT) activities rather than gross motor, it does touch on PT as well. I will refer to this book more when I do the next OT post.

 

There you have it. PT in a nutshell!

March 21, 2013

Happy

WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY!!!!!!!!

First off, I want to say how extremely honoured I am to know what this day means now. We are so proud to be a part of this day and celebrate difference and perseverance.

Over the last year we have met so many wonderful people. We have worked hard and overcome challenges. We have changed our ways of seeing and accepting others (all "others" not just individuals with DS). We have welcomed a warmth and a light into our hearts that will keep us cozy forever. We know that challenges will await us, but we also know that there will be a overwhelming amount of pride for our girl in the future.

Today with Hazel, there will be an underlying thread of gratitude in every kiss and a deep appreciation for the perspective she has given us in every hug.

Onward...

This is a very exciting day for the DS community. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness and education about individuals with DS. The following is from the World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) site. I copied their description here so that you could read what they have to say without going anywhere else, but please take the time to visit the site when you have time.

I particularly LOVE the paragraph about the "internet being a powerful tool for raising awareness."

It allows us all to do our part through various social media. Anybody can help to celebrate WDSD, if only by tweeting 1 tweet (or Retweeting a tweet) that you find interesting or important. Or by sharing a link on your Facebook pages. Even just a simple status update that calls attention to the cause. Oh, yes - and you can even share on Pinterest.

WDSD states:

"21 March 2013 marks the 8th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day, a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. Each year the voice of people with Down syndrome, and those who live and work with them, grows louder. But there is still so much more we can do.

Down Syndrome International encourages our friends all over the World to choose your own themes, activities and events to help raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome, and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities.

The internet is a powerful tool for raising awareness and we encourage people to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day through your own websites, blogs and social networking sites. However, we want to create a single meeting place where everyone can share their experiences and advertise their activities.

Join our cause to create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down syndrome on 21 March."

Today I thought I would list my Top 5 favorite blogs that raise awareness for DS. I know I have listed some in the past but I wanted to make it really easy for you all to do some educating or to spread the word and raise awareness yourself. Click on the images to take you the blogs. Happy reading!!!

1. A Perfect Lily

2. Enjoying the Small Things

3. Little Olsen

4. The Future's Rosie

5. Noah's Dad

Chasing Hazel readers have always been so loyal and supportive. We could not have gotten this far with out you!!! Thanks so much in advance for your continued support in helping us to advocate and create positive discourse about Hazel's future.

So please, if only for today, TWEET, SHARE, LIKE, and PIN away about Down Syndrome. Do your part to spread the word and educate.

Peace, Love and Acceptance

A reflection on Judgement

I have chosen to do a post today about Judgement, in honor of Non-Judgement week. Visit The Conscious Perspective for more deets on Non-Judgement week.  

A wise man once said to me: "Never judge a mother - unless you know for a fact what she is going through - you are not allowed to judge." Brilliant!!!

Now that I am a mother and I have done things that are very questionable in the name of sanity, I 100% agree with the above mentioned quote. I have done things that I never thought I would.

I specifically remember a day at the mall with Hazel and my mom. At said "day-at-the-mall" there are vivid memories of me in a side hallway on my hands and knees trying frantically to make a bottle. While my mom tried to change a dirty butt diaper with Hazel in her stroller.

Yeah I said "stroller!"

We did not walk to the "family bathroom" and use the "change table" because I LITERALLY could not imagine walking all the way back there with a screaming, hungry, dirty baby. We were close to a somewhat secluded hallway in a busy, public place so, it was as good a place as any...right? We all got out pretty much unscathed, except for my dignity - but I mean - whatever. Being a mom means sacrificing your dignity...doesn't it? Please tell me it does for you too!!!

Anyway, my point is DON'T JUDGE ME!!!!

Yes!!! I changed my kid in a totally inappropriate place AND I didn't "take my screaming kid home" - but I do acknowledge that I shouldn't have done the former and should have done the latter.

Needless to say I don't judge mothers EVER - for any reason!!! That day I couldn't bring my kid home because my house was under heavy construction. That little episode took place after a day out of the house with a baby trying to keep ourselves occupied and sane. Clearly we only accomplished 1 of the 2. You just never know what is happening in someones life so please try not to judge!

On a more serious note:

Part of the reason I started this blog was to rectify or aid in the inaccurate judgements or perceptions of those with Down Syndrome.

One of the blessings that Down Syndrome has brought to my life is realizing that judgement often times comes from ignorance.

People judge that which they do not know.

By educating ourselves, listening to people bias free and keeping an open mind we accept things that are different. We gain perspective and embrace the things that we had no prior knowledge about. Human beings have a great deal to teach us, but we must be receptive and open to the lesson they offer (even though we might not agree with their thoughts or opinions on the subject.)

I hope that reading about Hazel helps you to accept her differences and celebrate her victories, just as you would with any other child. I also hope that her message helps readers to shift prior assumptions or perspectives of those whose live with Down Syndrome. Please continue to educate or advocate any chance you get!!!

PT & OT 9-12months (for Hazel)

First, I MUST share this video. It's the John McGivney Awareness Video, the facility where Hazel's therapists work. LOVE!!!  

Click here if having trouble viewing 

Amazing, right?

Ok...moving on...

This post is a medley of old and new(ish) Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT). I am working on a new post of activities from 12 months and up.

YIKES!!! Time fly's...Hazel grows and then we start new activities.

Hazel started to do these activities when she was 9 months. She is still working on some and has mastered others. As with all of my PT and OT posts, these activities have been approved by Hazel's therapists for Hazel, please check with a therapist in your local community before trying any of these activities with your children.

Occupational Therapy

1. In & Out

Hazel is working on putting objects in a bowl and taking them out. We use any big bowl available. I think maybe a metal one would be better so that when she drops something in, it makes a louder noise. Sometimes when I am feeling brave, we use a huge metal pot (side note: holy it's loud!!!) Any little toys work to drop in, links, cubes, pegs, balls. Hazel often has a hard time hearing anything drop in because she is constantly talking and babbling while playing. What is that saying - "you can't talk and listen simultaneously" - wait...did I just make that up? Oh, either way, you know....

She takes toys out of her bin, not so much put them back in. That's my job. I think she just wants to make sure my position as maid is secure. She's so kind and thoughtful.

2. Drinking/Eating

We are always working on eating and drinking. Hazel practices drinking out of a cup and a sippy-cup everyday. We try to encourage self-feeding by giving her pieces that she can pick up herself and put into her mouth. Her pincer grasp is not finessed enough for her to pick up really little objects like Cheerios, but she does well with penne noodles, crackers, bread and bananas (to name a few). Poor girl still has no teeth, so taking bites is difficult. When she gets the pieces into her mouth, she can't bite a piece off. Frustrating!

3. Rings

Put them on. Take them off. Put them on. Take them off. Put them on...

So that's that one.

Oops...that's cheating! You can't just dump them all, Hazel!!!

Oh yes...bang them together is another game she likes to play.

Physical Therapy

(these activities are not all we do, just some)

1. Weight Bearing on Arms

This one is a precursor to crawling. Here is one of the positions that works for getting her ready to push herself up in a 4 point. It is also encouraging her to weight bare on her arms. We try to get her to go from one side to the other. I find it easier if you hold a toy out for her to see, however, it feels like I need another hand to support her and hold the toy. You have to find what works for you.

When I move the toy in front of her, she follows along with it and sits looking forward and then I drag it to the other side and she leans to reach it. It's a tricky one!!! This was also great for getting her comfortable with putting herself in the sitting position. She would push herself back into a sit.

She would often shift her weight and would be in a 4 point stance for a couple of seconds, which was great to get her used to the crawling position.

2. High Kneel

This was my favourite PT activity (now she does it all the time on her own while she's playing)

It is easy and efficient for mommies and very effective in teaching backing in to a sit. It is also perfect for strengthening her arms by encouraging her to weight bare on them for a extended periods (by this I mean about a minute...maybe more if she was really into the toy that day). When backing into a sit she just pushes off the toy with her arms, leans to the side and goes down.

I would often switch up the tools we used to get her into a high kneel. Here she is leaning on a pillow or nursing pillow that is on top of the foam piece we have. Works perfect. Sometimes I would put her mirror in front of her so that she would stay there and talk to herself for a while.

At some point, she started going into this position and rocking. Crawl prep...

3. Crawling

Turns out this is the best PT there is. So, we just encourage her in which ever way motivates her that day to crawl around the house. Under the advisement of her therapist, we are not working on walking with Hazel. She is gaining so much strength in her arms, legs and core by crawling that we are just content to keep her doing that.

Speech Therapy

1. READ! READ! READ!

Lots and lots of reading. The same books over and over. We make sounds of animals, we point to the text. We start again...

Girlfriend is obsessed with books. She will sit forever with me and read. I LOVE IT!!!

Sometimes, she can't decide, speech or OT??? Decisions...

  

We have since added a bunch of new activities to our daily routine. I will share in a later post. Hope this helps to give some ideas!

Happy Days...

Visting young minds...at the U

There are some photos. They aren't great but, at the very least, they prove we were there. We very much enjoyed our experience as guest speakers in this class at the University of Windsor. It was a great platform for us to further raise awareness and educate others about people with Down Syndrome. Now...I will tell you all what I told them, a disclaimer of sorts (I believe there were a few disclaimers before the chat started):

I am by no means an expert on Down Syndrome, I am only an expert on Hazel. We set forth to share information that could be helpful to those who are interested in learning more about DS. This information is solely based on our personal experiences with Hazel, and what we have learned so far.

The students were very interested to hear about some of the challenges Hazel has had to face with her health. After elaborating on Duodenal Atresia and her VSD, SHOCKED is a more accurate description of some of the facial expressions I saw as I scanned the crowd.

We went on to discuss the milestones that she has mastered and the ones she is working on next. More importantly, we talked about their futures. The future doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses, teachers and where ever else the wind may blow for these students. We tried our best to give an accurate description of what we expect as parents in any of these fields when dealing with a baby that has special needs.

We tried to create an environment of empathy and compassion, hope and positivity. All qualities that are important to me as Hazel’s mom. These are all qualities that Hazel’s therapists have. We went through some specifics about Hazel’s therapy.

We tried to foster thinking “outside-the-box” and being “open-minded”, when assessing a child that is a little different. Not all children with DS are the same and accomplish the same things at the same time. Just as with any child.

We cautioned the consumption of negative information about DS that can be found on the Internet. I tried to give some positive, helpful resources to help them to educate themselves and others.

I explained OUR role in the DS world – to ADVOCATE and EDUCATE and ultimately, aid in societal ACCEPTANCE!!!

I have to share 1 part of the presentation here with you all. You are all such faithful, loyal, accepting supporters of Hazel.  You will SO get this about her…

(this is actually on the PowerPoint presentation)

So…Is our girl WEAK?

After facing:

• Down Syndrome
• Surgery at 28 hours old
• Failure to thrive
• Congestive heart failure
• Open heart surgery at 5 months old

Low muscle tone maybe…but WEAK is not in her genes!!!

Thank you so much Professor Martindale for providing and allowing the opportunity to celebrate our daughter and educate those that may just be part of her successes in the future.

Grateful for this experience,

Enjoy your Monday

Little N3lla's Triple Crown

I wanted to share something with my Chasing Hazel family. If you have been reading a while, you might remember my mentioning Kelle Hampton (once or twice, or three times - whatever don't judge me). She has been a huge influence in the Down Syndrome community since the birth of her daughter Nella. Her charisma and passion for raising awareness for individuals with Down Syndrome is admirable.

If you have not yet visited her blog, wait until you have some time, grab a coffee (or whiskey tea - whatever- I won't judge you) and enjoy.

For now, Nella is trying to raise money for the National Down Syndrome Society.

Every year for her birthday, Kelle celebrates by reaching out to her readers and asking them to support the cause. Over the past 2 years, they have raised over $200, 000. This year they are at it again with a new goal. They would like to have a grand total of $300,000. Anything helps!!!

Click HERE to find out more about how you can help support...

N3lla's Triple Crown

Nellas triple crown from ETST on Vimeo. 

Gratitude & Peace

A new friend...Aksel

  I would like to start off the new year by introducing you to another precious little one, Aksel.

I have had this post in the works for a while but could just never seem to get to it. Aksel, Hazel's new friend, came over for a visit in the summer time. I think Hazel was about 7 months old. Aksel was 6 months old.

He and his parents were in the process of moving here from Helsinki, Finland. They heard about our family through a mutual friend. It was very exciting to meet a little guy that will live in our local community and is the same age as Hazel. I imagine there will many more play dates in our future.

It doesn't hurt that his face is literally perfect. Such a little angel.

Love these...

A huge welcome from our family to yours Aksel.

Hazel Continues to Impress

Have you heard of the John McGivney Children's Center? We are lucky enough to live in a community with an amazing resource to help parents with children like Hazel who just might need a little guidance to keep them on the right track. They help children with Trisomy 21, as well as other children with special needs. We are grateful for their expertise and guidance. They have proven to be a great support to us as we try to do our best to raise our daughter.

We had a visit last week from the speech pathologist. She came over to make sure Hazel is on the right track with early language development. Her goal was to offer suggestions and learning strategies for us to use to help Hazel continue to develop new skills to the best of her ability. Upon her arrival she was surprised to find such a strong and healthy looking little girl. A far cry from her days in London. The description of the baby in the file she read was not the same baby she came face-to-face with. She was very impressed with Hazel and all her accomplishments so far.

It is common for children with Down Syndrome to have difficulties with speech. One of the reasons they experience this can be due to low muscle tone in the jaw. So far, Hazel seems to be ahead of the game in this regard. Her muscle tone is very good and she has begun to babble and imitate, skills a 6-9 months old baby can do. The speech pathologist was shocked to see her progress so far.

We don't know what future challenges await Hazel, but we are proud of the milestone that she has achieved. We are never looking at the things Hazel can't do, but celebrating the things that she can!!

Here is an example of how vocal Hazel is. She is perfectly happy in this video by the way...