tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24100918595252952192024-03-13T21:01:02.801-07:00Here come the Hendricks'Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-41691861711985197942011-01-12T11:38:00.000-08:002011-01-19T11:20:29.818-08:00Welcome to the world Presley Ann- 11/28/2010 @ 2:38 a.m.<div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TS4FAXTrweI/AAAAAAAAAFs/PB_GaCfuW8E/s1600/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B037.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561388093663855074" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TS4FAXTrweI/AAAAAAAAAFs/PB_GaCfuW8E/s320/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B037.JPG" /></a> Presley Ann Hendricks</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Born: November 28<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> 2010 @ 2:38 a.m.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>6lbs 150z 20 inches long<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TS4FALkOQmI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Vp8Lf4xJAD0/s1600/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B028.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561388090511999586" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TS4FALkOQmI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Vp8Lf4xJAD0/s320/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B028.JPG" /></a> Maddie is a big sister! My due date of Thanksgiving day (11/25) came and went, I figured we'd go past the due date and I'd end up being induced. We went ahead and set up and induction for wed 12/1 thinking that would be the day. Well, on Saturday we put up the Christmas tree, I moped the floors, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">organized</span> the playroom and had not a single sign labor was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">immanent</span>. Chad went out and got hot wings and we watched the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">FSU</span>/FL game. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">FSU</span> won (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">whoo</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">hoo</span>). We put Maddie to bed about 9:45 and when I finally sat down on the couch to relax for the evening, I had a sharp pain in my belly. I waited and had another soon after. I told Chad I thought maybe my stomach was upset from the wings. I got in the shower just in case we needed to go to the hospital and told chad to time my pains. Once I got out of the shower the pains had become much more painful and I told him to call now! My contractions were about 3-4 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">mins</span> apart when we left the house at 11:15 pm, by the time we dropped Maddie off at my parents house (10 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">mins</span> away) they were about 2! I told Chad to HURRY us there because I knew things were happening very fast. When we were about a minute away from the hospital Chad's phone rang and I could hear the nurse tell him my Dr <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">wasnt</span> on call and another would be delivering the baby! I was pretty pissed since it was never discussed she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">wouldnt</span> be there if I went into labor and I had never met the other Dr. Poor Chad tried to avoid me hearing what she said on the phone but it was too late, my pain level once we got there was pretty bad, we had to go in through the ER and when I walked in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">while</span> Chad was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">parking</span> the car there was a room full of people. All of them stopped and were silent it seemed when they saw me walk in and yell for someone to get me up to L and D now! By this time its about midnight. I needed my epidural and I knew I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">didnt</span> have much time. When we got up there the nurse in the triage room informed us she was the only one<br />there and they were calling more people in since there were 4 other women who went into labor of my Dr.'s patients. By this point <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Im</span> really crying and in extreme pain with every contraction, now about one to two <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">mins</span> apart. My mom finally got off work and came to be there with us. I told her I was "dying" and she said she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">thought</span> I had a ways to go! My nurse came and we got moved to our delivery room and I told her I felt lots of pressure down low, she immediately called for the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">anesthesiologist</span> and checked me, I was about 8 cm when I got my epidural so i got it just in time. 20 minutes later it was time to push and the baby came out in 5 pushes because I was so numb. She came into the world at 2:38 a.m. I had a mirror placed in front of me so I could watch my little girl be born, when she came out I noticed some brown on her legs, then I heard the Dr say "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">meconium</span>" and then I realized she was not crying or moving....when Maddie was born the Dr placed her immediately on my chest, this time the baby was quickly grabbed by a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">neo</span> nurse. I remember it took a few minutes and I must have repeated myself 15 times asking if everything was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span>. I finally heard her cry after she was suctioned and her airway was cleared.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>My water never broke so they had to take her to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">NICU</span> and put an iv in her tiny hand and run some tests to make sure she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">didnt</span> have an infection of any kind. She weighed in at 6lbs 15oz and 20 inches long. She was so tiny and everyone thought she'd be much bigger. From start to finish my labor was about 4 and a half hours. I got to the hospital at about midnight and delivered Presley 2 and a half hours later. Chad and I joke that if I had started labor during the game I probably would not have made it to the hospital ha! Chad was an awesome coach once again and Presley checked out perfectly great! We did have to stay in the hospital and extra day just to make sure she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">didnt</span> develop and infection. Maddie met her new baby sister the next morning and immediately gave her kisses. Having that first moment with them was the sweetest thing I have ever experienced. The second night in the hospital was rough, the baby <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">didnt</span> sleep at all, and Chad and I were going on 3 straight days of no sleep. Needless to say a much different situation from when Maddie was born, she was in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">NICU</span> and never was awake or cried. I was just thankful to have a healthy newborn, who kept us up all night screaming during the entire hospital stay ;)</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Everyone thought she looked like me, she had dark hair all over (which has since fallen out) and darker eyes than Madison. (now are looking like they are going to be blue). She is the sweetest little thing, I cant put her down and want to snuggle her all day, I do have some competition though as big sister likes to get her snuggles too. Maddie is incredible with her..we let her hold the baby in her big chair and she will go sit in it and put her arms out waiting for me to put the baby in her lap. Presley is showered with a hundred wet kisses a day from big sis and she is so tolerant of the level of noise around our house. Her sleeping pattern has improved a little bit at night. Some nights she'll go from 10 to 5am! (at 7 weeks 0<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">ld</span>) She is nursing well, despite some <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">difficulty</span> in the beginning with sever pain. She must be getting fed well because she was 11lbs 2 oz at her five week check up :) We have a big girl, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">dr</span> was stunned at her weight gain for a breastfed baby. She definitely has the same cheeks as mommy and daddy :)<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TTc27eoRmLI/AAAAAAAAAF0/PBXZYJpoKW8/s1600/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B080.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563976260101707954" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TTc27eoRmLI/AAAAAAAAAF0/PBXZYJpoKW8/s320/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B080.JPG" /></a> Maddie was the first person to meet and hold her new little sister, other than mommy daddy and grandma :) That moment was so sweet and I will never forget how gentle and loving she was with her, it was like she knew just what to do with a baby!<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TTc28LMRzgI/AAAAAAAAAGM/CEV3r1OU9QE/s1600/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B222.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563976272063876610" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TTc28LMRzgI/AAAAAAAAAGM/CEV3r1OU9QE/s320/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B222.JPG" /></a> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mommys</span> "do it yourself" newborn photo shoot the day we left the hospital (3 days old)<br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TTc2705RW-I/AAAAAAAAAGE/VrA8-zhCDnk/s1600/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B179.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563976266078575586" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TTc2705RW-I/AAAAAAAAAGE/VrA8-zhCDnk/s320/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B179.JPG" /></a> Maddie and her new baby sister getting ready to leave the hospital.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TTc27kRR-nI/AAAAAAAAAF8/lrDyxgiDbWk/s1600/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B198.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563976261615876722" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TTc27kRR-nI/AAAAAAAAAF8/lrDyxgiDbWk/s320/Presley%2527s%2Barrival%2B112810%2B198.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-15046054090840635032010-11-13T18:49:00.000-08:002010-11-13T19:24:57.423-08:00Only 2 weeks to go!Mini Chad #2 will be here pretty much any day now, I am due on Thanksgiving day but I feel I will more than likely pass my due date. That's totally fine with me because it gives me more time with Maddie and to get things prepared, like umm packing my hospital bag (procrastination much??)<br /><br />I have so many mixed feelings about being a mom for the second time, everything from the extreme excitement to sadness and guilt for Maddie losing some of my attention. I know the first year will be difficult but this is what we wanted for our family, I wanted Maddie to have a sibling who would be close in age and be a great companion for her. I cant wait for them to share holidays and summer vacations together. I know in my heart they will be close always.<br />I also have some other fears of what will be in the next week or two, not too many are rational but non the less on my mind. Here they are in order, #1 being my greatest worry..<br /><br />#10 That our new little girl will have Down Syndrome<br /><br />#9 I will not have enough attention to share with my girls equally<br /><br />#8 Maddie will resent me and the baby in the beginning<br /><br />#7 Maddie will get sick and the hospital wont let her visit her new baby sister<br /><br />#6 I wont be able to nurse, I pumped for over a year every ounce of milk Maddie ever had, so this is going to be my first nursing experience<br /><br />#5 Chad and I are going to argue because of the stress of having 2 children, we rarely do at all now.<br /><br />#4 That the baby will get sick since she is coming in the heart of cold and flu season<br /><br />#3 That something will go wrong with collecting the cord blood (we are banking the baby's cord blood)<br /><br />#2 That our little girl will in fact prove that Maddie's hearing loss is genetic and also be hearing impaired<br /><br />#1 That I wont get to go home WITH her.<br /><br />Its easy for everyone to say I'm being a "worry wart" or over dramatic in my fears but until you've walked in our shoes you can't even begin to judge them. We are so blessed to have the chance to be parents again and for our daughter to have a sibling, no matter what the outcome :)<br /><br />Now on to some fall/Halloween 2010 photos. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TN9P45yBGeI/AAAAAAAAAFI/IH3CBWVZHxM/s1600/October%2Band%2BNovember%2B2010%2B241.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539233905690876386" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TN9P45yBGeI/AAAAAAAAAFI/IH3CBWVZHxM/s320/October%2Band%2BNovember%2B2010%2B241.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TN9P4qWRBmI/AAAAAAAAAFA/EDMdnF0c21M/s1600/October%2Band%2BNovember%2B2010%2B251.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539233901547947618" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TN9P4qWRBmI/AAAAAAAAAFA/EDMdnF0c21M/s320/October%2Band%2BNovember%2B2010%2B251.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TN9P4O14X-I/AAAAAAAAAE4/VaMvOuVEsbc/s1600/October%2Band%2BNovember%2B2010%2B310.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539233894164357090" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TN9P4O14X-I/AAAAAAAAAE4/VaMvOuVEsbc/s320/October%2Band%2BNovember%2B2010%2B310.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-62256750629051960632010-11-04T12:11:00.000-07:002010-11-04T12:49:26.345-07:00Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk 2010<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TNMNZi6Bw6I/AAAAAAAAAEw/bqv4eB1enbI/s1600/Step+Up+walk+Oct+16+2010+045.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535783099486552994" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TNMNZi6Bw6I/AAAAAAAAAEw/bqv4eB1enbI/s320/Step+Up+walk+Oct+16+2010+045.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TNMM_UK2I7I/AAAAAAAAAEo/OM21ofahnLE/s1600/Step+Up+walk+Oct+16+2010+097.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535782648853963698" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TNMM_UK2I7I/AAAAAAAAAEo/OM21ofahnLE/s320/Step+Up+walk+Oct+16+2010+097.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TNMMnLhNdhI/AAAAAAAAAEI/1wXRjb2m-B0/s1600/Step+Up+walk+Oct+16+2010+016.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535782234214987282" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TNMMnLhNdhI/AAAAAAAAAEI/1wXRjb2m-B0/s320/Step+Up+walk+Oct+16+2010+016.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TNMKypASTTI/AAAAAAAAAEA/MYFflBt7EdY/s1600/Step+Up+walk+Oct+16+2010+012.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535780232085261618" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TNMKypASTTI/AAAAAAAAAEA/MYFflBt7EdY/s400/Step+Up+walk+Oct+16+2010+012.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>There are simply not enough ways to thank EVERYONE who either donated, walked, or both this year in honor of Maddie. We raised around $6,000 and had nearly 300 friends, family and friends of friends who came out to walk for her. I was overcome with emotion when I saw just how large our group was this year, and we won for biggest team again :) I dont share this often because Im honestly ashamed of how I felt then, but I remember worrying the morning we found out she has Down Syndrome that she wouldnt feel the same love and acceptance that the baby girl we were "supposed" to have would feel. I obviously was beyond wrong. She is loved and cherished by people who have only met her once or even people who have only seen her on video or in photos. I cant wait for her to understand the day and know that all those people were there for her. I regret not getting enough photos of everyone with her, Chad and I were running around crazy trying to say hello and thank everyone who came but it always just goes by way too fast! By the end of the day I could barely walk, being 8 1/2 months pregnant did not make it easy this year ;)<br />Chad and I stressed a little bit about not having enough pink shirts but everyone was very understanding and with our team growing every year we will keep the same style team shirts so next year hopefully everyone will have one.<br />Maddies first walk,she was 6 months old and we had about 20 people walk with us. Last year she was 18 months old and we had 140 people on her team and raised around $4,000, so you can see how much the word has spread on what a great day it is! I truly hope everyone enjoyed themselves and left with a positive new view on people and children with Down Syndrome. That is really what it is all about. If I could have anything in the world for my daughter it would be that she never experience ignorance or have people underestimate her...I know that is not reality but at least I know that 300 of our friends and family and so many others who were there will think twice about it. </div></div></div></div>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-21156744583023268252010-10-04T11:02:00.000-07:002010-10-04T14:35:43.073-07:00All about MaddieShe is doing so many new thins since my blog-slacking that I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">don't</span> even know where to begin! So I'll start with her biggest strength so far which seems to be...are you ready for this??....SPEECH! Never in my wildest dreams the day I hear the Dr tell us she was nearly deaf, would I imagine hearing her talk to us. She is, and its remarkable. She also knows about 75 signs, all her animals, colors, random toys, family members, and a new exciting one is potty! We are currently working on the alphabet, numbers shapes and counting. At the beginning of the summer I started working on using flash cards that have not only the word and photo, but the sign on the back of the card to help me remember too :) She LOVES her flash cards. They are from baby bumble bee and came highly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">recommended</span> by one of our moms who's daughter is reading and is only about a year older than Maddie. Oh and she also has Down Syndrome! Maddie also does several animal sounds, her favorites are elephant, horse, dog, cow,and duck. :)<br />Here is a list of the words she is saying, some I may even be forgetting at the moment.<br />Mama<br />Dada<br />Grandpa<br />Lola (my sisters dog)<br />Baby<br />Hat<br />All done<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Blap</span> (nap)<br />Cat<br />Fish<br />Hi<br />Bye bye<br />Elmo<br />Book<br />Up<br />Down<br />Potty (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">sooo</span> excited about this one)<br />Eat<br />Drink<br />Apple<br />Bath<br />Pop<br />No (sounds more like Oh and she even shakes her head)<br />Open<br />Pool<br /><br />I truly attribute the fact her speech is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">blossoming</span> to the fact that she knows so many signs, even when I cant understand what word she is trying to say, if she uses the sign with it, there is no question. Today <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">in fact</span> she TOLD me she had potty!! She was signing potty and saying <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">poopy</span> (pp) and sure enough, she had a dirty diaper! I started showing her that sign and saying potty/<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">poopy</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">every time</span> we change her. Our upcoming goal is to get her a potty and begin the potty training process. I have been waiting for her to walk more frequently than crawl.<br /><br />Chad and I attended a 12 week, 3 hour every Monday night class called the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hannen</span> Program to learn how to better communicate with her, I would say we definitely got a lot out of it because I really had no experience with early childhood education and this class showed me how to effectively help her learn and communicate with a child who's communication might not be typical.<br /><br />Since she turned two in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">April</span> she has been doing so much better with keeping her hearing aids on!! Hooray! She will even bring them over to me and gesture to put them on her. I do think she is very aware of how much they help her hear.<br /><br />She knows many body parts:<br />Head<br />Hair<br />Hand<br />Ear<br />Eyes<br />Nose<br />Mouth<br />Hand<br />Legs<br />Feet<br />She will point to each part if you ask her or show her the flash card with a picture of it.<br /><br />She mimics almost everything we do, which is hilarious.<br />She will "brush her teeth"<br />Comb her hair<br />Kiss on command (she will even come up to Chad or I just to give us a kiss and it HAS to be on the lips :)<br />Hug<br />Tell us "no" and "all done"<br />Wave hello and bye bye<br />Blow kisses (she does this randomly to me several times a day)<br />"talk on her phone"<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Pretend</span> to text on our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">iphones</span><br />Pick up the remote and point it toward the TV (probably the funniest thing she does)<br />Hold and rock her baby<br />Dunk her water basketball<br />Sit in her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">chair</span> or table when asked (she always asks "up" to get on the couch and says "down" wen she gets down<br />Ask us to "open" things<br />Put her toys in or out/clean up<br />Says "mama" and "dada" when she sees us both in photos and in rea life<br />Ask for a drink or to eat<br />Bring me something she knows she is not supposed to have<br />Dance to music (she loves her music therapy class!!)<br />Most recently tell me when she did potty "poopy"<br /><br /><br />Her favorite songs (which she will prompt you to sing by gesturing the actions)<br />If you're happy and you know it<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Itsy</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">bitsy</span> Spider and after that song will immediately ask for<br />Wheels on the bus.<br /><br />Her favorite book is Brown Bear Brown Bear. She knows what animal comes next and she loves to mimic the animal sounds. I credit this book to the beginning of her love for animals. She will ask you to read it by bringing it over and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">putting</span> it in your hands then signing or saying "book or open" if you <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">don't</span> respond quick enough she will then proceed to lovingly whack you with it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">until</span> you start reading it :)<br /><br />She is not so great with her puzzles or matching yet. We work on those things and she will <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">quickly</span> tell me "all done" or throw the pieces and refuse to try, so we stop and try again later. I know she will get it soon :) She can self feed with a spoon and will use a fork if I am sitting right there to supervise, she likes to take a few bites with it and then just hold it and use her other hand to pick up and feed herself if she thinks we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">aren't</span> looking, sneaky <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">little</span> girl!<br /><br />She stood up from the middle of the floor and took her first steps the night before Chad's birthday. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Even though</span> for the last month now she can stand up and take anywhere from 10 to 15 steps, her main mode of travel is still hands and knees crawling and man oh man is she fast! She can crawl quicker than some <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">toddlers</span> can run! We started seeing an additional PT during the summer and she has worked wonders for Maddie,she would barely weight bare, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">refused to</span> walk with a walk toy and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">couldn't</span> even stand up <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">unassisted</span> back in June. I think she has progressed so much in the last 3 months. Her new therapist Ms. Sue discovered she has a head tilt, and that she now hates being upside down, spun around in circles, on her back, swinging and slides. Her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">vestibular</span> system seems to be very weak which is why her balance and walking are not great yet. Again, I am confident she will be running <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">around</span> with all her buddies soon enough! I have yet to meet a older child with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">DS</span> who <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">isn't</span> walking :)<br /><br />I am so incredibly proud of my Maddie, she s so bright. I beam with pride when I see her learn and accomplish her goals. She amazes me everyday by how smart she is, I know she is not doing nearly as many things as a typical two and 1/2 year old but she can communicate, understand and play with her peers just fine :) I fall more in love with her everyday, her loving and sweet disposition are just an added bonus!<br /><br /><br />Here is a link to the video I made of the last year 12/09 to August of this year to promote her step up walk, showing all she has been up to :)<br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/14369023">www.vimeo.com/14369023</a>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-71788802521591487282010-10-03T08:12:00.000-07:002010-10-03T08:14:13.527-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKidqDpLOeI/AAAAAAAAAD4/gZn1BK25ilo/s1600/september+2010+075.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 342px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523838288827988450" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKidqDpLOeI/AAAAAAAAAD4/gZn1BK25ilo/s400/september+2010+075.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-34492405948991832802010-10-02T19:15:00.000-07:002010-10-02T20:09:12.814-07:00Here come the Hendricks'<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfoAXPUF7I/AAAAAAAAADQ/fplM06aOWFU/s1600/maddie+big+sis.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523638560929093554" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfoAXPUF7I/AAAAAAAAADQ/fplM06aOWFU/s320/maddie+big+sis.jpg" /></a><br />We have so much to be thankful for this year. Maddie will welcome a new baby sister (mini Chad #2 I like to call her) on or around Thanksgiving day. My actual due date is 11/25/10 which happens to be Thanksgiving! We are so happy and cant wait for Madde to meet her new "be be" as she says. She is going to be such a loving and wonderful big sister.<br />Chad and I got the 'positve' HPT in late March. It was Saturday night and we were heading to an engagement party for some friends of ours Courney and Kevin and there would be an open bar full of adult beverages in which I wanted to indulge since we had an overnight sitter. Sometime that afternoon I began having the reminesent nausea that I had for 14 weeks of my pregnncey with Maddie. I told Chad we needed to take a test to make sure I wasnt pregnant before the party. I took one, didnt really see the two pink lines clearly so I took the non-dollar store test and once again had Chad and Maddie look first..Chad was so proud when I heard him yelling "Maddie is going to be a big sister". I ofcourse started to cry. Needless to say, I felt so sick at the party and we ended up having to leave early :( This was a very planned baby, we thught with my PCOS diagnosis in September of 09 and all the medication the Dr's put me on that getting pregnant was not in the near future. In January we decided to start 'trying' and I went off all of my meds except for the Metformin, which I had to take until after week 12 of the pregnancy to prevent miscarriage. My OB told us not to get our hopes up since most women with PCOS dont become pregnant within 6 months to a year of their own efforts. I was worried but knew that I had obviously gotten pregnant before so we werent going to stress about it utill need be.<br />Just like my pregnancy with Maddie, I puked everyday, several times a day for 14 weeks..goodtimes and ten times harder when you have a mixture of 110 degree Florida summer heat, and a 25 pound 2 year old that wasnt walking yet to tote around to daily appointmets and therapy. Non the less we survived and are nausea free for the most part! I have had many ask if we had any sort of prenatal testing done with this pregnancy..the answer is no. No triple screen, quad screen or amnio. Chad for the most part left the decision up to me but we both agree that no matter what we want this baby and feel a prenatal diagnosis of anyting would not change our feelings. I did have my OB refer me to the high risk Dr (differnt one than I saw with Maddie) and I did have an in depth 20 week ultrasound looking for anything of health concern i.e. heat defects, enlarged kidneys ect. I have a 1/100 chance of having another baby with trisomy 21 since I have had a previous baby with it. Still confusig to me since based on my age my chance is 1/1000 and its known that the type of DS maddie has is not inherited. Who knows, stats are weird. Not my best subject in college! So far the baby looks great, and Im even measuring a week ahead according to my last ultrsound at 30 weeks. Chad surprised me with a 3D/4D ultrasound with a video so we got some great pictures of our sweet mini-chad #2.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfzBZZSemI/AAAAAAAAADw/IRuVrkrPGkE/s1600/WD1473_HENDRICKS_20100910_161110_0009.BMP"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523650673315576418" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfzBZZSemI/AAAAAAAAADw/IRuVrkrPGkE/s320/WD1473_HENDRICKS_20100910_161110_0009.BMP" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfzBLo9PpI/AAAAAAAAADo/mO4GQoFJFxI/s1600/WD1473_HENDRICKS_20100910_161110_0002.BMP"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523650669623197330" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfzBLo9PpI/AAAAAAAAADo/mO4GQoFJFxI/s320/WD1473_HENDRICKS_20100910_161110_0002.BMP" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfzAyVNcSI/AAAAAAAAADg/CBAYFZhMr10/s1600/WD1473_HENDRICKS_20100910_161110_0012.BMP"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523650662829486370" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfzAyVNcSI/AAAAAAAAADg/CBAYFZhMr10/s320/WD1473_HENDRICKS_20100910_161110_0012.BMP" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfyc_Yg-TI/AAAAAAAAADY/AnuVZnl3FLc/s1600/WD1473_HENDRICKS_20100910_161110_0011.BMP"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523650047857719602" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/TKfyc_Yg-TI/AAAAAAAAADY/AnuVZnl3FLc/s320/WD1473_HENDRICKS_20100910_161110_0011.BMP" /></a><br /><br /></div></div></div></div>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-21280476368702962332010-10-02T08:18:00.000-07:002010-10-02T08:33:16.492-07:00Time to redeem myself!<A href="http://unringingthebell.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/09/4th-annual-31-for-21-blog-challenge.html"><IMG src="http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x198/wish4rk/TTR31for21-5.png"></A> <A href="http://unringingthebell.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/09/4th-annual-31-for-21-blog-challenge.html">Grab This Button</A> Once again you see, I have failed miserably at my commitment to blog regularly. Soooo, I came across this wonderful idea this morning and found it the perfect opportunity to redeem myself in the blogging world. Ironically enough I was laying in bed last night thinking about the blog and how I need to do a better job at keeping it up to date for my family. So here you have it, everyday for the entire month of October I am to blog, (today is Oct 2nd so I already missed one day) even if its not directly about DS. I have tons of new posts to make and I am sure they could easily be more than 31!Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-27139594681750654302010-04-29T09:43:00.000-07:002010-10-04T14:41:35.115-07:00Easter SundayMaddie's first easter, 2009<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m7-yh10YI/AAAAAAAAACE/Ns7GlNkoVl4/s1600/P4120343.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465606310180802946" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m7-yh10YI/AAAAAAAAACE/Ns7GlNkoVl4/s320/P4120343.JPG" /></a><br />This year Easter 2010<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m7FUyuBgI/AAAAAAAAAB8/3Xuftd6NTiA/s1600/april+2010+074.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465605322945988098" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m7FUyuBgI/AAAAAAAAAB8/3Xuftd6NTiA/s320/april+2010+074.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m6Zmga9rI/AAAAAAAAAB0/MaRlvNa-FP4/s1600/April+11th+2010+004.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465604571786835634" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m6Zmga9rI/AAAAAAAAAB0/MaRlvNa-FP4/s320/April+11th+2010+004.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m6ZTPuxmI/AAAAAAAAABs/qem2XNvclj4/s1600/April+11th+2010+011.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465604566616557154" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m6ZTPuxmI/AAAAAAAAABs/qem2XNvclj4/s320/April+11th+2010+011.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m6YwcU3DI/AAAAAAAAABk/YER18FsdC4g/s1600/april+2010+035.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465604557274143794" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m6YwcU3DI/AAAAAAAAABk/YER18FsdC4g/s320/april+2010+035.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5JaVF59I/AAAAAAAAABc/AxcL3JA5gJQ/s1600/april+2010+019.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465603194128558034" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5JaVF59I/AAAAAAAAABc/AxcL3JA5gJQ/s320/april+2010+019.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5I2kd15I/AAAAAAAAABU/o2ddpUR_zqg/s1600/april+2010+016.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465603184529364882" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5I2kd15I/AAAAAAAAABU/o2ddpUR_zqg/s320/april+2010+016.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5IvbGquI/AAAAAAAAABM/WeyqnWC_dJc/s1600/april+2010+005.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465603182611049186" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5IvbGquI/AAAAAAAAABM/WeyqnWC_dJc/s320/april+2010+005.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5Id9sqAI/AAAAAAAAABE/yRgOhDuhs1E/s1600/April+11th+2010+008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465603177924306946" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5Id9sqAI/AAAAAAAAABE/yRgOhDuhs1E/s320/April+11th+2010+008.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5H4p71DI/AAAAAAAAAA8/tNDR_YGKG58/s1600/April+11th+2010+010.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465603167909303346" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S9m5H4p71DI/AAAAAAAAAA8/tNDR_YGKG58/s320/April+11th+2010+010.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-16222899125745985572010-04-04T19:37:00.000-07:002010-04-04T20:03:14.835-07:00Committed to blogging this time!Darn it! I am! I feel awful that I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">haven't</span> kept up with this blog like I should be. I am <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">disappointed</span> in myself but I wont let more time slip away unwritten. Maddie is doing a ton of new things and I want to document them all. Her second birthday is next week and while she is not walking yet, she is pulling to stand and cruising very well. Our goal is for her to be walking on that beach sand this summer :) She began hands and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">knees</span> crawling about 5 months ago and she is fantastic at at now, so much so that she has little interest in standing alone. It was confirmed by her PT that she needed <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">orthodics</span> in her shoes to help <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">stabilize</span> her ankles. We got them last week, they are a size 5 and Maddie's current foot is a size 3. We bought the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">recommended</span> shoes for them and they seem huge. Now she has even less interest in walking. Go figure. Its only been a few days so I am hoping this will change.<br /><br />Our big girl is feeding herself with a spoon, no fork yet. She is a signing machine and knows the following words without prompting. Meaning I say the word or show her a picture and she signs it! Amazing. I am so proud of her.<br />mama, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">dada</span>, dog, baby, ball, eat, drink, milk, more, please, thank you, cow, fish, and quite a few others I cant think of off the top of my mind. She is so smart. She has this adorable way of letting you know what songs she wants you to sing to her. I will have to take some pictures of it to post later. She knows "If <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">you re</span> happy and you know it" and "Wheels on the bus" and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">asks</span> me to sing them at least 20 times a day.<br /><br />On the hearing aid front, still the same. I have yet to find a suitable <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">ENT</span> here locally that either has a halfway decent bedside manner or wont <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">accidentally</span> puncture her eardrum. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Thats</span> a whole other post. I just want a solid answer about her hearing loss once and for all. I might wait my entire life. Its been a huge battle to keep her aids on and I have all but given up some days. We are getting new molds on Thursday so I am praying they will be a better fit and easier to keep on.<br /><br />Her thyroid levels at last check were pretty good. Her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">synthroid</span> dose is still very high for her age/weight (50<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">mcg</span>) but it took a year to get them close to normal. The thyroid gland is the command center of the brain. Potentially the most detrimental thing that could happen to Maddie is for her to miss a few <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">doses</span> of her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">synthroid</span>. Dr. D still <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">believes</span> she may not even have a thyroid gland at all because of her levels when she was first born. The only way to know for sure is to take her off of all the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">meds</span> for a week and see how out of whack they are. Not an option at all <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Im</span> willing to explore anytime soon. She will get a whole new set of blood work done at her 2 year check up next week.<br /><br />Well, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">thats</span> it for now. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">Im</span> off to bed, we have a long week of party planning to do! I have some great photos to share in my next post.Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-91329490919562165612010-04-04T18:17:00.000-07:002010-04-04T19:25:16.725-07:00Saying Goodbye<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S7lJMPhBQOI/AAAAAAAAAAc/IS0p4OMqc_c/s1600/February-March+5th+2010+043.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456472898208350434" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S7lJMPhBQOI/AAAAAAAAAAc/IS0p4OMqc_c/s320/February-March+5th+2010+043.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S7lIirE-S2I/AAAAAAAAAAU/m8eBz4s_FLo/s1600/december+09+038.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456472184052403042" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S7lIirE-S2I/AAAAAAAAAAU/m8eBz4s_FLo/s320/december+09+038.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S7k8YCSsW-I/AAAAAAAAAAM/Dss59kbdy3E/s1600/February-March+5th+2010+016.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456458807165869026" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g3b9spjCqpk/S7k8YCSsW-I/AAAAAAAAAAM/Dss59kbdy3E/s320/February-March+5th+2010+016.JPG" /></a> She's a beauty <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">isnt</span> she?? Before I met Chad, this was his girl. Marley was the main lady in his <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">myspace</span> photos and the first Hendricks family member I got to meet. During her puppy years Chad says she was a rowdy thing, chewing well over $1,000 of items. From pillows to jeans and one of each of several pairs of shoes (a few of mine.) He says he dreamed of owning an English bully <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">since</span> college. So, after buying his College Park house in 2005 he purchased this pretty little girl. No research on the breed. Not knowing the expense and demand she would have in her later years. Not knowing that sweet sweet Marley would have you chasing her for miles around the streets of our neighborhood after she darted out the front door. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Even though</span> shes fat, that dog can run fast. No joke!</div><br /><br /><div></div><div>Here we are in 2010. Moved into a smaller house, no fenced yard, an older dog, and a mobile <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">toddler</span>. When Maddie was born everyone encouraged us to consider finding a better home for her, where she could run free in a fenced yard. The encouragement came mostly after me being late to work several mornings because I had spent 30 minutes to an hour to chase down and corral a 60lb bulldog, me being 8 months pregnant. Yeah, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">good times</span>. None the less we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">couldn't</span> bear the thought of giving her away. She was a part of Chad and I loved her way too much. Over the last 2 years we've realized that the amount of love we have for Marley warrants us giving her a better life. She is 5 years old. About halfway through her life expectancy and a great companion. She has a very sweet disposition and craves attention. Attention we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">couldn't</span> give her the way we needed to. Maddie pretty much consumes all of our attention now. Like I said it was hard to admit that 2 years ago but its true. Her vet bills alone were going to put us in the poor house.</div><br /><div>So, Chad pretty much found the perfect family. It is one of the hardest decisions we've had to make since we've been married. It was very emotional. We changed our mind the first attempt to drive her over. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Im</span> pretty sure Chad cried a little. I balled my eyes out almost the entire one hour trip there. Chad emailed the family several times before hand, and even then we were prepared to refuse to leave her if we felt their situation was not right for Marley. I knew in my heart they were perfect though. They had a huge beautiful home. Several of their neighbors have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">bullys</span> and Marley has already had several <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">play dates</span> from what we hear. They have 3 boys. 10,11 and 12. It was confirmed Marley was the perfect match for them when the mom shared that the middle boy has autism. It took us over an hour to say goodbye and we left with a box of tissues we did not walk in the door with. I pray to God that Marley is being loved and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">played</span> with and that she is getting plenty of butt scratching!</div><br /><div>Chad, Maddie and I have had so many great times and memories with Marley. I am kind of glad we wont have to watch her suffer through her older years and eventually her death. Its been so hard to post this and see all of the photos we have of her. I miss her terribly and I know Chad does too. It will be hard when we turn the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">calender</span> to the month of June to and see the photo that was selected of Marley and Maddie.<br /></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-73097861095009351792009-09-18T09:32:00.000-07:002009-09-18T10:07:58.369-07:00<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwO9GoOzxxta2qZl6ijsZm0xLOV1KieOL4kvvH7KMHSGIeOsDqR0mzRdHd-b9uuabrfMRgtubcZErial7QX0g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-24505687538307217812009-08-11T20:11:00.000-07:002009-08-11T20:43:31.303-07:00Maddie's Journey in my bellyIn November of 2008 I had my first ultrasound that revealed we were having a little girl, at this point because I had been delayed in getting prenatal care (I didnt find out I was pregnant until around the 9-10th week) I also had the AFP and triple screen blood test done (18 weeks). We left that day of our first ultrasound so excited and couldnt wait to tell everyone we were having a girl!! I got a call from my OB about 3 days after the ultrasound, I didnt worry much when she said she was referring me to a high risk Dr for additional measurements of the baby since she was looking a little small for her gestation. Again, since I never was really sure when I conceived I figured maybe they had my due date off a week or two and thats why the baby was small. So we proceed to visit the high risk Dr. the following week. They finally call us back (both Chad and my mom came to this appointment), a genetic specialist sits us down and begins to ask me questions about family history of any birth defects, mental handicaps, or genetic conditions. I say no, no and no. Mind you, I have no idea about my blood test results at this point. She then explains to us that at my age of conception (24) my risk of having a child with a genetic condition like trisomy 21, 18, or 13 would normally be about 1 in 1400. The number increases with age. Well, at this point I realize what is coming out of her mouth next and I am crying, "unfortunately your blood work came back with an elevated protein which brings your risk to about 1 in 30" she says. She further explains that the Dr. is going to perform a level 3 ultrasound measuring every inch of the baby and examining her for any genetic abnormality, heart conditions ect. Depending on the findings this will increase or decrease my risks. OR she explains my "other" option. Have an amniocentesis which will tell us 100% either way. "You can terminate at this point but you only have a short window since you are already 20 weeks along" What?!!? No freaking way!! Was I really hearing this?? Chad and I almost simultaneously both gasped and said but we already know we are having a girl....we are already in love with her...the decision was made for us to only have the ultrasound and decline the amnio. We proceed to the exam room and the Dr does the ultrasound, Maddie gave us a thumbs up in the picture =) We took that as a sign she was just fine and Dr. F told us he saw nothing of concern with our baby and in his opinion she probably did not have a genetic issue. I was told my odds were now 1 in 300 based on this report. . I then rationalize in my mind...1 in 300, 1 in 300, no brainer! Everything is going to be fine! Our baby will definitely not have any genetic condition! The Dr. even said to us on his way out "see ya in 2 years when they scare you with the next one"<br />Not another thought was given about any of this until the day after Maddie was born.Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-21304109651584724572009-08-11T14:45:00.000-07:002009-08-11T15:36:30.128-07:00Drinking from a big girl straw cup!Yesterday we had what we like to call a "good news" appointment with Dr. Ruiz and Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pattisapu</span>. We had been <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">referred</span> to Dr. P. first back in January of this year due to Madison's abnormally large sized head and concerns that there might be extra fluid surrounding her brain. We had a sedated MRI done in Feb and were relieved to find out that there was no extra fluid and thought we were home free! At her one year visit in April with Dr. Pollack (geneticist that follows her) she was again concerned about her head size and shape, so she again <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">refered</span> us to Dr. R who is a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">crainiofacial</span> surgeon. He was not happy with the quality of the MRI scan so we again, had to have a sedated full CT. This time however, we were not lucky enough to get an early A.M. appointment and my poor poor Maddie had to go almost 14 long hours with not a morsel of food, or a drop of water. Well, turns out the CT is much quicker than the MRI and they wanted to try and get a shot without sedating her. Sedation is a big deal, she has to be admitted, and anesthesia is placed as if she were having surgery, and the recovery <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">peri</span>0d is a couple hours. When she was sedated for the MRI she also had to have some breathing assistance...so needless to say I was a little relieved they were not wanted to sedate this time for the CT, but I thought there was NO WAY <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">maddie</span> was going to lay there still enough to get a good shot since she was literally starving! Again my daughter proved me wrong and lay there still as can be..no need to sedate this time. Dr. Ruiz describes himself as the "carpenter" as Dr. P is the pluming, electrical <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">ect</span>... So, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">basically</span> since her brain looks good and there is no seizure activity, the electrical, pluming <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">ect</span> is not causing her abnormal head shape. Dr. R had suspected a condition called <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">craniosynostosis</span> which causes the bones in the skull to fuse together too quickly therefore not leaving enough <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">room</span> for the b<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">rian</span> to grow. At this point Dr. R <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">doesnt</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">believe</span> she "fully" has this <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">condition</span> but she is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">of course</span> in the 5% that he sees have a major marker for it. There are 2 areas of her skull that seemed to have fused prematurely however he is not suggesting the corrective surgery yet...this is a major major surgery that has a very very long recovery period, and it would really delay Maddie's motor and fine motor development at this age. But at the same time, if she is going to need this surgery it would be best to have it before age 2, since between birth and age two is the time period a babies brain grows the most. For now though, Dr. R is saying 'NO SURGERY' <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">yaaaay</span>!!<br /><br />Now, on to additional exciting news! Maddie now has an Occupational therapist that will be coming to the house to work with her on Tuesday mornings. She came for the first time today and evaluated her fine motor skills, watched her play with blocks and manipulate toys. The therapists evaluation shows that Maddie is at the level of an 8-10 month old on a fine motor scale. I was a little upset seeing that we had the same evaluation done in early May showing the same result. I had hoped she had made some progress but she will feed herself and crawl and stand and walk when she feels like it and she is ready. We work on all of these things hours a day on end and when it comes down to it, Maddie is just not ready yet and she WILL do all of them when she darn well feels like it!! One thing she is mastering is the straw cup!! This is very very exciting because oral motor development occurs much quicker for kiddos with Down Syndrome who are able to drink from a straw cup early on. Her lips and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">tongue</span> used to be very weak and we have been working on straw drinking since she no longer needed the simply thick in her liquids to drink (around 10 months). She finally today, graduated from her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">special</span> "therapy" <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">cip</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">kup</span>, to a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">regular</span> old straw <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">sippy</span> cup, that I actually can buy at the store and not have to order <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">online</span> for $17 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">hoooray</span>. Ms. Amy her Speech therapist is great and she has been working with Maddie since she was 4 weeks old. She encouraged me to keep trying to breastfeed Maddie even after six solid months of me pumping ALL of the milk she consumed. Happily I was finally able to breastfeed her a solid 3 times per day when she was 6 and a half months old. She did not have the strength in her lips to adequately suck and seal without losing the liquid gold or suck hard enough to keep my supply up until after 5 months of strength exercises for her lips, cheeks and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">tongue</span>, that Amy taught me to do. Maddie is still nursing, but only in the mornings because she likes to bite me with her shark teeth any other time of day.<br /><br />Well, I am off to feed the angel and work on some new tricks the OT taught me today.Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410091859525295219.post-86854019290403470112009-07-20T17:59:00.000-07:002009-07-20T18:08:38.955-07:00The letter to my friends after we brought her home<em>Wednesday, April 30, 2008 <br /><br /><br />First I would like to thank EVERYONE for thier well wishes and prayers for Madison and our family. We are so fortunate to have such great family and friends by our side.<br />Chad and I celebrated the birth of our first daughter on Friday April 11th. Madison Lynne ( we are going to call her Maddie) came into the world at 9:19 pm and wieghed 7 lbs and 1 oz. I wont lie and say that labor and delivering her didnt hurt..BAD..but it was worth every minute for her! Chad was an excellent Coach and stuck by my side every second we were in the hospital, I am so lucky to have him. My Mom and sister were also there to share the moment Maddie was born, and surprisingly my sister didnt annoy me...lol, and was a huge help as "the towel puller" :)<br /></em><br /><em>Right after she was born, the doctor put her on my tummy so I could see her and Chad cut the cord. She was beautiful and looked so much like Chad I couldnt believe it! I will never forget how I felt at that moment because everything felt so perfect in my life. I have always dreamed of being a mommy since I was old enough to play with dolls and my dream finally came true.<br />After a few minutes the nurses cleaned her up and took her to the nursery area so the Neonatoligist could look her over, and she could warm up. Chad went with her. I spent months watching those stupid baby story shows on TLC so I knew how the system worked and I didnt worry about anything since she looked so good and I heard her cry. All the friends and family at the hospital got to see her through the window before they left since it was a loooong day. Maddie spent the most of the night in our room until a nurse came in at about 5am and noted her body temp was very low...so they took her back to the nursery area and reassured me everything was fine.<br /></em><br /><em>Chad and I woke up in the morning and wanted to see if they would bring her back to our room so I could feed her....The nurses told Chad she had to stay in the nursery for now and that she was not keeping her body temp warm enough...then I really started to worry when we were told a Dr. was going to speak with us about her condition.When we walked down to the nursury we found out Maddie was already admitted in the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit, Chad and I wanted to see her so we were allowed back and were able to hold her.<br /></em><br /><em>The Dr. met us in the NICU and while I was holding Madison he gave us the news that our baby has Down Syndrome. I cant even begin to describe the sadness that came over us at that moment. I literally felt my heart break into a million pieces...like no pain I have ever felt in my entire life. Of all the things I expected to ever happen in my life...this was the last. I looked down at her and I couldnt see it...she looked like a completely healthy newborn baby, and just like her daddy. I silently was in denial for a moment, and thought this was a bad dream I would wake up from. Then I realized it wasnt.... I held her and just cried.<br /></em><br /><em>For those who dont already know, Down Syndrome is a Chromosomal disorder that usually results in delays in physical and mental development along with nurmerous health conditions. It is known that an error in cell division at conception causes DS, it is random and not caused by anything Chad or I did during my pregnancy. It can happen to anyone and the odds are 1 in 1400 in any pregnancy. Maddie's type of DS is trisomy 21, basically instead of having 46 chromosomes in each cell, Maddie has 47. We just want all of our family and friends who will be a part of Maddie's life to please understand Down Syndrome, accept her for who she is, and LOVE her.<br /></em><br /><em>This is a huge shock to Chad, myself and our families but we are optimistic about Maddie's future. We are very fortunate that she has a healthy heart but she still has some obstacles to overcome. We were finally able to bring her home from the hospital after 2 weeks and 2 days. During that time, coming home every night without my baby was the hardest part of the whole experience so far. Chad and I love her more than we ever imagined, and bringing her home was the happiest feeling. Maddie looks like a little baby doll, she is just so beautiful and she amazes us everyday.<br /></em><br /><em>I honestly believe Chad and I were given Maddie for a reason...I dont want anyone to feel sorry for Maddie or bad for us. Maddie is going to have the best life possible and we are going to see to it she has every potential to grow up the way any other child does. She could not have asked for a better family, she is loved by more people than I ever thought. Chad is the most loving and amazing man I have ever known in my life and will never let her down. He has been optomistic and supportive from day one and always reassures me when I have doubts. He kept all of our friends up to date day by day while I took some time to collect myself and focus on my baby. I truly love Chad with all of my heart and consider myself to be the luckiest girl in the world to have him. And I love my family for being there for us and making sure everything has been taken care of during the last few weeks, and spending hours with us while we sat in the NICU with Maddie.<br /></em><br /><em>Most people including myself, take the simple things in life for granted. I never expected to have a child with disabilites and was not prepared for these emotions. I thought Chad and I would go to the hospital, have a healthy little girl, and go home in 2 days..like eveyone else I know. I love my little girl more than I ever imagined and I know she is going to bring us a lifetime of happiness.<br /></em><br /><em>She is already bringing us plently of poopy diapers sleepless nights, and worrying mommy like crazy, but being with her is worth more than I can describe!!!!<br /><br />Thank you again to eveyone. I will be posting LOTS of pictures of her to share<br />Love,<br />Kristin<br /></em>Kristin Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16220803763897994216noreply@blogger.com0