Our Summer (in photos)

  Well our summer started with the birth of baby Noah who is now 9 weeks old, he is a wonderful and very happy baby who  sleeps very well!  Thank goodness.  Well two weeks after we came home with Noah, Tyce started a Therapy camp in Grand Rapids,  we would take him three days a week from 9-12 where he would get music, occupational, fine motor, and speech therapies along with a lot of fun socialization.  Our summer has been crazy busy I don't think I got much of a maternity leave but I am totally ok with that because Tyce's summer camp was soooo worth every early morning drive and money spent.  I have seen him grow so much this summer, I know he needed it and it was good time for me and him to spend some alone time on our drives up there. His speech is coming along and he understands so much, he also can stack 6 blocks up high and sings some pretty cute songs :). I will just keep going with pictures which pretty much sums  things up.  As I am currently typing Tyce has a book and is making every animal sound he see's his favorite is the Lion with a very mean 'Roarrrrr' (ok not really mean at all:)

Ready for Physical Therapy 'Michelle'  to come to my house and play football and basketball with me (an early morning in June)

At his 2 year check up he was still on all the "typical" charts for growth and doing very well health wise he has passed all his check ups, thank goodness!   While we waited he decided to sit inside the cupboards, welcome nauthy 2's....

My cousin Aryana loves me!!!

 2 week old Noah

Pipe it Noah

Out to Breakfast at The Windmill

I won't touch him, promise....

Thursday Nigh street performers downtown Holland, double strolling it :)

Yes, he goes in there all the time :( silly kid!

So busted!

My big cool cousing Royce swimming with me in my pool!!!

All I heard was a yelp... and I could see him signing "help"

I-Pad time 

At his Mickey Mouse Birthday Party

Golf seems like a very safe sport, I like it Tyce!

8 Week Bumbo shot

All Sasssss

This is Hunter, a HUGE part of why Tyce did so great at Camp this summer!!! Thank you Hunter from the bottom of my heart!!!

Holy I love these two,  Tyce with Emma :)

Happy Noah

  What a beautiful summer 2012 it has been!!!  I get the year off of paid work to spend time with my beautiful babies I am so excited for this opportunity!  I start my last two semesters of internship in just two weeks. For two whole weeks we have NO therapies, NO work for me or NO school for me or Tyce.  LET THE REAL RELAXING SUMMER BEGIN!!!

Noah's Birth story

   May 29 came and went. I long anticipated the birth of my second born. We had changed his name at least half a dozen times. As May 31 approached (Tyce's birthday) I began to get really nervous I did not want them to have the same birthday, but secretly I didn't care anymore I wanted to meet my little boy. On Tyce's birthday I had things planned just in case I went into labor, well no contractions so I last minute planned a cake and pizza family party, I wanted my boy to feel special and Mickey Mouse cake he got! And of course he will forever have his own birthday (unless baby #3? if that be the case, decides May 31 sounds fun too). Weekend came and still no baby. Saturday night TJ and I went for the longest walk, we couldn't believe that he was this late.  Not one single contraction, I had bouts of maybe.. or ohhh this could be one... and no, nothin. I went to bed at 10:30pm, I had a long conversation with God about his timing, and praying everything went as he wanted it to go. I decided finally I would just leave it up to him, as I was attempting to control the baby's timing to my liking ( I think it worked). I finally asked my mother in law to stay the night in case this was it, and someone could stay with Tyce, luckily my instinct was correct and I didn't have to drag Tyce out of bed otherwise we may have really not delivered his brother in a hospital but rather the parking lot.
  12:47 am on June 3rd I felt a very abrupt  change in how I felt, my first intense contraction. In the time it took me to find a pen to write the contractions  down I had already had two. The next contraction was 6 minutes apart followed, by 5 then 4. I called the hospital they said to head on down. We arrived at the Hospital by  1:16 am. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it up the stairs to the delivery room. I came in dilated to 7 and within half an hour I was at 9. Dr. Taylor had still not arrived until close to 2:00 am by 2:10 am he told me it was clearly too late for an epidural and he proceeded with a numbing shot assuming I would have the baby within an hour and a half (God bless medicine). The shot took its course and as Dr. Taylor was leaving the room my blood pressure shot down very low, I was told it was time and within the grace of 7 minutes we welcomed Noah Timothy Matchinsky at 8Ilbs 1oz and 21inches long. Things all went very fast, the way they were meant to go.

  It was all so different, this time we chose a different doctor, a different hospital I felt very at peace with our decisions, the whole Holland Hospital experience was not for us.  I love the Doctor that delivered Noah, he also delivered one of my nephews. Plus the pediatrician that was on the night Noah was born is Tyce's pediatrician since we left Holland and moved to Zeeland Hospitals, we completely trust Dr. Lirio.  Noah came at his own time, and now 9 weeks later he does things at his time, when he is ready he makes sure we all know it.  I love you Noah Timothy!!!

  Tyce was not the biggest fan of Noah once we brought him home, he didn't understand why we brought home this little creature, why does he cry and why are you holding him so much?!.  Today, he is totally used to him, but that doesn't mean he likes it any more or less. I know one day soon the uncertainties he is feeling will go away and they will love each other. Noah has such an easy temperament that I am sure he and his brother will get through just fine. I have already seen Ty mature into a big brother throughout the summer.

Our departure from the Hospital was a bit different then last time.

And Tyce continues to have his own day :)  

Walking and New Home all in one day! ( I write to remember, so I never forget)

  We are settled in our new home. I have both babies rooms ready and my bags are packed for the hospital. Didn't think I was going to get that all done so soon, but it's done, feeling great!  My internship hours are complete for this semester, signed, sealed and delivered (what a relief). Baby you can come any time now.

He puts his little hand over my belly and starts to giggle when his brother kicks him, I can sense their bond already! He knows where baby is and gives baby a kiss :)

 He's ready for the baby I swear....

  You would have asked me a three days before moving if  Tyce was going to be walking in three days I would have said no way. Oddest thing ever, May 5th the DAY we move into our new home he took his first completely independent, "leave me alone I'm done needing your help" steps up and down the hallways, all around the house.  It's like he knew this was his new home and he was going to to show his house who Tyce Coronado Matchinsky was, he wasn't messin around.  I can't believe he did it before he was two, before his little brother came, what a relief, it would have been hard to carry around two babies. Thank you Tyce!  Tyce is always showing me he is going to do things on his own time, in his terms and he usually does it sooner then I expect it.  He is still figuring out how to stand up on his own, he can do it, he just can't find his niche with it, he wants an easier way to do it, then he gets frusterated and just pulls up on something and starts to walk. So we set goals for this intensive therapy camp this summer, kiddo has knocked off the biggest goal of the summer... Learn to Walk check.

  We had his IEP earlier this month and I am/was very pleased with the goals we have set out for him. Although again, I think he has already accomplished the stacking blocks and can complete a six piece puzzle we may update those sooner then I thought too, that is a good problem to have right? I am totally enjoying this stage in his life, but it is also getting more challenging. Were teaching him not to hit and it is a tough work in progress. I am looking forward to some behavior classes  this summer, I know all kids hit, but I am not sure how to make Ty understand its not ok, and he can't do it. I know he knows it's wrong, but Im not sure how to best discipline him, I hear it's different with the DS, so if any moms have advice please let me know. We have been working on gentle, and no hit, etc... We often remove him from the naughty action that he is partaking in rather that is knocking things down, or throwing things and that seems to help with the discipline but still, I feel I need to learn more. Overall he is such a loving, outstanding baby. The day he made me a momma was the day I became the luckiest person!

  He has totally made himself at home!

 

This Captain America flies throughout our house now, what a superhero!

 

I will leave this post with this deep yet genuine sentiment. My little boy is almost two.  On June 1, 2010 when we had the pediatrician that does her routine checks inspect my little brand new baby boy I had a gut feeling she was going to tell me words I didn't want to hear. Somewhere deep I knew there was something in his little almond shaped eyes that were going to reveal a part of Tyce that his mom and dad had no idea about. A fear like none other came over, I was scared for Tyce, for me, for TJ for our family. I was scared because those words were heavy, they were so foreign, most of all they were so unexpected. The words "your son has features that lead me to believe he may have Down syndrome" felt like the biggest blow my body had ever felt. From that moment on I just knew (mixed with some denial), and I wanted to know everything, I wanted to look 6 months down the rode, 2 years, 10, 20 etc...  I have my moments when I am still scared, but mostly those are so washed away with that little face below, and his personality he is who he is. (To be honest I forget about the DS, a lot, but his birth date is coming up so I wanted to share those feelings). And at 2 he has taught me so much, he loves me so much and I stop beating myself up wondering if I am doing enough for him. All I know is that I am lucky God choose me for him, I may not have said that on June 1, 2010, I think I said things more like...why the heck me God? you know I am the MOST impatient person ever!!! But, I know this was my Tyce, he was never another Tyce and my Tyce is perfect, God bless that little extra chromosome that scared me so much. I love that stinker so much!  Happy almost 2nd birthday to the kid who is going to be an outstanding big brother  and has made this mom feel so incredibly blessed, so incredibly fortunate to be called your momma:). Seriously,feeling LUCKY!

 

I say words, I really do!

Ok, Its been far too long and I miss this whole blogging thing far too much, no wireless where we are currently staying :/. So much is going on in our lives that I have no idea where to to start. But here it goes a conglomeration of this and that...

  We are expecting our second baby boy in just 8 weeks, we are so excited to meet him!  However, we still don't have a house yet, but we have a perspective and are hoping to close within the month (fingers crossed). We have been staying at TJ's parents house since late January. The closing of our house was a disaster and to say the least we were completely moved out but still paying a mortgage payment, it all went as bad as it could possibly go. None the less we are out, the house is sold and we currently do not own a home, greatest feeling (for now)!  We've spent the last month looking for our "right" home, for some odd reason it is so much harder then I ever imagined.  Throughout this whole situation I am working while doing a 17 hour a week internship and taking a Saturday Grant writing class, not to mention I am pregnant.  Its chaos. And on top of that TJ started a new job.  This new job of his opens up a world of opportunity's for us so we are forever grateful for that. My life might be able to slow down and I might have the opportunity to be there more for Tyce and his therapies and his busy schedule, BIGGEST blessing ever!!!   And spend time with our new baby boy, all wonderful things. Not to mention I am taking the summer off.  I am registering Tyce for a summer 7 week intensive therapy camp that I am thrilled to be a part of.  All in God's timing, even though sometimes I don't agree with God's timing, it really does all work out!

  Tyce had his big year and a half kidney appointment in February and his kidneys showed, well... I still don't know what the heck they showed.  One is totally fine and the other is still not ok, its at a grade 3, grade 4 being the worst. We were still told to wait another six months before he needs kidney surgery, hoping he doesn't need it all is the plan!  We know a couple other kiddos without DS going through the same situation so this kidney issue doesn't necessarily have to do with his DS. Overall, if this is the worst of it we can handle that, however I just wish it would fix itself already watching him be sedated was so sucky! :/.

Tyce and his dad with there new Iphone :)

Downtown Holland, I love the way he is smiling here

For TJ's birthday we went to the Casino (free night stay), Tyce and I went shopping in Michigan City. This is him on our way back, very tired.

Downtown Holland, playing trains and the Sand Castle

This is what we did for World Down syndrome Day!!!  We went to Jackies place and had them sing Happy Birthday to Tyce :) ha it wasn't his birthday but of course it was a part of him we fully celebrate!!!  And he got a Mickey pancake= Happy kiddo!!!

  Newer updates with Tyce: He can eat with a fork now, which is super exciting for us. He has no idea how to portion control on his own, so we have to give him one piece of food at a time and he pokes it with his little fork. His desire to walk plateaued for a little while.  I think he was more interested in working on his OT and Speech skills for a a few months.  He is still walking with us with one hand held, or will walk in between us for about 10 steps. He can climb up and down stairs. And loves to climb up and down on couches and furniture and slides, he is a great climber.  And his new favorite word is Ball, with emphasis on the A-LL part.  He is still signing like crazy and picks up on any new sign we give him he has over 20 signs, I love that we can communicate so well. Moms new favorite is night-night, around 8 o'clock he will sign to me that he is ready to go night-night. Gosh he is such a good sleeper, I am not ready to loose these wonderful hours of sleep again.

   Love the Matchinsky's!!!