This week I took Colton for his 9 month checkup. In the waiting room, I filled out the ASQ that they have you do at every checkup appointment. Well...Colton pretty much failed it. But guess what? I wasn't sad about it...I actually chuckled. I didn't let it bother me. I CAN'T let it bother me. Colton is not a typical baby. He is not doing what most 9 month old babies are doing...and that's ok!!! Colton is moving at his own pace...all babies move at their own pace. He probably functions more like a 6 or 7 month old. But the good news is...Colton is healthy and happy! And he's BIG! Here are his stats...
These are the stats for a TYPICAL baby. Colton is pretty much in the 70th percentile for both height and weight. On the Down Syndrome scale, he's even higher than 70th percentile...like almost off the charts. The doctor laughed. She was very happy with his growth...and I'm glad to see that his height and weight are proportional. He's slowly starting to get longer which is making him look less chubby. But there's still plenty of chub to go around.
Colton gets so excited about the noises the paper makes on the table. He likes to wiggle around and pretend he's gonna fly away. This is his Superman pose.
I was excited he wasn't going to have to get any shots....until they asked about his Flu Shot. So...we did get a Flu Shot. He cried pretty good, but calmed down after a couple of minutes. All of these pictures are pre-flu shot. Unfortunately, he has to go back in a month for another dose since it's his first one.
Moving on to his Speech Evaluation. Last week, he was evaluated at Access for Language and Feeding. His Feeding Evaluation was first. The Speech Therapist fed him different foods to see how he could manage them. We did green beans (Level 1 baby food) and then thickened it with oatmeal. She liked the way he was eating the food off of the spoon, but he was having a little trouble with the thick textures because they would leave residue on his tongue. We gave him some Puffs and sometimes he'd lose them in his cheeks. A typical baby would move their tongue to find the food in their cheek, but Colton just lost it completely. We had to go fish it out to show him that he still had food in his mouth. Sometimes, he'd push the puff back out with his tongue thrusting. With DS, they usually move their tongues in and out, not side to side (tongue lateralization)...so that's something he needs help with. The therapist said that he's probably 2 months behind where he should be with eating. Most of that is my fault. I'm that mom that is paranoid about kids choking, so I don't experiment a lot. I kind of stick to things that I know they can't choke on. I did the same thing with Weston. With Colton, I've been even more paranoid because I don't want him learning bad tongue habits that are going to cause more Speech issues in the future. Also, he has a very sensitive gag reflex, so he tends to gag on the tiniest things (like a puff broken into thirds). So, most of the delays he has are because of lack of exposure. The Speech Therapist told me that she could help me. He would automatically qualify just because of his aspirating issues, but he is also a little behind where he should be. I told her that I really WANTED her help! I'm not a professional and I'm really dreading the change from bottles to real food. I've got the bottles down pat and switching means a whole new learning curve for me. I know I have to do it, but I'm anxious. I've tried to use a straw sippy cup with Colton a few times because that's what they recommend, and it's easier said than done. I put the straw in his mouth and he just doesn't know what to do with it. A typical baby would close their lips on it and suck, but he just doesn't. I really could use her help with that, too. That's the first thing she wants to work with him on. He needs to be able to suck out of a cup for when we switch to milk. Straws are better because they work all of the muscles in the face and we want to preserve the tone he has in his face. A regular sippy cup requires you to throw your head back and open the airway, which isn't great for a child who aspirates.
So...Colton is going to qualify for Feeding Therapy. He will go 2 times a week for 30 minute sessions. It will be directly after his Physical Therapy, so that's perfect for me! I'm very happy to have help as we make the transition from bottles to food!
Colton also had a Language Evaluation last week. It was basically a lot of questions for me to answer about Colton's communication. For example, does Colton make any consonant sounds? Does he understand what "NO" means? Does Colton babble? When you say Daddy's home, does Colton look around for Daddy? Does Colton look for you if you talk to him from the kitchen? Does Colton play peek-a-boo? Will Colton wave to you if you wave to him? Etc... Colton scored an 85. He is right on the border between Average and Below-Average. Babies don't qualify unless they are below a 77. So...Colton will not qualify for Language at this time. Language is actually a strength for him. He will give us a high five, he is starting to wave, and he likes to babble (making consonant sounds Ma and Ba). I've posted a video on my Instagram that shows him "talking." It's so cute. It makes me so proud that he's trying to communicate. Colton will be reevaluated in the next 6 months to see if he qualifies at that time. But until then, I'll keep practicing at home. She gave me lots of great ideas for encouraging communication, including games that teach conversational skills (I shake the rattle, you shake the rattle).
Our sweet baby Colton is doing really well. He's getting stronger. He's obviously happy. We are thankful for his health and growth. He's a blessing to our family. He's 9 months of AWESOME!
