Wes is doing really well. Slower developmentally than other kids, of course, but for Wes he’s doing great. His physical therapist came today and was happy to see his progress since last month.

He’s squatting a lot more when he plays, and he can go from standing (with help), to squatting to pick something up, and stand back up again. He loves to walk with help. We usually just hold one hand when we help him walk, and she said it’s better to hold his hand lower so it feels more natural to him (instead of way over his head). She showed me how to help him transition from the bear crawl to standing (pull back on his hips till his bum is sticking way out and then help him pull up). He responds well to this cue and stands right up. She said a lot of kids need you to push up their chest, too, before they’ll pull themselves upright. But Wes seems to have good balance.

She helped him walk around the dining room and kitchen, going after toys, for a while, and then I told her that Wesley’s favorite play place is the couch, and that he seems pretty brave in moving around on the couch. She was surprised, since the couch is less stable-feeling than the floor, but we put Wes on the couch and he seemed a little more fearless.

So we’ll keep working on helping him walk, helping him stand, and squatting to pick up toys. She said he’ll probably be an early walker (which in the world of DS is anytime before they’re two). She thought maybe by the time he’s 18 months.

I haven’t posted pictures in a long time. So here are some old ones.

Wesley in his Christmas Santa hat on Christmas Eve:

Wes sitting on John’s lap on Christmas day:

Wes planting a big wet one on me:

And Wes making a quick getaway after being caught in the act:

How can you be mad when he smiles up at you like this?

Wesley loves walking. With help, anyway. His smile is never brighter than when we’re holding one of his hands to help him walk. He just loves it.

Walking with Daddy

He turned 16 months on January 12th. The average age to walk for kids with Down syndrome is about two years. He’s well on his way to getting there before he’s two. We’ve noticed him bear crawling more often now, which might indicate he’s getting closer to standing or walking.

Good news! Though I wish it could be that Wesley finally has teeth, it’s almost as good. I got a job teaching Zumba and aerobics at a local gym. The best part is that I will get paid to do something I love and would be doing anyway. My classes start next week. And this week I’m subbing a couple of classes at BYU, which is pretty much the best place in the world to teach. You can’t beat the energy of a gymnasium full of 20-year-old girls.

Also, it looks like John and I will be taking a vacation this spring to Mexico, which will be a nice break. Wesley will get to bond with the grandparents while we’re away. I bet he’s planning to wait for us to leave and THEN break in some teeth while we’re gone. He’ll probably start walking, too, out of spite for leaving him home. But if that’s what it takes…

1. Order takeout from Macaroni Grill: 2 entrées and 1 dessert. Cost, including tip: $50. Average cost per item: $16.66.
2. Get home and then discover your lasagna is burned.
3. Call Macaroni Grill and ask for replacement entrée.
4. Manager offers 2 new entrées and 2 new desserts, plus throws in $15 worth of gift certificates.

Final tally: 4 entrées, 3 desserts, $15 in gift certificates. Average cost per item: $5.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

Wesley has learned how to play Peek-a-boo. At first, I would cover up my face with my hands, say “Where’s Mom?”, then pull away my hands and say “Peekaboo!” I’d do the same to him by covering up his face and saying, “Where’s Wesley?” He really liked that. But this week he figured out that he can do the same thing by pulling a blanket or burp cloth over his face. It’s really cute to watch and it’s rewarding to see that he’s getting it. Sometimes it seems like we work for so long on something, or a lot of things, and he just doesn’t get it. It gets frustrating to try to teach him something for months and months without any apparent progress, when you know other kids get it just like that. But then he surprises us by figuring out something on his own that we weren’t even trying to teach him, like how to play Peek-a-boo.

For Christmas Wes received a few new toys, courtesy of the grandparents. One of them is a Bounce & Spin Zebra that he can sit on and, well, bounce and spin on. The box says it’s for ages 12-36 months. Wes is 15 1/2 months, but I think we’ll have to put it aside for a few months until he gets tall enough that his feet can reach the floor while sitting on the toy. Right now we have to hold him on it and he’s kind of like, “What am I doing dangling here?”

Wes has to gain over three pounds before I can get him out of the backward-facing infant car seat and into the Big Boy front-facing seat. Whenever we take him into restaurants we always carry him in the car seat and we always specifically request a high chair. And the server always arrives with a sling for the car seat instead. When we ask for the high chair again, the server usually says, “Oh, sorry; people who want high chairs don’t come in with car seats.” I didn’t think it was that weird to carry Wes around in the car seat. Is it?

For Christmas John gave me the DVD of Anne of Green Gables. I finished watching it today. It is like a breath of fresh air. And now I’m dying because I don’t have the sequel to it. I might just have to go online and buy it as a belated Christmas present to myself…

And, speaking of movies, I saw Twilight for the second time this week. And it was so much better than the first time. I liked it OK the first time, but I could really get into it the second time around. How much better will it be the third time, I wonder? Has anyone else seen it twice?