Curcumin

I can't seem to stop reading and researching, hoping to do what I can to help Liam be the best Liam he can be.  There is a lot of talk in the DS community about different methods/treatments/etc that can enhance our kids cognitive abilities and "tame" the effects of that extra chromosome.  Would you do it?  Would you take away the DS if you could?  Is DS a part of your child that makes them uniquely themselves?  Do you both accept your child and who they are but at the same time want to enhance their quality of life and ability to be independent?
A lot to think about.
I want Liam to be happy.  And healthy.  That's what I want for him.  But I also want him to be as in dependent as possible, able to make his own decisions, communicate with the world around him.

Anyway, all this is simply leading to me wanting to share what I am reading about natural and holistic ways to enhance  his health and cognition.  Here are a couple articles talking about the benefits of curcumin:
"Age-related cerebrovascular dysfunction is occurring on an epidemic scale in Western countries and include, “stroke, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.”  Presently, very few if any conventional medical interventions are capable of providing effective solutions, and none have been found to reverse underlying pathologies in conditions whose trajectories are generally characterized as ‘incurable.’ All the more reason why the new study holds so much promise in providing an evidence-based natural solution that is safe, effective, affordable and easily accessible as a familiar food ingredient."

http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/how-turmeric-can-save-the-aging-brain-from-dementia-and-premature-death/
http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/the-spice-that-prevents-fluoride-from-destroying-your-brain/

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Loves of my life

Could they be any cuter? 

Me and my girl

Me and my boy

The dentist

We really like the dentist we have for the kids.   He has a great personality and the kids like him and he seems to do a good job. I was especially pleased when he made a special exception so I could keep both kids at the same practice.  Something about insurance was going to make me have to use a different dentist for each kid.   But he made it work for us.  

This week we went in for both kids check ups and saw the other dentist.   He's an older man with a big personality.   Friendly and personable.   But when he checks Liam the first thing he says to me is "congratulations!"   And I'm thinking, wow, well thank you I guess.   For my kids having great teeth?  And then he says "I am so happy you stopped breastfeeding!"  So my guard went up a bit.   He's pretty old school and I didn't want to voice all my opinions then and there,   All dentists tend to tell you that nursing leads to tooth decay.   You know, especially if you nurse them to sleep.  But it didn't seem like a time to say anything so I just smiled and pointed at Lupe and said "two years" and "Liam two and a half years and I'm pretty happy with those times".  Whatever.   I'll keep doing what I'm doing cause I think I'm making good choices for my kids. 

He suggests dental probiotics for Liam because of the benefits it could give him what with the pesky extra chromosome making some changes in his body.  Different I guess than the other probiotics I give him daily. Ok.  He cuddles him and says "I love you!"   Ok.   I guess.  Liam's ok with it and he lets people know when he doesn't even want a high five from them.   He then somehow gets to saying Liam will be his patient for life.   I'll be seeing this guy at age 44 if i haven't retired yet! (Which isn't likely, he's old) and this made me feel weird.   Maybe that could be ok. maybe Liam will like him a lot.   But a grown man in a pediatric dentist practice?   I'm pretty sure Liam's going to be fairly high functioning and will be cognizant of the strangeness of going to a kid place.   I think.   Maybe not.   I won't know that for a while.   But I just felt that he had a pre conceived idea of the potential abilities of a person with Down syndrome.  And that he wouldn't be able to handle or act appropriately in a typical adult dental practice. 

 Am I reading into it? Am i being defensive?  I don't know.  But my gut told me that something felt strange about his treatment.  Not bad,  just not quite right.  I can't decide if his "having had many downs patients" is a pro or con.  

Good news bad news

The good news: Liam is ready for kindergarten!   Haha.   He hugs the teacher every time we go to pick up Lupe, I love watching it.  He wants to do EVERYTHING she does.   Yep.   The baby doll he got from Santa?  No, only lupe's baby doll will do.   She says no, he says no.   She dances, he dances.   She takes off a shirt, he tries to put it on.  They are pretty cute together.  Except when he hits her.  

Liam spent the better part of Sunday in a pink tutu.   He can now say mermaid.  

Bad news: the audiologist says his hearing hasn't developed as much as it should in the last year.   In a way this is good news though, cause maybe there's something we can do to help.   And I like her, she knows that  "borderline normal" hearing is not ok for Liam.   He needs excellent hearing in order to develop speech.   So we'll see what happens next, stay tuned.  

Mi chimuela

Oh the milestones at five years old!   Lupe just learned to ride her bike and one week later she fell off it at the park and the handlebar knocked her wiggly front tooth out.  On Facebook my brother commented on the picture she drew for the fairy, how he liked the blood spurting out (there was a fare share of it).  But no, those were tears she said.  Just happened to be using a red marker.

And the first tooth lost not in my presence!  A magical job kindergarten teachers have, catching those five year old teeth!  I heard about it from five kids before I even saw Lupe in the classroom!