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The worst doctor's appointment EVER...

Monday was Kyle's first pediatrician appointment. Nikolai had one scheduled for the same day already so I piggy backed the two. Kevin was at work so it was my first outing with all four kids by myself. I figured it would not be that bad because MaryKate could keep Sara entertained while I dealt with the boys with the doctor.

They were great in the waiting room and all the old people sitting around smiled at Sara and her antics (we go to a family practitioner, so it is not just babies) but we had to wait an extraordinarily long time so they were all at their limit by the time we got called back. While one nurse was weighing and measuring Nikolai the other one was weighing Kyle all in a tiny room... two nurses, four kids and I in a 5 X 10 room... CROWDED! So MaryKate decided that the best way to entertain Sara would be to take her into the hall and run races with her. Yelling and squealing and running in front of people. By the time I got them called back to me and reprimanded the nurses were at their wits end and said "Let's get you a room to help you keep these kids contained." (Let me tell you, I felt like "Mother of the Year" after that comment.)

Once we got into the room the kids were great until the doctor came in. Since Kyle had just fallen asleep we started with Nikolai. I was sitting in the chair, Nikolai was on the table, Sara had claimed the doctors chair but he willingly stood next to Nikolai, talking to me across the room. Sara was happily spinning her toy dog around on the doctors stool but MaryKate wanted to sit and spin. So instead of helping entertain her, MaryKate pushed Sara's toy off and sat down, causing a 20 month old to understandably scream and push. MaryKate did this THREE times, me stopping talking to the doctor each time to reprimand her and remind her what she was supposed to be doing. The doctor left the room to get Nikolai's prescription at which point MaryKate got a very stern talking to and was sent to sit quietly next to Nikolai.

When the doctor came in Sara had abandoned his chair so he sat down next to me. Nikolai and MaryKate were being great, playing "dead" on the table, laying still and being quiet, I couldn't ask for more :). Unfortunately Sara had abandoned his chair to climb on the unstable, rolling, metal stand in the room. I told her "No" and took her off but as soon as my attention was back on the doctor she started climbing it again. I was holding Kyle on my lap so I grabbed her arm with one hand to help her down again. The table tipped in the process and she got hurt somewhere, I'm not sure where, but she started SCREAMING at which point Nikolai and MaryKate decided they had been good long enough and started to fight. Sara screamed so hard that she ended up passing out (something she used to do on a regular basis but has not in about 6 months). The doctor took time out of checking Kyle to make sure she was okay. She came to in minute and started a steady cry, which nothing I did could alleviate. ALL this time the big kids had been squabbling, so as soon as she came to I snapped at them to stop and had MaryKate climb down and come sit on the floor next to me.

So here I was with Sara crying in my left arm, Kyle, as good as gold, in my right arm, the doctor at my right side trying to be patient and answering all my questions over the din of crying and there was MaryKate, sitting on the floor next to me... POKING SARA IN THE LEG!!!... because, you know, she wasn't crying hard enough already (sarcastic eye roll)!

I asked the doctor about flu shots and when he went out to get one ready for Nikolai, Nikolai threw a fit about getting a shot. Fortunately for him the nurse came back in and informed us that they were all out but we could be put on their waiting list or we could go down to Walgreens where they were giving flu shots. As soon as she left Nikolai started back-talking to me saying "We are NOT going to Walgreens, I'm tired and need a snack and we've already been here FOREVER!" Now, I had no intention on going anywhere else with these kids for a very long time but the last thing I needed was him talking to me like that so on the way out the door HE got a lecture.

We usually get in and out at this doctors office but it must have been an extra busy day, we were there for about 2 hours and missed the lab to finish Kyle's PKU test (so I still have to go back... big sigh). We got in the car and the kids were not allowed to talk the whole way home (and for about an hour after, if I remember correctly). They got their homework done, chores and piano practicing done, ate dinner and were sent to bed at which point Kevin finally got home so I sat and cried and cried. He gave them a lecture the next morning and had them write apology letters to our doctor for behaving so badly, a better consequence then I could have thought up.

Granted, I've learned my lesson... a baby sitter is a MUST when going to the doctor's from now on. I used to take all three kids with but apparently adding one more is just too much to ask.

Our Kyle

We have some very special news to share with you about our new baby, Kyle. He was born with Down syndrome. He is incredibly healthy and strong and only exhibits a few of the physical manifestations so far.

Since one of the main concerns of babies with Down syndrome is heart abnormalities the hospital ordered an echo-cardiogram even though no murmur could be heard and his coloring was very good. It revealed a small Ventricular Septum Defect, or a small hole between the lower two chambers of his heart and a malformation of the right valve. We will learn more about what exactly is going on with the valve when we have a follow up echo-cardiogram with his pediatric cardiologist in a few weeks. Otherwise neither is posing any kind of immediate health risk. The VSD might close up on its own, continue with no noticeable side effects or will possibly need surgery sometime in the future.

We are also being referred to do genetic counseling which will tell us what kind of Down syndrome Kyle has. This will help us better prepare for the future, giving us an idea of what to expect as he grows up. Lastly, he will be starting therapy through the Arizona Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers.

We are very proud of our little boy and feel that he is a special blessing in our home. Right now, just like any other newborn, we are dealing with the exhaustion that comes from 2 am feedings, trying to establish a regular family routine, and the reality of getting two babies in and out of car seats wherever we go anywhere with all their accompanied paraphernalia. What he needs now is the same love, attention, and care that any other newborn needs.

The correct name of his diagnosis is Down syndrome. He is first and foremost Kyle, our baby, secondly he is "a baby with Down syndrome." It is not appropriate to refer to him as "a Downs" or "a Downs baby". Terms of sympathy are not appropriate. We welcome any questions you have about his diagnosis but want you to understand that we see him as our Kyle, our perfect new baby, and will rarely, if ever, refer to him being our baby with Down syndrome in general conversation and would appreciate it if you also referred to him as Kyle, not as his diagnosis. We will provide updates on his heart condition as we receive them and we will applaud his accomplishments just like we applaud the accomplishments of our other children.

Kyle is Born

Kyle James Anthony Anderson

born Sunday 27 September 2009

7 lbs 3 oz 19 1/2 inches

Everybody in our family is so in love with our newest bundle of joy. He is such a sweet baby who rarely cries and loves the adoration of his big brother and sisters. We feel so blessed and lucky to have him in our home.

MaryKate gets glasses!

These are the frames she picked out, it only took an hour to come to a decision!

Thankful for my many blessings.

I was going through my phone today as I was waiting for Nikolai's bus and came across this picture of him two years ago and wanted to share how thankful I was for Heavenly Father's love. Nikolai had taken a bad fall on his bike on the way home from school, rode the handle bars down and face planted on the pavement. Needless to say I totally freaked out and the presence of another grownup was required to calm me down enough so I wouldn't freak him out. He requested a blessings which stated that he would be healed by his faith. Later that I night I was worrying out loud about whether or not his face would scar. With complete faith he said, "Don't worry, Mommy, I had a blessing, it will be just fine." And it was. The scab fell off miraculously two days later to reveal a completely healed face. He has one tiny scar the size of his pinkie nail on the lower corner of his eye that you can only see in the summer when he is very tan. I am very glad that Heavenly Father healed him requisite to HIS faith and not mine. My little 7 year old boy taught me a great lesson that week about relying on Him and I am so thankful today for all the blessings we have been given, including Nikolai's intact face.

Kyle's Quilt

A tradition I started when I was pregnant with Nikolai is hand making a crib quilt for each baby. On the other three I got started as soon as I knew the boy/girl status. This little guy has just had to wait. I think i was intimidated by the idea of what I was planning on doing. I finally got started and this is what the top looked like before any embroidery detailing was done.

Here is a close up of the alien before...
and after.

I'm about half way done with the astronaut and will post more photos when he is finished.

Our Nikolai

Nikolai loves playing Star Wars on our Wii. He really doesn't get many chances to (maybe once a week if he's lucky). Sara just has to do whatever he is doing (she is enamored by him) so she got her own controller, climbed up next to him and "played" the game with him for quite a while. He is such a sweet brother because he not only tolerates her but encourages her to join with him.
(Another MaryKate photo) Another love of Nikolai's is the Heroscape game that Santa brought him last Christmas. He'll spend as much time as I'll let him down in the basement setting up and rearranging and playing this kid-friendly Dungeons and Dragons related game.

Nikolai was so excited about starting orchestra now that he is in the 4th grade. He picked the cello to play and loves his twice a week class and loves coming home to demonstrate all of the knowledge he has acquired.

Our MaryKate

MaryKate has been getting creative lately with the camera and enjoys producing dramatic self-portraits like this one.
Helping Kevin mow the lawn. Any time there was something on the ground that would be bad to roll over she'd jump down and move it then climb back up. I think her hair got caught a couple of times in the trees and she never complained.

Another one of her portraits. She went on a camera spree this day (it's so much fun to have a digital camera where it's no big deal if she takes 100 photos because I can just erase them without paying to have them developed). I'll let her do her own post of the "story" she told with the camera.