From: Kraig Warnemuende <ad6075@wayne.edu>

Date: Tue Dec 3, 2002 1:38:43 PM America/Detroit

To: Kraig Warnemuende <ad6075@wayne.edu>

Subject: 12/03/02 Update from Kraig, Loren and Keren

Dear friends and family,

Sorry to make you wait so long for updates on the last update! 'Course, you were probably all celebrating Thanksgiving, and keeping busy with that. Hope it was a good one!

We were able to celebrate twice (never a bad thing). On Thursday we headed over to Kraig's aunt and uncle's for the Warnemuende Thanksgiving, then Friday was with my folks for "Thanksgivens" (with a few friends thrown in for good measure!). Keren certainly got to meet all sorts of family--aunts and uncles for the first time, as well as great-aunts and extended cousins. They had fun meeting her, but as she kind of slept through most of the events, I'm afraid she won't have much recollection of any of it :) .

As for feeding probs, et all, we seem to have worked through most of the difficulties we were having last week. I say "we", though probably it's mostly Keren doing the work (we're just the ones trying to figure out causes--if there are any!). By Wednesday, Keren was more willing to eat again, but then she started throwing up more, partly 'cause we couldn't get her to burp. So we started taking a lo-o-o-ng time for a bottle--lots of breaks to make sure she'd keep it down. She's still spitting up a little now and then at this point, but she's burping again, so not spitting up the volume. We did switch to a different formula, too, and that may have something to do with increased burps. Our doctor arranged for us to get an oxygen machine with cannula for Keren's nose, that she can wear while eating, to see if that would help with breathing. That has seemed to help a good bit for a few days, and may continue to be for a bit (we don't see it as a permanent measure--in fact, I didn't use it with her last bottle and she actually did fine). It seems at the moment that the hardest thing for her while she eats is being able to breathe well through her nose--it often seems very congested and obstructing, even when we can't get any mucus out of it. This has caused her some problems for breathing even between meals. Our doctor has said in the past that this is a pretty normal baby thing ("snurgling" I think they call it!), but it seems that Keren sometimes has a harder time with it because her nasal passages are so small.

Anyway, to say the least it's a learning experience. I was saying to Kraig this morning that it's kind of like those science experiments we used to do in school where you have to have a control group to identify the prob. Unfortunately, we have no control group, and there are so many interrelated factors, it's hard to narrow down anything! Thanks to a number of you who sent anecdotes of experiences you had with your kids! That helps us, too, 'cause we can begin to identify "normal baby" and "trisomy baby" a little more clearly. Thanks for praying, too. As always, that's a help and encouragement!

This morning we were introduced to our local "Early On" program--a special ed program for infants and pre-schoolers. The nurse and physical therapists came out to do an evaluation and take a medical history. They were a big help already, pointing out a few things we can do with Keren and things we need to think about. We also got a better idea as to where she is developmentally. Definitely a little behind the norm at this point, but doing well in many areas, too. She does some tracking with her eyes, but not to the extent a typical two-month-old would. Also, though she responds to sounds, she does it inconsistently. These are the types of things, though, that physical therapy can help develop, so that even if she can't be "normal," she can still learn and grow in her own way--and the more we do with her, the better for her! It will be interesting!

Alright, I've gone on long enough. These notes always seem to stretch out interminably! But today's a great day--the sun is shining, and we just got a few inches of gorgeous snow yesterday. It's a singing type of day! God is good all the time--all the time, God is good!

Much love,

Loren for all