On November 18 2009 at 4:02 am William Alan Bartosch was joyfully welcomed into our family. He weighed in at 7 lbs 9 oz and 20 in long. We were stunned to discover that he was born with Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome. We love him unconditionally from the top of his toe-head to the tips of his toes. We know that this diagnosis will not define him. He is a happy, healthy little boy that just happens to have an extra chromosome.



Follow us on this unexpected and exciting journey as we learn how to live life Will's Way.



Sunday, May 6, 2012

A Day in the Life...

For the most part I would consider us a 'normal' family.  If there is such a thing.  Like the woman on the World Down Syndrome Day video said, 'Normal is a setting on a washing machine'.  We have typical days that one has with a toddler, with all the typical struggles.  We just have a few extra hurdles.  For instance, we spend a LOT of time at doctor's offices.  Mostly for check-ups...not because Will is sick.  Which also means we spend a LOT of time in the car on the way there for the record.  He regularly sees his pediatrician of course, but also a speech therapist, endocrinologist, ENT, audiologist, opthomologist, goes to both the Cincinatti and Columbus Ds Clinic for check-ups, is waiting to get into the pediatric dermatologist and is starting up occupational therapy again soon.  So since it is part of our life, I thought I would share some recent pictures of Will at the ENT.


Waiting patiently but not happy about being here.  When Will sees tables with paper and adults with white jackets he knows what is up.  Just getting him weighed is a struggle!



Poor cousin Lillian gets dragged along too.  Will and her are 'sharing' the book.


Lily won!  That girl can hold her own!


Still waiting...



What happened next I have no pictues of, but I can tell you it wasn't pretty.  The ENT had to scrape and suck out both ears, while a nurse and I held him down as he screamed bloody murder!  I was sweating and my heart was racing, not to mention breaking.  In the end, the doc couldn't even get his right ear tube free of gunk and so he is going to have to get a new set of tubes anyway:(  He screamed so hard he has broken blood vessels all over his sweet little face.  And afterward as I was comforting him, he looked up at me in between sobs and mumbled something very matter-of-fact and then went back to sobbing.  I am not sure what he said but I am almost certain there was a cuss word in there!
Will is one tough little guy though.  He endures more than most adults would.  Plus the frosty afterward always makes it better:) 
Ear tube surgery take 3 at the end of May.
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3 comments:

unc ricky said...

poor william..his poor ears, his poor probing doctors, his poor weight complex (doesn't like scales), and his poor hair stylist has been ignoring him.

lillian is a spittin' image of meredith at that age (well, i guess i wasn't alive then, but i imagine that's what she looked like)...

and emily and william will have to grab frosties together...she loves those things and likes to dip her fries in them...gross. but sounds like the frosty might be more for you dre to bring your BP down.

May 7, 2012 at 10:20 PM
Ron, Andrea and Will Bartosch said...

Hey...I am his hair stylist...and he got it cut last night in fact!
Somedays Lil looks like Mere and some days Jeb...everyone has bad days right...haha!
Will would love to get a frosty with Emily although I am not sure about the fry thing?! I have to admit I get two frostys!

May 8, 2012 at 6:52 AM
Emily said...

Will likes frostys?! I can't wait to get one with him! I will most definitely introduce him to frostys with fries. (maybe it's a Kinder thing since all of you seem to think it's weird?) Ricky always gives me a hard time about this (and the fact that I eat Wendy’s at least once per week). Holly ate frostys + fries all the time she was pregnant with Sammy, and he is now obsessed with this treat (but I'm pretty sure all of us liked this combo long before Sam came along...) Can't wait to see you all at the lake over Memorial Day!

May 11, 2012 at 11:39 PM

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