Down Syndrome Awareness, Day 11: Sometimes The Facts Are Not Enough

I thought about posting some facts about Down syndrome , but you can google them in a second and have them all sorted out on the computer screen for you.

Facts and stats about health issues and life expectancy, delays and characteristics. 

But you may have a hard time finding some other facts. Facts that aren't as widely known as the medical facts and all that other stuff that scares the crap out of people. I don't think it's fair that when you are expecting a  child with Ds that you instantly feel fear and if you don't people think you are crazy. I was beyond scared for the last five months of my pregnancy. It was all unnecessary. I wish I had known some fun facts then. 

Not all the facts are scary. 

 Down syndrome Fun Facts :


1. You are having a baby! Surprise! It's still a beautiful baby you are carrying!!!! 

2. This baby will cry, and keep you up at night!!! YAY!

3. This little one will grab your heart so tight you will physically feel it in your chest!  

4. You will laugh like you have never laughed before. 

5. You are about to become a better person. You won't even know it's happening.

6. Your strength now rivals Wonder Woman's, in fact you could easily kick her ass (if you had too) 

7. You will find yourself uttering one liners that have never been  heard  by other human beings before, such as.. "Emmie do not kiss the gerbils butt!"



8. Nothing will ever phase you again. No longer will you gasp at children who are ill behaved in public. You now walk by smugly, knowing your kid could top that kids tantrum with one leg tied behind her back .

9.  Popsicle's will be an acceptable food for breakfast because you know you will NEVER leave the house if she doesn't get one!

10. A piece of heaven has been offered to you. Take it! Love and enjoy this gift every day of your life!! Not everyone is given a gift this precious. This child will open your eyes , and show you things hidden from the rest of the word. I kid you not!!!!

Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Day 4,5,6 and 7: Tony, Tony Tony!!!

Holy Cow! What a week! So busy! Not a spare second to sit and write! I've got a minute now so I will catch up. 

How about a story about Em and her new school?

She is in all day Kindergarten. Fully included. 

She is ruling the roost and having a freaking ball. She is testing the waters of a new school, new kids and new teachers. She is not using her best behavior like in her old school. They are practicing "nice hands" with her. Apparently she is taking swings at her new little classmates and her teachers..

And knowing Em she's doing with a giggle and a twinkle in her eye. 

When she's not hitting , she can be found throwing things and running like the wind around the classroom. 

With my blessing she now has a designated "time out " spot. 

Gotta love her!!

She also has a special friend named Tony.

You know the saying opposites attract? Well, apparently free spirits can become bosom buddies also. 

She calls his name constantly and if you ask her if she likes Tony, she literally gushes and gets all silly.

She is smitten!!!! 

She has to sit near him in school and they are using him to motivate her to be good! HA! 

Yesterday her teachers were very concerned because Em would not eat. Not at snack , not at lunch and not at the second snack time. She wouldn't play outside and she was very clingy. She also wanted to sit with the weighted blanket and just tap her fingers on it. Poor Em they thought, she must be getting sick.

Or....

Could this have something to do with the fact that Tony left school early?????

Yeah, she was sick alright! LOVE SICK!

Ate like a horse when she got home and played all night. And of course talked about TONY!

Her first crush! 

As I type this she is looking through her school papers , talking up a storm. And of course the only words I can understand are Ooooh, Tony! 

Well, at least we have mastered the "T" sound !




  

Down Syndrome Awareness Month , Day 3: Persistence

Calling today a cheat day. I've been running like a nut since this morning, so putting something original together right now is not humanly possible for me or my tired brain. 

I love looking back on older posts. So, this is one of my favorites. It makes me smile and yes, cry just a bit. But not sad tears. Do you have a sunflower in your life?  


From October 21st 2010

Persistence.

Persistent. That just about sums up what this sunflower is. It's October 21st, well past blooming time.Sunflower season is over. The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping and the garden is readying itself for a long winters nap. But this sunflower bloomed today. Stuck it's pretty face into the sun for the very first time. The epitome of a late bloomer. You see this sunflower had a tough beginning. It started out in the usual way, as a tiny seed, gently planted into the earth in early spring. It was tended to and watered, and in time it became a tiny shoot, with tiny little leaves. Well, it met up with a wayward lawn mower and it all but disappeared.  I feared it was gone. But everyday I checked on it, I knew it's roots were still embedded in the earth, and in time it grew again. Still early enough in the summer, it would have plenty of time to grow tall.  Then some nasty bugs ate all the leaves and my sunflower disappeared again. I feared the worst, but once again it proved me wrong and started to grow. Just a little slower and smaller this time. It was already halfway through the summer, but still enough warm days left I thought, for it to grow tall and strong.  One more attack of bugs took it from my sight. It was late summer now and even if it came back again I feared the cold would put an absolute end to my sunflower. But, again it persevered and started to grow. This time I felt bad for my sunflower. All this effort to grow and stand tall, so many times starting over and over again, just to be frozen by the dropping temps. Why does it bother? Why doesn't it just give up? 
I guess because, that's all it knows. Maybe this sunflower longs to feel the sun on it's petals even if it's just for a day. Because even a life that doesn't seem worth it is very well worth it if it's yours. Maybe it's not the quantity of days but the quality. Maybe it just enjoys a good challenge!    

Regardless of the reason, my summer sunflower is here and blooming right next to the fall mums. Her stem is crooked and her flower is small but her face is in the sun. And I think my sunflower is beautiful, just as she is.

I think I'll call my sunflower Emilia...

Down syndrome Awareness Month Day 2 : Our Hearts Are Full

A diagnosis of Down syndrome may initially cause you to spin wildly out of control. But when the dust settles remember these words

IT'S ALL GOOD!

It's all good except if you're a gerbil and travel in a ball. Then you might have a problem

Throw the fears out the door and lock that sucker up tight. 

Your life is going to get better, your heart,bigger, your voice, louder.

There will be days when you are frazzled, exhausted and need to give yourself a time out. ( kinda sounds like a day in the life of a mom , doesn't it?)

But !

EVERYDAY will be a blessing.


EVERYDAY will leave you with a full heart.

And

EVERYDAY will have you wondering what you did without this Dumpling, who just turned your upside down world into absolute perfection!



  

It's October Already??? You Know What That Means.. Down Syndrome Awareness Month Begins!

Okay,okay I've been MIA for months!!! Summer came and went and I seriously did not write one post. This old blog needs a dusting off! October is here, so time for some fall cleaning! I'll be posting as much as I possibly can to spread  Down syndrome Awareness this month.  

I guess today is as good a day as any to fill you in on what Miss E has been up to  for the last three months. 
After preschool graduation in June she basically just hung out with me all summer. She enjoyed her time in her little pool. And just running wild.

And we learned that Em is one hell of a strawberry picker! She can pick and eat her weight!

I, on the other hand lamented all summer over the looming dark cloud called Kindergarten. I had mounting anxiety. Mostly about the school. It was not my favorite. 

ANYHOO... fast forward to present day and I will be the first to scream .. "I was wrong"!!!!!!!!!

She is having a blast , I love her teacher and her teachers aid is 
AH MA ZING! 
Emmie is taking her place as the bad girl in town by hitting all her friends ( we are making progress).

And she even as a special friend named Tony. When Em hears his name she freaking glows and gets all silly. I kid you not. 

I met Tony this morning and I immediately understood my girls weak knees. He is adorable! Big brown eyes and lashes that hit his eyebrows. And that smile!!!!  Simply irresistible!

So all is well with Kindergarten. Whew!

First day photo!

Keep checking back! If not for the writing abilities of the resident blogger, than for the sole reason of seeing some Emmie for the month of October! And maybe learning a bit about Down syndrome so you too can be an advocate!