Happy Thanksgiving? Ok I'm Running a Little Behind..

Lagging behind as usual this Holiday season. Up until a couple of days ago I had Halloween, Thanksgiving, and  Christmas decorations in my front yard.  I'm proud to announce two of the three holidays have been packed away.
Thanksgiving was fabulous! I'll catch you up with pictures!

Ready to carve!

Some sort of group photo

Emmie chowing down on her potatoes!

Any takers on what part of the turkey this is?? Liv goes for it every year. Clue?  It's not a wing, leg, breast, or any other part that is acceptable to eat! LOL

All the fatties relaxing!

A helper... that was nice!

We also had a couple of birthdays!!

Em getting some Grammy time!

THEN AFTER DINNER:


We desended like locust on our dear friends for dessert!

Being silly!

Lots and lots of kids!

Lots and lots of hugs!

And lots of cuddles!

Someone tucked her in all cozy!

And more cuddles!

And since we didn't get home til 1am( at midnight she was learning how to do the worm), the Princess slept in the next morning!

I'm Glad you're all having so much fun with this...photo update

Denise and Lisa, donated to Gracelynn and  their requests have been granted!

What's going on??

Find out here

And the Game continues with the younger years...

Jenn wanted young Steph.

A$5 donation to Gracelynn gets you in on the fun! You say post it and I will! Any picture of me from any time. Even the awkward years... and there were many!

Easy fun!

Donate
Tell me
Request photo
Wait for it to be posted

Thanks all!!

Another Photo... CRAZY!

Jenny requested to see the Atlantic plunge from last year. She made a donation to Gracelynn so she gets what she wants .

 

Wanna play?? Make a $5 or more donation to Gracelynn and you get to request a picture of me.

The First Photo is Up!

My friend Shannon made a donation to Gracelynn's Angel Tree grant, and she gets to pick the first picture of me!  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can catch up here.She chose the fat and pregnant era! Pregnant with Emilia. So as I am true to my word and promised to post here and on FB... Voila!

My friend Jenn also made a donation and picked a picture from my younger years. Gracelynn's age which is 10. I have to dig for that one but it will be posted ASAP! 


Keep playing , this is fun!! Not the picture part( for me) but seeing Gracelynn's account grow!

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, could it possibly be worth $5 too?

I feel like I'm the Shadow Blogger and the Phantom FB Friend. I never post pictures of myself. I cannot stand being photographed. I have hated it since I was a little girl. I still cringe when someone other than myself has a camera in their hands. If you point it my way I seriously can feel my heartbeat increase to a  abnormally high  rate. In a nutshell I'm a nutcase!

That being said, and out of the way, I'll move on to my next bright idea.

I'm a  Christmas Warrior for Gracelynn this year. My goal is to raise $1000.00 to add tor her adoption grant and of course find her a family!!!

Warriors have come up with a ton of interesting ways to raise money. Over the years I've seen Auctions and giveaways, challenges of all types. I've seen warriors shave their heads, their eyebrows and other peoples heads! I've seen them take a pie in the face and come out smiling. There have been dinners and bake sales, craft sales and Etsy shops galore. Heck I even jumped into the Atlantic Ocean last December. 

There's not much we won't do to raise the money. We are a determined and slightly crazy bunch of head over heels in love with our orphans woman.

Which leads me to my idea. If a picture is worth a thousand words, could it possibly be worth $5 too??

Would you donate $5 to Gracelynn's Angel Tree fund to see a picture of me? 

BUT WAIT!

Not just a random picture, but one that you get to choose?

A baby picture? Those awkward years? My dazzling 20's, a wedding picture. Early motherhood photo? A really fat pregnant photo?  The what were you  thinking when you cut your hair photo? 

If enough people get in on this "fun" you literally could see me from birth to present!  

And honestly if I'm willing to swallow a piece, a whole humble pie for my Gracelynn and your entertainment, you'd be crazy to pass it up.

And it's a win win situation!! 

You get to see me, and get to know me better, and Gracelynn gets her account growing and hopefully a family for Christmas! She will be 11 years old this December. Eleven years of waiting is way too long, and I'm willing to put myself in this most uncomfortable position to get her goal met and get her home! 

ARE YOU IN????

LET THE GAMES BEGIN??

ANY $5 OR MORE DONATION HERE, AND YOU PICK THE TIME RANGE AND I'LL POST THE PICTURE. HERE AND ON FB SO NO ONE MISSES OUT! 

IF YOU DONATE JUST COMMENT HERE OR PM ME ON FB. REMEMBER TO LET ME KNOW WHAT ERA  YOU WANT TO SEE. 

IF NO ONE RESPONDS I WILL STAY THE PHANTOM FB FRIEND AND SHADOW BLOGGER FOREVER!

BELIEVE ME THIS IS YOUR ONLY CHANCE!

AND REMEMBER , IT'S ALL FOR HER.

 

A Moment for Mindy

Mindy is just beautiful to look at isn't she? She pulls you in with a soft kindness, and that smile just makes you smile back.



But there is a sadness around this beautiful child. Mindy is an orphan and needs a family to step forward before her birthday , which is in early December. Once she ages out it will be too late for her to be adopted.

Here is her bio from Reece's Rainbow

Girl, born December 1999
PRC
Cerebral Palsy

Mindy needs a family to be in country and adopt her PRIOR to her birthday in DECEMBER 2013!

Mindy is a beautiful 13 year old girl with an incredible spirit! She was abandoned at age 6, but in spite of that, she has an optimistic and thankful heart. She likes to sing and hum throughout her day, she is honest and accepts correction well. She has good judgment, has a great thirst for knowledge, good understanding and excellent study habits. She attends school in the orphanage. She is talkative and friendly, and a good communicator. She has moderate cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair to get around, but her speech is clear and she is working hard on her English.

Here you can see video of her, where she says, “Hello everyone, my name is Mindy. I hope I will have a family, have daddy, mother, brothers and sisters. I am a girl who has a ready smile.”


Can you imagine being 13 years old and know your time is almost up? Can you imagine the feeling of dread? And the fear of never having a family of your own? Please if you are reading this , take the one second it takes to share this post! Share it on FB or blog or tell someone about Mindy. Stop and say a prayer, but please do something! This child;s life is on the line! A few short weeks, that's all she has for a huge miracle! CAN YOU AND WILL YOU HELP??









Whatever you do , it is more than doing nothing. And she deserves at least our effort to help her. What if you are the one who posts, and because of that her family is found. You never know the way God is going, or who He will use or when or how. Please let us all do our part for Mindy, who wants nothing but the love of a family! 


For more information on Mindy please contact Reece's Rainbow

Once a Warrior Always A Warrior. Advocating For Orphans, Reeces Rainbow Angel Tree, and Why I Can't Give Up!

As I sit here, my stomach is literally in knots and a lump in forming in my throat, tears are distorting the letters as I try to type.  Why? 

Grab a coffee and I'll fill you in.

My heart belongs to the orphan. I advocate for orphans with special needs in Eastern European countries. The most lost little souls on the planet. The ones hidden away in secluded out of the way orphanages and who spend their days in"laying down rooms".   Those are rooms where just as the title suggests, is what happens. The children lay in their cribs. All day, all night..   
Eventually they age out, usually at about four years old and are transferred to adult mental institutions where the atrocities that take place are too much for me to write. For most this is their road to the grave, and a place where hope is dead.

My Carina, who was listed on Reece's Rainbow, and who has a piece of my heart, is most likely in a place like this.  She is five and half years old. She is in Russia and I have no way of helping her anymore. Russia is now closed to international adoption. For the past two years, while I was advocating for her, I promised to find her a home. I swore I would find her forever family. I raised over 6.000 for her adoption grant. I had auctions, and giveaways, I involved our school and they rallied and raised almost 1000.00 in two years for her. I went to craft fairs and did a lot of begging, pleading and praying. But still with all that effort, I failed. I couldn't get her out in time. 

I was so sure that she would go home. I am tortured by the fact that she is stuck in hell. And am torn on how to pray for her. If she is suffering as I have seen some children from her country suffer, and ultimately die, than I pray that God is merciful and carries her to heaven. My heart  has already grieved for her as if she were dead. But worse would be to know that this could be happening to her too.

This is Kyle. He is in heaven now. He was a Russian orphan , just like Carina. I could not live with myself if this happens to her too. 

 Right about now you may be wondering how on earth I can feel this strongly about an orphan a world away. An orphan that I've only seen in a photograph. Well, I don't know either exactly, except that when God lays something or in this case someone on your heart it has that affect. I love her with a mothers heart. And odd as this may sound, I feel a spiritual connection to her. No one wanted her. So without all the paper work and legal fees and dossiers and documents and red tape, I am her mother, by  a spiritual adoption. Whose going to tell me , no??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every year Reece's Rainbow has their biggest and best and most exciting fund raiser! It's called Angel Tree. Each orphan has his or her own Warrior. The goal for the warrior is to raise $1000.00 between November 1st and Dec 31st.  Also to advocate and get that orphan seen as much as possible , because the ultimate goal is a forever family. MANY children are adopted during Angel Tree!!! For the past two years I was Carina's Warrior. Due to the adoption ban there are no orphans from Russia listed anymore. I am without my Carina this year.

Now, I'm getting to the stomach and lump in my throat part. If your still with me, thank you!

I'm afraid to advocate. I'm afraid to fail another child.

I refused for a long time after the ban (last December 26th) to go to Reece's Rainbow and look at the children. I felt like I was abandoning Carina if I thought about advocating for a child from another country. And honestly my heart was just not in it. I was paralyzed by the "what ifs". What if I lost this child like Carina, "What if" I fail again. "What if " I don't raise any money. "What ifs" are evil. They fill you with doubt and fear, they enable you to believe only the worst and lose sight of all the good.

Putting aside all the "what ifs " I have been carrying around has been overwhelmingly difficult.


We are a tight community of warriors and we were all knocked over by the ban. Some, God bless them were able to move on and claim another Sweet child to advocate for, more quickly than others. I wish I was like them. Eventually though, I did go "looking" and my heart was captured by this Pixie.

   This is Gracelynn. And she just makes me smile. 

Girl, born December 2002

Down syndrome

Well, doesn’t this little pixie look like a spit fire?   Those deep brown eyes are gorgeous!
Large families welcome, travel required.  Married couples only.  Gracelynn could be adopted with Rania, Kinley, and/or Emmalyn.


I'm still a little shaky, and scared but I'm holding the "what ifs " at bay. Part of Carina's adoption grant money has been given to Gracelynn, so she already has 5000.00 toward her adoption cost. My goal is to raise another $1000.00 by Dec 31st. And find her a family. NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER!

A family for Christmas would be a miracle for Gracelynn and the best birthday present EVER! She is a December baby!

Donations are now being accepted here. Just scroll down until you see Gracelynn . And with any $35 or more donation Reece's Rainbow will send you an ornament with Gracelynn's beautiful photo on it.

With all my fears and doubts, I still cannot stop advocating. Lord knows I want to. The pain is debilitating at times. But once a Warrior always a Warrior. These children need a voice. Mine was once loud and bold. I yelled for these children who are silent and forgotten. I was knocked down , but not taken out of the game completely. I'm getting up for Gracelynn. She needs me. And Sweet Carina will always have me as her mama so far away but always so in love with her.

Please join me this year. Please support Gracelynn and maybe even some of the other orphans and warriors raising funds and trying to find families. The immense joy of celebrating when a child gets a family mends the pain. This Christmas take a leap of faith. Listen to your heart, God may be whispering to you. To advocate, pray or possibly even to adopt.   

God Bless and please keep me in your prayers, that I make my goal of $1000.00 for Gracelynn.

Boo!!

All the Ghoulies are out begging for candy. Hope they come home with some of my favorites...

The littlest Ghoul is home with me and Daddy. Stealing candy, greeting Trick or Treaters and having a great time 

Here she's a little witch... 

And now a clown.. 

And for school she was a frog!

Hope you're all having fun tonight!  

Stay safe and watch your back, I hear there are Zombies roaming freely tonight

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
 

LAST TWO DAYS! DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH WHERE DID YOU GO!!

I cannot believe this month is over. FLEW BY! I didn't post nearly as much as I had intended. As usual!

Today, I will leave you with the best advice I can come up with for anyone hearing the words Down syndrome for the first time,( as tomorrow is reserved for Halloween pictures  :)

1. Don't freak! As much as your brain is telling you, you should, DO NOT FREAK!
2. This is a classic case where your heart should lead!
3. If you were diagnosed on a Tuesday, that the baby you are carrying has Down syndrome, guess what? That baby you loved and cherished on Monday, is still your baby. Continue to love and cherish him/her!!!
4. Yes, the game plan has changed. A good cry is okay. Uncertainty is okay. Get a NEW game plan and move forward.. keep the old baby!
5. Your life is going to be AH MAZ ING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    
6. EDUCATE YOURSELF! Stay away from medical websites! Go to the source! FAMILIES! Find blogs and FB groups for support and HONEST answers!
7. BE PROUD OF YOUR CHILD! They are already a fighter!
8.  This child of yours is magical! Enjoy!
9. There will be tough days! Some days you will want to run away. But guess what. Your typical children will lead you down that same road. LOL
10. The best words of advice I ever heard when I was pregnant with Em, came from one of my dearest friends and her Godmother. I have to admit when she said these words to me, I didn't get that warm and fuzzy feeling, but I clung to them. She was right when she said... "IT IS WHAT IT IS"   she meant not to hurt me with those words, but she did recognize that I needed to face things like a big girl. What those words meant to me was, Look, Steph, you have a beautiful baby on the way. Are you going to love this child like your other children or walk around in a daze for the next umpteen years. Embrace the child that God has hand selected for YOU! This child is a gift. Granted you may not understand this gift yet, and in your mind it's not the gift you want. But hang on! Stay in the game and YOU will end up the winner!     

The Porta Potty

This post has nothing to do with Down syndrome awareness, just my kids own unique streak of weirdness. 

We went apple picking and after Em consumed about 83 apples, she spotted the porta potty, and made a beeline for it. Could not get her away from it and yes, we were starting to attract some stares. 

She wanted in.. and I'm sure it wasn't to actually use it for it's obvious purpose. As she is still boycotting potty training.

At this point I had no idea if there was anyone inside. 

We were laughing to hard to care. Emmie was knocking and shaking that potty relentlessly! And in a very clear and loud voice yelling "Hello.. HELLLO. 

 
 We finally dragged her away. I hope no one was inside.. What a horrifying experience that would have been! LOL

She's A Whole Hand

As of yesterday my baby girl is now FIVE! That's a whole hand!!  It's been an amazing five years.

Five years that I would never have chosen for myself. A child I would have said, no thank you, to had I been given a choice.

I sit in awe of this child of mine. How could this itty bitty girl have caused such a change in me and my entire family. What powers does she possess that she was able to open our hearts and minds, take us by our hands and lead us gently and lovingly, into a world we never would have entered on our own?  

Is she a magical little imp? Casting spells as she goes?

In a way, maybe. As she does flit and flutter a bit like a fairy, and her smile has the capability to melt icebergs.
But no, it's not magic that she carries, but so much more. 

She carries an extra chromosome which some have dubbed the Divine Chromosome. Number 47 was blessed by God in a special way.

With  #47 comes love, and a pureness found only in Angels. A toughness to succeed but never to hurt. Forgiveness that flows like a gentle rain, and hugs that feel like the arms of God himself around you. She knows not how to hurt or belittle. She is full of trust ,and believes everyone else is too.  She has no prejudices, no judgement does she pass. 

She is the most Christ like person I have ever met. Goodness and love come naturally to her. Where as we all need to work so hard at it. 

Yes, she is special, but not because of her "needs". Emilia is special because she is the epitome of everything God wants us to be. Down syndrome is not some chromosomal defect, a genetic mishap. Nothing God does is an accident. 

The Divine Chromosome is just that.. . Em is filled with love from heaven. And she sprinkles it like pixie dust where ever she goes. 

The Small Things.

Living with a child who has Down syndrome has it's advantages. One of those is that we get to celebrate a lot more often. We celebrate EVERYTHING!!! See all those things that "typical" kids do and no one really notices, are super duper, make a cake, set off fireworks events in our house.

I'll tell you about  a few of them. When Em was teeny tiny, she had food therapy. The kid couldn't keep food in her mouth (should be my issue, maybe I'd be able to shed a few.. ) Her sweet little mouth would twist and turn and out it all would come. Her muscles we not strong enough to keep that yummy oatmeal in. After a few sessions she figured it out and little by little she ate more and more things. SUCCESS! And we celebrated, with cake because now she could eat it!!

Another huge one was stacking blocks. This was about a years worth of duck and cover moments for all involved. Em had a great arm! She would toss blocks over her head, across the room and behind her back. And she never let on which way she was going to let it fly. But never would she "put it on top". For over a year that was the most heard phrase in our house.   Just about the time when I was ready to toss in the blocks, I mean really you can get through life without stacking .. right? That's when she decided to start building up and up and up!! What a beautiful sight that was! There's probably a blog post about somewhere. So, what did we do?? You got it! CELEBRATE!!!

How about when your child put something in a bucket? Do you remember that day? Well, for kids 1-4 I can honestly say .. no way. I have no idea,  didn't they just always know how to do that?  But for Em, it was a monster of a celebration! I mean the day she let go of a toy and dropped it into the bucket was ENORMOUS!!  Em used to have this white knuckle death grip on everything. She would not ever, ever, ever drop a toy into a bucket. I think I cried on that day.

And just yesterday, we were driving home from school and she sneezed. You know that sneeze where pounds of "stuff" are hanging , suspended for those few precious seconds before they drop onto the top lip and inevitably that curious little tongue emerges to see what's going on. Yeah, that's what we were dealing with. I thought to pull over, but in traffic with no good place to stop I decided to just wing it. I mean how bad could she make it? Then it dropped... ugh .. no Em don't lick it!!!!  Suddenly I had a thought. Give her a wipe! So I managed to get a wipe from my bag and pass it back. "Go ahead Emmie, wipe your hands and nose"  As I wait with hope in my eyes, but expecting her to just eat the wipe like she usually does... I get a gift.  My dumpling wipes her hands and then cleans her sweet nose, like a pro! All signs of snot are gone, and an extra gift, she said , "Thank you"!

 Drove the rest of the way home with a stupid happy smile on my face!

It's those small things we bake the biggest cakes for.

LIEBSTER AWARD...

One of my absolute, most, favorite people, Rochelle Cannon, who writes about her beautiful family on her blog, The Cannon Chronicles, has given me a Liebster Award.  I'm not asking why.. I'm just accepting it. 


So I guess as with anything there is a catch. 


Some questions need to be answered.


Okay, here goes!


1. Why did you start blogging ?

Well, a little bundle named Emilia Faith came along in Oct 2008.  When we found out she would be born with Down syndrome, I hit the internet to find as many miserable people as I could who had a child with Ds.  I wanted to be totally prepared for how awful my life was going to be. (are you laughing yet)  Yes, I really did that. Anyway, I couldn't find any!!! Instead I found blog after blog of insanely happy families showing off their gorgeous and down right perfect children who happen to have Ds.  When Emilia was 6months old I decided to try my hand at blogging. I thought if I coud help dispel the myths about Ds to just one person it would be worth it.


2. What is your passion that you want your readers to get out of your blogging?   

My passion is my love for people with Ds. And because of that love my heart has also been opened WIDE to the orphan. You see many of those blogs I initially found before Em was born were of families who had adopted a child with Ds. As I learned more and more I found out the plight of the orphan with special needs. It's a long sad lonely road, especially in other countries. So if you read my blog you will undoubtedly recognize my passion for the orphan and hopefully it will ignite a fire in you.

3.What are some of your favorite blogs to read?

I hate naming names!!! This is a very unfair question! There are so many AH - MA- ZING  blogs out there. Let me see. Do I need to state the obvious? The Cannon Chronicles. Another fab blog is The adventures of Pudge and Zippy   Courtney writes with honesty and humor about everyday life with the cutest "Squibs" in the world.

Another absolute favorite is Flight Platform Living, where Jane uses her creativity as a mom to three "busy" and beautiful kids, mixed with her enormous heart for the orphan to leave me both laughing and crying on a daily basis.

I'm stopping here but seriously could add 100 more. Check out my blog roll for more wonderful reads.


4.What is your favorite singer/band? why?

UGH, if  I were 16 this would be a piece of cake to answer.  But I'm old!!! I am forced to listen to my kids music all the time. Motherly sacrifices.  So, right now one of MY favorites is Pink. Love every thing that Chick puts out.

5. If you could have dinner with anyone who would it be and why?

I'd like to have a dinner party. Is that okay Rochelle? And you didn't specify alive or dead. So I'm going with both. I'd have a fabulously,  fancy party with actor, James Stewart, I've loved him since I was a kid. (if you're a youngin' and you just said "Who's that"? Google him!)   Mikhail Baryshnikov, I love ballet,    Zigmunt Kaczmarzyk  (my FIL. He lives in Poland and I miss him terribly)  And Pope Francis because he makes me smile.   


6.What is the best decision you ever made?
  
The best decision I ever made was to listen to God and just follow His lead. Life is so hard, why make it any harder by trying to lead the way.  He will take you to places you never expected or thought you wanted to go, but in the end it's always for the best. I think Em played a huge role in that decision. I was in a place where I had absolutely no other choice but to trust God. Nothing about her diagnosis was making any sense to me and I saw nothing good coming from it.  God can always see the big picture when we are too busy looking the wrong way.

7.What is something you wish everyone knew about you?

Hmmmm. This sounds like a trick question. Let's see.  I guess I'd like everyone to know that I'm a good person. That sounds so freaking boring. But a lot of people seem to get the wrong impression of me. I've been shunned more than my fair share in life. Another thing you should know is, that I'll never change who I am to fit in. I'll never stop shouting my beliefs to be part of the "cool crowd".   

8.  If you won the lottery what would you do with the money?

There would be a lot of FULLY FUNDED HAPPY DANCES going on!  And we'd have a house we could all fit in!!!

9. What are your hobbies?

I love gardening and cemeteries. They both calm me. And I love making floral arrangements. I used to have so much fun decorating for fall!! I'd go nuts with wreaths and flowers and anything I could fashion into something as a centerpiece or decoration. I absolutely ove going back in time through books. Give me anything to read about the history of my state or somewhere that I have been or can go to. I love seeing what something looked like 100 years (or more ) ago. And then seeing it today. One of the best things about living in an old town.  

10.What drives you?


Fear. Fear of not doing enough. Not being enough to my family. Disappointing God by not doing what He put me here to do. Scares me into moving every day. And still I fall short everyday. Probably not what should be driving me , but I'm being honest. 

So there you have it!   Now I get to pass this baby on to two other unsuspecting people! Liebster means Dearest in German and two of the dearest people I know are :

Jane, from Flight Platform Living 

  and

Lacey, from, Jaxsons Fight

You're up Ladies! Now here are your questions. I'll keep it light. Rochelle's made me have to think too much ;)

1. What is you favorite way to de-stress?
2. If money were no object, where would you go and why?
3. If you could live in any period of time when would it be? It could be past present or future. Lets hear it.
4.Borrowing one from Rochelle's..What is something you wish everyone knew about you?
5.What was the best day of your life? One rule, you cannot use your wedding day or the birth of your children. That's too easy.
6.  If you had the chance to come back and haunt someone for one day, would you and who would it be? Okay Halloween is around the corner I had to throw one wacko question in here. 
7. What does your most perfect family day look like?
8.Where is your favorite place to go to be alone? (bathroom doesn't count)
9. Funniest or most embarrassing moment?
10. What do you want people to think of when they think of you? Or do you even care? ;)

Love you both!!! And I love you Rochelle, my little Liebster..

 

Myths about Parents Who Have a Child with Special Needs

Continuing with Down syndrome awareness month I thought I'd address some myths about parents/parenting. Not with you "typical" parents (hehe) , but us Super Hero parents who have children with special needs. 

Well, myth #1... We're not Super Heroes (insert sad face here)

I know! I'd really love some freaking super powers. But it's not to be. Although, some parents sure make it look like they do. I'm not one of them. We're all just human, doing whatever we need to do to get through each day. No different than any other parent. 

Myth #2   God never gives you more than you can handle. 

I can barely type this without laughing. REALLY? God, on a daily basis dishes out more than I can handle. He just dishes out more grace to get me through. Seriously. Look at your days. Do you think you get a little more on your plate than you can swallow? Of course you do. God knows that, that's why He's never far from our sides.


Myth # 3  God gives special children to special parents. 

Another one that makes me giggle when I type. Well, if you call a street smart punk, with good intentions special, than I'm oozing with all sorts of specialness.We hit the jackpot simply because our butts needed saving. God saw that and sent us Em. Okay, so we weren't Bonnie and Clyde as parents but our eyes were closed to certain things. Without Em, God new the chances of our eyes ever being opened wide were slim and none. So, without our consent or approval or even our opinion on the subject, He sneaked her right into our lives and hearts.

 Myth #4 There will be days you fantasize about running away. (just for a little while)

Oh, sorry.. not a myth. But a totally acceptable feeling. 

Myth #5  A child with Down syndrome will ruin your life and take away valuable time you need to spend with your other children.

I know a woman who had an abortion because of this reason. Although my husband and I did everything in our power to persuade her otherwise she didn't believe us. When I was pregnant with Em and we found out about her Ds diagnosis, I initially thought this too. I remember thinking if she was our first child and not number five things would be better for her and for us. I was afraid she would get lost in the mix, or that my other kids would resent her for taking me "away" from them. Nothing of the sort ever happened. In fact, I now say, God placed her very well as number five. It has made her stronger, more independent, and determined! She wants to do what all the kids do. She tries everything. Nothing keeps her down. And with four older siblings we have built in speech therapists, occupational therapists and physical therapists. She has become the corner stone we all gather our strength from. 

This little peanut has done so much for us! More than we could ever do for her.


* disclaimer. The bottle was empty when she stole it from the garbage! Bonnie and Clyde finished it off..

Siblings and Down syndrome

One of the biggest worries I had when I found out Miss Em would be sporting an extra chromosome was how my other children would deal with it.

Would they bond? Would they love her? Would she love them? 

I think the picture speaks for itself

What in the world would they have in common?

Everything and nothing. Depends on the day. Just like any other bunch of siblings.

 How would they deal with a child with a disability.

What disability. ..  :)

 What would their friends think?

My daughter's friend Paula. Fits right in as another sister

 Would their friends feel "uncomfortable". 

They look pretty comfortable to me :)

Would my children be able to find their voices and advocate for their little sister? 

In a heartbeat!

No doubt about it.

Don't mess with the siblings because they love their Emmie!!! 

Beware! Here comes 31 Days of Down Syndrome Awareness... Emmie Style!

So, it's October again. October is Down syndrome Awareness month!  I want to do my part to make everyone aware!! 

So I'll be getting some help from my lovely assistant Emilia. 

Yes, she is under that bow. That's how she likes it. Just accept it. I have and life is much easier that way. Anyhoo ,this month we will be giving it our all to let you see Down syndrome the way we see it! Something to celebrate!

Not something to cry about.( she's fake crying here, no worries)

And definitely not something to be afraid of.

So grab a coffee...

or a Margarita, and stop by all month. We'll be here.