It takes a village. It truly does. Finding your village is so hard. At first you don’t know where to look or even what or who to ask for. Who can you trust with your heart? What are my child’s specific needs? Where does environment exist where they will flourish and bloom? After digging and researching and constantly inquiring, you move heaven and earth (or it feels that way) and start assembling your people.

Pure fear. Electric and bare. Nothing else was except fear. She was sleep-deprived and strained. Out of the tangle of anxiety and among the darkness the vaguely implied impending decline, a light emerged. Though it was dim at first, she became obsessed with it and it began to grow. Snap. She was fully awake again.... Continue Reading →

You get to a place where seeing the upside is easy. The search for the upside began as a bumpy road for me, but after I hit my stride with research I began to feel my heart rise. Looking at young adults with DS in their journeys to independence and happiness was huge for me too. Even though negatives will always be present and presented to you in different forms, you almost become indifferent to it in light of the overwhelming positivity.

At the risk of sounding hippie- dippy, I'm going to be completely open. Recently in the car on the way to one of Henry’s therapy sessions I became overwhelmed with an empty feeling. Somewhere deep in my core was aching. Having my children unlocked something in me. I’m more self-aware. I’m more in tune with... Continue Reading →

We are not at all worried about Henry forming friendships. Henry can open up to people but he is immediately very sure of who he likes and who he doesn’t care to be near. He is a bit of a ladies man. Henry already has the sweetest girlfriend at school ever! She's gorgeous and he just stares at her all through class! Swoon!

I've noticed there is a perception of distance from the Supreme Court Justice hearings and subsequent confirmation to our every day lives other than the two high emotion empathy camps of #mentoo and #believesurvivors. I’ve been thinking about different ways to view it all so it becomes more relatable and accessible to me on a community level instead of on a personal level by putting myself in the accused or survivors' shoes.

Never offer “I’m sorry” in response to learning a child has an extra chromosome. There is nothing to be sorry for; All life is worth celebrating. Just don’t interject any negative comment or anything that may carry any feelings of pity along with it. Everyone has a different road to acceptance with their diagnosis and some may still be working through it! Don’t assume anything. If the family begins a conversation about DS, join in! If not, just stick with the positive statements you’d make anyway!

His facial expressions are hilarious when he is mad. He has a stink eye that is world class. We have to really REALLY make an effort not to smile or laugh when he’s acting out. It’s hard. He has preferences. Strong ones. He fully lives up to his name. Little king of the house.