October is Down syndrome Awareness Month and as a mother of a child with Ds and also a blogger, I feel like I’ve been failing by not mentioning this yet. A lot of my friends in the Ds community have been great at posting daily facts on Facebook. Others have dolled up their profile pics … More Why Down syndrome Awareness Month Is More Important Than Ever
Dear Container of Neapolitan Ice Cream, Thank you. You are what I need, tonight. It’s been a crappy day. Although, can I ask why you have so much vanilla in you this time? Seriously? I had to dig deep before I found any chocolate or strawberry! Don’t get me wrong, I love this journey we’re … More I Scream or Ice Cream?
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. I sing those words to Willow every night before putting her to bed. It’s a routine that started shortly after she was born. At the … More A Golden Birthday Indeed
I actually wince when I catch someone staring at my youngest daughter, Willow. That’s because it hurts me. It physically hurts me. I imagine all the horrible things that person might be thinking while looking at my daughter and it causes my heart to break, hence the pain. I want to just yell back “It’s … More When It’s OK To Stare
“Sissy!” It’s the clearest word in Willow’s vocabulary. It’s also the word she says most frequently. I’m talking at least 50 to 60 times a day. I kid you not. Just ask the “kid” she’s calling for, Bella, aka, “Sissy.” To say these two are best friends is an understatement. Bella and Willow are soul … More The Story of 2 Sisters, an Extra Chromosome and an Extraordinary Bond
Music has always moved me. All kinds of it. In my younger years, I was at home in the mosh pits and lights of Lollapalooza. Around college, I fell in love with the haunting piano poetry poured out by George Winston. These days, I find myself jumping with Justin Timberlake one minute and twisting to … More He’s Already There
Two and a half years ago, a routine blood test led doctors to tell us that they thought our youngest daughter, Willow, had leukemia. They were wrong. Unfortunately, the celebration was short lived. Turns out, Willow’s wonky blood numbers were due to a rare blood disorder called Chronic Benign Neutropenia. For those unfamiliar, neutropenia is … More The Power of a Little Hope
It’s 3/21, a day to educate and celebrate! That’s because it’s World Down Syndrome Day! Why 3/21 you ask? That’s because Down syndrome occurs when someone receives 3 copies of the 21st chromosome, so March 21st, aka 3/21, makes it the perfect time to talk about Trisomy 21 (the fancy shmancy name for Ds). Because … More World Down Syndrome Day 2017
Knock! Knock! Who’s there? 40! 40, who? This isn’t a joke, people. I’m about to turn 40! Like, in a few weeks! Somebody pass the chocolate. The dark kind, because I hear that’s the best for your health. I guess I have to worry about that stuff now. When I was younger, I dreamed of … More The Pain of Growing Older
I don’t know how to feel. I am literally torn. Part of me is beaming with pride, another part of me is fuming with anger, another part of me is shaking with fear and then there is that part of me that is just plain exhausted. All because of a box of cereal. We keep … More The Mixed Emotions of Special Needs Parenting
