October: CHECK

October was a wild ride.
A quick recap of the big events, and then I will get started on posting on the stuff in my head. It's a lot.

For those that don't know, I am now writing a monthly column in a local paper called Coloring Outside the Lines. Since October was Down Syndrome Awareness month, this month's column focused on just that.

"Something Extra

In early 2012, my husband and I adopted our fourth child. We had fallen in love with a picture of a precious, pink little girl with round cheeks, tons of hair, and Down Syndrome.

We really didn’t know much about Down Syndrome at all, only that she was ours and we were hers.

During our adoption process, so many people struggled to understand why we would intentionally choose this life. Wouldn’t it be hard? Did we not understand how stressful it would be?

In the year and half since she’s been home with us, we’ve learned a lot about what Trisomy 21 (an extra copy of the 21st chromosome, usually called ‘Down Syndrome’) is and what it isn’t.

Is it hard? Sometimes. 

It’s not hard to just LIVE with Down Syndrome or raise someone who does. The hard parts come in trying to teach her to drink from a straw, buying ten different kinds of cups, trying twelve different kinds of beverages and NOTHING makes her want to wrap her lips around that tiny tube and suck the drink upward. Until she does. And then we celebrate, HARD.

Is it stressful? Sometimes. Of course, it isn’t stressful to just BE a person with Down Syndrome or love someone who happens to have it. Making time for early intervention and physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and doctor appointments can be stressful. But when she uses all her might, every ounce of gusto she has, and finally stands up after trying for years ... Well, I just can’t STRESS enough how exhilarating it is.

Sure, some things are harder for her … but not all things. She might do things a little later than normal, but she will do them. She might have to work harder or use extra tools to accomplish a task, but she will accomplish it. My daughter is not disabled. She is differently-abled, but she is able.

She really is more like other children than she is different. Like most two year olds, she is inquisitive, determined, hilarious, and a little bit sassy. We practice counting, colors, and animal sounds. She loves Elmo, swinging at the park, and does a mean version of “Twinkle, Twinkle”.  She has big blue eyes, pink pouty lips, and Rapunzel-like golden hair.

Jimmy Johnson, American coach and broadcaster, said, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”

My daughter has Down Syndrome. I hope when people look at her, they see a rockin’ version of “Twinkle, Twinkle”, her golden hair, and yes, something extra."

October also brings us the Buddy Walk!

It was cold and rainy and we honestly were not prepared for either! On the positive side, we had family and friends show up in support of our Annie Sunshine and raising awareness. We saw some other friends and  met some new ones. And we had Jason's Deli. You know, for Down Syndrome. That's how passionate we are.

While the weather for Buddy Walk was not ideal, the weather for the Pumpkin Run was PERFECT.

And of course, the highlight of October: HALLOWEEN

^ My sweet Rockford Peaches!^

And Little Peach who is WAY too wiggly to stay in one spot long enough for a picture these days.

We had the most fun with this. We scoured Goodwill for weeks finding pink button ups that would fit each girl, well enough. We hunted down red belts and red hats and baseball socks. We tea-stained Cale's old baseball pants and a plain white tee shirt. A little felt and puff paint and voila! I know we could have done much more if I could flipping learn to sew already, but we were pretty thrilled with how they came out!

Proud parents, Johnny and June:

Grin. We had not planned on dressing up (though we love it- we didn't think we'd have time), so we literally put together whatever we had in our closet. Since Halloween weather was predicted to be pretty nasty, we (all the parents of the children) ended up throwing an impromptu party instead of actually trick-or-treating (which AG learned to say by the way! Also, when did that phrase become a verb, I wonder?).

They did the donut/string thing, and mummy wrap, and bobbed for apples- all hilarious. And then they trick-or-treated (the verb) different bedrooms- funny in a redneck way. The next morning, Cale wrapped his precious little arms around me and thanked me for the "best party ever". I'll write more on that later, but for now it confirmed that despite yucky weather, they still had a blast. Not bad for a 24 hour prep :)

On to the next!