Blowing Stereotypes Out of the Water!

"All people with Down syndrome are always so happy!"

Oh really?....

Not this kid with Down syndrome!

In fact, most of our friends that have met Bennett will confirm that this is how he greets you-with a suspicious pout and sometimes you'll see a swift swat from his arm! This is almost always followed by his charming little smile though;)

This is exactly how Harper was- her "rude" face was how she typically greeted excited strangers and even friends. You won't see my kids giving out adorable smiles in the grocery store line unless they really feel comfortable with you.

Okay, I'll admit that Bennett was an unusually good infant and if that was because he was our third, his personality or something to do with the 21st chromosome, I gladly accepted it! This stereotype doesn't really bother me because having a kid that never cries, whines or complains-sign me up! But I think the take away here is that people with Down syndrome have emotions just like everyone else. After all-

"They are more alike than different."

They can be happy, sad, mad, stressed and hurt.

Now for the most part Bennett is still super laid back and generally a really good baby but he's definitely not happy all of the time!

And when he's upset, you can be certain that big sister 1 or big sister 2 will be right there to try and make it all better.

{I hope you realize you're getting sneak peeks of our Littlest Hero's photo shoot!!}

It's In The Eyes...

Another physical trait seen in some individuals with Down syndrome is brushfield spots. These whitish spots occur in 35-78% of newborn infants with DS. Although some suggest up to 90%. But they can occur in infants without DS too. These spots are harmless and do not effect vision as far as I know. They are also more common in people with light colored eyes.

This is Grady and he has beautiful brushfield spots, oh and he also happens to have Down syndrome. These white spots are seen in the colored part of the eye. You can visit Grady's blog here. {Thanks Erin for letting me share this pic!}

So does Bennett have brushfield spots?

Nope.

This little guy has "milk chocolate", well maybe more like "dark chocolate", brown eyes, just like his daddy! I don't know that I've seen brushfield spots on darker eyes.

And perhaps the most obvious physical trait seen in almost all people with Down syndrome is the upturned, almond shaped eyes. You can see that almond shape clearly in the picture above of Bennett. The cutest thing, I think with these eyes is when he smiles really big, they squint up, real small and happiness, literally bursts from his face...

See! Can't ya just see the happiness in the air all around in this picture?!;) I could just grab the happiness with my hands!

LOVE IT!

Little Hands...

I love this picture! {Carissa Dawn Photo}. Bennett has very small, chubby hands-which I love as well;) and this just comes along with that extra chromosome. Another common trait in people with Down syndrome is a Simian Crease 0r one solid line across the palm....

Again, people without Down syndrome can have a simian crease.

Does Bennett have this?

Nope.

In fact his pediatrician was surprised that he didn't when he examined him at the hospital after he was born. So does it mean when a person has some, all or none of the physical traits of DS that they have more Down syndrome or not as much?

No.

You either have it or you don't. Bennett has the standard and most common form of DS which means there is an extra copy of the 21st chromosome in every single cell of his body. He has some of the physical characteristics but not all. But he still has the same amount of DS that another child with all of these characteristics does. Of course there are varying levels of functioning but we won't know where Bennett falls until he's older.

A crooked pinky finger is also a small marker on an ultrasound for DS and I can't tell if Bennett has that because his tiny little pinky isn't even long enough to be crooked! LOL. I love his small features, I really do. He reminds me of a baby doll, of course when he's 4 it might not be so good if he still looks like a baby doll but we'll love him just the same if he does!;)

This Little Piggy Went To Market....

I thought I'd take a slightly different approach this year towards Down syndrome awareness month and share some little facts and interesting tid bits here and there.

So... many children with Down syndrome are born with "sandal gap". This is a slight space between the big toe and second toe. Does Bennett have this?

Yep. It's not very noticeable in this picture and in general but he has it. It can be a small marker for various trisomies on an ultrasound, Down syndrome being one of those. It was not seen on his ultrasound though.

People without Down syndrome can have this trait too. Actually many of the common traits that I'll share can be seen in people without Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). More of those in a few!

Oh and by the way, the first picture is actually Bennett and our awesome photographer from the Littlest Hero's project took that. I'll be sharing those pictures soon!!

Being Different and "Smelling the Roses"...

Today I took Bennett to a free introductory class at the Little Gym! I had him try the "Bird" class which is for ages 10 months-18 months. I knew they'd probably run circles around him and wasn't sure how that would make me feel but I want him to see other kids doing things so that maybe it will motivate him to do the same, eventually. I also want him to be around "typical" kids because my hope is that in a few years he'll be in regular kindergarten, fully included-that's my hope. Plus he needs to be around other babies just for the social aspect!

So they told me that he would fit in well and that there were some none walkers and walkers and runners. Well, I think everyone was walking and many were running circles around him but it really didn't bother me.

I've come to realize that Bennett is Bennett and he has Down syndrome, big deal!

I do wonder what the other parents thought though. Like did they think: "Oh, that poor mom, she has a little boy with Down syndrome" or "Wow, that's great to get him in this class" or maybe they didn't think anything of it. Either way it was a good chance for us to socialize with other babies and possibly bring some awareness to Down syndrome. The teacher learned that babies with DS are super flexible-not a very good thing although it looks neat;), as well as that most don't walk too much before 2-{don't worry I didn't start spatting out DS facts it just came up when she was asking questions about him.}

So as a slightly perfectionist, impatient, fast paced mommy, I've learned so much from Bennett in these short 16 months with him that I'm not sure I'd ever learn without him.

Mainly, that he is just another boy that loves to play, do back flips and have fun with other kids. And also that

it's totally okay to be different! Really, it is!

It's okay to slow down and "smell the roses" in this fast paced culture we live in.

You notice a lot more and take in so many wonderful things when you just slow the pace down and enjoy the little things in life. Besides, the world would be dreadfully boring if we were all the same.

By the way, we signed up for the classes and will return next Saturday for more fun!

Something You May Not Have Known...

I'm not sure I'll be able to post every day during the month of October but for my friends and family out there that do not have a child with special needs here are some very basic things just to know about Down syndrome and such. They may seem silly to you and honestly I never thought of them when I didn't have a child with DS but it does mean a lot to me and I'm sure other parents with kids like Bennett may feel the same way.

• When referring to a child with special needs, please put the special need after the child. So instead of saying he is a Down syndrome child or Down syndrome baby, you could simply say he has Down syndrome or Bennett has Down syndrome or "hey that baby has Down syndrome" NOT "hey there's a Down syndrome baby." I don't know why but when hearing someone say my child is "Down's" or "is a Down syndrome child" it totally makes me cringe. Because, Bennett is so much more than just having Down syndrome. He's a little boy first and he happens to have Down syndrome.
• Children with Down syndrome most often reach milestones later than typical kids (not normal kids, typical kids-remember, my son is normal too!!;)) because of their low muscle tone. So it shouldn't be a surprise that Bennett may not walk until he's 2 or later. Now you can see why we make such a big deal when he reaches those little milestones and big milestones because yes, it can seem like an eternity to do them but that's okay;)!
• Lastly, I hope you would encourage your children to play with children that have special needs {if they have a chance} because not only does it help the child with special needs (not to mention their mommy that so badly wants them to have typical peers too;)) but your child will learn compassion, patience and acceptance just by playing with someone that may need a little help. Don't we all want our kids to be kind, compassionate and patient??

I'll end with a pic of my little "Scooby" {You're going to crack up when you the other two}! Thanks for reading!

NOT Giving Up!

So last week my dad found out there are more melanoma and it has spread to his lymph nodes. Just weeks after his surgery that took a very large area out of his head, more was found. Those of you that have experienced someone having melanoma are probably shaking your head because you know that this is the nature of the beast. We have come to realize this as well. And this beast does not give up easily.

But my dad is NOT giving up either.

He will be having surgery tomorrow at 4:00 to once again remove these nasty things. This hasn't been easy on anyone but especially my parents-naturally. My mom has pretty much become a nurse, having to clean his surgical site, with extreme care and to see her husband go through this, I know is so hard for her. Their new reality is going to different doctors almost every day and hoping to hear good news, only to be told more is found. I hate this for them. I hate melanoma. I hate cancer. I just want it to all go away.

But again, no one is giving up here. Please, please continue to keep my parents in your prayers.

It's Almost October...

<center> <a href="http://www.ndss.org/"><img src="http://i735.photobucket.com/albums/ww352/sophblitz/dsbuttoncopy.jpg" /></a></center>

I'm offering this little button again this year to help raise awareness! October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month! It links directly to the National Down Syndrome Society website so people can just click on the button and be educated:) Hey, anything to raise awareness, right?
So just copy the code and go into your layout, click on gadgets and click add HTML code and paste it. Do not right click and paste- left click or you will get a copy right message. If you stil can't make it work, let me know and I'll email it to you or leave the code in a comment on your blog. If you would like it to have the little code box underneath it so people can copy the code from your blog just email me and I'll send you the entire code for that (mikeadge@gmail.com). It is very easy to add-just a little more code but that way others can copy it while viewing your blog and add it to their blog.
Even if your blog has nothing to do with Down syndrome it would be great if you would still like to put the button on your sidebar just for the month of October to help raise awareness!! Thank you!!
The more people that are aware of Down syndrome and are educated about it, the more accepting they will be towards children like Bennett. That's my theory, anyway;)

The Perfect Way To End Our Weekend!

So Sunday after a fantastic Buddy Walk, we had our friends Anna and her family (Lori, Jonathan, Charlie and Paige) and Colin and his family (Kelli and Chris) come over for lunch!

So nice to see these two great families!

Colin and Anna are absolutely ADORABLE!! Colin has taken off with his crawling and crawled all over the yard, patio, mulch, wherever! And Anna showed us her walking skills-awesome job Anna!

Lori with Bennett.

The two boys with us.

This sweetheart is so darn cute! She would just reach for us to hold her and hug, wave and smile. I love watching Anna do her signs for when she wants something- she knows what she wants, that's for sure!

All the kids, but wait, who's that crying on the right? Oh... it's Bennett! Yeah, he was slightly ticked and ready for a nap!

And again, not happy! Check out Anna's lip! She was a little upset with Bennett's crying :(

Colin's not sure what all the fuss is about, I think he'd just like to get back to crawling all over!

The dads with some of the kids, minus Bennett-he had to be put to bed! Chris shared Colin with Mike though;)

I'll end with this sweet, sweet picture....

If you ever get a chance to meet Colin you must ask him for a kiss!

Thanks Kelli and Chris and Lori and Jonathan for coming to visit!! Always so nice to see you guys!

Bennett's Day.

On Saturday we celebrated individuals with Down syndrome.

On Saturday we celebrated Bennett.

We were Bennett's Brigade and we walked for him and so many others that have Down syndrome.

We wore our "camo" attire and hats and held our banner proudly.

It was nap time for this little guy....

As well as this little girl but they stayed awake through the whole thing and were as pleasant as can be.

My dad pushed Bennett the whole way.

After the walk we enjoyed moon bounces, slides, trains, balloon animals, food, and games.

Our friends loved on Bennett and to see that just melts my heart.

Oh Bennett, we will gladly walk for you every single year because we love you so very much!

It was a good day.

Saturday we celebrated a little life, that is totally worth living.

Wordless Wednesday...Almost.

You're getting too old Bennett, too fast.

{Please ignore the reindeer:)} And for the record, his front tooth is not that sharp looking in real life:)