Lack of personality?

When we heard the words, "I believe your daughter has Down syndrome", it was like a tsunami wave came over us.  As the water receded back into the ocean, it took with it all the hopes and dreams we had for our little girl and with the debris it left these preconceived ideas (and fears) that we had about Down syndrome.  I am going to be totally honest, I knew very few truths.  I knew that it entailed an extra chromosome and that people with Down syndrome learned slower than most typical people.  That is about it.  Everything else I thought I knew were general public beliefs...opinions that people who do not know anyone with Down syndrome have.  One of those fears that replaced my daughter's dreams was that she would space out a lot and not "be there" with us.  I feared that she wouldn't have much of a personality. 

Oh my....over the last couple of days (probably for awhile but more recently than ever) I realized how wrong I was.  Hailey has as much personality as her two brothers did at that age (maybe even more!).  I laughed so hard yesterday at Hailey's EI session.  It started with Hailey and L working on kneeling (we are trying to strengthen up her core a little more to encourage crawling).  Hailey was tilting her head a little to the left (like a dog does when it cocks his head to the side when someone is talking to him).  L stretched out Hailey's neck and shoulder muscle.  Hailey whipped her head around and gave L a look....almost as if she was saying, "Just what do you think you are doing to me?"  From that minute on, Hailey never let L leave her eyesight for more than a few moments.  It was so funny.  Every few minutes, Hailey would follow the look up with some very loud vocals, as if she was either telling L off or giving her loud disapproval of therapy.  There were a few times that L would try to assist Hailey in moving a certain way and she would move her body in the exact opposite way.  She wouldn't get on all 4s but instead would stiffen her legs into a standing position.  She was sassy!

I'm still hoping that "squishy" face is a phase...she does it every time she sees the camera!

Today, almost every time I would look at her she would smile from ear to ear, give me her "squishy" face or start laughing.  She jabbers nonstop if we are eating table food and she is only getting baby food and then starts smacking her lips.  She keeps getting herself in peculiar spots in the house because she is scooting backwards (under furniture, behind toys, etc...pics to follow in a couple of days).  She will start by babbling to get our attention...as the time passes (moments really) her volume increases until you come get her and move her.  Most of the time, it is common sounds...dada, baba, and today a couple of mamas.  Every now and then when she is really aggravated we will get a growl or grunting noise (I think the boys contributed to this). 

Through all this babbling about my sassy, vocal, comedian daughter, I'm trying to say...I was wrong.  This girl is "here"...there is no spacing out.  She is making sure everyone knows where her place is in this crazy family.  So thank you Hailey for showing your mom once again how wrong I was about Down syndrome. 

(Before I forget, the pics in my new header are the Christmas card pics that were keepers!  4 out of 50 isn't bad, is it?)