5 Things to Know (31 for 21)

Well I did it.  I successfully blogged for 31 days for Down syndrome awareness.  I'm hoping that everyone learned something new about Ds.  I am hoping one day that most people will see Ds the way we do.  I hope they see the individual first and the Ds second.  To close out the month, I'm going to join another blog hop.  It is with the IDSC (International Down Syndrome Coalition).

The five things I want you to know about Hailey.

1 - We love her to the moon and back.  Some may view her as "broken" or "imperfect".  She is beautiful, caring, smart, stubbron, sassy, helpful, a hurricane in disguise.  Look closely, you will see it, too.  She's perfect. (ask me that in an hour after she has destroyed 3 rooms and her "halo" might be a little crooked!)

2 - Do not underestimate her.  Do not think because she doesn't speak as clearly or because she has Ds that she does not understand.  You hide that phone.  She is watching.  Those keys you think are out of her reachh, she will find and you may lose them forever.  Those markers you hid on top of the microwave, she will get.  The girl misses nothing!

3 - Don't put limitations on her.  You expect great things from her and she will do great things.

4 - Teach your children that everyone is different.  It doesn't make one person right and another person wrong.  It is what makes our world such a fabulous place.  Teach them respect.  Teach them that every child wants to have friends and be liked.  Every child likes to play.

5 - Don't be afraid to ask questions about Hailey or Down syndrome (Trisomy 21, T21).  We don't mind.  The more people know, the less scary it is.


Oh, darn.  I have to break the rules.  I need a #6.  We aren't special people.  We just love our child.  We roll with the battles and we celebrate the milestones.  If you hear us down or you hear us upset, it isn't that we don't love our child or that our lives are miserables.  It makes us like every other parent in the world.  Some days are good, some days are bad, some days are great and some are miserable.  We all have them.  It doesn't make us less of a parent or person.  It makes us parents.

Thank you so much for reading Hailey's blog over the last month.  Most of my posts, in general, aren't about Down syndrome just more about Hailey and our life.  It was a road that we didn't anticipate, but it's our life and we are quite happy with it!

I'll leave you with pictures of the last few day.

Hailey sits in some of the craziest positions!

She loves to sit and climb all over her brothers!

Hailey climbed in the van and thought she was being sneaky by sitting in Ian's seat.

Hailey's pumpkin - Doc McStuffins

Our Wolverine and Scream 3

Hailey's reaction to Scream 3!

Hailey rocking her Doc McStuffins costume!