Don’t feel sorry for me; I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
A few months back I was wrapping up a meeting with a potential client, when the topic of children came up. I mentioned the blog and its title (“clever,” she said) and how it became even more apt when I learned of Aisha’s Down Syndrome diagnosis.
Her brow furrowed in concern and she reached out to touch my arm.
“Oh, your daughter has Down’s? I’m so sorry…” Read more
it’s a long way down…
Since the year began, Aisha’s been literally moving in leaps and bounds, from standing to walking and pushing herself into a standing position from a seated one. And yes, in that very order. And no, she still doesn’t know how to crawl. There is no rhyme or reason to the girl; she just bes who she be.
Anyhoo.
Even though she’s far more surefooted as a walker, she’s been giving the stairs a wide berth. The staircase is curved, steep and plentiful – and from her vantage point, they prolly also seem like an awful lot of work. Aisha very much dislikes a challenge (she’s definitely her father’s child Read more
Happy New Year from Shutterstock.Was in the shower t’other day, thinking about how completely uneventful 2015 was for me, and how I’d like to do things differently for the New Year. And then I found myself feeling guilty for not celebrating the year my girl had, because, Down Syndrome be damned, the kid knocked it out of the fricking park in twenty-fifteen.
A recap of sorts. Aisha (in no particular order):
Turned one. Started feeding herself. Drank from a straw. Held her bottle on her own. Learned to push herself from prone into a seated position. Started daycare. Learned to say “hi,” “bye,” and “Aisha.” Can act out the entire words to “The Wheels on the Bus.” Read more
I’ve never been this excited about a bottle, nor its contents.
Last week I popped into Staples to pick up some supplies, and picked up this water bottle on a whim. I liked the colour, size and shape; I thought it would be a nice thing to have on hand for Aisha in the future. She likes to drink water, and will take it from a cup – although she refuses to take it from one of her regular bottles.
The little spout at the top flips up and down and has a straw attached. The function is pretty much straightforward; flip up top, put spout to mouth and sip. Voila! Thirst quenched. I think we take this action for granted. I have a friend whose son is either 12 or 13 and doesn’t know how to drink from a straw due to feeding/gastro issues he had as a small infant. Aisha couldn’t figure out how to breastfeed, so I hand expressed my milk and fed it to her from a bottle; kids with Down Syndrome can sometimes have suckling issues associated with low muscle tone. There are a ton of online message boards and parent forums chock full of tips and tricks on how to get little ones with DS to drink from bottles and straws. Read more
What is she? Cute as a button, that’s what!
When we’re oot ‘n’ aboot, my daughter’s appearance garners many inquisitive stares. Because of her fair complexion and silken hair, passersby sometimes try to discern without asking outright if there’s a familial connection. Aisha has inherited my prominent forehead and mischievous expressions, so more often than not, they realize that she’s mine. And since it’s pretty obvious that she is of mixed race, people often really want to know which one(s).
It’s because of her eyes.
She’s my star.
My little-big bean turned ten months about a week before Christmas and for some reason it was very emotional for me.
She is becoming very active now, rolling and army-crawling about to get to where and what she wants. I always knew she’d grow to be a stubborn little thing, and damned if the child hasn’t proved me right thus far. But she is also extremely loving and charming, ever-ready with a smile (any opportunity to show off her new teeth), and she makes me laugh-out-loud guffaw at least a couple times a day.
Parents of children with Down Syndrome are all too familiar with The List Of Things Your Child Won’t Ever Do, and for the most part, I’ve managed to ignore the naysayers and let the girl develop as she may, with a little help from her DT Patti and OT Amanda. Read more
These two cuties would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Hey y’all!
I know..I’ve been away from the blog for a bit – what else is new? But this time, with good reason…I’ve started freelancing full-time. So on top of being a full-time stay-at-home mummy, I’m also a full-time writer, and gat dayum if this shit doesn’t take up all my free hours…but more on that another time.
I just wanted to pop online to wish all of you a Merry – albeit belated – Christmas, or however you choose to celebrate (or not). I did not go overboard for Aisha’s first holiday ho-down…I’m just too practical for that sort of thing. What’s the point in lavishing her with tons of gifts when I know she’d much rather play with the paper (which is exactly what she did)?
(I did get her a total of three gifts, all adorable, and only because I had unused gift cards left over from my baby shower. The funny thing is, with all the bustle of the big day, I plumb forgot to give them to her until the night was almost over. Bad mommy.)
With that said, I hope to give proper updates in the coming days…I’ve a bit of time off from the drudgery working before it all starts up again in the New Year. There are only four days until 2015 (!) and if I don’t pop on before then, I hope you all have a wonderful time, wherever and however you spend it.
Kisses!
this wasn't in the manual 