Mainstreaming Mommy
Mainstreaming—including children with special needs in a typical classroom—is something we think about regularly, despite Hope’s young age. We think about when we will introduce her to our town’s public […]
Abbreviation Mayhem: A Beginner’s Guide to DS Lingo
When we joined the Down Syndrome Parenting League last year (no, that’s not really a thing), two major events happened. First, we built an impenetrable wall between us, a.k.a. the […]
Why We Didn’t Kill Our Unborn Baby
Many couples make the gut-wrenching decision to terminate their pregnancies for reasons that are nearly impossible for the average person to comprehend. My heart breaks for the families that can’t […]
Swaddling: Adorable or Beneficial?
There are three good reasons why the parent of a newborn baby with Down syndrome should choose to swaddle: Nothing is cuter than a baby burrito. A naked baby is […]
Emotional Complexity at 7 Months
When PT was cancelled this past Tuesday, Hope and I were left with nothing to do. It was already the third of six consecutive days my husband would be at […]
Car Seat Considerations for Low Muscle Tone
We collected very few things in anticipation of Hope’s arrival for a variety of reasons. For one, it wasn’t until I was about 24 weeks into my pregnancy that we were […]
Don’t Ever Let Go
“If you’re always holding her while she naps, you’re going to spoil her.” Exactly. A lot of people are shocked that we hold Hope for her two daily naps, including […]
Predisposed to Feeding Challenges?
Being told you can start feeding your baby solid foods is eerily reminiscent of the day the hospital staff parade in and out of the room telling you all the […]
Benefits of Working Out with Baby
Before Hope arrived, I had a wild fantasy flourishing in my mind of how life as a stay-at-home mom would go. I was fully aware that I wouldn’t be sleeping […]
Traditional Route to Mastering Solid Foods
The first place Hope and I went after receiving a green light from the pediatrician to start solid foods was the grocery store for some rice cereal. I’m sure many […]