How do I love Aidan, let me count the ways!

I love that Aidan has a belly laugh that I wish I could bottle up and save for a rainy day.

I love that Aidan is signing and trying to talk. He is making many more speech sounds, and trying really hard to copy what we are saying.

I love that Aidan will sit and look at a book with great concentration.

I love that Aidan and Charlie are pals.

I love that Aidan brings out the best in his big brothers.

I love that Aidan likes to hold part of the leash when we walk Charlie.

I love that he is walking more, and holding my hand.

I love when he hugs me back.

I love when he talks into his hand phone.

I love when he talks to himself in his crib when he wakes up.

I love Aidan and I am thankful that he's in our lives.

Take that, you bad, bad boogie!

We've all been sick - and while it was horrible, and we were tired, cranky, and sore from coughing so hard - there were a couple of good things to hold onto.

First, is James' lovely aunt who brought us soup, muffins, and Popsicles. She is so kind - and lives an hour up island from us. Her warm gesture means so much! Thanks Aunty!

Second is my friend Kathryn bringing us matzah ball soup, a baguette and a bottled smoothie. She's the nicest person on the planet, I swear. She also has three young children, works, runs her kids to after-school events, is in the middle of moving, and volunteers at the school - and makes soup for us. Wow.

Last is watching Aidan stomp over to the Kleenex box with wild determination, yank out a tissue, blow his nose and throw the used tissue on the floor with disgust, "take that you bad, bad boogie!"

Now I'm just very, very grateful that we're near the end of it...

Aidan's speaking in other languages again

I wish I could unlock what Aidan is saying. Clearly it's in a language I haven't mastered yet - because he understands himself perfectly! I can tell by the way he intersperses his chat with the heartiest of chuckles.

His talk today went something like this:

Kung Pao Poutine Blah Blah Chuckle Chuckle Yep Oi Guy Ding Chuckle Yep.



Perhaps he's listening to James while he orders out?

Oh well, someday it will all be crystal clear.

Two sickies, no make that three sickies...

Two boys and a dad are down in our house. Fevers, coughs, plugged noses. So far Aidan and I are okay (touch wood). Considering it was a sick day around her (for the boys...dad worked) we had not such a bad day. We did watch a lot of television though. Sesame Street for Aidan and then a couple of Christmas shows for the heck of it. The boys played a duet on the piano (Jolly old St Nicholas and Good King W)which is sounding better every day.

So, even when their down, their adorable. I love my boys, I really do.

Now, if it would just stop raining....

31 for 21: Still thinking...

Well, 31 for 21 is over - and I did not too badly, but definitely didn't post daily like I was supposed to. The process of advocating for/about Down syndrome was an interesting one. But I hardly skimmed the surface! On Halloween night we attended a party given by one of Liam's classmate's family. It was amazing. We took Aidan (as a little fireman) for a little while, then he went home to bed with Dad.

After he left I was chatting with another mom and she said that her son (4) was asking why Aidan was crying. Why he seemed more like a baby than a three-year-old. She wondered how she should talk about Aidan and Down syndrome with her son....my response was, "I really don't know." I honestly don't know.

And I don't think I'm alone. This seems to be a struggle for parents of children with Trisomy 21. How do we describe Down syndrome:

1. without being overly technical?
2. with respect to our child?
3. with honesty (yes he's different - difference isn't a bad thing though, right?)?
4. without making a big deal out of it?
5. to our own child once they're old enough to understand?

I'm on a bit of a mission to find answers to these questions. My inquiring mind wants to know: what are your thoughts on the best way to describe Down syndrome?




Incidentally, one mom in our local Down syndrome group said she talks to her son's class every year about Down syndrome, but now her son is adamant that he does not have Down syndrome. She's wondering what to do now.

Also, I asked Kieran how he would describe Down syndrome to a four-year old, and he didn't know either.