raise awareness about Down syndrome

I have been blogging about my daughter who has Down syndrome for about a year now. My latest efforts in advocacy are becoming involved with a group of online DS parents. This month (October) is National Down Syndrome Awareness month, so I will be working on my blog even more.

Today is World Down Syndrome Day! March 21st or 3-21 was picked as this day of awareness and celebration because Down syndrome genetically is Trisomy 21, meaning three copies of the 21st chromosome. This year marks the 50 year anniversary of when, in 1959, it was discovered that the source of Down syndrome was an extra 21st chromosome. See more at the website: www.worlddownsyndromeday.org

To celebrate World Down Syndrome Day today, here are 21 things we love about our 1-year-old daughter who has DS:
1. She loves to laugh.
2. She smiles at strangers.
3. She has three different waves to say hello.
4. She says “Ma Ma.”
5. She loves to yell “Da Da Da Da DA DA DA!”
6. She loves music, especially classical.
7. She clicks her heels when she is happy.
8. She gets so excited when Daddy comes home from work.
9. She’s very ticklish, especially under her chin and around her belly.
10. She scrunches her nose sometimes when she smiles.
11. She likes to fall asleep on her side with her legs up on the side of her crib. It is so cute!
12. She likes to roll onto her tummy in her crib and push up so she can peek over the top of the bumper pad to try to find Mommy.
13. She likes to reach for anything that belongs to Mommy and Daddy – so much more interesting than her own toys!
14. She likes to make motorboat sounds.
15. She loves to watch the dogs wrestle and play.
16. She tries to pet the dogs and grab their ears.
17. She wakes up happy.
18. She falls asleep so peacefully at bedtime.
19. She loves books. She taps them with her hands, then sits back to let us turn the page.
20. She breaks into a big, proud grin after she burps.
21. She smiles really, really big at Daddy then hides her face in Mommy’s shoulder because it’s just too much!