duced a new fact about Down syndrome on Facebook every day in October (Down syndrome Awareness Month). I got creative & tech savvy & I upped my social media game in 2015 by creating and posting thirty-one DS awareness memes with adorable photos of Everett and our family, to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and A special contribution to the DSDN’s blog series…
When the newest blog topic was proposed a few weeks ago by the DSDN’s blog series coordinator, I was stumped! The topic “What surprised you the most?” (about Down syndrome) was intriguing, but the immediate answer that popped into my little brain was….well, EVERYTHING! Which is the truth. I saw none of it coming from Everett’s diagnosis, immediate reactions from healthcare providers, friends, family and acquaintances, my reaction to it, how it changed me to the core in an instant, how it deepened my faith….I could go on and on. And quite frankly, that’s exactly what I do on this blog, a lot! But I guess if I had to pick the one thing that really stands out, out of all of the surprises related to Everett’s diagnosis, I’d have to address my favorite Rockin’ dad. So, in honor of this month’s blog topic, I’d like to offer a little tribute to my true partner in crime, the man, the myth, the legend, Everett’s dad, Liam’s dad, the hubs, etc….Vic.
This is my final confession of the series (and Down syndrome Awareness Month -2016) and for obvious reasons, it will address Halloween! For Everett’s very first Halloween we dressed him up as a baby skeleton and I bought Vic & I matching skeleton tees (the tees have become a Halloween tradition for us!). We took Everett to a trick or treat event that year and I wore him in a Baby Bjorn while we watched all the bigger kids knocking on doors, saying “trick or treat,” and filling their 
Everett was born nearly five weeks early. Vic & I were both convinced it was false labor and we were shocked when the doctor on duty told us we were having a baby the night of May 26th, 2013. Everett was born that morning of the 27th, and shortly thereafter diagnosed with Down syndrome. It was Memorial Day. My regular OB was off for the holiday, but called in to the hospital that morning to check on me. She told me if I could hang on a l
We were overjoyed when we found out that I was expecting a sibling for Everett. And when we learned Liam was a little boy, we couldn’t believe how blessed we were. Two little boys…brothers! For 9 months we waited patiently and happily for little Liam’s arrival. But I’ll have to confess…the night before I was induced with Liam, I broke down a little bit.
Because Everett was diagnosed with Down syndrome right after he was born, we had to order a karyotype blood test to confirm his diagnosis. In the meantime, all we had to go on in gauging whether he had DS or not, were some physical characteristics. I remember a lot of people (especially healthcare providers) constantly scrutinizing his palms, feet, eyes, ears and overall stature. And I’ll have to confess….this worried me a great deal. I
When I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant with Everett, Vic & I went out to dinner one night at one of our favorite local restaurants, an Italian joint. I distinctly remember that night. I remember what I wore, I remember what I ordered, and I remember where I sat. I remember these (what would seem like mundane) events, because that evening a young man with D
When I was a kid in elementary school, all of my differently-abled peers attended a separate class that was titled “self-contained.” Since I attended the general education classes, I never interacted with any of these children. These interactions (or lack thereof) were the first memories of differently-abled persons that I drew on when making sense of Everett’s 
We live in a modest home. Between Vic, me, the boys and our two large dogs, space is tight in our 2 bed/1.5 bath 1925 bungalow. But we love our home. Our boys are growing, however, and we know there will come a point when we have to spread our wings and fly. Vic & I both dread this day. And I’ll have to confess…we’ll probably never sell this house even when we outgrow it. An early fear for a lot of parents of kiddos with DS revolves a
When Everett was about 6 months old we took him to have his picture made with Santa at a local mall. When we got settled into the long line of families waiting for their obligatory Santa photos, we realized the parents in front of us had a daughter with Down syndrome. Her name was Meagan and she was about 5-years-old. Meagan was an adorable little girl but I no