3:21 // World Down Syndrome Day

Hey girl, it's World Down Syndrome Day!

Baker's smirk and his belly are ready to celebrate 3:21! World Down Syndrome Day comes around each year on March 21st, celebrating and honoring those with three copies of the 21st chromosome like our own resident homie.

Last March, I was in the second trimester of pregnancy and we hadn't even learned if we were having a boy or a girl yet. Down syndrome wasn't on our radar at all. We didn't know we were about to be thrown into doctor visits and heart surgery and developmental delays. We were getting ready to welcome a new baby into our family, thinking life would carry on just the same as it had twice before.

In the year since, we've learned all we can about Down syndrome and heart defects. We've worked with doctors and therapists to get Baker the care the needs to thrive. We've participated in walks and fundraising events for our local Down Syndrome Guild and joined other new parents at support breakfasts. Justin gets together with other dads who all have kids with Down syndrome to race go-karts and play poker; I sneak away for dinner with mom friends who just "get it." We've been introduced to a whole new beautiful world and have met lifelong friends.

And the best part? Life carried on.

It was scary and then it wasn't. For a brief moment it even felt sad, but then it was so, so happy. It was overwhelming and then we adapted. We brought this gorgeous boy home and it all just became the norm - he fits into our family perfectly.

We can't imagine a world without Baker and those like him so we're so excited to be celebrating our first World Down Syndrome Day. We have so much to learn from Baker and other individuals with Down syndrome and we plan on taking advantage of this gift we've been given. We'll continue sharing our story and connecting with others so everyone can see what life with Ds is really like. So when the next mom gets a Ds diagnosis, she's met with positivity and encouragement and resources instead of scary, outdated statistics and sad stereotypes.

To kick off #WDSD18, I reached out to my good friends at Kansas City Moms Blog and they published an article for me today so be sure to check it out! It covers a little bit of our history and some facts about Down syndrome, along with a list of resources if you or someone you know is needing/wanting to connect. I miss being on the team but feel so fortunate that I'm still able to call on that group of women for support.

You can easily celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, too, by supporting businesses run by people with Down syndrome and their allies (John's Crazy Socks, Gracie's Doggie Delights, or Reeve's Tees), donating to organizations that support individuals with Ds and their families (Kansas City DSG, DSDN and Ruby's Rainbow) or spreading the love with random acts of kindness in honor of someone you know who rocks an extra chromosome.

Baker and I have a big day planned with a few appointments this morning and then getting back to weekly therapy after spring break. It'll be so good to see our friends after a little time off! And yes, we'll be wearing our matching Nothing Down About It t-shirts and sharing his awesomeness along the way... ;)