31 for 21

One year ago today, Lincoln was born and my education began. Our doctor said that I would quickly find that although I was majoring in English, I would be getting a minor in Down syndrome. How right she turned out to be.

Now that I think of it, it is quite a coincidence that he was born on the first day of Down syndrome awareness month. Of course, I didn't know it at the time, but it was so reassuring in those early days of fear and worry to open magazines and see ads for the Buddy Walk and articles on Down syndrome. It helped us think that it would one day just be part of life, that it wasn't some scary thing that hit us out of nowhere; it was just everyday life for some people.

And now, we are those people. I didn't get a pretty certificate to honor my education in Down syndrome 101, but I hardly need it these days. Turns out, it is just everyday life for us, too.

So now, I think it is a great time for reflection on the past year, on what we have learned and how far we have come. "31 for 21" is a program where parents of children with DS agree to blog every day of Down syndrome awareness month to raise awareness and share what we have learned. Don't know if anyone will read it, but here I go...

Happy Birthday, Linc!