The more we learn the better we become

Dear readers,

Today marks the end of Down syndrome awareness month 2018. As I have written before, it’s not just one month that matters but what we do every single day. Talk to your kids, talk to families with babies that have Down syndrome, talk to adults that have Down syndrome. We welcome the opportunity to educate and also get educated. Here are pictures for each day of October to highlight some misconceptions and some concepts that need to be highlighted.  Share with your loved ones and help create a more inclusive and more kind world.

                                     

                                    

 

                                      

   

             

I feel that people with Down syndrome were sent from above to help all of us become better people, andwould like to thank you all for the support you have given us and the love you have showered on Laksh. We are extremely grateful to be on this journey with Laksh and because of him, learn a new kind way to be a member of the society. So thank you for the understanding and sorry about spamming your timeline for the past one month. Please continue to be just as awesome as guys have been to us and everyone around you. Happy Halloween 🎃

What is normal?

Dear readers,

For as long I can remember, all I wanted to do was fit in. All I wanted was to be normal. Being an overweight child, you always became the butt of the joke. I remember as a child, I would wish I would just look like the other girls so no one would joke about me. It took me most of my life to understand my body is different as I am unique. Even if I would lose all the weight, I would still not look like the other girls. I would be me, I would be different.

Once I had Laksh, and after most of the medical concerns were tackled, my biggest concern was this. Laksh is going to stand out, look different, and will that make him the butt of joke? Will that make others want to make fun of him or bully him? It might take him longer than other kids to learn things, will that make people lose patience or their faith in his abilities?

Even now, I sometimes find myself looking for that comfort of "normal", that comfort of "familiar" but then I tell myself,  God has planned a great and grand life for us and Laksh. God wants us to  help shatter the stereotypes and break the invisible box of restrictions that the society puts us in. And anyway, what is normal? Isn't that just a perception? Not long ago, unfortunately, there was a rule in India which said having homosexual relations is unnatural and not normal. But we know that is not true. One can't chose who one loves. Similarly, one can't chose what abilities one can be born with. So as normal it is to be Gay, why can't we as a society accept that it as normal to have different abilities (I am not saying being Gay is the same as having a disability but just trying to make a point). And it is okay to look different. All we need to do is always chose kindness.
I recently  watched  the movie "Wonder" (which is amazing BTW), in which the sister Via tells Auggie, that you can't blend in when you were born to stand out (I am para-phrasing). That sentence resonated with me a lot and I think isn't that something one should live by?  We should just take a minute to think, why do we want to blend in with others? Why do we want to mix in the with crowd? Why are we scared of looking different? Why are we worried that people will stare? Just remember, you were meant to be you and just be-youtifully-you. Thank you for reading.

 

Life is simple. Eat. Sleep. Swim.

Dear readers,

Swimming has  been something we have always enjoyed as a family. In fact, my hubby, sisters, and my niece always sort of gravitated towards water, be it the ocean, sea, lake or a man made pool. Swimming has always been a wonderful experience. Apart from giving me a sense of freedom, as we all know, it is a great exercise. Swimming not only builds endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness, it also tones muscles without actually having to strain it by being weight bearing. Swimming is one of the few exercises that use mostly all of the major muscle groups.   

We recently enrolled Laksh in a group swimming class. I don't know if you guys remember, but sometime back we took him swimming for the first time and he loved it. After that, we had decided that we want Laksh to get comfy in water and probably pick up swimming as a skill early on. So, we started looking for classes online, and after a lot of research chose this one. This class is once a week for 10 weeks and has around 15 kids in each class. They offer two 30 mins classes called "Water Angels (6-19 Months)" . In these classes through songs, fun and instructional games, students learn to be comfortable in the water & learn basic water skills. As all babies are pretty young, an adult has to accompany them in the pool. 

At one point, all babies were given ducks that they had to throw into the water and then swim towards them in order to catch them. This is Laksh completely focused on the task given to him.

 Just want to share some videos (that I was able to edit to hide the faces of other kids) I took during the class.  So much water, so little time.

   

                                                                                 

With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it takes is an imagination. 

– Michael Phelps          

                                                         

In related news, sometime back I read about this team of boys with downs syndrome that were competing along typical kids in the swimming pool. If that doesn't give us hope, then I don't know what else can. Its an amazing time to be alive and always strive to be better tomorrow than you are today. If you want to read more about these boys, please read the story here: 
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/humankind/2017/03/21/swimmers-down-syndrome-find-empowerment-pool/99442832/


Leaving you guys with a couple of Laksh's swag post swim photos. Lots of love 💓

 

Not the child one may want but definitely the child one needs

Dear readers,

It has been a while since I have been able to blog. Life has been busy and I am grateful but that meant not being able to blog for a while. In this time, lots of new developments have happened, some good and some disappointing.

The good ones first:

Laksh is almost 6 months old, I am so excited to be planning his half birthday. Can't believe my baby boy is almost 6 months old. How time flies, it is amazing. We also finally had a newborn/baby photo shoot for Laksh which turned out pretty well. Here are some glimpses of it

  

                           

And now the disappointing part:
A lot of people in the DS community may have already heard about the special of Tom Segura rightly named "Diagraceful" that is to be aired on Netflix where he makes a joke about the usage of the word, “retard” and how it is no longer politically correct and questions if one should say ‘a person with the extra 21’st chromosome’? My question to him is, when has bullying been regarded as humor? When has mocking at someone's differences made you stronger or funnier? Why is it that you find the need to target a group of people who have never said a mean word about anyone and all they ever want is to be treated as human beings, just like anyone else.
When a fellow mom from the Down Syndrome community commented on his social media page, conveying her distasteful reaction to what he calls art, in response, Mr. Segura commented, “Netflix, please don’t take my special down. That’d be so retarded.” He not only denied making an attempt to try and understand what he said wrong or its ramifications, he went on to say it again, in an attempt to appear "funny" . I think it is weak that you can only get a few laughs from people at the expense of someone else, and in this case, many such individuals who had nothing to do with it whatsoever. I have been a part of this community for a short time but as passionate as any one else. No one chooses to have a child with special needs, but one can always choose to love, choose to accept and choose to being kind. As a parent, you may understand the overprotective instinct that comes with the territory, the need to protect your child from the tiniest of troubles, the need to be his or her advocate and making sure your child gets all the good things life has to offer. 
It surprises me that despite being lucky enough to have a child, you aren't lucky enough to learn acceptance and kindness for them. I feel sorry for you and your ignorance. Having a child with down syndrome makes you privy of unconditional love and have a deep appreciation for happiness. Always remember if you decide to have another child, and that child is blessed with an extra chromosome, the same people you mock now, would welcome you with open arms. That is why I feel that we all need to have such a blessing bestowed upon us so we can learn what it actually means to live life to the fullest.

I would urge everyone to please sign the petition and contact Netflix yourself to rate Tom Segura’s “comedy” show. You can reach them at PR@netflix.com or contact the CEO Reed Hasting at rred.hastings@netflix.com. 

You win some and you lose some

To call this year a roller coaster of emotions would be an understatement. With everything that has happened, I have come to realize and appreciate the importance of family (online and IRL). Laksh and us, are fortunate in that sense. 

Even before his birth, his grand parents and aunts had started planning trips to the states from India. Birth of a baby is always such a joyous time, and getting months and months to plan is such a blessing (even though most babies do what they want and don't really give a damn about our birth plan). Anyone of knows me would say I am not a very patient person and having to wait 9 whole months (no one tells you this, but its actually 10 calendar months) to see my munchkin is one of the hardest things I had to do, or so I thought.

Planning for your baby, especially your first one can be a fun yet a daunting process. For me, being a type A, instant gratification kinda person, I planned and planned and then planned some more for every scenario that I could think of except the one that actually happened. Life is funny that way. Isn't there a saying that goes something like, If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans? 

 

With this year coming to an end, my parents have finally been able to make it to US to see my baby. Mom had come briefly back when he was in the NICU so with so many restrictions wasn't really able to spend time with Laksh. My dad wanted a boy to hang out with since my older sister was born 35 years ago and finally after 3 daughters and a grand daughter. here comes my darling Laksh. This picture of my dad and his baby boy is something I am going to hold on forever in my heart, and on the internet 😉.  I am my daddy's girl and this is such a beautiful sight for me, that my heart hurts with joy and gratitude. 

"Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grand parent." 

Donald A Norber

  

Additionally, the end of this year marks saying good bye to his grand mother and aunt who are going back to India after being with Laksh since the time he was born. Farewells can be so hard even though they are temporary. Here are some pictures of Laksh with his aunt (dad's sister) and grand mother (dad's mom).

Laksh is now waiting to meet his other aunt and uncle, his two older sisters, his fur brother, and his two more mommies. Hopefully soon. So as we bid adieu to 2017, we also say good byes to some loved ones and welcome others. Until next time.

 Happy new year to everyone! Lots of love from Laksh and all of us. See you next year.

I absolutely cannot end this year without a special mention to the Murray family. My heart hurts for you and I cannot imagine how you are dealing with the loss of your precious baby. Colton, without ever meeting you, I have fallen in love sweetheart. You will forever be missed. For those who have not heard of him, here is a link to help you get to know what an awesome baby he was. God bless you Colton. 

https://www.facebook.com/ColtonStrongHeartWarrior/?ref=br_rs