It's a Tooth....AGAIN!

So, tooth #2 decided to arrive today and joined tooth #1! Yahoo! Side by side on the bottom they both sit and it is so adorable! No more toothless grins.

Great news!

One of our posts from this blog was selected to be published in a book called "Gifts: Volume II" due late 2009 or early 2010!!! We won't tell which post so it will be a surprise but we got word on Friday that the editor had selected us and we will start working with an editing team in December to fine tune the essay.

I read the book "GIFTS: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives" when I first learned about Joaquin's diagnosis and it quickly became a lifeline for me. It was absolutely instrumental in helping me find peace and happiness with the diagnosis. It's a book filled with over 60 stories written by mothers about their children who have DS. "Gifts II" is the sequel to the first book and will expand on the topics of acceptance, courage, friendship, awareness and joy. I saw earlier this summer that the editor was looking for submissions to be hand selected for the new book, so Hector and I each submitted one.

We are so thrilled and the news brought tears to Hector's eyes. To think that we will be able to help others the way the stories in the first book helped us is just priceless.

More Alike Than Different

Can you guess who is who?

One of the biggest goals of Down Syndrome Awareness Month is to help people understand that people with Down syndrome are more alike than different. Here are each of our boys about the same age in the same hand knit beanie that my Grandma Esther made when Diego was first born. Even though children with Down syndrome have many common physical characteristics, they still have 46 chromosomes that came from each of their parents so they will still look very similar to their siblings. I think these photos prove it!

Baby Flex

One of the characteristics of Down syndrome is "an excessive ability to extend the joints." Babies with DS are extremely flexible and Joaquin is no exception. Here is a photo of one of his most favorite positions.  We are constantly reminding him not to poke his eye out...with his toes!!!

Abuela

Here is a photo of Joaquin and Abuela (Hector's mom) when they met in Mexico earlier this year.

The "Face"

So I just have to clarify this picture (and the other "face" pictures in the Buddy Walk slide show.)

Joaquin is not unhappy in these photos nor is he about to cry. In fact, he still rarely if ever cries at all. This is the "face" that he makes whenever the sun hits his face, or it's too bright outside, or when we shine the light in his eyes during his sensory stimulation program. It is hilarious to see him make it because he can really exaggerate it and his brothers get a kick out of it too. It cracks us all up! Joaquin will make this face and then quickly turn it off when you say to him "open your eyes" or if you put him back in the shade.

I think it's a preview into his personality. I think he's got a little "ham" in him. We love the "face"!

Questions?

In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I wanted to welcome any questions you may have. Often when I see people and Joaquin is with me, there is a lot of interest about some of the physical markers I noticed on Joaquin when he was newborn....the sandal gap on his toes, the crease on his palm, etc. At the Buddy Walk on Saturday, there were myths and facts posted along the path to help educate the public about DS. Please, if anyone reading this blog has any questions at all, I would love to answer them. Really, anything is open for discussion! I'd also be happy to answer any questions about the program we are doing with the Institutes. You can post your question in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them all. Fire away!!!