Who is Ruby Doobs? It has been said that people with Down syndrome are more alike than different. This is a great statement for individuals who may not know much about having an extra 21st chromosome...because yes...my daughter eats, sleeps, grows, learns, cries, laughs, has opinions...very strong opinions...just like you or I. She walks and talks and is about the sweetest, most loving little human I have ever met. But for those of us who really know someone with Down syndrome...I mean the lucky ones who really have had the opportunity to be around these individuals....I think we can all agree that there is something different about them. Something amazingly different...something that we would never want to change. They are who they are...no apologies, no second guessing. The energy...the infectious smile...it's like a bear hug that you continue to feel the rest of the day...they are all such raw, true and real emotions. So I like the fact that Ruby is "different"....I love it actually...we embrace it. She makes it hard not to....so if I had to come up with a few things that I think is a big part of Ruby...I think Ruby might say:
I am a painter....
I am a lover...
I am a social butterfly...
I am a daddy's girl...
I am a sister...
and she would definitely say that she is Rockin it!!!!
and Ruby....Mommy would say that you are a teacher. One that teaches me about how cool and precious life is everyday!
And most important Ruby...you areyou. The perfect lil' version of our sweet Ruby Doobs and I would not change a single chromosome or hair on your head. I thank my lucky stars when I wake up and when I go to sleep at night that you have come into my world and opened my eyes to a brighter way of life!
Check out this video from the International Down Syndrome Coalition for World Down Syndrome Day! They believe that all life is precious...just like we do :)
We are helping them spread the word by sharing their video "Who I Am"...
Happy World Down Syndrome Day Peeps! Spread the love!
Oh to be four again....I have to say I have been struggling with some emotions lately. Emotions related to everyday life, feelings of hurt from my past, stress from trying to be the best parent I can be, fences being blown down by 45 mile and hour winds that need fixin'....just life in general. These feelings are pretty new to me..not that my life has been all rainbows and unicorns...but most things seem to roll off my back...like a duck in water, cruisin' through the big pond of life. I haven't been feeling so 'laid back' lately...which basically makes me feel like an alien (sorry to all the aliens out there..). So when I got home yesterday and Ella Mae had brought home a piece of cardboard from Montessori school it put things into perspective. Her excitement and enthusiasm for this simple piece of cardboard (about the size of my hand) that her teacher let her bring home was just what I needed to snap me out of it. And then...she passed by a tiny little feather moving an inch at a time with the wind...I mean tiny lil feather. As if her enthusiasm for the plain ol' piece of cardboard wasn't enough to make me remember how simple life can be....she screeched when she saw this feather "a feather mommy!!! Look...a feather!!!" It was like Lenny Kravitz had walked by with his shirt off (ok...mabye she wouldn't have been that excited but mama would have). Anywho, just witnessing that state of mind and being in that undeniable carefree energy rubbed off on me and I am starting to feel somewhat back in my laid back lil' duck pond again. Thank you my lil' lady for reminding me that it's the little things that keep us smilin'..
On that note...we tried to go the the Kite Festival this past weekend and failed. We waited in the line of cars for an HOUR to park...and 20 cars from the finish line we were shut down! We were told to ride the shuttle from some other destination...no thanks! We decided to create our own kite festival...Plachta style! Way more fun if you ask this mama...and way less stress. We took our $2 kites to a local park....
And viola!! Kite Festival 2013...we even had a picnic and a few other peeps came up and joined.
Ella Mae's "'spidey kite"...
Even Ruby Doobs got in on the action. Here she is right before take off...
And here she is flying that thing all by her tiny lil' self!!!!!!
Seriously folks...she is flying it by herself!
And by the way...remember that hole she had in between the top two chambers of her heart?? Well I do. Dr. Wong had the pleasure of telling me after her last cardio appt. that the second hole in her heart had indeed closed on it's own, just as the first one did at 6 months. Raise the roof peeps!! He told us her ticker was perfectly perfect....just like her. These are the things that matter peeps. Cardboard, feathers and a day with your family flyin' $2 kites....oh...and dancin' ..you can't forget the dancin'...
Doobs checkin' her moves out at the dance studio...
She actually participated a bit in Ella Mae's class this week..pretty cute :)
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