Mommin' this Mess

Have you ever heard the term hypotonia, or low muscle tone?  This may be one of the most common characteristics in individuals with Down syndrome.  And it took me a while to truly understand exactly what it is and how it affects Beau.  Simply put, low muscle tone is a lot like muscles that are very relaxed .  And if you have ever had the honor to hold a little one with an extra chromosome you are nodding your head because you know the experience was a little different than holding a neurotypical baby or toddler.  They just melt into you like a little rag doll and it will steal your heart right out of your chest.  They are more squishy and they are the best at snuggling.  It also helps them to be super flexible. Hypotonia does not only affect the Down syndrome community, but it is a common thread (or superpower) that people in the community share.   Scientifically speaking, m uscle tone is regulated by signals that travel from the brain to the nerves and tell the muscles to contract (N

In today's culture it seems that every time you turn around someone is offended in some way, and I find that offensive... 🙄.  Seriously though we are bombarded with new ways to offend others multiple times a day by the news, our newsfeed, billboards on the highway, and in print.  It becomes exhausting, amiright? Please don't misunderstand my message here; there are times when it is not only appropriate but extremely important to bring attention to a person or group of people who are attacking others because of differences, but that is not the point of this post.   I want to talk to you about how you can show genuine kindness for others in the Down syndrome community not because you are trying to be politically correct or inoffensive, but just because you are a human who wants to speak from a place that shows you care enough to consider your words .  Sometimes our words are the only tools we have to support others and they can be extremely powerful.  I would like to share 3 w

Happy October...or around my house it is Down syndrome Awareness Month.  This month I hope to bring you some things that I have learned along my parenting journey with Beau.  Educators, therapists, and healthcare providers tend to measure a child's developmental progress in 5 categories, or domains:  1.  Language & Communication (communicate needs and wants) 2.  Cognitive (thinking, learning, perceiving) 3.  Physical  (gross motor skills and fine motor skills..handwriting, jumping, walking, running, dressing, feeding) 4.  Emotional (appropriate feelings...empathy, impulse control, self regulation, joy, resilience) 5.  Social (age appropriate interactions with peers..greetings, turn taking, relevant conversation) Today let's talk Language Development and Communication, specifically the use of sign language in individuals with Down syndrome (especially babies, toddlers, and young children).  Beau is working on several commonly used signs right now such as &qu