Beach Days

I just absolutely love this picture of Mattie and her daddy at the beach! If I'd only seen this vision in the early years after finding out the news of our sweet daughter's diagnosis of Down syndrome. I was scared and didn't know how this little baby would change our lives. I had this perception that we would have to let go of all the things we loved. One of them being the beach. I don't know why I thought that people with Down syndrome couldn't go to the beach or enjoy life as we did. Is life at the beach easy now? No. It is a lot of work.....not because my daughter has Down syndrome, but because my daughter is three. All the hard work of pulling the wagon with umbrellas, chairs, sunscreen, shovels, pails, towels, you name it......was well worth it to see that great big smile!

Running for the ocean!

Mattie and Abby

Mattie and Caroline

Future track runner?

Up until now, I would say that raising a child with Down syndrome has been relatively the same as my other children aside from a few extra check ups and therapies. Maybe you can say Mattie has hit her "terrible two's" but I'm not really sure I would call it that. Our dilemma has mostly been running. She will run away any chance she can get and will not stop no matter how many times you call her name. This has become very dangerous. If the front door doesn't latch, she helps herself out and runs toward our neighbor's house. She doesn't understand the danger and you can't reason with her. She simply has no concept. She just smiles and points to the house wanting to get to their dog. The hubby installed swinging latched gates this weekend and that has given me a little piece of mind. At least now if she gets out the front door, she is contained on our porch and I can get to her. Before, she would bolt. That girl is fast!! In public, we almost always have her in a stroller, in a cart, on a leash (never had to use that before), or holding our hand. She never complains about having to use any of these methods and that has been one positive. And as great as those methods come in handy, I would like for her to learn how to stand beside me without running. If all else, fails I guess she can always be a track runner!