Oct
24
2016Dear Mama,
Last week was my baby boy’s 5th birthday.
(Yes, Sedryn is my baby boy. I don’t care how old he gets. Don’t argue with me… he’s still a baby… with nasty big boy feet. I digress.)
The day was a busy one for him including preschool and late stay. He didn’t get home to me until 2. We were able to spend a few moments together before one of his sisters got dropped off and before we had to pick up the other. But then it was a normal Wednesday Rush: Coppelia Ballet rehearsal for Bronwyn. Aeralind had an Artios Academies The Illumination of Exonor practice. And I had an Artios Academies parent meeting.
Sedryn fell asleep in the car and then sat next to me drawing in the parent meeting on his birthday.
I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but I started to feel pretty guilty about his “lame” birthday filled with our usual things.
And I wrestled with this guilt until Bronwyn pulled out a poster from her back pack on “Small Moments.”
And I thought, “That’s what I remember about my childhood: small moments.”
You know what Sedryn will remember about his 5th birthday?
He’ll remember how he stuck all kinds of Star Wars tooth picks into a Jelly Roll.
He’ll remember that he had sushi (his favorite) for his lunch at school.
He’ll remember that we all got on the floor and played with K’Nex as a family.
We can choose to focus on our children intentionally for little moments here and there to fill their love tanks.
So, sweet mama, let go of the guilt for all the in between moments and spend intentional time focusing you heart on the little moments that you and your child will treasure.
Cheering you on,
Melissa
P.S. I may have also almost forgotten to make Sedryn a birthday cake at all. I remembered when I had just 1 hour to spare before the afternoon rush. The following is the recipe I used for this quick jelly roll with things I had in my kitchen.
Cherry Pie Jelly Roll Recipe
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- powdered sugar
- parchment paper
- a clean kitchen towel with not very much nap
- 1 can of cherry pie filling or cherry jelly
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Beat eggs on high until foamy and yellow.
- Gradually add sugar
- Turn down mixer and gradually at vanilla and water
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl (except powdered sugar)
- Gradually add dry ingredients until just incorporated.
- Spread mixture on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until set and dry.
- Immediately invert cake onto your kitchen towel and peel off parchment paper. Roll up inside the towel and set it on a drying rack for 30 minutes.
- If using cherry pie filling whir it in the blender or food processor until smooth.
- Unroll jelly roll, spread a thin layer of filling, and re-roll up the jelly roll
- Let birthday child stab fun toothpicks into your jelly roll.
Oct
22
2016
Meet Julia.
Julia loves to read books, play games on her iPad, listen to music, and play outside.
She laughs the hardest when she is roughhousing with her dad and brothers.
Julia’s mama wrote a note to parents who have just received the Down Syndrome Diagnosis.
Dear parent facing the diagnosis of Down syndrome,
What you are feeling right now is perfectly normal, but you will soon realize there is nothing to fear.
Make contact with other families who have a child with Down syndrome. They will give you accurate, trustworthy information.
Your life is about to change for the better. You are going to fall so hard in love!
I wish I could be more like my daughter with Down syndrome…the way she sees her world and responds to it with such determination, love, and sensitivity.
Love,
Michelle
Oct
20
2016I nearly squealed when adorable Kingsley came into the studio with these perfect rosy cheeks. I may have been tempted to steal her.
But the icing on the cake was her sweet disposition. She’s such a happy girl whose love for life was so evident.
We had so much fun playing dress up with with this beauty. She seriously smiled and laughed in every single set up we put her in.
And the best part: it was Kingsley’s first birthday on the day of her session!!
Kingsley’s mama Courtney did not know that Kingsley had Trisomy 21 until after she was born. While scary at the beginning, Courtney is glad that they were surprised with the extra chromosome. Courtney writes:
It was not what we expected, and it was scary at first, but Kingsley is such a blessing to us. She brings us so much joy. It’s really fun to watch her hit milestones at her own pace, and we celebrate each one with her.
Kingsley has a million possibilities in front of her just like a typically developing child. Nothing will hold her back from achieving her dreams.
Oct
18
2016
Last year this little charmer came to the studio, was woken up from a nap, and produced a million smiles. I couldn’t believe it!
He’s grown a lot!
And one thing is for sure, his sisters absolutely adore Robert!
His laugh is infectious.
One of the things I hear over and over throughout the course of these mini sessions is “I wish people would just see a child first.”
With Down syndrome (and other special needs that are visible, people are quick to ask about disability or ability or “What is it like to have a baby with that condition?” Worse still, people generally refer to children with Down syndrome as “the Down syndrome baby/child/person”.
Like all individuals with Down syndrome, Robert is a child first. Just like any other child he longs for your love and affection. Referring to him as “the Down syndrome baby” is offensive because it defines Robert by his diagnosis. But Robert is more than his diagnosis. Robert is a little boy with an amazing sense of humor and a family who loves him. He also happens to have Down syndrome.
So what is the best way to refer to a child with a disability? By their first name.
If you need to reference their medical condition use their first name first. Robert, who has Down syndrome. Holden, who has Sensory Processing Disorder. Debbie, who has Cerebral Palsy. Their conditions do not define them.
Oct
14
2016I first met Stephanie when she was just two months old.
I was so very excited when her mama came back again for this year’s Down Syndrome Awareness Mini Sessions. Actually her daddy brought her, which made it twice as fun to surprise mama with images!
They grow so very quickly! Stephanie was 8 months old at the time of this new shoot. And her daddy and I were dying laughing at her antics.
Due to the low body tone associated with Down syndrome, Stephanie had not mastered sitting up. We had propped her up on the pillows on our bed set up and we would have approximately 45 seconds to take a few images before she would intentionally roll herself off the pillows. It was hilarious.
Obviously Stephanie has a sense of humor, but her mama also described her this way: “Stephanie is sweet, calm, and laid back. She has an adoring 2 year old sister who loves to entertain her and make her smile. Her favorite activity is playing with her toy piano and drum.” Sounds pretty much like every other baby you meet with a two year old sister, right?
Stephanie’s mama Amanda had this to say to other mamas expecting a little one with Down syndrome:
There are many, many, many more joys then hardships in raising a child with special needs. At first, it’s easy to think of all the hardships, but soon the joy will overcome that.
~Amanda
I know that I have found so much joy in getting to know these children and their parents. I’m so grateful to be given this opportunity to show everyone just how amazing each of these families and children are.
