Hannah and her 'baby'

Happiness
How lucky am I to be able to say 'happiness is ... leisure time spent with my husband and two little brats'? It is a sunny weekend without too many commitments but time to play together and be with each other.

Recently I met with a new mum - well it was her second child but her first with T21. I always enjoy talking and reading with other women who understand in a special way just what it is like to be a parent of a child with special needs. They know the sorrow and the joy - the intense feelings of love that these children can arouse in us every day and the wonderful sense of excitement we experience with each small achievement they make.

Afterwards I thought to myself - I hope I made it clear enough that raising Hannah brings me just as much joy as parenting Kit does. They are different children but they bring me the same amount of joys and concerns. Being their Mum is an absolute joy and privilege that I didn't always think I'd be able to experience. So yes I still feel sad that Hannah has Down Syndrome, I think I always will but in the scheme of things it is such a small part of the beautiful little girl that I am getting to know. My husband described the twins as books that we are reading but we can't skip ahead to see what happens in the end. Each chapter is a new development or a surprise for us. They dictate the narrative - we follow the plot that they set.

In two weeks I am going away (courtesy of a grant for carers) with other mums from Hannah's early intervention program. I am really looking forward to it but to be away from my babies for a whole weekend is a bit scary - they have changed our everyday lives forever and it will feel strange not to see them in the morning - to watch them play and vy for toys and attention. I must admit I feel a bit of a fraud - parenting Hannah is just part of my daily life so I don't know that it warrants this extra 'care' for me. Spending some time with other women in similar situations will be fun and there is going to be quite a bit of pampering involved - manicures, pedicures, facials etc. Utlimately this sort of respite is something that all mothers would benefit from - it is yet another wonderful part (or perk?) of parenting Hannah that you don't always see unless you are one of the families like ours.



Kit's signing and speech is really coming along. Here he is showing us where his nose is.







General Update:








Kit still has an ear infection - it seems to go and then comes back again. I am taking him back to the ENT on Friday so hopefully the ear will be clear so he can get a good look at what is happening in there! Hannah bear is loving her trike and pushing the weighted trolley we loaned from Lifestart. If she isn't walking by Christmas I will consider selling her on e-bay.