Down Syndrome Awareness Month - Colin (Day 2)

Over the past 10 years of blogging, I have spent a LOT of time sharing so much related to Colin's development, hitting milestones, successes, challenges, etc. The very first time I hit "publish" on a blog post, my thought process was that it was going to be a place I needed to vent, but I very quickly realized that Colin was a very determined little boy and there was so many reasons for celebration. The blog turned into just that; a place to celebrate and at times, a space that allowed me to work through some of the emotions that Chris and I were working through. His diagnosis of Down Syndrome at birth came as a complete shock to both of us and I know the feelings that we felt that day, and for weeks following, were feelings of grief that we will never forget. What we thought would be the hardest thing we'd ever go through turned into the greatest blessing we never realized we were missing. 

Colin is just about 10.5 years old and he has such an incredible personality. He's really funny and witty and loves to make others laugh. He has ONE joke he loves to tell over and over right now that's a knock knock joke asking why the chicken likes to cross the road. The punch line is so old right now (to get to Chick-Fil-A of course!) we have a hard time laughing, but he still cracks himself up every time. He has always been and continues to be so observant and arguably, a significant skill of his that allows him to learn so much. Along with that comes determination to accomplish anything he decides he wants to accomplish. With patience and time, he continuously observes whatever it is (watching others, carefully practicing, etc.) until he feels comfortable enough to try it/practice it on his own. He's strong and lean and we've been amazed lately at how his body is shaping and becoming quite muscular! A lot of this is because he loves to participate in sports and play, he keeps practicing/trying different exercises (more on that in another post) and is very active. He still loves music, acting, being the center of attention to "perform" and is determined to have a job at Sesame Place one day in the parade. He's sensitive to others' emotions (particularly our family) and wants to comfort us if he's aware that we're not feeling the best. He's often seen putting his arm around others, sneaking kisses to the cheek, giving hugs, etc (mostly family again). He loves his school community; his teachers and his friends that he's made.