Luck of the Draw

This is my friend S's son, A.

Do you not just want to squeeze these cheeks?

She and I had the same personal trainer shortly after I moved here, and each mentioned to the trainer that we had a child with Ds. About a week later I saw S and A at a library story time and inferred that it must be the same woman the trainer had told me about. I risked coming across as a complete stalker and spoke to her, telling her about Pacey (who was at school at the time). We made plans to meet up again and have been friends ever since. 

It's been really neat to see A in action. I think he was about 8 or 9 months when we met and I've seen him go from a cuddly little baby to an energetic toddler. Although I've met plenty of other kids with Ds and have noticed similar features to Pacey's, A is the first baby that I really feel LOOKS like Pacey. His mom agrees...they have similar coloring and the same short haircuts, but there is just something about them. I felt such an instantaneous affection for him and I'm so glad that I've had the opportunity to know him and his family. 

C and A...this makes me do a double-take it reminds me so
much of Pacey

A just started a preschool program at the same school Brighton attends. I peeked in on him the other day in his classroom and he was standing there at a sensory table, surrounded by typically-developing peers with a huge grin on his face, just doing his thing with all the other kids. I mentioned to S that I'd seen him and he looked happy and she shared with me how immensely proud she is of him. It's so neat to see her with A at this stage of parenting...there is something so special about seeing your kid fitting in with his peers, doing the things that kids do, completely blowing you away in the process. 

Yesterday Pacey and I were picking up Brighton from school and a woman stopped me, asking if I was Pacey's mom. Turns out her son, who has Ds, just started preschool there too (he's actually in Brighton's classroom but on opposite days to her). We chatted about our kids and schools and therapists, and then a teacher came up and mentioned to her that another boy had just started the program. Once again I put two and two together and figured out they were talking about A. The teacher talked about how great he is doing and we all agreed that he is completely adorable. The other mom and I talked a little more about the Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota, the MOMS Club I am in and our boys. 

These are all really mundane little anecdotes, but they combine together into a story that makes me feel so lucky to be Pacey's mom, and part of such a fabulous community.