I hope you all remember my sweet long distance friend, Angie, who moved from Whitby to Saskatchewean around two years ago. She has written here before about her son, Alexander, who recently turned a year old. She joins us today for a special update.

Nearly 14 months ago, my husband Joe and I, were practically knocked off of our feet with the surprise news that our second-born son, Alex, had Down syndrome. His birth day started off as an exhilarating, joyous day but ended with tears, confusion and fear.

But that was then and that was before we knew our son or anything about Down syndrome.

“Don’t you just sometimes feel like kicking yourself in the butt for feeling sorry for ourselves, when he was born?�? I said to my husband Joe last night after dinner as I bounced Alex on my knee.

Today, March 21, is World Down Syndrome Day, chosen to represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome, which result in Down syndrome. In celebration of my wonderful little guy, here, Alex, are 21 things I love and adore about you:

1. Your big and wide gummy grin, which is about to quickly disappear now that you have two toothbuds coming through.
2. Your fascination with and adoration of your older brother Isaac. I’ve managed to capture this in pictures.
3. How you vigorously rock your Exersaucer back and forth to move from one side of the kitchen to the other.
4. Your drive-me-up-the-wall habit of pulling your socks and Robbies off and chewing on them. Keeping your feet warm this past winter has not been easy!
5. Your evening chats with Isaac during your bath. “Ah brah, brah, brah, brah!�?
6. How you suck your thumb when you are sleepy and in need of a nursing session.
7. Your baby snoring. (I can hear you over the monitor this very second as I type this).
8. Your spikey hair that won’t stay down if I don’t comb it right after your bath.
9. Your baby aerobics that consist of pushing up on all fours and bouncing four times and then collapsing on your belly and then repeating it over and over and over again.
10. Your one-arm army crawl.
11. How you use your tongue to explore everything: your reflection in the mirror, lunch leftovers on your hands, the handles on your dresser drawer.
12. Your most recent accomplishment of sitting up independently. I love, love watching you sit up with your legs stretched straight out in front of you and your little toes wiggling around.
13. When you are really upset or scared, how your bottom lips pops out first, followed seconds later, by the most heartbreaking wail I’ve ever heard.
14. How you clap your hands with excitement when we say, “Yeah Alex!�? or applaud yourself when we practice standing you up.
15. Your deep, deep laughs when we tickle your belly.
16. When you blow raspberries back at me. We have some of the most interesting conversations this way.
17. In the morning, when you snuggle up to me in bed for a few more zzzzzzs. Sadly this is becoming less and less frequent as you are showing more interest in getting up to explore your new world and spend time with big bro.
18. Your reaction when daddy walks through the door: your mouth and eyes open up wide like a big O, and you clap your hands and feet in giddiness and kind of jump around.
19. How you steal the spoon from me when you’ve had enough at mealtime. It’s impossible sometimes to wrestle it out of your hands!
20. How you make a growling sound when you are not pleased with something.
21. And finally…I love that you, sweet baby boy, who has melted my heart a thousand times and over again, came to this family and that you are ours.

Possibly related posts:

1. Alex n’ Angie
2. Part 2: Alexander the Great
3. Part 1: The unexpected occurs
4. Alexander’s here, too!
5. It’s That Month