31 for 21

You'll see a new link on the right side of this page called "31 for 21." October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and there is a campaign being led by Trish at Unringing the Bell for all bloggers to try to blog for 31 days (in a row)(I know!!) to help raise awareness about Down Syndrome. Here's the paragraph that got me:

Why should I do it?
This is the one question I can be unambiguous about. I propose you do it in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. One thing I can say certainly, is that writing--blogging specifically--has helped me in numerous ways as the mother of a child with Down syndrome. I value the people I have met, the friends I have made, and the information I have gathered on blogs. Wouldn't it be wonderful if new parents googled Down syndrome and our blogs came up? What a welcome wagon that would be!

But that doesn’t mean you HAVE to write about Down syndrome. I think it’s beneficial for folks to read about people who are affected by Down syndrome and see that our lives are just the same as anyone else’s!

I propose whether or not you personally know someone affected by DS that you do it in honor of those living with DS as a part of their lives; to raise awareness of Down syndrome. (And, well, it WOULD be nice if you mentioned that's why you're doing it in at least ONE of your blog entries.)

I have talked about it on here a decent amount, so you all know that when I was pregnant with Jane, we were given 1/77 odds of her having Down syndrome, and while she did not end up being born with Down syndrome, it's a topic that has become close to my heart. Although people told me over and over that "she'll be fine" or "don't worry" or "blah blah blah" (that's how it sounded to me) I knew I needed to educate myself on what exactly Down syndrome is. My search led to me some scary, outdated medical sites, and to some wonderful, amazingly-written blogs, several of which I continue to read, because as it turns out, much, if not most, of parenting is a universal experience, no matter what issues your child confronts. I plan to recommend some of those blogs to you throughout the month, the first being Jennifer Graf Gronberg's Pinwheels. She writes beautifully about her life with her three sons, one of which has Down syndrome. She wrote a very compelling book, Road Map to Holland, about the early years with her son Avery, who has Ds - it is truly a book you can't put down. Take the time to check her out.

So - yeah. I plan to blog for 31 days in a row. HELP! I need suggestions. Is there anything pressing you feel like you must know about my life? Tomorrow I will blog about my glasses adventure today, titled "How You Know Your Wednesday Is Going to Suck - An Adventure in Snapping Your Glasses in Half First Thing in the Morning."