Beautiful Brina

So, this is my stepdaughter Sabrina.

Isn't she beautiful? She JUST got these glasses a few days ago. Most children with Down Syndrome need them and Sabrina is no exception. There was a lot of hype with these glasses as she does not care for them at all (this is the second big attempt in years). I decided to make a big deal by taking a dozen photos of her with them on, she loved it. Sabrina will be 9 later this month, almost 2 full weeks after Dylan. She has thick, brown hair, is highly intelligent and loves dancing and bubbles.

I did not know much about Down Syndrome, before falling for Mark, but am certain that I will learn a lot about it over the rest of my lifetime. I joined the Down Syndrome Association of WI, Inc (DSAW), earlier this month and am preparing to be a part of a community of others living with the challenges of this handicap. It is considered a birth defect caused by a chromosomal disorder by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. The disorder is named after John Langdon Down (a British doctor) who described the syndrome in 1866. (The chromosome was first identified in 1959, by a guy who's name was French looking). The syndrome most consistently shows impairment of cognitive abilities and in physical growth as well as facial appearance. Sabrina, and others living with Down Syndrome, are at a higher risk for congenital heart defects, recurrent ear infections, sleep apnea and thyroid dysfunctions. For now, we can only praise God as Sabrina is a fairly healthy little girl.

There is a lot of support for children/adults who have the Down Syndrome. Sabrina is "mainstreamed" into her 2nd grade classroom and is very capable of performing many of the social skills appropriate for her level. (Mainstreaming in the context of education is a term that refers to the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes during specific time periods based on their skills. This means special education is delivered outside the regular classroom, where the student with the special need leaves the regular classroom to attend smaller, and more intensive instructional sessions. Schools that practice mainstreaming believe that special needs students "belong" to the special education environment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainstreaming_in_education ).

Of course her reading, writing, math and speaking skills are quite limited in comparison to her peers, but anytime spent with Miss Sabrina and I promise you, you'll see her bright light.

She is able to say several three syllable words, most of which have something to do with tasty foods (cheeseburger and watermelon are imprinted in her vocabulary). She can comprehend straight forward requests; Sabrina, would you please clean off the table, put your pajamas on or turn off the TV). Much of which she is able to do without much prompting or without someone standing over her...IF she feels like it. This little girl is quite intelligent. I say this because she reminds me of every other kids' brilliance when they figure out that they have choices and find creative ways to do the opposite of what their parent asks of them. She's got that down pat, like every other kid I've ever met.

If you get to spend time with Sabrina, be prepared for lots of juicy kisses. We're working incredibly hard to get her to have a 100% success rate of kissing on the cheek (except for daddy right now). She can at times be incredibly sensitive to the others around her; grabbing Dylan's shoes after she's put her own on, patting Veronica on the back when she's coughed and had some liquid go down her throat the wrong way, or even within seconds of hearing an "ouch", she will ask, "kay?" in a loud and demanding voice. She wants to take care of others. She has an amazing heart.

I look forward to learning a lot about God from Sabrina. Our Creator knows what He's doing...always. And Sabrina is no exception.

The DSAW has 1500+ members at this time. That means that many, many people in our crazy weather state are living with or supporting those of us with a Down Syndrome person in their family. It's not meant to be something that divides, but unifies. Don't get me wrong, this cute little button can sometimes make me want to scream out loud, but she is trainable like every other child is and is growing leaps and bounds in what she is able to do.

If Sabrina never changed another thing though, she's beautiful and loveable just as she is. Beautiful Princess Brina.

All information about Down Syndrome was collected from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome