I just have to say: I can’t get enough of my little dude. He is irresistibly chunky (a trait that Sarah Kate has always lacked), perpetually smiling, and just plain F-U-N. Sarah Kate has always been a happy, friendly child, as well, but when she was a baby I was so stressed out about keeping her healthy that I missed out on the fun stuff. In her case, as well, she began missing gross motor milestones very early on, so there was no joy, only relief, in watching her progress. Every new achievement was accompanied by “thank goodness she’s finally able to do X” instead of “look at what she can do!”
So far, Nathan has met every single developmental milestone right on time. There’s nothing about him (save a few facial features) that would tip off a stranger that he isn’t a typical child. I’m not sure if it’s the big blue eyes (clinically large – it’s called megalocornea) that grab people and hold their attention, or his joyful expressions, or the fact that he’s just so darn cute (really, he is), but one thing I do know: he has Star Power. Strangers stop to talk to him and play with him. Last week, I had a woman stop me in the middle of the DFW airport terminal to talk to him, and the barista at the local coffeehouse came from behind the counter to hold him this morning. He doesn’t meet a stranger, and has a limitless supply of smiles.
A friend of mine who lives out of state confessed to me recently about feeling apprehensive about meeting Nathan for the first time, not knowing exactly what to expect. In the very next sentence, however, my friend told me that it took only a few minutes to see that Nathan is just like any other baby (and for my friend to be completely won over by his Star Power!) I appreciated the honesty – I’m sure that we’ve had other friends and family members who have had the same thoughts. My dad told me when he first heard the Ds news that he determined he would take his cues from me. I seemed fine with it, so my dad was fine with it, and he loves this little guy tremendously.
Sadly, I know that we are destined to encounter people – some of them friends or family members – who won’t fully appreciate “Star Power” and will always see “Down syndrome”. Some people will see “burden” whereas others will see “blessing”. No, I’m not okay with that, but I can’t control what other people think or do. What I can do is share my world with others, and help my little Star shine his light on the world. He may never reach the heights of what most people would consider to be success, but I’m fully convinced that my little Star has the Power to change the world.
Shine on, my little Star.
