Just the same...

I thought that maybe raising a child with Down syndrome would be a bit different than raising children who did not have DS.
I expected some challenges but I had planned on meeting those head on and doing my best to make sure that we would never treat them any different. And maybe it is because they are still so young... but...
Veronika and Gavyn are just the same as my children without DS.
We have some behaviors that we have never had to deal with before, such as Gavyn twisting his wrists and staring at his hands, or Veronika feeling like she never gets enough food, but these are from the orphanages, NOT because they have DS.
In just a few months time, we went from having two babies who had never been able to play on the floor for tummy time, and one who could not even hold his head up, to BOTH of them crawling, and even standing up!
Veronika regulally pulls to a stand, and today, with the help of a step on the floor she was able to climb up onto the sofa all on her own! She also learned how to drop the ball into one of her toys so it comes out from another area, after being shown only a few times!
Gavyn has been smiling because he is happy lately, and not just because we are tickling him or tossing him in the air. He is starting to notice things and wants to grab and touch things, just like a regular little baby!
Every single day they amaze me!
They have enriched our lives, and I guess if anything, they make us realize there is nothing we can't do with love, care, and prayer.