Christina's swing set

If you want to measure your child's physical development, just compare what they can do on your home swing set.

I remember when Christina was in the baby swing, and couldn't climb the ladder.

It gives her such a sense of accomplishment to have mastered all the equipment. You can see her determination as she climbs the ladder, and smile of pride as she swings all by herself. The problem is, now she wants to swing on the trapeze, and jump off! Yikes!

My Review of "The Nanny Diaries"

Is up on Mercatornet.

No Greater Love

You have got to read this poem by Michelle Harmon at Downblogger!
She is referring to this heartbreaking news story, in which an Italian mother, pregnant with twin boys, attempted to abort her son with Down syndrome, but mistakenly aborted the 'normal' child. She ran to the police to accuse the doctor of malpractice, and returned to finish off her son with Down syndrome. Now she is without both of her sons. How sad.
While this story is shocking, unfortunately, it is not really news. In Europe, the abortion rate for Down syndrome actually exceeds the 90% of the USA.

Have your child's photo shown in Times Square

The National Down Synrome Society has an annual photo show of children with Down syndrome to publicize the Buddy Walk in New York City. They will be shown on the big screen pictured here, where the New Year's Ball drops.

This year's New York City Buddy Walk is on Sept 30th in Central Park. Actor Chris Burke and his band featuring the DiMasi brothers will be playing. We met him there two years ago, and had a great time.

Send your photos in via email and they may be included in the montage.I sent in three (the limit per family) of Christina.

Update: oops! Michelle tells me the deadline has passed!

The Nice Matters Blogger Award

Jean, my friend from Catholic Fire, has nominated me for this award. “This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded please pass on to seven others whom you feel are deserving of this award”.

I am honored to be nominated by such a devout lady blogger, and to be in the company of such good Catholic writers. I like to think of us as civilizing the sometimes harsh world of the blogosphere, by speaking the truth in love.


Here's my list of nominees.
1. Esther
2. Noelle
3. Elizabeth
4. Heidi
5. Ellen
6. Alice
7. Lorraine
Congratulations, ladies, you have inspired me, and taught me, and never lost your civility while doing so! You are making the blogosphere a kinder place.

Summer Reading

Christina knows which book has been her favorite this summer!

What's on your night table?

Third Down syndrome carnival

The third ever Down Syndrome Carnival has some new friends, and is developing a cadre of regular contributors.

Our first new friend is the mother of three children, and three blogs! Michelle has a post about speech therapy on her blog Life as I Know It. On her other blog, Downblogger, she has posted about her discovery of Dr. Jerome Lejeune, the world famous geneticist who discovered Trisomy 21 in 1959.

I like to include new resources for parents in the Carnival. I found that The Sensory Playhouse has some great ways for our children to play. Stacey Bittman, the director, explains, "The Sensory Playhouse is among the first ever inclusive play facilities that caters to ALL children. We have therapy-based equipment and a plethora of sensory and educational activities."
CHASK provides family to family support helping families raise their child with special needs. Loving Christian homes are waiting to adopt these children if the birth moms and dads are not able to parent. Little Flowers Foundation is a similar organization which helps Catholic families who are seeking to adopt special needs children from other countries.

One of our regular contributors, Ellen Hsu, has a post on her relationship with Psalm 139. I wrote a submission for the Op-Ed at the New York Times, which was rejected, so I posted it at my political blog, Causa Nostrae Laetitiae. I share it with you here, it's called Faces Like Mine.

The fourth Down Syndrome Carnival will be at The Imperfect Christian, chosen by CJ of Crazy Hip Blog Mama fame.Her email is imperfectchristian@gmail.com so please send her your posts for the fourth Down Syndrome Carnival.

How to help our children learn independence

Barbara Curtis, mom of 12 including three children with Down syndrome, blogger, and author of 6 books and over 700 articles, has some wisdom to share in a recent article she wrote for Crosswalk, an online magazine. She claims that toddler meltdowns are not necessary and may be a sign that we moms are missing chances to grant them learning opportunities and greater independence.


This made me examine my daily life with Christina. She is very independent and while there are plenty of times this must be curtailed, as in "NO, Christy, you may NOT go to the road and take the mail out of the mailbox by yourself". There are, however plenty of times when I limit her independence unnecessarily in the course of an average day for my own convenience. I don't want to wait for her to pull her pants up after potty time, or pick out a mismatched outfit to wear, or let her clear her own dish from the table when it's sure to lead to spills on the floor. I clean up her toys rather than asking for her help, and don't remember to let her help set the table for dinner. She's good at pulling laundry out of the dryer, whether she's asked or not, so why not ask her? In addition to setting up artificial settings for learning, perhaps I could slow down a bit and allow her some of the opportunities she's been throwing herself on the floor and crying for!

I think we special moms run the risk in this area particularly because our children may not be able to do what their typical peers can do, and we fall into the overbearing mom trap. I will always remember a story of a mom in my family whose son with Down syndrome was 50 years old before he put on his own hat. His mother, then deceased, had always done it for him. What pride Mickey in putting on his own hat! What a shame he missed 43 years of doing it!

Feast of the Queenship of Mary

This Feast was established by Pope Pius XII in 1954.

The Holy Father taught that Jesus Christ alone, God and man, is King in the full, proper, and absolute sense of the term. Mary also, in a restricted and only analogous way, shares in the royal dignity as the Mother of Christ who is God, as His associate in the work of Redemption, in His conflict with the enemy, and in His complete victory. From this association with Christ the King, she obtains a height of splendor unequaled in all creation (Ad Caeli Reginam, no.25).
HT Catholic Exchange

In a lecture he gave on Long Island, Dr. Scott Hahn explained the Old Testament view of the Queen Mother, the mother of the King, as the true queen, because the King often had many wives, none of whom assumed a leadership role.

Our Lady is the mother of the King of Kings, and therefore it is perfectly Biblical to honor her and respect her role as Queen of Heaven and earth.

See the Litany of the Queenship of Mary at Causa Nostrae Laetitiae.

Downi Creations

Christina Dunigan, has left a comment recommending Downi Creations. These are adorable collector quality dolls who have the features of Down syndrome.

Here's their story:

When Donna Moore, the founder of Downi Creations, Inc. worked as a Special Education teacher and program administrator, she was aware of the problem every day. In the average Special Education classroom, children with Down syndrome represent a large percentage of the students. (Statistics confirm that one in 800 births worldwide is a Down syndrome birth.)

In spite of these facts, there still exists surprisingly little educational support or public awareness programs to help the families or the general public to better understand and deal positively with people with Down syndrome.
Down Syndrome Originals© were created to help close this troubling knowledge gap.

Each doll was carefully designed to reflect the special beauty of babies with Down syndrome by faithfully representing the 13 features of Down syndrome:

1. Almond-shaped eyes

2. Flattened bridge across nose

3. Small mouth

4. Slightly protruding tongue

5. Small ears with a fold at the top

6. Ears set low on the head

7. Flattened back of head

8. Shortened fingers

9. Pinkie finger curves inward

10. Horizontal crease in palm of hand

11. Shortened toes

12. A gap between the first and second toes

13. An incision in the chest to indicate open-heart surgery

A friend of mine, had suggested that I create a doll like this when we visited last week. I liked the idea, but was doubtful that anyone would buy a doll with Down syndrome. Now, I am so happy to say I was wrong!

She is now suggesting a series of children's books where the main character is Christina, my daughter with Down syndrome.

I'm listening, now, Elizabeth!

Second Down syndrome carnival

Stephanie Bissol at Megan's Got 47 has a post where she shows us a children's book she is working on featuring her lovely daughter, Megan. It looks like a winner to me! Christina shares her emotional story of Kallie's birth in this post. For those out there who are facing a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome, or other anomaly, Be Not Afraid offers more of these inspiring birth stories to help you in this difficult time.
Ellen Hsu writes a loving post to her son on the occasion of his first birthday in Elijah's gift. Karen discusses her ambivalence at Lion and Magic Boy. Michelle at Big Blueberry Eyes gives us Ten Facts about Down Syndrome where many of the myths about Down syndrome are cleared up. I add my recent post on Dr. Jerome Lejeune, the geneticist who discovered Trisomy 21 in 1959, and firmly believed that Down syndrome could be cured, "with less effort than it would take to send a man to the moon".
Barbara Curtis of Mommy Life compares society's reaction to Down syndrome to her acceptance of being the mother of her son in about that extra chromosome.
I like to include links to resources for those parenting children with Down syndrome in each post. Band of Angels has a wonderful outreach which includes, scholarships,lovely calendars and note cards, and books about Down syndrome like Common Threads and my daughter's favorite, Hi, I'm Ben, and I Have a Secret.
Thanks to all you who have participated in the second carnival. The next carnival will be here at Cause of Our Joy, so be sure and send me your posts. In September the carnival will be moving to other host sites, but the next site will always be posted on the previous carnival.
How about letting us know if you are walking in a Buddy Walk?
HT A Catholic Mom in Hawaii for the carnival logo button.

"I'll pray for your child to be cured"

When Christina was born, and we realized for certain that she had Down syndrome, my father, a devout Catholic, rallied the prayer warriors to pray for a cure for her Down syndrome. I credit this with the fact that she has never had a single one of the typical heart or gastrointestinal problems commonly associated with Down sydrome. However, I must admit, I felt a bit touchy about people who wanted to change the way my daughter is. After all, we Catholics are called to love one another unconditionally, so why pray for her to change? Wasn't she good enough to be loved with her Down syndrome?
I have often said "I love my Christy 'just as she is' and wouldn't change her if I could". One day, my 14 year old Gabbi asked, "you mean if there were a cure for DS, you wouldn't get it for her?Do you really want her to stay the way she is?"Of course, that question caught me flat footed! Who would deny our children cures? I DO love her unconditionally, but if she woke up tomorrow with regular abilities, would that change my love for her? Certainly not!

We have to remember the terrible lives people with DS had in the recent past. Even Dr. Lejeune, who discovered Trisomy 21 and loved our children deeply, wanted to find a cure for DS. He called Down syndrome an illness, but never meant it as a put down. As a doctor, he was confronted on a daily basis with the side effects and limitations of Down syndrome, of course he wanted a cure! He said, "it would take less effort than sending a man to the moon to find a cure for Down syndrome" (from his biography, Life is a Blessing) His greatest regret upon his death from cancer in 1994 was that he hadn't found it. His Fondacion Lejeune continues his research to this day, never losing hope, that Down syndrome, like Polio, may be relegated to the honor roll of conquered diseases.

Where can we send our daughter for high school?

A Catholic father , an intelligent and conscientious man, was explaining why he and his wife took their daughter out of a Catholic high school: "They told the kids that the gospels weren't true."
Compare that with Pope Benedict XVI's affirmation in his best-selling book Jesus of Nazareth: "I trust the gospels." The Pope, a serious scholar who is one of the genuinely distinguished theologians of the day, judges it reasonable to believe the gospel accounts. Some religion teachers in a Catholic high school do not. Now, who do you think is right?

Over the years, many conscientious Catholic parents like the father quoted above have been scandalized and dismayed by the religious formation they've encountered in the Catholic schools, colleges, and religious education programs to which they've entrusted their kids. Not infrequently, it seems, a mischievous counter-catechesis has contributed to the young people's loss of faith.
To be sure, CTSA members aren't the people who teach religion in Catholic grade and high schools and religious education programs. But there's a link. It resides in the trickle-down effects of what these (academically speaking) humbler souls may have picked up from academicians in college courses and professional publications, as well as from the CTSA's own well-publicized proclamations of dissent.
In other words, the Catholic school teachers who have the religious studies credits they need to teach theology have been in the liberal propaganda machine long enough to believe this nonsense. And teach it. These are positions which I learned in my 11th grade Biblical Theology class from Sr. Pat, a young novice whom I admired so much, I came in on a Saturday to watch her take her vows at the convent.
"The miracles in the Bible didn't really happen the way they're written. People of those days didn't understand science and psychology the way we do today. For example, the Red Sea was really the Sea of Reeds, and there was no wall of water, the tide went out, allowing the Israelites to walk across"
I once heard a Pentecostal preacher enjoy this view very much. He said, " do you mean to tell me that all of Pharaoh's army, including his horses and charioteers drowned in two feet of muddy water? Now, THAT'S what I call a MIRACLE!!"
All the miracles were similarly debunked by Sr Pat, even Christ's multiplication of the loaves and the fishes." The people had the loaves and fishes, Jesus just convinced them to share them" Mother Angelica had fun with that one. "Do you think, that if I had been listening to Jesus preach for three days, with a salami sandwich in my pocket , I'd need Him to tell me to eat it? I got news for you; that salami sandwich would be long gone!"
The corrections to this nonsense came much later in my life. In high school I absorbed this stuff readily. I even went on a trip to a Protestant friend's home, notebook in hand, ready to defend what I believed then was the truth. Her correct interpretation of the Scriptures put the lies I'd swallowed to shame, and I never pulled out that notebook. I could tell she was right to believe that the Scriptures tell the truth. I am grateful for her understanding.

Sr. Pat has left the Academy since, but continues teaching the historical-critical method of theology in Catholic settings elsewhere, and was seen at a Voice of the Faithful meeting asking the bishop for more of a leadership role in the Church because of her education. Heaven forbid.

Meanwhile, since I live too far away from the one Catholic high school on Long Island which has the courage to teach from the Magesterium (ie. like Pope Benedict says, the Scriptures are trustworthy) while we live here, I either subject my daughter to the sewer of popular culture and anti-Catholicism in the public schools, or continue to home school her. Reluctantly, I have chosen the latter, but not without a bit of anger towards the Catholic Theological Society of America.They have robbed countless students of their Catholic faith, and essentially deprived my daughter of the legitimate pleasure of attending a good Catholic high school.

Review of Artic Tale

I took my girls, ages 14 and 10, to a preview of An Arctic Tale (rated G) to get their reactions to what promised to be a beautiful film. Warmly narrated by Queen Latifah, with a screenplay written in part by Kristen Gore, An Arctic Tale features breathtaking nature footage of the arctic. An Arctic Tale surpassed any TV nature films I have seen, National Geographic has outdone themselves here, however this is no ordinary nature film.
We meet a baby girl walrus and her clan, and watch her grow and learn to catch food and pull up on the ice. When the polar bear cubs emerge from their birthing cave, we see their adjustment to outdoor life, learning to hunt seals with their mother under the ice. The baby animals are, of course, engaging and the children begin to care about them.
The next season, the ice melts early causing problems for both walrus and bear cubs' ability to obtain food and rest. We watch scene after scene of these animals struggling with lack of polar ice, going hungry, and we are told, ' if we don't reverse Global Warming which is responsible for the melting of the polar ice, all these creatures will soon die. '
I haven't seen any reviews of this film yet, but I imagine the critics will wax poetic about this film's 'inconvenient message'. It seems that Global warming is one of a short list of causes for which a film can become didactic, without drawing fire from the establishment.

As a parent, I was not pleased with this attempt at manipulation of my children's feelings, especially the lectures given by children during the credits, on how to save the polar bears by turning off lights. I know young children may carry a sense of guilt if they forget. Or is that the point?

Don't get me wrong, I love nature and consider myself a conservationist. After all I was a child of the 70's. It's just that I have seen another perspective on the issue of melting polar ice. I recently read an article online explaining how melting polar ice released frozen plankton which is providing a new food source, leading to increasing population of many sea creatures. So, how do we decide whether the seal or the walrus should prosper? Is this a natural cycle of temperature fluctuation, or a result of our domination of the planet?

Manilo Sodi, a professor of theology at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome, summarized personal responsibility for the environment at the World Environment Day. He said that a healthy ecology "encourages an examination of conscience; offers an opportunity for formation; looks at the person in all its greatness and integrity; calls for the formulation of laws and regulations that demonstrate the harmony between person and nature (and) respects the environment so that, as it was received, it can be passed on to others."I'll take his point of view.

If your children could watch An Arctic Tale without being haunted by the hungry animals each time they turn on the air conditioner, then go and enjoy the movie. If not, wait for the next Animal Planet special on the Arctic.

Little Flowers Foundation

Danielle Bean has a post about the Tippet family, who are raising funds to adopt a little girl from Africa. If you are a Catholic family who would like to adopt a child internationally,but are unable to meet the high costs, there is financial aid available via the Little Flowers Foundation.

The mission of Little Flowers Foundation is two-fold.Many qualified families find adoption's high costs prohibitive. Little Flowers works to provide grants to families who need financial assistance in order to pursue an adoption. Are you interested in adoption but afraid of the high costs involved? We may be able to help.
Many children from around the world are in need of a loving family. Older children, sibling groups, and disabled children can be hard to place. Little Flowers works to find loving families to adopt these special souls. Do you feel God may be calling you to open your home to one of his precious children? Please contact us.
Another website, Reece's Rainbow helps get overseas orphans with Down syndrome adopted by loving families here in the USA.

The "R" word

Theresa Howard has an article about how much the expletive "you're such a retard!" wounds a mother's heart. I can certainly relate to that!
It amazes people when I tell them that there is a 60 point IQ range for individuals with Down syndrome, just as there is with the typical population, it just starts lower. There are people out there with Down syndrome who are smarter than the average Joe. So there!

HOWEVER, even if they aren't more intelligent according to some test, I have NEVER seen a person with Down sydrome call another person such a hurtful name.
They're way too emotionally intelligent for that!

The First Ever Down Syndrome Carnival

Welcome to the first ever Carnival of Down syndrome. I hope it will be only the first in a long line of carnivals, and the beginning of many friendships. By gathering together the work of several bloggers who parent children with Down syndrome, I hope that we could share the joy that these children are to those of us who love them. My offering to begin the carnival is the story of my entry into this community, A Special Mother is Born an article I published in a parenting magazine about how my Christina, now five, changed my life forever.

A mom named Christina shares her daughter Kallie's birth story here, she shares how an unexpected diagnosis of Down syndrome has brought such love into her life, and her belief that God never sends us something we can't handle. Leslie, the Joyful Mother of Six Children shares in the Eyes of a Child how her daughter Eliana's birth has effected her family. Her friend Hollie, wants us to read another lovely post of hers, where she details the heartbreaking procedure of holding your little child's arm for blood tests. That really terrifies me, but Leslie is brave and sustained by her strong faith in God.

Rachel from 100 Lessons I've Learned from Jennifer shares The First Lesson she has learned from her special daughter.
Kristi, over at Above All I Could Ask or Imagine tells us about her son's 7th birthday. She says, "I do not know if this makes sense...but God understands my heart. Thank you, Lord, for giving us the gift of all of our children. May they all grow up totally sold out to you. Thank you, especially on this day of remembrance and celebration, for J and the treasure he is to our family!"
Alice at has shared articles from three women with Down syndrome who inspired her, in Ups and Downs. A talented author about Down syndrome, and contributor to Gifts, Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives, Jennifer Graf Groneberg at Pinwheels has a post Sweet Sleep about listening for her son's sleep apnea that I most certainly could relate to, having stayed up many hours listening to see if Christina had an apnea.

Catherine has a moving montage entitled, A Life Worth Living. Mindy tells a story about going through medical testing with her son Liam in Sharp Pointy Sticks.

Tara Marie Hintz, beautiful Emma Sage's mom has a favorite website with lots of resources for people with disabilities to share. It's called, "disability is natural". Michelle at Big Blueberry Eyes responds to a comment about her reaction to her daughter Kayla's diagnosis of Down syndrome. This is a conversation that most of us have had, and Michelle handles it with grace and insight.

Reasoned Audacity's Charmaine Yoest wrote about Sam Ingersoll's son Gabriel, and how he was inspired to start Gabriel's Angel Network to raise Down syndrome awareness. Just watch this amazing video Sam produced for new parents of a child with Down syndrome.

Donna Wirth at My Nesting Place reviews the book Gifts and shares her love for working with children with Down syndrome. Jodie at Jodie's thoughts has a post which was published on Beliefnet. Its about three words that can change the world.

Francine mom of Two Pirates and a Princess has some great photos of little Miss Sofia.
Lianna of Life with Gabriel shares, " Leticia, I just read your beautiful post about Christina. I found out about my son, Gabriel, having Down syndrome when I was 20 weeks pregnant. It has been an incredible journey -- and my husband and I have been so fortunate. Thank you for your kind words, and for your post on my blog. I would be grateful to be included in the First Ever Down Syndrome Carnival!"

Gloria P. Huerta Sr. sent me this story about life with her 25 year old daughter for the Down syndrome Carnival, however it seems that she is without a blog, so I gave her a post on mine. Read this and see if you agree with me that Gloria should start a blog!



Look, my dear friend Esther at A Catholic Mom in Hawaii is linking to us, and made us a button! Thanks, Esther!

Our only father to contribute, Kim Ayres tells how he reacted to his daughter's diagnosis, and his reluctance to join a Down syndrome support group. "When Meg was born it sometimes felt as though we had joined a Down’s Club and we were expected to go out and join Down’s groups. We found this idea more than a little uncomfortable."
I also had difficulty believing, when I began this blogging a year ago, that I could feel this close with complete strangers, from such varied religious beliefs and ethnic backgrounds. You have proven me wrong. Thank you, my new extended blogosphere family!

Christina from Prince Vince Meets the World has this post about a film festival in Salzburg, Austria featuring Down syndrome, and how it gave her so much hope. Great things DO happen when those who love a child with Down syndrome get together: let's do this again soon!

A big thank you to those of you who participated this week, if you check the Blog Carnival Website, you will see that this is a weekly carnival, and I will gladly let you be the next host. Leave a comment below, or email me leticia77@optonline.net if you'd like to be next week's host blog for next Sunday's carnival.

The Day Gloria Jr. Came into My Life

Gloria P. Huerta Sr. sent me this story for the Down syndrome Carnival, however it seems that she is without a blog, so I gave her a post to herself.
Read this and see if you agree with me that Gloria should start a blog!

The Day Gloria Jr. Came into My Life
Gloria Jr. is my 3rd and youngest daughter. Born May 5, 1982, 25 years ago. The birth was complicated by a c-section. I had no idea she was going to be a Down syndrome child, as at twenty six years old I was too young to ever have that happen.....So they say. I awoke from surgery to find Tony (her dad) crying above my hospital bed. I asked him what was wrong and his replied was "The doctor will be coming in to talk with you" and walked out the door. At first I thought he was upset that she was a girl, as we already had 2 daughter's and he might have really wanted a son. We knew this would be our last child. When the doctor finally came to talk with me, he asked me "Do you know what Mongolism is?". I answered "yes" and then asked him, "isn't that called Down syndrome?" Well, he gave me all the details and then finished up with another question for me. This one was before I even got to see her. "Do you want her? If not, we will put her in a place where she can be taken care of." WHAT A QUESTION!!!I would not have wanted anything else in my life at that moment. I knew that, right then and there, the second I saw her, it was instant.........LOVE!!
What the doctor told me she would not be able to do.......SHE DID!!I wanted to breastfeed her even thought he told me she would have poor muscle tone in her mouth to be able to eat right. Well, let me tell you she proved them wrong! I don't know where to start with all the things she has accomplished in her young life. Yes, her reading and writing won't be par with her peers, but she still tries very hard at this. She has grown up to be a very gifted child. I found her strengths and have made that her strong point in her life, which is her love of dance, friends, family.
There are a lot of things that have happened in her life that have been hard for me to understand. Like why at 16 years old, while home alone from school due to menstrual cramps, she decides to call 911. They sent an ambulance to the house, they picked her up, and she then gets a ride to the hospital in Petaluma...all by herself!!
Or why she goes completely numb when I am trying to correct her (like most teenagers).Or just when everything seems to be going well and she is learning more and more to not lean on me so, she does something that sets her back. At times like these I feel that we need to start all over again. And then we move on..........it's O. K.
But for all the not so good times, there are so much, much more wonderful, special and even emotional times in our lives together. She has such a trust in everyone that comes into her circle of life. Her love of people outshines everything she can't do. She has no problem walking up to a man or woman and letting them know how handsome or beautiful they are.We were at a Mexican restaurant one evening. As we were eating and listening to a live Mariachi band, 4 young men came and sat down at the table next to us. Well, low and behold she starts up a conversation with one of them and then the others join in. As the band starts to play again, Gloria goes and requests a dance from one of these guys, (who by the way was about my age!!) and you know what....he did!!! There she was in all her glory, as everyone else looked on, dancing and having fun!!! I would have never, ever have done that!!! But that's what make her so special. We had a wonderful time that night. Stuff like this happens all the time, when we are together.
I have come to admire Gloria Jr. for who she is and not what I want her to become. She has taught me not to judge others by their appearance. She has shown me to be kinder to all I meet. She has given me a big lesson on forgiveness. And she has shown me to be happy everyday.For me, I see Gloria Jr. as wearing her "spiritual soul" on the outside for all to see and you know what? I want to be just like her."Thank you Lord for giving me your gift of Love"My Daughter Gloria Patricia Jr.Gloria P. Huerta Sr.

What to do during the dog days of summer? READ!

The Bookworm Carnival is up at Reading is my Superpower.

Moments when Heaven Touches Earth

Many of you have read A Special Mother is Born, my article about how Our Lord spoke to my heart to prepare me for giving birth to Christina. I am constantly amazed at the richness of His grace, lifting us up when day to day life overwhelms us, and we struggle to pray with confidence.Recently, I was blessed with another moment of grace. We were at the Holy Hour of Youth 2000 with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, held outside Kellenberg High School, in a tent.Christina was very restless, and we were keeping her outside the tent so she wouldn't disturb the reverence at the Holy Hour, which had been going on for hours. As Fr. Juniper passed our row, holding Jesus in the Monstrance, we were invited to 'touch the hem of His garment', which he explained was the Humeral Veil.
I took the end of the Veil, and wrapped around Christina's kicking leg, and she instantly calmed down, looked up at the Monstrance and whispered, "Jesus". My heart soared, because I am reassured that she continues to recognize Jesus in his Body and Blood. Only five years old, hardly verbal, yet her faith surpasses that of many Catholic adults who don't have her gift of simple innocence. Fr. McCartney once told me that he thinks that people with Down syndrome feel sorry for us, as we don't understand things as clearly they do. The important things, like where Jesus is, and that He loves us.
I'm beginning to see what he meant.

Review of Becoming Jane

Whenever a film about a famous author comes with a trailer which threatens to shatter my English-major respect for a literary great, I tend to avoid seeing a film, for fear of being disillusioned by a "Hollywood job" on one of my favorite authors. For generations, knowledge of Jane Austen's novels have been the hallmark of a good education in English Literature. The trailer's image of a bad-boy running after lady-like Jane Austen, turning her ordered world upside-down, to be honest, did not look promising, nor did the sight of her respectable minister father, getting frisky with his wife, while the opening credits were rolling, did nothing to ignite my enthusiasm for Becoming Jane. What did spark my interest, however, was the first sight of Jane herself, up before dawn, scratching away at her writing in a tattered nightgown, unkempt hair, and ink-stained fingers. Her sudden burst of inspiration with which she wakes her family with her enthusiastic piano playing, and their resultant groaning, 'there she goes again, get that girl a husband'! That woman, I can relate to. It is sunrise here in my home, and my fingers ply the keyboard rather than the inkwell, nevertheless, the emotional connection is there. Writers are most alive when they are pouring themselves into their work, oblivious to their surroundings. This can make them a bit odd, as Jane was, but it can also be a source of great pride for their family. The sight of Anne Hathaway the family poet, reading her tribute to her sister on her betrothal, only to me mortally wounded by Mr. Lefoy's (played by James McEvoy), dismissive comments, touched the heart of this writer, and made me anxious to see how she could possibly become romantic with this lout! And what about this brawling, boozing, womanizing, slacker could possibly inspire a lady like Jane?

Rapturous music, dreamlike shots of the countryside, delightful acting by Julie Walters as Mrs. Austen, and natural lighting coupled with well delivered 19th century dialogue make this unlikely film more believable, though James McEvoy's accent was disappointingly English for a Limerick lad. I found myself, as I do in her novels, and their recent screen adaptations, hoping that the unlikely couple would make a go of it, and save Jane from the wealthy dolt her mother fancied for her, a plot so familiar from Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. Jane's characters are woven into the film, and I enjoyed watching her write about Mr. Darcy and refer to herself as a matchmaker like Emma.

I do recommend this film for Jane Austen fans who are not strict purists, but, due to some brief nudity at the swimming hole, and inappropriate though off-camera bedroom antics of a married couple, so I advise leaving the children at home. This is a girlfriend movie, so leave time for a cappuccino afterward.

Don't let your children become addicted to excitement

Dennis Prager at Townhall.com makes the point that craving excitement is a bad thing,
If you want your children to be happy adults and even happy children -- and what parent does not? -- minimize the excitement in their lives. The more excitement, the less happy they are likely to be.
In both adults and children, one can either pursue excitement or pursue happiness, but one cannot do both. If you pursue excitement, you will not attain happiness. If you pursue happiness, you will still experience some moments of excitement, but you will attain happiness only if happiness, not excitement, is your goal.

So many of the best things in life are routine, and could be described initially as dull; eating meals together as a family, your children's nighttime prayers, the same flowers blooming in your summer garden, year after year, your mother's phone calls, the slow progress your children make in their studies, a bug discovered by your toddler in the backyard, the same vacation spot you always go to, and the same liturgy every Sunday, with the same Body of Christ you receive.
See what we would be missing if we look past the routine in mad pursuit of novelty?! Our Lord Himself, who chooses to come to us in the humble appearance of ordinary bread.
That's why advertisers are making commercials which change scenes every three seconds, and include special effects like things blowing up, magic cereal, and flying kids. Anything I have to offer as a homeschooling mother is pretty dull compared to this display.
As a high school English as a Second Language teacher, I remember my Principal saying, "you have to stimulate the students, and include the five senses in every lesson." Oh, really! This includes, of course, smell and taste, which I foolishly believed belonged to Home Economics.
So I designed a St. Patrick's Day lesson around the five senses. I made Irish soda bread and Irish tea (smell and taste) brought in my Aran sweater and linen tablecloth set with Irish Belleek china (which I let them touch with trepidation) and played Irish music, so that their ears wouldn't get too tired of listening to their teacher. There, I thought, all five senses stimulated, the Principal and administrators observing me will be impressed.
But alas, it was not enough! The Principal's comments were negative, and this was his suggestion for improving the lesson, "you should have danced the Irish jig". The Irish jig, a pregnant middle-aged teacher dancing (poorly) a jig for adolescents! The image was too nightmarish to be funny!
So, now that I realize I will never be an exciting teacher to anyone, I can relax, and simply help open up the universe of learning. My children, freed from the need to be constantly stimulated a can settle down, learn, and enjoy life. Our family can relax and be our ordinary selves, loving one another, day after day so predictably. I will try to cherish my 52nd dandelion bouquet from little hands as much as the first, and we will be happy. Happy to have comforting, dull routines which constantly ensure me how much I are loved.

Have you lost an unborn child?

I have lost three children to early miscarriage, on St. Patrick's Day, Good Friday, and St. Padre Pio's Day. Why do I know the dates? Because these children will always remain part of me until I can see them in heaven.
If you have had difficulty finding books to read while mourning your little ones, you might find comfort in Karen Garver Santorum's book, "Letters to Gabriel". In it, she published her actual journal entries during her pregnancy with her son Gabriel, whom she lost due to an infection caused by inter uterine surgery to save him from a fatal anomaly. The extraordinary lengths which Karen and her husband Senator Rick Santorum went through to save Gabriel's life while the Senator was defending the Partial-Birth Abortion ban, is truly poignant. The babies killed by this gruesome procedure, were the same gestational age as the Santorum's son, who was fighting to live. Once, during a particularly tense moment of Senator Santorum's speech, the cry of a baby pierced the silence of the Senate chamber. Senator Santorum felt it was the voice of Gabriel, pleading for innocent lives.
Gabriel's brief life was full of love from his family, and his legacy, which we now see, is the uplifting of the dignity of all human life, and the eventual decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the Partial-birth abortion ban.
Thank you, Senator and Mrs. Santorum, for allowing us a look into this most painful episode of your private life, in order to give us a glimpse of true courage in suffering.

Proud Mom Moment

While we were preparing for one of our evening walks around the block, Christina made a request.
"I some shoes".
We were ecstatic, as she had never put three independent words together before!
When she said, "I some" it was always with relation to food, as in, "I some" indicating the rice she wanted me to put on her dinner plate.
This time, she was indicating another type of need, using "I some". All of her other multiple word phrases have been learned in their entirety from us, like her favorites, "I don't want to", or "I don't like it".

"I some shoes" is totally unique for her, and a big milestone in her slow linguistic development. Her sisters, delighted, have given her a new nickname, "I some". We hope to respond to many more such requests in the future!
Nice job, Christina! We are all SO proud of you!
Photo credit: Grandma

Call for submissions: our book on Catholic special needs mothers

As the summer ends, my co-author, Monica Rafie of Be Not Afraid.net and I would like to finish collecting the stories we will include in our book on Catholic Mothers of Special Needs Children(if you can suggest a title, we are still taking suggestions). This includes those of you whose children were seriously ill anytime after their birth, we know how needy these children are, and how many challenges we have face raising them. Here are some questions which we think should guide the writing of your story. If you don't want to write the entire story, just answer the questions, we will be happy to do the writing for you. If you would like to refer anyone, please give her my email address. leticia77@optonline.net

1. Are you a life-long Catholic or a convert?
2. What parish do you attend? Are you active in your parish? Do you participate in any Catholic organizations or apostolates? (please list)
3. Did you receive a prenatal diagnosis? Y/N
—If yes, please tell us about your baby. What was your baby’s diagnosis? When in your pregnancy was your baby diagnosed?
—If no, tell us when you learned that there was a problem with your baby.
4. How specifically did your Catholic faith help you to accept what was happening to your family?
5. Did you then, or do you now have devotion to a particular saint as a result of your baby’s diagnosis, experiences, or from your own previous devotions? If so, are there any particular stories about the saint (or other saints) interceding for you, your family, or your child?
6. If you don’t already have a story written, consider setting up a very basic outline of events that walk us through the experience you wish to share about. We can help you to fill in your outline if needed.
Thanks very much for participating! We will use this set of questions to identify and draw out the different elements in your story that are most appropriate for our book.

God bless,
Monica and Leticia

My Love is Forever by Christina

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Announcing the Down Syndrome Awareness Carnival

I know so many wonderful bloggers out there with someone in their lives who has Down syndrome, and want to share the joy their special person has brought them with the world.
SO, I am hereby starting the first Down Syndrome Awareness Carnival.
Sunday, August 12th, by 12AM EST, will be the deadline for the first carnival. Every Sunday after that, a different blog will host the carnival. So, get your best posts out, and send them in to Blog Carnival or send them into me directly at leticia77@optonline.net for inclusion in the carnival. Please let me know if you would like to host a carnival, and I'll set you up. Get ready to meet some wonderful new friends.

Nothing makes a homeschool mom happier than a box of books!

No, my homeschool book order hasn't landed on the doorstep, it's even better.
A friend of mine who has decided to send her children to Catholic school, has donated at least seven boxes of the kind of books I see my fellow homeschool bloggers rave about.
Books I have been meaning to buy, after reading about them on friend's blogs, like Maureen Wittman's Homeschool Companion, or Rita Munn's A Family Journal.
Books that may be in the basement somewhere, but I can't locate them, like the Bible History. Books I have given away to someone, and missed ever since, like Letters to Gabriel, Fertility Cycles and Nutrition, and .
Books I have seen over and over in Ignatius Press, but just couldn't afford, like The Spirit of the Liturgy by Cardinal Ratzinger, or Fire Within by Fr. Dubay.
Books which I haven't yet read from well-loved authors, like James Stenson's Compass.
Books which I love and can now give away because I have an extra copy like Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy, or Karol Wojtyla's Love and Responsibility.
Books I need to re-read like Dr. Dobson's The Strong Willed Child.
Books I planned to recycle but the older child's answers were written in pen, like the wonderfully written, Our Pioneers and Patriots by Rev. Philip Furlong.
Books I've always meant to read like Ruth Beechik's You Can Teach Your Child Successfully.
Books I know I'll read in one sitting like Secrets of the Eucharist by Michael Brown.
Charlotte Mason books. Fr. Lovasik books. Mother Teresa books.
Spiritual books, textbooks, art print cards, old fashioned music books and cool science kits. Phonics games and the perfect history and health books for my 5th grade daughter.
Preschool books for Christina, my Kindergartener.
There are even videos on Maximilian Kolbe, Pope John Paul II and that miraculous staircase.
Don't I have a wonderful friend? Don't you just love these books?!

Thank you, Lord, for your generous provision, there's just one more thing. . .could you send me a bookshelf, please?

Call for submissions

Susan Palwick, over at Rickety Contrivances at Doing Good announces a call for essays for an anthology of women who love to read, to benefit the University of Alberta pain center and to purchase books for hospital patients to read. Worthy causes, and a fascinating topic, ladies, it's time to get creative!
I have this print over my desk, isn't it lovely?

Portrait of a Young Girl Reading
Jean-Honore Fragonard
National Gallery of Art
USA

Down syndrome children are blessings

Lori at View from Our Porch Swing has a great post about the blessing she's received being the mother of her daughter with Down syndrome, after she saw this video on CBN.
Her little Jackie is just so lovely, go over and enjoy!

A New Blogger is Born!

I always recommend blogging to my expressive friends. It's a great way to get those creative juices flowing, meet wonderful people, and share our Catholic faith. My friend Elizabeth taught a Little Flowers group which our daughters attended and I always admired her organized presentations, her gentle teaching style, and her personal poise. I am just now discovering she is a novelist. And now, both she and her sister are bloggers.
Go on over to her brand new blog, The Divine Gift of Motherhood, and enjoy her way with words.

In Celebration of the Pure Life

As my oldest daughter makes her way through adolescence, I have become interested in Purity Balls. Here is a video of a ball given on June 10, 2007.

Would you like to participate in research regarding opinion about disabilities?

The following is an invitation I received to participate in a research project regarding public opinion and disabilities. Every time I can influence public opinion positively about disabled people, I try to participate. I have already participated in phase one of Mr. Cimini's project, and found him to be fair and as sensitive as possible.Click on the email link to ask further questions about the research, and, please, let me know if you are participating by leaving a comment below.
Leticia

The Politics of Heredity, Disability & Reproduction
Welcome
You are invited to participate in an ESRC funded research project that examines attitudes towards 'The Politics of Heredity, Disability and Reproduction'. The research will explore how differing attitudes towards this topic may reach a shared understanding. It also seeks to investigate what are the potential obstacles, biases and potentialities of associated 'stakeholder' groups. A report will be produced based on the findings and I would be happy to share these findings with you prior to any publications.

What does the research involve?

Approximately 30 - 40 key stakeholders have been invited to take part in a group discussion online - including a number of medical researchers, scientists and associated experts, alongside individuals who are associated with the disabled people's movement and others who have expressed an interest in these questions. The group discussion is geared towards gathering a shared meaning of the issues at stake.

If you agree to take part, you will be given secure access to a "research wiki" where you will be encouraged to write, edit and discuss group statements, encyclopaedia articles and joint letters, amongst other such texts. I am interested in all sorts of contributions: long or short, factual, descriptive or fun. No-one other than participants in this research will have access to your contributions.

How can I take part?

Taking part is easy. If you don't already have a password email me and I will grant you access. From here, you will be free to browse the content of the wiki and edit whatever you choose.

Please help promote this wiki and forward a link to anyone who you think may be interested.

I am looking forward to continuing contacts.

Nicholas Cimini
Doctoral Student
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) & The Bakhtin Centre
University of Sheffield


What are the potential risks of taking part?

The research will address issues that are potentially sensitive. If you participate you may be confronted with ideas that are considered upsetting or offensive to some people. The research will involve discussing topics such as disablement, prenatal screening and abortion. Participants are urged to act in good faith and be kind. You will find the contact details of various support groups, by following a link given on the project homepage, should you need to get in touch with anyone to discuss the issues raised during the research process.


What are the potential benefits of taking part?

Technological innovations often move forward more quickly than public understanding and consensus. The research will help to find ways to engage the public and professionals in debates over new technologies. It will help us to understand the impediments faced by stakeholders, the opportunities open to them, and the potential for a general consensus in the politics of heredity and reproduction.

Will my taking part be kept confidential?

Whatever you chose to contribute will be treated with confidentiality in any report or publications arising from the research and identifying information will not be made available to anyone outside of the group. All participants are urged to observe these same principles of confidentiality and not disclose each others personal information beyond the group.

A Word from Colleen Hammond

I sent this post to the author of Dressing with Dignity, Colleen Hammond, and here is her response, orginally a comment, but I felt it deserved it's own post so you could access the links.
Colleen Hammond said...
It's great to see modesty back in the news, and the interview I did with Focus on the Family (that Letitia quotes above) earned me a place as a member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/07/from_shoulders.html What an honor!!! :-)
I've been interviewed these past two weeks by news outlets from all over the world, but what concerns me is that manufacturers are starting to see a 'market for modest clothing' and are producing and selling clothing that they label as 'modest' that aren't decent...even being labeled "hot and modest". I Blogged about it here: http://colleenhammond.blogspot.com/2007/07/more-girls-go-mild-in-modesty.html
Like Letitia said, shop a bit and select a few outfits before you show your daughters. That's one of the reasons I did my other Blog--to show fashions from the runways of Paris that fit the Vatican Guidelines:
http://dressingwithdignity.blogspot.com/
Keep in mind, too, that a woman's real power is in her virtue--obtained and sustained through the grace of God. When we raise our children to be pure, humble, and charitable, the rest of society benefits as well.
GOD BLESS!!!

Potty Training Journal II

Three weeks into training, and Christina, who always goes to the potty willingly and is very proud of going potty, has yet to inform me of her need to go. If I get distracted, which happens often, she will just go in her pants. We do LOTS of laundry!
Here's a website on potty training Down syndrome children. My dear friend, a mother of child who began potty training at 18 months, and at age 4 still needs reminding, has advised me to take it slowly. Everything our children do takes longer, especially something as complex as potty training.

"Bella" has takent he Catholic World by storm!

Here's a link to the homepage of Celebrate Life magazine, where you can read an interview of the next Catholic hunk we can actually look up to (move over Jim Caviezel, and Mel Gibson!). Here comes Eduardo Verastegui. He's got quite the conversion story.

Oh, and, while you're on the home page, take a look at True Love is Pro-Life an article by that up-and-coming freelance writer, Leticia Velasquez. It will be in the October issue and features some vintage photos of my family.

Review of "Miss Potter" Now available on DVD

I had been looking forward to seeing the movie Miss Potter for two months, frustrated with it's elusive release date, and when at last I found a showing, over an hour from my home, I raced to a tiny theatre in a quiet village through lacy snowflakes, trailing a troupe of little girls and their mother behind me.
My pursuit of Miss Potter has been a work of reparation for an author I had resisted reading as a child. I can still see the little green books on the shelf in my school library, which were routinely selected by all the other third graders, but I was obstinate, refusing to read them, and be part of the crowd. Now, that I've seen the movie, I realize that Beatrix would have applauded this starchy, independence, even though it took longer for her enchanting little tales to enrich my life.
But who in this culture, or around the world for that matter, has not heard of Peter Rabbit, or become familiar with Miss Potter's friendly little renderings of ducks with bonnets, cheeky red squirrels, naughty bunnies in blue jackets, frisky red squirrels or fishing frogs?
My Latin American students at the college smiled in recognition when I mentioned "Pedro el Conejo" and I read that in Japan, where her books have always been popular there is virtually a "Potter Mania" as a result of this film.
Beatrix Potter's work has become a quintissential part of the culture of childhood, and I have often enjoyed reading "The Great Big Tresury of Beatrix Potter" with my three daughters. I might just look for those little green books again, now that the film is out. . .

The film shows Beatrix(Renee Zellwiger) as the quirky spinster daughter of a social climbing parents in their posh Kensington mansion in London, who try to set up a marriage for her with homely gentlemen of means. Her parents humor her when the little animal stories and paintings become increasingly important, as do the brothers at Warne Publishing, pushing off her manuscript to their inexperienced younger brother, Norman Warne, warmly played by Ewan McGregor, (any relation to Farmer McGregor?).The remarkable success of her first book takes everyone by surprise, especially her mother, and Beatrix is suddenly a woman of independent means. She has impressed the English reader, forging new paths for Victorian women, yet never stopped being the slightly dotty, visionary artist of whom Mr Warnes has become so fond.

There is nothing more attractive to a woman of literary talent than a man who appreciates her work, and soon a romance is born, much to her parents' consternation. I found the romantic scenes quite Victorian in their delicacy, yet touching in the quiet respect with which Norman treats Beatrix, even agreeing to a separation to concede to her parent's wishes that they spend the summer apart, to see if they were truly in love before they marry. His love letters send her into transports of joy, on the tranquil shores of her summer home, until unexpected tragedy strikes.

As a fellow writer, I enjoyed the movie's portrayal of the relationship of Beatrix to her work; her cozy farm cottage with her painings prominently displayed, her cluttered studio, her utter abandon of her physical appearance as she is transported by her stories, anxious to discover where they will take her. Her whimsical interaction with the animal characters in her tales, which in the film are animated, to the delight of the little girls with me at the preview, make Miss Potter, a rare glimpse into the mind of a literary icon of our culture.

Miss Potter will be enjoyed by her worldwide fans, like Shannon, whom I met watching the last of the movie credits, who had seen the movie in Manhattan the day before, in a packed house which gave the film a standing ovation. She is not only an avid collector of Beatrix Potter china, which she used daily for her daughters, but she took them to visit Hilltop Farm, Beatrix's home in the Lake District of England, which is part of the 4,000 acres she donated to the National Land Trust of Great Britain. This is a trip I never made during my time in London, but now that I have three little girls, I look forward to taking the tour some day.

I recommend that all lovers of children's literature, tender love stories, and breathtaking mountain scenery make the excursion to see Miss Potter, and spend some time in her cozy corner of Cumbria.

Is there a cure out there for Down syndrome?

Last week, I would have told you, "it's a genetic anomaly, in every cell of the person's body, and there's no way you can cure that". Now, as I do some research into the work of the man who discovered the cause of Down syndrome, Dr. Jerome Lejeune, I was heartened by something he said before he died in 1994, "to find a cure for Down syndrome would take less effort than sending a man to the moon."
His deepest regret was not finding that cure before he died, but here's the good news; his Foundation in France, Fondacion Lejeune, has all his documentation, and his research continues there, and in other locations, like Stanford. There is also some work trying to cure the side effects of having an extra chromosome, like those discussed here using Ginkgo Gil boa.
So, families who have children with Down syndrome, take heart, there is research out there, and our job is to get them funding. The Michael Fund was established for precisely that. Help get the word out that the March of Dimes has focused it's research into search and destroy pre-natal diagnoses, to 'cure' Down syndrome, while the public thinks they are helping babies with birth defects, in effect they are eliminating the babies with Down syndrome. And as the NY Times video suggests, the fewer people with Down syndrome out there, the less interest in finding a cure.
I will post updates on finding a cure, as I find them. Please feel free to send me links.

What's in a name?

Your 1950s Name is:

Victoria Loretta

What's" your 1950s Name?

I always thought that Leticia was a 1950's name. When I was a girl. only old ladies had this name. Now there are many Hispanic and black women who share it with me. I always thought it was providential that a half-Italian, quarter Irish, quarter Polish girl got a 100% Spanish version of Laetitae (Latin for Joy, after the Seven Joys of the Blessed Mother). How did Mom and Dad know I would have Velasquez as a surname someday? It just sounds so perfectly espanol. They picked it as a compromise out of What to Name Your Catholic Baby. I love my name.
Other versions of my name include the British Letitia, which I was called when I lived in London, and the Italian Letizia, which they shouted out in Florence when I went to use the phones at the post office. Such happy memories!
People who know me a LONG time call me Tishe (i pronouned as 'ee' please), Hispanics may call me Leti, but nobody better call me LETTY like my tree-huggin', women's libber, save-the-whales 5th grade teacher, Ms. Koons. Got it? Those were tough times, those 1970's liberal thought-police days, and I have NO intention of going back there!

"Gifts" Interview on TV.

My friends who wrote the book Gifts were interviewed last month on TV. Awesome!

Blogger Reflection Award

Blogger Reflection Award: this award should make an individual reflect upon five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and who have provided a Godly example. In other words, five dear bloggers whom, when you reflect upon them, you are filled with a sense of pride and joy. . .of knowing them and being blessed by them.

Noelle over at Jaden's Journal has nominated me, and I'm so honored. She always been an inspiration to me. Her blog began as a personal reflection of life raising a son, Jaden, who has Down syndrome. . .
" my blog has morphed into a clearer reflection of my passion for changing the way our prenatal community treats diagnoses given to expecting parents. Amazingly, in just 6 months time, my blog has really brought me closer to so many people who also feel things in the prenatal world need to change! Most of you reading are already well aware that I started a Petition to get the Prenatally & Postnatally Diagnosed Condition Act passed, and already we are at almost 600 signatures! Also, I have been devoting most of my time to speaking with other parents, professionals, doctors, nurses and Senators in trying to see how powerful our voice really can be. I upload videos to Youtube to spread the word, I join all parent lists and groups that are out there on special needs and down syndrome and basically just try and get the message out that we are sick and tired of our babies being so disposable!

Here's her nomination of me for the Relflecting Blogger Award:
Leticia over at Cause of Our Joy is one of the most passionate parents I have met through blogging. She is a huge advocate of changing the prenatal care, just as most of us are, but she takes it further than most of us have a chance to. She has 2 blogs and they are very inspirational. She has offered her help on countless occasions to me, and is there to help any way she can in spreading the word! Her blog is very conscientious and inspiring. She is the mother of 3 beautiful girls! Her time and energy is most definitely altruistically spent! Thank you for all of your support and all that you do Leticia!
Thank you, Noelle, and let's keep the momentum going by calling our senators to support S609, the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Act. The Capital Switchboard number is (202)224-3121.

Here are my five nominees for the Blogger Reflection Award:
1. Jean M. Heimann at Catholic Fire. Jean not only knows everyone in the Catholic blogosphere, but she is up on all the buzz, I know that when I read her blog will be inspired and informed by her keen insight. She is passionately pro-life, yet perennially optimistic about the birth of a Culture of Life in this world. She is heavenly minded, as you can see in all her holy posts about the saint of the day, yet she is practical, making her one of my all time favorite bloggers and a great blogbuddy.
2. Anita at V for Victory She is a Tertiary Dominican and never lets you forget it, her blog has a marvelous WWII theme, which brings to mind the importance of the war on terror, but also the war for the Culture of Life, which she passionately supports. She has great posts on some of my favorite saints, and comes to my aid in times of distress. Anita took her Confirmation seriously as she is a true soldier of Christ!
3. Monica at Be Not Afraid Though she is a webmaster, not a blogger, her website is just so dynamic, I couldn't resist. Recently featured in Catholic Exchange and interviewed on the Drew Mariani Show, Monica is the mother of three, including little Celine, on whom the doctors had given up hope for survival after birth, due to her heart condition. But Monica and her dh never gave up, and now Celine is a young lady of five. Monica now encourages other parents with poor prenatal diagnoses, and she is a real dynamo who I am proud to call my friend and co-author. We are writing a book on Catholic special needs mothers.
4. Esther at A Catholic Mom in Hawaii has a flair for beauty, she can't help it, she lives in paradise! Reading her blog is like going on retreat, beautiful images, inspiring prayers, and thoughtful commentary lift up your heart and soul to Heaven. She is always charitable, and always Catholic. I treasure our blog friendship, and her work in the blogosphere.
5. Lori from The View from Our Porch Swing. She will be surprised at this, since she doesn't know me, but after one visit to her blog, you feel like part of her wonderful family of 12, which includes a lovely young lady with Down syndrome. She doesn't preach Catholicism, she lives it, and we are fortunate to have a view into her happy, Christ-centered life. Her blog is truly an example of what St. Francis said, "preach always, use words when necessary".
Congratulations, ladies! Now you display your award, and nominate five other bloggers who have inspired you.