Amanda Dickinson

They say it takes a village to raise kids. When trying for and planning for kids I never imagined my village would include so many medical professionals. I also could not have pictured a group of women, most of which I have never met, who I would feel so connected with and who would play such a big part in my support system. This group of women who call themselves Rockin Moms. One day while sitting in the NICU I posted in a Facebook preemie group about how lonely the NICU journey could be and doubly for a parent with not only a very premature baby, but with a baby who also happens to have Down syndrome. I was about to receive my first lesson on just how not lonely it was. A mother told me about the organization called DSDN (Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network) who has these Facebook groups. The full name of the group is Mothers of a child Rockin an extra chromosome. Groups and group members commonly referred to as Rockin Moms. By the end of the day I was a part of a community of moms tha

To another family with a child writing their own book, Kaleb is now either 16 months old or 14 months depending on how you look at it. Sixteen and a half months ago he entered the world 12 weeks early weighing 2 lb 2 oz. He is also considered 14 months old as of today since 14 months ago would have been his due date. For a parent of a preemie it can be confusing explaining the actual and adjusted age of a child. It can also be difficult as a parent to wait for milestones to happen that many parents take for granted. Some days I do better at this than others. Yes, I knew from the time he was born a very small preemie that it would change things from the typical baby development timeline. Again I realized this when I learned of brain bleeds, Down syndrome, heart defect, and his other medical issues. It is a lot for a heart to take; wondering at their life, their potential. Wondering what milestones will they reach? In some ways it gets easier and it some ways harder as they