Village Rockin' Mom

People may wonder why I spend so much time talking about DSDN. Especially when I have my own non-profit that operates solely on donors and fundraising. DSDN was in fact a game changer for me. I can still recall my feelings of loneliness and heart ache as I sat in Kaleb's NICU room pumping one day. Out of desperation for a connection to anyone I posted in a NICU Facebook group. I began the post; "Okay, feeling very alone."

Another Rockin' Mom shared about a group she was in. She then got me connected with Jen Jacob and by the end of the day I was a Rockin' mom. I joined the group that would walk this journey with me. A group filled with so many friends who have become like family to me. I look forward to our family reunion (aka Rockin' Mom Retreat) in September.

So yes, I talk a lot about DSDN so that they continue to be a game changer for new families receiving a diagnosis and as they work to support all of their current Rockin’ families. This is the video I made that highlights some of my fellow Rockin' Moms and talks about what DSDN means to me.

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My letter to Alex Gordon

Alex, I wanted to share a few pictures with you that show why I'm writing to thank you. You see my three year old, Kaden, knows more about baseball and the Royals than many adults I know. He loves as he would put it "all of the Royals" but without a doubt, without any hesitation when asked who is his favorite player is his answer is always one player; you. I'm not kidding when I say Gordo was one of his first words. In fact anything baseball for the longest time was called Gordo. I'm not exactly sure why he took such a liking to you. I joke it's because his first ever game at the K and you hit a grand slam when he was not even a year old. For what ever reason he adores you. He even has a little Gordo plush doll that he likes to take everywhere. This past year has been the toughest year for our family. Our second son, Kaleb, was born 12 weeks early at 2lb 2oz. We also learned of his diagnosis of Down syndrome two days after his birth. He spent...

Home

Sitting here in Kaleb's nursery rocking him I look around his room and think about how many people have contributed to his room. How incredibly loved he is. I look at the decals I searched for and then put up with the help of his daddy. The chair I am sitting in given to us by Heather who sometime soon I will trust to oversee his care during the day. The little bear on the nightstand that Haley helped me pick out for him before we left the NICU. On the bookshelf sits the Curious George from Nana. I also see the Panda bear from Rance, Jessica, and Heath. Baskets purchased while shopping with Courtney. Even the cart that his Grammy and Gramps found so that we could put all of his medical equipment on so that we could wheel it around the house. Everything in his room all the way down to the baseboards and doors finished by Daddy and Dalton were a work of love as we prepared the room for our little K2. The NICU family print that will soon be on the wall above his dresser, signed by th...

Extra Chromosome and All

When I began my blog I admitted that while people were often commenting on my positive outlook I am not always sailing through on a cloud of positivity. I struggle, I have days where the reality of the past five months sets in or the uncertainty of the future can seem daunting. I told myself that if I were going to write about our journey that I would be open and honest, and that includes the hard moments. The moments, days, or weeks when the emotions hit. Some might wonder why I would write and share those moments with people. Why I would open myself up to that level of vulnerability, especially when those who know me know how I value my independence and strength. In those first few days after Kaleb was born and we had received the diagnosis of Down syndrome I had many emotions that I was ashamed of feeling. “What loving person would ever have these feelings?” would often go through my head and result in me feeling even worse. They were feelings that I could not even bring myself t...

Amanda Dickinson

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