Looking back…

29 Dec 2013


I know it wont be the same for everyone, but for us, on the whole 2013 was a good year. This time last year, I was announcing my pregnancy, Ella was just taking her first steps alone and the house was in absolute chaos as we renovated the downstairs rooms.

Now we have a 7 month old baby, a walking/talking/signing whirlwind of a little girl and a house that’s now a home.  And all that via hard work, too many sleepless nights and a lot of tears and laughter (in almost equal measure!).

A year in pictures…

12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days condensed into just 12 snapshots…. It’s been good looking back at 2013.  Choosing and looking through all the pictures from the past year got me thinking.  If I could choose just one picture to sum up 2013, which one would it be? 

It’s strange to think that one captured moment could define an entire year.  This year, it was an easy one to pick out from the hundreds I had to choose from.  In fact, I knew as soon as I’d posed myself the question which one it would be.  For me, it doesn’t just represent 2013 – it’s a split second that defines so much more and one that I’ll remember forever… 

It’s that first cuddle between two special sisters.  A big sister who literally grew up overnight and a little sister who seemed instantly content in the arms of her sibling.  I took many pictures of Ella and Lucy’s introduction but this one is my favourite.  It’s not perfect in many ways -no smiles, Ella’s hair is a mess, Lucy is asleep… but the look on Ella’s face sums up the old saying perfectly…

‘A picture is worth a thousand words’

What picture would you choose to sum up your year?

2013 on the blog…

I finally got around to writing Ella’s feeding story – it’s the post on the blog that I’ve received the most comments and feedback on.  It’s good that sharing our story is having a positive impact and giving hope to others.  I wish I’d been able to read other people’s stories and experiences when we were going through all the struggles in the early days with Ella.

In March we raised a lot of money for our local DS support group during Down’s Syndrome awareness week.  It was all with help from a lot of you and your odd socks – thank you again for your pictures, time and donations!

  
I was honoured to be part of raising awareness when asked by Mencap to take part in their Learning Disability Week – you can read my ‘Superheroes’ post here
A Different View is also now linked with the NHS choices initiative – ‘Talk Health‘.  They publish all my posts so that they are available to anyone wanting to find out more about Down’s Syndrome.  That could be a student, health professional or, more crucially a new parent or parent to be.  

It was also a lovely surprise for the blog to be recently featured on the Down Syndrome Centre (Ireland) website. A big thank you – you can read their feature here
So, very briefly, that was our 2013.  And we can only hope at this point that 2014 will be another good year.  We already know we have some challenges ahead of us in the coming year – all helps to keep life interesting!  

Happy New Year everyone xx 




  

Amy Dunn

Our first baby, Ella Mary, was born at the end of November 2010. We were shocked to find out soon after her birth that she has Down's Syndrome. I was determined from the start that Down's Syndrome will never define Ella or what she is able to do. We will provide for her everything she needs to become the child and the person she deserves to be. There will be hard times ahead.... there are already many hard times behind us. But I already know that the good times will always outweigh the hard times. She has taught me so much in such a short time and seeing life from a new perspective is a privilege that not many of us get the chance to experience.