I want you all to meet three-year-old Benjamin! I first met Benny and his mama, Jamie, a couple years ago on Instagram when I heard about an amazing project Jamie was starting. Jamie had written the story of her early days with her son in a beautiful journal and was mailing the book to other families all over the globe. The Down Syndrome Diary is now filled with stories of families learning of their child’s diagnosis and the hope they have found since receiving that news. I wrote our story in its pages a year ago and am super excited to eventually see the finished project! The project is now gaining momentum and getting international press! Click over to TheDownSyndromeDiary.com to see where the journal is traveling and for updates. You can follow Jamie and Benny on Instagram as @BenThroughItAll and on Jamie’s blog.
What are some things Benny thoroughly enjoys doing?
Benny LOVES music! He is downright passionate about it. He will completely stop what he is doing and bee line towards music if it starts playing at any time within earshot. If someone pulls out a guitar and starts singing, he is in heaven!
What are his favorite games and books?
Benny LOVES to do board puzzles these days. He is obsessed! Books are big on his list of fun things, too. He loves Curious George, Mama Llama, and his favorite books ever are the That’s not my Puppy series!
What would he do if they could design his own day?
Benny’s self-designed day would consist of lots of snacks and delicious food, a park with swings and slides to climb on, his whole family there to play with, and a personal band playing music just for him!
What are a few things he’s really good at?
Benny is a great sleeper and eater…just like his Mama!!! He is also great at making people smile! He’s a super friendly little dude. Oh… and he’s REALLY good at getting his picture taken. He will smile the SECOND anyone takes out their phone or camera!
Who does Benny love to spend time with? What do they do together?
Benny’s favorite people to spend time with are his Abuelito (Grandpa) and his sister Ellie. He and Abuelito love to play with different things they find around the house. With Ellie, they like to listen to music and tickle each other.
How is Benny similar and different from his little sister?
Ellie is 8 months old, and is definitely starting to rival Ben in the speech category. Benny is a quiet little guy, and still isn’t speaking any words or sounds consistently. Ellie is already saying Mama, Dada, and Bruh-Bruh (brother) while she reaches out for big bros hugs! I see her learning from him by watching him play with his toys, and he is enamored with the sounds she makes.
What is something you want everyone to know about your son?
Benny is an extremely intelligent, easy going, and capable little dude. He may have his own time frame for things, but he ALWAYS gets there!
What is the most wonderful part of knowing them?
The most wonderful part about knowing Benny is having the opportunity to make him laugh. When Benny laughs, his whole body shakes and his shoulders jump up and down. His little laugh is gonna change the world!!!
What have been good resources for you to learn more about Down syndrome?
My favorite place to learn has been through other parents. I love hearing and learning about Down syndrome from those who know how amazing it truly is to have that extra chromosome in their lives. Life is all about perspective, after all!
What is something you don’t think many people know about Down syndrome?
I don’t think many people know that people with Down syndrome are often of average or slightly less than average intelligence. They can do just about anything anybody with only 46 chromosomes can do!!!
Check back tomorrow as we continue celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month or click below to read all of our previous posts.
