Hello, Conor! This handsome three-year-old is here to celebrate day 24 of Down Syndrome Awareness Month! His mama, Danielle, has lots to tell us about her son, but I first have to tell you about the beautiful organization these two have created. Baskets of Love delivers baskets to new parents of littles born with Down syndrome in the Vancouver, Canada area. I so highly recommend clicking over to basketsofloveds.com to read more. You can find Conor and Danielle on Instagram as @basketsofloveds and as Baskets of Love on Facebook .
What are Conor’s favorite or least favorite foods?
He loves pasta/noodles, Hawaiian pizza, any fruit and vegetables you can dip in dressing and ice-cream! He takes after his momma and is not a fan of peanut butter or any food that can get stuck in the small arch of the roof of his mouth like mashed potato.
Who is his favorite cartoon or movie character?
I’m pretty sure that Rachel from Signing Time is one of his favourite people on the planet.
What would he do if they could design his own day?
Wake up bright and early and go to the park with this three favourite people (mom, dad and grandma). Then go for a long walk to explore everything and everywhere. Eating would be optional.
What are a few things he’s really good at?
He’s very good at picking up on the emotions of others. He doesn’t like to see people hurt and gets upset if you are. Using this super-power, he’s an excellent manipulator and knows how to get what he wants…especially if he flashes that smile of his followed by a hug and kiss.
Who does he love to spend time with? What do they do together?
Apart from mom and dad, his absolute best friend is his grandma. They have spent a lot of time together and he absolutely adores her. She has a hard time saying “no” to him and he loves it. She also loves to watch him explore and embraces his “run with the wind” spirit, which he revels in.
How is he similar or different from their siblings?
He doesn’t have siblings but I see similarities in children his own age in that, at the end of the day, he thinks the world revolves around him and is appalled when you remind him it isn’t. His schoolmates are becoming so aware of differences and the uniqueness of everyone. They are teaching him to come out of his shell a little more and participate instead of parallel play.
What is something you want everyone to know about Conor?
Everyone tells me how cute he is and what he beautiful smile he has. While that is undeniable, I want people to know that there is so much more to him than being the cute little boy with Down syndrome. I want them to know that he is fully capable of reaching his goals with a little support. And I want them to know that he’s a runner, so I apologize for not being able to sit and drink coffee with you at the park. I’ve got to go run after my kid who’s about the hit the street.
What is the most wonderful part of knowing your son?
The people we have met and the friends we have made along this journey. Some really great people we would have never otherwise met in an eye-opening world where you can see beauty in the different.
What have been good resources for you to learn more about Down syndrome?
Our local Down Syndrome Research Foundation has been a great resource (dsrf.org). The new book “A Parent’s Guide to Down Syndrome” has been a good read. What we really need is something similar for Canada.
What is something you don’t think many people know about Down syndrome?
How busy it can be, so I apologize if I haven’t called you right back or responded to your e-mail in a timely fashion. While our life is pretty normal, it’s also pretty full.
Check back tomorrow as we continue celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month or click below to read all of our previous posts.
