Birthday Update

As always our life is running and never seems to slow down! But I wouldn't want you to think we missed our Adorable Baby aka as Becoming a Big Boy's FIRST BIRTHDAY!! And I know everyone is always asking us for an update on him.

Yep that is right,

PORTER IS ONE

My Amazing Beautiful Baby Boy is getting so big and WAY to fast. Looking back to a year ago it is hard to imagine the emotions that were going around, personally, from my husband and the rest of those that are so close to our family. Were we really scared? Unsure? Stressed about what this boy can and cannot do? I can't say this year has been easy, but it hasn't been hard either. I'm not sure words can describe this year, Joy, Defensive, Proud, Exhausting, but most of all probably, Eye-Opening.

To say Porter is AMAZING is a MAJOR understatment. We were told to expect a year of downs, (No I wasn't meaning to play with the words LOL) But now I am laughing because it has been a year of Downs... Just the better meaning and Porter style. Okay I'm done now. When I said Porter would be sitting at 7 months and crawling by 10 months they told me not to expect it, when I said Porter was saying Ma ma they didn't believe me. When I said I was sure he was cutting teeth, they told me, "No he wont have teeth till he is closer to two" That has been our year, the year of surprises, the year of excitement, the year of telling people, "Yes he can". The year of a lot of clapping, cheering and proud tears. The year of blahhhhhhs

Does that mean every year will be like this? No, if we have learned ONE thing this YEAR it is, STOP ASSUMING, STOP EXPECTING and STOP PLANNING. Porter will do what Porter is ment to do, Yes we need to help him, but his future is not set in stone, he will show us what he can do just like our other boys will.

So Porter like I said in the beginning is, AMAZING, he has opened our eyes and pushed us out of our comfort zones. Okay, I don't think Allen has a comfort zone, but he has pushed me out of mine. He is very social and loves to smile at people, or give them his new scowl to make them laugh. Both get him his desired effect. I can't go shopping without Porter bringing a long a following that can't get enough of his Hamming up. I am constantly talking to people about, how cute he is, how friendly he is, how funny he is. Yes, yes I agree, sometimes feeling guilty about not disclosing his diagnosis to them, but that is what he has, NOT who he is. We had a great FIRST BIRTHDAY, he loved the wrapping paper and bags on all the presents and enjoyed eating his cake. He didn't go all out with it, but made his Uncle Kory feed it to him so he didn't have to get his hands dirty.

The Cake, let the boys help decorate...

Present Time, Love the wrapping... Thank you for all the support not only at his party, but ALL the support he had throughout this year, He is one LUCKY boy, and we are ONE LUCKY FAMILY to have him with us.
Uncle Kory helping feed the cake

Hmmmm this is how he did it....

As always the First year is a YEAR of FIRSTS!!! Porter has had his share of First and how blessed we are to be able to NOT only be there for his FIRST, but KNOW the AMAZING TASKS these firsts are and be able to enjoy them as they came....

Past Year in Review

Look Mom, I'm pushing all the way up!!!

and now I am big and sitting.

and one of my favorites, this is an actual picture of the first time he crawled... what motivated him?? See that little Fall Leaf in the corner? Yep that started the whole thing!! Then the cat helped motivate him to go fast:)

and then it gets scary, the getting into drawers and pulling himself up!! He is almost walking, he pulls himself up and walks along furniture. He will stand in the middle of the room then look at all of us to cheer, once we all cheer he turns in circles and cheers with us. Ohh what fun he has been. It has not only been fun to watch him reach all his milestones, but to watch my boys cheer him on and be as happy as any parent would be for him. They are his biggest cheerleaders, boy style of course.

We are excited for what has been in store for us this next year and all the amazing things he will be doing. We do feel like we are inbetween two worlds. We don't quite fit with the DS Community, sometimes it is uncomfortable with them looking at him and wondering why we are there. Then we explain the Mosaic part and you get the aha moment from them. Yes it is rare and yes it makes Porter truly, "One of a Kind". On the flip side those who know he has DS look at us and ask if he was MisDiagnosed because, "they don't see it". My wish would be for everyone to see Porter as that, Porter, third boy in the Robins Family, third child, one who will have challenges in his life, different challenges than maybe his brothers, but still challenges.

When I say this year was eye opening, I feel even though we haven't really had challenges with Porter, my eyes have been more open of my friends and associates and people I don't know but run into. My eyes have been opened to their challenges and struggles. The struggles that we all face and who are we to judge the way they handle them? I hope that as you guys go out in grocery stores, events etc... AS you see a mom struggling with a child who is HYPER, YELLING, UNRULY, a mom that just looks plain worn out maybe judge less and recognize more that maybe, possibly, maybe that child has something more going on then lack of disipline. When you see a child in a wheelchair, with a cane, walker, slow to speak, you will look past their obvious struggle and find who the child IS, what HE/SHE is made of.

I also don't want to let this moment go without giving a BIG SHOUT OUT THANK YOU to all the support we've had this year. I don't want anyone to think we are not grateful and appreciative of those in our lives that are there for us and for our boys. No Matter What!!