I know this is totally logical and seems like a silly thing to not have known. Before Cate was born, I had this incorrect view that all people with DS look alike. I'm ashamed because back then if I saw a person with DS or with a disability, I never noticed that they had adorable dimples, beautiful curls, or were wearing cute shoes. So I was sad at first thinking Cate wouldn't look like me or my husband. And you know what Cate, doesn't look a thing like me, but she looks EXACTLY like her daddy.
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| Cate & Ric - Buddy Walk 2010 |
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| Cate & Ric - Buddy Walk 2011 |
Cate and Lucy are also obviously sisters since I got left out and Lucy looks exactly like him too.
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| Cate & Lucy 2010 |
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| Cate & Lucy 2011 |
Having Cate opened my eyes so that I can really see individuals better now. Of course I'm still a little sad sometimes that strangers may do the same thing I used to and only see the tiny piece of Cate difference. But I like to think because she is out in our town all the time she is changing some of those perceptions. I frequently have people say "she looks just like her daddy", "she has such pretty eyes", or just "she is beautiful". All of which I know but I still love to hear it from strangers.
I am glad that you posted about this. Our kids look just like us. My boy is 5 and he looks like my husband and I. But he has my eyes shape. I have slanting eyes, the features of our kids are characteristic of the syndrome, but they are not exclusive to the syndrome. It means that any person can have slanting eyes or even the single crest on the hand. I have a single crest in my right hand and my husband has it in the left hand. One day, I want to take a picture of our hands and show off our singles crests very proudly.
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