I didn’t think it was possible, but Lily may be even cuter on TV, but that may also be a proud momma speaking.
I can’t believe it actually aired and that I didn’t nervous giggle even once. Watching the segment, there’s a moment where I could sense it coming but I was able to hold it back and I think I may be more proud of that than anything else. Which is a total and complete lie: even knowing what was coming, I couldn’t take my eyes off of Lily – this visual proof of how far our lives have come from that horrid day – and I couldn’t stop crying. I just kept thinking about what could have been and how thankful we are that instead, we get to share this journey for so much longer.
Plus, being on TV was pretty cool. Now that it’s done, I can be truthful: I was terrified! I stressed about what to wear, didn’t get a chance to straighten my hair, and kept worrying about Lily was going to spit on Susan Hay, because that’s her new party trick. They started by filming me answering Susan’s questions, and then we had to re-shoot with the camera focused on her, asking the questions. I had to try and start to answer the questions in the same way I answered them the first time – something I wish they had told me beforehand so that I could have practiced! Then I got to watch Lily and Susan shoot the promo for the segment, and I was thrilled that Lily was so cooperative. I don’t know if you know this about her, but Lily can certainly have a mind of her own and if she didn’t want to sit there and play with her bunny while Susan talked, she would have made it impossible. She was so great though and such a total charmer – throwing smiles and hugs and not spitting on anyone. It was a totally surreal experience, but a lot of fun once I got past my own nerves. I fully wish that I had thought about how bright the cameras would be and how much they would wash me out while I was doing my make-up, but in the end, I’m fairly proud of the both of us. If this is my 15 minutes of fame, then I’m just happy that it had such a great focus and that the people of Toronto now know the names and faces of Bryan and Angelo. Our wonderful friend Mike was kind enough to pull the video from the Global report, so if you missed it, or, like me, just want to watch Lily over and over again, here it is:
This weekend was World Down Syndrome Day (March 21st, for the 3rd (month) copy of the 21st chromosone) and while we had some great plans to celebrate, those just did not work out. Our day consisted of lots of sleeping (some of us weren’t feeling all that great!), and then a dinner and puppy date with friends. The dogs ran each other out, Jess lost at Mario Kart to an almost 6 year-old, and Lily was in bed by 6:30pm. So, while we took a break from all of the festivities this year, we’ll be back in the swing next year. Once upon a time I would have felt guilty about not being part of a bigger celebration, that I somehow wasn’t living up to the role of “great Down syndrome mom”, but this last year has just cemented the fact that you can’t be everything all of the time and sometimes it makes you a better person, and parent, to take that pressure off and just embrace who you are.
Other people are embracing us too! VillageQ, which is an amazing resource for LGBT families, has been introducing some of their blog families and this week they were kind enough to include us! It’s a site I love and spend way too much time readying, but if you have a chance, you should absolutely check them out! I, personally, recommend starting here!