Embracing Extra

Digital marketer, speaker & stylish mom of 4 boys, 2 with Down syndrome. Using my voice to share resources, Amazon finds & connect with parents.

08/07/2026

I have a feeling these two are going to grow up together in the very best way. 🤎

Although at this rate, Hudson won’t be carrying Harvey much longer. 😂

08/01/2026

Yes, I know... he’s barefoot and in his pajamas. 😂

I was taking Harvey outside to go potty when Hudson surprised me by hopping on his bike.

The funny thing is... for years, he really had no interest in riding a bike. It just wasn’t his thing. Then this summer, something changed. He started showing interest, so we’ve been encouraging it whenever he wants to.

Today, for the first time, he started pushing the pedals forward instead of locking them.

I was right there helping him, and I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

Then I cried.

I know it might not seem like a huge deal to everyone else, but for me, it was one of those moments where you realize your child has been growing in ways you couldn’t always see.

And because life likes to keep me humble... there was also a tiny voice in the back of my head thinking, “Oh great... now my little eloper is going to be even faster.” 😂

I’ll take it.

Because today was one of those days I’ll never forget. 💙🚲

07/26/2026

If you had told me this is where we’d be a few years later... 🥹

Looking back at where they started makes moments like this even sweeter.

The little brother who once followed behind is now the one encouraging his big brother. Vincent doesn’t need the adaptive tricycle—he hopped on because he wanted to show Graham that he could do it too.

Their journey has never been about who gets there first. It’s about cheering each other on, celebrating every milestone, and reminding one another they’re never doing it alone.

If you’re new here, Graham has Down syndrome, and Vincent has been his biggest cheerleader from the very beginning. 💙💛

Some things change. The best things never do.

07/23/2026

There are moments you don’t realize are so special until you look back.

Watching these two take their first steps together feels like yesterday. ❤️

Now, Vincent is right beside his big brother again—this time hopping on an adaptive tricycle to show Graham how it’s done. Does he need it? Nope. But if it encourages his big brother to keep going, he’s all in.

It’s amazing how quickly things change. The little brother who once followed behind is now leading the way—while still cheering his biggest hero on every step of the journey.

Their relationship has never been about who gets there first. It’s about doing it together. 💙💛

07/22/2026

Nine years. 💙

Yesterday was Hudson’s 9th birthday, and while the day flew by in the beautiful chaos of celebrating him, I didn’t want to let this moment pass without reflecting on just how far we’ve come.

Nine years ago, we began a journey we never expected. One that has stretched us, humbled us, challenged us, and filled our lives with more joy than we could have imagined.

Hudson, you have taught us that milestones aren’t about keeping up with anyone else’s timeline. They’re about courage, determination, resilience, and celebrating every single victory—big and small.

You’ve made us laugh harder, love deeper, advocate louder, and appreciate the beauty in things we may have otherwise overlooked.

This Down syndrome journey has become part of our family’s story, but it doesn’t define who you are. You’re funny, stubborn, affectionate, determined, full of personality, and the absolute heart of our family.

Happy 9th Birthday, buddy. Watching you grow is one of the greatest privileges of our lives, and I can’t wait to see what this next year brings.

Here’s to nine incredible years—and to all the adventures still ahead. 💙✨

07/19/2026

Meet Harvey. 🤎🐾

Our newest fur baby.

He’s a 12-week-old Bernese Irish Goldendoodle, and our boys are completely smitten.
..Frankly, so am I.

07/03/2026

Inclusion isn’t just inviting someone in. It’s creating an environment where they can truly succeed.

I’ve been sitting with that all week.

After only a few hours at summer camp, we got the call. It became clear that what Hudson needed and what the program was prepared to provide weren’t the same thing.

He hadn’t done anything wrong.

He was simply being Hudson.

Curious. Adventurous. Exploring the world in the way he always has.

So we made the difficult decision not to send him back.

The hardest part wasn’t changing our plans.

It was protecting my 9-year-old’s heart.

Sometimes, as parents, we carry the heartbreak ourselves because our kids don’t need to carry it yet.

This experience reminded me that inclusion is about so much more than being invited.

It’s about being understood.

It’s about having the supports to succeed.

It’s about belonging.

I know not every environment can meet every child’s needs. And that’s okay. But honest conversations matter. They allow families to make informed decisions before a child is left wondering why they don’t get to stay.

My hope is that we keep building spaces where kids like Hudson aren’t just welcomed...

They’re understood.

Because they already belong.

06/22/2026

Happy Father’s Day to Paul ❤️

If you’ve been here for a while, you probably know that I’m usually the one with a lot to say. I’m the one writing the posts, asking the questions, sending the emails, and occasionally climbing onto a soapbox when it comes to our boys.

Paul is... not that. 😆

He’s the steady one.

The one who quietly listens while I explain the latest thing I’ve learned about Down syndrome, inclusion, or advocacy. The one who supports my ideas, helps me think them through, and somehow manages to stay calm when I’m ready to take on the entire world before breakfast.

As parents of two boys with Down syndrome, we’ve spent a lot of years talking about what they might need to succeed.

What I love about Paul is that he spends a lot less time focused on what they need and a lot more time focused on what they can do.

He expects things from all four of our kids. He encourages them, challenges them, and celebrates them in equal measure. Not because he ignores their differences, but because he sees beyond them.

And I think every child deserves someone who looks at them that way.

Happy Father’s Day, Paul. Thank you for being exactly who our family needs. 💙💛

06/10/2026

Hudson wrapped up another Miracle League baseball season this week, and this little fist pump after receiving his medal says it all. 💙⚾️

One of the things I love most about Miracle League is that every player has a volunteer buddy. Hudson gets the support he needs on the field, and we get the gift of sitting in the stands and simply watching him play the game he loves.

Baseball has become so much more than a sport for him. It’s confidence. It’s friendship. It’s belonging. It’s pure joy.

And if you ask me, that’s exactly what a winner looks like. 🏅

06/08/2026

I’ve been reflecting on a story that has sparked a lot of conversation in the Down syndrome community.

As a parent advocate, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with families at all stages of their diagnosis journey. My role is never to judge or persuade. It’s to listen, support, and meet families where they are.

Because of that, I understand the fear.

I’ve sat with it professionally, and I’ve lived it personally.

When Hudson was born and we learned he had Down syndrome, it felt like the ground shifted beneath us. Our midwives delivered the diagnosis with incredible care, but it still hit us like a freight train.

Not because of Hudson.

Because of the unknown.

Years later, during my pregnancy with Graham, we received a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. During that process, a genetic counselor told me that I had been “struck by lightning twice.”

I’ve thought about that comment many times over the years.

By then, I already knew a child with Down syndrome.

I was raising him.

I knew the challenges. But I also knew the joy, the love, the growth, and the countless ways he had enriched our lives.

That’s why the comment stayed with me.

Not because I believe there was ill intent behind it, but because it reflected something bigger: how often disability is still framed through fear, loss, or misfortune.

The truth is, my boys were never the scary part.

The unknown was.

And I wonder how much of that unknown exists because our society still struggles to fully embrace difference. If people with Down syndrome were more visible in our schools, workplaces, communities, and everyday lives, would the diagnosis feel quite so frightening?

I believe families deserve compassion and support as they navigate deeply personal decisions.

I also believe it’s okay to acknowledge the sadness many in the Down syndrome community feel when these conversations arise.

For me, those feelings coexist.

I can hold empathy for parents facing impossible decisions while also wishing we lived in a world where disability was less feared, more understood, and more fully included.

Because the diagnosis was never the whole story.

And it never will be.

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