Category: Teddy Fitzmaurice

This blog hop is a community project of Down syndrome Blogs and the T21 Alliance. The code is set up so that everyone can participate by adding their link to their post – and host if they want, by adding the code to their own post! So, just follow the instructions through the linky tool (below)

One truth (about Ds/our lives with Ds)

One tip (- information on something related to Ds/raising a child with Ds/or just parenting in general)

One photo

One Truth about Teddy and his Ds!

Teddy is amazing. He never ceases to amaze me. Everything I was told about Teddy’s future from the geneticist never came true. He is more than what anyone ever imagined he could be. 30 years ago Down syndrome was a really scary diagnosis. I didn’t really fully understand what it was, but I knew it wasn’t good. Thank goodness I got to know Teddy before I got to know the geneticist.

I would love to go back and tell the geneticist….Yes, Teddy was potty trained! Yes, Teddy learned to talk! Yes, Teddy went to school! Yes, Teddy learned to ride a bike, roller skate, swim, and use a computer! Yes, Teddy graduated from high school! Yes, Teddy went to college! Yes, Teddy has his own business! Yes, Teddy lives in his own apartment! YES, YES, YES!!!!!

One Tip from raising Teddy!

Teddy perseverates and procrastinates, so learning patience was a necessary virtue. Not sure at what point I figured this out, but if Teddy doesn’t want to do something, he isn’t going to do it. (Maybe it was when he decided that to pee in his clothes, preferably his snowsuit, was a great way to avoid going where he didn’t want to go.) So I learned to stop wasting time. I read a book, watch TV, file my nails, balance my checkbook – whatever – and wait until he is ready to do what I want him to do. I get stuff done. He isn’t so angry at me. And life continues on. At a little slower pace, but it works for us.

Teddy, just turned 30.

 

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Teddy is 30 years old. I am telling him he is no longer a young adult, but now just a plain old adult. He’s done a tremendous amount of maturing the past few years taking care of his Grandma, but it has also taken a lot of wind out of his sails. I am proud of the man he has become, even though this year has been very challenging for us both. Please wish him a Happy Birthday on his Facebook page /teddyfitzm He loves to get messages on Facebook!

Teddy at 5 months – first photo taken by Mom. I wish I’d taken one sooner, but I had no idea he was going to stay so long. (He arrived one week shy of his 4 month birthday weighing less than 8 pounds.)

Teddy at 2 – first Day of going to school on the bus without Mom. One day a week without me – longest four hours of my week.

Teddy at age 6 – First Day of INCLUSIVE Kindergarten. BIG Day for Teddy and for Ann Arbor.

Teddy at 16 – first political demonstration (Against Peter Singer @ Princeton)

Teddy at 24 demonstrating on the US Capitol steps – he went to DC WITHOUT Me. This was his first time REALLY on his own – doesn’t look too worried.

Photo of Teddy (Age 29) at cousin Rachael’s wedding taken this past December. He looks so old!