Why 31 for 21?

31 for 21...I'm not sure I explained this very well a couple of days ago. October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month (31 days). And of course, Down syndrome is a third copy of the 21st chromosome. Medically, Ds is called T21 or Trisomy 21.

Why am I taking the time to do this blogging challenge? Trust me, it is NOT that I don't have anything else to do. :-)  But, I hope to raise awareness about Ds and also educate folks about Ds. Also, it is because of this 31 for 21 challenge that I learned about Ds from other bloggers and God began to prepare my heart for adopting these two precious boys.  Here is what I shared last year about the challenge, and Michelle's blogging. (Last year, I shared a Ds fact and also a blog about Ds almost everyday.)

Posted October 3, 2011 -
Blog about Ds:  http://www.zoromski.blogspot.com/  I've known Michelle since at least 2005 I think - long before I really even knew what a blog was. After Ruby and Lydia were born w/ Ds in 2007, she started a blog chronicling their journey. She posted TODAY about her story where she now has 3 daughters with Ds. Go ahead and read it. I'll wait. :-)  Little did Michelle or I know at the time, but she was educating me about Down syndrome - taking the "fear" away. Much of what I learned about Ds came through her 31 for 21 blogging challenges over the years.

I very strongly believe that Elijah and Jonathan would not be here right now if it weren't for Michelle's blogging. I'm forever deeply grateful for her dedication to sharing about her life, Ruby's life, and now Lilya's life. See, she educated me about Ds, and then opened my eyes to the plight of orphans in EE that have Ds. NEVER EVER did I picture myself adopting a child with Ds. Never. Until one night I was looking at the RR site and God....God said "Go."  And we obeyed. God gets ALL of the glory for that. He worked it out through His perfect timing. HE IS AMAZING!  If you want the really long version of that story, you can read part 1 HERE and part 2 HERE. Wow, what a trip down memory lane rereading those posts. Seems like an eternity ago, but really only just over a year.


As I was preparing this, Sarah and I were talking about how many orphans are now HOME with their forever families because of Ruby, Lydia, and Lily. I believe only God could have orchestrated this ripple effect...I come up with at least NINE off the top of my head - directly or indirectly. That's not counting the farther reaching effects that we don't know about. Of course there are other factors and God gets ALL the glory, but it is still fun to think about. And you know what, God's not done yet!

Well, I guess this post about Ds has turned into an adoption post. I can't separate them. And that's ok! :-)