I have a very splattered copy of New Basics...never could get into SPC...but I agree with Rebecca. I love cream and butter as much as anyone but prefer dishes that use them more as condiments than the main ingredient. BTW the sesame noodes in New Basics made without the chicken are just as good and a good choice for a potluck...delicious at room temperature and a vegetarian (even vegan) can eat them. But the cookbook that is seriously stained and has been bound by duct tape is a two-volume copy of The Doubleday Cookbook that my mom got as part of a book club in the 70's. It does have some limitations...I cracked my sister up doing a dramatic reading of the "variety meats" recipe titles. Balmoral heart patties...mmmm.

Does anyone else have an entire bookcase with cookbooks?

I have a child with Down Syndrome who was diagnosed prenatally via amniocentesis. As soon as the genetic counselor realized that we weren't automatically going to terminate, she offered us information and phone numbers. Now she offers other families our number (with our blessing). After reading the article that appeared in the New York Times (I think), it seemed to me that not every parent gets that kind of information and open-minded attitude, and that they should. That's what the movement is basically about. I did not get the impression that the movement was about coerced pregnancy continuation but about education. So many people have the idea that a person with DS is a terrible burden, and it's just not all about the burden.

After the diagnosis, we learned via a prenatal cardiological ultrasound that his heart was fine and we continued with the pregnancy. He is one of the lights of our lives and of everyone around him. He is loving and sweet and funny. His medical care has not been particularly expensive...I know that sometimes people with DS aren't as lucky, just pointing out that there is a lot of variability.

Why choose prenatal testing if you know you'll keep the baby? That's a valid question that I"m asked from time to time. We wanted to be prepared and learn as much as possible, and line up support. We were able to get through a lot of emotional turmoil before our son's birth and enjoy our baby when he came. Also, many of the potential problems with a newborn with DS mean that it might have been better for him if me I delivered in a more high-tech hospital than our local one (further prenatal analysis showed that I didn't need to do that).

If a woman opts for amnio, she undergoes a high-resolution ultrasound first and if that had shown no problems, I probably would have skipped the amnio. However, the OB that read the ultrasound saw several "soft signs" for DS and I knew the next four or five months would be emotional turmoil if I didn't know for sure. But just so you know, you do always have the option of scheduling the amnio and refusing it after the ultrasound.

A point I think I could have made better about an educational effort: My biggest fear was that my entire identity and life was going to become the mother of a kid with DS. I think people should know, as I came to know, that families still go on vacation, have more children, moms go back to work, still have hobbies, etc. A child with DS will change you but won't take over your life.

1. Down with Khomeni! Free the Americans now! (I still have the T shirt but alas it does not fit).

2. John Lennon assassinated.

3. A little fling with a theater professor...he was 43; wouldn't he hang if it were today!

4. The preppy look meant that everyone looked exactly alike.

5. After a brief experiment with a political science major, I decided to take some more psyc classes since I liked the introductory one so much.

Why not refer patients who test positive to Pediatricians with knowledge about DS?

Unless you're in a major city, there aren't too many of those folks and they are ungodly busy. Pediatrics isn't a well-paying specialty and a special-needs subfield even less so. It's too bad because our brief access to such a pediatrician was invaluable...he knew to make sure our son got a new round of hearing tests (leading to ear tubes, which really worked) and had his thyroid tested (leading to thyroid meds which REALLY REALLY worked...he went a from kid who did a lot of sitting to a typical toddler running all over and getting into everything).

I think parents who accept the offer of a phone number know that they are going to hear from people who overally are OK with their kid with DS. When I called that number, the mother was very clear that it was not smooth sailing but that there were rewards and it wasn't all bad. When I met more families with a child with DS, that sentiment was echoed. I don't think people are going to say "Oh, I wish I had terminated" but a Pollyanna view is unlikely.

This isn't that similar to the pro-life/choice debate because that is essentially a debate about philosophy and to some extent religion. Giving a parent the contact info for someone who had been there and done that is about providing information.

A caveat to everyone reminiscing about adults they know with DS: A lot of the problems they have might have been minimized or avoided with medical treatment available today. Ear tubes and speech therapy make a big difference in speech; a kid who can speak is going to have more social skills and less behavioral problems. A kid who is active can be stimulated and educated much more than a kid with uncorrected cardiac defects or a kid with hypothyroidism.