Calvin turned 4!! And I’m calling this my 22q awareness post for this month 🙂

My oldest son, Calvin, was born with 22q11.21 Deletion Syndrome – meaning that he is missing a teeny tiny section of genes on his 22nd chromosome. 22q DS is not all that uncommon, and has gone by several different names in the past, particularly DiGeorge Syndrome and VeloCardioFacial Syndrome. On the 22nd of each month, I try to share a post to raise awareness for 22q. Here are some past posts:

Rare Disease Day: Get to Know 22q and Dup15q

A Big Brother with 22q

Calvin’s First Curse Word

For more about Calvin’s experience with 22q, check out CALVIN & 22q Deletion. And for more info and resrouces for 22q Deletion Syndrome, check out 22q.org and 22qfamilyfoundation.org.

Our sweet Bean baby, who, of course, is not a baby anymore, *sniff! sniff!* celebrated his 4th birthday last week!

I cannot believe what a big boy he is. He has grown so much. He is so capable and clever. He never stops talking. Seriously, when I try to remember those first years of no words and very little babbling, it’s honestly hard to remember what it was like. His language developed before his speech (thanks to sign language!), and now he has sure got a lot to say!!

He was VERY EXCITED about our trip to the science center for his birthday and of course we had MANY CONVERSATIONS about it for WEEKS leading up to the big day. His Granny and Grandpa came to visit and he was also VERY EXCITED for them to come with us! The science center we went to has a museum with a dinosaur exhibit, a small zoo, and a small aquarium. What more could we ask for?? It was perfect for Calvin’s birthday. He was especially looking forward to seeing the big T-Rex, and it did not disappoint!

Henry’s favorite part was the aquarium. And GUESS WHAT GUYS!! I know this post is about Calvin and all, but I need to write about his baby brother Henry (who has Dup15q syndrome) for a sec because HENRY DID NOT EVEN HAVE A MELTDOWN. Made it through a family outing meltdown-free and we even got our cake afterward!

I can’t believe he’s 4! I can’t believe he’s going to PRE-K in the fall! I love this boy to pieces and I can’t wait to see what this next year will bring for him. ❤