Today is our little boy’s 10th birthday! I actually can’t believe its been a whole decade since this little ball of energy came rolling in on us but at the same time I can’t really imagine the world without him in it!
We’ve had 10 years where we watched him grow and blossom into the wonderful, funny, strong and capable young boy that he has become. Some thrilling moments, some “edge of your seat”, some tears, many surprises and lots and lots of pride!
We spent Christmas this year in Germany visiting family we had not seen in 3 years. When I think about the 15 hour journey to our destination, the hours of swimming, exploring, eating new food, speaking a different language, flights, trains, buses, mask wearing and paperwork, I am reminded that Noah’s trust in us, his flexibility, love of travel and sense of adventure is such a wonderful and once unexpected trait. He lit up every room as we entered it. He arrived at unfamiliar homes with a strong wave “Hi, I’m Noah and I am here now”. He makes us all laugh, he surprises us almost every day with impressive new skills or phrases, he loves with the biggest and kindest heart and he is very very cute.
Noah’s birthday is always a bit emotional for me because I am brought back to the day he was born. He arrived at 3:15pm on the 3rd January 2012 and at about 3:25pm we heard the words “Down syndrome” for the first time. Our world was crushed and I was devastated when those words hit me like a black fog. I still carry some of the extreme trauma that I experienced in those first months.
Of course I now know that this little boy was going to be the most amazing little person I will ever know and our lives became more enriched and more meaningful that day. So many of the fears I had were the wrong ones. They were fears that stemmed from pre-conceptions of society “norms” and a life summary of what other people tell you to believe.
So while I can’t help but reflect on those memories today, they are fading more and more every year into the background. Noah’s lust for life, sense of fun and adventure, his motivation and determination, his family values, unwavering friendship and strength of spirit overcome any of the challenges that get thrown at us.
He is our inspiration, our joy, our teacher, our thrilling tour guide.
We love you Noah, we are so proud of you and we can’t wait for the next 10 years of adventures!!
Getting Down with Noah! 
Cara you write so beautiful from your heart. I know the ups and downs but as you say the rewards are so many. Every movement is remembered cherished and fills one with a warm proud feeling.
Happy birthday Noah I love watching your smiling face. The photos of you on your travels were just brilliant. You wanted more and more adventure . Well done Noah.
We can’t leaves out the people who have taught you so much are with you everyday every inch of the road to take that extra care of you and show you the correct path to take. Well done Anna Cara and Roland you are definitely getting your just rewards.
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