Elena wears a Muumuu jumpsuit and Ozma of California scarf. Nova and Wynter wear Bobo Choses. ">

“我们的家真的很幸运。旧金山湾区的房地产市场简直是疯了!当我发现自己怀上了第二个孩子诺瓦(Nova)时，我们决定开始寻找我们的第一套家庭住宅。我们在西奥克兰不到900平方英尺的阁楼里住了大约10年。我们并没有打算在那里待那么久，但我们不得不继续等待，直到我们找到一个可以出售和购买新房子的好地方。怀了温特后，我们已经感到了压力，所以我们知道，在第二个孩子即将出生的时候，我们需要更多的空间!去年9月，我们把阁楼出售，10月搬进了这所房子!这只是我们参加的又一个开放日，我们一走进来就觉得很适合我们。这是我们出价买的第一套房子，我们买到了!这么说吧，以前的房主都很好，很正派! They really wanted us to have their home."

埃琳娜戴着穆穆袍连身裤和加州奥兹玛围巾。诺娃和温特穿波波的选择．

“我们住在东奥克兰的麦克斯韦公园(Maxwell Park)地区，一栋20世纪30年代的地中海风格的房子里。这是几年前的一次翻转，我们计划恢复它的一些原始特征，同时更新和改造一些房间。根据我们计划在这里呆多久，我们甚至可能最终也会增加它。我们被告知麦克斯韦公园是奥克兰第一个“成熟”的社区，没有两个家庭看起来是一样的。我不得不说，我们爱我们的邻居!我们的邻居都很棒!这里既有年轻的家庭，也有在这里生活了50年或更长时间的老年居民!我们搬进来的那天，每个人都做了自我介绍，伸出援助之手，欢迎我们来到这个社区。在我们搬进来的那天，甚至有孩子在离我们两个房子远的地方摆了一个柠檬水摊!这是非常超现实的。 We were so used to people keeping to themselves and not really interacting with one another. This is a new way of living for us, actually talking to our neighbors, saying 'hi,' and inviting each other over for birthday parties. It has been really nice. Everyone really looks out for one another here. We feel extremely fortunate."

“现代。古董。舒适。我们喜欢中世纪的现代家具。谁不知道呢?但我一直在收购和出售它，现在已经有15年了。随着时间的推移，我不得不卖掉一些作品，诚然，有一些我后悔没有保留下来。中世纪的家具并不像现在这样令人垂涎，也不像现在这样昂贵，但我仍然喜欢寻找便宜的家具。它们很难找到，但我喜欢狩猎!跳蚤市场、旧货店、庭院甩卖——我对这些都很感兴趣!”

“我希望我有一个!”人们总是认为我擅长室内装饰，因为我有能力把一套衣服组合在一起，因为我曾经是个私人设计师。但我不是。我知道我喜欢什么，但我不知道如何把它们组合起来。我倾向于把我喜欢的东西都放在一个房间里，然后意识到东西太多了!我会开始慢慢地拿走一些东西，在房子的其他房间里重新想象它们。如果这不起作用，它就会被储存在车库里，直到下一次庭院拍卖或捐赠到来。我需要帮助!谁来救救我!”

everywhere. Her therapists like to (and we want them to be able to) use most of the house. Especially her physical therapist. I honestly dislike traditional children’s toys. They’re not the most beautiful things to look at. And they’re usually extremely bright, plastic, and gigantic! And wouldn’t you know, Nova’s favorite 'toy' is a HUMONGOUS, bright plastic bouncer!" ">

“我想说我把他们所有的东西都放在一个房间或一个地方，但我一直没能做到这一点。当我们搬进这所房子的时候，我想象着温特和诺瓦只是在他们的房间里玩耍，也许出于需要，他们会在客厅里放一篮子玩具。这显然不是事实，也不现实!尤其是温特做了那么多治疗，我们有她的东西到处都是．她的治疗师喜欢(我们也希望他们能够)使用房子的大部分。尤其是她的理疗师。老实说，我不喜欢传统的儿童玩具。它们并不是最好看的东西。它们通常非常明亮，是塑料的，而且很大!你不知道吗，Nova最喜欢的‘玩具’是一个巨大的、明亮的塑料保镖!”

Audrey Bodisco. Before having my babies I had always been a modest person. Never really wanting to show too much skin, dressing pretty conservatively because of my own insecurities about my body. But after having my babies, I would whip my boob out if I needed to! There’s no time for being shy when you have a hungry baby! I still dress pretty conservatively, but that’s more out of my preference of style than anything. Becoming a mother has allowed me to embrace my body and see it in a whole new light. Women are unbelievably amazing beings! Our bodies provide life and nourishment. It’s an absolutely beautiful thing! No matter what size, shape, or color! And that’s what that painting represents to me. It’s about embracing the beauty and power of a woman’s body." ">

“我有一些我很喜欢的家具，它们承载着一些美好的回忆，但不幸的是，我后来把它们卖掉了。自从我们搬进这个家以来，我买了一些我喜欢的艺术品和家具，它们对我来说很特别。一幅是他的“胸”画奥黛丽Bodisco．在生孩子之前，我一直是个谦虚的人。我从来不想暴露太多的皮肤，因为我对自己的身体没有安全感，所以穿得很保守。但生完孩子后，如果需要的话，我会把我的咪咪甩出来!当你有一个饥饿的宝宝时，没有时间害羞!我穿得仍然很保守，但这主要是出于我对风格的偏好。成为一名母亲让我能够拥抱自己的身体，并以一种全新的眼光看待它。女人是令人难以置信的神奇生物!我们的身体提供生命和营养。这绝对是一件美丽的事情! No matter what size, shape, or color! And that’s what that painting represents to me. It’s about embracing the beauty and power of a woman’s body."

Deb Heyrana. It’s of Wynter with her dinosaur. She loves dinosaurs. I literally cried when I opened it. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude and it touched my heart so deeply. She even included a little bit of me in the painting by adding an Ace & Jig textile and using a specific color palette. I think it’s the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received." ">

“最近我收到了一幅我最亲爱的朋友的画，Deb Heyrana．这是温特和她的恐龙。她喜欢恐龙。我打开它的时候真的哭了。我的感激之情溢于言表，深深触动了我的心。她甚至在画中加入了我的一小部分Ace & Jig纺织品和使用特定的调色板。我认为这是我收到的最贴心的礼物。”

Naomi Phan-Quang. She’s currently redecorating her home, and she had asked if I was interested in her wall unit. I about screamed with excitement when she texted me a photo of it. I had been trying to find one for years! I couldn’t believe she was offering it to me! It will be the center piece for our room upstairs once we get it together!" ">

“我最近还从另一个好朋友那里买了一套中世纪的墙壁，拿俄米Phan-Quang．她现在正在重新装修她的房子，她问我是否对她的壁挂式单元感兴趣。当她给我发了一张照片时，我兴奋得尖叫起来。我已经找了很多年了!我简直不敢相信她会给我这个机会!一旦我们把它组装好，它将成为我们楼上房间的中心装饰品!”

“能够见证我的小人类长大成人。看着他们变得更加独立，发现世界，成为自己的人。我已经能看出他们性格上的不同。诺娃非常善于观察、可爱、敏感。温特是个小喜剧演员，喜欢逗我们笑。她有最搞笑的傻脸，她喜欢“假笑”。她也非常时髦和固执!但这都是好事。尽管这很令人沮丧，但我还是为她感到骄傲。看着他们俩形成自己的关系是很有趣的。 I was raised an only child, so seeing the sibling bond/rivalry is absolutely fascinating to me!"

“确保我的孩子们感受到同样的爱、重视和关心。平衡两者的需求是一场斗争，自然温特有更多的需求，这不可避免地需要更多的关注。我丈夫和我都讨论过，随着诺瓦长大，有意识地与他“签到”的重要性。即使我们认为他做得很好。我能理解为什么我们会认为他不那么需要我们了，我们知道这并不一定是真的。”

“我认为这只是一种天生的好奇心，想知道性别在他们的兴趣、个性、怪癖以及成年后的自己身上到底起了多大作用。我们想让两个孩子接触尽可能多的东西，然后让他们带头!无论他们的梦想和激情是什么，我们都会110%地支持和培养他们!当谈到要孩子时，我没有偏好，但我一直知道我的第一个孩子会是个女孩。我不知道为什么，但我就是有这种感觉。当我做试管婴儿的时候，我们决定晚一点再知道孩子的性别，但我想马上知道Nova的性别。他完全是一个惊喜，当我发现他是个男孩时，我很高兴，但老实说，这对我来说并不重要。能有第二个孩子，我感到非常幸运。”

“温特的名字是我们榜单上排名前三位的名字之一。我丈夫威尔更喜欢一个，我更喜欢另一个，而我们似乎都同样喜欢温特。她一出生，我们就决定给她取个名字。我生她的那天(提前了一个月)，我们的住院护士名叫温特，在我们非常困惑和紧张的时候，她给我们带来了平静和光明。我们把它当作一种标志，她是我们选择温特这个名字的最终原因。用“y”代替“i”是威尔的主意。我知道他喜欢邀功。我承认这很聪明。温特的中间名“Kaori”来自日语，意思是强壮(指男性)和体力。我想找一个表示力量的词，比如“坚强的精神”，但在日语中很难找到。 So, I just decided that Kaori would mean what I wanted it to mean, and I also love how it sounds with Wynter. Nova’s first name is all my husband’s doing. I was having the hardest time coming up with names for a boy! I could barely come up with two, while Will was constantly adding to the list and running them by me. When he asked me about Nova I wasn’t sold on it at first (it actually made me think of girl), but I asked a few friends what they thought about the name, and they absolutely loved it. So, I simmered on it and it finally grew on me, and I loved it just as much! For his middle name, Kazue, I knew I wanted to stick with a Japanese name, and was hoping to find a word or name that meant 'gift' or 'surprise,' but didn’t like how they sounded with Nova. I came across Kazue, which means blessing, and thought it was perfect! And ironically enough, Kazue, spelled with an 'e'. is intended for a female. So, both my kids have middle names intended for the opposite sex, and I’m totally ok with that."

“是的。作为独生子，我非常想要一个大家庭!我非常希望有兄弟姐妹一起长大，希望能参加大型的家庭聚会。我也想在别人身上看到自己。”

one more day, but please when I call you in the morning, don’t expect to hear good news.' When I got home that evening from work I told Will and I cried some more. I felt so defeated. As I sat there crying in his arms, he tells me, 'It’s ok. It wasn’t meant to be for us, and that’s ok. It can just be you, me, and a hundred cats!' He always knows how to make me laugh. Even after being told that basically this was it, and we were both heartbroken, we just weren’t quite ready to give up. That evening, we prayed (or chanted, I am a Buddhist) for a miracle! It felt like a losing battle, but I was holding onto a sliver of hope that our little embryo’s cells would split, and this wasn’t the end for us." ">

“感觉像是过了一辈子，又像是昨天才发生!”我丈夫和我已经尝试怀孕3年了，我怀孕了两次，但两次都流产了。那段时间对我们来说真的很艰难。我记得我觉得自己很失败，觉得自己出了什么问题。我也对我的丈夫感到内疚，因为我知道他是多么想成为一个父亲，我知道他会是一个多么好的父亲。我们讨论过收养，但最终我们决定做试管受精。我们还是想要一个生理上属于我们的孩子。我当时37岁，觉得这可能是我唯一一次怀孕的机会。我们听说一些夫妇在试管婴儿成功之前做了好几次，或者根本没有成功。我们只负担得起一次，所以我们觉得就这样了! The whole process of IVF was hard, physically and emotionally. I was only able to produce 10 eggs, 4 eggs fertilized, but then we were left with only one embryo. This moment will forever be ingrained in my memory. I received a call from the embryologist while I was at work, and he told me that our last embryo (that held all our hopes and dreams), its cells had stopped splitting, and it looked like this was the end of the road for us. I was absolutely devastated and heartbroken. I just sat there and cried while I held the phone to my ear. Then he says, 'I’ll give it一个再过一天，但是当我早上打电话给你的时候，请不要指望听到好消息。”那天晚上下班回家后，我告诉了威尔，然后又哭了起来。我感到很失败。当我坐在那里，在他怀里哭泣时，他告诉我，‘没关系。这不是为我们准备的，没关系。可以只有你、我和一百只猫!”他总是知道怎么逗我笑。即使在被告知基本上就这样了，我们都很伤心，但我们还没有准备好放弃。那天晚上，我们祈祷(或者念诵，我是佛教徒)奇迹发生!这感觉像是一场失败的战斗，但我仍然抱有一线希望，我们的小胚胎细胞会分裂，这不是我们的结局。”

Elena wears a Hansel from Basel dress, St. Agni sandals, and Anna Monet earrings. Wynter and Nova wear Misha + Puff. ">

“第二天早上，我们接到了我们一直担心的电话，胚胎学家(他的名字叫塞尔吉奥)问，‘埃琳娜?你好吗?”我不敢相信他在闲聊。我说，‘是的，塞尔吉奥，我想还行吧?’然后我听到，‘我不知道发生了什么，但是细胞分裂了!我们对它进行了活组织检查，并把它送到实验室进行检测。”我完全震惊了。我真的是一边哭一边笑!我简直不敢相信我所听到的，我的身心都被吓坏了!当我们拿到活检结果的时候，结果是‘没有结果’。 We were confused by this, but our doctor told us this could happen. She said it can either mean the biopsy was too small to test, or that there is some sort of chromosomal 'abnormality.' It was suggested we do another round of IVF, but that was not an option for us. So, we were left with the choice of whether to implant or not. We honestly didn’t sit with this decision for very long. We felt our little embryo had fought so hard to be here, we weren’t giving up on it, and our journey wasn’t ending. We moved forward and decided to implant. Then it was the waiting game to see if it had worked and that I was indeed pregnant. It was the longest 2 weeks of my life! I had to go in on Christmas morning to take my pregnancy test! I thought for sure it hadn’t worked because I didn’t experience any of the typical pregnancy symptoms. Later that morning we got the call with the results of the pregnancy test, and the nurse told us, 'Your test result came back positive! You’re pregnant!' Tears of joy and excitement once again, but then fear eventually set in. Fear of miscarrying, and losing another baby. It was a very sensitive time, and it was hard to maintain the excitement and joy."

埃琳娜戴着来自巴塞尔的Hansel裙子,圣阿格尼凉鞋,安娜·莫奈耳环。温特和诺瓦穿的米沙+泡芙．

“那真是难熬的一天。我还在纠结我的感受。当我怀孕的时候，我去做了产前检查，我只是以为这是你怀孕时所做的。尤其是当你超过35岁的时候。我得到结果的那天是我一生中最艰难的日子之一。我正在上班，走进办公室接了个电话。电话那头的护士说:“我很抱歉，你的测试结果为21三体唐氏综合症阳性。”我简直不敢相信我所听到的。我立刻感到我成为母亲的所有希望和梦想都被夺走了。我的孩子还没出生，我就哀悼她了。 I cried so hard. I couldn’t stop crying. I honestly hate that I felt that way. I wish I could go back to that moment and had just been excited about my pregnancy and finally becoming a mother! I feel robbed of that joy, because of what I didn’t know, but also because of how I was given the news. It had already been decided that Down syndrome was this horrible, awful thing. But I had no clue what Down syndrome meant. I only had my own assumptions. And I had my fear. My fear of the unknown, and the type of mother I could not be. I couldn’t be a 'special needs' mom. We decided to get further and more conclusive testing done. I had a CVS, which is a very painful and invasive test. If I could go back, I would have never chosen to get this done. And it was confirmed, our baby will be born with Down syndrome. We were immediately scheduled to talk with a genetics counselor, and were told about all of things are baby would never or likely won’t be able to do. Then we were presented with the option to terminate our pregnancy. And kept being reminded, 'You still have time to terminate.' It was heart-wrenching. How could we? After seeing our baby’s tiny hands and feet? Feeling her move? Seeing and hearing her heart beat? No, we couldn’t. And we wouldn’t terminate. We wanted a child so badly, and for us that meant loving and accepting the child that had chosen us to be her parents."

“是啊!这是我做过的最好的事!我不想听医生、遗传学家和专家们说什么。我受够了百分率和统计数字。他们无法告诉我作为一个患有唐氏综合症的孩子的父母到底意味着什么。他们不知道每天的生活是什么样子，也不知道未来的日子是什么样子。我联系的那些家庭不用告诉我太多，我要亲眼看看!社交媒体是个有趣的东西。如果使用得当，它真的可以让一些惊人的事情发生，并建立真诚的友谊和团结的纽带。这些妈妈都告诉我了! The good, the bad, the funny, and the heartbreaking stuff. All the things that make up being a mom of a child with a disability (or 'different ability' as I like to say). They didn’t sugar coat any of it to make it seem like it was just like raising a typically developing child. Because the honest truth is, it isn’t. Yes, there are similarities, but there are obvious differences, too. These women shared what the typical physical delays would look like. For example, for typically developing children they usually start crawling anywhere between 6-9 months old. For a child with Ds, they typically start crawling anywhere between 14-18 months old (give or take). They shared their fears and concerns, whether it was around health, development, behavior, society, and the emotional ups/downs. I was so inspired by these families, and so grateful and humbled by their willingness to share and to be open to a complete stranger. But the most important thing I took away from them is that their day to day lives looked pretty much like any other family. And that to me was all I needed."

“有一些明显的担忧，比如她的身体和精神发育。她会真正独立还是永远和我们住在一起?人们会接受她吗?人们会怎样对待她?这可能听起来很傻，但我最大的担忧(或恐惧)之一是，我无法在冬天看到自己。唐氏综合症有明显的身体特征，这导致患有d的人(但不是全部)看起来很相似。杏仁状的眼睛，更小的鼻子和更矮的身材。我担心我只会看到综合症，而不是我的孩子。生下温特后，我感觉麻木了。我短暂地见了她一面，然后她就被送去重症监护室了。 I didn’t see her for a whole day. The next morning as Will wheeled me up to the ICU to see her, I was so afraid. Afraid of what I would see and how I would feel. But once that baby girl was placed on my chest and my eyes met hers, I saw nothing but my beautiful baby, and nothing else mattered."

“有这么多!”但一种说法是，你只能有“一点点”的唐氏综合症，或者说唐氏综合症有轻度和重度之分。这不是真的。你要么有，要么没有。每个孩子的长处都有一个范围，就像正常发育的孩子一样。而且你的孩子有其他医疗问题或额外诊断的风险更高。大约50%患有唐氏综合症的儿童都有某种心脏缺陷。温特是那50%的一部分，但并不严重，她很健康。唐氏综合症有不同类型。温特最常见的形式是21三体，当你有3条21号染色体时，通常一个人只有2条。 It accounts for about 95% of people with Ds. There is Translocation, it’s when part of chromosome 21 breaks off during cell division and attaches to another chromosome. That extra part is what causes the presence of Down syndrome, it accounts for about 4% of people with Ds. And there is also Mosaicism. This is when Nondisjunction of chromosome 21 happens in one, but not all of the cell divisions. And typically people with Mosaicism Ds don’t display all of the typical characteristics of Down syndrome, like physical features. It accounts for about 1% of people with Ds. Another misconception that drives me bonkers is that people with Ds are 'always happy.' I don’t know where this comes from. People with Down syndrome are more than capable of displaying a wide range of emotions just like you and me. Wynter has shown it all to us, her anger, her frustration, her sadness, and her joy. Oh, her joy is the absolute best emotion to witness, next to her feeling proud. The list could go on, but the best thing for people to do is to ask questions! Do their research, and stay informed. Don’t just assume, or think what you know is correct, or that there isn’t more to learn! I think it’s so important for people, especially people who do not have children or know of people with Down syndrome, to educate themselves about what Down syndrome truly is and what it means. I’m still learning, and will continue to learn as Wynter gets older."

无条件的爱的真正含义。打开我的心和我的思想。我比自己想象的要能干得多。我可以改变世界。”

“做他们的研究。帮助那些有唐氏综合症孩子的家庭吧!获得真实的画面。不仅仅是百分比和统计数据。不要把你的选择(如果这是你的选择)建立在恐惧之上。唐氏综合症并不是你需要害怕的可怕的事情。不要让它夺走你拥有美丽宝宝的喜悦和兴奋!我知道每个父母对待诊断的方式都不一样。有些人需要能够悲伤(就像我一样)，因为在某种程度上，这是一个“悲伤”的过程。还有一些家长完全接受诊断结果，眼睛都不眨一下。 There is no right or wrong way to deal with your Ds diagnosis. Yes, there will be delays. Yes, you may face a medical concern. But what I want you to know is that your child is going to open up a whole new big beautiful world to you! It’s a love so great that I hope you will be so lucky enough to experience. I’m literally beaming with pride as I think of Wynter now. She makes me so happy and grateful that she is my daughter. I know how lucky and fortunate we are, and know there are many people who would give anything to have a child just like her."

“啊，那是多么美好的一天啊!”怀了温特之后，我只来了一次月经，我注意到下个月就没有了。但我并不担心，因为我的医生告诉我，在我生完孩子后，在它变得更有规律之前，它会有点不正常。但当我连续两个月没有来月经时，我们决定让我做个验孕棒。那时温特才6个月大，当测试结果明确显示为“阳性”时，我完全震惊了。我真的不产奶了。我几乎不敢相信。威尔太兴奋了!我花了一点时间才明白，因为我的损失和我和温特的经历。听到这个消息，我犹豫着要不要让自己高兴和兴奋起来。 I knew I would take the early prenatal blood test, but that was mainly to find out the sex of our baby. We knew that I had a higher risk of having another child with Down syndrome, but this did not matter to us. Your chances of having a child with Ds is 1/100 after having given birth to one child with Ds. Whether the test came back positive or negative, it made no difference. We would not do further testing. As long as our baby was healthy, and there were no major medical concerns, that’s all that mattered to us. And in the end, we had an uneventful pregnancy, a healthy, typically developing baby boy who came out after 2 pushes. Literally, after he came out and I was being sewed-up, the delivery nurse was taking my breakfast order."

“处理我的产后。有了诺娃之后，它的力量增加了一倍。还有，找到两个孩子的最佳状态。如何兼顾两者的需求?我们还在寻找答案，但我们越来越接近了。从积极的方面来看，看到他们彼此互动真是太棒了，尤其是现在!因为Nova年纪大了，他在爬，他的个性也越来越明显。最好的时刻是我走进去看到他们咯咯地笑，把对方逗笑。他们笑得最开心。或者温特给诺瓦拥抱和亲吻，深情地凝视着她。 I’ve been lucky enough to capture some pretty sweet moments between the two of them. It absolutely makes my heart melt, and I will cherish them forever."

“困难。我真的连续怀孕两年了!温特的出生充满了未知，我们被告知她很可能天生就有心脏缺陷。在我怀孕期间，我多次与心脏病专家会面，他们发现她的主动脉变窄，这可能会导致她出生时出现呼吸问题。而且，由于她的诊断，她出生时我无法做皮肤接触手术。我只能短暂地看她一眼，然后她就需要被紧急送往重症监护室。所以，我们在她出生的时候就做好了最坏的打算。我临产的那天早上，大约是凌晨4:30，我起床去洗手间，刚回到床上，我就觉得有什么东西湿了，我跳下床，水就喷了出来!我非常震惊，只是站在那里，以为它最终会停止。我只上了两堂分娩课，不知道该怎么做。 Plus, I wasn’t due for another month! I ended up having to be induced after hours of not dilating, and no progression of being in active labor. I didn’t experience any contractions after my water broke. They needed to get her out before she was exposed to infection. I was so scared, and worried for my baby girl. I went through the gamut of pain relievers after my contractions started. I pushed what felt like forever, and thought I would be forced to have a c-section. But I didn’t, the delivery doctor and nurse were on board with me pushing as long as it was safe for me to do so. Wynter was finally born at just under 6 lbs that evening on August 5, at 9:20pm! After she was born I did experience postpartum anxiety and a little of the 'baby blues,' but it didn’t last long. And after I went back to work and established a good groove with her, I pretty much felt like myself again."

Elena wears a hat by West Perro.">

“诺瓦的出生非常平淡无奇，很平常。实际上我已经安排了一次引产，因为在我怀孕的最后几周，我和他在一起很不舒服。而且他的预产期是12月23日，我不想让他在圣诞节出生。我希望他能有自己的生日，而不必和一个重要的节日一起过。但在我引产的前一天晚上，我自然地生下了他，他于12月22日早上8点23分出生，体重正好是8磅!在我生了Nova之后，我的产后焦虑(和抑郁)加重了10倍!直到今天我还在处理这件事。我的焦虑急剧上升，我的身体和精神都产生了反应。如果诺瓦在哭，而我不能让他停下来，我真的想捏他一下!我会想象把他摔在地上。 And if both of them were whining/crying at the same time, I would just lose it emotionally and cry hysterically. There were a few desperate phone calls to my husband while he was at work that I know scared him pretty badly. It scared me when I had these episodes! I knew I couldn’t just keep 'dealing with it' and waiting for it 'to pass.' Even though I knew what I was experiencing was normal, I didn’t like it and I needed to acquire some tools to help me deal and cope with it. I’m still a work in progress, but my anxiety is so much better. I now know a few things that help me out of that desperation mode, like taking deep, concentrated breaths, and going outside!"

埃琳娜戴着帽子西方Perro．

DSCBA (Down syndrome Connection of the Bay Area) and NDSS (National Down Syndrome Society) had websites that were extremely informative and helpful. I recently started reading Happy Parents, Happy Kids by Daisaku Ikeda. It gives advice on how you can incorporate and use your Buddhist practice to help with parenting, daily life, and raising a happy child. It’s profound, but also very practical. And Far from the Tree is on my list to read (and on my documentary list to watch). I am very intrigued to see how these families from different walks of life are able to have many things in common, as well as myself. I adored the movie Wonder. It was so thoughtfully done and showed the many sides and perspectives within a family surrounding a child that is 'different,' and in this case one who looked different." ">

“当我怀温特的时候，我在网上做了很多关于唐氏综合症的研究。我发现组织喜欢DSCBA(唐氏综合症与湾区的联系)和教你们(国家唐氏综合症协会)的网站提供了大量的信息和帮助。我最近开始阅读快乐的父母，快乐的孩子池田大作。它提供了一些建议，教你如何结合和使用你的佛教实践来帮助养育孩子，日常生活，培养一个快乐的孩子。它很深刻，但也很实用。和远离树在我的阅读清单上(和继续?我的纪录片清单观看)。我很好奇这些来自不同行业的家庭如何能够有许多共同点，以及我自己。我很喜欢这部电影想知道．它做得非常周到，展示了一个家庭围绕着一个‘不同’的孩子的许多方面和观点，在这个例子中，这个孩子看起来很不一样。”

“我非常尊敬和钦佩的女性有很多。一个是我的母亲。她克服了生活中的巨大逆境。她是真正的力量。还有一些非常亲密的女朋友，她们全心全意地接受母亲的身份，并以如此优雅的方式处理她们的困难时期。我也喜欢塞雷娜·威廉姆斯。她公开而坦率地谈论了她的母亲之旅。为此我非常尊敬和钦佩她。她有一个巨大的平台，她正在利用这个平台来帮助妈妈们，让她们知道她们并不孤单。”

Elena wears a Han Starnes top, Ace & Jig skirt, and necklace by Zelma Rose.">

“我是由单亲母亲抚养长大的，她打两份工，晚上上学(她正在努力获得护理学位)。她不常在我身边，我是一个典型的“锁钥匙孩子”。我从来没有真正陷入任何麻烦，我太害怕陷入任何“冒险”或危险的事情。我从小就被教导要独立、自给自足，并被教导良好的职业道德的重要性。当我经历困难时期，或者为自己感到难过时，我妈妈总会“提醒我”，世界上还有其他人正经历着比我更糟糕的时期，面临着比我更大的挑战。我讨厌她这样做，因为我只想让她为我感到难过!关心我所经历的一切。我知道她只是想给我一些启发让我对自己所拥有的一切心存感激。但当你还是个孩子的时候，你很难这么看。”

埃琳娜戴着汉Starnes上面,Ace & Jig裙子和项链Zelma玫瑰．

the best."">

“我希望我能把他们培养成自信和独立的人。但我也希望他们能意识到别人，对自己所拥有的东西有同情心、善良和感激。这是我妈妈灌输给我的东西，我非常重视。我也想为我的孩子做同样的事。我也希望他们能一直感受到爱和支持。在我成长的过程中，妈妈对我不是很疼爱。我知道这在一定程度上与她的成长方式有关，但我也觉得她认为我“还行”。她总是相信，如果她什么也没听到，一切就都好了。我不会因为我妈妈的为人而对她产生负面的感觉。随着年龄的增长，这成了一种生活方式，我明白了她为什么会这样。 I love my mom to death, and am grateful for all the sacrifices she has made in order for me to live a better life than she did. It was always us against the world. We were very close. And still are. But I did yearn for that affection from her. And knowing this, I tend to overcompensate with my kids. I give them multiple kisses a day, and maybe even hug them a bit too much, and there is lots of snuggling going on! Their snuggles are的最好的。”

“开放。我真的是在即兴发挥!我完全不知道自己在做什么。我只是让孩子们引导我，试着听从我的“母性本能”，并做出最好的判断。有趣的是，我以为我肯定会是一个严厉的家长，但结果我是一个软弱的家长。那是妈妈的心弦!他们经常被拽!大多数情况下，威尔和我对孩子们的态度是一致的，有时我觉得他在不合适的时候做了“严厉的爱”。但我的孩子们还这么小。在这一点上，我只想让他们感到安全、自信和被爱。 I know the way I approach my parenting style will change as they get older."

“绝对!实际上，它提高了我的意识，激发了我采取行动。如果这件事会影响到我和我的家人，我需要做点什么!你很容易觉得自己无法有所作为，或者你作为一个人无法创造改变。但事实并非如此。在我的佛教实践中，我们被教导对话是关键。这就像一块掉进水里的鹅卵石，引起了连锁反应。你们是创造鼓舞人心和强大变革的开端。”

“社区意识。当地艺术家、创意人士和小型企业对这里充满了热爱和支持。这里住着一些非常了不起的人，他们正在努力创造积极的变化。奥克兰也有一种社会意识。一个灵魂。心跳。还有这么多的历史!见证并参与其中是一件多么美好的事情。”

“是的，我愿意接受。我从没在别的地方住过，所以我承认我很好奇。但奥克兰永远是我的家。”

Hawthorn. Laurie is very mindful of the designers she chooses to carry, and we really do carry some great designers, and the best candles by Na Nin! A few other favorites for shopping are Ali Golden, Erica Tanov, and McMullen when I need something a little extra special! For vintage, Pretty Penny, Minds Eye Vintage, Empress Vintage, Mercy Vintage, and definitely the Alameda Flea Market! I’ve met some wonderful vendors like Asa Vintage and Revival Vintage. Temescal Alley here in Oakland is a one-stop shop for me. I can get something for myself, home, and just up the street from the alley is Ruby’s Garden, where I can shop for the kids, and Standard & Strange for my husband. Also shopping at events and pop-ups like West Coast Craft and Bouquet Market are great ways to shop locally and also to discover new designers and makers! Other favorites are Atomic Garden, Morningtide, Crimson, and Neighbor. A few favorite restaurants and cafes are Doña Tomás, Burma Superstar, Sequoia Diner, Julie’s Coffee & Tea, Highwire Coffee at Market Hall, Tacubaya, Iyasare, and I just discovered Millennium! I’m not vegan, but their dishes and drinks are delicious! The drinks could be a bit bigger, but they are very tasty! It just means I have to order a few more! I’m still discovering places to go to be with the kids, and to get outside for a bit. They’re still so young and neither of them are walking yet, so we don’t have as many options when it comes to places that are best for limited mobility. We mostly go to local parks to get some hang time outside. But Berkeley Rose Garden and Morcom Rose Garden are sweet little spots to enjoy a little nature. Also Lake Merritt is great for those who like to get in a good walk or run. Children’s Fairyland, Habitot Museum, Chabot Spade & Science Center, the Oakland Museum, and the Oakland Zoo are all great for kids, but my kids won’t fully appreciate and enjoy these places until they’re a little bit older and walking. There are so many great places to see and enjoy in and around Oakland, it’s hard to name them all!" ">

“有这么多!”当然是我工作的地方，山楂．劳丽对她选择的设计师非常在意，我们确实带了一些很棒的设计师，还有最好的蜡烛Na外祖母！其他一些喜欢购物的是阿里黄金，艾丽卡Tanov,McMullen当我需要一些特别的东西时!对于古董,一大笔钱，心灵之眼，皇后的，仁慈的，当然还有阿拉米达跳蚤市场！我遇到了一些很棒的供应商，比如Asa Vintage和Revival Vintage。Temescal巷奥克兰是我的一站式商店。我可以给自己找点东西，回家，就在巷子那头Ruby的花园在那里我可以给孩子们买东西，还有标准与奇异给我丈夫的。也可以在活动和弹出窗口购物，比如西海岸船和花束市场是当地购物的好方法，也是发现新的设计师和制造商的好方法!其他最受欢迎的是原子的花园，晨间，深红色的,邻居．一些最受欢迎的餐馆和咖啡馆是小姐托马斯，缅甸巨星，红杉餐厅，朱莉的咖啡和茶，市场大厅的高线咖啡，Tacubaya，Iyasare，我才发现年！我不是素食主义者，但他们的菜肴和饮料都很美味!饮料可能会大一点，但它们非常美味!这只意味着我得再订几个!我还在寻找和孩子们在一起的地方，以及出去走走的地方。他们还很年轻，还不会走路，所以我们没有太多的选择，当谈到最适合行动不便的地方时。我们大多去当地的公园，在外面消磨时间。但伯克利玫瑰园和摩卡玫瑰园都是享受大自然的好地方。也梅里特湖对于那些喜欢散步或跑步的人来说是很棒的。孩子们的乐园，Habitot博物馆，查伯特·斯佩德科学中心，奥克兰博物馆,奥克兰动物园这些地方对孩子们来说都很好，但我的孩子们要等到他们大一点，会走路的时候才能完全欣赏和享受这些地方。在奥克兰及其周边有很多值得观赏和享受的好地方，很难一一列举出来!”

Elena wears an Ali Golden dress and Gamma Folk necklace. Nova wears a "Be Kind" t-shirt. Wynter wears Misha + Puff. ">

“舒适。保守的。新潮。甚至可能是“复古风格”?我穿古着，但我也买那些轮廓非常复古的衣服。”

埃琳娜戴着阿里黄金裙子和γ民间项链。Nova穿着一件写着“Be Kind”的t恤。Wynter穿米沙+泡芙．

“是也不是。我的穿着一直很保守。但在我成为母亲之前，我的风格更女性化。很多中长裙和蓬松袖子!我仍然喜欢这两件事，但可能只是以一种更低调的方式。”

Ilana Kohn jumpsuits and my Jesse Kamm pants! The jumpsuits are just easy, comfortable, and convenient! It’s one outfit in one, you don’t have to think about putting a top and a bottom together. There’s usually nice deep pockets to hold all your things, especially when you’re wranglin' your kiddos, and need to stash something quickly! And the looser, the better! The Kamm pants just look good! When I want something more form fitting, they are my go-to! I feel confident in them, and the silhouette works perfectly for my body type. I’ve also re-fallen in love with Ace & Jig. I had kinda taken a break from obsessing over them, but their fall/winter ‘16 collection reeled me back in and now I can’t get enough! Prudence top in Ashbury and Capella coat in Sampler, I’m on the hunt for you!" ">

“现在，我不得不说我的。Ilana科恩连身裤和我的杰希卡姆裤子!连身裤简单、舒适、方便!这是一套衣服，你不需要考虑把上衣和下装放在一起。通常有很好的深口袋可以装下你所有的东西，尤其是当你和孩子们争吵的时候，需要快速地藏东西!而且越松越好!Kamm的裤子看起来不错!当我想要更合身的衣服时，他们是我的首选!我对它们很有信心，而且它的轮廓非常适合我的体型。我也重新爱上了Ace & Jig．我已经从对他们的痴迷中解脱出来了，但他们的2016秋冬系列又把我拉了回来，现在我欲罢不能!普律当丝穿阿什伯里的上衣，卡佩拉穿桑普勒的大衣，我在找你们!”

Studio Abasi in Berkeley. For makeup I use Bare Minerals. It just works for my skin, and I don’t feel like I’m wearing makeup. Though I do wish it wasn’t so messy to apply! I get it everywhere! It drives me nuts!"">

“简单。很久以前我就得到了教训，尝试了很多不同的产品对我的皮肤不起作用。我曾经是那种必须尝试所有方法的人!无论我在杂志上读到的最新产品是什么，或者因为一个拥有最完美皮肤的朋友向我推荐，我都会买下来!我发现了我的皮肤喜欢什么，并且多年来一直坚持使用同样的产品。我用的是我的美容师发明的Solari护肤系统工作室Abasi在伯克利。我用它来化妆裸露的矿物质．它对我的皮肤很有效，而且我不觉得我在化妆。不过我真希望涂的时候不要那么乱!我到处都是!它快把我逼疯了!”

“我需要在这方面做得更好。现在对健康来说，主要是花时间念诵。我的佛教修行是我的基础，它帮助我重新集中精力。还有，选择小睡一会儿。当两个孩子都在午睡的时候，我总是会利用这段时间来“完成事情”，但现在，如果我需要的话，我会利用这段时间来小睡一会儿。即使只有15分钟。更不用说这是一个拥抱的好机会!”

“通常是在我一整天都没有孩子的日子里。当我丈夫在家的时候，我只想独处几个小时，我就会接受。此外，奶奶们每周来一次，我们有一个非常可靠的保姆，我们可以在周末依靠她。我通常用它来悠闲地散步，参观一些我最喜欢的商店，和女朋友见面，喝咖啡或吃饭，而不必带它去!我喜欢去跳蚤市场淘东西。实际上，在我去上班的日子里，我认为那是“我的时间”。我可以和女人聊天和交流，在一个平静而美丽的空间里。一旦我的孩子们长大一点，我想独自(或和女朋友)去某个地方旅行，只属于我自己。”

Hawthorn, a local brick and mortar boutique here in Oakland. I just recently left my partnership/business selling vintage clothing. I needed to concentrate on being a new mama to my son and adjusting to being a mama to two babies under the age of 2! I also wanted to be re-inspired and open to other opportunities that aligned more with what my current passions and cause are."">

“我在山楂这是奥克兰一家当地的实体精品店。我最近刚刚辞去了卖古着的合伙人/生意。我需要集中精力成为我儿子的新妈妈，并适应成为两个两岁以下婴儿的妈妈!我也想重新获得灵感，接受其他与我目前的激情和事业更一致的机会。”

love that I get to call this place home. I’m open to living somewhere else if that’s where our path takes us, but I know how fortunate I am to be able to still live here. I didn’t go to a traditional college, I honestly didn't feel like I had that privilege to 'go away to college.' My mind frame was that I needed to start working as quickly as I could. I needed to start making money so that I could help my mom out by supporting myself as much as possible. I decided after high school to go to a vocational college, because it was less time, and I would be trained in a skill that would help me get a job quicker. I ended up getting a bachelor’s degree in Design & Visualization at Silicon Valley College, which was basically their graphic design program. I wanted to try and pursue a career in a creative field. Growing up I loved to draw, it was a definite outlet and passion for me. I wonder 'til this day where that love and passion went. Funny enough, I actually didn’t end up using my degree or working in the graphic design field. I was an administrative assistant for a small business in Berkeley for about 12 years after college! Then I became a personal stylist at Anthropologie for about 6 years."">

“我在湾区出生和长大。我没在别的地方住过!我爱我可以把这里称为家我愿意住在其他地方，如果这是我们的道路需要我们，但我知道我是多么幸运，能够仍然住在这里。我没有上过传统的大学，老实说，我觉得自己没有那种特权去‘上大学’。我的想法是，我需要尽快开始工作。我需要开始赚钱，这样我就可以通过尽可能多地养活自己来帮助我妈妈。高中毕业后，我决定去职业学院，因为时间更少，而且我可以接受技能培训，帮助我更快地找到工作。我最终在硅谷学院(Silicon Valley College)获得了设计与可视化学士学位，这基本上是他们的平面设计课程。我想尝试在创意领域发展事业。从小到大，我喜欢画画，这对我来说是一个明确的出口和激情。直到今天，我还在想爱和激情去了哪里。 Funny enough, I actually didn’t end up using my degree or working in the graphic design field. I was an administrative assistant for a small business in Berkeley for about 12 years after college! Then I became a personal stylist at Anthropologie for about 6 years."

“这是我如此热衷于支持当地小企业、购买合乎道德的服装和产品，以及二手和复古服装的主要原因之一。在Hawthorn，我们有道德的设计师，主要在美国制造，而且都是女性!因为老板劳里，我认识了这么多了不起的设计师。她也是一位母亲，所以减少自己的碳足迹对她来说也很重要。了解大规模生产的产品和快时尚对我们的星球造成的服装浪费的负面影响是毁灭性的。我会首先承认，我喜欢便宜货，而且经常买快时尚的东西!但我不会穿太久，因为它们质量不高，或者太时髦了。所以，它们最终会被扔进垃圾桶或被捐赠(如果可能的话)。我偶尔也会从Zara买东西，但我对买的东西很挑剔。它必须是一件我能穿很长时间的衣服，而且我最终能把它传给别人。 I sell a lot of my clothing to keep it in rotation and for others to enjoy after I have. I know it may sound corny, but it’s important to me that I do what I can to help the environment so that I set an example for my children, and they learn from my choices. I want them, and many generations after them, to be able to experience and enjoy this wonderful, marvelous planet and all that it has to offer. Buying ethically made products isn’t cheap, but if you can, you should. We all need to start somewhere, right?"

“是的，我肯定会开始建立我的支持小村。当温特出生的时候，我认为情况并不是这样。主要是我的丈夫，我的母亲和婆婆。我确实觉得自己有点像一个人在荒岛上。但我也从来没有要求，或者接受别人提供的帮助。Nova出生后，我学会了更多地把自己放在外面，更多地去接触别人。有时候我还是很难寻求帮助，但我觉得我在去年建立的友谊让我知道了人们是多么想要互相帮助。我绝对有一个很好的妈妈部落。当保姆有空的时候，我偶尔也会请她。我也从我的特殊需求家长那里得到了极大的支持，我每周见两次面。 That has been a definite lifesaver!"

“我还在学习如何平衡这一切。我学到的是，你不可能一个人做到这一切。你需要别人的帮助和支持。为什么要自己去“维护”呢?为了成为最好的自己，你需要寻求帮助，这样你就可以成为最好的母亲、伴侣、朋友等等。”

“是啊!我知道，我希望我能有“妈的内疚”的态度!但我也认为，当涉及到母亲和她们的孩子时，荷尔蒙/生物因素会导致“妈妈内疚”。尤其是在做母亲的早期。我已经慢慢地能够放下它了。尤其是因为我知道，当我能做自己的事情，从我的孩子们中解脱出来的时候，我能成为一个更好的母亲。当我花时间给自己时，我可以探索和享受我的其他部分，这些部分构成了我作为一个人。更不用说当我离开我的孩子们一整天回到家时，我更加感激他们!我很高兴看到他们，抱着他们，和他们一起玩!这是最好的感觉，我知道他们也感受到了不同。”

“我所做的。怀温特的时候，我请了假，但最终还是辞了工作，做了全职妈妈。当她大约3个月大的时候，我开始在Hawthorn做兼职。在Nova我暂时离开了大约3-4个月，然后回到兼职工作。两次威尔都请了正式的陪产假。这非常有帮助，我知道他真的很珍惜和两个孩子相处的时间。”

For more on Elena, her children, and her work, follow her on Instagram. ">

“为我的激情找到一个出口。现在我的工作重点是为残疾人群体发声。传播包容、多元、宽容和接纳的意识。我不希望在广告、电视或你的社交媒体上罕见地看到患有d型障碍的人或任何残疾的人!我只想让它成为常态!因为它是!不同能力的人使用和你一样的产品，穿和你一样的衣服，吃和你一样的食物，这是很正常的!作为美国最大的少数群体之一，残疾人社区应该得到代表和关注!我希望我的女儿能够在广告、电影和电视节目中看到她自己，因为这是包容和改变观念的开始。只有这样，她才能知道自己和其他人一样被重视和接受。”

更多关于Elena，她的孩子和她的工作，请关注她在Instagram．