• Home
  • About
  • Down Syndrome
  • At Home
  • NC Adventures
    • Asheville, NC
    • Charlotte, NC
    • NC Beaches
  • US+ Adventures
    • Disney World
    • Universal Orlando
    • Washington, D.C.
  • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Adventures with Ellie -- T21

Top 10 Baby Essentials for Your Newborn With Down Syndrome

September 14, 2023

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

Once you get over the initial Down syndrome diagnosis, you realize that you are going to be bringing this baby home, and he/she is going to need lots of STUFF. The good news is, for the most part, babies with Down syndrome need the same baby supplies as any typical baby. The super cute baby clothes, blankets, and room decor won’t change (unless you want to throw some Lucky Few arrows into your design). However, there are a few items that are more important for babies with Down syndrome due to anatomy and development. Here is a list of the baby essentials you will need for your newborn with Down syndrome.

Read more

Filed in: Down Syndrome • by mbrook625 •

Cheap and Free Things to Do in Atlantic Beach, NC, with Small Children

August 5, 2023

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

Our family just got back from our yearly North Carolina beach vacation. This time, we visited Atlantic Beach, which is part of the southern Outer Banks known as the Crystal Coast. We love our North Carolina beaches, and the abundance of cheap and free things to do in Atlantic Beach, NC, makes it an affordable vacation for our family. If you have small children, there are plenty of activities to keep them entertained, including, but not limited to, spending hours and hours on the beach!

Cheap or Free Things-to Do in Atlantic Beach NC
Read more

Filed in: NC Beaches • by mbrook625 •

10 Must-Have Beach Items for Babies and Toddlers

July 19, 2023

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

Are you planning a trip to the beach with your baby or toddler this summer? Our family lives in central North Carolina, which means that we can access our beautiful North Carolina beaches in just a few hours. Ellie has been to the beach several times in her 2 1/2 years, and these are the must-have beach items for babies and toddlers that we suggest.

Must-Have Beach Items for Babies
Read more

Filed in: NC Beaches • by mbrook625 •

Is Universal Studios Good for Toddlers?

July 12, 2023

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. All opinions stated here are my own. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

**UPDATE: I am now a travel advisor with Pixie Parks Travel specializing in Disney and Universal vacations! If you are overwhelmed by the thought of planning a Disney or Universal vacation or just want to sit back and let someone else do the work for you, I would love to plan your vacation for FREE! (We get paid by the vendor.) I can handle your hotel and dining reservations, give you suggestions on the best activities for your family, apply new discounts to your account if they pop up, etc. You can use the request forms here to get started!

This past fall, my family of five (two adults, a teen, a tween, and a toddler) took a trip to Florida to visit Universal Studios. I was sure that my older two would LOVE Universal, especially The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but I was not so sure how the toddler would do. So, is Universal Studios good for toddlers? Here is our experience.

Photo by Guneet Jassal on Unsplash
Read more

Filed in: Universal Orlando, US+ Adventures • by mbrook625 •

15 Inspiring Down Syndrome Instagram Accounts You’ll Want to Follow

July 3, 2023

After researching everything I could about Down syndrome when we got Ellie’s prenatal diagnosis, my next step was trying to figure out what our family would look like with a child who had Down syndrome. While Google made me apprehensive, Instagram was my source of solace. I found so many families with children who had Down syndrome, and their lives seemed to be perfectly normal. Beyond that, their lives seemed incredibly joyful!

If you are wondering what life with a child who has Down syndrome looks like, check out these fifteen inspiring Down syndrome Instagram accounts.

Down Syndrome Instagram
Read more

Filed in: Down Syndrome • by mbrook625 •

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Hi, I'm Brooke--mom to three amazing kids (one who happens to have an extra chromosome), wife, middle school ELA teacher, and advocate for people with Down syndrome. This page is a glimpse into how our daughter Ellie has positively impacted our lives since surprising us with Trisomy 21 in 2020. I'll be writing a lot about what we have learned from having a child with Down syndrome sprinkled with the daily adventures that come from life with a toddler. I'm glad you found us!

About me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search the Blog

Categories

  • Asheville, NC
  • At Home
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Disney World
  • Down Syndrome
  • NC Adventures
  • NC Beaches
  • Universal Orlando
  • US+ Adventures
  • Washington, D.C.

Popular Posts

Magic Kingdom with Toddlers

The Ultimate Guide to Magic Kingdom with Toddlers

World Down Syndrome Day

7 Ways to Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day

Pinterest

FOLLOW

@adventureswithellie_t21

Spring Break 2024 -- Fun day at the zoo! We are so Spring Break 2024 -- Fun day at the zoo! We are so lucky to live close enough for a day trip to one of the largest zoos in the world!
The Lucky Few Tattoo ✅️ Why do so many parent The Lucky Few Tattoo ✅️

Why do so many parents of children with Down syndrome have some version of this tattooed on their body? The three arrows represent three copies of the 21st chromosome, and the arrows themselves represent rising up and moving forward. It is a symbol of connection in the Down syndrome community and a great way to spread awareness. 

And if you didn't already know, we're called The Lucky Few because we are the absolute luckiest in getting to have someone with Down syndrome in our immediate family! 💙💛

#theluckyfewtattoo #theluckyfew #downsyndromeawareness
Tomorrow is World Down Syndrome Day! When Ellie Tomorrow is World Down Syndrome Day! 

When Ellie was born, I had no idea that people with Down syndrome could go to college or even graduate from high school. 

Inclusive education has come a long way; more and more students with Down syndrome are finding success in mainstream classrooms, and many colleges have started offering programs for students of varying disabilities.

Ruby's Rainbow is an organization that offers scholarships for people with Down syndrome to pursue their dreams through higher education programs. We would love for you to join us in supporting them for this World Down Syndrome Day!

To participate, use this website to donate $21 and tell three friends to do the same. ❤️

https://321pledge.org/share/brooke-connor

(Link in bio)

#rubysrainbow #321pledge #downsyndrome #theluckyfew #nothingdownaboutit #downrightperfect
This is Ruby, the face behind Ruby's Rainbow, an o This is Ruby, the face behind Ruby's Rainbow, an organization that provides scholarships for people with Down syndrome to attend college. When Ruby was born, her parents knew that they wanted to give back to the Down syndrome community but didn't know exactly how. They saw so many programs for young people with Down syndrome but very few for those who had graduated from high school--hence Ruby's Rainbow was born. 

Since 2012, Ruby's Rainbow has granted 741 scholarships totaling $2.67 million dollars! The goal this year is to raise $700,000 between today and March 21st (World Down Syndrome Day) to help people with Down syndrome reach their dreams of higher education and independence.

Please join me in taking the pledge to support this wonderful cause! Here's how it works:

1. Donate $21.
2. Pledge to be kind to people of all abilities.
3. Ask three friends to do the same.

Use my link in bio to join us!
(https://321pledge.org/share/brooke-connor)

#321pledge #rubysrainbow #WDSD
Disney photo dump (minus characters) Disney photo dump (minus characters)
Disney 2024 -- Meeting all the characters! #disne Disney 2024 -- Meeting all the characters!

#disneycuties #disneycharacters #downrightperfect #downsyndrome #toddlerwithdownsyndrome #theluckyfew #extrachromosomeextracute #trisomy21

Disclosure & Disclaimer

 

Copyright © 2025 · Theme by Blog Pixie