Today is the last day of National Down syndrome Awareness Month & I for one could not be happier...I'm bloody exhausted...Writing, posting pictures, thinking of quotes & ideas for 31 days has been more challenging than I thought it would be...
I'm also ready to "move on" from celebrating this side of Pippy...
Don't get me wrong, I really think all the awareness, information & inspiration that has been shared this past month has served it's purpose...At least I want to believe it has...
I want to believe that in some way those that did their part, somehow made a difference...
For me, I hope that the pics of Pip each day helped change someone's perspective a wee bit...I know without a doubt, it helped make someone smile but I hope it hit a little deeper than that...
Actually what I hope more than anything is that it smacked a certain few right in the face...You see in having a blog, you get "stats"- information about what countries view it, what posts are popular & key words people use to search or find your blog...
For the most part I find this absolute hilarious- As you can see below, some things people have searched & ended up at Happy Soul Project are bizarre...I wrote once about a seagull shatting on me & now thousands of people who are googling seagull end up here...
And than there are some word searches I just don't get- things like "tattoo strippers, beauty boobs & boob smack" or "Daddy knocking me up stories"- I mean I'm pretty sure I've said the word boobs before but I am not 100% sure I even know what a boob smack is...

Regardless of how people find their way to Happy Soul Project, I'm happy they are here...
But it's when I see people are searching words like "Retard", "Retarded babies" or "Down syndrome jokes" that the smack em in the face reaction comes into play..It's kind of shocking, utterly devastating & oh so sad that people are actually searching such things...
So my hope is some how, some way Happy Soul Project changes them, even for a second...Search "Retard" & then find stories about how Down syndrome changed my whole outlook on life...Search "Retarded babies" & see beautiful pictures of my baby girl who is doing more good for this world than they could ever imagine...Search "Down syndrome jokes" and find a place where instead Down syndrome is being celebrated...
My hope is as hard as it is to see people actually search these types of things, that they end up here at Happy Soul Project instead of sites out there that are actually making fun of people with Down syndrome...Hard to imagine I know but it's true, sad and actually quite horrifying that there are people out there that seek that out...
So, as National Down syndrome Month comes to an end as much as it makes me happy that Pip makes y'all smile...I hope some how, some way this past month she has helped change someone...Someone who in my mind desperately needed it...
My hope is that in seeking out Down syndrome they realize the person behind it...Pip is who she is & while she has Down syndrome she is not Down syndrome- She is so much more...

This month while appreciating all the efforts bloggers, organizations & other parents put into raising awareness, I absolutely fell in love with a new campaign called Lose the Label...

Mara's mom is the brilliant mind behind the campaign & while chatting with her we found "we are of similar mind when it comes to our girls". Here are her thoughts & a bit of background behind Lose the Label:
"My daughter is Mara, 16 months old, intelligent, funny, beautiful, and my Mara has Down Syndrome.
When my husband Ben and I received confirmation of Mara's diagnosis (Trisomy 21) on day 3 of her life, I did not fear it, I did not love my girl any less, I did not morn the loss of what I had hoped she would be, she was everything I had hoped and she held my heart from the moment she arrived screaming, just 33 weeks and a tiny 3lbs 3oz (1510 grams). To this very day the only fear I have is society. The part society will play in shaping the way my daughter feels about herself. This is the reason for Lose the Label. 
Lose the Label is a campaign to promote the use of person first language. Language is inherent, this campaign is not designed to point fingers or make anyone feel uncomfortable because they may have used limiting language in the past, its merely asking you to think about what it is you are saying. A small change in our language can make a huge difference to someones life.

The Lose the Label Facebook page will provide information to help you know what to say, when talking to new parents of a child diagnosed with Down Syndrome, referring to a group or an individual with Down Syndrome, anything that has historically been limiting and negative, the posts on the page will provide a more inclusive alternative so it's easy to know what language to use."

Please find the beautiful picture of Mara below & look for Pip's pic tomorrow on Lose the Label Facebook Page HERE...



And a big thank you to everyone for celebrating Pippy & the month with Happy Soul Project- Thanks for all lovely comments, sharing Pip's awareness pictures & following the journey with us... 
And if I ever end up finding out what a boob smack is or have a story about tattoo strippers I'll be sure to let y'all know...