Funny thing…one of the hardest parts of dealing with trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) is the physical end of it. After 15 months of lifting and hauling my son everywhere – in slings, backpacks, on my hip, and over my shoulder – I finally went out and got a walker. I think they may be outlawed in the States, but not here.

I saw contraptions so cheap I wasn’t sure they’d safely hold a loaf of bread. You can find high-healed women’s shoes everywhere, but this walker took some searching. I often end up running around to several stores when I need something specific. There’s no Target in , so one-stop shopping can be more difficult.

Addison’s weight is also much more floppy, like dead weight. His body is just beginning to be a little stiffer when I pick him up. I always have to have two hands to carry him because he slips off me, like I’m loosing the grip on a greased watermelon, if I don’t.

I struggled with the idea of getting the walker thing. Some physical therapists advise against such mechanisms, but my son favors rolling everywhere and "scooching" backwards. This makes it hard to go anywhere with him and allow him the freedom to move around on his own. He gets stepped on.

Placing him in the walker is hard. His legs curl up when I try to insert him, and I have to hunch over so long, I begin to sweat. He’s learned to push backwards in just a day and a little bit forward. He still prefers rolling around, and ultimately it’s the best movement for his mind/body connection.

I’m a mom with a full plate, and this contraption gives me a break. I was a purist “natural” mom with my first child. I would have judged others using these kinds of contraptions. But after my struggles, failures, and lessons as a parent, I see others now on a path, just like I am. We’re often left too alone with children. Aunts, grandmas, relatives - all live too far away. Raising children is not meant to be a solitary activity.

I’ve learned to give mothers applause where maybe years I would have judged them for use of a pacifier or a stroller. We’re all trying to raise kids in a world where we can be anywhere tomorrow, but often find ourselves alone today.