Little Micah Quinones may be one of the most photogenic babies in America.
At just 11-months-old, his big, blue eyes and chestnut brown tuft of curls almost demand the modeling contract he recently landed.
The little boy, whose parents document his near every move on Instagram, also has Down syndrome.
“As soon as the camera comes out, he looks right into it,” Micah’s mother, actress and model Amanda Booth, told ABC News. “Everyone says to (Micah), ‘You’re just like your mother.’”
Over the past 10 years, Booth has modeled for the likes of Target and Old Navy, and has appeared on television shows like “Hot in Cleveland” and “Community.” She recently starred in a Lancome commercial with Julia Roberts.
Throughout her pregnancy, the model appeared in maternity ads–big baby belly and all–but took time off to be with her son once he was born.
Doctors thought Micah potentially had Down syndrome at birth, but he was not tested and diagnosed until he was 3-months-old.
@christarenee couldn’t fool me, I saw that lens! ????????????
A photo posted by Micah Quinones (@lifewithmicah) on
Since then, Booth and her husband, Michael, have dedicated themselves to Micah and the cause of Down syndrome awareness.
When they noticed Micah’s fondness for the camera, they helped get him signed with the same modeling agency as mom. The duo sometimes poses in photo-shoots together.
“I feel so fortunate that the world sees the beauty that I see in my son,” Booth wrote on Facebook. “I am so honored to have the opportunity to bring awareness to Down syndrome. We are only just beginning on our journey, and are grateful to other families whose paths we can follow.”
Booth, a first-time mom who has six siblings and always knew she wanted to be a mother, did not know what to expect when her son was initially diagnosed.
“My immediate reaction was fear,” Booth told BuzzFeed. “I hadn’t known anyone who had Down syndrome, so I only had those prehistoric thoughts of what it would mean running through my head. But I quickly realized that I already knew my son and that a number on a piece of paper would not ever change who he already was in my mind.”
Booth has since been featured as one of the “5 Most Interesting Moms” in the May issue of Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine, and the Instagram account she launched for her son, which describes him as a Leo who “enjoys long bubble baths,” has almost 38,000 followers.
“He’s our firstborn, so we’ve been treating him like we would have treated any other baby,” Booth said.
