Welcome to this world Baby Girl!

When I first saw Leighton Claire she was completely purple. She looked a lot like the color of Violet Beauregarde.  I couldn't see her face, but I didn't think the other two where that color.  The Doctor kept saying cry baby cry, finally a tiny whimper. We know now that LC doesn't cry that much.  She was born a little blueberry with eyes wide open. When I saw her across the room I knew,  and when I finally held her I thought....I already love you, and this is the way my life will be, I will be a Mom of a DS baby girl, and I told my husband "I Know", and then he could admitted it to himself too. I guess someone needed to acknowledge what she had and those words said it all.  She started to choke a little bit, and I had the nurse take her to check her out.  We told our families and that was hard.  I have a new found love for texting and that's how we announced it to our friends.  Believe me it's hard for people to receive that news.  Most people aren't in this "chromosomal world" and they don't know much about it.  I know I didn't know anything about it.  We don't have any Down Syndrome relatives in our families.   Every Mom of a Down Syndrome child has her own story and this is mine.  Our Social Worker told us there is no right or wrong way to go through this.  Even my husband and I have a different story. Some Mom's feel detached from their babies, and feel forced to take care of them.  Some like me can except them right away, but all stories seem to end the same way.  Their all completely in love with their child.  I knew DS kids talked different, and that it can effect them mentally, but I didn't know that they can come with a lot of medical problems.  LC had an ECG, IV's, Oxygen, a blood transfusion through her umbilical cord all within the first few hours of life.  She turned into a little pin cushion and that's hard for any Mother to take.  

 I'm glad these days are over.

We have hit the lottery with this baby.  She is only 3 months, but she has been really healthy.  Not all DS babies are as healthy as she has been, but normal chromosome count children aren't always either.  It's like that saying... the only guaranty's in life are there is no guaranty's. I don't blame God for LC's lot in life, I thank him for her. I'm only 31 and the odds of having a DS baby weren't in my favor, and I feel blessed to have her.  She has opened our eyes to a bigger picture.  We have joined a group of other parents who have children with different Chromosomal issues, and it's like we have a select membership to a special club.  I get to meet new strong Men and Women there.  Women that face the struggles head on, and they inspire me. Having LC has forced us to meet new friends, and take notice of the smaller things. She has made me grateful for the mothers that have walked this road ahead of me. They fought or are fighting for our babies rightful place in society.  I want this blog to focus on the positive. I want people to see the Joy LC brings into our lives.  I mostly want people to notice that life with a DS child is really more the same then it is different. Truthfully now we have LC life is so much better.

-JS