Wednesday, August 22, 2012

How can it be....


How can it be that in just 2 weeks my baby boy will be off to school?  And not just some "Mother's Morning Out" program or a preschool that keeps him a couple of times a week for a few hours.  No, no.   We're talkin' all day, every day (M-F) people.  Just like regular school.


How can I be sending this sweet little guy off all day, every day?  What on earth am I going to do without my bub?  So now I'm tearing up.  Trying to hold it together.


Bennett's teacher called and will be out to visit us next week along with her assistant and the speech therapist at the school.  You see, I "chose" to send Bennett to a "special" preschool.  I say "chose" because it's not that easy to get into this school.  And this may surprise some in the Down syndrome community that I've chosen this route...

"What?"
"Don't you want him around typically developing peers?"
"Our kids learn from typical kids not other kids like them."
"You want him fully included later on don't you?"

Well maybe I'm going against the grain here but this is not just any "special" school and while I don't feel like I need to defend my reasonings I will share why I chose this school another day.

For now I'm going to cherish these last few weeks with my most precious baby boy.


I mean I know I'm extremely biased but this kid is seriously like a baby doll.  I just love him to pieces.

Enter lots of tears now.


So September 5th won't be easy for me but I know in my heart this is just the beginning of something huge for Bennett and our family.  I can't wait to see it all unfold.  

Monday, August 20, 2012

You just learned your baby has Down syndrome...

Jennifer Graf Groneberg is the author of the book Road Map to Holland. Her book is widely known in the Down syndrome community as a "go-to book" when a diagnosis of Down syndrome has just been given. I read the book when we first found out about Bennett, over three years ago.

At the time, I took what she wrote to heart, but I confess I never returned to the book once he was born. But when I read Jennifer's crib sheet on understanding a diagnosis of Down syndrome, it made sense that her advice and thoughts were much like mine.

Read and print out our crib sheet on parenting a newborn with Down syndrome now.


I often receive emails from moms whose children have been newly diagnosed with Down syndrome that find our blog. They are reaching out, looking for hope. They want to know if what they are feeling is "normal," if the feelings they are having about their baby with Down syndrome will change. I love receiving emails from these people, because I was just like them at one point. I was the one looking for hope, wanting to know if there was light at the end of the tunnel. I know exactly how they feel, and I'm thrilled to tell them that I think their feelings are totally normal and that it does get better!

Mourn the Child You Don't Have So You Can Celebrate the Child You Do Have

Much like Jennifer suggests, I would tell you that you have to mourn the child you thought you were getting, because in your heart you feel as if you've lost that child. Dreams you may have had may not be possible, and plans you made may not seem like they can ever happen. It can be even harder when the diagnosis comes after the birth instead of during the pregnancy, because you were not prepared for the news.

We found out before Bennett was even born, and I literally felt like the baby we were supposed to have was taken away from me at 17 weeks and someone gave me this new one to love instead. Where on Earth did my other baby go? What happened to my dreams for that baby? I couldn't even give this new baby the same name, because at the time I felt as if he was a different baby. You feel like everything you planned and hoped for just went down the drain. It was devastating at the time.

After I mourned the child I didn't have, I realized that the child I was given was always the child I was meant to have. This child was always meant to have Down syndrome. I believe God did this not to hurt us, even though it can cause a lot of pain, but to truly bless us.


Share the Diagnosis

I also encourage you to open up about your child's diagnosis. As Jennifer points out, you set the tone for how people will approach this diagnosis. Friends and family want to know how to act around you, so tell them! If they see that you are OK with things and encouraged by this little life, they too will feel more comfortable to reach out to you and show love towards your baby. On the other hand, if you let them know that things are still really hard for you, they will know to comfort you. If you are avoiding the topic, others will not know what to do or say.

The Support of Support Groups

Some people can enter into support groups or intervention services right away, but others find diving into these services overwhelming. It totally depends on if the mother is still pregnant or if the baby has already been born. This is why I think it's crucial to go through that first step of grieving if you are still having trouble coming to terms that your child has Down syndrome.

Some Extra Advice

The best advice I can give is that right now, you just need to focus on cuddling, kissing, loving your baby just as you would any other baby. Babies with Down syndrome have the exact same needs as any other babies. Remember, they are babies. They are not five years old or 15 years old or 30 years old. The immediate concern is to take care of their infant needs.  And then when the fog has cleared, you must know that you are going to experience the biggest joy of your life.


What are your thoughts on Jennifer's advice? What would you tell a mom who is just finding out her child has Down syndrome?

This post is part of the Absolute Beginners editorial series, made possible by Pampers and BlogHer. Our advertisers do not produce or approve editorial content.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Bennett Takes a "Dive"...

He's becoming quite the little fish these days....


Yep, right where it says NO DIVING;)