This is my Masterpiece

This is my Masterpiece

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Together We Can


When I was pregnant with Gavin I kept his diagnosis to myself. I didn't know how to share the information, I didn't know how to handle people's emotional responses... I didn't know my own emotions from minute to minute. I'll be honest, I struggled with my emotions. I needed to know I was having a baby, this baby with Down syndrome because I was prepared to be the best parent for this child... not because I felt it was my last chance to have a baby.

I remember my son asking me if the baby was going to have a cleft lip (because he and his twin have this) and I said to him, "I don't think so, but would that be okay?" He looked at me with the courage and wisdom of an eight year old and said, "Oh yeah, we can help him, that'll be no problem."

I cried in that moment. They were tears of pride and hope... and a little bit of relief because I knew that I wasn't just giving Gavin a mom; I was giving him two amazing brothers and an attitude of... together we can.

2 comments:

Kimberly said...

Thank you for sharing this story. Right after my oldest (with DS) was born I had such a hard time telling people about his diagnosis. I couldn't even tell my parents, my husband had to. Like you said there are just so many emotions but eventually I began to realize that he was just a baby that needed to be taken care of and loved.

SuzeBeeBlog said...

Your children are so beautiful and how blessed you are to have two with DS. I knew when I had Gavin that I would want more just like him (he is however the last biological). When I get the opportunity to speak I like to say if there was 100 babies I could choose from but just one with DS, I would RUN (not walk) to that baby with DS. It is something you can't really explain to someone who doesn't walk a similar path. When I brought him home from the hospital my neighbors talked in hushed tones but stayed away, so I delivered a letter to every door announcing our wondrous news... oh if I didn't have several humble apologies show up on my door step. Thank you for visiting and stop by again soon!