Our story is probably quite different than most. We did not find out that Allie had Down Syndrome until she was 18 months old.

Of our 3 children Allie is the only one that I was not considered “advanced maternal age”. We chose not to have any testing done for several reasons. First- we would not have considered termination if we found out there were any issues. Second- I had heard of too many people who had false positives and spent their pregnancy worrying. I wanted to enjoy every minute of being pregnant.  And third- I really never thought it would happen.

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Teya’s first months I remember only in fragments.  Often not chronologically, but heartfelt.

 

My husband’s voice interrupts my anxiety as I lay on the operating table; I cannot feel anything, although I am aware of the surgeon tending to my wound.

 

Our second tiny miracle is introduced to our world for the first time.  “She has my grandma’s almond eyes.”  I hear the smile in her daddy’s voice, despite the stress of her arrival five weeks before our scheduled c-section.

 

This moment is interrupted by the doctor, who is suddenly and uncomfortably leaning over the table.  He looks at me awkwardly; quite emotionlessly, he says, “There is never an easy time to say this, so you might as well know now; your baby has signs of having Down syndrome.”

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Caleb was a surprise all the way around.  Going back late summer 2006, when I hadn’t been feeling quite right.  “I think I’ll buy a pregnancy test”, I said to David, my husband.  He outright laughed.  We had been told by my OB that I was really not able to get pregnant.   Our daughter was 17 years old, and looking at graduating soon and going off to college.

The next day, I sat in the bathroom, stunned.

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