October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

This is my Down Syndrome Poster Child. My baby, Michael Cody.

We found out that Cody had Down Syndrome when I was 5 months pregnant. Our AFP test showed a 2% chance for Down Syndrome. I opted to have the amniocentisis just to find out. We had no plans to terminate the pregnancy if the test was positive nor did we even think that the test would be positive. More than anything I took the test for piece of mind that he did not have DS.

2 days after Christmas in 2002, we received a call from my Doctor. I had already forgotten that we took the test so the result from the test was the last thing on my mind.

I cannot begin to tell you how much emotion I felt as soon I heard the words "down syndrome" and "trisomy 21" come from my Doctor's mouth. I was only 33 years old, not quite at the "35 yr old double your chances of down syndrome age" so I didn't understand how this could have happened.

The first thing I did was cry. I didn't know exactly why at the time, but I cried.

Later in the pregnancy, I realized that what I kept crying for was the mourning for my "normal" child. I also realized through online research that this was normal for parents with Down Syndrome children.

Now, 29 months later, I wouldn't change my chubby ball of love for any "normal" child. (I have one of those already and there is absolutely nothing normal with 2, 3 and 4 year old tantrums! LOL Thank goodness 5 is, so far, a much easier age.)

He is intelligent, eager to learn, loving, affectionate, funny, entertaining, beautiful, and I am absolutely in love with him!!!

To learn more about Down Syndrome, visit their website.