31 for 21, Day 14: Why I'm glad I have a child with Down syndrome! :)

I can't emphasize enough what a joy it is to have Evan in our lives.  I feel like I'm saying the same things over and over again about how awesome and amazing he is, and he truly has been and continues to be a blessing to our family.

I look back at the day he was born....

...that moment my OB came back into the recovery room to tell me the pediatrician's suspicions of Down syndrome.... I. Was. Devastated.  This couldn't be happening to me.... none of my prenatal screenings ever showed any suspicions of that extra chromosome..... I really felt like life was over.  This wasn't part of the plan!

 That first night alone in my hospital room was the most difficult ever.  I only had a quick peek of Evan under his oxygen hood before they wheeled my hospital bed down to my room (they actually wheeled my whole bed into the nursery to see him before taking me down to my room- LOVED the staff!)

That first night was SO full of worry.... what is life going to be like now?  How will the kids react?  How will Mike handle being the father of a child with special needs?  Will we ever be able to leave the house and lead a "normal" life?  How will we tell everyone?

It didn't take long to fall madly in love though.... I think all of 2 seconds really. ;)

As soon as I made it back down to the nursery to hold my precious baby boy, a weight seemed to be slowly lifted off my shoulders.

The more time I spent in the nursery holding him, the more I knew everything would be ok.  I spent as much time as I possibly could down there, aside from moseying back down to my room to pump or catch a few hours of sleep.

my little punkin on Halloween 2009 :)

It couldn't have been part of the plan.... It is so hard for me to type those words now, knowing what it's like "on the other side" and how absolutely wonderful it is to have Evan in our lives... how grateful I am to have the privilege to be his mama... life just doesn't get much better.  This may not be part of what I would have thought was my plan, but it absolutely WAS part of God's plan.  He definitely knew what he was doing when he brought Evan to our family.

How do I know this was all meant to be?  Well of course it's obvious that Evan is just one of the most absolutely amazing little guys in the world EVER!!  But I also know because...

He brought us to *P*.

If you would have told me ten years ago that I would be adopting a child from Eastern Europe who has Down syndrome- I would have thought you were nuts.  Yes, Mike and I have always been open to adoption, especially dealing with infertility trying to conceive our own.... yes, I  have always enjoyed being a part of the special needs community, volunteering for our local Special Olympics during my college years and teaching students of my own with special needs including Down syndrome.... but to go out of our way to seek the adoption of a little girl on the other side of the world who has Down syndrome?? Surely that couldn't be me.... But God knew.

He knew how awesome kids with DS really are.... he knew Evan would be the absolute light of our lives.  He knew that once we found Reece's Rainbow there was no going back.  He knew that once we learned about the fate of so many precious little ones on the other side of the world.... we would HAVE to act.  We would fall in love.  We would be determined to bring her home and love her as if she were our own flesh and blood. God knew.  And I am SO happy to have a child with Down syndrome!!