My baby is here!

I tried to write some things down when we were in the hospital and decided to post them now, in separate posts. Unfortunately there are only a few (I WISH I had done more!); I did have a big list of little details like weight gain and such on my phone, but then it decided to crash a few weeks after we got home, before I transferred that info to my computer :( :( I lost all of that info and quite a few pictures :( I still want to cry about it! Learn from my mistakes, friends! Back ALL your things up.

ANYWAY! Something that you probably didn't know, that is included in this post, is that Trevor's left humerus was fractured during his delivery, so there is a little info about that, too. 

Wednesday March 11, 2015

Yesterday I had a baby. WHAT? hahaha! Trevor’s due date was April 15th. Last night I’m laying in bed, fast asleep, and then I wake up to a flash flood. In my pants. BAH! I knew right then that my water had broken. I woke Braxton up, told him to go upstairs and get my mom and sister (Sydney), then went to the bathroom to try and figure the whole mess out ha! They came down and asked if I’d just peed my pants (I wish), but after seeing the sheets and I think they understood ;) Thank GOODNESS Syd is not only a Labor and Delivery Nurse, but works where I delivered! I needed her cuz I was so shocked that my brain went empty and I had no idea what to do! She called the hospital for me to tell them I was coming in, and we went on our way. 10 minutes later, we were checking in (thank goodness for Alta View Hospital that’s so close to my house)! Syd, came with us cuz I was freaking out. I got into my hospital gown and they started to check everything out. I’d started having contractions and was ready for a long night ahead! Sure enough my water had ruptured, I was at a 2, and… the baby had flipped around and was now breach. Whhaaat? At my appointment a week and half before he was still head down-- little stinker! So they started to talk real fast and Syd said, “You know that this means that you’re having a c-section right?” Since contractions were starting, they couldn't have labor progress when he was turned around, so no vaginal birth for me. Funny side note: a couple months before, I had told Syd that I refused to have a c-section because I was scared of the recovery, and she told me to not say that because if I ended up really having one then I would be totally freaked out! Luckily, I was calm about the whole thing. Phew! Before we went into the OR, Braxton and my doctor, Russ, gave me a blessing. It was perfect :)

Waiting to be examined

We knew it was the start of a long night, so Brax grabbed a snack haha

In the OR, the anesthesiologist started the epidural.. I WAS TERRIFIED! For some reason I was just convinced that it was going to hurt like crazy! But surprise surprise, it wasn’t bad at ALL! I can really psych myself out sometimes haha After the epidural started working, I threw up a few minutes later, which wasn’t so glamorous and then lost all feeling in my lower half. Craziest feeling ever. My doctor and a fellow OB went to work and at 4:53 AM on Tuesday March 10th, my little boy was here! He started crying and I was flooded with relief! That meant that his lungs were at least somewhat ok :) They put him in a blankie, did some stuff and brought in over to me. It was such a special moment that I’m not even going to attempt to describe! In that moment I STILL wasn’t really thinking about the whole Down Syndrome thing.

Chubby cheeks!

I went into the recovery room while Brax accompanied our little boy to the nursery. My blood pressure was really low for awhile so I was back there for a bit, and my sister came in. That was when I finally started thinking about Down Syndrome. We had a really good conversation about it and we both cried and talked about what it could mean for our family. Then Braxton and the pediatrician on call came in. The pediatrician (Dr. Erickson) said that he wasn’t positive if he had it or not, but that there were some classic physical markers that indicated it was likely; the creases in his palms, his floppy tone, and the extra skin on the back of his neck. He also told me that Trevor had a broken arm- because of his low muscle tone, his left arm got all tangled up behind his head somehow and he kinda got stuck during the C-section. They really had to yank his little arm down to get him out and it broke in the process :( BUT, I was surprisingly calm about the whole thing and wasn’t upset about the Down Syndrome or his arm at all. Dr. Erickson also said that for a preemie he was doing good, and that was a relief! 5 lbs, 5 oz, and 18 inches long is a good size for a baby who came 5 weeks early! Today my mom told me that when she was talking to Dr. Erickson, he told her that when you get a call in the middle of the night for a 35 week baby, it’s not a good thing and makes you instantly worried. But he also said that considering how well he’s doing for his age, he’s so happy with his health. I am so grateful that Dr. Erickson is on call right now because he is do great! He explains things to Brax and I really well and just wonderful. Russ (my OB/GYN) said that of all the pediatricians at Altaview, he thinks Dr. Erickson is the most knowledgeable and best ped. Excellent :) 

You can kind of see the break in his arm, poor little man :(

The nurses tried to wrap his arm up a little so he wouldn't move it

 

ANYWAY…. Once my blood pressure went back to a normal range, they wheeled me into the nursery in my hospital bed. Holding my baby for the first time was unforgettable! I couldn’t believe I was a MOM! I still can’t haha! When I saw him I couldn’t tell right off the bat if he had DS because he was still so newborn looking… but I just felt like he did. It’s hard to explain but I could just feel it. Then the more I held him and looked at him, I could see those markers the ped was talking about. My mom and Braxton’s parents came in and we just took it all in. It had been a crazy few hours! After I held him for a little while they took me back to a postpartum room and we all visited there for a little bit. Once everyone left I honestly don’t remember too much of what happened… haha! At some point I went down to the nursery again to be with our baby :) We still didn’t know if he was Derek or Trevor!

tiny little feet!

 

I went back to the nursery later today. He’s not on oxygen, which is amazing for a 35 week baby! He did have an IV, though. Dr. Erickson said that he’d sent the baby’s blood to the lab so they could do a Karyotype test that would tell us if he had DS or not- the results would be back later that week. I fed my baby a bottle and and just snuggled him. Just barely I was back in there and we tried to see what he would do with nursing… not a whole lot happened haha! But it’s been a great day and I love my little guy so much!

 

The little bed in the nursery where he will stay until further notice

Raising awareness

It's been a few days, so time for another post! I've been thinking a little bit about the things I learned being pregnant and these first 7 months into mommy-hood. I'll share them here :)

Every woman will experience pregnancy a little differently than the woman next to her. If we have more than one baby chances are our pregnancies will even be different from the rest! For me, I didn't get sick at ALL my first timester. I was tired a lot, but that was it! My hormones never caused me to be moody or overly emotional, nothing like that. Whenever I told people, those who had experienced morning sickness would look at me like I was an alien and say something like, "What? Are you serious? I was so sick... etc. etc. etc. You have no idea how lucky you are!" People would also comment a lot on how small I was, and again, that i was lucky. But I didn't feel as lucky as they would make me out to be. I didn't gain very much weight my entire pregnancy, and it stressed me out! I was nervous that he wasn't growing enough and wouldn't be healthy. I actually had an appointment with my doctor scheduled for a few days after Trev was born to make sure he was ok because i wasn't gaining the whole time. But when Trevor was born, even at 5 weeks early, 5 lbs 5 oz was a good weight for him. Thank GOODNESS! 

It was also hard to hear people people tell me how jealous they were they didn't have easy pregnancies like me because seriously I was really hard emotionally! Especially right after we found out Trev might have Down Syndrome, I was an emotional wreck. Once we went to the temple it got better and subsided quite a bit. But there were still days when the fear of the unknown would creep up for a few minutes. Those last months were an emotional roller coaster, but nobody but our immediate family knew.

Now that Trevor is here, those fears have of course gone away. He does have DS and while there are still unknowns about his future, we try to just take it a day at a time because you never know what the future will be like! You never know what he will or won't struggle with, so there's no point in worrying about it until you have to!

Thankfully, only one person has said "I'm sorry" when they've heard Trevor had Down Syndrome, and it was in an email. But it still stung. I wasn't sorry at all! We were (and are) happier than ever! I can't speak for EVERY parent of a child with DS, but chances are they don't want to hear "sorry." If they're like me, they're not sorry they have a little one with an extra chromosome because they are thrilled to have the baby they've been waiting for, not matter the circumstance he/she came in! And even if they're not like me, and are still having a hard time coping with the diagnosis, I'm sure they're feeling enough sadness and even a little sorry for themselves- which is OK! 

Only a few people have told me that Trevor "doesn't even look like he has Down Syndrome!" And honestly I know people are well-meaning, but I hate that comment. I'm pretty sure I know that you think it's some sort of compliment, but really, it's not! People and children all look different! Sure there are some defining physical characteristics and features that come with DS, but it can still vary a bit. Whether or not these physical features are super noticeable to you, Trevor still has DS and it's part of who he is. And I love him the way he is! He's got the sweetest smile, cutest laugh, chubbiest cheeks and legs, and my brown eyes, which are almond-shaped to begin with :)

One last thing... Trevor is not a retard, he's not a "Downs" or "Downs baby," and shouldn't be compared to "normal" children. I don't get really upset when I hear any of those things because I'll be honest- I used to say them, too! So I totally get that unless you're given a big reason to not say things like that, you probably don't realize you do. I promise, I understand haha :) BUT, I've been given little Trevor, and along with it, a realization of how hurtful those terms can be. So I hope you don't get super upset, either, if I hear you say something like those things above, and I see an opportunity to raise awareness for people with disabilities by helping you come up with another way to say what you want. I try to replace the word "normal" with "typical". I NEVER use the word retard anymore, and I don't think it needs a substitute word- it's just unkind. Would you call a child with Cancer a "Cancer kid"? I sure hope not! Cancer doesn't define them, just as DS doesn't define Trevor. Cancer and Down Syndrome can be a big part of someone as they've learned from the struggles that come with them, but it's not who they are. Wen I need to, I refer to Trevor as a baby/child WITH Down Syndrome, and I hope you'll do the same :) 

Sorry for the long post! Just trying to help people see that you don't always know what people are going through, not just in a pregnancy, but at any point in life. There are also kinder ways to say things and refer to people who may be a little different than you. This is a little bit of an email that I received from my oldest brother after emailing him to let him know that Trevor was born early and had Down Syndrome; I love it :)

"I'm sure he'll be a terrific addition to the family.  You and Braxton will be amazing parents, I am certain.  I suspect this fella will provide you, family, and friends with particular delights.    

We all obsess too much about being "normal."  Special is where it's at.  Special is special.  

I'm elated for you." 

Special Lessons

We just finished another amazing General Conference Weekend! Unfortunately I've been feeling pretty terrible the past few days with a nasty cold so I was sleepy for both the morning sessions, but that just means I'll get to watch them in the next couple days :) But there were still so many wonderful messages that I caught. This conference was also pretty special because 3 new apostles were called; Elders Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund. I am pretty familiar with Elder Rasband as he has spoken at BYU before, but it's been fun to get to know a little bit more about them. It's really incredible to see how there is a perfect order to everything in God's Church, and He knows exactly who we need at specific times to lead and guide us through these difficult days.

It is currently almost 2 am. Why am I up? A couple reasons haha First, Mr. T woke up around 12:30. So I had to feed him- but keep in mind this is only the 3rd time in his whole 6-mo-old life that's he's woken us up! What a champ. While I was feeding him I scrolled through FB and saw a friend had shared a talk of Elder Rasband's from the Spring 2012 General Conference Session; it's called Special Lessons. This friend has 2 girls with Down Syndrome, so I knew this talk must be good haha :) Trevor had fallen back asleep before I even finished watching the talk, but I just couldn't get it off my mind! So here I am :) You can watch the 9 minute talk or read it, too, here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/special-lessons?lang=eng

This talk is honestly AMAZING and it got me wondering what I though about it when I saw it. Then I realized that this was the last Conference session I watched before I went home from the mission, which would mean I should have notes on it! Score. I went and found my mission study journal and sure enough there it was. After writing down a line from Elder Rasband's talk that said, "Trusting in God's plan is central to our mortality," I had written underneath it, "Oh man, again, thank goodness I have learned how to do this so much better on my mission! I am so much more prepared for the rest of my life, whatever may come."

Ooook. Little did I know what really would come in just a few years! I had no idea that I'd be living life happy as can be, married to one of my Zone Leaders from the mission (yeah... hahaha!) and about to finish my bachelor's degree when all of the sudden I would find out that my unborn baby would have Down Syndrome. If I would have read those notes back in December last year when we got the news, would I really have believed myself? That I was prepared for 'whatever may come?' One thing is for sure- my mission truly did strengthen my testimony of trusting in God's plan (but I also know that I've forgotten the little experiences that taught me that. So, GOAL: go back and read my mission journals so I can remember and learn all over again!).  One of my favorite parts of this talk is a quote from Elder James E. Faust. It says,

"I have a great appreciation for those loving parents who stoically bear and overcome their anguish and heartbreak for a child who was born with or who has developed a serious mental or physical infirmity. This anguish often continues every day, without relief, during the lifetime of the parent or the child. Not infrequently, parents are required to give superhuman nurturing care that never ceases, day or night. Many a mother’s arms and heart have ached years on end, giving comfort and relieving the suffering of her special child.”

I surely felt anguish and heartbreak that night in December after finding out. I felt it several more times thinking about the kind of life my baby would have- would he be able to make friends? Would he be happy? I wondered why God thought I could handle this and what I would do to overcome all the hurdles that lay ahead. Worry set in about what it would mean for our family and his future siblings. But I read this quote now and realize for the rest of my life that, yes, I will most likely grieve over and the trials he'll go through, whether they be physical, mental, or emotional. I will definitely have to stretch myself to accomplish things that seem impossible (like potty training a 6 yr old hahaha! But seriously...). Honestly tho, this is just parenting! All parents worry about their children and grieve over challenges they face and I'll go through that with ALL of my kids; but I'll experience it a little differently with Trevor. 

But I think of how much help and support I'll have and it makes it  seem a little less daunting :) I have Braxton, who will be right there with me as we solve these problems together. I have my amazingly supportive mom, bother, sister and her family, all my in-laws that do so much for us, and wonderful friends who are always there with hugs and smiles! And I have a cheering section on the other side :) I have my dad! Who I'm sure is with his dad, my Grandpa Mark. Elder Faust and my Grandpa Mark were actually good friends, and it's kind of neat to think that maybe he's rooting for me too. There's Trevor Strong and Derek Walker, plus Mr. T's future siblings! But most importantly, I've got Heavenly Father and my Savior. With them, we'll not only get through just fine, but come out a little  stronger in the end. 

I've already learned so much these past 6 months since becoming a mom, and even more so being Trevor's mom. His extra chromosome honestly has brought so much extra happiness into our lives! He may have some physical and mental delays, but to me he is perfect. I can't imagine him being any other way! 

Near the end of his talk, Elder Rasband mentioned how the scripture that states "The worth of souls is great in the sight of God," took on a new meaning with the birth of his grandson. I know that Heavenly Father loves all of his children unconditionally, but I secretly think he hold a special place in his heart for those like Trevor, who He sends to earth under special circumstances ;) 

Gosh I am beyond grateful for the leadership that Christ set up for His church! We are so blessed to have His servants here to guide us, and remind us, as Elder Rasband has reminded me, of all we are capable of with the Lord's help. 

Follow-ups and Fetal Echocardiogram

I continued to see my own doctor on a regular basis, but also went to the MFM office to see a Specialist every 3 weeks. They wanted to make sure everything was still ok and that he was growing normally.

One perk of having to see a specialist all the time is that I always got to see and hear my little man. Normally you don't get that and don't get many pictures, but I got them every 3 weeks :) This was the last time I went the the MFM office before Trevor was born. Now that I see these pic I can totally 100% see my little Trevor! He still makes those faces and loves that tongue (Many children with Down Syndrome have issue with tongue thrust because their muscle tone is much lower than that of a typical child) haha!

Every time we had an appointment things looked good. After a couple of visits and them STILL not being able to get a good view of his heart (he always was in impossible positions when they were trying to look at him!), they decided to send me to get a Fetal Echocardiogram.

I went up to the Primary Children's Hospital Out-Patient clinic a few weeks later to get the echo done. All they did was another ultrasound, but it took forever! That poor girl doing to the ultrasound had to work SO hard to get Trevor to cooperate! He just never wanted to let anyone look at what we needed to see! After over an hour of her tying, she finally gave in because she had most of teh views she needed except for a good view of his aortic arch. The most commonly associated congenital heart defects in Down syndrome are atrioventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, interrupted aortic arch, ventricular septal defect, and truncus arteriosus. But Trevor was just not going to cooperate so we had to stop. The Cardiologist came in and talked to me for about 30 seconds haha! He asked why I has come in (uh... shouldn't you have that info? haha) and I explained that there was possibility of my baby having Down Syndrome and no one ever got a good view of his heart. He then said that everything looked totally normal! All 4 chambers were there with all the arteries and everything. Although the aortic arch view wasn't perfect, he said he still felt great and that the babe had great heart health :) Woohoo!! We never had to have another one and Trevor came not too long after that!

A 4% Chance

So on December 1st we went to the Maternal Fetal Medicine office to visit with a Specialist. We had NO idea what to expect but I think we were both pretty calm! An ultrasound tech came in and tried to make us feel comfortable and looked around at our baby for quite awhile with the ultrasound equipment. Braxton was able to see and understand what was on the screen because of all the anatomy classes he's taken for his major; so he saw that the lateral ventricles were measuring in the normal range this time- yay! I figured it was smooth sailing from there and waited for the doctor after the ultrasound tech was done.

This next long part is what I posted in a group for Hydrocephalus on babycenter.com when I got home from the appointment- It pretty much explains everything that happened (I've shortened it cuz the original post was sooo long)...

"Hi y'all, I'm new to this group. Just joined a group for nuchal translusency last night but think this will be a good resource for me, too. Here comes a LONG post, and I'm sorry! I'm just feeling a little desperate right now!

Yesterday I went to a specialist about the mild ventriculomegaly. I was elated to find out that his lateral ventircle measurements had gone down a bit to less than 9.5mm. But then the doc pointed out that the Nuchal Fold on his neck looked big... even though it was measuring normal. She then proceeded to tell me that even though the ventricles and Nuchal Translucency measurements are both normal, because they were discovered so close together, that there's a 4% chance he'll have Down Syndrome. .......  uh.... what? She told me about testing (Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling), and said we could do it right then- I said NO! She said she assumed we would not terminate, which of course is true. She said she was also concerned about the possibility od Down Syndrome since she didn't know what his heart was like (the sonographer couldn't get any good views because the little guy had his arm across his chest half the time and wouldn't turn around); 50% of babies with DS are born with heart problems that need surgery anywhere from birth to 1 year with more after that, so if she could see his heart was good it would be less of a worry. Then she asked my husband and I what questions we had and just stared at us. I couldn't even speak! I had no idea what questions I SHOULD be asking. All I knew is it felt like she'd just given my baby the kiss of death. I told her I couldn't think of anything, and she apologized that everything was just "so subjective" right now. We made a follow-up apt. for 3 weeks from now and left because we needed time to think and talk about testing and just process everything we'd heard.

Upon getting home, crying all night, and researching, I'm hoping there is nothing wrong. The fact that I'm only 25, don't even have an exact measurement for his Nuchal fold at this point because it was normal, and that his lateral ventricles are now better, gives me hope. My OB found nothing wrong with his heart last week so I'm hoping that it's still good a week later. Am I giving myself false hope? I don't even know if I should be more worried about his vents or the Down Syndrome now... maybe both?

I feel so frustrated that she would tell me I should test for Chromosomal diseases when things are still normal! Of course I'm still worried he's not ok, and obviously we'll love him no matter what... but I'm so confused with the negative information she gave me- not one bit of optimism. Any ideas on why she's so freaked out about the two issues? Thinking he could by hydrocephalic is enough, then she just added Downs right on top of that. Any advice would be most welcome! " 

Oh man, it was all rough. It was so much information all at once, a lot of which I didn't understand. Now that I've been through it all, I can explain that if the Nuchal Translucency (or thickness) measurement is bigger than it should be, it's a marker for Down Syndrome, as well as the Ventriculomegaly. There are other markers such as heart defects, no nasal bone (a physical characteristic of Down Syndrome is a flat nasal bridge), short limbs (femur and humerus bones are not as long as they should be), etc. It was all so much to take in.

Braxton and I didn't cry in the doctor's office, but when we each got in our cars and drove home, the water works began and didn't stop for days. We told my family that night when we got home and went and told Braxton's parents' right after. Their reactions were all so different! My mom's response, was classic Cheryl Boyle :) She said it would all be ok, we're supposed to learn from this, Heavenly Fathe ahs a plan, etc. Braxton's parents said they were SURE it wasn't Down Syndrome and that he would be totally fine, it would all go smoothly, etc. I think we needed both those different reactions :) 

I talked to my OB/GYN soon after. He is just the best :) He said he did't feel like I needed testing unless I wanted peace of mind, but that he felt peaceful about it all. Braxton and I went to the temple shortly after to find some comfort and pray about whether or not we should do any definitive testing. Testing was scary for me because the two most common are pretty invasive. There's also a pretty new blood test that is simple-you just draw mom's blood and they can see from the baby's blood that's present if there a high or low chance of DS- but expensive. The other two tests are invasive, and I was really worried that either of those would harm the baby, although it is rare. But that temple trip was the best temple experience we have ever had! I remember looking at Braxton as we sat in the Celestial room, telling him that I felt peace. I felt like everything would be ok and that I didn't want testing. Brax completely agreed. We walked out feeling good about everything :) 

The Anatomy Scan

Trevor was born 5 weeks early on March 10, 2015. When we shared the news on social media that he  had Down Syndrome, we didn't say much more about it. I'm sure some people were wondering if we had already known. The answer is yes and no! Here's a little bit about what happened before he was born.

On August 9, 2014 I took a home pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant. I was SO excited! On Pinterest I had been pinning away for cute reveal ideas I could use when I wanted to tell Braxton. Wellll..... all that flew out the window! He was working from home on the computer at that time and soon as he was off, I called his name from the bedroom and when he came in I help up the test and just smiled and laughed. Needless to say he was so happy, too :) The rest of that day was perfect as we spent it celebrating the marriage of one of Brax's really good friends (Love you, Kegan!). It was so special to be in a sealing room of the Salt Lake Temple for these friends just hours after we'd found out.

I went to doctor in September when I was around 10 weeks along. Side note: My OB/GYN is a good family friend- you may think this is strange, but I promise it isn't! And with how everything ended up turning out, it's been the biggest blessing :) ANYWAY... that first appointment we heard our tiny baby's heartbeat and saw his little body. It was just magical and everything was great!

I went back for a check up at 14 weeks and my doctor sneaked us in to one of the ultrasound rooms and had a nurse figure out the gender! As soon as we hear it was a boy we just cried and couldn't wait to meet our little Derek or Trevor! We announced the pregnancy AND gender on social media around Halloween last year. I was so proud of our costumes ;)

A few weeks later it was time for the 20 week anatomy scan. I was pretty nervous for this one because I knew it's when they check thoroughly to make sure all was well. The ultrasound tech mentioned little things here and there about his limbs, heart, and briefly mentioned that something about some part of his neck was normal so that really ruled out any big chances of Down Syndrome. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. My doctor said he'd look over the results and only call if he needed to talk about something. I pretty much skipped home haha :) Everything was fine as far as I knew!

My doctor called me a couple of days later- I think it was around November 18th. I was at work and didn't see he had called until I was off a few hours later. His message was something NO pregnant woman wants to hear. He said that he saw something minor with the baby's scans, and that while he really didn't want me to stress about, he also felt it needed a little extra attention. I panicked and left him a message and waited for him to call back. WORST 2 or 3 hours of my life! When he called back he explained that my baby boy's lateral ventricles in his brain were slightly enlarged. Hmmm... what? Help me please haha! So the ventricles are filled with cerebrospinal fluid, which provides cushioning for the brain while helping to circulate nutrients and remove waste. My doctor said that a normal measurement for these ventricles is up to 10mm, and Trevor's were measuring at 11mm., and anything from 11-15mm is considered mild ventriculomegaly. Anything above that is bad. He said that worst case scenario, my baby would need a shunt sometime after birth to drain the fluid. He also stressed over and over it wasn't anything to lose sleep over and that it usually resolves itself. But to be safe, he had me make an appointment to see a specialist at the Maternal Fetal Medicine office at IMC in Murray.

That night was terrible and I cried a lot. Braxton was worried too but tried to be brave for me (what a good guy!). That's when all the stress started and I honestly didn't know if it would go away for the rest of my pregnancy or not. Little did I know that it would get worse, MUCH worse, but eventually subside... I made the MFM appointment ASAP, for the week after Thanksgiving. For days thoughts of my little man possibly being diagnosed with thinks like Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida at any time during my pregnancy ran rampant through my mind.

I posed my first "bumpie" to facebook that week. "Almost 21 weeks and finally looks like there's a baby inside!" It was fun to post it, but no one knew what was going on inside/emotionally that week (the perfect example of how social media can hide real life and it's raw experiences and emotions to make everything seem perfect). I tried to stay Thankful for my little guy and remember how blessed we were to have him, but it was an awful and long 2 weeks. But I finally made it, and we went in to the Women's Center at IMC to Suite 100 on Tuesday December 1, 2014 to find out more.

Down Syndrome Awareness Month!

I've been meaning to start this blog for a long time- ever since Trevor was born. But life as a new mom is kinda crazy and so it's been put off for awhile! As October is Down Syndrome Awareness month, I thought this was the perfect time to finally get to it.

I intend to go back and post the few notes I made the days after Trevor was born (I wish I had done more! booo.) and talk about how everything has been with his Down Syndrome diagnosis. Hopefully I'll also post about every day life for our little familia, too! But..... let's be honest, I've become a terrible "journaler" so I'm not sure how this will go. BUT, we'll hope for the best! 

For the first small entry, here are a few pictures from the family photo session we had last week :) Robyn Lund took them, and she was so fun (look her fb page: FotoFriendzy)! I was so happy to get our first family pictures. They are in the process of being edited but I love them! Trevor turned 6 months old on September 10th and we had these done just a few days later, so it will be fun to have these to always look back on when he was at this age. Love this little man and cute Braxton, too :)