Numero 22... Another Lazy

Yes... I am going to be lazy today. We have been cleaning our house ALLLLLL day long!!! So, I am tired.

To continue with our Down Syndrome Awareness month... enjoy this glimpse into our lives through our personal pictures :) And notice how normal a family with a Down's child really is...

Daddy put his hat on her head... and she had spaghetti face... could it being any cuter???

 Yep... Klo Bow grabs big sister's hair. hehe

 goofy picture of me... but it so represents our silliness. Love it.

 It was a bit cold. We were waiting in line for the pony ride. Klo was really sleepy.

 On the trick or treat Hay Ride! Every time we passed a person in costume (the ones with the candy) we had to yell "hee haw" for them to throw candy at us. good times.

 Is watermelon not the best thing EVER?!!!

 Oh, this one is just so tender.

#2-3 Learning

Look at my big girl sitting up so pretty!!!!

23 more Down Syndrome Awareness Days left folks :)

I realized something last night while we were at the United Angels Foundation's HeeHaw Farms event... I have grown sooo much this past 14 months! Kloey has brought so many wonderful lessons into our lives without us even knowing it.

People with "disabilities" are just like you and me. You don't need to act/think/talk differently around them. Just be you.

Love is so much easier than anything else in this world.

Acceptance is easy too. It's easy, it's right, and it's natural.

I love children... ALL children. I really do. I didn't know that before Klo was born. May be weird... but it's true.

Patience is divine. The world is too rushed. Let's just slow down and take in the little moments.

Family is the most important thing in the whole wide world.

My Kourtney is a FABULOUS big sister.

I want the same things for Kloey that I've always wanted for Kourtney.

My daughters are a lot the same. They are more alike than they are different.

Jordan and I are pretty tough... and pretty in love.

I can't believe I ever feared my Klo Bow...Oh, how that baby brightens my everyday!

I'm sure I could go on... but I'm hungry. So, I need to go make dinner. Until tomorrow :)

First pony ride... It was the best picture I could get :)  Big sister held Kloey on the entire time.

24 more... Mother's thoughts

Continuing with our Down Syndrome awareness month. Let me just say, I feel wonderful that they have an entire month dedicated to this. I love my Kloey Alice. I love her sooo much that it's overwhelming. But before I had a child with down syndrome, I worked with people with disabilities. One summer I worked as a camp counselor at a camp for people with disabilities. It was one of the best summers of my life! All people are special. All people deserve happiness. All people deserve to be loved.

So, today I wanted to tap in on some reality. I want to share some real feelings of mine. While the feelings of fear and the feelings of unknown have largely gone away, there are still concerns and worries that I have. Please do not judge me for these. I am just being very real.

The other day a random, fleeting thought crossed my mind. "What if Kloey had been "typical" just like Kourtney??? How would my life be different???

What will happen when someone calls Kloey a retard? I know that will happen. How will Kourtney react? How will I react? How will Jordan react? How will Klo Bow react?

What if her teachers don't expect anything from her?

Will she receive the best education possible?

Children at school flock around Kourtney so much that she gets overwhelmed by her own popularity (really, I've seen this) will it be the same for Kloey?

Will children shun and reject her because she looks a little bit different?

Why do people stare? I wish they would stop staring.

Stop saying you're sorry to hear that Kloey has Down Syndrome.

Stop saying "poor baby" when we tell you she has Down Syndrome.

We've been working for so long on this one milestone... why isn't she getting it? what am I doing wrong? Why isn't she progressing?

When will Kourtney notice that Kloey is "different"?

When will Kloey know that she is "different"?

These are some thoughts that occasionally enter my mind. Honestly, they don't invade my thoughts very often. But, I really just felt that I wanted to share with you that yes, sometimes I am weak. But it never lasts long. Sometimes I cry. Not because I am sad for myself... but because of what she MAY have to face in her life. Please do not be cruel to someone that is different than you are. Because in all actuality, everyone is different from you. It's just that when it comes to Down Syndrome the difference is in their appearance. It's obvious that they are different. Like I said, everyone is different. Give them a chance. Don't be cruel. They are people, just like you. Maybe someday you'll have a child, or a niece, or a nephew, or even a grandchild that has Down Syndrome... and then you would really regret having ever made fun of or been cruel to another human being. Just don't do it. Spread love and understanding. Not confusion and fear of the "unknown".

I desperately hope that this blog is reaching someone. I hope that this is helping someone... anyone. Anyway, back tomorrow. Much love!

25! ... 8%

October=Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Down Syndrome=a genetic disorder, associated with the presence of an extra chromosome 21, characterized by mild to severe mental impairment, weak muscle tone, shorter stature, and a flattened facial profile.

About  1 in every 660 babies is born with Down Syndrome.

92% of babies with down syndrome are aborted.

8% are given the chance to live, laugh, grow and be loved.

I don't know the percentage but I do know that some babies that are born with Down Syndrome are abandoned by their parents and left at the hospital.

Look at this baby:
Does this look like a face that needs to be aborted? No, no it does not.

What are the reasons behind abortion of a baby with Down Syndrome?
I think the following might be true:

FEAR. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the "abnormal". Fear of status and symbols.

This baby will not accomplish anything and will have a hard life.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't raise a child with a disability.

DS babies have all sorts of medical problems.

This child will always rely on me for everything.

This child will be miserable and made fun of.


These are a few reasons why some people choose to abort. NONE of them are accurate! NOT ONE! Kloey is a gigantic blessing in our lives. She laughs. She loves. She plays. She learns. She eats on her own. She plays on her own. She moves around on her own. 

Honestly, she's MUCH easier than my first baby was. She started sleeping through the night at 5 or 6 weeks of age. She is so calm and patient. She never really fusses. She is a jabber jaw though. She loves talking. She doesn't actually speak yet but she sure tries.

My point is... My child may be progressing at a slower rate than others but that's okay. Yes, there may be medical problems with a DS baby. But there could be medical problems with ANY baby... not just Down Syndrome. And if you think people with Down Syndrome are miserable and made fun of constantly and worth nothing... then you have obviously never been around anyone who has Down Syndrome. Don't abort babies with Down Syndrome. You're throwing away your greatest opportunity for learning and love... and a baby that totally ROCKS!!!

FYI: when I need a "break" from the craziness of life... I pick up my baby and hold her tight. She helps me to be calm and then I breathe in the love that she radiates and gain the strength that I need to keep going. Seriously. I do that. And I love when I give her kisses and she giggles at me.

TwENtY-6???

Hey! Are you sick of me yet?!! Welp.... I'm still here. Everyday... allll month long!

So, today I wanted to address a common question among parents (or others in general)... how will my baby be different?  I think the better question is... how will my baby be the same???

Refer to below picture collage. I made this when Klo Bow was around 4 or 5 months old, I believe. So, tell me, is it easier to say how she is "different" than other babies... or how she is the "same" as others??? She doesn't look too different to me.
We have a curious face. A "get that camera out of my face" face. A super smiley face. And a "yeah, I know I'm gorgeous" face. Yep. She sure reminds me of my first daughter.

 And that's just it. Babies with Down Syndrome are not going to be like all other babies with Down Syndrome. That's not how it works. Down Syndrome does not define who Kloey is. Her family and her unique personality make up who she is. Sure, I do believe that a lot of the Down Syndrome community shares common traits. But really, a child with Down Syndrome is going to be who they are, who they are taught to be. They are going to look more like their family than other children with Down Syndrome. They are going to act more like their family as well. It's the facts of DNA. After all, it's just an extra chromosome folks.

Your baby can do SO MUCH!!! Don't let anyone EVER tell you differently. Will it take them longer? It may. It may not. Just like any child, a child with DS goes at their own pace. They are their own person. Kloey just started to sit up on her own. We are SO proud of her. Other babies with DS start sitting much sooner than that. And still others take even longer. It just depends. Just like any other child. My child will crawl. She will walk. She will be potty trained. She will speak. She will read. She will learn. She will have a LIFE! Down Syndrome is forever a part of who she is BUT it does not define her. She is Kloey Alice Hansen. And she is uniquely her.

2-SevEn

Twenty seven more days of Down Syndrome Awareness month....
Today I am sharing some random pictures of our beautiful family. I am lazy and do not feel like writing but pictures can sometimes say so much more. :)

 3D ultrasound.

 Don't let the picture fool you. I could barely hear that cry.

 Big sister is always loving and adoring. (unless Kloey has taken one of her toys)

 Klo Bow and cousin Ethan... 2 months apart

 Like I said, loving and adoring
 Learning how to sit in the bumbo! :)

 Kloey Alice and her Nana. Nana calls her "princess".

 Kloey Bow and her Grandma. Grandma calls her any name that has to do with angel and sweetness :)

Aunt Rachael and Klo. 

So it continues... 2wenty 8ight more

 Klo Bow and her daddy: 1 year old

She adores this man.

So, we are on day number 4 of our Down Syndrome Awareness month. I guess I want to focus on the relationship that my husband has with Kloey. If you can't tell, these two have a fantastic bond. Now, I've already shared my story of pregnancy and arrival. Let me share what I believe is a pretty accurate telling of his story.

When I started having feelings that Kloey would have Down Syndrome I spoke to Jordan about it. He was always very calm and collected and not worried. That kind of made me mad. Wasn't he supposed to be "freaked out" like I was? But he wasn't. Everyday I would say again, "what if..." and everyday he would reply with, "She's our baby. Would Down Syndrome change the way that we feel about our baby?" And then I would say, "I don't know. I just don't know". To which Jordan always replied, "I know you. I know what kind of mother you are. You would NEVER let anything change the way that you feel about your child".  Is this man a rock or what??? Although I do believe that he had some anxiety about it. I did catch him reading up on Down Syndrome while I was pregnant. He asked me a lot of questions about the people that I used to work with. What they were like, etc. I have always been around people with disabilities. Jordan did not grow up around them but has always had a love for them.

So, fast forward to when Kloey Alice Hansen was born. I knew immediately that she had down's but I was in denial as the test results wouldn't come back for a few days. Jordan knew and he tried to prepare me for the test results in the most tender way that he could. When I would start explaining why I thought that she didn't he would listen patiently while averting his eyes. Then he would say, "Stephanie, I think we need to be prepared. I think she may have it". He was in love with our baby instantly. While I was waiting for the storm cloud to move from above my head, he was holding everyone up.

It only took one day for me to realize that I was so madly in love with my baby, not even a full day. She wasn't in the room with us. I didn't get to start bonding with her right away. Jordan would watch us, me and Kloey, and I knew that he was happy. But, he was worried. It was just as hard for him as it was for me to see our baby going through so much. He hated seeing her in that incubator. He hated seeing her with an oxygen tube. He hated them poking her sooo many times everyday. He hated seeing her hooked up to so many wires. He just wanted to take her home. He wanted to protect her. He wanted her to know that Daddy was there, and everything was going to be okay.

Jordan answered the phone when the doctor called with the test results. No matter how prepared he thought he was I know the news came as a shock. I know because I watched his face fall when the doctor said it. I couldn't hear the doctor but I watched Jordan's face and I knew. And in that moment, his love for our baby grew so much more. His love for me grew so much more. His love for our family grew so much more.

When we got home everything took quite a bit of getting used to. Once I knew that Kloey definitely has Down Syndrome, a lot of the storm cloud passed away from me. But, Jordan started struggling when we got home. I don't think that he struggled with the diagnosis. I think that he had postpartum depression. He would sleep for long periods of time. He would sit on the couch and stare off into space. He wouldn't want to eat. He didn't want to talk. And he never wanted to hold the baby. I have never seen my husband do ANY of those things. I recognized what it was right away and I encouraged him to start talking to me. Eventually, he opened up and started releasing his feelings out into the open. It took a couple of weeks, but my husband did  come back to me, so to speak.

Like I said before, Kloey loves her daddy. And her daddy adores and loves her! He shares in her triumphs and laughs at her silliness. He loves to watch her sleep and tries to help her in every way that he can. My daughters are so very blessed to have this man as their father. Such a hands on dad is not extremely common. His family is his life. Like he said, "Down Syndrome will not change the way we feel about our daughter". I love him.