Happy Birthday Preston - Our Gift

Today my sweet Preston turns ONE!  It takes me back to a year ago.  My husband and I made the 2 hour drive to Buffalo, NY to have our boy.  We were told we had a 90% chance of him having Down Syndrome and knew that he would have an immediate need for surgery in his first 24 hours of life. 

 We were prepared, yet unprepared.  How does one prepare themselves for having your infant child swept away from you and then sending them off to a 3 hour long surgery exactly?  How does one deal with the possibility that the child you were carrying would not have the life you had been planning for him all along?  I am ashamed to say I wished it away.  I prayed to God to give me a healthy baby boy.  A boy who was “normal”.  I was afraid of what exactly Down Syndrome meant for him.  I was afraid of the extra work it would entail; I feared the hurdles we would face.   

Looking back just one year later I am ashamed of how that woman acted.  Why would she fear Down Syndrome?  He is perfect, he is normal, he is the child God meant for me to have and he is wonderful and amazing!  I would not change him.  He may require more doctors’ visits, more work, more love, more attention, but the gift he gives is so much greater than that.  He gives us love, appreciation for the small triumphs in life; he makes us happy, we are better off for having him in our lives.  Everyone he meets leaves with a smile on their face.  Even on his worst day, he shows us how strong and wonderful he is. 

God somehow looked down on us, who are so undeserving, and blessed our family with Preston.  Our fear has been replaced with such joy and love.  Our sorrow over the loss of the child we thought we were going to have has vanished.  We have an even greater gift.  We have a boy who is going to love us unconditionally.  We have a boy who is going to show us what life is really all about.  We are going to learn to live for today.  We will relish in the small victories and cherish every second of this amazing life!  

 He is going through life at his own pace.  He will sit up when he is good and ready to, he will crawl when he feels like it, he will take his first steps when we least expect it.  We will clap, we will rejoice and smother him with kisses!  He will be the best little brother, the sweetest most precious son, a cousin who you can always turn to, a nephew who will fill your heart with love, a grandson who makes your heart swell with happiness.  He will be a friend to many and an inspiration to all! 

We will enjoy life at Preston’s pace.  We will become better people.  We will learn so much from him.  Our hope is to help others who have the same fears that we once had.  Those fears for us have disappeared. 

Happy Birthday Preston!  It has been quite the first year and we are so excited for the many more years we get to spend loving you!