Today at Ellie's pre-school I got talking to one of the other moms. She was just telling me how wonderful and beautiful Nichole is. She was saying that Nichole had the sweetest baby face and she was just the nicest baby she had ever seen. She then asked me how I got such a nice baby, and what she should do to get one just as good.
I said, "It is easy, just have a baby with Down syndrome!"
We live in a pretty small town, so I assume that "everybody knows" that Nichole has Down syndrome, but that is not the case. My friend was so surprised! She looked at me with big eyes and said that she did not look like it, and especially since Nichole is so beautiful!
I take no offense in a comment like that, I actually like to hear when someone is surprised to find that a baby with Down syndrome is actually beautiful. It means that they have seen the baby for the baby, not the diagnosis, and it means that their eyes are opened to the truth, the truth that children with Down syndrome can be beautiful and oh so sweet!
Maybe it doesn't bother me because when Jennifer was born, I refused to believe that she had Down syndrome because she is so very cute! I suppose I thought that kids with Down syndrome were, well...not beautiful. And Jennifer is without a doubt one of the cutest kids that walk this world!
So I hope that today, my friend walked away blown away, blown away by the beauty of "imperfection." By the beauty of the almond shaped eyes. I know I am smitten! And I say this not only because I am the mom, but because she IS in fact a beautiful girl, just like her big sister.
Hi Ellen! I hope you don't bother with my comment. Well, in fact, when I saw you pictures in facebook, the pictures you had from Thanksgiving day, I didn't noticed that Nichole has DS. I knew she had it, until I read your blog, one month ago... And yes, Nichole is so beautiful. She, in fact, looks like a very beautiful little doll.
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