It's Only Hard Sometimes {a guest post}

Lately I have been noticing a lot of people staring at us when we are out. I know it's not common to see two children with Down Syndrome in a family, so it doesn't bother me that much.

You can usually tell what a person is thinking (when they are looking at us), by the expression on their faces. Most people look for a while and then smile. Some people, not many, look away in disgust. Some people look at us with pity.  

Sometimes I wish I could carry cards in my purse and hand them out based on what I think the person looking at us is thinking.  For the people who smile at us, I would give them a card that says, "You got it, we have a pretty good life!"

For the people who look away in disgust, the card would say.... wait, those people don't deserve a card.  Never mind.

For the people who look at us with pity in their eyes, the card would have to be relatively big. It would say...

"Oh, please don't pity us.   

We had a prenatal diagnosis with our 6 year old.   

We chose her.   

She is a huge source of joy to us.   

She has struggled with so many things 

and we are incredibly proud of her. 

She is our hero.  

As for the baby, we chose her as well.   

We adopted her~ she came to live with us when she was 6 months old.  

She is incredible.   

We have an open adoption and a great relationship with the birth parents.  

She is loved beyond belief." 

Along with the cards, I would love for them to take a little peek into our lives.  

I wish they would have been at our breakfast table this morning when Lexi was fussing, so Lila reached into the cereal box and handed Lexi a piece.  Lexi immediately threw it across the floor. Lila said, "Wexi, dat wasn't nice.  I give you another chance".  She reached into the box again, handed another piece

of cereal to Lexi, and it went flying across the kitchen. Lila said, "Dat's ok, sweet girl, you don't feel well. You getting you teeth!" 

 

In the playroom this afternoon~ 

Lila was jumping full force on the mini trampoline when Lexi crawled up on the trampoline and tried to stand up. Lila stopped jumping, reached down and gave Lexi a hand to steady her balance.  

 

In our kitchen tonight when Lila was dancing around and Lexi was trying to dance with her ~ falling down about every 4 steps then getting back up to join her big sister.  

 

In the bathroom tonight while Lila was sitting on the potty and Lexi was sitting on a stool, hanging on her big sister's every word, watching as Lila sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and doing the motions.  Lexi was trying to do the motions with her and Lila was cheering her on. "Good job, Baby Wexi!  You doing it!".

Is it hard sometimes? 

Absolutely. 

I've never experienced anything in life that wasn't hard at times.

 

I raised two typical kids and that wasn't easy all the time.  

Parenting is a tough job.  

 

Do the good times outweigh the tough ones? 

In a huge way.   

 

Would we trade our life, change our choices? 

Not in a million years. 

Not for all the money in the world.  

 

 

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About the author: Linda lives in Colorado with her family. She is blessed to be the wife of an amazing husband and the mother of 5 awesome kids including her beautiful daughter-in-law. Linda is a stay-at-home mom and an avid volunteer. She started her blog, "Lila's Miracle Life" because her daughter with Down Syndrome, Lila, has had a number of health issues and wasn't expected to live beyond birth, if she made it that far. She is now 6 years old and a joy to her family. Linda's family recently adopted another little girl with Down Syndrome. You can follow their story at Lovin' Life With Our Blue Eyed Beauties.