one day at a time: Real Life

Sometimes I worry that what I write, or the pictures I post, make it look like our family is perfect and that we've got it all figured out. This is not true. We have temper tantrums, screaming fits, days with no vegetables, days with only vegetables, piles of laundry that the kids climb like mountains, and messes that never seem to get cleaned up. I have trouble coordinating Luke's therapy, with Gwen's activities, and Colin's need for one on one time. Not to mention finding time for myself. Some days I feel like I have it all together and other days I have to remind myself that ...

this is real life.

Because of this thing called, life, I often find it hard to blog. I don't care to have sponsors or advertising on my page. I don't try to make money off of what I do, so it's easy to put it on the back burner and get caught up in everyday life.

Today I get an email from a friend who just found out they are pregnant with a baby that will have Down syndrome. It kicks me back into gear. I want to get our story out there. Luke is not a tragedy and I want his story to give others hope. I know that most people (90-94%) terminate pregnancies after finding out they are carrying a baby with Ds. I would venture to guess that most of those families make that decision based on ignorance and/or fear. If everyone knew a person with Down syndrome, would they make that decision? I don't know. I'm rambling now, but it just make me proud to know 2 families right now that are expecting children with Down syndrome. Don't fear.

Anticipate.

Trust.

Real life is filled with challenges. I remember feeling like I couldn't handle raising a child with Down syndrome. I felt the challenge was going to be too much, and that it was going to ruin my life. How wrong I was. I didn't trust. We are stronger than we think. We can handle, and even embrace, situations that we didn't choose for ourselves. Happy times are easy, but are also shallow in some ways. Challenging times show us who we really are... what we are capable of. I write these thoughts for others, but also as a reminder for myself.

So, here is to real life. Messy and unpredictable. Clothes that don't match. Kids in their pajamas at noon. Toys everywhere. Probably diapers waiting to be changed. It may sound crazy, but these are some of my favorite moments.

Luke in the backseat of a bus ...