I've had so much curiosity over what he might look like and to be honest I've been a bit terrified that he wouldn't look right to me or that I wouldn't think he was as beautiful as his big brother. In that first moment when I had a chance to look at his sweet little face, Down Syndrome was the last thing on my mind. He was so tiny and beautiful and I'll never forget how his little lips were pursed together and he kept sticking his teeny red tongue out over and over. Actually, upon my first impression, I couldn't even make out any facial features that indicated that he in fact did have Down Syndrome.
After a few hours when I was finally out of the recovery room and allowed to meet and hold baby Luke, I had a chance to complete a more thorough inspection.... I noticed some physical traits that I had read about as being consistent with Down Syndrome, including an unusually wide space between his big toe and second toe, his neck is quite short and the back of his neck is thicker than you'd expect to see. Furthermore, his ears are almost flat against his head and they seem to be set a little lower than usual. I didn't realize it was possible to have some but not all of the physical signs, but his eyes don't appear to have the tell-tale slant yet nor does he have the single palmar crease that I've read about over the last few months.
When I look at baby Luke I don't see Down Syndrome. When I look at baby Luke, I see a wonderful creation given to our family. I see a life with hope for the future. I see a baby who needs a family and likewise, a family who needs a baby. I see a son, a brother, a nephew and a grandson.
I'm not scared anymore about what the future might hold. I'm excited about the prospect of raising another child, I love being a mother and can't wait to nurture and raise the gift that God has given us. I DO think that baby Luke is every bit as beautiful as his big brother... we are extremely blessed to be parents of two awesome boys!
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