What will my newborn with Down Syndrome look like?

One of these babies has Down syndrome.  Can you guess which one it is?

 

Over the weekend I was reminded of my curiosity about what my newborn with Down syndrome would look like ... would he look normal?  Would I think he was beautiful?  Will I love him like I'd instantly loved my firstborn?  I'd done some reading about the typical features...

The most common features associated with Down syndrome include:

• Low muscle tone (babies appear "floppy")
• Flat facial features, with a small nose
• Upward slant to the eyes
• Small skin folds on the inner corner of the eyes
• Small, abnormally shaped ears
• Single deep crease across the center of the palm
• Hyperflexibility (excessive ability to extend joints)
• Fifth finger has only one flexion furrow instead of two
• Extra space between the big toe and the second toe
• Enlarged tongue that tends to stick out

I think I read the list at least a hundred times.

I'm way more than a little embarrassed to admit that on occasion I even wondered if he'd look like an alien... whatever that looks like.... I scoured the internet for photos but never felt satisfied that I had the right image of who he'd be.  My doctor attempted to convince me that he'd look like our family, like our other son, but in the end I just wasn't sure and decided it was probably best to just pray about it.  I reminded myself to trust in God and the plan he had for me and my family and by His grace, I was rewarded with a beautiful baby boy... to my surprise... one who looks like my family and in some ways, even like his brother Matthew. 

When I look at the photos above, I now see the two boys who own my heart... but in case you were wondering... it's the boy in the second photo that has Down syndrome... isn't he beautiful?  Aren't they both beautiful?