Little Pearl
Gretchen, our little pearl, perfectly named by all three of us. She was so tiny and bruised, with swollen eyes. Grady didn't think she was too cute, but we loaded her up at 2 days old and brought her home. I should have known, I should have seen it, maybe some did and just didn't tell us. We went in with no assumptions, to her first pediatric checkup on day 5. The doctor walked in and very matter of factly said 'we suspect she has Down syndrome and you will need to take her in for blood work.' Then we waited and cried and asked why. But mostly we just loved her, fed her, held her and treated her the same way we did the first 5 days. Down syndrome has become a part of our everyday life in so many ways. But even more than that Grechen's spirit has made our family whole. We want for her the same things we want for Grady. She may have to work harder, but she will achieve all that she wants with us by her side and continuing to advocate in her honor while educating those who are uninformed about the life of someone living with Down syndrome.
