Background

I felt like I should post something to give a brief summary of our lives - there are lots of new readers and I don't expect everyone to be able to read through each post to get up to speed. So, this will serve as brief synopsis of our lives.  My name is Brandi and my son, Jack, and I live in Missouri.  I am from Chattanooga, TN but have been here for 6 years almost.  Jack was born to my ex-husband and I on June 22, 2009.  We didn't know he had DS during my pregnancy and in fact we didn't know until he was 5 days old.  Jack lacked a lot of the common physical characteristics when he was born and in the hospital no one mentioned anything.  I wasn't sure who he looked like, but I wasn't necessarily concerned about it.  The 1st couple months of Jack's life were difficult. I can't speak for my ex-husband, but I can speak for me.  There is nothing I would change about my Jack.  I strongly believe that God made him the way he is.  I have been asked if I would have aborted him if I knew - of course not.  Yes, there are challenges to this life and many obstacles, but I fell in love with Joseph Steven McKenzie at 4:51pm on June 22nd, 2009.  I remember holding him in my hospital room that night all alone and weeping cause I couldn't believe how much I loved him.  That didn't change when we found out that he had Down Syndrome.  The first few months were spent in and out of the hospital (he had duodenal atresia repair), and figuring out therapies.  The 1st year was rough - croup and RSV and hernia repairs.  Shortly after Jack's 1st Birthday, my ex left.  This past year has definitely been a hard one.  I have been a single mom for 9 months now.  I work full time in Clinical Resarch in Oncology and Jack goes to an incredible day care.  We just moved into an apartment and are doing just fine.  Jack gets speech, OT and PT every week.  He will be 2 in just under 2 months.  I can't believe it.  I can't believe how quickly he has grown and how our lives have changed.  It's just him and me.  I have sole custody.  I wish he had an active father and that I had a partner, but it's just us.  And we do just fine. Jack is doing many things - signing all the time, crawling, cruising, trying to self feed w/ spoon and fork, saying uh-oh, bye bye, and ball occasionally.  He is my little sweetheart and if anyone is reading this who just started their journey wiht their special child, be encouraged.  The road is different, sometimes lonely, but you are in for a life full of blessings.  One day soon you will not see the diagnosis, one day soon you won't worry about what people think, and one day soon - you will get in your own routine with therapies, dr. appts, and it will become normal life for you - and the best part - you have been given an incredible gift. One that will not only change you, but so many others as well.  So, that's us.  Me and Jack - in the midwest - pretty much attached at the hip most of the time.  I am incredibly blessed to be him mom.
 Here are some pics from bathtime tonight :)