About

First of all, if you found this blog by searching terms like “Down syndrome prenatal diagnosis” or “positive MaterniT21 test” welcome to the most exclusive club you never knew you wanted to be a part of! Getting a prenatal diagnosis that your baby has Down syndrome can be scary, very scary. But, somewhere along the way, you will realize how blessed you and your family are. We are the lucky ones.

I remember reading messages and blogs of other mommies of children with Down syndrome who would say how great life was, how normal things were. I would always think that they had to say that. But here I am, almost 2 years after our unexpected journey started (we received a positive MaterniT21 test in May 2012), to confirm that life is good. In fact it’s wonderful! Read this blog. You will see it hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows. There have been a lot of dark days (especially in the beginning!) – but what I’ve gratefully come to realize is you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain. It’s about seeing life differently now. A new perspective. A new journey.

My name is Melanie. I am a stay at home mom to two wonderful boys. Our oldest, Cody, is 3 1/2 years old – our little red headed spit fire. He’s a funny, sweet, rough and tumble boy with a wild imagination. We welcomed Eli into our family in October 2012. He’s cute as a button, melts hearts with his smiles, and has the most contagious laugh. He was prenatally diagnosed (at 14 weeks with MaterniT21) with Trisomy 21, more commonly known as Down syndrome. He spent 7 days in the NICU at birth. He has conquered open heart surgery (to repair a VSD), Bronchiolitis (which landed him the hospital for 7 days), Infantile Spasms (successfully treated with ACTH), and recently (October 2013) underwent skull surgery for a very rare condition called Lambdoid Craniosynostosis. Through it all, his smile is the brightest one in the room!
My husband, Chuck, is the best father and partner in the world. This blog is about our journey. A journey we did not chose, but were chosen for. It is a raw reflection of my thoughts and feelings in the moment. Sometimes, I may not say the “right” things. You may sense my frustrations at times, but I hope to mostly reflect the joy my sons bring to our lives. Please join us for the adventure – our journey through life!