Baby Israel

I was very nervous that with my due date so close to Christmas, (January 3)   I would have Israel on Christmas.  I was so worried about it I think, that I programmed my body to do exactally that. I was in labor for most of the later part of Christmas Eve.   Jared and I left Jensen with my Neices Monique and Amanda and headed to the hospital.   Israel was born at 5:04 Christmas morning.  He had some trouble breathing, so I only got to hold him for a second before they took him.  As I looked into his little eyes,  I thought he looked like he might have down syndrome, and as Jared went with him down to the nursery, he thought the same thing.   When he was two weeks old, the lab work came back and we found out he does have down syndrome.  I thought only older moms have babies with DS, so it was a little bit of a shock.  Because 40% of all babies with down syndrome are born with major heart defects he had his heart screened.  They found a hole, but said there was a possibility of it closing up, and we would watch it.  At his six month check up with the pediatric cardiologist, we found out his heart is PERFECT.  Totally normal.  What a blessing!  Israel is the light of all of our lives.  Jensen holds his little hand whenever he gets the chance.  His smile could change the world.  He loves to babble squeak and smile.  At his last checkup with the lady who evaluates how he is doing, she said that in her career she has never seen a baby with DS doing so well.  I am so glad we have him.  Someone said that they were sorry that I didn't have a "normal " baby.  We wouldn't switch him for "normal" in a million years.  We know that it may be harder, and we might have some extra challenges, but the light of his spirit outweighs all of that.  By far.