A Baby with Down syndrome and no instructions?

Brogan 8/20/2008

So we were told that our son has Down Syndrome. What does that mean for us as parents of a new baby? What are we supposed to do with this baby? Is ANYONE going to come to my door and check up on us? I was surprised when I brought my daughter home, and even more surprised bringing Brogan home that no one checked up on us. Doesn't anyone monitor those new parents? No wonder you see so many horrible stories involving babies and kids on the news.

So - as I began - what do we do with this baby? Well, we treat him like a normal baby. He gets love and attention and food and changed and all of the good stuff. We put him in different play areas and play with him, and I see no difference between him and my daughter as little babies.

He spent a little time in daycare and picked up a daycare cold. That seemed pretty typical to me. It sure worried me! It worried me when Audrey got her first daycare cold at 18 months.

The nurses at Auburn Regional Medical Center gave us a nice keepsake box that someone had donated which had information about babies with Down Syndrome. I've read the book, read the pamphlets, but what I can see is that Down Syndrome isn't really the issue. It's keeping the baby healthy, like you would any baby that is the most important thing. I do love the nurses from the Auburn Regional Medical Center's NICU. They were so wonderful to Brogan. He was their "terrific eater". Plus he was super ornery with them and fought everything, which endeared him with them all the more because that showed he is a strong baby with a strong character.

Brogan has a nice pediatrician and he doesn't see many features of Down Syndrome in Brogan. Since this baby is rolling over, smiling, sucking on fingers, communicating well and progressing just like any normal baby I wonder sometimes. I know a symptom as a parent whose child is diagnosed with Down Syndrome has to be denial, but I'm not caught in denial. I just want someone to prove to me that this child is slow.

He really wants to crawl and I fear once this boy goes mobile there will be no stopping him! He rolls over from his back to his tummy and gets his knees under him before his elbows and starts to push forward. He's going places even if he ends up with rug burns on his forehead! That's just a joke, since he's on a nice play mat and supervised. He holds his head up well and does the 'mini pushup' like a good baby should. We're so proud of our little boy and I don't know if it's "early intervention" or just normal good parenting, but Brogan is doing great!

Brogan and Mommy August 2008

Tattoo courtesy of Big Sister Tatoo Parlor