Over the past several weeks Kelly and I have been trying to wrap our heads around the fact that it is already been a year since our little one was born. Our minds immediately went to the difficult first several weeks. But that is only a small part of what we have been talking about, sure it is tied to some very strong emotions and something we will remember for a long time, but it has already been overshadowed by the joys we have experienced this year.
We had a birthday party for Taylor last weekend and I decided to make a video and a slideshow so we didn’t have to pass around the hundreds of pictures we have taken. It is amazing how quickly I had forgotten how tiny she was! Going through the videos we have taken and sifting through the hundreds of pictures was outstanding (it was also proof that a year has actually gone by!). Taylor truly has brought unimaginable joy into our home. She can change your attitude with just one little smile, light up your world with her laugh, and send you into a frenzy with her cry!
We have definatly laughed, cried, grown and learned together this past year and there will be plenty more of all of that to come! We have seen many “firsts” and are looking forward to even more. Watching her learn new things and experiment with the world around her is amazing. The sense of pride that I have is just overwhelming at times.
The pride that has been growing this past year is not only for Taylor, but for our friends, family and our new community that we are now part of. Words cannot express what a difference it has made to have the unconditional love and support from everyone this past year. I don’t know what we would have done without it.
During Taylor’s Birthday party, Kelly asked everyone to write down a birthday wish for Taylor, since she couldn’t tell us her own! The true testament of who Taylor is, and how our family and friends see her, came out in those wishes.
You can listen to them yourself at the end of the video, but you will hear the same types of wishes that friends and family would have for any 1 year old.
Not a single one was about Down Syndrome.
We have always said that having Down Syndrome will just be part of her life, not what her life is about. Looks like we are not the only ones with that belief!
