John Michael is 10 Today!!

10 years ago today, you shook me to the core!! I was 40 and having a baby at 40 wasn’t in my plans, but God knew what I needed.

I knew something was different the moment I held you, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect the doctor to say, “It looks like your son has Down syndrome.”

You were easy to deliver, but you were somehow more floppy, didn’t cry with gusto like Nic, Anna and Greta when they were born and when you turned purple, I just assumed you were cold...

When they whisked you away I became concerned and that’s when the doctor told me and Daddy. We were speechless. Daddy was strong. I was scared, sad and afraid. It took me a while to catch my breath. Leaving the hospital without you tore me up. I pumped milk and fed you several times a day. It was surreal. You fought to breathe on your own, you had small holes in your heart and you were too tired to finish a tiny 2 oz bottle of milk. But just 8 days later, on Thanksgiving Day, we brought you home from the hospital and have loved and cared for you ever since!! What a blessing you are!!

John Michael, you redefined the word PERFECT in my heart and in our family. Perfection is what God gave us... we just needed to grow and change to better understand. Today, 10 years later, all I see is perfection. Perfectly imperfect. My life, our family, your siblings, relatives and friends have all been touched by you and I’M. SO. GRATEFUL. to be your mom!

Happy DOUBLE DIGITS, John Michael!! You’ve been asking me 364 days when is it going to be your birthday so you can be 10! Well, Buddy, it’s here... and we are going to celebrate you BIG!!!

Love you to the moon and back, my sweet angel cake!!



THEN... (2008)



AND NOW!