I can’t believe you are five today!  It has been an amazing five years with you in it.  The day you were born was such a scary and beautiful day.  I had so many different emotions. Some I am ashamed of feeling.  I was afraid I wouldn’t love you the same as Ethan and Charlie.  I was afraid I wouldn’t think you were beautiful.  I was afraid you wouldn’t fit into our family.  I was afraid you would be an outcast.  I was afraid of giving you all of me.  Oliver, please forgive me for feeling the way I felt.

I was so wrong to feel any of those feelings.  As soon as the nurse put you into my arms, you didn’t cry.  But, I looked into your blue, almond-shaped eyes and I knew I loved you!  All the fear disappeared when I was able to hold you in my arms.  I knew that you had Down syndrome, but I didn’t care.  I wept with joy and love for you!  I was worried about you not taking that big breath and not crying, but they took you away to the warmer to give you respiratory support.  After what seemed like forever, they finally brought you to me.  You were so tiny and so beautiful!  I was so wrong to think I wouldn’t love you.  I will never forget the nurse that handed you to me.  She was the only one that congratulated me.  She handed you to me and told me “Congratulations, he is beautiful!”.  Oh, my mama heart!  I love you so much!

These have been a wonderful and a tough five years.   Oliver has been through open heart surgery for tetralogy of fallot at three months of age. Oliver had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy that he ended up staying in the hospital for three weeks and discharged with a NG tube!  So far there has been two sets of ear tubes and two eye surgeries.  He has been admitted multiple times for hypoglycemia, and sent him with NG tubes.  This kid bounces back so quickly!  He hardly ever complains.  Ethan and Charlie are always there for him.  And, sometimes Oliver is there for them. I have no doubt that these life experiences are molding them into amazing humans!

Oliver has worked so hard to get where he is developmentally.  He is in physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapy.  He loves therapy!  It wasn’t easy in the beginning, and we continue to struggle with feeding therapy.  Oliver loves to run!  And, he has a serious arm on him!  I think baseball is in his future.  He is working hard on his speech.  Oliver has a few words: dog, go, stop, hi, bye.  Unfortunately, he just doesn’t use them consistently.  We will get there.  He does use sign language and his “talker (it is an augmentative communication device).  Oliver pushes an icon and it talks for him.  It is amazing.

Oliver’s favorite things are his brother and his sister!  He loves music and driving his Plasma car.  Also, he loves to jump on the trampoline.  He always wants to be around people.  Oliver will be enrolling in his third year of preschool. This boy is fearless when it comes to water.  He can’t get enough!  When we are at the pool, not only will you find him swimming, but you will find him dancing right in front of the speaker!  His love for life is contagious.  A big Happy Birthday to this very amazing little boy that has completed our family!