FIVE.

On this day five years ago, I woke up early on that drizzly Monday morning, knowing it was time to go to the hospital. My due date had come and gone the day before and I had an induction scheduled for Thursday. But my little lady was ready to come NOW.

At the hospital, I was excited and terrified. We knew Miss B had Down syndrome. We knew Miss B had a congenital heart defect that would require surgery soon after birth.

We knew that we really knew nothing.

It felt like we were just holding our breath. Just waiting for the vast expanse of possibilities of what her life could be like to narrow down into what her life would be like.

Could she die during birth? 
Could she die during heart surgery? 
Could she run and play and have friends and talk and be happy?

We didn't know.
We didn't know anything.

And now...five years later...

We still don't know but we have a lot better idea.

We know that life can be unexpected. We know the weight of all-consuming worry for a child. We know the halls of hospitals and we know to make friends with the nurses. We know the patience needed while anticipating the next milestone. We know the joy of celebrating every achievement. We know the acronyms that swirl during meetings about the education of our child. We know the best hugs. We know princesses and pink and skirts and dresses and love of new clothes. We know enthusiasm. We know sign language. We know speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and the differences between them all. We know true friendships. We know how to accept help. We know stubbornness and frustration. We know The Magic School Bus. We know Barbies. We know how to play. We know that when it's time to sleep, sleep. We know that an extra chromosome is not a big deal and is a huge deal. We know differences and similarities weave the world together. We know the possibilities are endless. We know happiness is a choice. We know there is a lot more to learn.

We know that our Miss B will go far in her life and we are blessed to be along for the ride.

Happy Birthday, Miss Banana. You rock our world.